| Sometimes in a boxer's career there comes a | | | | Assassin agreed to fight him. Cooney would |
| pivotal fight, one that turns his fortunes | | | | get a purse of ten million dollars as the |
| for the good and sends him to bigger and | | | | challenger, making it the richest fight in |
| better things, as was the case when Irish | | | | boxing history up to that time. Unfortunately |
| Micky Ward's suddenly and unexpectedly | | | | the promotion of the fight took on racial |
| knocked out heavily favored Alfonso Sanchez | | | | overtones which, to Cooney's credit, he tried |
| with a deadly left hook to the body in 1997on | | | | to distance himself from. If Cooney won, he |
| HBO. And more recently, Edison Miranda's | | | | would be the first white world heavyweight |
| stunning TKO of Howard Eastman which | | | | champion in 23 years. Predictably, promoter |
| catapulted him from prospect to world title | | | | Don King, always the cunning choreographer, |
| contender. But there are two edges to this | | | | played this up by calling him "The Great |
| knife and one cuts more deeply than the | | | | White Hope," and the fight drew huge |
| other. The following is about the later, | | | | attention throughout the world. In fact, it |
| about four fights in which the boxer's career | | | | was one of the biggest closed-circuit |
| took a sharp detour the nature of which never | | | | pay-per-view productions in history, |
| led him back to the main road."BIG JOHN" TATE | | | | broadcast to over 150 countries.Thusly |
| captured a bronze medal at the 1976 Montreal | | | | packaged by King, Cooney finally stepped into |
| Olympic Games, and would go on to capture the | | | | the ring against Holmes on June 11, 1982 and |
| WBA title in 1979 by defeating Gerrie Coetzee | | | | lost a competitive and highly entertaining |
| by decision in an impressive showing. Five | | | | fight in which Cooney fought bravely and did |
| months later, on on March 31, 1980, Big | | | | nothing to disgrace himself. He lost by a |
| John defended his crown against Mike | | | | technical knockout in the 13th when his |
| "Hercules" Weaver. Tate was well ahead on all | | | | handlers threw in the towel. But this would |
| cards going into the last ad 15th round and | | | | prove to be his "big detour," for he would |
| the crowd was chanting, "Big John Tate, Big | | | | never be the same after this fight and his |
| John Tate, Big John Tate." There was no way | | | | post-Holmes career would be unimpressive.He |
| he could lose in front of his home town | | | | took a year off, intending to return in late |
| crowd. Then, out of nowhere, Weaver suddenly | | | | 1983, but a cut in sparring forced him to lay |
| unloaded and landed a devastating hook to | | | | off for another year. In September of 1984 he |
| Tate's chin that left him unconscious and | | | | finally stepped into the ring beating |
| prone for several minutes. The crowd was | | | | mediocre Phillip Brown by a knockout in 4 |
| shocked into silence. And so was I.Big John | | | | rounds. He fought one more time and won, but |
| attempted a comeback on June 20, 1980 against | | | | personal problems again took him away from |
| an up and coming Trevor Berbick. This was on | | | | the ring. He fought poor competition until he |
| the undercard of the legendary fight between | | | | was ko' d by by Michael Spinks in 1987. |
| Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran. However, | | | | Despite being significantly younger than |
| he was easily defeated by the muscular | | | | George Foreman, he was taken out in |
| Berbick who chased him around the ring in | | | | devastating fashion in 1990 ending what |
| bizarre fashion. For the second time in a | | | | could have been an interesting, if not |
| row, he was knocked unconscious by a | | | | promising career had he not taken a detour |
| clubbing blow that caught him on the back of | | | | from which he would never recover.Cooney has |
| the head as he was running away from Berbick. | | | | since started the FIST Foundation, an |
| He lay prone with his leg twitching, another | | | | organization which has helped retired boxers |
| indelible, albeit surreal, boxing memory. | | | | of all races find jobs. On a positive note, |
| Later Big John would be ridiculed in his | | | | Jerry and Holmes have become close friends |
| hometown. Although he fought until 1988 | | | | and Holmes has even helped with Cooney's |
| winning 14 in a row before losing his last | | | | organization.EARL HARGROVE fought Australian |
| fight in 1988, he was never again taken | | | | (by way of Uganda) John 'The Beast" Mugabi on |
| seriously as a challenger.Tragically, on | | | | March 17, 1965 in Tampa. Hargrove, out of |
| April 9.1998, he died of injuries sustained | | | | Philadelphia, came into the fight with a |
| in a one-car automobile accident. At the | | | | stellar 26 and 1 record....his first 24 |
| time, his nickname among his hometown friends | | | | fights being won by way of stoppage. Mugabi's |
| in Tennessee was "Ordinary." The man who had | | | | record was even more impressive. Right out of |
| once been the WBA heavyweight champion and | | | | the professional gate, the unbeaten Beast |
| had made millions was broke when he died at | | | | entered the fight with 24 straight, often |
