RIO DE JANEIRO–Can I endorse a candidate to be seated at the right hand of Coach Freddie Roach if:
a) I am not sure that assistant Michael Moorer is already gone and
b) if I do not know if my candidate is even slightly interested in the gig?
If you say yes, then I say yes, yes, yes. Keep in mind it is early morning on the sands of Copacabana Beach and I am powered only by cafezinho (cold choppe meaning beer and caipirinhas come later).
Talk about a twist in my sobriety, Tanita Tikaram, Make it a twist of lime with cachacha.
So I now heartily and enthusiastically endorse Jesse Reid as Fly Fly Freddies New #2 man, if the position is indeed open and if Reid wants it.
Back in 2006, Italian fight scribe Luca De Franco spoke to Reid for a profile on Sweetscience.com and this is what Reid said about his boxing background:
I had 93 amateur fights and I was considered one of the best middleweights in the world. I won many tournaments and made the Olympic Trials in 1968. About four years after turning pro, I decided to become a coach. The first boxer I trained was Rodolfo Gonzales who won the WBC lightweight title against Chango Carmona (TKO 13). While working with Gonzales, I said ?Wow! This is a lot of fun,? so I kept training fighters and learned to be a manager. After more than 30 years, I can proudly say that I worked with nine world champions: Rodolfo Gonzales, Roger Mayweather, Bruce Curry, Gaby and Orlando Canizales, Frank Tate, Calvin Grove, Darrin Van Horn and Dingaan Thobela. I?m particularly proud of Frank Tate because I saw him when he was amateur, recognized his talent and led him to the professional world title.
I have long heralded Reid as probably the most underrated trainer in American boxing. I used to put Ronnie Shields in that category but, in recent years, Shields has been getting his props and his paydays also.
One reason I am able to write this story today is because when I was pretending to be a boxer at the University of Nevada I nearly had to fight Reid, who was pounding people as he repped the 12th Naval District. They had some rule that a serviceman could not box a college freshman so I never had to battle the ponderous puncher at 156 pounds.
That was a lifesaver for your White Gorilla.
I would have been Kid Candle in that match up, one blow and I wouldve been out.
I dont know if Reid would want to submerge his ego to be the chief backup to Roach.
I think he could do it and I think he and Roach have always gotten along at least as far as I know. Their personalities, both being firm but not always chomping at the bit and easing up on the harness when required, are not much different.
Having Reid in the Manny Pacquiao corner alongside leader Roach would throw another promotional log on the fire for the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao it has to happen eventually fight.
Reid was the longtime trainer of Li?l Floyd?s Unlce Roger. The 24/7 guys could do something with that angle I am sure.
Poker player Billy Baxter managed Roger Mayweather and he was the one who hired Reid to train him. To show you what kind a relationship Reid has with managers, he even tried to develop the hopeless, two left feet, seven foot heavyweight Tye Fields for Baxter.
Finally, Reid has been able to work successfully with a mixture of boxing styles and personalities, except one.
There was one wing nut named Bruce Curry, a sensational slugger and the older brother of another world champion named Donald Curry.
Bruce and Monroe Brooks conducted what may have been the most savage and sensational fight ever seen on CBS back in the era (1978) of network weekend bouts.
Bruce seemed to have some kind of beef with Coach Jesse.
So, not playing with a full deck of cards to begin with, Loose Bruce went to the gym with a loaded pistol.
He fired shots in the direction of Reid.
Fortunately, none of them hit the target. The same thing happened with many of Bruces punches.
Bruce went to the Nevada state nut hut for some mandatory confinement.
Heres how the New York Times reported the 1984 dustup which, if memory serves, took place at Johnny Tocco?s fabled Las Vegas Ringside Gym:
Bruce Curry , who lost his World Boxing Council super lightweight championship to Bill Costello last Sunday, was arrested in Las Vegas, Nev., yesterday on charges he fired several shots at his trainer, Jesse Reid , following an altercation at a gym, the police said. Curry was booked for assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed weapon.
Curry was arrested after police were called to a hospital where he had gone for treatment following the incident, said Lieut. William Gilbert of the Metro Police. The officer said Curry had been hit by Reid during the altercation and the blow opened up a cut suffered in the fight against Costello. Curry reportedly fought with Reid after blaming the trainer for his loss, the lieutenant said.
Now there is a trainer who knows how to handle a fighter who blames others when he loses a fight, I say
Come to think of it, maybe Roach should sign up Reid whether Michael Moorer is gone or not.
Reid is battle tested.
Here?s a trainer who has truly been under fire.
So, Coach Freddie, do what Bruce Curry did.
Give Jesse Reid a shot.
WG VACATION METER: Down to three days and then back to the fistic factory in New York.
