Name them, big-name boxers you have been with LIVE and have conversation with.

[ImranSarwar]

Another I laid eyes on only we never "spoke" was ***Gilbert Dele of France when he was the reigning champion. It was for his defense against Pazienza. Fight he lost the title in. We were all sitting at very large conference table and Gilbert sat at the other end.

[ImranSarwar]

***Sean O'Grady I MEET. That was at Paz-Dele too! He was there for color TV commentary. I approached Sean and explained to him how..I used to be in his "Fan Club" (until...two Seperate Fan Clubs started fighting and things got ruin there)[Sean had two "Sean O'Grady fan clubs..."]

[ImranSarwar]

What is the fighters name? He hangs out with Steve Acunto. He used to be about a Welterweight contender(?) //I'll get his name.

[ImranSarwar]

I met ***Livingstone Bramble at Ring magazine not long before he grabbed the lightWT championship from Ray Mancini. I was working at Ring on summer. [Met Pinklon thru Ring too. Bert Sugar even introduced us. '83, & a distance before he won the title][He told me he was going to "get Ray Mancini...."& exactly what he did." [big front page Sports world wide headlines that fight! "Nice"!]

[ImranSarwar]

I spoke to Marvis Frazier on the phone one time.
(& we had a good little conversation)

[ImranSarwar]

***Shannon Briggs I called up one time... (Me & him, I swear we have this "spirit rapor". Kinda amazing!)

[ImranSarwar]

Kevin Johnson I called up one time one day. He said, call him the next day too. So I did. [he is "extremely cool good guy!" &...KJ knows about Mike Weaver like I do to that he is -LIKE- -GREAT-! (Mike Weaver a strong Christian Gentleman! He is TOO COOL)]

[ImranSarwar]

***Reggie Johnson I called up a COUPLE OF TIMES.
[He is serious about making a comeback right now too!]

[ImranSarwar]

****Marvis wrote me a letter one time. Not sure if I wrote him first..

[ImranSarwar]

Jerry Quarry wrote me a note back one time off of me writing him, 1St. [He is someone, he TRYS HARD,EVERYTHING!]

[ImranSarwar]

Jeff Hanna pretty famous amateur from Indiana. I sat next to Jeff for a Parade in West Lebanon Indiana one time. We were being driven in the local parade [a chap there flew me in from CT for the weekend and I agreed to do exhibitions boxing. It was "fun", pretty much. We did a sparring film too. That was bit "twist". Sometimes, even in sparring the punching can be "heavy"!]

[ImranSarwar]

I saw Rene Weller "live" once at a boxing show in Bad Kreuznach. [He was a huge star in Germany & Europe]

[writehooks]

For the past 35 years I've been very fortunate to earn my living as an author and boxing journalist, so I've had the opportunity to do multiple interviews with most of the following fighters. One of the exceptions is the first name on the list, Jimmy McLarnin. I only met him him once, but it was a delightful 8-hour day spent at his home in Tri Cities, Washington, in 1995. He even made lunch for me!
The best of a long list: Jimmy McLarnin; George Chuvalo; Archie Moore; Yvon Durelle; Muhammad Ali; Joe Frazier; George Foreman; Ken Norton; Gerry Cooney; Leon and Michael Spinks; Lennox Lewis; Razor Ruddock; Michael Moorer; Mike Tyson; Ron Lyle; Earnie Shavers; Ken Buchanan; Marvin Hagler; Roberto Duran; Donny Lalonde; Sugar Ray Leonard; Ken Lakusta; Willie de Wit; Henry Tillman; Ray Mancini; Zou Shiming; Manny Pacquiao; Floyd Mayweather Jr.

