.......or legend, myth, whatever you want to call it.
My father was keen on watching the fights so I got roped in when I was about 8. When Tyson busted onto the scene I was suddenly a boxing fan.
But when I read the story of John L Sullivan, his whole character, his battles with Mitchell and Kilrain, his loss to Corbett - that's the moment I knew I would be a fan for life. I carried on reading, and it just got better, Jeffries, Burns, Johnson, Dempsey.....I would say that the day I read that book (Peter Arnolds Illustrated History of Boxing) was my most life-changing experience.
Anyone here remember the moment they got hooked?
Anyway, enough sentimentalism. The one story that still inspires wonder in me is the story of Johnson-Ketchel. To my knowledge, Johnson agreed to go easy on Ketchel for 12 rounds, but Stan tried to doublecross Johnson, knocking him down when he was sufficiently lulled into false security. Johnson gets up with a smile on his face and catches Stan coming in with the biggest uppercut ever thrown (both men end up on the floor), Stan out cold and the film shows (allegedly) Johnson casually wipe off Stan's two front teeth, which had embedded in his glove.
That's too good a story not to believe.
Which is why I was slightly upset to read an alternative version in Unforgiveable Blackness (reading it now, GREAT, GREAT book, so far).
Apparantly, the ending was rehearsed. Johnson playing his part perfectly(stage experience), but Stan could not get 'knocked out' convincingly, so he just decided that he would let it happen for real.
It might explain the particular ferocity of that one punch, if Stan was just walking on to a punch from a much bigger man, hey, you can expect to lose some teeth. i would rather believe the original version though, and to be fair, the book only quotes this version in a footnote.
To summarise
A. Do you remember the moment you got hooked on boxing?
B.Whats your favourite story from the rich history of our chosen sport?
Your favourite story........
I was pretty much hooked at age 7, upon watching the first Ali/Spinks fight. I already knew about Ali, since he was bigger than life, but my family is from Missouri and I have relatives in St. Louis, so not knowing any better I was pulling for Spinks. I went to school the next day thinking Leon was the greatest of all time! Ha!
Years later I attended a fight card at Ft. Bragg, NC, where I was stationed in the army, and I sat next to Kelvin Seabrooks (former IBF Bantamweight champ) and talked to him the whole night. He was really cool. I also met Bonecrusher Smith--and Pinklon Thomas, who lost to Mike Hunter (RIP) that night. Thomas was on his way down by then, but he was still pissed about not fighting Holmes--and he still referred to him as "peanut head" Larry. It was a riot!
Years later I attended a fight card at Ft. Bragg, NC, where I was stationed in the army, and I sat next to Kelvin Seabrooks (former IBF Bantamweight champ) and talked to him the whole night. He was really cool. I also met Bonecrusher Smith--and Pinklon Thomas, who lost to Mike Hunter (RIP) that night. Thomas was on his way down by then, but he was still pissed about not fighting Holmes--and he still referred to him as "peanut head" Larry. It was a riot!
For me it always goes back to listening to fights on the radio in the 50's before I was 10 years old while my Dad and my older brother were actually at the closed circuit theatre. I used to "shadowbox" while the announcers called the fights and try to throw whatever punch the announcer claimed was being thrown by my favorite fighter. Most memorable were Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles and Floyd Patterson fights. But if it was on the radio I was listening no matter who it was.
When I listened to the first Ali Liston fight I was 12 and I was home alone and I tore up the whole house by pretending to be knocked around or knocking around the imaginary Liston in my living room, while the fight was being announced. I broke lamps and furniture and my dad was pretty pissed when he got home.
But when he heard why I did it, he laughed and from that point on I was invited to the Closed circuit theater with my Dad and big brother everytime there was a good fight being shown. Guess he figured he couldn't afford to leave me behind after that. To this day I'm surprised that he didn't take me out back and give me a boxing lesson himself. Lamps, tables and HiFi system mostly wiped out in the carnage.
When I listened to the first Ali Liston fight I was 12 and I was home alone and I tore up the whole house by pretending to be knocked around or knocking around the imaginary Liston in my living room, while the fight was being announced. I broke lamps and furniture and my dad was pretty pissed when he got home.
