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