Please post any interesting boxing stories, facts, trivia, or legends you may have.
Here are a couple:
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When Roberto Duran was training to fight Carlos Palomino at Madison Square Garden, he worked out at Howard Albert's gym, an old factory loft in the Garment Center, just a few blocks from the new Garden.
It was summertime, and sweltering, and every Latino worker in the garment area-- and their families-- would go to watch their hero train at lunchtime.
The gym was like a steam room, and jammed cheek-to-jowl with the adoring. . They pressed so close; they barely left Duran enough room to do his floor exercises. And then he went into the ring to shadow box.
Spanning what looked like a crowded subway, you could see chests swell and faces full of pride. Plump mothers holding babies in their arms stood right at the
ring apron, while their little children looked up saucer-eyed at this god.
In the midst of all of this, somebody in the back--unbelievably! -- kept yelling at Duran in Spanish: "PIPINO CUEVAS WILL KILL YOU!
Duran paid him no mind and continued to shadow box. But the heckler was relentless: "PIPINO CUEVAS WILL KILL YOU! "PIPINO CUEVAS WILL KILL YOU!
Finally, Duran fixed a glare at him, stretched as far over the ropes as he could--just above the glowing faces of mothers and infants--and yanked down his trunks, grabbed his nuts, and roared in Spanish: "PIPINO CUEVAS CAN SUCK MY ****!
***
In the mid 50's, Cleveland Williams was considered one of the hardest hitting heavyweights in the world...and a MONSTER.
And, none of that did him justice. The only thing he was missing was the big red "S" on his chest.
He was a walking anatomy chart, and we're talking here when he was at his best, before he got shot.
Willie Pep was in the waning days of his career, but still had more than enough in his tank to run rings around most anybody. But he was only doing it now for the "walking around money."
Willie was "Peck's bad boy", with a twinkle in his eye and no muscle tone at all. Most fighters look bigger in trunks; he looked smaller.
The 5th St. Gym in Miami was not a large place, so Williams and Pep had to train and do their floor exercises almost side by side.
The gym rats kept trying to stoke Willie's ego:
" Willie, You could kill that big bum! He'd never touch you."
"You'd make him look like a jerk, Willie” And, it went on and on like that for weeks.
There was no way that Williams didn't hear it.... And he was 9 feet tall, so it started to get under his skin.
One day when all those guys were really egging Pep on:
"You could kick his ass, Willie"
"You'd make him look like fool, Willie!"
Pep just turned to them and said, "All I can tell you is: I'd hate to have him hang his hammer on me!"
And Williams rocked back with laughter.
***
Here's a link to more stories:
http://www.east sideboxing.com/weblo...p?p=480&more=1
(remove the space in between east and side)
Here are a couple:
***
When Roberto Duran was training to fight Carlos Palomino at Madison Square Garden, he worked out at Howard Albert's gym, an old factory loft in the Garment Center, just a few blocks from the new Garden.
It was summertime, and sweltering, and every Latino worker in the garment area-- and their families-- would go to watch their hero train at lunchtime.
The gym was like a steam room, and jammed cheek-to-jowl with the adoring. . They pressed so close; they barely left Duran enough room to do his floor exercises. And then he went into the ring to shadow box.
Spanning what looked like a crowded subway, you could see chests swell and faces full of pride. Plump mothers holding babies in their arms stood right at the
ring apron, while their little children looked up saucer-eyed at this god.
In the midst of all of this, somebody in the back--unbelievably! -- kept yelling at Duran in Spanish: "PIPINO CUEVAS WILL KILL YOU!
Duran paid him no mind and continued to shadow box. But the heckler was relentless: "PIPINO CUEVAS WILL KILL YOU! "PIPINO CUEVAS WILL KILL YOU!
Finally, Duran fixed a glare at him, stretched as far over the ropes as he could--just above the glowing faces of mothers and infants--and yanked down his trunks, grabbed his nuts, and roared in Spanish: "PIPINO CUEVAS CAN SUCK MY ****!
***
In the mid 50's, Cleveland Williams was considered one of the hardest hitting heavyweights in the world...and a MONSTER.
And, none of that did him justice. The only thing he was missing was the big red "S" on his chest.
He was a walking anatomy chart, and we're talking here when he was at his best, before he got shot.
Willie Pep was in the waning days of his career, but still had more than enough in his tank to run rings around most anybody. But he was only doing it now for the "walking around money."
Willie was "Peck's bad boy", with a twinkle in his eye and no muscle tone at all. Most fighters look bigger in trunks; he looked smaller.
The 5th St. Gym in Miami was not a large place, so Williams and Pep had to train and do their floor exercises almost side by side.
The gym rats kept trying to stoke Willie's ego:
" Willie, You could kill that big bum! He'd never touch you."
"You'd make him look like a jerk, Willie” And, it went on and on like that for weeks.
There was no way that Williams didn't hear it.... And he was 9 feet tall, so it started to get under his skin.
One day when all those guys were really egging Pep on:
"You could kick his ass, Willie"
"You'd make him look like fool, Willie!"
Pep just turned to them and said, "All I can tell you is: I'd hate to have him hang his hammer on me!"
And Williams rocked back with laughter.
***
Here's a link to more stories:
http://www.east sideboxing.com/weblo...p?p=480&more=1
(remove the space in between east and side)
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