When I was a kid my dad would take me to the Friday night fights at old MSG...Heaven to me a youngster. One afternoon on Friday my dad took me to Hubert's flea circus on 42st in NYC, where the attraction was trained fleas pulling a micro chariot around a circle...After watching this ,we went to the basement where the main attraction was as I learned, Jack Johnson the former heavyweight champion, hitting a small bag and ansereing questions, while shaking hands...I recall him wearing a beret on his noggin, with a big smile on his face...I along with others shook his hand, not knowing why at the time. But I became enamoured with boxing growing up and soon learned who Lil Arthur was...Should have gotten his autograph but who knew at the time ?....What about your meeting great fighters ?
I too was saddened to see the great ravaged Jack Johnson in a threadbare loin cloth in a tiny cubicle in the Times Square flea circus.
How proud you must feel looking back at that moment,Burt ! :good I've met a few fighters,but meeting Muhammad Ali was the highlight for me. He was on a book signing tour in London back in 1992. I was already 37 years old,but I felt like a kid ! I was babbling such stuff like "Champ.....I love you.........always have"
I believe it was between 1943-1945, a few years before Jack Johnson while driving to see the Louis/Conn fight, died in an auto accident....He was a very intelligent man who loved women and fast cars....They both did him in...
That is amazing Burt .. I know many who met Dempsey at his restaurant over the years but not Johnson ... truly amazing!
wow, Burt! Shaking hands with a man that fought Choynski, Jeanette, Langford, Ketchel, Fitzsimmons, Jeffries, Burns, Willard.... Something very special...I would never forget a day like this...You must be proud ... :good
hya he...GB Shaw said, 'it is a pity that youth is wasted on the young". And when I shook hands with the Gavelston Giant, I was too young to appreciate the historical significance of a man who fought Jim Jeffries and the Michigan Assassin Stanley Ketchel...But I sure did a few years later.... My favorite experience looking back ,was a few years later my dad and I was visiting my uncle in his small luncheonette in Bklyn NY. A short but powerful looking 50ish man walked in, and my uncle introduced this man as Soldier Bartfield,the TOUGH middleweight contender who fought Harry Greb several close tough battles...What does he do after shaking my hand ? He grabs me immediately in a clinch and playfully [to him] batters my ribs which hurt me a youngster til my dad intervened...It truly hurt my sides for a few days after...Soldier Bartfield was working as a park worker at the time...Later on when I studied the career of the immortal Harry Greb, did I truly realize that I was pummeled by a man who fought my idol Harry Greb several times...Cheers...
Burt carried a towel for James Figg, or so I'm told. Just kidding, Mr. B. Great story and I appreciate you sharing it. Probably my best meet-the-great story: Many years ago I got to interview Roberto Duran when he was fighting in one of the Mississippi casinos. He had Luis Spada (who managed his middle-aged-for-a-boxer comeback) for an interpreter. The interview was less than an hour's drive from New Orleans and Duran had been training in the Big Easy. So I asked him about being back where the 'No Mas' thing had happened. Spada leaned over and whispered, 'Good question. Get ready to run.' He interpreted the question and (I don't speak Spanish) must have told Duran what he told me, because Duran just let out a big laugh. He grinned and said something like, 'That was a long time ago' and laughed some more and I changed subjects to his current comeback status at the time. Duran was very nice, took quite a bit of time with me and when it was done he reached into his bag and gave me a T-shirt. Another one: went to my parents' house for our annual Thanksgiving holiday feast a few years ago. I show up and who is there but Mark Breland!!! He is friends with my brother and I had met him once or twice, just for a minute or two, but had no idea he was in town and joining us for turkey and dressing. Have to say that's about the coolest holiday surprise I've ever had, and it turned out I sat next to him so got to talk boxing with him the whole time.
S carrying the towel for JJames Figg was later in my life...The earliest bout I recollect now, was when I saw David tko Goliath in a 4 round prelim bout...The semi final i recall had Bernard Hopkins against an opponent i somehow forgot...cheers SP...
I have film of that Davey Boy David fight with Goliath on the same reel with my Harry Greb career collection. And no worries Double B: I forgot something once, but it was so long ago I don't even remember what it was.
