Who here met Alan Minter in person?

[goose 5]

It always puzzled me to see Minter listed at 5'9"-he had to be a 6 footer. I'm basing this view on videos and photos-I never saw him in person.

[goose 5]

Ring Record Book had Minter at 5'9".

[Bodyshot3]

I met Minter at a Sussex charity/business event; he was good and giving in that respect.
Did a lot of these gigs all over the South Coast (usually with golf) and remained a Crawley lad who had made good.

I am 6 foot and he was definitely 5'9 but just massively solid and built like a rugby prop forward packed into a smaller package. Massive hands and huge forearms too. You would not mess.

Nice fella - no airs or graces - but also looked like a guy who had fought Hagler (especially around the face which looked busted-up) and who had drunk a fair bit. Very red face and just a drinker's look about him.

He was happy to give me his autograph - had a yap about Eubank - and seemed okay with where he was at/what he was doing

[Seamus]

And Minter stands up straighter than some of those other fighters mentioned.

[Bodyshot3]

None of the above Joe......I am (sadly) quite cracking on myself now mate

It was the early 90s and Minter was not old yet but he did look badly busted-up facially from his fights.
Main impression was of a short but seriously stocky, very powerful guy and with a handshake that could break bones.

My boss and I did a charity golf event.......and I only went as the office junior because I could hold a golf club.

Nice guy as I recall but you would not mess; not for a nano-second.

Met Eubank Senior in Brighton years later.......same scenario, not that tall but massive barn-door chest, neck and hands like frigging shovels. Eubank also very approachable and far less bashed-up than Minter.

[goose 5]

Vito Antuofermo has huge hands- the description "shovel like" describes his hands perfectly.

[Caractacus]

Yeah, there is some local 'professional" MMA guy in town where I live.
He turned pro at age 25 listed as being 5 ft 9 Itall,
but once when he stalked and threatned me out in the middle of no where some years
ago,(i had no idea who he was at that time)
he then ran off when I called his bluff.
afterwards I told the police the suspect was 'about 6 ft tall"
because the dude was standing close to me when he threatened me
( on a walking trail path that was 3 miles long but about 2 feet in width )
the other side was were rattlesnakes go.
"You have 24 hours to leave MY town"
was what he said to me sounding much like the Zodiac Killer with his reptilian tone of voice.
BTW the reason I believe he gave a shorter height then he really was
so that his opponents would be surprised once that got into the ring with him.
why spar with a six-footer when your planning on fighting someone 5 ft 9",
it would automatically throw you off your plan.

[goose 5]

Bodyshot3's experience deepens this mystery. Maybe Minter boxed with shoes that had lifts, a la Tommy Hearns. When I researched Hearns' career via Michigan newspapers, I came across an article that mentioned Hearns using such shoes.

[dr_devious]

He was happy to give me his autograph - had a yap about Eubank - and seemed okay with where he was at/what he was doing

What did he make of Eubank BS?

[Bodyshot3]

What did he make of Eubank BS?

Long time ago now and I was in a line of folk trying to have a natter at a charity golf gig......so I can't remember verbatim.

But the gist of it was that was that Chris was making the right moves career-wise and a smart lad.

Being a Sussex lad and boxing fan myself meeting Minter was really nice.....a lot of people from Crawley loved him (it is not a palce that has a lot to celebrate) but also the rest of the county were really proud of his achievements.

It was a shame about the drinking and the fact it go him into a lot of strife.

[dr_devious]

Meeting Alan Minter sounds like a great experience BS.

I met Marvin Hagler about 7 years ago at a sportsman's dinner type thing. Tim Witherspoon was in attendance too.

Marvin was physically similar to Minter and Antuofermo, about 5'8ish, built like a brick sh1thouse, huge hands and shaking hands with him was like putting your hand in a vice.

Very nice guy but you could tell he was superhumanly hard, had a real aura about him.

Unfortunately I never got chance to chat with him as I only met him for a photo but he was a real gent. Unforgettable experience

[nobleart1978]

I spoke to a memorabilia collector years ago who attended a sporting "do" where Minter was the guest.

The bloke said that AM was a right nasty bastard. Very pissed. Very rude and looking for a reaction by taking the piss out of peoples' wives.

[goose 5]

What does "taking the piss out of people's wives" mean in American English ?

[nobleart1978]

Insulting them based on their appearance

[goose 5]

Thanks . Unless he was drunk, he must have been a real jerk.

[Bodyshot3]

Minter's prolonged, heavy drinking was his downfall.

The stories around Crawley were all the same; top local lad who turned out for charity gigs and was generous with his time when he was sober, nasty git when he was drunk.

He owned a bar/restaurant in Crawley for a while which might not have been the best choice for a guy with a booze issue.

Think Alan ended-up in Littlehampton and living fairly quietly. His son Ross was popular around North Sussex and a more than decent pro welterweight but not destined for world-level.

[Caractacus]

[Caractacus]

maybe he was one of those fighters who mysteriously 'morphed" once he got into the ring ?
like Mike Tyson (according to Michael Spinks)

[Caractacus]

Check out "Tale of the Tape" at approx 6:17 of this clip.

[Caractacus]

[Caractacus]

too bad most of the British fights that were Re-broadcast on RINGSIDE SUPERBOUTS were trimmed at the beginning to the start of round one.
you could have averaged out his height from all of "The Tale of the Tapes" from 1972 to 1981.
BTW check out the ring side commentary at 1:58 of this clip.
BTW is it my imagination or does Alan Minter seem to have been boxing much more sharply in this match in the UK version ?

[nickcat0]

I met Minter in 1991, in a nightclub in Lancashire. It was a long time ago, and I wasn't really paying that much attention to his height, but from what I recall he was a couple of inches shorter than me, and I'm 6' 1" ....... So I'd put him about 5'10" or 5'11"

[Ezzard]

I met him once in the Post Office. I'm 6 foot. He was about 5-10. This would have been 7-8 years ago.

He was well known in the area. Drove an orange Rolls Royce.

People tell me he was a devil when drunk. Would start fights over nothing and pulverise people. Many locals were scared of him. If he entered a pub many people would walk out as quietly and as quickly as they could without irking him.

Others tell me he mellowed as he got older.

Not saying any of this to speak ill of him. This is just what I've been told.

[Bodyshot3]

He was well known for it Ezzard - very well liked , respected in and across Sussex - but very nasty when on the booze.
So there were two AMs in the later years and that's the story really.

[Caractacus]

sort of sounds like the story WILLIAM WILSON by Edgar Allan Poe