By Rusty Rubin

Something far more important than the fights has come up that I want to make our readers aware of. Veteran ring announcer, good guy and good friend, Mark Beiro suffered a severe setback due to his diabetes, and we almost lost him. I ask that anyone interested in a roast to assist with his huge medical bills contact his wife Jackie at JDBeiro@aol.com.

The event will be held in Tampa, Florida on Sept. 29, and while I would love to attend, as Mark is an old and very dear friend of this scribe, it doesn’t fit in with my tight schedule for that time of year.

Jackie e-mailed me about the event, and while I know it probably belongs in our Glove2Glove segment, I wanted to make sure everyone was made aware of it. You don’t have to attend to help. Find out how by writing to Jackie.

This is our big chance to show the world how great boxing fans really are, and what makes it the best sport around. Don’t let us down!***

Jeff Lacy surprised me in his fight in St. Petersburg, Fl. last weekend, not because he beat tough Robin Reid of the UK, but because he actually stopped him in round seven.

I knew it was going to be a tough go for Robin to win a decision over Lacy, in Jeff’s hometown, but I did expect the fight to go the distance. In all his previous fight, Reid had never hit the canvas before. He was knocked down four times before the stoppage. Kudos to Lacy, who certainly looks like he is the real thing.

Reid was penalized a point as well, but truth be told, Lacy used every dirty tactic he could, and got away with all of them. Seems like the judges aren’t the only blind guys in the Sunshine State.***

This week Monte Barrett and Hasim Rahman get it on in Chicago. Two heavyweights who are very good at the top of their game but very average when not.

That’s the problem with the heavyweight division today, except for Vitali Klitschko, who is not particularly fast, but has skills and knows how to use them, the rest of the heavyweights are very good to very bad.

The pick here is Rahman by decision or late TKO. He is the more consistent of these two battlers.

Most people don’t seem to understand why, up to now, Klitschko and company, for the most part, have avoided some of the so-called elite in the heavyweight division. The answer in two words, or one name, is Don King.

We’re not picking on the “Only in America” guy with the frizzy hair here. But if history (and memory) serves correctly. Whenever you fight a Don King fighter, you have to sign a promotional contract with him before the fight, so if you win, you belong to him forever, or something close.

It’s not that King is a bad promoter, far from it, he may be the best ever. Simply put, however, a lot of people don’t want to fight the rest of their career for the same promoter. Sounds fair to me. As I recall, indentured servitude was outlawed some years back.***

If you subscribe to our monthly news magazine, which many do, we suggest you renew your subscription for a few years, as postal rates, thus subscription costs will be going up.***

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:

Prayers needed for Dennis Wilcox, brother of boxing scribe David Wilcox, who is in an Oregon hospital suffering from Leukemia. The family and everyone at Glove2Glove asks for your prayers in his recovery.

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.

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 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 suffered a stroke a few years back. He may be down, but he’s a fighter and he’s also 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: I don’t know how many times I’ve said it, but I’ll continue to and keep this area brief. I think going into Iraq and taking out Sadaam was a good thing. I think remaining there after the President’s ‘mission accomplished’ speech was a mistake, but we’re there and as much as I hate to say it, we can’t back down or pull out now. Terrorists respect strength and if we show weakness in Iraq it will give them even more ammunition against us.

Afghanistan was the proper response to 9/11 and if we wanted a second front, it should have been the more dangerous foe, Iran, who is now building real nuclear weapons (wmds) not the imaginary ones we were told about in Iraq.***

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.