March 4th, 2012

By Scoop Malinowski

Now the truth has finally been confirmed by Floyd Mayweather himself: He’s afraid of getting pounded on like a punching bag by Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather admitted this to Bob Costas in an NBC show interview about why he doesn’t want to fight Pacquiao. “I am in the game to win, not just inside the ring, but outside the ring,” stated Mayweather. “My health is more important than anything.”

Costas then countered with, “Are you implying there is something to fear in Manny Pacquiao?”

Floyd: “I don’t fear no one. If you’re insinuating that I’m a scared fighter, why would you want to watch a scared fighter?”

Earlier in the interview, Mayweather mentioned Muhammad Ali’s health. “With or without Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather is okay. Floyd Mayweather fights for Floyd Mayweather. At the end of the day, Floyd Mayweather has to be happy and comfortable…Look at the Ali situation. Fans pushed him to get into fights at the end of his career that he didn’t want to get in…If Ali could trade it all in for his health, he would.”

(Note: Let me correct Floyd. Ali was not forced by fans to get in the ring with Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes or Trevor Berbick. Money, pride and a fearless belief in his skills were the motivation for Ali to take those fights.)

Floyd also said: “One shot can end your whole career. Boxing is a very deadly sport.”

Costas said Floyd has to fight Pacquiao, to see who is the best, to give the fans what they want and to pump up the sport with a much-needed big, exciting, Super Bowl event: “I come first. Self preservation. I gotta worry about my family. If the fight don’t happen, so be it.”

There you go: “Self preservation.” So the reasons Mayweather gave us for two years of ducking and dodging Pacquiao – drug tests, fake retirements, Manny has to leave Arum and be his own boss, no 50-50 split, he doesn’t need Manny, it’s all Bob Arum’s fault, etc. – were indeed mere smokescreens, bluffs and lies. Cleverly but dishonestly used to cover up the real secret truth – Mayweather fears for his health because he knows Pacquiao would simply beat the hell out of him.

Mayweather knows his skills that pay the bills wouldn’t work against Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather does not have the confidence that his all-time great defensive skills will be able to control and subdue Pacquiao and maintain his unbeaten record and his good health, against the relentless assualts that Manny Pacquiao would unleash on him.

This surprising admission by Mayweather now puts heavy pressure on HBO. The sport of boxing is supposed to be about the best gladiators testing their courage and talents against the best of the best. Now HBO must fully recognize, if they paid attention to what Floyd Mayweather told NBC’s Bob Costas, that Floyd Mayweather is a manufactured fraud, a coward who is unworthy of being marketed and promoted as a premium sports attraction. (Vitali Klitschko said he would rather die than give Dereck Chisora anything.) Mayweather is a pretender who would be better suited for the world of professional wrestling.

It would be counterproductive for the most powerful television network in American boxing to promote and market, with maximum resources, a cowardly fraud who doesn’t care about the sport or it’s fans, only about perserving his own career with safe, low-risk, set up opponents.

“I’m in a great position, a very lucrative position,” Mayweather told Costas, who was pressuring him to accept the 50-50 split with Pacquiao. “I’m NOT giving up the split. I can’t. I can’t afford to.”

Of course he can’t and won’t. Mayweather and his advisor Al Haymon manipulate HBO and the public like subordinates. With HBO’s promotional machine at their beck and call, Mayweather and Haymon think they can keep on going for as long as they wish, making easy money safe “fights” via their stooges at HBO and most of the American media.

Shouldn’t the vast resources of HBO be better served to be used to invest in true, real, fearless champions like the Klitschkos, Bute, Ward, Martinez, Doniare, Rigondeaux, Proksa, Dawson, Bradley, Peterson, etc. in order to retain the credibility and honor of the noble sport? Shouldn’t HBO be expected to deliver to sports fans the best of the best versus the best, not rewarding cowardly frauds who are afraid of getting beaten up to the point of losing their health, while trumpeting them as heroic champions?

Surely, Thomas Hauser will be able to consult HBO to wake up and adhere to this simple basic premise won’t he? Or are the powers that be at HBO so wrapped around the fingers of Haymon and Mayweather that the Mayweather fraud show will go on for another five or ten years?

If HBO continues to knowingly and willingly support a cowardly fraud like Mayweather, how many other outrageous errors in judgement can we expect to see down the road by the powers that be at HBO and what will be the inevitable consequences on our great sport which has so diminished and declined in popularity and credibility over the last 10-15 years?

Don’t forget, Mayweather already told us that he doesn’t love boxing anymore like he used to because “it’s not real anymore.”

With that in mind, can we really expect Mayweather vs. Cotto to be fought at full intensity on May 5, since Mayweather said his “self preservation” is top priority? If Mayweather is, as he says, so concerned about his health, which is “more important than anything”, how do we know for sure he and Cotto won’t make one of those Teddy Atlas silent agreements? Like Floyd told us at Fight hype, “Boxing isn’t real anymore.”

I mean, how much longer can this great deception be allowed to contaminate the sport of boxing?

And you have to wonder if, after this Mayweather revelation to Costas, the powers that be at HBO continue to permit Mayweather’s advisor Al Haymon to use and manipulate the network like his own personal broadcasting service, like he has done for the last five years with Mayweather, Broner, Arreola, Williams, Jacobs, Berto, Mitchell, etc. How many more super fights will be canceled because one fighter and his advisor fear coming out on the loser’s end, which would destroy their “great position” and leverage?

We know now Floyd Mayeather is afraid for his health and well being and that’s why he won’t ever fight Manny Pacquiao. He told this to Bob Costas on national TV. Now the chips must fall where they may.

BoxingInsider: Were you intimidated going into the ring with a ferocious destroyer in his prime like Duran?

Sweet Saoul Mamby: “No. We had worked when he was getting for Esteban DeJesus. We sparred and we ran together in Central Park. I know he was a very good fighter, very strong, very sharp. He could box and he could punch. I remember he hit me with a right hand and the punch – the pain lasted for about three months. In my rib. And I still had to go and fight Antonio Cervantes after that. So I couldn’t miss that (L 10 in November in Venezuela).”

BoxingInsider: Did you learn anything in the fight with Duran that was different from sparring with him?

Mamby: “Nothing really much. He was more vicious in the fight than he was in sparring.”

BoxingInsider: What were some of the technical tactics you were able to employ to success against Duran would you say?

Mamby: “I survived!”

BoxingInsider: Did anything surprise you in the fight with Duran?

Mamby: “He respected me a helluva lot. He didn’t just try to roll over me. He knew I could box. I wasn’t a big puncher but I could put accumulative punches together. And he respected me. After the fight he told me, ‘Very good fight.’”

BoxingInsider: Last time we talked you said Duran wasn’t the physically strongest fighter you fought.

Mamby: “No. Saensak Muangsurin of Thailand, also Thomas Americo of Indonesia. They weren’t as sharp or as fast as Duran. And they weren’t as smart as Duran. They were physically stronger than Duran though.”

BoxingInsider: What was your strategy against Duran?

Mamby: “Tie him up, box. If you give him leverage he’ll kill you. You can’t give leverage away. He doesn’t have room to hurt you.”

After losing to Duran, Mamby lost on points to Saensak Muangsurin in Korat, Thailand in 1977 for the WBC Super Lightweight title. Mamby got another WBC world title shot in 1980 – when his record was 28-13-5 – and stopped Sang Hyun Kim in the 14th round in Seoul, Korea. Mamby, whose own manager didn’t even bother to make the trip to see the title-winning performance, defended the title five times against Thomas Americo, Esteban DeJesus, Termite Watkins, Jo Kimpuani and Obisia Nwankpa before losing his belt to Leroy Haley.

The first fighter who comes to mind whose legacy has endured whipsers of fight fixing is the former Heavyweight champion Primo Carnera. Carnera was a muscular giant of a man who stood 6-7 but he did not have a powerful punch or precise technical skills. He had heart and he had the right management. Carnera won the title by stopping Jack Sharkey with an uppercut, according to the history books, but many ringsiders don’t believe the punch actually landed. There was rampant speculation that the fight outcome was a mob fix and Sharkey had thrown the fight.

Carnera later fought Max Baer and was floored 11 times before being stopped in the 11th round.

Carnera’s manager was a man named Lou Soresi, who was linked to the underworld, so naturally it was suspected that many of Carnera’s fights were controlled events.

Carnera was a very popular cultural figure who had success in making Hollywood films and also performing in professional wrestling. Carnera was a leading draw in the grappling sport and had 187 pro wrestling matches.

It was said in press releases during Carnera’s prime years that for breakfast he would consume 19 pieces of toast, 14 eggs, a quart of orange juice and two quarts of milk. Carnera recorded 72 KO’s in his boxing career but if you look at the films of his fights, there was not much special about his athleticism or fighting prowess.

Another boxer who had a fraudulent aspect about his career was the former Pro Bowl NFL defensive lineman Mark Gastineau. At the age of 35, Gastineau decided to try pro boxing in 1991. His first fight was a first round KO win over a pro wrestler named Derrick Dukes who later admitted he took a dive.

60 Minutes did a segment on Gastineau’s boxing career and interviewed several of his opponents who spoke on the record about being told to take dives to make Gastineau look good.

Gastineau showed marginal skills if not remarkable boxing talents and kept at the art of pugilism for five years before calling it quits in 1996. His last fight was a loss to another NFL player turned boxer, Alonzo Highsmith. Gastineau’s final ring record was 15-2.

Perhaps the most outrageous fraud in modern boxing history was the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon WBA Heavyweight title fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 1996. Mike Tyson, at that point, was a shell of a shell of his prime self, the Iron Mike Tyson of 1985-1988. But he was a massive name and after the jail stint in Ohio, there was a gigantic audience who still wanted to see Mike Tyson terrorize the heavyweight division. Don King controlled Tyson for most of the 1990′s and he knew how to make smart business decisions in running and handpicking Tyson’s career despite the fact Tyson no longer able to unleash his combinations with the same pinpoint accuracy or ferocity.

