The Last Time I Saw Mike Quarry

 

 Earlier this year I won 2nd place with this short story on a private boxing forum on Facebook.. The rule was it had to be a true boxing related story. Since the forum is private I won't mention the name without their permission. I enjoyed remembering and writing about it.

The Last Time I Saw Mike Quarry 

By Randy De La O

I first saw Mike Quarry in 1967, at the Olympic Auditorium. I was there with my father to see Mando Ramos fight. We sat ringside, a couple of rows back. A family started crowding the row in front of us. They took up several seats in the row. A teenage boy a few years older than me walked up, looked around and we caught eyes for a second. He smiled and sat down. “That's Mike Quarry” my father said.

I was at the Main Street Gym in Los Angeles , in mid 1976. talking with my trainer, Mel Epstein, getting ready to skip rope. I looked up as the doorway to the gym opened. It was Mike Quarry. He was impeccably dressed in a blue three piece suit. He had smile on his face and carried himself with an aura of confidence that told you he was a professional.

“You're sparring with Quarry”, Mel said, “He needs to work with someone smaller and fast. You okay with that?” A short while later I was ready to go. “Don't get nervous just because it's Quarry” and don't slug with him, you're just sparring”. “I'm not nervous Mel.”

There was probably a 25 or 30 pound difference between us. I was a welterweight, Mike a light heavyweight. Still, I did what I could. I was looking for that friendly smile but it wasn't there. It was a hard workout but I just kept moving forward and managed to land a few punches of my own.

Later, with a smile back on his face Mike walked up to me and said “Tomorrow?” “Sure. I'll be here!

The next day was more of the same. This time a friend came to watch. Mike was tough to spar with. I'm not complaining, it's just an observation. He was a professional. His job is to get in the best possible shape. I understood this. Boxing is a tough business. You're either up to the task or your not.

After sparring, Mike was back to his friendly self, smiles and all. They were sincere smiles too. That is a lesson I learned from Mike. Outside the ring; friendly, get along with people but inside the ring, in the gym or in the arena, take care of business.

On the way home that day my friend said to me. “Quarry kicked your ass but you never backed up, I'll give you that!” “Yeah, well......”

I went back for another day of sparring. Mike began to have fun with me – fun for him, not for me – he started throwing some hard shots,and showboating. He dropped his hands and did the Ali shuffle. I'm not going to lie. I was tired of feeling like a punching bag. When his hands dropped to the side and his feet began to shuffle I was a little irritated. When he thrust his chin toward me and chuckled I let go of a right hand. It landed flush. It caught Mike off guard and sent him to the ropes. He came back and jokingly wobbled but I knew, at the very least, I got his attention. It took me three days to land that punch.

Drying off in the locker room Mike said, “Randy, you gave me a harder workout than most of the light heavyweights that I spar with. I mean it, thanks!” Outside the ring it was hard not to like Mike.

Later that year we would meet again. This time at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. It was October 30, 1976. Mike was fighting Tom Bethea that night. I was on the undercard .

Mel and I arrived the day before the fight. Mike was a popular fighter but in terms of big money fights and fan base, he was no Muhammad Ali or Roberto Duran but the fight was to be shown live on the Wide World of Sports, so there was a sense of excitement. Mel took me around to meet everyone. That's when I met Joey Giambra, Ken Norton, and Eddie Futch. Giambra was the referee for my fight that night. Norton was the announcer.

We saw Mike at the Blackjack table, and spoke with him a while. He was feeling good. He was his normal self, smiling and friendly.

The next morning we got up and went to the weigh-in. Mike and Tom Bethea were there. This was in the days when the weigh-in was the day of the fight.

I opened the show that night. I was a four round fighter taking on a ten round fighter, Eduardo Barba, in a six round fight. I was a substitute for a fighter who pulled out of the fight. I had two weeks notice. I gave Barba a good fight but lost the decision. Mike won his fight with Tom Bethea via a 10 round unanimous decision. Mike did good that night. Despite the loss I was happy to be a part of that night.

