In Rusty’s Corner
By Rusty Rubin, managing editor, of Ringsports.com, and author of “Off the Canvas”, a historically accurate view of American history and the social problems of the times, as witnessed by an 80-year old ex-champion. “Off the Canvas” takes you from the time of the Great Depression till the World Trade Center disaster and is a book that has been getting rave reviews. Copies are $15.00 each available at Ringsports.com and on-line major book retailers. For a list of the reviews please contact me.
Also we’ll be taking orders soon on autographed copies of “Billy Soose, The Champion Time Forgot” co-authored by Tom Donelson. Since we live in different parts of the country, it would be hard to co-ordinate a joint signing, both myself or Tom will available. ***
Black Cloud, a great boxing movie is now out on DVD, if you’re a true fight fan, it’s a movie you don’t want to miss.***
July 2, there will be a solid fight card in Reno to kick-off the July 4th weekend and honor the 95th anniversary of the Jack Johnson – Jim Jefferies fight in the ‘biggest little city in the world’.
This will also be the first boxing event at the brand new Reno Events Center, and with probable future heavyweight champion Samuel Peter headlining the card, if you’re in the area, coming out should be a no-brainer.
It will be a seven bout card, with undefeated heavyweight Mike Marrone, 9-0 (8), featured in our July issue of our magazine in his toughest contest to date against Forrest Neal 16-6 (12).
And to make a prediction on the only major important fight card over the next two weeks; unless Taurus Sykes can play hit and run and tire Sam Peter out, it should just be a matter of time before Peter catches Sykes and ends the fight with one or two power punches. Peter can really bang.***
Floyd Mayweather beating Arturo Gatti is not big news. A champion, perhaps the best pound for pound fighter out there beating a 4-1 underdog club fighter isn’t exactly history in the making, although the fact that his performance made Gatti’s corner toss in the towel after round six comes as a surprise. A fighter is expected to go out on his shield. Gatti always has in his previous losses.
On paper and in the ring, this was a mismatch. Gatti’s huge heart could not overcome the great speed of Mayweather. But everyone I knew expected Gatti to take the fight the distance, not just quit on his stool like Kostya Tszyu also did recently. That was a bit of a shock.
As for Mayweather, he actually can earn some money and respect if he handled his big mouth with the same ability and class he shows in the ring. He’s got the talent, although I’m still waiting to see what happens when and if he gets nailed with a solid punch. Does he have the heart? That’s the one question that will have to wait for another day to be answered.
I’ve never been a fan of the ‘senior tour’. Seeing guys who once looked good and fought great, look like out-of-shape slobs and make fools out of themselves is not my cup of tea. I believe that there should be either an age limit or a round limit placed on fighters.
Sure, there are some fighters who stay in shape after their boxing career is over, at least for a few years, but their skills are badly eroded. George Foreman was an exception to the rule, but a very rare one at best.
So this begs the question, should there be an age limit in boxing? Some Countries do have that in their rules, but in the US it’s largely dependant upon if you can pass the physical or not, although many States do wisely also recognize diminished skills as a way to keep boxers from getting themselves hurt or killed in the ring.
I can only throw out the question what happens if one of the great fan favorites fights too long and gets hurt or killed in the ring? How much damage does that do to boxing?
One of the problems that makes it very hard to set a specific age limit, is that every fighter shows their age at different times, usually because of the severity (or lack of) the fights they’ve had over the years. Certainly at age 40 Bernard Hopkins can still fight if he wants to because he’s a smart fighter and hasn’t taken a lot of punishment in the ring. Conversely, Mike Tyson’s career was just about over ten years ago, when he was less than 30 years of age.
Setting age limits are hard for a variety of reasons, so it makes sense to force a fighter to retire after taking bad beatings in (let’s say) four consecutive fights. It’s an arbitrary figure, but so is age limits.
I think I’d prefer to see ‘round limits’ than age limits. Let’s say mandatory retirement after fighting 400 rounds as a ballpark figure.
I’d be curious to know how our readers feel about this. Your replies are requested and respected, and will be acknowledged.
Agree or disagree, I always welcome comments. Rusty@ringsports.com ***
My good friend Stephen B. Acunto, who founded the American Association for the Improvement of Boxing, along with Rocky Marciano, now has his book “Champions Boxing Guide” available in Spanish. For details visit Steve’s website: AAIB.org
Please help me with my upcoming new book. Send all boxing jokes, stories, quips and boxing oddities to ( Rusty@ringsports.com ), thanks, and members of the boxing media are free to send this most welcome information as well. All submissions used will be given full credit, if used in the book, and it will be given on who submits the story first, basis. Here’s your chance to have your name in print, instead of ‘America’s Most Wanted’ posters.***
Glove2Glove:
Please say prayers for the quick return to health of Linda Shampagne, a female boxer who suffered a subdural hematoma after a recent fight.
Prayers for boxing promoter and all around good guy Clem Crowley who could use a push in the get well ranks just about now. Also prayers for the return to health of Audrey Talmo, wife of Ed, a long-time boxing fan who cares about our sport.
A request for prayers for those who were injured/killed in an accident involving the Las Vegas Elite Boxing Team a few months back. Prayers are needed/requested for those who were injured in the tragic, fatal crash, and the souls of those who didn’t.
Dub Harris, WWII hero and founder and past President of the World Boxing Hall of Fame has suffered a stroke in Southern California. Please pray for his quick return to health.***
Prayers also requested for the Sheila Sepulveda, a long-time friend of this writer. Sheila is having some very serious health problems.
Prayers needed for the return to health of Alfonso Luna, father of our outstanding photographer Ray Luna, who has taken ill in Southern California.