[ImranSarwar]

For the past 35 years I've been very fortunate to earn my living as an author and boxing journalist, so I've had the opportunity to do multiple interviews with most of the following fighters. One of the exceptions is the first name on the list, Jimmy McLarnin. I only met him him once, but it was a delightful 8-hour day spent at his home in Tri Cities, Washington, in 1995. He even made lunch for me!
The best of a long list: Jimmy McLarnin; George Chuvalo; Archie Moore; Yvon Durelle; Muhammad Ali; Joe Frazier; George Foreman; Ken Norton; Gerry Cooney; Leon and Michael Spinks; Lennox Lewis; Razor Ruddock; Michael Moorer; Mike Tyson; Ron Lyle; Earnie Shavers; Ken Buchanan; Marvin Hagler; Roberto Duran; Donny Lalonde; Sugar Ray Leonard; Ken Lakusta; Willie de Wit; Henry Tillman; Ray Mancini; Zou Shiming; Manny Pacquiao; Floyd Mayweather Jr.

"Wow!" So....you are somebody then! : ) I'm gonna look at your list again, and again! KENT APPEL boxing writer is "good friend" of mine! [I put him to Kassim Ouma one time when the Ex-champion Kassim stepped up to 160.. challenged Gennady Golovikin. [One of Golovikin's hardest fights to date too. "No doubt!"]
Do you write only boxing? I have publisher Bob Taylor (he has died few years ago now....) handle my corner for my "10Th" pro match. He used to publish The Amateur Boxer (had me writing for him Service boxing/Europe), The Diver ("Olympic style diving/ swimming pool stuff"/he traveled the world for it, too!) &, "Cranberries" ["Tabloids" Bob called them.......]. He got me "pre-hired" at Ring magazine one time. (Went in, met Bert Sugar and Bert asked me, "what do you want to do?")
I'm -FRIENDSHIP- w/ REGGIE JOHNSON. Ex 160lb world champ twice [WBC WBA IBF WBO].
He has a "story" about SOMETHING [???] where, he got into LOT-OF-trouble for a time. That is something that, I think, the "Boxing World" does NOT quite understand.
& how well do you know boxing? You make a living writing? You -don't- right(?)
John Wilkinson, (in Connecticut)
I know some "great chap's" in boxing. Put one writer from England directly to IKE IBEABUCHI recently......

[ImranSarwar]

Zou Shimming, you think he will amount to anything? I worked for the US Sports Academy before [Hon. Thomas Rosandich SR.]. The put me as Coach down in Sultan/ Brunei. [it was 'FUN']. Thomas JR. [Academy Vp] offered me China about 4-5 years ago. (I "might have". Further story....).
Ken Lakusta kinda a "rung out" on the
c a l i b r t i o n s here otherwise, don't you think? : ) BUT COULD YOU POST THAT STORY? I remember his name good too! [I know Donny Lalonde in FB. He is....ah.."really something really!" Into "other things". You might well know. DAMN he was a "good boxer!"]

[ImranSarwar]

You joined 13 March 2011...4 days less one month later I have "something start"/with ME.
You joined at (record) 13:12. I boxed someone once (amateur) they went ON-2 take world championship on a 12/13 : )

[sweetviolenturge]

://www.facebook.com/Echelon1961/media_set? ... 595&type=3

As a former pro fighter, sparring partner, licensed second, promoter's assistant & many other occupations involved in the game for over three decades, I've had the opportunity to meet, befriend & often work with some of the biggest names in boxing. I've posted just a couple of photos from my FB account here in this post to illustrate how fortunate I've been.
I also did volunteer work for Ed Brophy & the IBHOF from 1989 until 2001, attending every HOF Induction weekend in Canastota from '90 - '01. Which afforded me the chance to hang out with & get to know many, many oldtimers & legends as well as all the contemporary fighters I met/worked with over the years.
I never took these things for granted, I assure you & I absolutely cherish my experiences & memories.

[Vinsanity]

I talked to george chavalo a few times he lives not to far from me and goes to alot of my former coaches shows hes a good guy and his head is huge and hes shorter then I expected

[SenorPipino]

Living in Los Angeles all my life, I had the opportunity to meet many past stars, most of them at the fabled Main Street Gym.

Sitting around in the bleachers, chatting with them after workouts was always a thrill.

