Ring magazine champions group photo, c. 1982

crooked nose · Post by **crooked nose** » 20 Dec 2003, 02:34

I wish I had kept my old copies of the Ring. I remember a photo from 1981 or 1982 when the magazine was awarding its linear champion belts. They brought all of those reigning title holders together for a group shot. It included Holmes, Spinks, Hagler, Leonard, Pryor, Arguello, Sanchez, Gomez and Chandler. Anybody recall the picture I'm talking about? Wish I still had a copy of it.

Broncano · Post by **Broncano** » 20 Dec 2003, 10:56

That was a great issue. Unfortunately, that's one of the Ring issues I haven't been able to find over the years. Just take a look at that list:

It included Holmes, Spinks, Hagler, Leonard, Pryor, Arguello, Sanchez, Gomez and Chandler

I do have however, a 1983 issue where Ring featured a long article titled "WHO WILL SUCEED HOLMES?" with a detailed analysis of all the heavyweight contenders of the time:
Trevor Berbick, James "Axe" Broad, Quick Tillis, Tex Cobb, Greg Page, Mike Weaver, Michael Dokes, John Tate, Tony Tubbs, Renaldo Snipes, Pinklon Thomas, etc.... I think that first on their list was Dokes and last (there were about 20 of them) was that remarkable gallic warrior, Lucien Rodriguez with odds at 100-1.

crooked nose · Post by **crooked nose** » 20 Dec 2003, 16:44

Sometimes you toss out things you later regret. I think that photo also included Wilfred Benitez who was at the time the Jr. Middle champ. I don't know if there was a Jr. Light or flyweight represented.

That heavyweight contender article you mention: funny how all of those promising careers really came up short. Page looked like a sure world-beater.
I saw on boxrec that James Broad died in 2001. I hadn't heard about that. What happened?

Broncano · Post by **Broncano** » 20 Dec 2003, 16:49

From a post in CBZ a few months back:

Here is an article from Berkwitt's Corner:

Berkwitt's Corner
REMEMBERING A FORMER CHAMPION…

IN MEMORY OF FORMER NORTH AMERICAN BOXING FEDERATION (NABF) HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION JAMES “BROAD AXE” BROAD

Sadly I received an email today that former NABF Heavyweight Champion James “Broad Axe” Broad had passed away at age 43 in North Carolina. Well, even sadder, was the fact that he passed away almost a year ago on November 20, 2001.

There was no fan fare, no bells tolled for a man who gave part of his life to a sport he loved. Many will remember “Broad Axe” from the early days of ESPN in some exciting matches, and others will remember him from his amateur career that saw him knockout Marvis Frazier in the Olympic Trails back in 1980.

The highlight of Broad’s career came on August 23, 1984, when he won the NABF Heavyweight Title over former contender Eddie Gregg, who he stopped in the eighth round. After that big win, he didn’t fair so well against other top contenders such as, Tim Witherspoon, Tony Tucker, Greg Page, Francesco Damiani and Razor Ruddock. But he never lost hope of getting back to the big time.

From an unconfirmed source, Broad shortly before his death was homeless, broke; suffered from brain damage, and lived in a bus shelter somewhere in Las Vegas. Apparently, he had a drinking problem also, but again this is unconfirmed.

However what I do know for a fact is that once again, here was a fighter that gave our beloved sport many fond memories, but what did he get in return for that? If the sport had a MANDATORY RETIREMENT FUND FOR ALL BOXERS which I have been fighting to put in place for the last four years, this would be a start along with medical insurance.

If Broad did have a drinking problem, he could have received help like athletes receive in the NBA, NFL and throughout baseball, to name just a few sports. But our beloved sport of boxing doesn’t have these types of things in place as of yet. It’s time to change this once and for all!

In closing, I want to say thanks to yet another forgotten champion in the boxing world for all the great memories he has left us. “Broad Axe” your fights will live on in my memory as long as I have one.

James BROAD
Nickname: "Broad Axe”
(Heavyweight)

DOB: January 27, 1958
Died: November 20, 2001
POB: Greensboro, NC
HT: 6 ft. 4

Record: Amateur:
1980: Olympic Trials Heavyweight: + Marvis Frazier KO

Professional: 33 fights; 23+ (15 KO), 10-
1984-1985: North America Heavyweight