| the age of 43.SUGAR RAY SEALES, the only | | | | spectacular ko's and had built a big |
| American fighter to win a gold medal in the | | | | reputation as a devastating puncher. This |
| 1972 Olympics, was a contender for the | | | | promised to be a battle between two bangers |
| Middleweight title during the late 70's and | | | | and someone was sure to go early. Maybe even |
| early 80's. He won his first 22 fights before | | | | a repeat of the Meza-Garza shoot out. Mugabi |
| losing to Marvin Hagler on points in 1974. He | | | | had beaten James "Hard Rock" Green, Frank |
| then put together an unbeaten streak of six | | | | "The Animal" Fletcher (whose nickname matched |
| fights including a highly respectful draw | | | | that of Mugabi's), Curtiss Parker, and Eddie |
| with the tough Hagler. In December 1976 in | | | | Gazo.....all by stoppage. John would enter |
| England, he fought Alan Minter, a tough Brit | | | | the ring to chants of "Beast, Beast, Beast." |
| who had garnered notable and credible | | | | Hargrove's opposition was tellingly far |
| victories over name opponents, in a fight | | | | inferior with Greg Stephens being one of the |
| that many thought would propel Sugar Ray to a | | | | few with a decent record. When he did step up |
| title shot, but it was not to be. He was TKO' | | | | to fight tough Mark Medal, he lost by TKO in |
| d in the fifth by the determined and | | | | the 5th.But back to Tampa where the fighters |
| tenacious Englishman who caught Seales in a | | | | finally touched gloves and the bell rang. And |
| furious exchange and prevailed. More to the | | | | just like that, before I had time to light up |
| point, Seales would never again fight at the | | | | my corona, it was over. Hargerove was |
| same level of competence and was destroyed by | | | | dispatched by the Beast in 1.33 of the first |
| Hagler in one round in their fight in 1979, | | | | round. Earl was exposed and it was time to |
| being dropped 3 times. In a 1980 fight with | | | | take a detour.He would finish a once |
| Jaime Thomas, he was thumbed in the eye, | | | | promising career with a 32-6 (28-ko's) record |
| tearing his retina, and he gradually went | | | | finally losing to Darren Maciunski in 1995, |
| blind even while continuing to fight. Seales | | | | Curiously, one of his wins came against NJ |
| retired in 1983.Perhaps the best way to | | | | middleweight Lamont Haithcoach by decisive |
| describe Sugar Ray's detour is to describe | | | | first round ko in 1986. Haithcoach had held |
| his trilogy with the great Hagler thusly: | | | | Buddy McGirt to a draw in 1982 and was no |
| Sugar Ray Seales won his first 21 fights | | | | pushover, but this devastating loss ended his |
| until losing a close decision to Marvin | | | | short 11-bout career. He would close with a |
| Hagler in Boston in 1974. Later that same | | | | 5 (3-ko's)- 3- 3....suggesting that the |
| year, held Hagler to a draw that could have | | | | entire sequence resulted in what one might |
| gone either way. Seales ten fought and lost | | | | term a "double detour.""A truly happy person |
| to Minter in 1976. Hagler then scored a | | | | is one who can enjoy the scenery on a |
| savage first-round kayo in their rubber | | | | detour." Bill WilliamsAs a postscript to this |
| match.....in 1979.One account has Seales | | | | piece, an undefeated and highly promising |
| currently working with autistic students at | | | | Mike Quarry fought Bob Foster on June 27, |
| Lincoln High School in Tacoma. I hope it's | | | | 1972 after having run up a string of over 30 |
| true.IRISH JERRY COONEY, as an amateur, won | | | | wins. For obvious reasons, I'd just as soon |
| several international tournaments as well as | | | | not include that story here. May he rest in |
| the New York Golden Gloves title. His | | | | peace.Ted Sares, PhD, is a private investor |
| amateur record was a fine one consisting of | | | | and syndicated writer who lives in the White |
| 55 wins and only 3 losses when he turned | | | | Mountain area of Northern New Hampshire with |
| professional. Best known for his devastating | | | | his wife Holly and Min Pin Jackdog. He writes |
| left hook to the body, he quickly ran up a | | | | a bi-weekly column for a local newspaper, is |
| string of ko wins before handily beating | | | | a regular contributor to the NH Business |
| title challengers Jimmy Young and Ron Lyle, | | | | Review, and many of his other pieces are |
| both by ko. By this time, he was ranked | | | | widely published.His works focus on issues |
| number one in the WBC and was a serious | | | | and themes dealing with socio-political |
| challenger to Larry Holmes' crown. | | | | topics, business and (economics in which he |
| | | | advocates a free market approach to |
| Then in 1981, he annihilated former world | | | | capitalism), patriotism, and matters dealing |
| heavyweight champion Ken Norton by | | | | with individual freedom.They are frequently |
| frightening knockout 54 seconds into the | | | | inspirational in nature and sometimes reflect |
| first round at Madison Square Garden and in | | | | the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand. He |
| front of an HBO audience. A year later, his | | | | is also a boxing historian and writes about |
| life took a positive turn, at least | | | | the pathos of the sport. |
| financially speaking, when The Easton | | | | |