It wasn’t such a busy year, in boxing at least, for Floyd Mayweather Jr.
But the year 2010 was another banner year for the Grim Reaper, who took too many boxing figures and personalities with him.
One last look, the final round if you will, about some of the more interesting boxing people who died in the past year.
MURRAY WILSON: Age 72, sudden heart attack in his midtown Manhattan office. Wilson was strictly ?Old School,? knew the wise and not so wise guys in New York and Las Vegas. Read a newspaper article about aspiring rabbi-boxer Yuri Forerman, then became his manager.
Owner of chic Manhattan restaurants, Ecco and Campagnola.
Top Rank matchmaker Bruce ?Southland? Trampler described the gritty Wilson as ?a man’s man in every sense of the phrase. He will be greatly missed throughout boxing.?
Wilson kept faith in Foreman when critics mocked the boxer as ?Yuri Boreman? because of hit and run style and guided him to the WBA junior middleweight title. There was nothing boring in that bout as Foreman boxed and punched his way to victory, inspiring promoter Bob Arum to ?flip the bird? from inside the ring at a Foreman critic in the press section.
Wilson was never prouder than when Foreman fought Miguel Cotto in Yankee Stadium’s first fight card in three decades although Foreman was injured and was stopped by the Puerto Rican slugger.
Wilson harkened back to the colorful era when Vegas was controlled by ?The Boys? if you know what I mean. You did not have to explain who Lefty Rosenthal, Jimmy The Greek or Irving ?Ash? Resnick were to Wilson as he knew them all personally.
A guy who came from an era when ?characters? had character.
Wilson never said he knew people who knew people, never boasted or bragged.
But, boy oh boy, did he know people.
DANNY KAPILOW: An echo from the era when there plenty of tough Jewish fighters in America.
Kapilow, a southpaw from the Bronx, had 67 pro bouts. He died at age 88.
Lost to Cleveland’s Jimmy Doyle, who was later to die after a bout against all time great Sugar Ray Robinson in Doyle’s hometown.
The DA put on a media show, had an inquest into Doyle’s death in 1947 and asked Robinson uf he knew he had Doyle ?in trouble.?
Nonplussed, Robinson famous remarked, ?Mister, my job is to get him in trouble.?
Kapilow also boxed Johnny Bratton, Beau Jack and Sammy Angott.
DARIUS WATSON: Los Angeles area cruiserweight had a heart attack after jogging on the beach. He had a pro football tryout with the 49ers and quit the ring because of a heart condition. Watson had a 7-1 pro record.
TERRY PETTIFER: Noted South African boxing writer, dead at 59.
A huge fan of Jack Dempsey, he named a daughter Dempsina. He named a son Driscoll in honor of Peerless Jim Driscoll, the storied elsh featherweight.
DAVE GALLARDO: Featherweight contender died at age 81. Born in Denver, died in Los Angeles.
Pro mark was 55-36-7. Went 10 rounds with Pinoy great Flash Elorde on July 24, 1956, in San Jose.
Lost to the great Sandy Saddler.
Speaking of trilogies, Gallard boxed Lulu Perez in three back to back bouts, winning one of three, all bouts held at Madison Square Garden.
MAC FOSTER: Age 68. Foster boxed out of hometown Fresno. Fought Muhammad Ali in 1972. Lost 15 round decision to Ali in Tokyo.
Ex-Marine, who served in Vietnam.
Pro record was 30-6 with all his victories by KO.
EFREN TORRES: Top notch Mexican fighter from Guadalajara. Died at age 66.
Bantamweight whose pro totals were 53-9-1 with 35 Kos. Inducted into World Boxing HOF in class of 2007.
Won WBC flyweight crown in Mexico City by defeating excellent Thai fighter, Chartchai Chionoi. Lost to the Thai in Bangkok rematch.
In his next to last pro bout, was halted in four rounds by all time great, countryman Ruben Olivares in Guadalajara.
