Can anyone comment on the controversy in the Ferguson vs. Mercer fight? Ferguson alleged that the out of shape Mercer offered him some amount of cash to take a dive when Ferguson took control of the fight. I used to have an issue of Ring or Boxing Monthly that ran a seperate columns on both the fight and the alleged dive offer. The issue was very much up in the air, and the community seemed to be taking the issue extremely seriously, with commissioners planning to hire lip-readers to examine the footage. Ray did have an incentive to try to bribe Ferguson since a huge fight with Bowe looming on the horizon. But then again Ferguson later complained that he was being blackballed by promoters, so he seems like the imaginative type. Or maybe he really being blacklisted for breaking omerta in this case. Did the controversy ever get settled. If so, save me the time of doing research and let me know.
Why would Ferguson make it up. Mercer really blew it coming in out of shape with such a big chance on the horizon. Bowe got hugely criticized for fighting Ferguson, but it it's not his fault Ferguson beat the man who was going to get the shot. It was nice to see Ferguson get the payday against Bowe, even though Mercer would have been a more competitve opponent.
I remember that issue of KO Mag I believe... Honestly I need to rewatch the bout. As I remember there was a whole court case in which it was decided Mercer did try to throw the fight I also dont put too much stock in things fighters say to each other or to their corners in the middle of a tough fight.. If Mercer did say something along the lines of telling Furgeson to take a dive, it was mid fight, it could not have been anything serious. It's not like he approached Furgeson before the fight with a Briefcase Full of Money and tried to make a deal with him
If memory serves me, audio actually picked up Mercer - who was getting beat on - saying to Ferguson, "$100,000 if you throw the fight" or something along those lines. It was replayed a number of times by HBO or whomever was airing the fight, so I'm sure its out there on youtube. But the figure was $100,000. Now remember, this was the heat of the fight where Mercer saw his huge payday with Bowe flying away, so it can only be construed as rhetoric on a desperate fighter. There were no contracts signed mid-fight, so again, a desperate fighter prattling away. What I recall most when I heard that clip was how ferguson replied to Mercer's offer. A hard body shot that drew a grunt out of Mercer. I loved it. A journeyman who saw his moment of glory and he took it.
I don't think anyone's ever drawn up contracts to throw a fight. Mercer clearly attempted to bribe Ferguson to lose the fight, which is illegal surely. Anyway, the interesting thing about the Mercer-Ferguson affair is that Ferguson proved himself Mercer's equal, which didn't really surprise people who followed heavyweight boxing in those years, but probably surprised those who equated Mercer's Olympic gold medal with professional pedigree .
On paper ,Mercer should have worn down and crushed Ferguson, but Ray blew it. So Fergy gets a shot at Riddick .Surprise surprise he's blown away .Now if Ray had being in with him who knows .Remember Bowe wasn't in the same condition as he'd been against Holy in 92 ,so its not impossible to imagine a fired up Mercer really putting pressure on Big Daddy and Bowe feeling the pace . Mercer on paper shouldn't trouble Big Daddy but in boxing who knows ..?
I was, of course, being cynical. I meant there was nothing binding on what Mercer said. If Ferguson was dumb enough to believe it and take his foot off the pedal, that would have been his own look-out. It merely amounted to trash talk during a fight
What I meant by saying on paper he looked like he should have destroyed Jesse ,is going by each man's records. Mercer was a Olympic guy ,mostly there respected in the pros .Ferguson was a tough fella but a journey man at that .When the rematch came about ,again Mercer should have destroyed Jesse .But instead Ferguson showed that Ray wasn't a Lewis or a Holyfield or a Bowe. He would struggle probably with Jess if they met 10 times .
All I remember is around the same time, Buddy McGirt took a fight against someone and had an arm injury, was basically only able to use one hand. (Whitaker? I can’t remember.) It was controversial because it was obvious he wasn’t right from the first bell and shouldn’t have been fighting — but he wanted/needed the payday or figured he wouldn’t get another opportunity. Ring Magazine, I think it was, had a cartoon where Mercer and Ferguson were in a clinch and Mercer is whispering into Jesse’s ear, “Pssst, Buddy McGirt’s got a bum shoulder.” So they managed to lampoon two situations with one shot. Nicely done.