Has anyone had any encounters with boxers they'd like to share? I've got a couple: 1) I was on the elevator at work, stops on a floor, and lo and behold The Old Mongoose steps on with his daughter. "Archie Moore," I said. "How you feelin'?" he replied. I was going to go on to say some kind words, but then his daughter mistook me for someone else, and asked if I had worked at such and such place. I told her it wasn't me, they got off on the next floor as Archie said "have a good day." Nice man. 2) I was at a fight, I forget which one though, anyway, I see Terry Norris leaning against the wall. I approach, but as he sees me making my way over he gives me the meanest look. Undeterred I hold my hand out to shake hands, and wish him the best for his next fight (Simon Brown I). He shakes my hand, replies "thanks," and I went on my way. Muhammad Ali was at the fight too, but I wasn't able to make my way over - too many people around him.
Met James Toney at the airport in LA. Nicest guy in the world. Little guy though, really impressed me that he could fight heavyweights. In reality he's about 5'8, with hands like a 13 year old girl. I shook with him.
Celebheights-dot-com has him at 5'10", and they are generally pretty accurate with estimating heights. The site owner has a pic of himself with Toney on Toney's page.
I used to work at LAX airport here in So. Cal from 1999-2002, and during my time there, I met and/or saw the following boxers/boxing people: Joe Frazier, Marvis Frazier, and Mills Lane -- all three guys were getting into a limo together; they must have been attending a fight that weekend. I shook Joe's hand (he was a very cool, down-to-earth guy -- and very solid). I told Joe I bought and read his book (his autobiography). He thanked me and told me he was going to write another one; he also said he was planning to 'get wild like Kareem' -- whatever the heck that meant! hahaha; I shook Mills' hand -- he was a short, slim guy -- very friendly but stern). Marvis Frazier looked BIG, bigger than he looked on tape! Muhammad Ali -- I didn't meet him -- but I saw him walking outside in front of one of the terminals. He attracted a lot of attention; people in cars were stopping and coming up to say hello to him. Big guy! Ken Norton -- Saw Ken one night smoking outside one of the terminals. He was dressed up pretty nice and wearing a cowboy hat. He walked into one of the terminals and ordered a lemonade at a local cafe/eatery; he seemed pretty friendly. He looked to be in good shape and had no trouble walking. Vitali Klitschko -- Saw him outside the Tom Bradley International terminal. The guy was freakin' huge. He looked like a very intimidating college professor or something; very urbane-looking and sharply dressed. He was with a bunch of people, so I didn't try to go shake his hand or anything.
Oh, I forgot to add: I met George Foreman in 1999. He came to a local shopping mall here in So. Cal to promote his grill. My sister and I took a photo with him. It was cool. He was being Mr. 'nice George' that night, so he was all smiles and goodwill. He was there with his nephew, this really big guy who made George look normal sized.
Nothing to brag about, but a few contacts I had with fighters, historically- Soldier Bartfield- who fought Harry Greb several times, was introduced to my dad and I in my uncles luncheonette when I was a youngster in the 1940s. He grabbed me in a clinch and "playfully" tattooed my ribs causing pain til my dad intervened. To think I was pummeled by a man who fought my idol the immortal Harry Greb ! Italian Joe Gans- a tough MW of the 1920s who I met in Feltmans,in Coney Island... Ray Robinson- who I and my dad and uncle shook hands with at a Golden Gloves card BEFORE SRR turned pro. He was already a celebrity as an amateur star... Barney Ross- the bravest of the brave, who was all alone standing at a bar, whilst my friends and I stood a few feet away, and I did not have the guts to speak to him or buy him a drink, though he was a recovering addict due to his war experiences in WW2. Ray Robinson --again after he retired I met while waiting for our cars at the Concord Hotel in Sullivan County. He was in front of me, so I tapped him on the back [lightly], told him he was the greatest fighter I ever saw, and shook his hand...Great thrill for me... Harold Green- a MW from my neighborhood who I saw flatten Joey Giardello and whip Rocky Graziano twice, I met quite often. Joe Frazier- one of my idols, who I first saw lose to Buster Mathis in the 1964 Olympic trials in Flushing, NY ...One afternoon before he became champion he was training at a resort Grossinger's . So I left some chick by the pool area to see the great Joe Frazier train.Hey first things first...I got to the gym much earlier, sat down in the first row to the ring and waited for the audience to arrive. Well who should walk in but Joe Frazier by himself, wrapping his hands with gauze,and seated himself 2 seats away from me.. Not a word was uttered by either one of us, because I didn't have the cujones to tell him I saw him in the Olympics, and on television and how much I admired him...The silence was deafening until his trainer Yank Durham arrived with some sparring partners...After the sparring I and a few others talked to Yank Durham for quite a long time about boxing. Was sad to hear he died a few years later...Frazier gave me a great thrill when he whipped Ali in the FOTC which I saw in MSG. What an event... Rocky Marciano---I and my dad watched Marciano destroy a brave HW prospect Carmine Vingo in MSG in 1949. I recall Vingo battered and on his back with his foot twitching violently, before he was carried on a stretcher to a nearby hospital. Not long after I and some boxing pals rode up to Grossingers airplane hangar to watch Marciano train. Al Weil his manager took a buck from each of us and we sat in front of the ring and saw the immense power of Marciano's thudding punches. Between sparring rounds Rocky nodded to us ...His great power was helped by his powerful thighs, used as a launching pad...