To keep the public interested, the illusion needed to be created that Tyson could still score devastating knockout wins. And that’s what Tyson was supposed to do with the muscular though weak-chinned Seldon. However a funny thing happened – Seldon went down in the first round – but Tyson’s punches did not appear to connect, or connect cleanly. Fans in the arena shouted, “Fix! Fix! Fix!” Seldon retired after the Tyson fight – which was by far the largest payday of his career.

Was Tyson-Seldon indeed a fix? We’ll never know for sure. But the motives were certainly there. And some of the visual evidence is rather persuasive.

Another heavyweight boxer who had a curious career was the former Dallas Cowboy Pro Bowl defensive lineman Ed “Too Tall” Jones. The 6-8 Jones decided to take up pro boxing in 1979 at the prime age of 28. His first fight was televised by CBS and it was against a Mexican named Yaqui Menesis in November 1979. I saw this fight live on TV and Jones handlers either overestimated their man’s talents or underestimated Menesis because it was a very competitive, tough fight. Menesis decked Jones but ended up losing a majority decision over six rounds. Jones, despite enormous height and reach advantages, struggled with Menesis and was lucky to get the win.

Jones had a total of six pro fights, all broadcast nationally by CBS. Too Tall won them all (6-0, 5 KO’s) but decided to quit boxing and return to the NFL gridiron in 1980.

Which leads us to the modern era fraud of boxing – Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mayweather is a different breed of fraud as he is very talented and accomplished, a winner of six world titles. His wins against Diego Corrales, Genaro Hernandez and Arturo Gatti were some of the finest ring performances by a champion in this modern era.

But Mayweather deceived the public and the sport. He promised to fight the biggest fights for the fans, against the most lethal of competition. “If it makes dollars it makes sense…I’ll whup any one from 154 on down.”

But when formidable, high risk challenges emerged to threaten Mayweather, all we got were an endless list of excuses and reasons and faked retirements to avoid Antonio Margarito, Paul Williams, prime Miguel Cotto, prime Shane Mosley, and of course, Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather even told us before he fought Victor Ortiz, that “Manny Pacquiao, you’re next.”

It didn’t happen. And it won’t happen. Now Floyd tells us he’s very concerned about his health and well being, and it’s no longer about fighting Manny Pacquiao for the biggest jackpot purse of his career, it’s now about self preservation and not ending up in poor health like Muhammad Ali.

Mayweather, now 35, is protected by the American powers that be, who believe they can generate big revenues by matching Mayweather carefully against handpicked opponents.

Perhaps the most telling clue that Mayweather is a fake and fraud were when he recently told Fighthype.com that he doesn’t love boxing now like he once did because “it’s not real anymore.”

Great fighters in the history of the sport never made excuses about purse splits, baseless drug accusations or publicly worried about losing their health in a fight or about self preservation, they jumped at the chance to fight in the biggest, most lucrative events of their careers.

Mayweather defrauded the public and the media into believing the promises that he would participate in the biggest and best fights but since 2006, he’s been a protected, manufactured entertainer operating his career more like a WWE wrestler than a fearless gladiator like Evander Holyfield or Bernard Hopkins.

Read more: http://www.boxinginsider.com/uncategorized/some-of-boxings-biggest-frauds/#ixzz1qzm7378R

Andy Roddick recently befriended Tim Bradley at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, CA.

Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion and a boxing fan, shared his views on what he thinks will happen when Manny Pacquiao clashes with Bradley on June 9. “I talked to (Bradley) in Indian Wells and I told him he’s gonna be like the guy who shot Bambi if he wins that fight,” said Roddick. “He hasn’t lost yet. I think we have seen with boxing, you know, we use the term ‘a puncher’s chance’ in a lot of different sporting events, and I’m pretty sure that came from boxing.”

Roddick, a three-time finalist at Wimbledon and winner of 595 career ATP matches (20th all time for career match wins), has curiosity to see how Bradley can match skills with the Filippino Destroyer. “I think one of the intriguing things is no one knows how good he is yet. He hasn’t fought someone like Pacquiao, so we’ll see. But he’s certainly quick. He has the handspeed and, you know, we’ll see. Those two guys don’t get hit very often.”

I asked Roddick, the former world ATP #1 ranked player in 2003 what he thinks about the current pound-for-pound king of boxing, Manny Pacquiao. “I watched his fight against Marquez and obviously that was probably the worst he’s looked in two or three years. I felt like he would have been the betting favorite against Mayweather before that fight and now afterwards, I feel like maybe Mayweather might have been. The thing is he’s as good as he is and then you have to adjust to being a southpaw. I think that’s a huge advantage.”

While he’s thrilled to see his pal Bradley do well against Pacquiao, Roddick seems more excited about the potential Super Bowl event of boxing history, Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. “I just hope that – I wish Bradley the best but, you know, I think we all want to see Pacquiao-Mayweather also. I wish they would just get that thing done. It’s crazy. It’s the only sport in the world where the two best in the world will never – they just won’t fight. It doesn’t happen in any other sport, and it’s frustrating as a fan.”

Roddick defeated Gilles Muller today in straight sets at the Sony Ericsson Open ATP Masters Series event in Key Biscayne, Florida. In the third round Roddick will meet his rival Roger Federer.

Also, Roddick, an avid all around sports fan, hosts a sports radio show on Fox Sports Radio which he does once a week.

Wladimir Klitschko: “In the fight with Charles Shufford, I guess. It was only a ten-inch left hook.”

Arturo Gatti: “Wilson Rodriguez, left hook. When I knocked him out and I couldn’t see. It felt great, because I couldn’t see really. I was in big trouble. It was my first title defense. And I ordered a car – that James Bond car – BMW Z3. That’s how I remember. I had ordered a car, so when I went down in the 2nd round, I saw the car fly by…I won’t be able to get this if I don’t win this fight! Because I wouldn’t be able to afford it. But then I knocked him out in the 6th so I said, Yeah! I remember that left hook was one of the greatest ever thrown actually. (How did you set it up?) To the body first, then to the head, that’s it.”

Shannon Briggs: “The one that I missed Lennox Lewis with [laughs]. That left hook I missed him with. I said, Damn. I got excited. I looked over and saw my boy gone. I said, Oh shit, I’m gonna kill somebody now. I just saw him hurt. You know, I was very young, inexperienced. You remember me – I was a crazy kid, not focused like I am now.”

Jesse James Leija: “I’ve had so many pretty good knockouts and good punches. As long as I hit you, I was happy [smiles]. Maybe one of the better punches I threw was against Troy Dorsey. And I stopped him in the 5th round and it was a great fight up until then. Non-stop action. Then I caught him with an overhand right and stopped him. That’s a punch I remember. Now Troy Dorsey and I are great friends. He even helped me with sparring for my last fight with Gatti.”

Kermit Cintron: “It was the right hand against Teddy Reid. It was like the perfect shot. That was the best shot I’ve ever thrown. Slipped a jab and came back with a right – hit him, stung him, then came back with a left hook-right hand. And that right hand – that’s what did it. Perfect. Landed right on his jaw. Couldn’t get any better. He just went down to the floor. That was it.”

Antonio Tarver: “Overhand left…Roy Jones. I hit him with the perfect shot. It’s been labeled as the perfect shot. (How did you set it up?) He threw a lazy right hand and I stepped into it with my overhand left. And before he could get his hand back up, it was Good Night Irene [smiles].”

Mitch “Blood” Green: “That’s a good one. How do I exlain that one. Don King messed me up so bad I can’t think! Best punch was when I turned pro. That was my best punch. When I fought a guy named Playboy Louis, we fought in Virginia or Atlantic City (actually Kingston, NY in 1985.) And the referee asked him if he was hurt. And he asked him where was he? And he said, St. Louis. That was my best punch. Right hand. Dropped him.”

Eddie Mustafa Muhammad: “Left hook against Marvin Johnson. Lifted him up off the ground. Lifted him up so high. I had time to hit him with the right hand. He turned around, then he went down. I called that my ‘Helicopter Punch.’ That was my best one. Because they kept showing it over and over on Wide World of Sports (ABC TV). (How did you set it up?) Marvin’s southpaw. So he threw his right jab, I just slipped his right jab and hooked him to the liver. I was gonna bring the second hook to the head. But the first hook to the liver was so devastating, it lifted him right up in the air.”

Johnny “Bump City” Bumphus: “I can’t remember the year, but I can remember the opponent. And that was Michael Bradley. I think in Lancaster, PA (in 1983). It was a right uppercut. Dropped him in the 1st round. And everybody thought the guy was gonna knock me out. I ended up knocking him down seven times in that fight. Right uppercut – dead on the chin. First round. But due to my dismay – or happiness – he knocked me down in the 2nd round with a straight right. But I went on to knock him down six more times and stopped him. If you want to know what it’s like to get your bell rung, just spin in a circle, turn around and around till you can’t stand up any more. Then lay on your back. And try to get up. That’s what it’s like when you get knocked out [laughs].”

Mike McCallum: “The left hook to Donald Curry. It was one of the greatest knockouts in the decade. And it was one of the greatest fights that I fought. Donald Curry – he was a great man. And he hit me with a right before that in the 2nd round that…I was never hit like that before. And I was lucky to stay up, because I was in great shape. When he hit me, I said, You hit me hard! I’m gonna hit you back harder. That left hook was the most memorable punch I’ve ever thrown in my entire career. (How did you set it up?) Right uppercut. He was throwing a right hand. I threw a right uppercut then left hook. Because he was pulling back after he threw the right hand. I used that right uppercut, stepped to the side, came back with the left.”

Howard Davis Jr.: “My first 8-rounder – Dominic Monaco (4th pro fight). I fought him in Miami in 1977. And I knocked him down with a right and nobody saw the punch but the referee. When they did the replay, they still missed it. That’s how fast it was. Even in slow-mo it was fast. It was a punch where he came forward when I was going forward. Most fighters raise their elbows when they throw the right and the opponent sees it. If you don’t raise your elbows, they never see it. And my right hand was right behind the jab. The left-right is almost like one punch. If the jab is quick, it closes their eyes. Then they don’t see the right.”

Bob Foster: “My favorite punch was always a left hook. I could knock out an elephant with my left hook. The Mike Quarry fight. Did you ever see the film of that? I was right, I was just perfect that night. I could’ve beat anybody that night.”