It would be eighteen years, 1993, before I would see Mike again. It was a benefit, in Azusa, California, for a local fighter, Johnny Chavez, from the La Puente area, who lost his eyesight after a fight. I was there with my son Andrew. There were some good fighters there that day, Frankie Baltazar Jr, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Alberto Davila, Ruben Castillo, Ray Mancini and Mike Quarry.

I spoke with Mike for quite a while. I introduced my son Andrew to Mike and they shook hands. You could see Mike was damaged but he was in good spirits. That smile was still there. That made me smile. Mike was there with a friend whose name I can no longer recall. He took a photo of Mike, with my son and I, and mailed it to me some time later. That was the last time I saw Mike Quarry.

 
Mike Quarry  1951 - 2006
R,I,P.

Waiting on Greatness.......

By Randy De La O

Somewhere out in the world, maybe in one of our 50 states, there is a young boy with a faraway dream of becoming a great champion. Maybe he is alone in that dream with no one to push him or encourage him but he gets up every day and finds a way to keep his dream alive. Or it may be that he has a father, or a grandfather (or a mother) perhaps, that once fought in the ring and he has taken on their dream.

Somewhere in a small unnoticed boxing gym or a maybe in an old garage, a young boy is learning how to hit the heavy bag. He is being taught his craft by someone who cares. First he will learn his stance and balance. He will stick with it until the awkwardness is gone and his movement becomes natural. He will learn to punch, starting with the jab and again, he will stick with it until he cannot remember what it was like to not jab. One by one he will be taught his punches, the right cross, the uppercuts, the left hook and so on.

He will be taught not only how to throw them with authority but how to avoid the same punches by an opponent. He will be taught all the nuances that make up the world of boxing. Just as importantly, he will learn the importance of roadwork and skipping rope, of getting and staying in shape.

A knowing and caring coach will guide him through his early amateur fights. If the coach has the right stuff he will get him through his first loss without a hitch, reminding him that, after all, even the greatest of men, of fighters, will lose from time to time.

If his coach, or father, is worth his salt, he will understand that there are some things that cannot be taught, only learned. Call it what you will; courage, intestinal fortitude or heart, these are the things that reside inside a man, or a young boy. A good and honest coach knows this but he also knows that he can help his young fighter to find these things within himself, “The stuff inside!”

Maybe the young boy is having his first amateur fight today or maybe he will fight his first professional fight next week. He's out there somewhere, running, sweating punching and taking punches. Maybe he's hurting too but he understands deep down inside, instinctively, that the Mantle of Greatness requires sacrifice. There is a price to pay in being the best.

Maybe he will be a welterweight or maybe he will grow into a heavyweight. Whatever weight he grows into he should know this. “We're waiting for you kid!”

Lucia Rijker

 

 Lucia Rijker, still my pick as the greatest female fighter of all time!

Old School Boxing Photograph

I don't think I have ever seen a photo that captures the essence of boxing quite the same way this old photograph does. I don't know who the fighters are or what year this fight took place. I'm guessing sometime in the 1920's or possibly the early 1930's. This looks to be a small club, possibly an athletic club, the type that were popular in the early days of boxing.

You get the feeling that both fighters have been to hell and back in this fight. The fighter on the left waiting with brutal anticipation for his opponent to get up off the ring floor. The fighter on the floor looks like he hasn't quite made up his mind yet. If ever a photograph captured the words "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" this is it. I love this photo.

This photo was given to me by my brother Dennis for Christmas of 2013, along with some heartfelt words. He bought it years ago at an antique store and had it hanging in his home but wanted me to have it. It was truly appreciated.

If anyone recognizes these fighters, let me know!

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao

(Please excuse these late comments of the Maweather vs Pacquiao fight. I have been sick.)

Several years ago, my mother, my wife Jeri and I went to a new BBQ joint in the high desert off the 15 freeway in Hesperia. The owner of the place stopped by our table to talk with us. He was a very nice guy. He proceeded to tell us we were going to his love his BBQ. It was the best in the United States. He went on and on about it. We hung on to his every word. We believed him. How lucky were we to have stopped in here. We were sufficiently excited and could not wait for our order. The prices were a bit high but good BBQ, is worth it. We waited, enjoying our iced tea and lemonade and eventually our order came.