Met Ali 3 times, twice when we has still active then again at the Basildon Festival hall where Witherspoon was in training for the Bruno fight. Bumped into Marvin Hagler ( literally ) on the dancefloor in Stringfellows nightclub in London and shared a couple of drinks, nice guy and very approachable. Tyson i've met twice, first time again in Stringfellows the year after he became champion. He was there with a BIG entourage and just glad it never kicked off because we would never have controlled it! A fair few others over the years but the above 3 are the biggest and i have never seen anyone draw a crowd the way Ali did, just incredible.
Met Marciano as a kid at the Brockton Fair...class guy... Met Jack Dempsey at his restaurant in NYC before it closed... Met Sonny Liston while training for his...ahem,..."fight" with Ali up in Maine... Met Bob Foster in 1969 after his fight with Andy Kendall... Met Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco... Met Jake LaMotta... Met Marvin Hagler...
my father met ali and i never did expect that ali was that big in live... he is a big man... he had to be really strong..
Kirkland Laing - can't remember whether it was at honeyghan vs blocker or perhaps it was at benn vs Logan or mccallum vs Watson but it was at the Albert hall. Anyway I had to go for a wee and who should be in the toilet but Kirkland Laing I said hi Kirkland how's it going he said ok man. Let's just say he was grinning a lot and seemed very merry .
My brother used to manage a CVS in La Verne and Sugar Shane Mosley made frequent visits. Shane owns a home at the nearby hillside estates. One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. At the Hopkins-Eastman fight at Staples Center in Los Angeles I went for a beer run at the concession stand on the top floor. Leaning against a beam by himself was Freddie Roach. Walked up and shook his hand. Didn't expect him to be so nice and cordial since all I wanted was a picture. Freddie obliged and started to ask if I boxed. He actually seemed interested in a real conversation. A genuinely good guy. My mailman, whose cousin is a close friend of Antonio Margarito, introduced me to him. Met them both at the Santa Anita mall in Arcadia in 2011. He didn't speak english but he was polite and didn't mind my company at all. Got to ride his coattails as we shopped from store to store with nobody knowing who he was. At the Mosley-Mora fight at Staples in 2010 I got to hug Mia St. John near my box seats. She's actually hotter in person and seems to be of the flirtatious type... Got to have a few beers with Bas Rutten after Mike Tyson's show at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles in 2013. Nice and funny guy. I've been lucky enough to interview certain boxers over the phone and in person. Feel more comfortable over the phone since I don't have their management team breathing down my back and picking apart my questions. Every one of the boxers were very respectful, good humble people.
remember earnie when he worked in "yates" wine lodge in liverpool as he was a bouncer their for many years,he was classed as a greeter but really he was a doorman and make no mistake that man got no trouble anyway i asked him once who hit him the hardest and he relpied sonny liston !! so i said you never fought him and he said no he never but when he was a young man he sparred with him in the late 60,s and he said that when liston hit you it was like being hit in the face with a sledge hammer and he never eased up on his sparring partner like liston did but what a lovely guy earnie and use to talk to him for ages and he never refused anyone a photo or a autograph,a true gentleman
I've heard similar things about earnie on the doors in Liverpool and like his story about Liston. I've never met a bad ex champ or contender but the best was ken Buchanan who I met before the benn-eubank return in Manchester. I'd always read he was bitter about Duran, Watt, Eddie Thomas etc etc but not a bit of it. He thought it was funny when I said I'd tried to copy his style as an amateur boxer in the 70s but wasn't very good.he said at least you had a go !!! I never knew that princess anne wanted to f#ck him thoughr:hey