This content is protected The Best Fighter I Ever Saw in the Gym by Frank Lotierzo One of Boxing's longest living stories is the one where one big name fighter got the better of another name fighter in the gym sparring. Or, a lesser name fighter bettering a name fighter while sparring. There are many stories involving past greats being bettered in the gym by a lesser known fighter, but few if any, beat as many great fighters in the gym as did Middleweight Curtis Parker. Sparring in the gym and fighting with small gloves under the lights in front of a big crowd are a lifetime apart. Because fighter-A got the better of fighter-B sparring a few times, doesn't mean Fighter-A wins if they fought. Too many variables factor in on fight night, that don't exist in the gym. On top of that, fighters approach sparring differently. It's not the same every time out for a multitude of reasons. In 1967, Joe Frazier went out to California to fight journeyman George "Scrap Iron" Johnson. While out west, Frazier sparred Jerry Quarry. The story that filtered out as to who got the better of it, all had a common theme. Quarry got the best of Frazier. In fact the Quarry camp actually wanted to set up a fight between Jerry and Joe shortly afterward. The Cloverlay Corporation, which managed Frazier from 1965-74 wanted no part of matching Joe with Quarry at that time. Their thought was Joe wasn't quite ready and needed a little more time. And they felt a fight with Quarry would be there down the road, and for much higher stakes and money. And they were exactly right. Jack McKinney, a very well known Philadelphia sports writer at the time was covering Frazier and was in the gym the day he sparred Quarry. McKinney is also known as an imminent Sonny Liston authority. He was the only sports writer Liston liked and trusted. In fact Liston and McKinney became close friends. McKinney is often seen being interviewed in many of the documentaries and specials on Liston. I knew Mr. McKinney through a mutual friend of my uncle. During one of our conversations about Boxing, the Quarry-Frazier gym session came up. This took place in between the first and second fights between Frazier and Quarry. He said Quarry handled Joe that day, and had they fought anytime in 1967 or early 1968, he thought Quarry would've won. In June of 1969 Frazier 23-0 stopped Quarry 31-2-3 in seven rounds. Another example that sparring is not a good indicator how a fight will turn out between two fighters who have worked with each other. Frazier fought Quarry again in June of 1974 and stopped him in the fifth round. When I was nineteen I went into the city and started training seriously, after training for a couple years in the suburbs. This is where I started to spar intensely and was exposed to some intense sparring sessions that I would've paid to watch. I saw Michael Spinks and Dwight Muhammad Qawi spar more than a few times before they fought for the undisputed Light Heavyweight title. For the record, the worst round they sparred was better than any of the 15 they fought in March of 1983. At one time I thought if one fighter got the better of the other sparring, it translated into how a fight between them would most likely turn out. On a few occasions I came out of the ring feeling pretty good about myself after sparring Qawi and Spinks. Other days I came out thinking how can anybody be that good, and what am I doing here. I remember one week watching Michael Spinks spar undefeated Middleweight Curtis Parker on Monday and Tuesday. During those two sparring sessions, Parker clearly got the best of it. In fact Spinks didn't train Wednesday or Thursday, which led to some speculating as to why. I saw them spar after that, and it wasn't uncommon to see Parker routinely get the better of it. Parker only had one speed, on. He sparred like he fought, all out. Anyone who got in the ring with him to work, knew that they were going to have to fight him off. Based on the sparring I actually saw between them, I thought at that time Parker was going to be a better Middleweight than Spinks was going to be a Light Heavyweight. And if given the choice of which fighter whose future I'd rather own a piece of, I would've gone with Parker. Think that's hard to believe? I also watched in the same ring, Parker take it to Dwight Muhammad Qawi, then known as Dwight Braxton. And if the rounds they worked were being scored, most of them would've gone in favor of Parker. Qawi and Parker had some vicious wars sparring, eventually leading to them not being allowed to spar each other, per Quenzell McCall, Qawi's trainer, and Willie Reddish, Parker's trainer. I thought back then if Parker were to fight Qawi, based on their sparring sessions, he'd win. I remember thinking at that time, Parker was the force in the Middleweight division more