Tim Witherspoon: “When I knocked out Quick Tillis, which a lot of people don’t know. I hit him with two right hands and he went down. But Anders Eklund was the most exciting one-punch that I ever landed. I knocked Anders Ecklund out with one punch. (How did it feel at contact?) It felt good. But I felt kinda bad the way he fell. It felt good in my hand, I felt it in all of my arm. But I felt kinda bad after seeing him go down.”

John Scully: “To tell you the truth, the single best punch I ever landed was in an amateur fight. I had lost in my first national tournament ever, the 1986 National Golden Gloves, when I got beat by a top-10 ranked guy named Kertis Mingo. When I saw him again almost two years later in the finals of the National PAL Championships I was so intent on beating him, I was almost maniacal during the fight. I walked him and chased him down for two rounds until I caught him at the end of the second with such a wicked and hard right hand that it was just like Julian Jackson always described his best shots. He said he ‘didnt feel a thing’ when he landed them and I didn’t either. As a professional, I think it was against Herman Ferrar in Connecticut. I stopped him in the sixth round with the same kind of right hand and when I hit him I didnt know how much power it carried or how clean it was until he dropped in front of me. I was never a real ‘puncher’ in the true sense of the word but on those nights I was.”

Winky Wright: “No. It’s just the amount of the punches all together. No one moment defines any specific point in my career. I’m defined over a whole career of fighting. Because I feel my longevity in the game and what I’ve accomplished in that amount of time, with all the obstacles that I had to overcome is what makes Winky Wright a great fighter.”

Felix Trinidad: “The right hand I gave to Maurice Blocker. Right when he went to the canvas. (How did you set it up?) It was a combination of six punches. Came all together. And the last one was the right. It was the punch that gave me the first title belt around my waist.”

Jose Torres: “Left hook to the body of Willie Pastrano. When he went down. And he was screaming of pain when I hit him. And nobody could hear because there was 31,000 people – and 30,000 was Puerto Ricans [laughs]. And they were screaming right here in the Garden. (How did you set it up?) He threw a right hand. I bent to the side and I hit him with a left hook to the body. It was the right opening. And the timing was perfect. And the location was perfect. So I took advantage of it. (TKO 9 in 1965 to win Light Heavyweight title).”

Buddy McGirt: “When I knocked out Vincent Relaford in 1987. It was a double hook. It was a hook to the body, back to the head. In the 12th round with ten seconds left. (How did you set it up?) He was just moving, he came in and I dropped it. Just said, B-B-Bop. That was it. Like instinct. And he dropped. It felt, it just felt great.”

Jose “El Nino” Ribalta: “Against Leon Spinks, in the first round I hit him with a straight right. It was a first round knockout (1987).”

Richard Pierson: “The best punch I ever landed was a right uppercut on the chin of James Singleton when we fought on a ESPN2 Friday Night Fights un-telivised bout. James broke my nose and closed my eye in the first round of the bout and had me in trouble but I made it through the round. He landed a few more good shots. Between rounds but I figured his rhythm out and timed his jab with my uppercut and put him out. That wasn’t a fight, that was actually my first war.

(Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko oil painting by New Jersey-based artist John Murawski.)

(This article was originally published in Boxing Digest in April 2003.)

Sullivan…Johnson…Dempsey…Louis…Marciano…Ali…Holmes…Tyson…Lewis. This is the linear line of boxing’s nine dominant heavyweight champions. The question now is who will be the next and tenth man to join this exclusive brotherhood? There are indications that suggest it could very well be Wladimir Klitschko.

“He’s the one,” says top trainer Tommy Brooks. “Everyone better look out for that guy.”

“My brother is the future of boxing,” smiles older brother Vitali Klitschko, himself the mandatory contender for Lewis’ WBC title.

“There’s a rapidly growing bandwagon of those who believe that Wladimir Klitschko is the future of the heavyweight division,” said HBO’s Jim Lampley. “Count me as a front-row participant on that bandwagon.”

Wladimir ‘Dr. Steelhammer’ Klitschko first made his name known worldwide in 1996 when he won Olympic gold for Ukraine in Atlanta – as a super heavyweight. His career was progressing along in the proper direction with 23 straight wins as a pro. But then all of a sudden, there was a crash. An unexpected TKO loss in his home country Ukraine to American journeyman Ross Purrity in December of 1998. This defeat did major damage to his momentum and reputation. He was only 22.

Klitschko’s explanation of the loss was, “I lost to myself. I was too young for that fight. I didn’t have much experience.” Klitschko admitted he wasted too much energy working on the promotion in Kiev the week of the fight. Little known is that Klitschko was well in control of Purrity until he simply ran out of gas in round 10, as a result of throwing too many power punches. His corner stopped the fight. Klitschko had not yet learned the ability of pacing himself for the full distance. It was just a rookie mistake, they told us.

However, that shock loss to Purrity was widely interpreted as doomsday. ‘Oh well, he must’ve been overrated. He must be a fraud. Just another over-hyped prospect put in his place.’ The experts wrote him off. An embarrassed Klitschko vowed to learn from the defeat. And he did just that, with four straight stoppage wins. But the boxing world was still very skeptical.

I have to admit, I was doubtful as well. I mean, anyone who loses to Ross Purrity…do they have the burning ambition that it takes to become heavyweight champion? Do they have that extraordinary, almost supernatural willpower?

We would learn Klitschko was not your typical prospect. He has that special capacity to return – even mightier – after disaster strikes. And, interestingly, he has the natural ability to leave an indelible impression on those he encounters.

The boxing media was in Las Vegas in November of 1999 for the Lewis-Holyfield rematch. The night before that battle, Klitschko was facing former WBC heavyweight title challenger Phil Jackson at the Orleans Hotel on espn2. Dr. Steelhammer easily scored the second-round win, his sixth straight. Afterwards, I was talking with former WBC Super Featherweight champion Cornelius Boza Edwards. Boza was telling me about how, a couple of days earlier, Klitschko approached him to ask some technique questions, about how to properly turn over the fist on left hook power punches. “Then later in the week I was talking with (Vegas-based trainer) Kenny Adams,” Boza revealed. “And he told me Klitschko was asking him the very same questions!”

Boza Edwards expressed great pleasure in telling this story of Klitschko, about how he is a determined and serious student of the sport. It was pretty clear now that Klitschko was not just a manufactured prospect, using boxing like a businessman with the intent to make a lot of money. Like so many of the others. This is a man who obviously yearns to be the best.

The next time I saw Klitschko in person, was just a few months later. It was at the final press conference – four days before the Lennox Lewis-Michael Grant heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden in April of 2000. Klitschko was on the undercard of the card which was being billed as “Two Big.” When it was Klitschko’s turn to step up to the podium and speak a few words, he had a presence that commanded your attention. Klitschko spoke with an easy smile. “I think the title of the promotion is mistaken,” Klitschko announced, as he turned around and pointed to the huge poster. “It should read ‘Four Big!.’” Everyone laughed or smiled. Preliminary fighters rarely shine like that on the big stage. They are not supposed to. It is not their place, not their domain. Not yet anyway. But Klitschko got everyone’s attention that day. Surely, the very alert and intuitive champion Lennox Lewis was listening as he was seated right next to the podium. Three days later, Klitschko stopped David Bostice in two rounds, for another impressive win.

But, still, the perception about Klitschko was generally more negative than positive. Okay, he looks good. He has size advantages. He has power. He has charisma. But he lost against Ross Purrity! Further complicating his reputation was the fact that his most important win since that loss was not witnessed by American audiences, as it was unfortunately not shown on TV. In that fight, Klitschko dominated Chris Byrd over 12 rounds in October 2000. The win was significant for two reasons – Klitschko proved he could easily box the 12-round championship distance, and he won the WBO title from Byrd. (Byrd had taken it from brother Vitali under dubious circumstances – Vitali tore a rotator cuff and had to retire on his stool, though winning the fight comfortably). Byrd has since proven his formidability. He is the current IBF champion, after outpointing Evander Holyfield.

Four more astoundingly easy TKO wins followed – against Derrick Jefferson, Frans Botha, Charles Shufford and Ray Mercer. By now Klitschko had proven himself as the leading challenger for Lennox Lewis. And many highly-respected boxing people were paying Klitschko some heavy compliments.

“I trained with almost all the big boys in boxing,” said sparring partner Corey ‘T-Rex’ Sanders. “But Wladimir’s punch is far beyond. He beats like a horse, he could run a marathon and he moves like a ballerina.”

“I think that Lennox is ready to go up against anyone right now, ” said Tommy Brooks, who previously worked with the two brothers before the Mercer fight. “He can beat Lennox. He’ll clean his clock.”

“This guy’s got the skills,” George Foreman said. “This guy will be heavyweight champion of the world. He’s just waiting and biding his time.”

Klitschko’s fight against WBO mandatory Jameel McCline was the one that really impressed. Klitschko completely tamed the giant 260-pound powerhouse – as McCline’s corner stopped the mismatch after the 10th round. McCline hardly landed a glove on Klitschko. Many in the media blamed McCline for lack of effort, and this criticism almost overshadowed just how magnificent Klitschko’s dominating performance was. Maybe, a more accurate summation of the fight was that McCline suffered a broken spirit when he realized very early that he was thoroughly outclassed. And he simply ran out of ideas on just what to do to penetrate through Klitschko’s elusive defenses.

Many boxing writers have a tendency to prefer the negative angle in a disappointing match – and they condemn the loser rather than credit the victor. For examples, when Spinks froze against Tyson and Tua was completely mastered by Lewis, what are the lasting impressions of those fights? That ‘Spinks was scared to death’ and that ‘Tua didn’t come to fight.’ This is grossly unfair. Let’s give some major credit where it is due. Iron Mike was able to intimidate a great, unbeaten champion like Spinks. He didn’t do it with smoke and mirrors and words. He did it with his mental and physical superiority. And Lewis didn’t completely outbox and outskill Tua with a weak jab and cumbersome footwork did he? No. He achieved victory over a dangerous threat with an intelligent exhibition of boxing mastery.