Boy, were we ever gullible. Now, if the man had never said a word, we might have been semi content with what I feel was below standard BBQ, but after being sold a bill of goods (hype) proclaiming it as the best BBQ in the country, it was suddenly inedible. In a nutshell it was lousy. The place was out of business a few months later.

Well, that about sums up the fight. If it had not been billed as the “Fight of the Century” or if the fighters were not paid unprecedented millions, or if we were not asked to pay a higher PPV bill, or wait so long for the fight, we might have been able to see it as a regular good fight but juxtaposed against the mega hype, it was a lousy fight.

As far as I'm concerned the fight went the only way it could. Though I would have liked to seen Floyd Mayweather engage in a war, Manny Pacquiao never gave him cause to.

There was no high drama, no moment to look back at with excitement. There was nothing in this so called “Fight of the Century” to define the fight game for a new generations of boxing fans.

As for Pacquiao's surprising claim that he thought he won the fight. I'm not going to hate on him. No champion has been more gracious in victory or (in past losses) humble in defeat. He is allowed, or more to the point, deserves, a human moment. It's hard for an aggressive close up fighter to always see accurately what just took place. He isn't the first and he won't be the last to feel this way. It's that same tenacity and pride that takes a man to the pinnacle of his game that makes it hard to accept the losses later in his career, and like it or not, this is later in his career. What I don't accept are the claims of a shoulder injury. This was a “No Excuses” fight.

I cannot imagine any reason for a rematch but keep this in mind, “Screw me once, shame on you, screw me twice, shame on me”. I ordered the fight at the last minute but I will not pay 10 cents to see them fight again.

The real shame in all of this is that 5 years ago this actually might have been one of the great ones. It didn't happen and that as they say, is that.

An open Letter to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao

Dear Floyd and Manny

I hope you guys don't mind me addressing the two of you in one letter. I have a personal favor to ask of you, both of you. You see, it's been brought to my attention recently that the generation below me - that would be your generation – has never had a true honest to goodness “Superfight”. I'm not talking about a designated title thought up for promotional purposes. I'm talking about a “Superfight” that is immediately thrust into boxing lexicon and history with the ringing of the final bell. There is a difference.

What I'm asking guys, is that both of you, yes both of you and that means you too Floyd, reach down deep, take risks you've never taken before and give this younger generation the fight that young boxing fans have only read about, give them the fight they have been dreaming about, a fight that they will talk about thirty years from now.

I mean, c'mon, guys, you,  the promoters and everyone involved in this fight will be making an unprecedented amount of money. I can't fathom the amount. None of us can. The way I see it, you kinda owe everyone, yes, you too Manny, but more importantly you owe it to yourself, and you owe it to boxing, because I really believe if you guys don't live up to the hype, your legacies will suffer, big time.

If you don't give this generation the fight of their lives than as far as I'm concerned you will both have forfeited the right to be ranked with the Robinsons, the Louis', the Marcianos, the Alis, the Durans, the Leonards, (both Benny and Ray), the Haglers, the Hearns, the Arguellos, the Chavez' and Pryors and all the other boxing greats that have  graced our sport. Like it or not, this fight is the deal maker or the deal breaker, as far as your reputation and legacy is concerned. Give some serious thought to that.

Also, the boxing world, fans, writers, etc are looking for someone, anyone to put boxing back where it belongs, at the top of the fighting sports and on top of the sports world. I think you guys have it in you to do this but only you can make it happen. I truly believe too, that if the fight is a great one they won't give a rat's ass if you win or lose, they are going to remember the effort. I know what I'm talking about.

What I'm saying guys, is that it's time to put up or shut up, because, well, because frankly we're sick of the rhetoric and the disappointment. On top of that you've kept everyone waiting for years.  Now, I'm going to be honest, I do believe that there is one fighter that will enter the ring that night and give every fiber of his being in this fight. I also believe that there is one fighter that will most likely win, but in a less than satisfactory manner. You'll have to figure out who is who.

