Tweet
Every once in a while I like to drop in a little clip from my book here and there to test the waters.. let me know what you think
ICE
MEETING TOMMY HEARNS.. (BRUSHES WITH FAME)
Tommy "Hitman" Hearns
I have been lucky enough to meet Tommy "Hitman" Hearns several times over the years including twice in the last three weeks. The most memorable time by far, though, was our very first meeting.
I had always looked up to Tommy Hearns. I always respected him and was awed by him because of four particular fights he participated in. The crushing of Pipino Cuevas, The skills he showed in the first fight with Sugar Ray, the WARRIOR mentality he showed against Hagler, and the UNBELIEVABLE right hand he showed against Duran.
The first time I ever saw Thomas Hearns in person was in June of 1996 when I was in Jacksonville, Florida for Roy's fight with Eric Lucas and Tommy was there, too. I always have my camera with me at fights because you just never know who you will run across at a boxing match. I walked up to him during a break in fights, figuring I would use our mutual friendship with James Toney as a way to begin a conversation with him. I said something about James and how he used to talk about Tommy with a lot of respect. Tommy just kind of looked down at me and didn't say anything in reply. It was like I was not even there. I know he heard me because I was less than two feet away and we were looking at each other dead in the eyes.
I had never met him before and I thought to myself "Aww, man. Maybe he had too many fights. Maybe he doesn't understand what I am saying." I got a little nervous. I felt kind of like I was on the spot, I didn't quite know what to do, so I just continued talking. '"Yeah, James always respected you when we talked. Have you seen him lately?"
Tommy The Hitman just glared at me with NO expression on his face. Nothing. Just a Blank stare. Now, I had just fought Henry Maske a month earlier for the Light heavyweight title and, not that long before this moment, I had been introduced to the crowd between fights along with Tommy and the other fighters (and athletes and entertainers) that were in attendance and for a few seconds I thought maybe Tommy saw me as a potential opponent at 175 pounds and didn't want to be friendly with me.
"Maybe he is trying to intimidate me," I thought to myself.
At this point I was feeling a little bit uncomfortable because if he didn't at least say something to me I was just going to have to turn around and walk away, leaving the champ standing there in what appeared to be a daze. I didn't want to do that to him so I started to fool around a little bit. I know there had to be people watching all this happen. So I looked right into Tommy's eyes and while he was staring at me I slowly got up on my tippy toes and kind of made an Ali type of googly eyes face at him, thinking THAT would break him up and he would laugh. So there I am on my tippy toes, making googly-eye faces right into the face of Tommy "Hit Man" Hearns and he is glaring at me. Still no change of expression. At this point I am feeling sad for Tommy Hit Man, thinking boxing has done him in. I come down off my tippy toes and I kind of CAREFULLY and softly pat him on the shoulder and say "Well, it's been nice talking to you." I turn to leave and take a couple steps when I hear loud laughing from behind me and when I turn back around Tommy is grabbing me from behind, laughing and saying "No, man… I was only playin' with you!! Let's take that picture."
I brushed with Tommy once more around 2000 at a fight in Atlantic City (I forget what fight it was). After the fight he was out on the boardwalk and he was wearing this gangster style dark pin striped suit and a fedora. He looked just like a guy that would be carrying a Tommy Gun back in the 40's. He was in one of those little carriage bikes that the guys in A.C. use to give people rides down the boardwalk and I stopped him to ask about unsung Detroit hero Bernard "Super Bad" Mayes. Tommy was real cool, answered my questions with no problem. He looked real cool, too, in that hat and suit. Smooth.
Note: Saw him again just a couple weeks ago at "The Contender" final in Las Vegas (June 2005). Took a photo with him and Mike McCallum.
ICE
MEETING TOMMY HEARNS.. (BRUSHES WITH FAME)
Tommy "Hitman" Hearns
I have been lucky enough to meet Tommy "Hitman" Hearns several times over the years including twice in the last three weeks. The most memorable time by far, though, was our very first meeting.
I had always looked up to Tommy Hearns. I always respected him and was awed by him because of four particular fights he participated in. The crushing of Pipino Cuevas, The skills he showed in the first fight with Sugar Ray, the WARRIOR mentality he showed against Hagler, and the UNBELIEVABLE right hand he showed against Duran.
The first time I ever saw Thomas Hearns in person was in June of 1996 when I was in Jacksonville, Florida for Roy's fight with Eric Lucas and Tommy was there, too. I always have my camera with me at fights because you just never know who you will run across at a boxing match. I walked up to him during a break in fights, figuring I would use our mutual friendship with James Toney as a way to begin a conversation with him. I said something about James and how he used to talk about Tommy with a lot of respect. Tommy just kind of looked down at me and didn't say anything in reply. It was like I was not even there. I know he heard me because I was less than two feet away and we were looking at each other dead in the eyes.
I had never met him before and I thought to myself "Aww, man. Maybe he had too many fights. Maybe he doesn't understand what I am saying." I got a little nervous. I felt kind of like I was on the spot, I didn't quite know what to do, so I just continued talking. '"Yeah, James always respected you when we talked. Have you seen him lately?"
Tommy The Hitman just glared at me with NO expression on his face. Nothing. Just a Blank stare. Now, I had just fought Henry Maske a month earlier for the Light heavyweight title and, not that long before this moment, I had been introduced to the crowd between fights along with Tommy and the other fighters (and athletes and entertainers) that were in attendance and for a few seconds I thought maybe Tommy saw me as a potential opponent at 175 pounds and didn't want to be friendly with me.
"Maybe he is trying to intimidate me," I thought to myself.
At this point I was feeling a little bit uncomfortable because if he didn't at least say something to me I was just going to have to turn around and walk away, leaving the champ standing there in what appeared to be a daze. I didn't want to do that to him so I started to fool around a little bit. I know there had to be people watching all this happen. So I looked right into Tommy's eyes and while he was staring at me I slowly got up on my tippy toes and kind of made an Ali type of googly eyes face at him, thinking THAT would break him up and he would laugh. So there I am on my tippy toes, making googly-eye faces right into the face of Tommy "Hit Man" Hearns and he is glaring at me. Still no change of expression. At this point I am feeling sad for Tommy Hit Man, thinking boxing has done him in. I come down off my tippy toes and I kind of CAREFULLY and softly pat him on the shoulder and say "Well, it's been nice talking to you." I turn to leave and take a couple steps when I hear loud laughing from behind me and when I turn back around Tommy is grabbing me from behind, laughing and saying "No, man… I was only playin' with you!! Let's take that picture."
I brushed with Tommy once more around 2000 at a fight in Atlantic City (I forget what fight it was). After the fight he was out on the boardwalk and he was wearing this gangster style dark pin striped suit and a fedora. He looked just like a guy that would be carrying a Tommy Gun back in the 40's. He was in one of those little carriage bikes that the guys in A.C. use to give people rides down the boardwalk and I stopped him to ask about unsung Detroit hero Bernard "Super Bad" Mayes. Tommy was real cool, answered my questions with no problem. He looked real cool, too, in that hat and suit. Smooth.
Note: Saw him again just a couple weeks ago at "The Contender" final in Las Vegas (June 2005). Took a photo with him and Mike McCallum.
Comment