Offhand, the guys I recall having sitdown conversations with include:

Oscar "Shotgun" Albarado
Albert Davila
Frankie "Guero" Duarte
Sean O'Grady (along with his mother Jean and sister Rosie)
Monroe Brooks
"Irish" Mike Nixon
Armando "The Man" Muniz

Engaged in a few short conversations with the icon himself, Sugar Ray Robinson. He was in his 50s, but still worked out frequently at MSG. Even at his advanced age, his hand speed on the speed bag was amazing.
Occasionally Robinson was engaging, but quite frequently was rather standoffish.

Me and a buddy somehow finagled our way into Muhammad Ali's hotel suite in Century City, a few weeks before the 1975 Thrilla in Manila. Ali had just concluded a public workout at the Century City Entertainment Center before a throng of several thousand spectators.

My friend and I went into the adjoining Century Plaza Hotel to catch a drink, where we saw a large crowd heading to the elevator. Ali was there signing autographs and when he entered the already packed elevator, we jammed our way in too.

The thing I remember most, however, was the presence of rising singing star---the very hot Lola Falana---in his suite. She played a taped song she had written and recorded about Ali, and the two seemed very cozy, even though the room was filled with fans and hangers on.

I later wondered if wife Khalilah and #1 Squeeze Veronica Porsche were aware of the GOAT's apparent closeness with Ms. Falana.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Lionel Rose

[ProBoxOregon]

I worked with some good regional promoters in SoCal, and through them I worked with Ten Goose, Don King, Top Rank, Kushner Promotions, Main events. I would pickup fighters and take them to their Licensing appointments. I took Tito Trinidad to his Nero exam before he won his 1st world title against Booker in San Diego. Same Day I took Terry Norris to hos eye appointment. I may have been a grunt, but I met and talked with dozens of great fighters, managers, promoters, matchmakers, trainers.

Most under rated trainer is Abel Sanchez who trained Terry & Orlin Norris, Jesus Salud just to name a few. OK, so I am not a big shot, however I did meet and talk with the following
Archie Moore
Muhammad Ali
Kenny Norton
Oscar De La Hoya
Lupe Aquino
Bazooka Deluca
Johnny Tapia
Angelo Dundee
Dan Duva
Don King

Just to name a few...My boss has a list in the 1000s. His dad managed Kenny Norton.

[elmersalsa]

I have met a couple of boxers. When I met former champion Meldrick Taylor it gave me a look at the sport of boxing of how cruel it could be. He was way past his prime and totally shot. That was in 1999. He could barely talk. His speech was more than slurred. And the irony of all, he was still fighting? He gave me an autograph. I still have it.

I also met the great Carmen Basilio. Others I met: Buck Smith, Livingston Bramble, Hilario Zapata, and Ravea Springs.

Bramble is a very nice guy.


I want to meet in the future:
The Fab 4 of Duran, Hagler, Leonard and Hearns
George Foreman
Mike McCallum
Eusebio Pedroza
Carlos Ortiz
Ruben Olivares
Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles

[elmersalsa]

I would also like to meet:
Mike Tyson
Evander Holyfield
James Toney
Shane Mosley
Manny Pacquiao
Roy Jones, Jr
Bernard Hopkins
Gato Gonzalez

[elmersalsa]

How can I forget...Ken Buchanan! I definitely would like to meet him!

[Kalan]

Ali, Foreman, Norton, Tyson, Spinks, Terrell and dozens of boxers who fought in the 40's, 50's, 60's, and 70's.

I remember talking with Leon Spinks.. He was extremely friendly, but It was tough because the conversation wasn't that intelligible.. Norton told me he'd been asked to appear in the Superstars Competition twice and turned it down.. That was the competition during the 70's that pitted the world's top athletes against each other.. I encouraged Norton to do it saying, "You're a much better athlete than Joe Frazier. Boxers always come in last on Superstars and they embarrass the sport. You should do much better." He said maybe he should try it and it might be fun. Next thing I know, Norton accepted the invitation and he indeed competed in Superstars.