Mickey Duff - RIP

[bennie]

Mickey Duff, arguably the greatest boxing man Britain has ever produced, passed away this morning at the age of 84.
Duff was a matchmaker, manager and promoter with the ability to 'suss' which opponents would make his fighters look good. Yes, Mickey made the odd mistake, ala Terry Downes against Dick Tiger, but he secured his promotional future with the world heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper at Highbury in 1966 and when he nailed Billy Walker down to a contract. The heavyweight golden boy sold tickets as fast as they were printed.
By the late 1960s Duff had seen off Jack Solomons and began developing a host of British world champions as his matchmaking skills went into orbit. He tumbled the great but ageing Jose Napoles care of Bethnal Green's John H. Stracey while the aggressive, heavy handed Rocky Mattioli was pushed back, nullified and dethroned by Hackney's Maurice Hope. He steered Liverpool's John Conteh to the world light-heavyweight title, a man Mickey described as the most talented and most frustrating fighter he ever worked with, and he endured a similar love-hate relationship with Joe Bugner while taking him to a crack at the world heavyweight title against Muhammad Ali in Malaysia in 1975.
In 1980 Duff took Alan Minter to America and they came back with the undisputed world middleweight title, and he made Cornelius Boza-Edwards, who couldn't sell a ticket here, a TV darling in the States. Duff ignored the howls of protest that surrounded his decision to throw in Kirkland Laing with the feared Roberto Duran in Las Vegas in 1982 as he had spotted Duran's weakness to movers. Laing bagged the win.
Hard-nosed, intimidating, an ex-pro of 69 fights, a surprisingly big man in the flesh, Duff worked the corner and pushed his fighters beyond their normal limits, knowing they were in great shape under trainers Terry Lawless, George Francis or Bobby Neill. This led to Jim Watt, a cut-prone, anemic-looking southpaw Scot, winning the WBC lightweight title in Glasgow and Lloyd Honeyghan's shock win over the previously unbeaten Don Curry in Atlantic City for the undisputed world welterweight title (Duff regards Honeyghan as the second most talented fighter he worked with). Mickey's later work with Duke McKenzie, the unfashionable Croydon man who won three world titles at different weights, included a brilliant boxing win over Gaby Canizales. Duff also secured the WBC flyweight title for Charlie Magri and a huge payday for John Mugabi against Marvin Hagler.
By the late 1980s Mickey was showing the early signs of Alzheimer’s, his memory slipping, but he masterminded Michael Watson's stunning win over Nigel Benn and remained a major presence in boxing for several more years until his Alzheimer's progressively worsened.

[mickey1975]

Had the pleasure of meeting him a few times as a young teen and he spoke, at length, about boxing! Rip.

[NazNaci1]

RIP. Great man of British Boxing. Grew up watching and listening to him.

[ThereByTheGrace]

That was very good to read bennie thanks. Before my time watching boxing but condolences to the duff family

[TerribleTerry]

Remember Duff in Mugabi's corner v Hagler?

"Listen to the Father John, listen to the Father"

A boxing man through and through.

RIP

[GlobalBox]

One of our great boxing characters, always loved listening to him.

RIP Mickey, God Bless

[whiskey]

Thanks for the post Bennie 8)

[TheGoods]

Proper rascal. RIP Mickey

[Monte Fisto]

Legend-god bless

[Sklar]

Shocking to think that it's more than a quarter of a century ago that his influence began to wane. Where's that time gone? It's a short life.

[handsofstone]

RIP Mickey

Arguably the most influencial figure from Britain to pass

[spudder56]

Proper rascal. RIP Mickey

X2 but rip mickey

[JC]

RIP giant of British boxing.

[saad muhammad]

Duff's timing was perfect for getting the right opponent at
the right time for his fighters, new the game inside out RIP.

[Mimmy]

Bloody hell.

RIP sad news but didnt know he was suffering that dreadful illness.

[tommo100]

grew up with seeing mickey duff in the corner of big title fight!!!,did he split from honeyghan when Lloyd started to become a sloppy brawler,changing from a dangerous boxer/puncher,can`t imagine he`d have advocated honeyghan trying to bomb out marlon starling

[Bodyshot3]

What a shame...all the big names who I grew up with as a kid our passing-on.

Duff gave us some great fights and some great fighters....I know it turned a bit sour with Honeyghan, but that victory they put together in Altlantic City and the obvious pleasure it gave Duff was fantastic.

I think he understood that he'd done a proper, old school number on DK whi hadn't done his homweork on Lloyd.

[Jakemilo]

What a shame...all the big names who I grew up with as a kid our passing-on.

Duff gave us some great fights and some great fighters....I know it turned a bit sour with Honeyghan, but that victory they put together in Altlantic City and the obvious pleasure it gave Duff was fantastic.

I think he understood that he'd done a proper, old school number on DK whi hadn't done his homweork on Lloyd.

I said this to my mate on fb earlier today re Honeyghan v Curry the greatest away win by a british fighter I've ever seen RIP Mickey Duff

[Graham Houston]

Two sayings of Mickey that always stood out to me:

"If you want loyalty, get a dog." (Everyone knows that one.)

"When in doubt -- jab."

On John Conteh's tendency to wait for the perfect opening: "He waits until he sees the whites of their eyes."

Grim humour -- On what would have happened had the Nazis won the war. "I'd have ended up as a bar of soap."

To which Terry Lawless retorted: "Yes, but you'd have led a clean life."

Grim humour part II: When Mickey was losing his memory as Alzheimer's took an ever-firmer grip: "The doctor prescribed pills that really help -- if only I could remember where I put them"

Very nice tribute by Bennie. I have many anecdotes of Mickey Duff and will discuss a tribute feature with Glyn for the next Boxing Monthly (after the current issue, this one is in the final stages of production).

Mickey was quite simply the greatest boxing mind that ever lived, IMO.

RIP.

[tony1234]

Sad news RIP

[jessi]

A good read Bennie ! Rip Mickey

[Controversial]

RIP Mickey

[dr_devious]

RIP Mickey Duff

[palooka]

His book 20 and out is as good read.

[Bodyshot3]

I am going to buy his book 'Twenty and Out' could be a good read.......