Boxer quotes thread

[JAB5239]

“Eddie Futch told me I needed to quit. I says, ‘Well, what's the old man telling me that for? I need to quit.' I got angry. And, you know, I went against my mentor, my idol, the greatest guy probably ever I met in my life.

But the thing was I was frustrated. I put everything into the sport that I have. I don't know how to do anything else. I put my whole life into it, and I got nothing out of it.

And here I am, 27 years old, him telling me to retire. I'm crying in his office thinking, ‘What the **** am I going to do with my life?' I fought five more times. On my own. I lost four of the five — so he was right.”

- Freddie Roach

After his retirement from fighting, Roach worked in a variety of jobs around Las Vegas including telemarketing and a busboy before taking a job with his former trainer and mentor Eddie Futch as an unpaid assistant in 1986.

He excelled in his new position and worked as Futch's assistant for five years.

In 1991, actor Mickey Rourke returned to boxing midway through his acting career, and hired Roach to train him in Hollywood, California.

In 1995, when Rourke decided to quit boxing, he gave gym equipment to Roach, and it can be found in the Wild Card Boxing Club on Vine Street.

[Willie Pep 229]

"What round is it?" -- Jack Dempsey, according to Doc Kearns, at the end of round one with Firpo.

[JAB5239]

"What round is it?" -- Jack Dempsey, according to Doc Kearns, at the end of round one with Firpo.

[JAB5239]

“I had a lot of respect for Duran. He was one of my heroes, but at the first press conference he was dogging the s--- out of me. I couldn't believe he was talking about me like that, so we went at it, neck and neck. I wasn't going to take no backseat to him.
Walking to the ring at the MGM Grand in front of 15,000 people, I said to myself, 'All right, Paz Man, the crowd is going to be with him. But don't bug out. Do what you have to do.' They introduced me first and I got such a big round of applause. I couldn't believe it. I thought OK they're with me. I'm gonna k*ll this guy. But when they introduced Duran, the roof almost came off the building.

Once the fight started I thought, imagine this guy in his 20s and 30s. I was 33 at the time, but a young 33. He was 42. Duran was defensive master and as mean as they come. At first I couldn't hit him, but as the fight went on, I started reaching him a little bit more.

In the fifth round I threw a bomb, and the next thing I know I see the canvas next to my eye. He'd nailed me with a straight right. I got up and went to a neutral corner and put my hand on the rope.

I looked out into the crowd and locked eyes with Montel Williams. I had done his TV show with my mother a month and a half ago. He was the coolest guy; really, really nice. Montel is cheering me on and pumping his fist in the air.

At the end of the round, I chased Duran back to his corner and yelled, 'I ain't going anywhere, Duran.' He put his hands up and said, 'Loco, loco.' That's when I got his respect.”

-Vinny Pazienza

[JAB5239]

'There was never a man in the world I didn't think I could whip when I came to my full growth, barring my old father in Ireland, and perhaps my Uncle Tom, in America, and Uncle Tom only because my father always admitted that Tom was a better man than he was.

I went out and fought them all. I licked everyone in Ireland when I was a boy, except my old man and Father ***in at the school. And I whipped everyone in the merchant ships and in the United States Navy. For the glory of that Navy, I licked most of the fighters in the British Navy and their champion.

Then I met [James] Jeffries, and I hit him as I never hit anyone before or since. But what's the use when you hit a man on the jaw so hard you knock your own arm out of the shoulder socket and he only shakes his head and crushes your ribs? It fairly broke my heart to admit he was a better man than I was.'

- Tom Sharkey