Maybe instead of ridiculing the losers, the critics should celebrate the winners more. And instead of bombarding McCline for being a class beneath Klitschko, how about focusing more on the excellence of Klitschko’s style and technique? Like McCline said about Klitschko, “He’s awesome.”

Former champ and noted boxing historian Mike Tyson witnessed Klitschko vs. McCline from ringside. “I’m even more impressed than I was before the fight,” said Tyson.”I would like to fight against him. In any case, I’m convinced Wladimir is a future champion.”

Max Schmeling watched the fight on television back in Germany and wrote his kindred friend a congratulatory note, saying, “You defended your title with a high amount of aesthetic. It was a convincing and impressive performance. You paved your way to America.”

George Foreman: “What we saw tonight was scary. What we saw tonight is scary. It’s scary. It’s scary for other opponents to fight Wladimir Klitschko.”

Larry Merchant: “He is for real. When top American trainers like Tommy Brooks, Emanuel Steward and Ronnie Shields all agree that he is the future of the heavyweight division, attention must be paid. Not all the questions have been answered…can he take a punch? Can he deal with serious adversity? But sometimes a phenomenon is so good, that no one can ask those questions inside the ring.”

“I hope the show was good,” Klitschko said after beating McCline. “I hope they had fun watching the fight. The fight was maybe a little boring at times, I’ve heard, and I apologize for that. But this is the heavyweight division where one punch can change a fight. Jameel McCline is a very strong fighter. I had to be careful. I don’t want to prove my head (is strong) because I want to use my head for the future.”

Klitschko is a gentleman. In the sport where trash-talking and self-glorification are the norm, Klitschko’s humble politeness is a welcome addition. His pleasant manner is more reminiscent of a champion golfer or tennis player. At the pre-fight press conferences, Klitschko displays no trace of malice or hate for his rivals. He often smiles and shares a friendly word with them. On fight night, he walks to the ring completely relaxed, stoic. Seemingly absolutely unaffected by any feelings of apprehension, fright or pressure. His expression conveys a supreme confidence, like he just knows for certain that victory will be his.

And after the fight, he is all class. He always makes a point to praise his opponent in some way. And Klitschko’s words are spoken with sincerity. In his disposition you can detect not even a hint of arrogance…well, except for his ring entrance musical choice of Tina Turner’s ‘Simply The Best.’ All in all, Klitschko represents himself as a great ambassador for the sport, like the embodiment of the quintessential sportsman.

“I don’t like to hear how good I am or how smart I am,” says Klitschko, who earned his doctorate in sport science at the Univsersity of Kiev. “My parents raised me to be more easy-going, to have respect for people. To say ‘Thank you’ and ‘please.’ They didn’t raise me to say, ‘I’m the greatest.’ Maybe it’s hard (for people to accept me) because America likes showman. But that’s not me. They said Michael Grant was the future. Now he’s downstairs. There were a lot of guys they said that about. I don’t want to hear this. It’s better to achieve it first.”

If you consider how easily Klitschko defeated the highly-touted McCline, who else is out there to threaten Klitschko, aside from the now 37-year old Lewis? It seems reasonable to believe that Klitschko may dominate boxing for many years – or at least for as long as he’s interested in the game. He may possibly even achieve a reign of greatness comparable to Larry Holmes, which lasted nearly eight years.

But one man has been rather unimpressed by this rising force of a newcomer. Lennox Lewis was confronted about the idea of fighting Klitschko. This was a few days after Wladimir first challenged him publicly – following the Mercer win. Klitschko suggested – in a jesting yet serious tone – that he and Lennox could play a chess match first. With – as the special referee – his friend, the chess world champion Gary Kasparov. Then a few days later, the two would fight for the world heavyweight title. This would be a first for boxing, said Klitschko, revealing an Ali-like promotional acumen. Lewis was not amused by the sporty offer though. He responded that it would be a… “Waste of time. Wladimir Klitschko, he’s not tough enough. It would be a waste of my time to fight him. I would knock him out.”

But you have to wonder. Could Lennox really have such low regard for Klitschko as a boxer? These two combatants spent time together while filming the movie ‘Ocean’s 11′ a few years ago. You have to wonder. Did their egos collide? Did the competitive natures of the the two boxers reveal themselves when they were together? Did they challenge each other on some kind of mental or intellectual level? Did one maybe even assert and establish his superiority over the other?

Its been said that the alpha male of a wolf pack always is the first to recognize who his successor will be. And rather than putting up a vicious fight to ward off his rival, the vanquished alpha wolf just surrenders and quietly leaves the pack.

Think about it. If it would be so easy for Lewis to beat Klitschko, why not just do it? Perhaps Lewis would rather keep to himself, at this time, what his true opinion of Wladimir Klitschko really is.

(Postscript: The very month this article was published in March 2003, Klitschko was defeated by substitute challenger Corrie Sanders via 2nd round TKO. It was a shocking and violent defeat. One year later, after two comeback victories, Klitschko lost again to Lamon Brewster via 5th round TKO. It was a bizarre fight as Klitschko was dominating Brewster but suddenly and inexplicably became exhausted in round 5. Those two losses appeared to destroy the career of Klitschko in the eyes of many boxing experts but the mind, spirit and determination of a true champion are not easy to measure or analyze. Klitschko has defeated DaVarryl Williamson, Tony Thompson, David Haye, Samuel Peter and IBF champ Chris Byrd all in very impressive manner and appears on his way to becoming one of the great champions in boxing history. Klitschko just scored his 50th KO againt Jean Marc Mormeck on Saturday in Germany.)

Read more: http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/classic-scoop-2003-is-wladimir-klitschko-the-next-one/#ixzz1oM8ZUhGs

“I grew up playing tennis and just loving it. I used to get a kick out of watching Wimbledon. I think that Wimbledon is a big deal for most British kids. I never thought that I’d end up one day watching a friend of mine play in the final on Centre Court, but that’s exactly what happened. I first met Roger through a mutual friend in New York about six or seven years ago and we’ve since become good friends. Roger is super cool and he has so much respect for everyone. I think that people connect with that quality in him.”

“I like to watch players with flair. Roger, obviously, but almost everyone in the top 100 is pretty good. There are no duds. The athleticism of the top guys is phenomenal. You get the feeling that they could excel in any sport. There’s a real intense artistry in tennis though, and there’s so much passion and commitment. I enjoy the game and appreciate it for what it is.”

“Of the younger players, I like to watch Ernests Gulbis. Gulbis is a particularly striking player – a crusher. And I think Gael Monfils has lots of potential. I like Andy Murray too. He reminds me a little of John McEnroe. He’s got such great hands and he just sweeps up everything with his returns. He’s an incredibly gifted tennis player and I like his attitude too. Also, the fact that I’m half Scottish makes me especially happy when he does well.”

“I love taking part in pro-am tournaments such as Chrissie Evert’s event in Boca Raton. Those events are a great thrill, not only because we get to play in front of large crowds of people but also I get to play in more competitive matches. I’ve played against a lot of good players in those tournaments – Jim Courier, Tommy Haas, Lindsay Davenport, Corina Morariu, Justin Gimelstob, Luke and Murphy Jensen. The downside is the collective groan you hear when you screw up – that’s a tough sound for me. It’s worse than being out of tune [laughs].”

“I play as much as I can when I’m not in the studio or touring. I often find myself playing against professionals, people like Wade McGuire, Mark Philippoussis, Vince Spadea and Sam Querrey. Sam’s a friend, he’s great, he comes to my house and plays. It’s not like I’m going to be able to beat these guys, so my goal is to hit properly and keep up with them the best I can. I’m competitive with myself, so I try to do things right. I don’t hit and giggle, I have fun by being intense.”

“The biggest appeal of tennis for me is that it’s one on one. Almost gladiatorial. Doubles is great too, but you can’t beat the feeling that everything is down to you.”

“The strength of my game is that I’m pretty athletic. So stamina is the key for me. I do a lot of off court training. Pilates is amazing. I do all the stuff like strength work, lunges. I used to think that playing was just enough, but I’ve changed my mind on that.”

.”Gulbis is a striking player – a crusher”

Well, newly-appointed HBO Sports chief Ken Hershmann sounds like a man who doesn’t fully subscribe to that age old maxim.

“(The heavyweight division) has just languished for so long,” Hershmann told journalist Keith Idec of The Record. “It’s really no fault of the Klitschkos that, number one, they’ve been just so dominant in the ring, and number two, have a great business model where they are in Germany. I don’t criticize them at all for the way they have conducted their careers and their business. It makes total sense. Unfortunately, it hasn’t helped the U.S. heavyweight market and we haven’t seen those young Americans coming through the ranks that we feel we can invest in and that could be the future.”

Well, Eddie Chambers, Tony Thompson, Las Vegas based Sam Peter, Chris Arreola, Kevin Johnson came along and tried their best but got annihilated.

“It’s a dilemma,” continued Hershmann. “And I don’t ignore or pretend that the heavyweight division isn’t hugely important to boxing. It is. Hopefully, we’ll get in the next year or two some prospects that we think we can really count on to really energize the U.S. component of the market. But right now, I don’t see it in the immediate future.”

It’s an interesting position for Hershmann to take. Right now, the brightest American hope is Seth Mitchell who is advised by Al Haymon and promoted by Golden Boy. You can bet your bottom dollar that all of Mitchell’s upcoming fights will be televised by HBO as they groom him for a future title shot. It’s already been reported that Mitchell will be on the Hopkins-Dawson II undercard in April. So for HBO to build up the unproven Mitchell while ignoring the dominance of the Klitschkos is a bit of an irony.

For HBO to ignore the Klitschkos, in this global day and age, is a somewhat illogical position. The heavyweight title is the richest, most prestigious prize in all of sports. It can’t and should not be minimized, ignored or shunned just because the two dominant champions are non-Americans. Look at who the biggest boxing star in America is right now – it’s a Filippino named Manny Pacquiao.

If America willingly consumes Pacquiao (they do, massively), then America will also consume non-American heavyweights, if the American TV network HBO markets and promotes the Klitschkos as energetically and devotedly as they do Pacquiao.

