The Gods of War

The Seventh God of War has made his way out of the literary dressing room. It's about DAMN time he got his due in the boxing world, too.

http://www.thesweetscience.com/index.php

 

I underestimated him for years. That disputed draw he had with Sharkey is hard to beat in terms of great and unexpected performances and in real terms, that should have been a victory.

 

Mickey was ten times the character that even Ali was. Ali was a performer. Mickey was the real thing -he's got more off the hook stories that no one even knows about than anyone this side of Lew Jenkins, who was a total nut.

Yeah, Schmeling. Mickey was 158 lbs a week before the scheduled bout. Then Doc Kearns suggested he go relax because of the risk of peaking too early. So, both manager and fighter go and play golf course ...with a basket of champagne. Both get lit. After Mickey finds it hard to hit two golfballs, another contest breaks out. "Let's see who can clear that fence" a warbling Kearns suggests. Kearns makes it. Mickey jumps head first to belly roll and opens a cut on his forehead. The fight is postponed two weeks.

Long story short, Mickey comes into the ring to fight Schmeling at 174, with a spare tire on his middle.

Blarney? Possibly, but Mickey wasn't one to make excuses.

 

"Drinking," Mickey said

"...was an excuse for acting up. The booze stimulated me and made me bubbly and gay. Under the influence of liquor, I'd think nothing of doing crazy things I wouldn't dream of doing when sober. Such as getting out to the center of the dance floor at Texas Guinan's and doing the Charleston, or climbing up on the stage to act as master of cermonies at a night club, or reciting poetry to an unappreciative ***** in Polly's joint, or riding a horse on a busy highway in New Jersey..."

?!

 

I have that comic book somewhere and I think he even whipped Superman.

My personal favorire Ali quote occured in the dressing room after he KOd Foreman.

"ATTENTION! ALL YOU SUCKERS AT RING MAGAZINE WHO THOUGHT I'D GET WHUPPED. YOU BETTER NOT BET AGAINST ME TIL I'M ABOUT FIFTY YEARS OLD....

"I THINK IT'D BE BEFITTING IF I WENT OUT OF BOXING THE SAME WAY I CAME IN--- BEATING A BIG, BAD UGLY MONSTER THAN NO ONE COULD BEAT..."

 

Yeah, i always liked that. It's poignant bravado --rare indeed.

How 'bout Frazier's claim that Ali was punching on him in '71 and saying "DON'T..YOU.. KNOW... I'M... GOD."

To which Frazier responded "Well, god, you're gonna get whipped TONIGHT!"