so than Hagler. My thought was, if he can handle Light Heavyweights like Spinks and Qawi, he can definitely handle Hagler. And just as I felt Parker would be a better pro than Spinks, I felt he'd be better than Qawi too. Which made me 0-2. Nobody kicked Parker's ass in the gym, nobody. I never saw another fighter give out more beatings in the gym than Curtis Parker. In mid March of 1979, Thomas Hearns was in town training to fight Alfonso Hayman. Hearns was 17-0 (17) and just starting to become recognized as an emerging force. Parker was 10-0 (9) and scheduled to fight right before Hearns at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. Alfonso Hayman was a tough journeyman who lost all 10 rounds against Hearns, but won a moral victory being the first fighter to go the distance with him as a pro. About a week to ten days before the fight, I saw Hearns and Parker work together. Hearns was also known for going to war in the gym, and I found out later that he thrashed a couple of Philly's finest a few days earlier. No doubt he wanted to take some of Curt's reputation back to Detroit. Just about everybody in the gym was looking out of the corner of their eye waiting to see what everyone knew would turn into a fight, only with big gloves and headgear. We knew how Parker worked and what he was going to bring, and we were pretty sure Hearns was on the same page. For the first half of the first round, Hearns looked good. By the time the round ended, Parker was in control. They sparred two more rounds, and it very well may have been three. When they were done, Hearns didn't do anything else but loosen up and shadow box. Other than maybe the beginning of the first round, Parker had his way with Hearns. After watching them in the ring, I would've thrown Hearns in the trash for the chance to own a piece of Parker based on what I saw. Making me 0-3 and further illustrating that Fight night and the Gym are a different world. Michael Spinks went on to become one of the greatest and most accomplished Light Heavyweight Champions in Boxing history. And the first Light Heavyweight Champ to beat the Reigning Heavyweight Champ. Not to mention a great one in Larry Holmes. But Curtis Parker got the better of him when I saw them work in the ring. Dwight Muhammad Qawi went onto win the Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight titles. Had Michael Spinks not been fighting in the same era, he would've been Light Heavyweight Champ for a while. Because there weren't any other Light Heavyweight's around who would've been a problem for him. Yet he was also bettered by Parker when I saw them spar. Thomas Hearns is one of histories greatest Welterweight Champions, and won titles from Welterweight through Cruiserweight. He is also one of the best punchers to come along weighing 147-160. However, the one time I saw him work with Parker, he got the worst of it. I remember seeing in one of the major Boxing magazines around 1980, a foldout that said four to watch. The four fighters pictured were Michael Spinks, Thomas Hearns, Curtis Parker, and Aaron Pryor. All undefeated at that time. I remember thinking, based on actually seeing three of them in the ring, Parker was the only can't miss followed by Spinks. Curtis Parker never broke through while being ranked among the top Middleweights in the world in the early eighties. At his peak he lost a decision to the top Middleweight contenders of his era, Dwight Davison, Mustafa Hamsho, and Wilford Scypion. Resulting in him never fighting for the title. Although I thought he beat Hamsho in their first fight and was robbed of the decision. While he was still pretty good, he was stopped by John "The Beast" Mugabi in the first round. And later as a shot fighter he fought Michael Nunn on short notice and was stopped in the second round. Curtis Parker was a beast in the gym. Had I been offered the choice, I would have rather been linked to his future than that of Spinks, Qawi, and Hearns. Luckily I was only 19 or 20 and had no money. Because I would've put Bill Gates in Bankruptcy Court as the result of my three monumental miscalculations. Why didn't Parker go as far as he probably should have? I have my own thoughts, but don't feel it's my place to voice them. I will say this, Parker worked as hard or harder then any fighter I knew. He lived clean and didn't have the usual vices that brought down other Boxers/Athletes (Smoking, Drinking, Drugs) that I knew of. And he was very grounded with his emotions and thoughts. At one time I really thought he had a great chance to be Middleweight Champ. Did Parker ever get the worst of it in the gym? I never saw it, but was told that National Golden Gloves Middleweight Champ James Shuler got the better of him sparring one night. Go Figure. Of course it was sparring and not fighting.