It comes down to this, money aside, how do you want to be remembered? The best of your generation, and nothing more, or do you want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the all time great ring immortals. You see, I'm one of those older guys that believe the fighters in my day were better , period! However, nothing would make me happier than to be proven wrong. Oh, and I'm not asking for me because I've already seen the best. The choice is yours fellas. You are either the real thing, or you are not.

Good luck to the both of you and may the best man win!

Sincerely
Randy De La O

Hagler vs Hearns: Parting Shots For the Day

The Aftermath of War

Marvin Hagler vs Tommy Hearns: Thirty Years Ago Today

"The War"

Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns 

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

April 15, 1985

By Randy De La O

It is inconceivable to me that it has been thirty years since Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns got it on at the outdoor arena at Caesars Palace. Thirty years is a long time in anybody's book. Seems like yesterday.

In a decade that produced so many great fighters and fights, the three round battle between Hagler and Hearns, stands as the defining moment for boxing in the 1980's. In a decade that produced battles between Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns, Alexis Arguello and Aaron Pryor, Frankie Duarte and Alberto Davila, Julio Cesar Chavez and Edwin Rosario, Mike Tyson vs anybody and so many more, this is the one that tells us more about the decade that was the 1980's than any other fight.
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Yet, this is also representative of what we had to look forward to when we called up family and friends to come on over and watch the fights. We took all this for granted but we enjoyed the hell out of it! Mayweather and Paquiao? Forget about it!! No, really, forget about it! The battle of the Century? Forget about it!

Going into the fight, the measuring stick between the two fighters was Roberto Duran. Duran had fought Hagler to a virtual standstill but lost the decision in a great tactical fight in November of 1983. Seven months later, Hearns would knock out Duran in the second round in devastating fashion. The natural conclusion by many was that Hearns was going to do the same to Hagler. It's been thirty years since the fight so I don't think I'm spoiling it for anyone when I say that Hagler would have none of that! This was not only the defining fight of the 1980's but it was the defining fight of Hagler's career. This fight cemented his legacy with the knockout in the third round of Hearns.

The fight itself was beyond outstanding. Both fighter's laid it all on the line that night in the battle for middleweight supremacy. Both Hagler and Hearns sustained damage that night but there would only be one man standing. Both fighters would have it no other way.

It was an unforgettable night at home. Everyone at the edge of their seats. Knowing, deep down that we were seeing something special. Today, thirty years later, it is still the standard by which I, and many of my generation, continue to judge fights.

Falcon Boxing Gloves (12 oz.)

Any body ever heard of Falcon Boxing Gloves? I bought this pair of 12 oz. gloves for my son Andrew back in 1993 when he was training at the long gone Brooklyn Gym in Boyle Heights. I bought them from some guy that was selling boxing equipment at the gym.

This was one of many pair that I bought for him. I don't remember what I paid for them but they held up well. I've searched the internet but I can't find any info.

Respect.........

By Randy De La O

Let me also say this, regardless of who wins the upcoming fight between Floyd Mayeather and Manny Pacquiao, Both fighter's are deserving of our respect. Paquiao gets the "lion's share" of good will, and deservedly so but Mayweather deserves come credit as well. A lot of good goes unreported or leaked to the sports press very slowly. He's free with his money when it comes to helping those in need. I cannot cite any one act but I have read over the years on some of the good things he has done. My daughter Meranda De La O met him once a few years ago in Las Vegas, and found him to be humble, soft spoken and generous with his time. I'm convinced much of his loud talking is for the most part, an act. 

I am no fan of Mayweather one way or the other and I'm not in the habit of defending him but he is a champion and has remained undefeated for years. No one gave him his title. it was earned and it was defended. We should all be so capable.

Manny Pacquiao!! What a career. If he loses the fight it doesn't matter, or at least it shouldn't. From humble beginnings to world champion in several weight classes to a heroic champion to the people of the Philippines. Along the way he took on all comers and ducked no one. Nothing but respect for this man!

The two have signed and it is said to be a done deal. Let's give respect to both men and let's hope it lives up to a fraction of the hype!

Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather

By Randy De La O

I stopped at the market this morning to pick up a few things for breakfast. I also picked up the latest Ring Magazine - with Floyd and Manny on the cover. The cashier lady and the bag girl (is that what they're called?) both started talking about the fight. The bag girl asked me who I thought was going to win. I was surprised at their interest.

