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Interesting Boxing Stories You May Not Have Heard - Number Two!
by Ted Luzzi
Back in January I wrote an article of what I hoped were interesting and largely unknown boxing stories and items. There was interest from Boxing-Central readers and requests for more of the same. So digging into the huge bunch of old boxing books I have been given, I came up with what I hope are some interesting gems!! The first item is about Muhammad Ali the last is about Mike Tyson with many in between. So here is the first one about how in one day a single event happened to Ali which changed the course of his career, boxing history and gave a new job to one of Ali's bodyguards!
Muhammad Ali's punches scored knockouts in 8 of the 10 title fights he fought before he was stripped. When he came back after 3 and 1/2 years he still had the ability to uncork big shots that stopped hardcase Jerry Quarry and then landing a booming left hook that KOed Oscar Bonavena who had never been stopped before. However by early 1974 Ali had fought his last 5 fights over a total of 62 rounds without being able to score a knockout or even a single knockdown! Ali had appeared to have lost 50% of his punch and had not even been able to stop Rudi Lubbers, a total unknown, over 12 rounds. The problem was brittle hands that prevented Ali from working much on the heavy bag without pain and getting his timing and rhythm for powerful combination punching that had been his forte. Then one day it happened! Ali was always punching any bag he got near. One day in a gym he had never been into before, he was training and whacked the heavy bag. He stopped and did it again. Then again. Soon the gym people were all watching as Ali was circling the bag grunting and slamming power punches into the bag from all sides! For some reason this bag did not hurt Ali's hands . He could work the bag without pain and practice his timing and power shots again! Ali purchased the bag and valued it so much it traveled with him in a special crate separate from all other gear and even had a personal bodyguard to make sure it never got lost! In Ali's next 5 fights he scored four knockouts including ones over George Foreman and Joe Frazier.
Middleweight Rubin Carter was fighting his first main event at Madison Square Garden in front of a national television audience. Rubin entered the Garden, then his dressing room wearing a black derby hat instead of his usual red beret. One of his friends looking in asked him, "Hey Rubin how come you're wearing a derby tonight instead of the red beret?" Rubin looked up and blinked in surprise. The answer was obvious, how could anyone miss it? "Because," he said seriously, "this is a very formal occasion." Rubin knocked out number 5 rated Florentino Fernandez in 69 seconds of the first round later that evening.
Speaking of derbies, old time manager Jimmy Johnson who always wore a derby had his fighter Ted Lewis announced as "the dashing, slashing, smashing, bashing, crashing, mashing, terror." Whew! Even Jimmy Lennon would have considered that a mouthful.
The famous trainer, Angelo Dundee's real name is Angelo Mirena.
Maybe the all time worst nickname is for Alex "The Edsel" Carr. After being named for the most unsuccessful car in American auto history, it's maybe not a surprise that his last known record was 1 win 18 losses.
Another fighter with an interesting nickname was George "Scrap Iron" Johnson, a heavyweight from Los Angeles in the sixties. He was involved in some interesting stories too. When Joe Frazier was coming up he was knocking everybody senseless and "Scrap Iron" seemed destined to join the ranks of the flattened when they were matched. In their fight, Frazier waded in smoking as usual, but George took Joe's best again and again. Fans were amazed. George must have been in the best shape of his life to take that. Frazier's crashing left hooks hurt, but could not topple Johnson. Could he go the distance? At several points it seemed he could not, but as round 10 dawned the crowd was on their feet. Frazier went for the KO and the final round was painful for George, but he survived. The decision was announced for Frazier, but Johnson was dancing around like he had won a title fight. What was going on here? The next day it is all made clear. "Scrap Iron" had got himself in great shape and bet his entire purse that he would go the full ten with Frazier! George shows up next in town driving a brand new sparkling Cadillac car and smoking a big cigar with a grin as long as the cigar!
George was good enough to be inducted into the West Coast Boxers Hall of Fame and once purchased a film of his fight with Sonny Liston from my old buddy Mike McCain. Asked by Mike why he wanted a film of a fight he lost, Johnson replied, "It was a honor just to fight Liston."
One final story about him is a fight that Johnson won twice in one night! George was trading punches with a Texas heavyweight named Terry Sorrell in Las Vegas. Terry was warned by the referee named Kaplan for hitting low. Sorrell took a swing at the referee. The ref belted Sorrell, knocked him down and declared George "Scrap Iron" Johnson the winner by disqualification. Referee Kaplan then rescinded his decision and let the bout continue. Sorrell was counted out after being decked for the third time in round four.
When he was 48 years old, ex heavyweight champion Gene Tunney announced and started a campaign to run for the United States Senate.
Sonny Liston was once asked why a fight poster from a fight two years before listed his age the same as a fight poster for a current upcoming fight of his. "Don't you age?" he was asked. Deadpanned Liston replied, "no I don't ... it's a trick I learned from Jack Benny."
Here is an oldie that may or may not be true. On November 17, 1913 Gunboat Smith, once holder of the "White Heavyweight Championship" was matched with the great Sam Langford. The fight was held in Boston and there were rumors that Langford was not going to get a square deal. Anyway, the fight went on and Sam seemed content to simply outpoint Smith over the distance. But at the bell the referee ran over and started to instead raise Gunboat Smith's arm in victory! Smith is suppose to have said, "my God let me out of here before Langford finds out!" and left the ring fast. Either way, after his "victory" over Langford, Smith avoided a rematch for as long as possible then gave Sam a return shot. No way was this one going to a decision and Sam drove Smith all over the ring with a blistering barrage scoring a KO in round three.
