Mickey Duff - RIP
Posted: 22 Mar 2014, 09:39
Mickey Duff, arguably the greatest boxing man Britain has ever produced, passed away this morning at the age of 84.
Duff was a matchmaker, manager and promoter with the ability to 'suss' which opponents would make his fighters look good. Yes, Mickey made the odd mistake, ala Terry Downes against Dick Tiger, but he secured his promotional future with the world heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper at Highbury in 1966 and when he nailed Billy Walker down to a contract. The heavyweight golden boy sold tickets as fast as they were printed.
By the late 1960s Duff had seen off Jack Solomons and began developing a host of British world champions as his matchmaking skills went into orbit. He tumbled the great but ageing Jose Napoles care of Bethnal Green's John H. Stracey while the aggressive, heavy handed Rocky Mattioli was pushed back, nullified and dethroned by Hackney's Maurice Hope. He steered Liverpool's John Conteh to the world light-heavyweight title, a man Mickey described as the most talented and most frustrating fighter he ever worked with, and he endured a similar love-hate relationship with Joe Bugner while taking him to a crack at the world heavyweight title against Muhammad Ali in Malaysia in 1975.
In 1980 Duff took Alan Minter to America and they came back with the undisputed world middleweight title, and he made Cornelius Boza-Edwards, who couldn't sell a ticket here, a TV darling in the States. Duff ignored the howls of protest that surrounded his decision to throw in Kirkland Laing with the feared Roberto Duran in Las Vegas in 1982 as he had spotted Duran's weakness to movers. Laing bagged the win.
Hard-nosed, intimidating, an ex-pro of 69 fights, a surprisingly big man in the flesh, Duff worked the corner and pushed his fighters beyond their normal limits, knowing they were in great shape under trainers Terry Lawless, George Francis or Bobby Neill. This led to Jim Watt, a cut-prone, anemic-looking southpaw Scot, winning the WBC lightweight title in Glasgow and Lloyd Honeyghan's shock win over the previously unbeaten Don Curry in Atlantic City for the undisputed world welterweight title (Duff regards Honeyghan as the second most talented fighter he worked with). Mickey's later work with Duke McKenzie, the unfashionable Croydon man who won three world titles at different weights, included a brilliant boxing win over Gaby Canizales. Duff also secured the WBC flyweight title for Charlie Magri and a huge payday for John Mugabi against Marvin Hagler.
By the late 1980s Mickey was showing the early signs of Alzheimer’s, his memory slipping, but he masterminded Michael Watson's stunning win over Nigel Benn and remained a major presence in boxing for several more years until his Alzheimer's progressively worsened.
Duff was a matchmaker, manager and promoter with the ability to 'suss' which opponents would make his fighters look good. Yes, Mickey made the odd mistake, ala Terry Downes against Dick Tiger, but he secured his promotional future with the world heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper at Highbury in 1966 and when he nailed Billy Walker down to a contract. The heavyweight golden boy sold tickets as fast as they were printed.
By the late 1960s Duff had seen off Jack Solomons and began developing a host of British world champions as his matchmaking skills went into orbit. He tumbled the great but ageing Jose Napoles care of Bethnal Green's John H. Stracey while the aggressive, heavy handed Rocky Mattioli was pushed back, nullified and dethroned by Hackney's Maurice Hope. He steered Liverpool's John Conteh to the world light-heavyweight title, a man Mickey described as the most talented and most frustrating fighter he ever worked with, and he endured a similar love-hate relationship with Joe Bugner while taking him to a crack at the world heavyweight title against Muhammad Ali in Malaysia in 1975.
In 1980 Duff took Alan Minter to America and they came back with the undisputed world middleweight title, and he made Cornelius Boza-Edwards, who couldn't sell a ticket here, a TV darling in the States. Duff ignored the howls of protest that surrounded his decision to throw in Kirkland Laing with the feared Roberto Duran in Las Vegas in 1982 as he had spotted Duran's weakness to movers. Laing bagged the win.
Hard-nosed, intimidating, an ex-pro of 69 fights, a surprisingly big man in the flesh, Duff worked the corner and pushed his fighters beyond their normal limits, knowing they were in great shape under trainers Terry Lawless, George Francis or Bobby Neill. This led to Jim Watt, a cut-prone, anemic-looking southpaw Scot, winning the WBC lightweight title in Glasgow and Lloyd Honeyghan's shock win over the previously unbeaten Don Curry in Atlantic City for the undisputed world welterweight title (Duff regards Honeyghan as the second most talented fighter he worked with). Mickey's later work with Duke McKenzie, the unfashionable Croydon man who won three world titles at different weights, included a brilliant boxing win over Gaby Canizales. Duff also secured the WBC flyweight title for Charlie Magri and a huge payday for John Mugabi against Marvin Hagler.
By the late 1980s Mickey was showing the early signs of Alzheimer’s, his memory slipping, but he masterminded Michael Watson's stunning win over Nigel Benn and remained a major presence in boxing for several more years until his Alzheimer's progressively worsened.
