Favorite boxing experience outside the ring?

Nice story, guy. I visualized this happening as I read. :good

 

Thanks for the reply BB. As i said before, id love to hear any stories you guys can give us. When ive read your (or JGs) posts, i have a mental picture of you guys in the gyms standing away from the ringside watching a spar, smell of stale sweat in the air, guys jumping rope and 2 or 3 on the bags at the same time sharing. Dilapitated spit bucket at the feet of a trainer whos leaning on the top rope barking instructions. Old (for those times) fight posters adorning the walls of Dempsey and Walker and the like. Yeah, its a nice image and one i would have loved to experience

 

Mine was probably finding out a relative had boxed professionally years ago and then finding his record on Boxrec which was kinda cool

 

saw calzaghe shopping with his kids in morrisons shouted over "yo joe " and he was so shocked but gave me a wave haha

 

Meeting Rocky Marciano at the Brockton Fair.....
Meeting Jack Dempsey at his restaurant in NYC...
Watching Sonny Liston train in Plymouth Mass. for his second "fight" with Ali in Maine in 1965...
Meeting Marvin Hagler and Jake LaMotta..
Meeting Willie Pep...
Meeting Bob Foster after his title fight with Andy Kendall in May 1969...
Meeting Carmine Basilio and Tony Demarco...just to name a few...

 

I had a photo taken with Tyson in Sept 96 which was pretty cool and met Jeff Fenech at the same event in Vegas.The best though was meeting John H Stracy in about 1986/7 he was a really nice guy and was more than happy to talk about his career and boxing in general.

 

Elaborate please!!:good

 

You must have hundreds of anecdotes that you can relate to us. The 70's was MY golden age of boxing,but the times that you're talking about were THE golden age ! Who else did you meet,Burt ?

 

What was Bummy Davis like?, he's a sort of hero of mine:good

 

Great stuff, cheers Burt:good

 

OK, Jack Dempsey....I met Dempsey at his NYC restaurant just before it closed in 1974.
He was sitting at a table in his place(which is where you would find him)..he had quite a few folks standing around his table....taking photos and signing autographs...I shook his hand...I was thrilled....
Marciano was at the Brockton Fair..he was with his daughter Mary-Anne...I shook his hand...nice man...
Sonny Liston...It was in November of 1964 while he was training for his rematch with Ali.
Sonny was at the White Cliffs Country Club in Plymouth Ma....right on Cape Cod Bay. The place was jammed..it was so hot in there...the ring was in the ballroom..also got to shake Lison's hand....big man!!!
Hagler & LaMotta...It was in Brockton Ma. in 1984...Had my pic taken with Marvin....LaMotta was late...met him as I was leaving...
Bob Foster...May 1969...Springfield Mass.....also stood next to Howard Cosell who was doing the fight for ABC....my Dad worked with one of Foster's sparring partners...met Foster after he KO'd Andy Kendall...
Basilio & DeMarco in Boston...they had a dinner a few years ago to honer their 2 classic fights in 1955....great guys...

 

I forgot to mention Wille Pep....he was at a dinner in Providence R.I. in 1981 or 1982...I asked him about Jackie Graves.....maybe the BEST pure boxer ever!!!

 

wow, i cant match any of that. its real history, you must have seen all the trainers back then like bimstein etc.
I have been lucky enough to meet suger ray leonard, marvin hagler (who signs right handed) roberto duran, tommy hearns, evander holyfield, mike tyson, john conteh and most british world chapions at dinner functions and i liked all of them. all great guys and suprisingly modest. cut from the same cloth as many many ordinary ex boxers that can be just as nice.