When you consider the Pacquiao business model, it doesn’t make sense that HBO and Showtime opt to ignore the Klitschkos. Look at the sport of tennis. The four major stars in mens’ tennis are Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray – all non-Americans. Yet tennis TV ratings and attendance at the major tournaments in American continue to break record numbers every year despite the lack of a major American presence in the tournaments. The reason why? Simple. Tennis and the TV networks do not ignore or shun Nadal, Djokovic, Federer or Murray, they embrace and celebrate their special talents. And the American public appreciates and consumes the excellence of their tennis playing.

Who is the biggest star in track and field? A Jamaican sprinter named Usain Bolt who is a colossal attraction whenever and wherever he competes. The best is the best and the public will always want to see the best, if it’s properly promoted and not shunned and ignored.

The American public would embrace and consume the Klitschkos too, if HBO opted to market and promote them positively, as they do Pacquiao, and as the sport of tennis does for it’s star players.

How HBO could be willing to invest in Seth Mitchell vs. TBA, while turning it’s back on the Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal of boxing – The mighty Klitschko brothers – is a typical error of judgement by the current American powers which has contributed to the undermining and lowering of the sport in the collective American sports fan conscience.

Note: Newly formed TV network EPIX will televise the forthcoming Vitali Klitschko-Dereck Chisora and Wladimir Klitschko-Jean Marc Mormeck world title fights.

(Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko oil painting by John Murawski)

It’s always a pleasure and honor to to talk boxing with the Hall of Fame great Angelo Dundee. Here’s the latest observations from the one and only Angelo, read on as he talks about Sam Peter, Jones-Tarver III, Ricky Hatton, Corrales-Castillo, Tyson and much more:

August 2005

Boxinginsider.com: How did the movie turn out (Angelo was a consultant for Cinderella Man, the life story of James J. Braddock which was released earlier this summer)?

Angelo Dundee: “Oh, I had a ball. I spent a month in Australia, three months in Toronto. I had a great time. I never met such fine people in my life. Russell Crowe was a sweetheart, a family guy, a real class act. Ron Howard – I can’t say enough about. All the guys in the movies – I respect them. They work hard, they get up at 5 o’clock in the morning everyday, work all day. Kind of like the fighter’s life. They grind.”

Boxinginsider.com: Did you enjoy the film when you saw it the first time?

Angelo Dundee: “I cried. I seen it three times, cried three times. I had a great time. I really enjoyed myself working with such talent. Russell asked me one day, Want to be in the movie? I can try. That’s how I got in there.”

Boxinginsider.com: Hopkins vs. Taylor, what did you think of that fight, how it turned out?

Angelo Dundee: “I gave Taylor a real shot to win, on account of his awkwardness, his plodding jab. It was a close fight, naturally. I wasn’t surprised, it’ll be that kind of fight again, if they go. He’ll be even better next time – having that crown on your head makes you a better fighter. I’m very respectful of Hopkins. My kid David Estrada worked with him once. (Hopkins) don’t do a number on the guys he works with. My kid learned from Bernard Hopkins. He’s a very nice guy. I see him all the time when he comes down here.”

Boxinginsider.com: Very close fight, who did you think won?

Angelo Dundee: “I didn’t keep score. I’ll look at it again. Innately you don’t want to root. I knew he’d give him a good fight. Don’t know if he did enough to beat Hopkins. Wasn’t sure who won.”

Boxinginsider.com: I know you’re a big admirer of Kostya Tszyu so were you surprised about his fight with Ricky Hatton?

Angelo Dundee: “Amazed. Forget surprised, amazed [laughs]. It just shows you…Isn’t this a terrible life, that there’s always someone out there that can do a number on you? This kid Ricky Hatton just had Kostya Tszyu’s number. To me, Kostya Tszyu was pound-for-pound number one. Hatton had the strength, push and desire to offset Tszyu, because Tszyu is such a good technical fighter. He’s only a kid, that believes in himself, it was a great performance. He did everything to offset what Tszyu tried to do. I was suprised he controlled him physically. Ricky Hatton must be a very strong kid.”

Boxinginsider.com: Who can beat Hatton do you think?

Angelo Dundee: “I don’t know who’s gonna lick this kid.”

Boxinginsider.com: Floyd?

Angelo Dundee: “Oh man, Mayweather can offset so many people. He’s unbelievable. He fights to beat you.”

Boxinginsider.com: Tito Trinidad and Winky, did you see that? Winky pitched a no-hitter.

Angelo Dundee: “No hits, no errors [laughs].”

Boxinginsider.com: Were you surprised? I mean, he totally dominated a great fighter Tito Trinidad…

Angelo Dundee: “Nothing surprises me in boxing. It’s always interesting and intriguing. Each fight you learn a little more. I’m always watching fighters and trying to analyze, okay, what would I have my guy do to offset this guy.”

Boxinginsider.com: Corrales-Castillo, what a fight.

Angelo Dundee: “What an exciting fight. What a nice kid Corrales is, he came to the Hall of Fame. He looked out of it. He came back, one punch ended it, a hook.”

Boxinginsider.com: How do you see the rematch playing out?

Angelo Dundee: “Same kind of fight. Survival of the fittest. It’s that kind of fight.”

Boxinginsider.com: Should Corrales use a strategy next time that takes advantage of his four or five inch height advantage? I mean, shouldn’t he box and jab more from the outside?

Angelo Dundee: “Corrales likes to fight. It’s how he likes to fight [laughs]. It’ll be survival of the fittest, whoever gets the lucky shot in. He got it in last time. Who knows, maybe he has the style to beat Castillo ten times out of ten.”

Boxinginsider.com: Jones and Tarver will go at it for the third time…

Angelo Dundee: ‘Interesting, very interesting. I think Jones wants it. He can taste it. But maybe Jones isn’t with us anymore. We’ll find out soon enough. If he’s there he can beat Tarver. Being away maybe gave him the desire to get back. They miss it. The glow was taken away, the spotlight. They’re just another guy.”

Boxinginsider.com: What do you think of this power-punching Nigerian heavyweight prospect Samuel Peter? Did you see him?

Angelo Dundee: “I watch all the fights on TV. So I can keep up with you guys when you call [laughs]. I watch all the fights and I go to the gym twice a week. He’s looking awesome. But we’ll see. The heavyweight division is getting rejuvenated.”

Boxinginsider.com: Peter’s fighting Wladimir Klitschko, the younger brother in September in what will be a very interesting heavyweight showdown…

Angelo Dundee: “Klitschko can’t take a rap. Peter can punch like hell. He figures to hurt Klitschko. He folds real easy. Runs out of gas easy. It’s an interesting fight. Maybe it’ll show how far Peter’s going, he’s an awesome banger, steady. He feels like he’s the man, This is MY domain. He looks it too.”

Boxinginsider.com: Were you sad to see Tyson go out like he did?

Angelo Dundee: “He had a great life. He was a happy kid. He was explosive, exciting. He got people excited. He even got people excited about the last fight. They expected. But the explosion wasn’t there any more. The old movements, the old wiggle-waggle was gone.”

Boxinginsider.com: The fire was no longer there.

Angelo Dundee: “You can’t re-light it. Once it goes, it goes for good.”

April 15th, 2008 Mr. Dundee answers BoxingInsider.com readers’ questions…

Q – Angelo, pound for pound who is the best between Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, and Sugar Ray Robinson? You have trained two of them and I’m sure you’ve seen Robinson fight many times. And Angelo, if you had to fit Roy Jones into the pound for pound picture, where would you rank him?-Carl Sims

Angelo says: “Well you see, I explain it this way…You can’t connect anybody to Ali. Then you’re being unfair to people. Muhammad Ali changed the whole scenario. He was the first boxer to do all the talking in and out of the ring. Before Ali, the managers used to do the talking for the fighter. Ali changed all that. The first four years of Ali’s career, they thought I was a mute [laughs]! A lot of guys can fight in the ring but they can’t handle the stuff outside the ring. I think the newspaper guys made Ali sharp. Jimmy Cannon, Shirley Povich, all the great writers back then…they made Ali glib and sharp. He had to be…to deal with their questions. That’s why Muhammad Ali got better and better at it. He wasn’t that sharp as a kid. But he got much better as he went along.
I don’t like to do that (rate the all-time greats). It’s unfair. Each and every one of the boxers you named…they were the best of their time. The best. Hypothetically, Ray Robinson, how can you fault him? He was incredible. So was Jack Johnson.

Q – Do you think Roy Jones Jr. learned/gained heavyweight power in his fight with John Ruiz? -Robert Jackson

Angelo says: “Not really. He learned he can handle strength from a big guy. In other words, he offset him. I don’t think he looked to level him with his punches. If he tried to level him, he may have hurt his hands.

Q – Dear Mr.Dundee. I am currently preparing for my first amateur fight as a middleweight. in your opinion, what are the qualities of a successfull boxer? What does it take to become a champion? Dimitri from Greece

Angelo says: “I wish you luck in your first amateur boxing match! To be a champion, it takes so many qualities. You gotta persevere. You gotta train. You gotta abstain. You can’t be one of the bunch. You’ve got to really give it 100%. Just like in any profession. You graduate kindergarten, then grade school, then high school, you keep going up, up, up. Boxing is the same way. It’s a daily learning. When I go to the gyms now, I see some new things, some different things. It makes me feel good. The learning experience never stops.”

Q – Mr. Dundee. Suppose you had the chance to go back in time and train any great boxer of the past century (not just heavyweights) who would you choose and why? Thank you, George

Angelo says: “Willie Pep. ‘Cause I would have enjoyed myself every minute. Because he was such a great boxer. I had the fun experience of working with Eddie Machen. Sid Flaherty – his manager – asked me if I could give him a hand in his fight against Doug Jones in Miami Beach. After the 10th round, I gave him like a sermon, Let’s look good here, this round is important. And Machen says, Okay, Ang, I’ll try not to get knocked out! I enjoyed Eddie Machen. He had a great sense of humor.

