RIP Guts Ishimatsu

RIP, champ.

 

We're losing so many from the 60s/70 s .
Which is inevitable but still very sad.
Rip warrior.

 

Guy was a legend and fearless warrior in Japan. Fought lots of terrific fighters such as Roberto Duran, Ismael Laguna, Ken Buchanan, Rodolfo Gonzalez, Lionel Rose, Esteban DeJesus.

RIP Champ

 

RIP Guts
Hell of a fighter

 

Born Yuji Suzuki, Guts changed his name first to Ishimatsu Suzuki and then to Guts Ishimatsu (memory tells me that for a short spell he was known as Guts Suzuki) because he wanted to be known as a gutty fighter after showing lack of heart early in his career.

He hooked up with American-born trainer Eddie Townsend — a legend in Japan with a major training award and a gym named after him there, where he developed several world champions and contenders — and began to thrive.

What I found interesting is that Guts became a pretty big celebrity for the rest of his life as a comic type on talk shows and game shows and such. He also appeared in the Steven Spielberg film Empire in the Sun and the Hollywood film Black Rain.

It seems Ishimatsu not only fought the good fight but also lived a good life.

RIP champ.

 

RIP Champ...

- Chuck Johnston

 

What a great fighter. Rip champ!

 

RIP Champ

Gutsy fighter, took a real pasting from Duran yet back to beat the decent Rodolfo Gonzalez twice.

Not the most talented fighter in the world but made up for it with heart and stamina.

Glad to hear he had a great life after retirement.

 

A few years back Suzuki's family arranged a trip to the States with him for his birthday (I think) and they suggested they all go to this old west town that was setup for tourists because apparently he loved westerns. So anyway, they all walk into this saloon, and it's done up perfectly right down to the cowboy at the bar with his head down sleeping it off. So the family are enjoying everything when suddenly, the cowboy at the bar wakes up, walks over menacingly to the table and says to Suzuki, "You have something of mine and I want it back!" Suzuki stares at him for a long moment and says, "Gonzalez?" It was Rodolfo Gonzalez, whom the family contacted to play the part of the antagonist. Despite the language barrier, they all had a great time. Two old foes getting together. Can't beat that. RIP Suzuki.

 

This is a wonderful story.

Props on the family for not getting the wrong Rodolfo “Gato” Gonzalez as there were two lightweights on the LA scene who either barely overlapped or just missed overlapping with not only the same name, but the same nickname.

 

They missed by a few years, and also by the quality of their character. The original Gato Gonzalez was a gentle man and a warrior. The second one ended up with some weirdo criminal charges.

 

There was also a Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzalez out of Denver who fought from featherweight to lightweight and later became a noted labor leader and even a poet.

 

RIP