I?ve been fortunate enough to attend a few fights over the years. Bouts in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Arlington, Las Vegas & elsewhere. The annoying internet crashes and long periods being put on hold by ticket agencies over the phone. I always found a way to score a ticket. Most of the time, anyway. All that aside, what I would have given to be in Canastota, N.Y. this weekend. I don?t remember the last time when the entire class of modern-day incoming inductees were all part of my generation and my heyday of what came to be an unquenchable passion for this great sport. If I could make a perfect video game of fighters, I?d add a few more, but I?d start with these guys.
I have to draw from a hat to really decide where to begin. No, actually I don?t. I?ll start with the absolute greatest fighter ever to emerge from my neighbor to the south. The one, the only Julio Cesar Chavez. Pro at 18. A legend. Perhaps the toughest fighter I?ve ever seen. ?Take three to land one? seemed to be his M.O. Go back & look at his record. He was a throwback boxer. He sometimes fought every month or every other month. Chavez could take the worst punishment you could dish out, then pummel you. He didn?t have his first loss for a long, long time. The guy seemed so humble, too. He gave back to his community much like Pacquiao does today. Yes, I?ve read many of the same shady stories as you have, but that didn?t stop me from wearing my ?Educacion para Ganar? JCC shirt when I was a teenager. I?m surprised to see the tenacity of his son in the ring, especially when you consider he really didn?t need to fight for a career choice, much less even worry about a job. I discount the losses to De la Hoya & others. Chavez should have hung up the laces sooner than he eventually did.
It?s well within me to write multiple pages on Chavez. The same can be said for the other inductees. I?ll keep them all short & sweet. I can?t wait to hear your comments, though.
Iron Mike Tyson. Go ahead, raise your hand. You, just like me thought this man was invincible in the mid to late 80?s. His fights were foregone conclusions, but it never stopped us from watching. His recent transformation to a movie cameo and so forth can be likened to Big George Foreman?s when he returned to boxing. Many forget (or younger generations simply didn?t know) that George was a jerk when he had hair. Mike Tyson was much worse. Still, we packed the living room to see his fights. We would rather be given the iron maiden than to be the boxer across the ring from Iron Mike. Fear is what beat his opponents long before the bell rang. Those who stood up to the bully often found success. Mike was a cultural phenom. Who else had ?Mike Tyson?s Punch-Out? on their old-school Nintendo system? DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince rapped about him. Remember ?Coming to America? & the barber shop scene? ?Joe Louis is the greatest boxer who ever lived?badder than Cassius Clay, badder than Sugar Ray & who?s that new boy, looks like a bulldog?? The Simpsons did Drederick Tatum as an odd homage to Tyson. His downfall? Multiple. He?ll tell you straight up. He had the wrong people in charge of his career. Some robbed him blind, but he also admits to being an enabler.
Kostya Tszyu! Which fight fan was missing a soul and didn?t love this guy? I do admit that the first time I saw him fight, I had to wait for the announcer or the commentator to say his name so I?d say it correctly. What a spirited and talented boxer KT was. He fought almost 275 amateur bouts and captured gold in the 1990 Goodwill Games, as well as represented his native Russia at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. His impressive resume includes victories over Roger Mayweather, Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Ben Tackie & others. Of course, I was so glad I wasn?t drinking anything during the dying seconds of the 2nd round of his 2001 bout with Zab Judah. I?ve always contended Judah was a loudmouth, but when KT knocked him to the ground, Judah attempted to get off the canvas. Instead, he looked like he?d just been thrown out of a bar at 2am. What transpired was later coined ?The Chicken Dance?. When Tszyu lost his final bout to Ricky Hatton, I was sure his ride was over. It wasn?t the best sending off, but much better than seeing him fight on when he no longer had it in him.
?Remember Gentlemen, I?m fair, but I?m firm?. Referee Joe Cortez. Another well-deserved pugilistic legend inducted into Canastota?s hallowed halls. I?m not sure if he?s still working. He?s probably near my dad?s age. He provided many a fight fan with the confidence in his abilities to keep the contest on an even playing field. Some may agree with me when I say he became a bit too involved between the boxers in his later years. I was in the crowd for Mayweather/Hatton in 2007 & Cortez acted like a divorce lawyer. Nonetheless, I offer my most sincere congratulations to Joe.
Ignacio Berist?in, aka Nacho. The words that usually follow this man?s name is ?Hall of Fame Trainer?. Well, now he really is! I?ve always enjoyed catching a glimpse of his training methods. He seems so much like a throwback teacher. Daniel Zaragoza was one of his great students, but of course none are greater than Juan Manuel Marquez. ?Dinamita? continues to defy the odds and fight on like a true champion. Saludos, Nacho!
Lastly, I?ll touch on Sly Stallone. Here?s another guy that continues to look great into his later years. Say what you will about his induction into the Hall of Fame. I don?t think you could liken it to one day Harrison Ford being welcomed into the Archaeology Hall. More than a few boxers can tell you that seeing the Rocky movies made them want to fight for a living. I was pretty young when the first two Rocky films were released, but I clearly remember seeing Rocky III at the cinema. I remember crying when Mickey died in the film and I couldn?t stand Clubber Lang. Rocky IV ? I was in the fifth grade. I remember leaving the movie naively thinking all Russians were bad, much like the Soviet system of education often vilified Americans. Here?s a lasting memory, though. A kid named Paul in my 5th grade class told me sometime around April that he was going to beat me up on the last day of school. I wasn?t sure why. Anyways, as the day drew closer, I kept wondering what to do. Could I skip my last day of elementary school, fake sick, etc.? Rather than that, I decided to employ the various training techniques I saw Rocky use in that old Siberian warehouse. Yes, I did countless leg raises and I also strung a rope across the living room and did bob and weave exercises under it. The problem was that I decided to wait to ?train? for my shot at dropping the school bully until the very night before it was to happen. My mom thought I was nuts. With much trepidation, I cautiously walked into the classroom. Paul decided to forget the whole thing, for whatever reason. Lucky for me in more ways than one, as I was too sore to even remember my own name.
I once again congratulate the preceding list of Super Heroes. I really have to get to Canastota now.