But when he heard why I did it, he laughed and from that point on I was invited to the Closed circuit theater with my Dad and big brother everytime there was a good fight being shown. Guess he figured he couldn't afford to leave me behind after that. To this day I'm surprised that he didn't take me out back and give me a boxing lesson himself. Lamps, tables and HiFi system mostly wiped out in the carnage.
re
There are just too many favorites to chose one, but one of my favorites is an anecdote for Sam Langford back in the early teens when he was seconding a fighter in a Mexico bullring. Whether it was true, I don't know, but it was entertaining!
MEMORIES
By Nat Fleischer
Sam Langford was a great fighter, but something less than a great second. Sam was seconding another fighter during a scrap held in the bull ring at Juarez one Sunday afternoon. When the fighter came back to the corner, his manager said:
“You’re getting’ hit with a left hook. Watch out for his hook punch. He’s hittin’ you all the time with a left hook.”
This infuriated Sam.
“What do you tell him that for?” he asked. “Doan tell he’s gittin’ hit wit’ a left hook and doan even know about it. Anytime a man gits hit wit’ a left hook and he doan know it, den he wants to git out of the boxin’ business and git himself a job on a farm.”
The fighter went out again. When he returned after the next round, his manager said: “Take it easy. You’re tired. You’re very tired.”
Again Sam blew up.
“What you tell him foh he’s tired?” Sam asked in disgust. “If he’s tired, doan HE know it?” The manager argued. Sam responded by chasing him out of the ring.
The fighter got back again after the next heat and found only Sam waiting for him.
Sam sponged him off but said nothing. He watched him awhile.
Finally the fighter asked:
“What should I hit him with Sam?”
Sam didn’t answer.
The fighter was getting anxious.
“Sam,” he pleaded, “will you tell me what to hit him with?”
“Yeah,” Sam retorted, “I’ll tell you what to hit him with. Sho I will.”
“Well,” said the fighter as the precious seconds ticked away, “what should I hit him with?”
“Hit him with SUMPIN, “ Sam said, “hit him with SUMPIN’!”
The Ring
March 1950
Pg. 25-21.
MEMORIES
By Nat Fleischer
Sam Langford was a great fighter, but something less than a great second. Sam was seconding another fighter during a scrap held in the bull ring at Juarez one Sunday afternoon. When the fighter came back to the corner, his manager said:
“You’re getting’ hit with a left hook. Watch out for his hook punch. He’s hittin’ you all the time with a left hook.”
This infuriated Sam.
“What do you tell him that for?” he asked. “Doan tell he’s gittin’ hit wit’ a left hook and doan even know about it. Anytime a man gits hit wit’ a left hook and he doan know it, den he wants to git out of the boxin’ business and git himself a job on a farm.”
The fighter went out again. When he returned after the next round, his manager said: “Take it easy. You’re tired. You’re very tired.”
Again Sam blew up.
“What you tell him foh he’s tired?” Sam asked in disgust. “If he’s tired, doan HE know it?” The manager argued. Sam responded by chasing him out of the ring.
The fighter got back again after the next heat and found only Sam waiting for him.
Sam sponged him off but said nothing. He watched him awhile.
Finally the fighter asked:
“What should I hit him with Sam?”
Sam didn’t answer.
The fighter was getting anxious.
“Sam,” he pleaded, “will you tell me what to hit him with?”
“Yeah,” Sam retorted, “I’ll tell you what to hit him with. Sho I will.”
“Well,” said the fighter as the precious seconds ticked away, “what should I hit him with?”
“Hit him with SUMPIN, “ Sam said, “hit him with SUMPIN’!”
The Ring
March 1950
Pg. 25-21.
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MightyWarrior
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 13250
- Joined: 23 Jan 2003, 14:01
I'd watched fights before, but was well & truly hooked while in America, tuning in one Sat afternoon and watching Hearns KO Pipino Cuevas in Detroit. Just a sensational performance.
Too many stories, but I like the one by James Quick Tillis ( I think it was him )
"I finally arrived in the Big city. I got off the coach, put down my bags, looked up and said New York: here I am!
I looked down, and my bags were gone."
Too many stories, but I like the one by James Quick Tillis ( I think it was him )
"I finally arrived in the Big city. I got off the coach, put down my bags, looked up and said New York: here I am!
I looked down, and my bags were gone."
