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I was with my old buddy from San Francisco, "Irish" Pat Lawlor, one night back in 2001 when he was in Rhode Island to fight Vinny Paz. I had first met Pat in 1992 out in Reno when he came by the gym one day to watch me spar with Roy Jones and I became friendly with him during that trip and I kept in touch with him off and on over the years. Real nice guy and a real character of the game, too. The following poem is a piece he recited to me, verbatim, off the top of his head just a few minutes before he went out to fight Paz. It is an anthem that will strike a chord in the hearts and minds of a million boxers throughout the world that have been unsung members of the fighter fraternity and have helped make it possible for boxing to even exist. Afterwards I asked him if he could send me a copy of the poem and without hesitation he went right over to his gym bag and pulled one out. I told him that I would see what I could do about getting it printed somewhere. Last year Scoop Malinowski from "International Boxing Digest" ran it in the magazine. Here it is for you, too. And for Pat.
A Boxer's Poem - By "Irish" Pat Lawlor
""Irish" Pat Lawlor recited this poem to John Scully in the dressing room a little while before he walked out to fight Vinny Pazienza on July 27, 2001 in Providence. Scully was so impressed he asked Lawlor to please get a copy of it. Lawlor went right over to his gym bag and pulled one out. Here it is. One fighter's outlook...probably the similar outlook of a thousand faceless and nameless other boxers in this world." - Scoop Malinowski: International Boxing Digest, 2003
(UNTITLED) By Pat Lawlor
Sometimes I think it's a lowdown shame
the way I try to hang in this rough, crazy game
My body is aching, my hands and feet are sore.
And I'm getting really tired of pulling myself up off the floor
It all started as a tribute to a friend
But since I won my belt I've been knocked down and down again.
My training, now that's a thing of the past
And if I might go running its not too far and never too fast
I had good fights, like that one in Reno
A good solid win, and then drinks with McGravey and Citrino.
I built a pretty good resume, a kid from the street
Benitez and Duran were two of the big names I beat
At least their the ones I most like to boast and brag,
better than my losses to Norris and Camacho, that ***
I've been up and down and up again and I know my sport through and through.
It's not run by Don King like everybody thinks. It's run by his rival, Bob Arum, a real cheap screw
I'm at the point of my career where I'm dealing with pimps, another one of their whores.
Taking fights on short notice and picking myself off of different arena floors
Who will it be tonight? another young undefeated kid, I go one, maybe two rounds, then BAM -across the apron I skid
It's not like I've been training and have a legitimate chance to win it
When the usher opens the door and yells "LAWLOR YOU'RE UP" I just say to the others "BE BACK IN A MINUTE"
It's the fast money that attracts me, and the traveling's fun, too,
I mean quick cash and a trip to another country.....
I think most people would take it, don't you ??
The times I miss the most are the days with Al and Tom
Citrano would always get me riled up, McGarvey would always keep me calm.
McCarvey was my manager, a good old Irish gent
and all those big fights I had, he never took one red cent
Citrano was my trainer and my buddy and my pal
Although his birth certificate called him Amadeo everybody else just called him Al.
It was a pretty good team we made back then
More memories than I could possibly write down with this pen
But Tom has since retired and Al has passed away
Now the trainer I had last fight wont be the one I have today
They are usually people that just work for the show
I just show up to collect my quick dough.
One of these trips, however, completely changed my life
I went down to Panama to fight Roberto Duran and came back home with a wife.
Not the smartest thing to do, being homeless myself
Better to get a good solid job and put the boxing career on the shelf.
But I'm trying like hell to get her here, so I'm working on a fast money making pace.
I think this fight should do it, enough money to get me a pad
The best birthday present for my daughter Sarah who has every reason in the world to be mad.
Soon it will be all done
my career, the traveling, this so-called fun
I could have been a warehouse worker or a cook on short order.
But I became a local boxing hero, due to my friend Merlin Porter
It was a goal I had set, a tribute to his name
Never did I think it would bring me such fame.
That's all I wanted, was a belt for my Pal
Though I'd like to win one more for McGarvey and Al
Once I've done that I think I could close the door.....
that's all there is, there just ain't no more
Irish Pat Lawlor 2001
A Boxer's Poem - By "Irish" Pat Lawlor
""Irish" Pat Lawlor recited this poem to John Scully in the dressing room a little while before he walked out to fight Vinny Pazienza on July 27, 2001 in Providence. Scully was so impressed he asked Lawlor to please get a copy of it. Lawlor went right over to his gym bag and pulled one out. Here it is. One fighter's outlook...probably the similar outlook of a thousand faceless and nameless other boxers in this world." - Scoop Malinowski: International Boxing Digest, 2003
(UNTITLED) By Pat Lawlor
Sometimes I think it's a lowdown shame
the way I try to hang in this rough, crazy game
My body is aching, my hands and feet are sore.
And I'm getting really tired of pulling myself up off the floor
It all started as a tribute to a friend
But since I won my belt I've been knocked down and down again.
My training, now that's a thing of the past
And if I might go running its not too far and never too fast
I had good fights, like that one in Reno
A good solid win, and then drinks with McGravey and Citrino.
I built a pretty good resume, a kid from the street
Benitez and Duran were two of the big names I beat
At least their the ones I most like to boast and brag,
better than my losses to Norris and Camacho, that ***
I've been up and down and up again and I know my sport through and through.
It's not run by Don King like everybody thinks. It's run by his rival, Bob Arum, a real cheap screw
I'm at the point of my career where I'm dealing with pimps, another one of their whores.
Taking fights on short notice and picking myself off of different arena floors
Who will it be tonight? another young undefeated kid, I go one, maybe two rounds, then BAM -across the apron I skid
It's not like I've been training and have a legitimate chance to win it
When the usher opens the door and yells "LAWLOR YOU'RE UP" I just say to the others "BE BACK IN A MINUTE"
It's the fast money that attracts me, and the traveling's fun, too,
I mean quick cash and a trip to another country.....
I think most people would take it, don't you ??
The times I miss the most are the days with Al and Tom
Citrano would always get me riled up, McGarvey would always keep me calm.
McCarvey was my manager, a good old Irish gent
and all those big fights I had, he never took one red cent
Citrano was my trainer and my buddy and my pal
Although his birth certificate called him Amadeo everybody else just called him Al.
It was a pretty good team we made back then
More memories than I could possibly write down with this pen
But Tom has since retired and Al has passed away
Now the trainer I had last fight wont be the one I have today
They are usually people that just work for the show
I just show up to collect my quick dough.
One of these trips, however, completely changed my life
I went down to Panama to fight Roberto Duran and came back home with a wife.
Not the smartest thing to do, being homeless myself
Better to get a good solid job and put the boxing career on the shelf.
But I'm trying like hell to get her here, so I'm working on a fast money making pace.
I think this fight should do it, enough money to get me a pad
The best birthday present for my daughter Sarah who has every reason in the world to be mad.
Soon it will be all done
my career, the traveling, this so-called fun
I could have been a warehouse worker or a cook on short order.
But I became a local boxing hero, due to my friend Merlin Porter
It was a goal I had set, a tribute to his name
Never did I think it would bring me such fame.
That's all I wanted, was a belt for my Pal
Though I'd like to win one more for McGarvey and Al
Once I've done that I think I could close the door.....
that's all there is, there just ain't no more
Irish Pat Lawlor 2001
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