In case you've been on vacation on some remote island or living under a rock somewhere, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will be settling matters on May 2nd. I remain skeptical -hopeful but skeptical - and will remain so until the bell sounds for the first round.

In answer to the bag girl's question, I said, matter of factly, "Mayweather". She immediately took up the cause for Manny Pacquiao. Again, I was surprised at her interest. On the other hand I was not surprised at her sentiment. it seems the majority of fight fans, much of the boxing world and even bag girls, collectively, want to see Pacquiao give Mayweather a good old fashioned ass whuppin'.

What she said next really surprised me. "Yeah, but isn't Pacquiao a southpaw?" This from the bag girl? Now to be honest with you I did not want to spend the morning discussing boxing with the bag girl. Breakfast was waiting and I was hungry but I answered her anyways. "Doesn't matter. Mayweather has more than enough experience and he has never lost a fight up to this point. Pacquiao has lost (going on memory here) at least four times". "But" I said, "It's a fight, anything can happen!" She thought about it for a second, "True!" I grabbed my groceries and left.

That about sums up my feelings about the fight. Anything can happen but I'm going with what I do know. I know that Pacquiao has lost before. That might mean absolutely nothing or it may mean everything. Two things can happen when the going gets tough, Pacquiao can dig down deep and refuse to ever lose again or having lost before he may remember, that losing wasn't all that bad after all. It's been proven that Pacquiao can be beaten and by men that were presumably not quite as good as Mayweather.

Mayweather, despite the prevailing notion that he has dodged or evaded good fighters, has fought the best, as has Pacquiao, (they have several common opponents). He has always found a way to win. I don't think at this point he will be able to handle the “shame” of losing to Pacquiao. I think he will do whatever it takes to keep that from happening. Over the long haul of a fight, Mayweather's concern is never the fans. He may win ugly but he will win. Now, you and I know there is no shame in losing a hard fought fight but Mayweather doesn't know this. His ego will push him and It's almost always true that styles make fights. On the surface Mayweather has the correct style to beat Pacquiao; hand speed and accurate and clean crisp counterpunching. It will remain to be seen if he has the will as well. I expect to see Mayweather win a unanimous decision on May 2nd.

Gotta go, breakfast is ready!  As always, may the best man win!

Collectable Boxing Plates

It's funny (not really), how you can go bonkers looking for something, sometimes for years, then you give up and forget about it and move on. Then you go nuts looking for something else and that's when you find the first thing you were looking for.

It's been ten years at least, maybe longer, since I've seen these small plates with; Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali - two more are still unaccounted for. I was going through some boxes in the garage looking for a book when I ran across these. Still two more to find, and the book I was looking for but I'm feeling hopeful now.

You can argue about who the real "Greatest" was but I'm just happy to have these back! 

Always a Boxer......

Even if you were at the very bottom of this great sport, this rings true. Boxing becomes embedded in your very soul. You see the world, people, character, courage and everything that goes along with being human, through eyes that have learned many of life's lessons inside the ring, in both the gym and the arena. It stays with you forever.

Butterflies and Canaries

By Randy De La O

I got a call from my trainer Mel Epstein telling me that the Main Street Gym would be closed for a couple of days and that I would be working out at Jake Shugrue's Seaside gym in Long Beach. I picked up Mel at mid morning and we headed to the gym. This was the first time I met Jake. Like most trainers of that time He was a little rough around the edge and Runyunesque in character.

I was told I would be sparring. I was feeling good and was anxious to get started. I warmed up and began my work out, keeping in mind that I would be sparring. I had only sparred once before. Mel called me over and told me I would be sparring in a few minutes. He laced up my gloves and in a few minutes I was standing in the ring. I watched as the guy I would be sparring with climbed into the ring. A black guy more or less my age, maybe a little younger. He looked lean and hard.

As the round started I began to box him. He was very quick. I did not have the sense yet to realize that we were sparring, not fighting. Mel was on the ring apron leaning on the ropes. I could hear him talking to me but I was focused on the guy in front of me. I was trying too hard. I was trying to make a fight of it. One round ended and another began.

