RIP Jimmy Heair

LoadedGlove · Mar 18, 2024

Saintpat said: ↑

Seeing him with more regional circuit guys later in his career — guys who were at best opponents for the upper tier (and some not quite that but good, honest, decent prizefighters who knew how to carry themselves) — and seeing him against Duran really shows the levels of the game.

He could work those guys you’d see the skill level and craftiness, maybe nudging a guy’s elbow out of the way and landing a well-placed body shot, or jab-feint the right-throw the left hook and maneuver a guy into it, set up a counter and whatnot.

It was well known when he was winding his career down on the Southern circuit that he’d gone the full 10 with Duran and there was a lot of respect in the locker rooms and from the crowd that they were seeing a legit guy. Hanging in there and continuing to plug away with Roberto made him a ‘made man’ even with the guys in the cheap seats. There was kind of a rumble in the crowd when he would walk to the ring in a Mississippi town like Tupelo or Meridian, ‘OK, here’s the guy we came to see, we’re about to see a REAL fighter now.’

Jimmy freaking earned that and deserved every bit of it and more.

I remember after our club show (in a town near where he was living, drew a pretty good crowd) we sat down in a small room after — on the floor as I recall — and put out all the gate receipts and counted them with him. And we divided it up and gave him his 50% (we supplied the ring, posters, most of the card, went in half on the building rental, etc.) and he got a little emotional. He said something like ‘I’ve been in boxing a long time and I’ve been taken advantage of a lot. You guys did everything you said you’d do and you counted every penny in front of me and gave me my share. I just want to thank you for treating me like that.’

I’m getting emotional myself just thinking about it. I was lucky to have encountered him and am proud to have known him.

Rest in peace, Jimmy Heair. You’ll always be a champ to me.
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What a brilliant story.

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RIP Jimmy Heair

LoadedGlove Boxing Addict Full Member

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RIP Jimmy Heair

LoadedGlove Boxing Addict Full Member