Felix Trinidad has lost $63 million. He was defrauded by his financial advisor. Felix also had an affair on his wife with a child born. The wife discovered the whole thing weeks before the Hopkins fight. Doesn't stop me watching his fight and thunderous left hooks. You can admire the fighter but I never looked to people I have never met nor will ever really know to be my role models.
I’ve met Trinidad a few times (and will see him again in two weeks), he’s a classy guy. Carried himself with class and treats everyone well. Him losing $63m because his advisor invested in junk bonds is hardly a knock on him. The affair which resulted in a child is bad but doesn’t erase all of the good things Tito does that he doesn’t even advertise or ask for publicity for. And there’s a lot.
Out of the 80's heavyweight champs I would say Gerrie Coetzee. Spoke out against aparthied, a family man who didn't mix with drugs and always carried himself well outside of the ring.
Anthony Crolla did something similar, think he got hurt stopping a burglary, sure someone will clarify the story.
Not too much of a stain on his examplarity, but I believe there was a story about Patterson having an unwanted child with a young woman and then trying to shut down the story or smth shady. My memory is blurred so don't take my exact words for it, but I know where I read that from; it's from Mike Tyson's second autobiography (the one that has Lessons from the man who made me a champion, in its title) Other than that, Julian Jackson always seemed very respectful to me and I don't know any nasty story on him. Same for GGG and Donaire.
Apart from drop-kicking Trevor Berbick whilst jumping off the roof of a car — which is a completely badass thing that should count for, not against, him — I think Larry Holmes has lived as a good person. Stayed a hometown guy. Invested in his hometown of Easton. Still married to the same woman. Did I mention he drop-kicked Trevor Berbick whilst jumping off the roof of a car?
He drop-kicked Gerry Cooney from a car? That’s awesome. Do you have a video link? Larry and Cooney have become very close over the years. Both of them have been quoted as saying whenever they get asked to do a charity event the first thing they do is call the other and they know each other will show up with bells on to help out. They do events together all the time and really seem to enjoy each other’s company.
Most World Class Pro fighters are decent men outside of a boxing ring ,of course like most of us they have issues, ( Adultery, drugs, etc) but it's the exception not the rule of truly bad guys outside of a boxing ring like Liston, Monzon, Tyson, Ayala, Carter, Scott, Sims , Mayweather Jr, . Those men boxing may have prolonged their ultimate fate with exception of May Jr. Probably without boxing , what happened to them, would've happened a lot earlier.
Ayala especially had an uphill battle due to the sexual abuse he endured. But there are also suspected TBI cases who committed crimes like Bowe and Valero, or suicides like Gatti and Arguello (and Valero), where the fighter might've stayed out of trouble or lived a full life if not for brain trauma from boxing.
I generally think of Schmeling as a good guy, but I think his association with the NAZIs absolutely deserves criticism.
He was handsome, good athlet and beat Joe Louis, who was symbol of democracy in this historic fight, of course he was a poster boy for nazi. He always tried to keep a distance to nazi and what he did shows clearly that he didnt share their ideology and risked at least his career. There is a story: Schmeling had audience with Hitler. He wanted Max to fire his manager Jacobs, who was a jew. Schmeling said no and Hitler was pretty pissed, but didnt do anything. Source in german: https://www.welt.de/print/die_welt/sport/article13436422/Als-Schmeling-Hitler-aergerte.html He also saved 2 jews in his house during Pogroms, but thats another story.
1 wife but around 32 kids, wasn't it? No drinking scandals? What about drinking himself into such bad shape he gave a **** poor performance in the second Leonard fight, letting down all his fans and those who'd paid to see the fight? Unless, of course, that didn't happen and Ray just plain beat him fair and square. Personally speaking, I can't get over knocking out a horse. That doesn't sound like the kind of thing a good guy does but that's just me. Great fighter, probably a great drinking buddy but I doubt he was the greatest of role models.