Pep…oh I loved him. 1948…I had the pleasure of watching him in Madison Square Garden. The Sandy Saddler fights…such great fights. Pep had moves so smooth, such agility. Pep was like watching an artist. Like watching Fred Astaire dance. Pep was the kind of professional, he was kind to a lot of guys. He could have got them out of there. But he would go ten with a lot of guys. Those young kids would just try to knock him out and he’d absolutely frustrate them with his great boxing ability. He was beautiful to watch.”

Q – Greetings Mr. Dundee, it’s a great honor to have the chance for you to answer my question. Here it is: As a long-time boxing fan, I often wonder how Muhammad Ali would have fared against some of the other great heavyweights, particularly Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, and Larry Holmes (had the two fought when both were in their prime). With the exception of Holmes, I think Ali would have dominated them all. He would have beaten Holmes but it would have been a tough, close fight. What do you think? Thanks so much, Tim Begany, Trumansburg, NY

Angelo Says: “Scoop you’ll like how I handle this [smiles]…he would have beat that style. But I’ll never say it about a fight. Rocky Marciano won the computer fight with Ali in America but lost in England. Machines make mistakes. So what does that tell you? I think Ali could play with Tyson’s style. He could keep him in the center of the ring, keep him turning and slap that style all over the ring. I don’t like to compare person to person. But style to style…you can get away with that.

There’s talk of adding a new super heavyweight division. I don’t see it. I think this era of big guys will pass on. Because they go into different fields of endeavor. After Lennox and the two (Klitschko) brothers, I think the heavyweight division will be back to normal, with normal size heavyweights. We have a ‘big’ evolution right now.”

Q – Dear Angelo, Can you please tell me anything about your former heavyweight Lee Canalito? I saw him fight once and I was very impressed….what happened?? Could he have been a top ten? I wanted to know the answer to these questions for a long time. Also, do you have a fansite? Thank you for your time. Jerry Giovinazzo, Tampa, FL

Angelo says: “What a nice kid that was. I felt bad. I screwed up. I made him go in a movie called Paradise Alley. He was 10-0, he was a genuine talent. I had him at the point, he just fought at Madison Square Garden. Sylvester Stallone called me up, (he said) I need a nice big kid for a movie. Lee could box for a big guy. I had fun with Lee. As a matter of fact, Lee just called me this week. We talked for a while. He has his gym in Texas. I felt he could have had a career as a heavyweight. He never lost. But he got in that Hollywood scene, did Paradise Alley. They wanted him to do a Tarzan movie but he couldn’t because he was too big.

(Could he have made Top 10?) Oh yeah. He was coming along. Like I say, it’s a different time today, guys are getting better and better. That kid we have Attila Levin won my KO (Saturday night) in Tampa. He just got back from a shoulder operation for bone spurs. He’s coming along very well. He’s working really hard, training like a dog, he ready to go. He’s 27, 6-foot-5, 240 and he’s agile. He’s ready to shoot.”

(Note: Angelo does have a website, it’s www.angelodundeeinc.com.)

Q – How do you see the Toney-Jirov fight playing out? And do you think Klitschko can come back from that loss to Corrie Sanders? Can he be champion again? Yevgeny, Russia

Angelo says: “That’s a helluva fight. That’s a murderer’s fight. That Jirov is some banger. He’s a great, great body puncher. I’ve never seen a better body puncher than Jirov. Toney is fighting better than ever now. But it might be too late. He’s in great shape now. It’s going to be a sensational fight. Toney’s a great guy, he’s happy now. I saw him a lot, making the Ali movie. He was smiling for a change. He used to be a miserable guy. Now he’s much happier. I got along with him famously. We – me and Michael Olajide – choreographed him, we had to make Frazier. It was a lot of fun.

(How about can Wladimir Klitschko come back from his devastating loss to Corrie Sanders and be champion again?) “You could throw out the window most first-round knockout losses. If you go out cold, you’re not ready, it means you didn’t warm-up properly…if you get nailed in that first round, your body doesn’t react as well as if it’s warmed up. You had a guy like Emile Griffith (former Welterweight and Middleweight champion) knocked out in a round (by Ruben “Hurricane” Carter in 1963 at the age of 26). It never happened (to Griffith) again. It’s a lesson learned. It’s a tough lesson learned if you get hit on the chin like that. You know what the old axiom is: ‘Don’t take no fight cheap.’ I don’t know what actually happened there in Germany, I wasn’t there. I don’t know if he was warmed up properly. I don’t know if his mind was really on the fight, with all those anthems. I think he can comeback, yes. He didn’t get seriously hurt. He didn’t take no physical beating. He didn’t take no shellacking. He can comeback and be a wiser, smarter fighter.”

Another Interview I did with Angelo Dundee…

By Scoop Malinowski

He’s the elder statesman of boxing trainers…a living legend Hall of Famer…Angelo Dundee is always one of the most enlightening and enjoyable interviews in the sport. Here’s the exclusive latest word from one of the premier characters in boxing history:

Boxinginsider.com: you were in Australia as technical advisor for Russell Crowe in his upcoming movie “The Cinderella Man” about James J. Braddock. First time there?

Angelo Dundee: “No, I’ve been there before, with Jimmy Ellis-Frazier. I was there before that. I was there choreographing Russell. I have an assistant by the name of Wayne Gordon who does the day-to-day stuff. Wayne Gordon’s a former fighter of mine, so he’s a clone. He’s now the coach of the Olympic team. Russell Crowe is the nicest guy I ever met. The nicest. And he’s an athlete, easy to teach.”

Boxinginsider.com: Interesting that they’re making a movie about Braddock.

Angelo Dundee: “I think it’s wonderful. It’s such a great story line. I can see Russell Crowe having a ball with this one. Jim J. Braddock was a guy that was going nowhere, he was fighting for the food on the table, was on welfare, he used to work on the docks. that kind of guy. And he won the heavyweight championship. And his wife is gonna be played by Renee Zellwegger. Russell Crowe is the kind of guy – I went up to his farm, he’s got a big ranch up there, his mother and father are up there. He’s got an Olympic size pool on the property. He’s got a chapel on the property that he married his wife in. Beautiful place. we flew up there two times. I was there a month – Christmas and I was over at new Years.”

Boxinginsider.com: he must be a big fight fan?

Angelo Dundee: “yes. He’s very buddy buddy with Kostya Tszyu. And, in fact, I went to Anthony Mundine’s gym there. And I watched. First time I ever saw Kostya Tszyu train. I never saw a guy train like he trains. For two-and-a-half hours he trains…and then he spars. He’s fantastic. he works out at a clip I never saw guys do…bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing…jumping rope, hitting the bag…boom, boom, boom, boom. And he has a little kid beside him, hitting the bag too. He’s something. I didn’t realize what a hard worker Kostya Tszyu was. then the next thing I know was he hurt his shoulder. you know what’s ironic? you know who else hurt his shoulder? Russell Crowe. he did. he missed the punch working out with Wayne Gordon. Wayne slipped (Crowe’s punch)…I said, next time, stop slipping! he had arthroscopic surgery. Gonna be okay. He’s gonna come to Toronto on the 21st. And I’ll be there on the 21st.”

Boxinginsider.com: How do you see the Jones vs. Tarver rematch turning out?

Angelo Dundee: “Good fight. I think Jones’ll beat him better this time. he went down from heavyweight. Moving up and down in weight takes a lot out of you. Now he’ll be a light heavyweight, where he should be. Jones is a helluva fighter. my gosh, he’s got so many tools.”

Boxinginsider.com: What do you think of Emanuel Steward joining forces with the Klitschko brothers?

Angelo Dundee: “The Klitschko brothers are lucky. Emanuel Steward is a good trainer.”
Boxinginsider.com: Could he be the missing ingredient that takes them all the way? To “world domination?”

Angelo Dundee: “The guy’s been all the way already. he was on the way to become champion against Lennox Lewis. The fight shouldn’t have been stopped. But you know, that’s boxing sometimes. The cut wasn’t in a dangerous place. It wasn’t bleeding into the eye. The younger brother, in my mind, is the better fighter. He’s got so many tools. he throws straighter punches. especially that left hand. he must be a converted southpaw.”

Boxinginsider.com: Do you think, mentally, he’ll get over that KO loss to Corrie Sanders?

Angelo Dundee: “oh yeah, he’ll get over that. It was a surprise KO. But don’t forget about that guy Sanders. He’s for real. He’s always been a real good fighter. Tremendous puncher. He’s that kind of a banger. And he’s a southpaw. Southpaws do funny things.”

Boxinginsider.com: Hopkins vs. de La Hoya looks like it’s finally made for September.

Angelo Dundee: “That’s gonna be the fight. they should just on and fight each other next. Because anything can happen. you never think ahead. Something, anything could go wrong. they should just fight each other next.”

Boxinginsider.com: Golota vs. Byrd looks like it could be a very interesting battle. who do you see winning?

Angelo Dundee: “The style Golota fights is terrible for Byrd. Aggressive. Rough. He’s gonna give Byrd ulcers. He’ll take that trickiness of Byrd away with ruggedness. I don’t think Byrd hits hard enough to hold him off. It’s gonna be like he’s throwing pineapples at Golota. Gonna be interesting. Who’s training Golota now?

Boxinginsider.com: Sam Colonna of the Windy City Gym in Chicago.

Angelo Dundee: “Sam Colonna – I know him a long time. I root for Sam, he’s a good guy. that Golota, he’s a lot of fun. he likes to have fun. he used to train down here in West Palm Beach. I used to run into him.”
Boxinginsider.com: Could be Golota’s last shot at the title. He’s 36.

Angelo Dundee: “I hope he makes it. then it’s like a dream come true.”

Boxinginsider.com: last question. who was a great fighter that you saw in your career, who couldn’t miss, but did miss, for whatever reason. Like, from your memory, who is the best fighter we, the public, never got to see?