British heavyweight Brian London has a odd distinction. He challenged for the undisputed heavyweight title two times 7 years apart. Patterson KOed him in 11 the first time and Ali in 3 in number two. When fighting Ali he was asked if Ali's talking would bother him and he replied, "Clay's talking bother me? No way, I'm too ignorant!"
February 3, 1939 in Madison Square Garden two very good fighters, Melio Bettina and Tiger Jack Fox were the final survivors of a tournament to determine the next world light heavyweight champion. The winner of the match would be the new champ. Bettina's manager Jimmy Grippo was also a magician and claimed he would hypnotize Bettina to where he would feel unbeatable and also hypnotize Tiger Jack Fox at the weigh-in or in the fight and put him in a trance. Tiger Jack retaliated by hiring professional hypnotist Ben "Evil Eye" Finkel to ward off any powers Grippo may have. It all made for good copy for the fight and a large crowd turned out. However, not everybody found it fun and amusing. John J. Phelan head of the New York commission issued a statement that read in part, "The rules call for five yards of bandages and six ounce gloves. If Bettina enters the ring wearing hypnotism he will have to take it off or there will be no fight." The Phelan edict caused a lot of laughter and was read widely. At the weigh-in Fox was accompanied by his hypnotist Finkel and showed up wearing dark glasses to avoid any spells. Grippo moved around a lot trying to catch Fox's eyes, but the Tiger would deftly look away. Finally Jimmy Grippo got close once and Fox covered his eyes as the manager was hauled away. When they entered the ring fight night Grippo stared at Fox trying to weave a trance while Finkel stared at Grippo trying to intercept it. As for the title fight itself, other elements really decided it. Tiger Jack Fox was a fighter that old timers say could have been a great. He scored 76 KOs in a long career of over 100 fights and this was his big chance. However only a month before he had been stabbed by an irate lady friend and he was not in the type of shape to fight a tough first class fighter like Melio Bettina. In the ninth round, the Tiger ran out of steam and Mighty Melio dropped him face down for the count.
Jack Dempsey when he was in his seventies confirmed the story that he had been approached by Al Capone about having a "friendly" referee for the famous long count fight in Chicago. Capone was a huge Dempsey fan and put big bets on Jack. Al told Jack he could not "fix" the fight totally, but could arrange to have a "friendly" referee installed for the big night. Anyone who knows much about Capone's power in Chicago in the roaring twenties would have few doubts about this. Jack told him he was confident he would win the fight anyway and wanted to win it as a pure sporting contest. Few said no to Capone in those days. Of course when Dempsey did clout Tunney to the canvas, the famous slow long count happened and who knows what it would have been with a "friendly" ref instead.
The ring for that famous match somehow made its way to a gym in Stockton California and many years later was still in use for the fights at the civic center. I believe it was also used for the Boza Edwards vs. Bazooka Limon world title fight broadcast over national television. Of course with new ropes. After a big article appeared about this in the Stockton paper I climbed into that famous ring just to have been at the spot where it happened.
One day in the mid-1960's the New York cops got a call that a well dressed grey haired man about 70 had belted two young thugs that had tried to take his wallet and was standing over them and would not let them up till the police came. The story turned out to be true as they arrived quickly and there standing glowering over the punks was none other than Jack Dempsey! The two would be muggers tried to pick on the wrong guy. Imagine trying to mug Jack Dempsey.
In 1936 weekly fights were held at the Westside Club in Long Beach. Paying no licensing fees or taxes, the club offered fights for free to potentially 3,500 patrons. The promoter was a fellow named "Kid Mexico." The Kid (who was not Mexican) offered the fights for free, but those who wanted to could make a "voluntary contribution." Everyone who entered would have a big pail held under their chin for the "contribution." However if one was not made, out of nowhere steps a large horrible looking unshaven (and bad smelling) person who looks like a local wino to escort you to your seat. You see many vacant seats, but are told those are "reserved." You walk round and round the arena several times with your escort looking in vain for a seat that is not "reserved" till you catch on or someone mentions again the magic word "contribution." After cash is dropped in the pail a remarkable thing happens. A seat is found!
Looking at a coverless old copy of "Boxing International," I see a letter to the editor written I believe 30 years ago in 1974. This letter, complete with a picture, is from the then president of the Muhammad Ali fan club in Pennsylvania. This young guy looks kind of familiar but he has a old bowl-like haircut and glasses. Looking at the name at the end of the letter I think it's the same guy I see on T.V. regularly saying, "Let's get ready to rumble!" The letter is signed Michael Buffer P.O. Box 272 Colmar, PA 18915. Got to be him I would guess?
It's only a rumor, but remember how Mike Tyson use to have that big missing hair spot on his head until he got it fixed? The rumor from Brownsville is that one of the old ladies he tried to mug was a powerful old dame who carried a big brick in her purse for protection. At the time, Mike was just a kid and she chased him and threw a brick that hit him on his head causing a big cut that resulted in the missing hair.
One last item: Harry Wills was the black heavyweight that Dempsey never fought, though he was the number one contender and once did sign to fight Dempsey. Contracts were signed by both fighters and Harry negotiated a deal that if for any reason the fight did not come off, he got to keep the $50,000 advance he was given. Well as we all know the fight never happened, but Harry kept the $50,000 (a ton of money in those days) and bought a building with it that he lived off the rents of for the rest of his life.
Hope some of this is new and interesting to many Boxing-Central readers. Bye for now.