Mike Rossman today

I heard that Rossman is working as a roofer in Atlantic City. My understanding is that unionized roofing labor pays a high wage, so I suppose he's making good money.

According to my source, Rossman is very distrustful of the media. I don't blame him.

Mike peaked in life at an exceptionally young age, 22 years old. At that time he was a world champion, something of a sports celebrity throughout North America, and he was the toast of the boxing world.

In later interviews, Rossman described his life at that point in time as being like a "dream". The problem was it crashed suddenly and unexpectedly.

First Mike didn't get the big money television fights he had been led to believe he'd get, which was a major letdown. Next, Rossman's relationship with his father/manager Jimmy DiPiano imploded, as Rossman found out that part of his purse money was being diverted to another manager without Rossman's consent or knowledge.

To make matters worse, the South American based WBA treated Rossman in a raw way after he won the title. The WBA's favorite was Victor Galindez, and they went out of their way to promote Galindez's being able to regain the title.

When Mike stepped into the ring to defend against Galindez, he was pretty much burned out mentally by everything going on around him. Sadly, Rossman never really regained the enthusiasm and motivation which had made him a champion in the first place.

Still, Rossman was a fine fighter with an excellent career. He was world ranked for years in the '70s, and for several months in 1978-79, he was rated as the world's number one lightheavyweight by every boxing magazine out there.

I hope Mike is grooving to the great memories he should have about his glory days as one of boxing's most popular fighters in the '70s.

 

Good post.

I remember when Playboy mag did a feature on Rossman after he
beat Mike Quarry (they fought 3 times).

 

I think it was Oui magazine, not Playboy, that did the story. I read it too. The part that amazed me the most was when the author described smoking a joint with Rossman as they drove through Philadelphia!

It was definitely a good article.

 

Yaqui Lopez beat both Rossman & Mike Quarry but never seems to get as much press as Rossman even though IMO he was a far superior boxer.

What is the fascination with Rossman? Is it the jewish angle? or just the big upset win over a fading Galindez?

I was watching the first Saad Muhammad v Yaqui Lopez bout the other day and Jimmy DiPiano was offering some colour commentary in between rounds hoping that Lopez would win so Rossman could get another shot at Yaqui. IMO it would have been Lopez' best chance to win the 175lb title. . . . . and he would have too.

 

Lopez was a heck of a fighter in the "Golden Age of the Lightheavies".
A break here or there and he should have been champ.

 

I know Rossman was rumored to be flagged for life from the Atlantic City Bar ad Grill - one of his old hangouts. He was married formerly to pretty cocktail wattress from a popular AC casino. As much as gentleman that the classy Yaqui Lopez is said to be - that's how big of a jerk Rossman is said to be. I talked to a guy who used to bartend at AC Bar and grill. He said he had a tape of the Rossman-Qawi fight and watched it after work anytime Rossman patronized this establishment before he was flagged forever. He even met Dwight once in the supermarket and told him to please come to the bar and take care of Rossman again. Dwight just laughed. Rossman is built like a brick shithouse and is ornery as hell. A good guy to avoid cause' friendliness is not exactly a hallmark of his.

 

Sardu,

Didn't know about that situation with Rossman in AC. But your post brings to mind something that's very rarely mentioned (and I highlighted your comment above)and I wonder why. It stunned me.

I've no vendetta against Yaqui; he was a courageous fighting man. But after he beat Rossman, the TV interviewer asked him in the ring (I'm paraphrasing the question, not the answer): "How'd you manage to beat Rossman? He was such a heavy favorite."

"I hate Jews, he replied.

The nervous interviewer quickly shuttled him off camera and sent it back to the ringside commentator.

 

Why was Rossman barred for life from patronizing the Atlantic City Bar and Grill? Was Rossman really starting trouble, or was it the other way around? From the way you describe it, it's possible that people at the establishment simply didn't like Mike and they may have been deliberately provoking him.

I'm not doubting you...I'm just trying to find out exactly what happened. Thanks.

 

It's a shame that Lopez never won a world champion. He was practically an uncrowned champion. Lopez was a great fighter in his prime.

 

I have a tape of that fight John so I'll check it out to see if it's on there. However, I must say anytime I've heard Yaqui interviewed I have a devil of a time understanding the guy!!!

 

Don Dunphy was doing the interview however my copy cuts out before the end of the interiew. Yaqui was complementary to Rossman however and said he was a very good fighter and the two had exchanged words after the fight and seemed amicable.

 

maybe not related but in the same vain. On the most recent real sports on HBO they had a story on the state of 3 ex NFL players. They go over the glory times and then to the current state of affairs. One is a physical wreck at a relatively early age and is broke his wife is standing by him, actually stopped him from commiting suicide, obviously he is a mental wreck also as he can't take care of his family.

The other 2 wifes had to divorce them, they went on to bad **** after the glory at a young age and are in a bad way, husbands got violent into bad things.

Good view and sad at the same time. To much too young and what happens after the glory and outlet of energy and agression that these sports require goes away. And not prepared for life afterwards.

 

I think Lopez's exact words were "I'm glad I beat that big mouthed Jew." I don't remember if Lopez said this on camera or off camera.

It's a fact though that Rossman said things about Mexicans in the days leading up to the bout. Rossman is alleged to have said that "boxing is the only sport where Jews can beat up on Mexicans legally,", or something like that.