Angelo Dundee: “Back in 1948, 49, 50. a kid from Utah or Kansas City was 40-0. I can’t remember his name. Hank Kaplan would. he was a real 40-0. In that era it was different. he was a real 40-0. they brought him to the Garden. And he got knocked out and that was the end of him. Took a beating, got flattened. by Tony Janeiro, I think. Kid couldn’t miss. he was 40-0. he was a rough, tough, good credentials, good lookin’ kid. Rough…and he wasn’t sloppy, he was smooth. And he got flattened. never fought again. Broke his heart. The guy had never got licked before. Boxing is the toughest profession you can get in. As a fighter, you got to be so careful. It’s like living in a glass house. if they see you walkin’ down the street with a chick, you’re a womanizer. if you have a Coke in a bar, he’s a boozer! Someome said to me, your fighter was seen coming out of the Eden Rock Hotel in Miami with a girl…I said, by the way, that’s his wife! you think it ain’t tough being Mike Tyson? It must be murder! Everything goes wrong.

Boxinginsider.com: He’s actually been a real gentleman since losing to Lewis. I saw him at the Klitschko fight and in Atlantic City for Hopkins-Joppy and Tyson was a perfect gentleman both nights, taking pictures, shaking hands, time for everybody.

Angelo Dundee: “That loss to Lewis made him a human being. he doesn’t want to fight anymore.”

Mike Schreck (Boxing Fan): “I met Ali on a promotion tour for his own brand of cologne. It was at Buckland Hills Mall in Manchester, CT in 1990. Muhammad was signing memorabilia at a table and when the line got to me, I said to him, ‘God Bless you champ.’ And at that, he stood up and motioned me to come around the table to him. Then he went into a boxing stance. As I did, my wife snapped a picture of us. It was a true highlight of my life. Muhammad Ali is a very gracious man.”

Bob Foster (Ali opponent and former Light Heavyweight champion): “I was on the same card at Caesars with Muhammad Ali. He fought Jerry Quarry and I was fighting his brother Mike Quarry (billed as “The Quarry Brothers vs. The Soul Brothers”). Before the fights that night, Ali bet me $1,000 that he could stop Jerry Quarry before I could stop Mike. I said, ‘I’ll take that bet.’ Because I knew Ali couldn’t punch that hard. And Jerry was tough. I ended up winning the bet. I knocked Mike Quarry out with one shot. And Ali paid me too. ‘Cause he knew if he didn’t, I’d have kicked his ass, right there in Caesars Palace!”

Marion Boykin (New York-based boxing TV show host): “I once traveled with Ali on a book tour many years back in New York City. I was glad to be included on the bus of writers and will always be beholden to super-writer, Tom Hauser for making sure I was there. Tom had helped Ali with a big photo book and a book of Ali quotations and thoughts. We were all a part of the push to get the books out there to Ali’s millions of fans. During the ride I spent most of the time in the back of the bus, wouldn’t you know it, with another great champion, Roy Jones Jr. It was fun as we went from school to school for ceremonies hyping the books. But the most interesting part of it was stopping at one high school and having a little lunch. Ali sat with my photographer, Terrence Nelson and I and we shot-the-breeze a bit. He was in the beginning strains of his coming battles with Parkinson’s but he was still very alert and quick. As we ate, the conversation got interesting…I happen to love magic and sleight-of-hand and so, of course, does Ali. He took out a little handkerchief and made it disappear and was quite proud of himself about it. But then I pulled out a few coins and made them go from this hand to that hand invisibly and he was blown away, I had absolutely floored the champ on what was perhaps just another routine day for him – or so he might’ve thought. He immediately asked me how I did that and I responded, ‘Champ, you know us magicians can’t reveal our secrets.’ He bent over and begged me closer, and as I did to hear what I thought would be a secret whisper between Magis, he grabbed me by by my collar, flashed that old Ali battle snarl and said, ‘I said…HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!’ He startled me at first, as I quickly thought I had become Joe Frazier or George Foreman to him but he immediately then flashed his big playful smile as he released me and said, ‘Man, that was a good one…You’re even faster than me.’”

Mrs. Deanna Dempsey (Wife of former Heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey): “We met Muhammad Ali in San Juan, Puerto Rico after he beat Jean-Pierre Coopman in 1976. He was young and handsome and vital and so full of life. After the fight, as he was coming down the steps from the ring, Ali spotted Jack and he said, ‘Mr. Dempsey, can I call you Jack?’ Jack said, ‘Everybody calls me Jack.’ Then Muhammad said, Oh Jack, you were the greatest!’ And Jack said, ‘But Muhammad, I thought you always said YOU were the greatest?’ Ali said, ‘Jack. When I say I’m the greatest, it’s all bullshit!’”

Riddick Bowe (Former World Heavyweight champion): “Muhammad Ali is what enticed me to get into boxing. I liked his spirit and I liked his style. And I liked the way he spoke. See, what happened was, I was in junior high school – I was in 8th grade, I was 13 years old – and the reading teacher brought in a tape of Ali. And I just fell in love with Ali from that point on. I said, ‘I wanna be heavyweight champion of the world.’ And in about ten years later it took place and it happened. My teacher, she called around a couple of gyms so I could start boxing. So we finally decided to go to Bed-Stuy Boxing Association Club. And I walked into the gym, fought in the Kid Gloves, the Golden Gloves, the Junior Olympics, and I realized in that time I could be champ. Because I did feel a certain ease, you know? A lot of guys had a lot more experience than I had but I was beatin’ up all them guys like I was there the whole time they were.”

James ‘Buster’ Douglas (Former World Heavyweight champion): “Muhammad Ali made such an impact on boxing and was a beautiful boxer. He had a beautiful jab. I met him on several occasions, kicked it with him, we had a ball. It isn’t like it usually is where your expectations are too high. It wasn’t like that. It was even more than I expected. He said he liked my style. He told me he was jumping up and down, and jumping out of his chair watching the Tyson fight. It was a thrill to bring pleasure to a man who brought so much pleasure to me.”

Ray Lewis (NFL Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowl linebacker): “When he fought Sonny Liston and won, some doubted Ali’s athleticism, and they wanted to see him fail. But, he persisted and won, over and over. Later, when he gave up his title based on personal convictions, some doubted his integrity. Today, he is considered to have been the greatest athlete of all time, but it is his integrity, his dedication to peace and civil rights, that defines him. To this day he leads by example, and that says it all…He used his fame to persuade people all over the world to reconsider their views on war and peace and on racial relations. No athlete accomplished more for mankind than Muhammad Ali. No one.”

Bernard Hopkins (Former Middleweight and Light Heavyweight champion): “I met Muhammad Ali a few times. He came to Ecuador for my first title fight against Segundo Mercado. Don King brought him. He still had his sense of humor. I had goosebumps. When I started my career I never thought I’d be next to guys like that. Me and his birthdays are a few days apart, we’re both Capricorns.”

Angelo Dundee (Ali’s trainer): “I first met Ali when he was an amateur in 1959. I used to go to Louisville with my fighters – Jimmy Beecham, Luis Rodriguez, Willie Pastrano. In fact, the biggest draw in Louisville was Willie Pastrano. And Willie fought Alonzo Johnson. That’s when I met Muhammad. Muhammad called me from the hotel lobby…’This is Cassius Marcellus Clay. I’m the Golden Gloves champ of Louisville. I won the Gloves in Chicago, I won the Gloves in Seattle. And I want to talk with you.’ I said to Willie, ‘If the guy is some nut downstairs and if you want to let him come up and talk with us?’ And Willie said, ‘Ehh, well the TV stinks. Let him come up.’ And Muhammad came up. Very interesting young man. Kid wanted to know about how my fighters train, how they ran. Because he said he watched me a lot on TV. I had a lot of TV fighters back then in those days. It was a ton of fun. He was a student of boxing. He wanted to know the intricate things about it. I worked with the kid. Showed him the do’s and don’ts. Naturally, he had his own ideas and conceptions on what should be done. But I sort of gave him some advice. That was the first time I met him. And when my fighters would come back to Louisville, he would look them up. A lot of times I wouldn’t be with them. Like Luis Rodriguez would fight in Louisville. Muhammad would go in there and come into the fight with Luis. He grew to love Luis. Because Muhammad got to like all my guys. My guys were easy to like, ’cause they’re good kids. You’ll find out something, by the way, 99% of fighters are good kids. Because of the life they’ve got to lead. It’s a tough life. And nobody has bigger respect for the fistic guys than me. ‘Cause I appreciate what they’ve got to go through.”

Melvin “Doc” Stanley (New York City-based print and radio media): “Muhammad Ali, wow. Ali has always been so very special to me for a multitude of unique reasons. Greatest fighter, athlete of our lifetime. Only Pele can be mentioned in the same breath as an international and global figure, both men the most renowned athletes of our generation and quite possible of all times. And in a time where their world wide fame was produced with a fraction of the media methods, tools and outlets that are used today. Word and mouth were major factors, living legends truly befit them both. Ali was both a student of the sweet science and knew its history and the legends and stars that preceded him. They may have said, ‘Screw Babe Ruth,’ during the World War, but nobody knew or heard of the Babe in a Brazil, Suriname, Aruba, Egypt, or a hut in South Africa or a village in Zaire. Ali and Pele can lay claim to such and although they shouted Ruth’s name during the war, only Ali and Pele had wars stopped to see them both perform.”

“The love I have and profess for Ali curtails so many facets. First, the boxer as it is the sport I hold most dearest to my heart. He being the best ever and at his weight class too.”

“But beyond that, also his character, charm, intellect, wit, honesty, mindset and heart inside and outside the squared circle. And him being a great father to all of his children and a true friend to his friends. A man of compassion and forgiveness.”

“And who can ever forget his stand against being drafted, standing on both his religious conviction and also the saving of lives of his multi-racial and ethnic fans, the young, the elder, both black and white.”

“That stand cost him his prime boxing and earning money years and a shot at being undefeated, yet it also propelled him into immortality, stardom beyond superstar status, he surpassed the other renowned gods of boxing – Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Ray Robinson, Jack Johnson and Rocky Marciano. They were leapt over and surpassed. And he too gained the respect, ears, eyes and love of all mankind, here, abroad and any life form on neighboring planets.”

“Jew, gentile, catholic, atheist as well as Muslim, sided, admired, respected and supported him, mentally, physically and spiritually. He may have been a Muslim religion-wise but he was the Peter Pan, the pied piper of all mankind.”

“Emilano Zapata, Che Gureva, Jack Johnson, Zorro, Superman, Batman, Shaft, Michael Jackson, James Brown, Dr. J, Michael Jordan, the Beatles all rolled into one and multiplied by 100, divided by the square root of Ali.”

