By Michael Marley
SAN DIEGO—Nothing is better for a real boxing nut than couch surfing in the hotel lobby in the hours before a boxing show.
So it was here Friday, just a short time before rising Pinoy lightweight star Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta was to take the ring at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel against Mexican journeyman Ivan Valle.
In the lobby and then in the coffee shop I got to drink java and gab away with Don Chargin, the legendary, 82 year old fight promoter, Golden Boy publicist Bill Caplan and youthful veteran John Chavez.
It was just fight guys talking fight talk except for the brief golf gossip about how I beat Chavez like a drum on the hotel's swampy, nine hole executive course earlier.
I don't want to say that hacker Chavez spent a lot of time in the sand traps but I did suggest that next time he bring a beach chair and and a pail for hios sorties into the hardpacked bunkers.
Chargin told an amusing story about how he thinks his longtime friend, Coach Freddie Roach still harbors a grudge about his 1985 bout in Sacramento against Hall Of Famer Bobby Chacon.
Roach, probably at the peak of his career then and soon to finish up on a losing skein (four of his last five bouts) before he wisely retired, performed admirably in front of a hostile crowd of about 12,000 in the California capital city.
“Freddie put Bobby on the deck not once but twice in the fight,” Chargin said. “I turned to (business backer) Sid Tenner and told him, 'They've got to raise Freddie's hand on this one.' Sid did not disagree but they gave it to Chacon on a majority decision. One judge had Chacon in front 96-94, the other hasd it 97-93 and the ref, Hank Elesperu, called it a push, 95-95.
“To this day, my friend Freddie believes I set him up to lose. I had nothing to do with the scoring, of course. I was just as surprised as Freddie was when they announced that decision.”
Just a few years ago, Manny Pacquiao's highly-decorated trainer told Chargin, “I know what you did, Don, I know.”
The promoter said all he could do was laugh.
It was a different boxing world. Consider that Roach fought six times during that year. And consider that he was put in with a brilliant but fading former world champion whose record was 53-7-1. Roach finished his own career at 40-13 but with a mere 13 Kos.
After the surprise loss to Chacon, Roach returned to Sacramento to decision Jaime Balboa and then went to the Marriott Hotel in Irvine to to stop Martin Moredo in eight rounds.
Roach continued his winning ways with a decision over Joey Olivera in Las Vegas but then got stopped by future lightweight champ Greg Haugen in 10 rounds. That fight was in Vegas as well, which was Roach's boxing base under legendary trainer Eddie Futch.
“I brought Freddie back to Sacramento then. Freddie was quite popular with the fight fans up there so I made a bout between he and rising star Hector Camacho. “Macho Man” Camacho boxed his way to a 10 round decision over Roach at the Arco Arena. There was no beef on that decision.”
At least Roach got a consolation prize, a $13,000 purse, his biggest ever as a pro fighter.
Fighters have a certain mindset and Roach still believes Chargin put one over on him. Chargin continues to laugh, saying he exerted no untoward influence over the scoring.
Chargin will never change his story and neither will Coach Roach.
It's all part of the legend and lore of boxing and the sum and substance of what makes schmoozing on fight day so enjoyable.