Please say prayers for the return to health of Helen Wambolt, wife of our East Coast World Boxing Hall of Fame writer Danny Wambolt. Cards will also be most welcome.***
Please say prayers for the return to health of Orazio Esposito, father of our photographer Richard Esposito.***
Sandy Johnson a great gal as well as a staff member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission is fighting breast cancer. A call, e-mail or card, along with your prayers would really do a lot to raise the spirits of an old friend.***
Special prayers go out to Mills Lane for his complete recovery. Mills, who moved from Reno to New York, suffered a stroke a few years back. He may be down, but knowing him personally, he’s far from out.***
Prayers for the return to health of Don Donelson, father of writer Tom, and Gene Sebastian, brother of former middleweight champ Billy Soose. Both are suffering from congestive heart disease.
Please say prayers for Phill Grazide of Santa Rosa, CA. a big supporter of amateur boxing, who is suffering the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis.***
Needless to say we need prayers for the return to health of both former champs Greg Page and Gerald McClellan, both confined to wheelchairs.***
Glove2Glove is a non-denominational group set up to aide those boxing folks and their relatives in need of prayers and cards. We accept no money and only contact our members when someone is in need. It’s free to join. Simply send us your e-mail address. And even if you’re not a member, feel free to contact us if you are aware of some boxing person in need.***
Touching on politics briefly: Concerning the Supreme Court’s decision that private property can be seized (at a fair market price) by government for the purpose of being sold to private businesses: First let me say that I don’t understand how the more ‘liberal’ members of our Supreme Court can rule in favor of big business and against the average citizen. What about government of the people, by the people and for the people don’t they understand? Where in the Constitution or anywhere else does it say that the local governments can step on people in the name of uncontrolled growth? I’ll have more on this in my next editorial.***
I guess some people just don’t read this part of the column, and while I disagree with the concept of wanting to be uninformed, I always respect everyone’s opinion. I don’t write this to express my views, but rather to show the readers another side of an issue. No one has to agree with it, but if I make one person think, that’s a positive sign for our society. Maybe I’m a frustrated wanna-be teacher.
Sometimes a question is asked that makes me wonder what part of my editorial folks have been reading. I got an e-mail from someone who wrote that ‘for some reason I think you don’t respect our President enough’, and wants to know why.
I can both answer and deal with any dialogue and appreciate the time that people take to express their views. I welcome an exchange of views.
What annoys me are those people who simply write nasty e-mails to me in regard to the political stuff, without stating what item(s) they disagree with. They have the same freedom of speech that I have and I’d gladly print and have a dialogue on any issue they’d wish. Everyone in America has ‘freedom of speech’ and it’s a right that many brave souls have given their lives for. As I’ve often said, if you don’t agree with the political aspect, you don’t have to read it. That’s why it’s so strategically located at the bottom of this column. It’s called ‘freedom of speech’ and many great men have fought and died to protect it! ***
Back to the question at hand, in regard to the President, you can respect the office, which I do, without respecting the way the man in the office uses his power to benefit his friends and doesn’t seem to give a damn about anyone else. And to answer an often asked question, I’d feel the same way if Mr. Bush was a Democrat. I don’t pick on party affilitation, although I do think we need more than two in this country so everyone can fit in comfortably.
Funny thing here is that Mr. Bush seems like a very likable chap, and I’d bet he’d make for a lot of laughs and good conversations in a local pub. He seems like the kind of a guy one would want to call a friend. But he certainly does not appear to be a friend to the working man, in the White House. Kind of a conundrum.
There are a few things that I do agree with Mr. Bush on, abortion is one, although I don’t think politicians should have the right to decide who can or cannot choose life. That’s a job best left up to the parents and the churches, not the politicians, many of whom falsely claim the moral high-ground just to get re-elected. Sorry, from my personal experience, I feel that morality is usually not a strong trait among most politicians. In fact, sad to say it seems just the opposite.
I agree with Mr. Bush on going after the terrorists in Afghanistan after 9/11, and I also agree that we now have to keep our troops in Iraq, at least until our mission is really ‘accomplished’, although I never thought going into this non-threatening country made any sense. And, in retrospect, if the Downing Street memo is proved correct, than we had more than enough time to build enough armor plated hummers and other vehicles to protect our brave lads. There was, and can never be any excuse for allowing them to go into action without proper equipment and become cannon fodder.
Setting a time table to withdraw is not an answer. We should get out of Iraq, but to do so without Iraqies being ready to run and defend their own country would risk a civil war and be a waste of all the brave men and women who gave life and limb for Iraq’s freedom.
I agree with Mr. Bush on the need to find a way to solve the upcoming social security crisis. The crisis is real and an answer has to be found, but I’m equally sure that his initial plan for private accounts isn’t the correct one.
Blowing our budget on a war that perhaps we shouldn’t have fought, and now we have to remain in a war torn country was not smart. And forgiving the debts that Iraq and other countries owe to us isn’t either. The President is the same guy who signed the bankruptcy bill to benefit big business and penalize the American poor. Let me try to make sense of this. We hurt the American poor by not forgiving their debts, but we can forgive the debts that other Countries owe to us. How does that make and sense?
I’m not saying that John Kerry, if elected, would have done anything better or differently, there’s no way to know that for sure. But I’m convinced there would be at least one or two issues that I’d be closer on with Kerry than I am with this President. At least he saw military action and understands the troops.
And I’m getting my yard sign ready for 2008…”ABC, Anybody but Clinton.”
The one trait in anyone that I really dislike is arrogance and that’s a trait both the President and Hillary share.
Agree or disagree, I’d like to hear from you. I respect everyone’s opinion. (Rusty@ringsports.com), and feel free to pass this along to your representatives, most of whom aren’t really your representatives anyhow.