“The world was his oyster and platform, he was now Muhammad Ali, first, who also happened to be a fighter, who was heavyweight champion of the world, belt or not.”

“Ali is and always will be a People’s champion and is now loved by all aspects of our society.”

“Seen as Ali by most, not as the black fighter. There were those that didn’t always love him, but he was always respected and admired, as both an athlete and a man.”

“Now his taking in the Muslim religion put him in a sphere and status, where he both transcended more than the fight game, but also the religion, although again, he was a Black Muslim, the American made and founded sect, the world and Muslims worldwide, saw him as a Muslim. He did as much for the religion as he did for the sport of boxing.”

“Earnie Shavers once told me, ‘Every fighter and athlete after Ali, owed him. Before Ali came along, guys were fighting for $20,000 dollars for the heavyweight championship of the world. Ali changed the scope of salaries globally and domestically. And also he changed the public relations world and mind set of boxing.”

“The late media boxing icon and public relations legend, John Francis Xavier Condon, told me how he and Ali went out into the streets of New York City, during a newspaper strike and sold out the Garden. He predicted knockouts, recited poetry, appeared on talk shows to talk not about simply boxing.”

“Fighters started copying his gestures – hands low, standing in their corner and not sitting on their stool between rounds, shaking their heads saying they were not hurt when hit, and predicting victory – all unheard of prior to Cassius Marcellus Clay. He was a PR man’s dream. And fight fans loved, were amazed and dazzled by him, nobody boasted of winning, predicted knockouts, nicknamed their foes, ‘The Wash Woman’ or ‘The Bear.’

“The Hall of Fame boxing champion, Jose Torres once told me that everything Ali did in the ring was wrong and exactly what you taught fighters not to do – hands low, backing up, moving your head to avoid punches. Arturo LeConte, legendary Panamanian boxing photographer, told me, that, ‘All you had to do to sell out a boxing magazine was to put Ali’s face on the cover. A story would be nice but not needed.’

“His demeanor was always that of reachable, comic, friendly and humble with the media and fans. Memories? I have so many, but my first. Tommy Kenville, MSG media icon, told me in the press room prior an old Garden card, ‘Mel, the champ is here.’ I knew who he meant. He had no title at the time – he had lost to Norton months prior, but he was,well, Ali. I spotted him sitting near ringside and I asked him to sign a photo and he looked at me with a little mock shock as he turned from looking ringside and said, ‘In the middle of a fight?!’ When the round stopped he signed and then I started my first interview with the legendary Muhammad Ali and as he talked, other reporters joined us. I’ve been blessed by God to meet and be with him and have more photos with him than any other iconic figure of our generation.”

“Other memories? Well, me being the first reporter to interview him and helping hold him back from going after Joe Frazier at their second Ali-Frazier press conference at the Garden at the Hall of Fame club. Another – him autographing a photo for my lady at the time and him saying to me as he glanced at her picture, ‘A fox, where did you get a fox?’”

“Ali winning the first ever Potamkin Award and at the affair, which Howard Cosell attended, I asked him to sign a couple of photos, after he did I started to walk away and he asked me what was in the bag. I told him it was some more stuff but he need not or couldn’t sign everything. He said, ‘Give it to me.’ And he autographed all I had. How can you not love him?”

“I remember him doing magic tricks at the first and only fight card at the Meadowlands arena. And him giving me the last radio interview prior to Ali-Frazier II in his hotel lobby. And as I went to the fight that night, there I was on the back page of the early edition of the Daily News walking down the street with Ali.”

“I say this all the time, If Ali had time for photos, the media, autographs and fans, then every other athlete after him should too. For Ali is number one and all others are a very distant second. Thanks for asking.”

Chuck Wepner (Ali opponent): “The Ali fight, that was the best I ever felt in the ring. Going 15 rounds. It’s the only fight I ever trained for full time in my career, my entire career. I got sent to camp by Don King. The other fights I used to have to run in the morning, work in the day, train at night. It’s tough to really get on top of your game when you have to do that. For the Ali fight, I trained for seven weeks and I showed a lot of people I was better than they thought I was. After the fight Ali said, ‘I told you that guy was a tough guy. I would never fight that guy in an alley, he was a great fighter.’ That’s why he never gave me a name (like) the Mummy. He said, ‘I respect Chuck Wepner.’ He was always a gentleman to me and he always respected me and I respect him back. I love Muhammad Ali. It was not only a great opportunity for me but a great honor to fight him.”

Mario Costa (Boxing trainer): “I was in the dressing room with Mike Tyson after he lost his last fight to Kevin McBride in Louisville. Muhammad Ali was there. After the fight, Ali came to the dressing room to be with Mike. Mike wasn’t talking, you could tell he was sad. I remember they were both sitting on a bench together, just the two of them. Two great champions. It was very quiet. And Ali pulled out his comb and started combing Mike’s hair, like to tell him, You’re still pretty like me. He was trying to make Mike feel good at such a down moment.”

John Scully (Former Light Heavyweight title challenger): “One day in June of 1991, I went to the West Farms Mall to see Ali at the JC Penny store where he was appearing to promote his new cologne. The most memorable thing about that afternoon was that there was such a long line of people waiting to see him and get his autograph. I initially got in line but I took one look and realized that it would be hours of standing just so I could meet him for a few seconds. I am not really an autograph type of person and, really, I just wanted to see the man. So I got out of line and walked up to the counter where Ali was and, I don’t know, when I saw him sitting there it was a very strange thing. Picture the feeling that a five year old boy must get when he sees Santa Claus in the local mall for the very first time. Then magnify that feeling by ten.”

“As luck would have it, at the exact time that I was standing there just looking at Ali, one of his associates came over to talk to the store security guard that was standing right next to me. He asked where the best seafood restaurant in Hartford was. I knew already that it was the Capitol Fish House at the corner of Capitol and Main. I cannot remember if the security guard told him that also or even if a time was mentioned but I just remember going to the Capital Fish House that night and seeing a stretch limousine parked out front. I drove around to the side of the restaurant and there, sitting in the window of the back dining room with his wife and a few other people, was the man himself, Muhammad Ali.”
“I instantly took off on the two mile or so drive back to my apartment where I quickly changed my shirt and grabbed my scrapbook before heading right back to the restaurant. I walked right in to the back dining room and headed to the table where he sat with his small group. They were the only ones back there so there was no disputing who I was there to see. What happened next is the absolute greatest thing that could have happened, a boxing fan’s – and boxer’s – dream. Ali got up slowly and started to head away from me. I remember feeling so bad, so nervous. I thought he was maybe in a bad mood and was going out of the room until I left. He had signed hours and hours worth of autographs that day and I figured he was very tired. I was surprised he would leave so abruptly but I understood, too, I guess. I imagined myself as the only guy in the world that Ali turned down.”

“But, I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong in my assumption as Ali came around the table and headed directly towards me. When he got close enough he put his hands up and, making that famous Ali face where he bites his bottom lip and tilts his head to the side – that seems to say like, ‘C’mon Sucker!’ – that I had seen countless times. He got in his boxing stance. I took the hint, put my jacket on the table in mock anger, and set up like we were gonna rumble! It all happened so fast! Everybody was watching and laughing as we moved closer to each other and went right to it. No conversation. No debating. Ali came to me and started snapping his jab out at me and one thing I distinctly remember is that he seemed to be very far away from me when he let it go but his fist still came so close to my face that I briefly felt the apprehension that came with thoughts of him mistakenly smacking me in my forehead with that famous jab. The man has range. The other thing was that I was caught off guard by how fast with the jab he still was. I was surprised at how quickly it traveled and how close it came to my face before it quickly recoiled like a cobra snake.”

“I wanted to show him that I was a boxer, too. It was like I was at an audition. I wanted him to see that I was a real boxer, too, and I specifically remember giving him a feint and when he kind of flinched at it, I ducked down and snapped a straight and sharp left jab into his belly. Then, the greatest thing happened. I am so glad that I was quick-witted enough to catch it and reply properly. After I caught him with the jab he put his hands down a little, bit his lip and widened his eyes like he does and said loudly, ‘What? You called me nigger?!’ Now, when he used to pull that bit on Cosell back in the day when I wasn’t even born yet – I was born the year he went into exile, 1967 – they had a little routine where he would say that to Cosell and Cosell would act all scared and nervous and, after some tense moments, Ali would say, ‘Man, you musta said trigger.’ I had seen the films and read enough books to know the routine. So, I think I shocked Ali and everybody in that room with my reply.”

‘No, no, I said trigger,’ I told him.

“Everybody in the room, especially the man himself, really got a kick out of that one! I have several great pictures from that day and one of them is of me doubled over in laughter after I said that with Ali smiling.”

Boxing Fan: “I was lucky to meet Ali in November 1993 when he was helping promote Howard Bingham’s book ‘A 30 Year Journey.’ Incredibly, Ali was in my hometown of Kingston, just outside of London, England. I even managed to get a laugh when I asked him if he ever found the kid who stole his bike. I remember Ali stayed at the venue until everybody had been seen – eventhough he was, even then, not in the best of health. Unlike so many lesser known celebrities who seem to treat the public and their fans like they’re an inconvenience.”

Eric Bottjer (Boxing matchmaker): “I’ve seen Muhammad Ali a half-dozen times. In my only interaction with him, I followed him to a hotel hallway after he had been introduced at a black-tie boxing event in Washington D.C. Obviously tired and visibly shaking, Ali walked alongside a sole bodyguard. I approached him from behind and timidly asked him to sign my program. The bodyguard shook his head and motioned me away. Ali put a hand on the guard’s shoulder, gently moved him aside and signed the book. He glanced at me to see the look he’s seen thousands of times. He shuffled on and I decided I’d made a damn fine choice for a hero.”

(Note: This feature is currently being developed into a book about Muhammad Ali. Ali & Cosell oil painting by Scoop Malinowski/ Ali scultpure by artist Barrymore Alan Moton.)

Read more: http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/muhammad-ali-collection-memories-of-the-greatest/#ixzz1jkUihcCB