Philly's Blue Collar Fighter An Interview by Ken Hissner Curtis Parker was one of those unheralded Philly fighters who happened to follow some of the legendary middleweights with names like Cyclone, Gypsy, The Worm, Kitten, Bad Bennie and Boogaloo. During that time period a California boxer named David Love was beating up Philly fighters which included decisions over Perry “Lil” Abney and Bad Bennie Briscoe. In between those fights he stopped Willie “The Worm” Monroe and Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts. When he returned for his fifth victim in 1980 he took on a young Philly fighter who had won all of his 15 fights including wins over Willie “The Worm” Monroe (“great happy feeling” said Parker) and former WBC light middleweight champion Elisha Obed and was stepping “out” for the first time in Atlantic City. Love’s streak was suddenly ended in the 9th round by knockout. “It was on my 21st birthday. I felt I could have beaten anyone that night,” said Parker. Parker was 1976 Pennsylvania Golden Glove champion and had hopes of reaching the Olympic trials. It didn’t happen. The following year he would win the National Golden Glove championship at 156 pounds. Willie Reddish, Sr. and Jr. were his trainers at the Frankford PAL. At different points of his career Georgie Benton at Joe Frazier’s gym and Slim Robinson at Ali’s Deer Lake camp would serve in that capacity. While at Deer Lake, Parker had the opportunity to spar with Ali. After the Love win Parker’s streak had reached 17 in winning the USBA middleweight title with a 12-round decision over Mike Colbert (30-4-1). He then traveled to Las Vegas to meet Detroit’s unbeaten Dwight Davison (26-0), losing a decision. “He had too much reach on me though it was a good experience,” said Parker. The loss would start a three-fight losing streak. A split decision loss to Mustafa Hamsho (30-1-2) and another decision loss to Wilford Scypion (19-1) would follow. “Hamsho was the first southpaw I ever fought. I thought I got robbed in that fight. The business is filled with pimps and prostitutes,” said Parker. “In fighting Scypion next, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get an easy fight. I was feeling used fighting three contenders in a row without a break,” said Parker. He scored two wins by knockout and then a return bout with Hamsho, again losing a decision. “I just wanted to knock him out this time and should have fought him differently,” said Parker. He then started his own streak of stopping four of his next five opponents with only Tony Braxton (10-3-1) going the distance. The fifth opponent was at the Blue Horizon marking his only return to Philly. Next he would take on an unbeaten fighter, named John “The Beast” Mugabi (18-0, 18 KOs), only to be stopped in the first round. “I agreed to come in at 156 which was the same weight I fought at six years ago in the amateurs. I’m not saying it would have made a big difference, but I was just too weak,” said Parker. He would bounce back and beat the previously unbeaten Donald Bowers (16-0-1) at the start of 1984. “I was back in my groove in that fight,” said Parker. This earned him a shot at his old USBA middleweight title against Alex Ramos (20-2-1), losing in twelve rounds. “I thought that fight was very close,” said Parker. Parker traveled to the Forum in Inglewood for his next match with Billy Robertson (9-1) whom he decisioned. “I never saw anything like it after the fight. The fans were so excited that they threw coins in the ring. There must have been a couple hundred dollars worth,” said Parker. In his next fight he would meet fellow Philadelphian Frank “The Animal” Fletcher (18-5) in Atlantic City scoring a TKO3. A win over Ricky Stackhouse (15-1-1) by majority decision would follow. He would be off for seven months in between each of the next three fights losing a split decision to unbeaten Michael Olajide (15-0) and a decision to Olympian and future champion Frank Tate (13-0). “At this point of my career it was just a business,” said Parker. Sixteen months passed with his only fight in 1987 a return to the ring against Philip Morefield (17-0-1) winning a technical decision in the 5th round, well ahead on all of the cards. His career finished up in 1988 fighting for the NABF title against unbeaten future champion Michael Nunn (28-0), being stopped in the 2nd round. Overall, Parker was unbeaten in 15 fights in Philly. His final record was (29-9, 21 KOs). He was your blue collar fighter who always came to fight and gave the fans their money's worth. His induction to the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame will be in May of this year (2008). In sitting down with fellow Ring One member Curtis Parker we discussed what he was doing now in his life. Ken Hissner: Curtis, I have to ask you something that I noticed on your record in your fourth fight. Curtis Parker: "My fight with Jody White was a heartbreaker. To see him on the canvas like that. I went to his funeral and met his family. I felt so bad. It’s something it took a long time to get over. At least I think I have." (It didn’t look like it did in his eyes.) KH: Did you have any boxing heroes? CP: "On a visit to Las Vegas I met Joe Louis. He looked like a bronze statue. I had sparred with Ali in Deer Lake and I really think Louis would have beaten him." KH: I know you are working with kids when you have the time. CP: "I work with kids in South Philly. I have basketball tournaments for them. I even sometimes let them box. When I see any anger in them I sit down with them and discuss it. You have to make it fun for them. I tell them to respect people and their property. The ages are about 6 to 15. I mostly work with boys but with four daughters, four grandsons and one granddaughter I work with both boys and girls." KH: You will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame this May. How great of a feeling is that? CP: "It is a great feeling to be recognized by your peers. My family including my sister who is a retired commander from the Navy will be there along with people from work. Life is a ride. The journey was great and I have no regrets. In the ups and downs I learned a lot."
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I was a big Parker fan when he was coming up. He was absolutely robbed against Hamsho in the first fight.
Him and Fletcher would have been an absolute war in 1981-82. By the time they fought, Frank was used up and Parker still had a bit left.
Good to see the Love fight credited. That guy should have paid properly taxes in Philly because he owned that town before Parker finally ended his streak.
That Mugabi fight sure blew out a lot of candles. Tough to come back from the destruction ko's in boxing===very few ever do.
