Anyone else had a chance to talk to any Old Time fighters

I've spoken to Henry Cooper,Don****ell,Larry Gains
,and Joe Bugner, only Joe's still around now.

 

Archie Moore ..

Bobby McQuillar ( defeated Sandy Saddler )

Willie Pep ( funny story )

 

Ike Williams
Jimmy McLarnin
Archie Moore
Lou Nova
Cleveland Williams
George Chuvalo
Henry Armstrong
Willie Pep
Gene Fullmer
Carmen Basilio
Vito Antuofermo
Billy Soose
Al Hostak
Joey Giardello
Jimmy Carter
Joe Brown
Nicolino Locche

 

Care to share a few words about your impression of each man?

 

just a few : Soldier Bartfield a tough MW who fought the great Harry Greb several times, I as a boy sparred with Bartfield who grabbed me in a clinch and tattooed my ribs til my dad pulled him off of me...He was about 56 years old at that time, but awfully strong...
Italian Joe Gans, a tough MW contender of the 1920s I met at Feltmans in Coney Island...
Tommy Jones an excellent black welterweight, who was a stablemate of the great LH champion JH Lewis...I lived as a boy next door to a trainer of JH Lewis, and Tommy Jones took me under his wing and sparred with me, until
he went to fight in Australia along with the TOUGH WW Jimmy Leto...I never saw him again...
Harold Green a MW from Bklyn ,a neighbor of mine who was a damn good MW
who I saw flatten Joey Giardello, and beat Rocky Graziano twice at MSG.
Tony Janiro, a onetime great LW prospect who fought the best in the 1940s in MSG...
Ray Robinson, who I first shook hands with BEFORE he turned pro, and after he retired when I met him at the Concord Hotel while we both were waiting for our cars. Robinson, had just retired...By far the greatest fighter I ever saw
ringside or on TV...
Joe Frazier- who I watched training in a resort in Sullivan County. I arrived early to see Joe train. I sat alone by the ring for about 15 minutes, until Frazier arrived all by himself, sat down 2 seats from me taping his hands.
The silence was deafening as the two of us sat alone, and I didn't have the cujones to say to him " Joe I saw you at the Olympic Finals in 1964 against
Buster Mathis in Flushing NY". I was awe struck sitting next to this great fighter and fine man. Next time I saw Frazier was at TFOTC at MSG..

 

My father almost talked to Jack Dempsey once. More than 50 years ago, my father saw Dempsey in NYC. Dempsey was sitting by himself and my father wanted to talk to him, ask him questions, etc. But my father was only about 20 at the time and got intimidated and froze up and just walked past and didn't say anything to him.

 

Ray Leonard
Marvin Hagler
Roberto Duran
Thomas Hearns
Manny Stewart
Lloyd Hunnyghan
Charlie Magri
Dave boy green
Frank Bruno
Herol Graham
Alan Minter
John Conteh
Terry Marsh
Steve Collins
Nigel Benn
Chris Eubank
Karl Froch
Henry Cooper
Barry mcguigan
Ritchie Woodhall
John H Stracy

Perhaps not all that old time though..

 

Rocky Marciano at the Brockton Fair...
Jack Dempsey at his restaurant...
Bob Foster in 1969...
Willie Pep...
Marvin Hagler...
Paul Pender...
Jack Sharkey...
Jake LaMotta...
Tony DeMarco...
Carmen Basilio...

 

It would b nice if u guys could share a little bit of insight of the impression u got from each fighter

 

Got to meet Kenny Lane, one of the great uncrowned champions, at a burger joint before the golden gloves in West Michigan a few years before his death.

I was with two casual boxing fan friends and I was like 'holy ****, do you know who that guy is? Kenny Lane, one of the greats of his era.' And my buddy was like 'cool, let's go say hi,' since Kenny was sitting alone.

I was star struck at first but Kenny was really approachable and we talked for a solid 15 minutes. Got to get his thoughts on Floyd, Stanley Ketchel urban legends, Troy Rowland (a guy from North GR who was top 10/15 at the time), and Andre Dirrell (who was still a stud amateur at the time).

He wasn't at all like you picture an old fighter to be with all the "I'd climb off the couch and wup these young punks still today!" He was really enthused about boxing and though he slurred a bit he was pretty sharp.

 

Freddie Steele
Greg Haugen
Sugar Ray Seales
Boone Kirkman
Ibar Arrington
Leo Randolph
Brett summers
Dale Grant

Just a lot of local Washington State fighters, some who initially developed in the amateurs out of the Tacoma boxing clubs. A couple won gold at the Olympics (Ray Seales-72, Leo Randolph-76)

 

What was your convo with Steele like?

 

Ali
Frazier
Walcott (FEW TIMES
Graziano (MANY TIMES)
Joey Archer (MANY TIMES)
Jake LaMotta (a few times)
Ken Buchanan (trained in 28th st. gym with him
Griffith (many Times
Esteban Dejesus (28th st. gym
Tom Bethea
Vito Antufermo (many Times
Eddie Gregory-Mutufa Muhamad (many times
Beau Jack (many times
Jack Dempsey
Gene Tunney
Larry Holmes (went to a party he attended with Frazier and others
Gerry ****ey (many Times, drank with him
Ron Lyle ( went to his dressing room prior to Quarry
Jerry and Mike Quarry
Jorge Ahumada
Mac Foster
Earnie Shavers
Billy Conn ( had a few drinks with him in Atlantic City NJ
Joe Louis
Willie Pep
SRL
SRR
Harold Weston Jr.
Saol Mamby
Floyd Patterson

This will have to be part 1 because I met so many

 

Can't say it was really much. I met Freddie Steele, at his restaurant around 77. It was in Westport, Wa. A small town along the Pacific coast that offers charter fishing. I was there with my grandfather, and his friend as we were going salmon fishing the next day. I was just a young kid of 13. Freddie, greeted all his customers, like Jack Dempsey did at his place. He came over to our table with two pretty young ladies, one on each arm. He offered his handshake and welcomed us. My grandfather, did the talking for about 5 minutes, and Freddie went off to the next table. I remember he had a tick to him, and with the ladies on his arms a real big smile. He seemed a pretty happy old man. He had some big knarly knuckles. Wish I could offer or remember more. I was 13 and at that time I really didn't know about his exploits in the ring. I will say though everyone in that restaurant knew who he was. I was the only kid in the place. As he made his way around people would call out "Hi Freddie".