-
kick asner
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 692
- Joined: 02 Oct 2005, 00:01
Re: Your favourite story........
A. When I first went to an amateur show and watched a friend box, I had been in the gym a couple of weeks and just doing it to tick over, we all went to a show and a friend got matched, his fight was a real ding-dong..real toe to toe stuff...I have told the story before but here goes again in a readers digest version..bigzab wrote: To summarise
A. Do you remember the moment you got hooked on boxing?
B.Whats your favourite story from the rich history of our chosen sport?
1st rnd..Paul meets this guy head to head in mid ring..they both take it in turns to bash each other about..when one looks to be getting the better the other turns it around in dramatic fashion.
2nd rnd..same as before..the crowd are on their feet urging each of them on..
3rd rnd..just like the first two...mid rnd Paul catches the guy and he goes down heavy...the ref sends Paul to a neutral corner...we are screaming for Paul to finish the guy...Paul is edging closer showboating, winding up his right arm bolo style...the crowd love it almost as much as us..the fight resumes..Paul rushes in to finish it...BANG...Paul walked into a shot and hits down....???????...Paul gets straight up...the ref gives him an standing count...then stops it.
It was the other guys show.
But how I felt and how I saw the crowd react just made me want to get in there and put a show on like Paul had done.
B. The thing about boxing is that the history is just so rich.
When you read about a certain boxer it leads you onto another who was only slightly mentioned.
Also the autobiographies give an insight how these guys pushed themselves to greatness, and also admit to the worries that each of us have felt at some time.
One little story I think of is how Jim Corbett would deal with a threatening situation, whenever he knew a conflict was unavoidable he would become the aggressor..what better way than to put a would be bully on the back foot...its seems a cliche to say all bullies are cowards but how true it is
The moment I got hooked on boxing was when I saw the Holmes-Ali fight when I was five years old. It was the first fight I ever saw and was awed the suspense and drama of it all.
Although I fully understand how that fight was a sad sight for most boxing fans today and at the time, it holds fond memories for me.
Who knows if I'd be the complete boxing nut I am today if that fight hadn't taken place.
My favorite boxing story features Young Griffo. He was illiterate and couldn't even count further that the cost of a drink in his local pub.
Anyway, one time he is offered "twelve hundred dollars" to face a certain opponent, to which he answers "No way, I don't fight for less than a thousand."
The promotor "upped" his offer from "twelwe hundred" to one thousand and Griffo goes to the pub to celebrate that he made an excellent deal for himself.
That story always brings a smile to my face.
-KOKid-
Although I fully understand how that fight was a sad sight for most boxing fans today and at the time, it holds fond memories for me.
Who knows if I'd be the complete boxing nut I am today if that fight hadn't taken place.
My favorite boxing story features Young Griffo. He was illiterate and couldn't even count further that the cost of a drink in his local pub.
Anyway, one time he is offered "twelve hundred dollars" to face a certain opponent, to which he answers "No way, I don't fight for less than a thousand."
The promotor "upped" his offer from "twelwe hundred" to one thousand and Griffo goes to the pub to celebrate that he made an excellent deal for himself.
That story always brings a smile to my face.
-KOKid-
Some of the less famous stories are also , comical at least in my opinion. At weigh ins before a fight card in the morning fighters usally have to sit down at a table with a member of the athletic commision and give some biographical info to go into the evenings program. At one weigh in the woman who takes down the info , was yelling out a fighters name to come sit down with her at the table to provide this info. The Boxers first name was Jesus . We know how this name is pronounced, however she kept pronouncing it JEE-SUS as you would hear it in church.So after she called him that name half a dozen times, she finally asked him where he was from. His answer- Heaven man where else? Another one I found humorous, my old trainer when he fought pro was not exactly what you would call a world beater. In one fight , he was hit with a shot and when he went down his leg twisted and broke. It was not a pretty sight the crowd let out an audible screech. It didnt look good at all. Obviously broken badly. The referee walks over as hes writhing on the canvas, looks down at him and says , son... Im sorry, ..but Im afraid Im gonna have to stop the fight. Good fun. I have a bunch more , Ill save em for another time. Boxing is brutal at times but I always thought there was a lot of comedy too. You can meet some clorful Charachters that cant be found anywhere else.