Rubin Carter - dead

[bennie]

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter has passed away of prostrate cancer in Toronto aged 76.
The former middleweight contender from Paterson in New Jersey spent almost two decades in prison for his alleged part in the gunning down of two men and a woman - all ageing - in a 'whites only' Paterson bar on a hot June night in 1966, a crime that reflected the obvious racial tension in the States in the decade. Another man was shot and blinded in an eye. Two black gunmen were heard laughing as they strolled to a nearby car.
Contrary to popular belief, Carter's boxing career was seriously on the slide at the time, with only one win from his previous five outings; already 30 when he and his good friend John Artis were convicted a year later, Carter was not the number one contender for the middleweight crown, to quote Bob Dylan in his famous campaign song.
Nevertheless, Carter had made it to a crack at the undisputed world title a couple of years earlier in 1964, dropping a unanimous if competitive 15-round decision to an ageing Joey Giardello in Philadelphia, a man once beaten convincingly by our own Terry Downes. Carter began brightly but faded down the stretch as the crafty, underrated Giardello ignored cuts and kept working away, but, and make no mistake about it, Rubin Carter brought a surly, menacing, downright dangerous presence to any boxing ring, particularly on the way up. The man could fight.
Carter destroyed Emile Griffith in just one sensational round with booming left hooks in 1963, dropping the great man twice (Nobody ever did that to Griffith, before or again.) He did the same to world class Cuban Florentino Fernandez a year earlier, leaving a semi-conscious Fernandez arched precariously over the ropes in 69 seconds. Carter also defeated future WBA heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis, on a 10-round decision, the likes of George Benton, Holly Mims, Fate Davis and Gomeo Brennan, while mixing it with men such as Dick Tiger, Luis Rodriguez, Stan Harrington and Joey Archer.
Tiger gave him a serious thumping on the way down, when Carter also slumped to a points defeat in London to Liverpool's 22-15-4 Harry Scott - but Rubin was tough. He was stopped only once in a 40-fight career, on cuts.
His greatest victory came when he was released from jail in November 1985 at the age of 48: Carter's conviction was overturned (along with that of Artis') and he spent the remainder of his life living freely in Canada.
No other men were ever convicted of the '66 slayings.

[reggaereggae]

Despite all the stuff about Carter being framed etc etc independent sources differ as to whether he was involved. Regardless he wasn't some sort of blameless modern martyr; he was a know wife beater and violent man who basically can thank Bob Dylan for his unlikely status

[jtourettes]

I thought the OP was going to say 'guilty'.

[TheGoods]

Top fighter. Truly great song. He had some life. RIP The Hurricane

[misterpunch]

carter was certainly a menacing figure at his best. i've read the internet testimonies that reckon he did it and I still reckon they are based on the same racist fit-up garbage that stuck him away in the first place.

the song is monumental and I raise my glass to rubin carter for the fighter he was and the fight he should not have gone through.

RIP HURRICANE