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FLASHBACK, January 1992, Pensacola, Florida, Roy Jones Sr. ("Big Roy") gym on Strong St.
Roy Jones ("Lil' Roy") asked me, "How's Paz doing?" (Vinny Pazienza had just had a horrific car accident just a few months earlier which resulted in Vinny breaking his neck)
I told him that he seemed good, was doing all the rehab stuff etc. I mentioned that Vin was planning to fight again and Roy said to me how he "could never fight Paz" because he would be afraid that he would paralyze him if he caught him wrong with a good shot.
Fast forward three and a half years to the point where Vinny had almost miraculously come back so strongly that he had won numerous fights, including victories over Lloyd Honeyghan and Roberto Duran which had brought him to a fight in Atlantic City over the summer of 1995 in Atlantic City with ROY.
The fight was intense, matador and the bull, until the very end when Roy suddenly lands four or five VICIOUS shots that snap Vinny's neck violently and end the fight.
At this point people rush into the ring, the usual excitement ensues, when Roy almost aimlessly makes his way over to the ropes and puts his head down on the top strand. People may have thought he was just resting and decompressing but if you watch closely you will see that he is actually crying and when I saw that (I was there live in Atlantic City) I remembered our conversation from early 1992 and realized he was super emotional because he thought he had actually - as he feared- seriously hurt Vinny at that point if not had caused him to become paralyzed.
Two things I always took away from that fight and that moment. One is that RJ was razor sharp that night, it was a scintillating performance, but literally 20 seconds after it was over and he had begun to process what might be happening there his whole focus shifted and the idea of being exhilerated in the face of such a fantastic showing and scintillating ending was completely overshadowed by his immediate concern for Vinny's health and, really, his life.
#2 is that fighters often say before a fight that they would rather die before they lose or quit. The reality is that deep down they really don't mean it, they don't ever WANT TO DIE and wouldn't choose it.
Its a crazy thing with Paz, though. I mean, I don't think he WANTED to die but I do think if there were ever fighters who would actually go through with it if it came down to it, Vinny would be one of them.
Many may not have noticed it and they did they maybe didnt realize the power of it but for me, watching Vin struggle and fight with the referee as he was on top of him, stopping that fight, was REALLY something to see.
That final combination -and especially the last shot he got hit with- were sizzling and ultra-brutal but there he was, absolutely struggling with the ref to keep the fight from being stopped.
If the ref let him up to continue, ABSOLUTELY he jumps back into the tornado waiting for him with guns blazing, 100000 pct. NO doubts whatsoever.
You have -and will see- many good -even great- fighters submit under a million times less brutal circumstances. Not judging ANYONE, just saying, THERE ARE LEVELS TO THE HEART AND DESIRE to willingly endure brutality, especially when you know it is extremely unlikely that any of it will end in your favor at all.
Roy Jones ("Lil' Roy") asked me, "How's Paz doing?" (Vinny Pazienza had just had a horrific car accident just a few months earlier which resulted in Vinny breaking his neck)
I told him that he seemed good, was doing all the rehab stuff etc. I mentioned that Vin was planning to fight again and Roy said to me how he "could never fight Paz" because he would be afraid that he would paralyze him if he caught him wrong with a good shot.
Fast forward three and a half years to the point where Vinny had almost miraculously come back so strongly that he had won numerous fights, including victories over Lloyd Honeyghan and Roberto Duran which had brought him to a fight in Atlantic City over the summer of 1995 in Atlantic City with ROY.
The fight was intense, matador and the bull, until the very end when Roy suddenly lands four or five VICIOUS shots that snap Vinny's neck violently and end the fight.
At this point people rush into the ring, the usual excitement ensues, when Roy almost aimlessly makes his way over to the ropes and puts his head down on the top strand. People may have thought he was just resting and decompressing but if you watch closely you will see that he is actually crying and when I saw that (I was there live in Atlantic City) I remembered our conversation from early 1992 and realized he was super emotional because he thought he had actually - as he feared- seriously hurt Vinny at that point if not had caused him to become paralyzed.
Two things I always took away from that fight and that moment. One is that RJ was razor sharp that night, it was a scintillating performance, but literally 20 seconds after it was over and he had begun to process what might be happening there his whole focus shifted and the idea of being exhilerated in the face of such a fantastic showing and scintillating ending was completely overshadowed by his immediate concern for Vinny's health and, really, his life.
#2 is that fighters often say before a fight that they would rather die before they lose or quit. The reality is that deep down they really don't mean it, they don't ever WANT TO DIE and wouldn't choose it.
Its a crazy thing with Paz, though. I mean, I don't think he WANTED to die but I do think if there were ever fighters who would actually go through with it if it came down to it, Vinny would be one of them.
Many may not have noticed it and they did they maybe didnt realize the power of it but for me, watching Vin struggle and fight with the referee as he was on top of him, stopping that fight, was REALLY something to see.
That final combination -and especially the last shot he got hit with- were sizzling and ultra-brutal but there he was, absolutely struggling with the ref to keep the fight from being stopped.
If the ref let him up to continue, ABSOLUTELY he jumps back into the tornado waiting for him with guns blazing, 100000 pct. NO doubts whatsoever.
You have -and will see- many good -even great- fighters submit under a million times less brutal circumstances. Not judging ANYONE, just saying, THERE ARE LEVELS TO THE HEART AND DESIRE to willingly endure brutality, especially when you know it is extremely unlikely that any of it will end in your favor at all.
GhostofDempsey
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