The best guy you've shared a ring with.

That’s awesome! Which poster? I’ve always enjoyed his insights in interviews.

 

He goes under his own name.

 

world Heavyweight champion!

On the other hand, Sugar Ray Loonard played me a joke and told me he wanted to spar with me when i went to meet him to get his autograph when he was here training for the Camacho fight..I almost melted and died of a heart attack lol...

 

John David Jackson held the pads for me a couple times. We were in the ring.

Other than that, some 6-6 Irish lunk who hit like a freight train and probably gave me 6 concussions but never put me down.

 

Haha. I’ve told this before, but me and my brother and my father went to Mississippi to see one of ‘old’ Larry Holmes’ fights at a casino. Day before the fight we turn a corner in a hallway and there’s the champ himself. We said hi, we’re here to see you fight and looking forward to it and he stopped and chatted with us a bit, friendly as could be.

He turns to my father, who was in his 60s, and says, ‘you’re old enough, I’ll fight you next … I want you in that ring’ and playfully flicks a few shadowboxing jabs at him. One of my favorite family memories, we were all talking about it just last Christmas now that I think of it.

 

That was you going at yourself in the mirror after you'd been at the whiskey, lad, and you know it. They didn't call you hands of glass for nothing.

 

Holmes was reputed to have done the same thing with random pensioners in the early eighties, but it usually followed the word 'rematch'.

 

A few local amateur champions only. I sparred a guy that sparred with Ramon Dekkers though, not a boxer but you know... the guy was training with ****ing Dekkers...

 

Sparred a few ufc journeyman types and fought and lost to a top level muay thai guy. Also got KOed by a nobody in amateur boxing.

 

This is great stuff, thanks for sharing.

 

LOL I imagine what your dad looked like, must have been very happy!

 

Sugar Shane Mosely. After he beat Margarito he flew to my country. He came to the gym and did 1 round with every amateur boxer. Schooled everyone and wasn't even trying. Very nice. He has a massive head, I mean a skull for someone at least twice his size. Got pics with him him too.

 

Got to spar two rounds as a teenager with Tom Prater not long after he lost to Bernardo Mercado in Bogota Columbia. He took great care to spar way down to my level and make me work all six minutes until I was completely blown up and gasping for air.

 

A guy called Kevin McCann, still so skilled despite being a lot older than me at the time. He didn't do much as a pro but he's well known around these parts as a great amateur, who beat John Conteh in a local war back in the day (I think he beat Minter too) but definitely Conteh.

 

I sparred a few rounds against Michael Nunn in the 90s, but he was really nice to me, mostly played defense and baby tapped me. Only hit me with one good one.

I also sparred 3 rounds with Freddie Norwood, who did not take it easy but I did okay with him because I was bigger and taller, had experience sparring southpaws, and had a game plan from watching him on tv. They gave me the option of either sparring Norwood or Diego Corrales, who at that time was just a contender, but I actually thought I matched up better with Norwood, which in hindsight was the wise choice.

I later on also was crazy enough to go a little with Lance Whitaker, aka Mount or Goofi, who took it easy but even his lightest blows felt like a ton of bricks. Too big, heavy, tall and long for me.