September 16...

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

"Ray, 27 years ago today in Vegas...man, I cannot believe it was that long ago. I was fourteen years old and in the 8th grade...I didn't have any way to get the Closed Circuit but I was there in spirit LOL...I remember walking around in the dark outside on my street, it was like waiting for Christmas and Santa to come...I kept thinking, "After tonight -in a little while- there is only going to be ONE welterweight champion!" I was walking around wondering what it was like out there in Vegas, what was going on, who was there, how crazy the atmosphere was. That fight was one of the ones that made me really want to go to Las Vegas one day.

One more thing, and I put this in my book already, when u dug down that time and threw all those overhand lefts and rights that sent Tommy through the ropes...I remember late in my fight with Tim Littles at the Thomas and Mack 11 years later... I tried to do the same thing, I had him weak and tired but I dug down and just couldn't find it, not like you did anyway. Right there in the middle of my fight I realized what one of the biggest differences was between regular fighters and great ones."

(Also, coincidentally, September 16, 2008 marked the 20TH Anniversary of my pro debut. I celebrated by sparring four rounds with an amateur cruiserweight from my gym)

To me, the Leonard-Hearns fight in 1981 was EVERYTHING that we hoped and assumed that Tito-Oscar, PBF-Oscar, PBF-Hatton, etc. etc was going to be.

[Lazy Liberal]

"Ray, 27 years ago today in Vegas...man, I cannot believe it was that long ago. I was fourteen years old and in the 8th grade...I didn't have any way to get the Closed Circuit but I was there in spirit LOL...I remember walking around in the dark outside on my street, it was like waiting for Christmas and Santa to come...I kept thinking, "After tonight -in a little while- there is only going to be ONE welterweight champion!" I was walking around wondering what it was like out there in Vegas, what was going on, who was there, how crazy the atmosphere was. That fight was one of the ones that made me really want to go to Las Vegas one day.

One more thing, and I put this in my book already, when u dug down that time and threw all those overhand lefts and rights at sent Tommy through the ropes...I remember late in my fight with Tim Littles at the Thomas and Mack 11 years later... I tried to do the same thing, I had him weak and tired but I dug down and just couldn't find it, not like you did anyway. Right there in the middle of my fight I realized what one of the differences is between regular fighters and great ones."

(Also, coincidentally, September 16, 2008 marked the 20TH Anniversary of my pro debut. I celebrated by sparring four rounds with an amateur cruiserweight from my gym)

To me, the Leonard-Hearns fight in 1981 was EVERYTHING that we hoped and assumed that Tito-Oscar, PBF-Oscar, PBF-Hatton, etc. etc was going to be.

Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is my special YOUR WELCOME bump

[Silencers]

Leonard-Hearns was a great fight, thanks for posting that.

Cong**** on the anniversary.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Great day...for both of us (only difference is he made 10 million dollars and united the welterweight title LOL)

[Porter's Dad]

My jealous is tempered by the fact not being around then means I still have my youth. I don't want to be 40 years old, I don't think I could enjoy life at that age.

I know, I know...one day, 20 years from now, some little punk is gonna give me the same little ***** answer when I regale the glory of watching a choppy internet stream of DLH vs Pac.

Btw, I love that bit on the Tim Littles fight, and the difference that separates good with greatness.

Put me down as a buyer for the book when it's done, Iceman.

[starjammer]

"Ray, 27 years ago today in Vegas...man, I cannot believe it was that long ago. I was fourteen years old and in the 8th grade...I didn't have any way to get the Closed Circuit but I was there in spirit LOL...I remember walking around in the dark outside on my street, it was like waiting for Christmas and Santa to come...I kept thinking, "After tonight -in a little while- there is only going to be ONE welterweight champion!" I was walking around wondering what it was like out there in Vegas, what was going on, who was there, how crazy the atmosphere was. That fight was one of the ones that made me really want to go to Las Vegas one day.

One more thing, and I put this in my book already, when u dug down that time and threw all those overhand lefts and rights that sent Tommy through the ropes...I remember late in my fight with Tim Littles at the Thomas and Mack 11 years later... I tried to do the same thing, I had him weak and tired but I dug down and just couldn't find it, not like you did anyway. Right there in the middle of my fight I realized what one of the biggest differences was between regular fighters and great ones."

(Also, coincidentally, September 16, 2008 marked the 20TH Anniversary of my pro debut. I celebrated by sparring four rounds with an amateur cruiserweight from my gym)

To me, the Leonard-Hearns fight in 1981 was EVERYTHING that we hoped and assumed that Tito-Oscar, PBF-Oscar, PBF-Hatton, etc. etc was going to be.

This is excellent stuff, Ice.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

What sucks to me is the ANTICIPATION and build up for even the biggest fights now is nothing like it was back then... when Rayand Hearns fought in 1981...Ali-Holmes, Leonard-Duran, etc etc....HOLMES-COONEY....big newspapers like the NY Post covered it as if it was the Presidential election....I remember the day after Holmes-Cooney and Cosell had Gerry live next to the ring behind Ceasar's interviewing him , just the two of them by the ring on network TV the day after the fight... THAT showed how much the media AND the general public cared...now you will have RJ-Calz, Hops-Pav, etc etc...and they wont get ANY play on network TV

[Silencers]

Coverage for fights now definitely pale in comparison to that of the 80s and even the 90s.

Great day...for both of us (only difference is he made 10 million dollars and united the welterweight title LOL)

[BattlingNelson]

Great stuff as usual Ice. Thanks for giving an honest fighters thoughts.

And I agree that it's network exposure the game is lacking today. We need household names and stars. They only come with exposure to the masses.