I don't know where it came from but I heard a loud explosion. It seemed to come from far off. I felt confused. Next I heard a whooshing sound , whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, and I felt myself falling like a freshly cut tree. I landed hard and I remember thinking, “Did I faint?” Again I was confused. I got on my hands and knees slowly and looked up and there they were, yellow butterflies and canaries all around me, all I could see was yellow. I shook my head from side to side, still wondering what happened. As the butterflies and canaries began to clear Mel came into view. He had a smirk on his face and let out a little laugh and then it hit me. I was knocked down.

I should have kept my cool but I could not. I was furious. I jumped up and went at him with everything I had but I was too angry, too prideful. The round ended, I climbed through the ropes and Mel was wiping me down. The guy walked up to me with an extended hand and said “I'm sorry but it seemed like you wanted to fight”. That guy had a lot of class. I shook his hand and said, “That's okay, no problem” My pride was hurt and I had embarrassed myself. I was told later that it was a right hand. that caught me because I kept my left too low. I cannot remember the punch for the life of me, just my reaction. I don't remember his name, or if I ever knew it but I remember him.

I learned a few things that day. From that day on I kept my cool. It was a lesson in humility ( I would have more). I stopped thinking so highly of myself. It also made me sharper and more determined. I can't say I had much of a career but I can say that those things we learn at the gym and in the ring carry over into our lives. I raised my children on that belief. Boxing is a microcosm of life, you just have to look closely.

Vintage Ring Magazines

Jeri found these old Ring Magazines while we were out today making the rounds at the local antique stores. They were dirt cheap. I couldn't pass them up. There's some good reading here. All in good shape too.

Some things never change. Apparently they had the same complaint in the 1950's as in the new millennium.

Excerpt from the November 1956 Ring Magazine editorial.....

“Smart, cagey boxers seem to have become things of the past. Fighters today rely mainly on physical strength and endurance. They make no effort to “out-think” the opposition. Barring possibly Archie Moore and Ray Robinson, there are few mittsters now who know how to combine brain with brawn.”

Undefeated

Arturo Gatti

If you are a fight fan (shame on you if you're not!), you most likely have a favorite fighter, maybe several. But for a true dyed in the wool fight fan it isn't always about winning or losing. When I see an average fighter giving it his best shot against someone that is clearly a better fighter, my heart begins to cheer for him. A true fighter can be beat, but his spirit remains undefeated and unbowed. He (or she) will fight until he (or she) is knocked out, or the ref stops the fight. I will always support these types of fighters. These are the guys (and gals) that make up the bulk of boxing.

It's always easy to sit on the sidelines and see someone get beat, maybe even made to look amateurish but it takes more than most people possess to step into a ring and do battle with another man or woman.

It's that way in life too. Take that loss, shake it off and move on. Let your spirit remain undefeated!

A View From the Ring

Carmen Basilio Has Died

Carmen Basilio-April 2, 1927 – November 7, 2012

By Randy De La O

When we talk about old school fighters that didn't know the meaning of the word quit or fighters that never stopped throwing punches, or didn't understand the concept of ducking an opponent, Carmen Basilio is one of the first faces that pop s into the mind of an old school fight fan like myself.

Carmen Basilio passed away yesterday. My condolences to his family and friends. R.I.P. Champ! You will be missed but not forgotten. Carmen Basilio, a fighters fighter!

Angelo Dundee - 'Secrets Of Boxing' (R.I.P.)

This is a great video.The conversations with; Willie Pep, Jimmy Ellis, Willie Pastrano and Pinklon Thomas are worth the watch but the late Angelo Dundee gives us some great advice. The video is about an hour long but well worth watching.

The Bum

The Bum

A Fictional Short Story

By Randy De La O


In the days leading up to the fight he heard the talk. “He won't make it to the second round” “He doesn't stand a chance, the bum”. “He has no heart” said another.

 Thirty-nine years of age, fifty-nine fights, losing half and stopped in most Still he fought on. It was all he knew. At the weigh in, he stepped on the scales. No more cheers for this tired old fighter. The crowd snickered and the press ignored him. His best days were a decade ago.

 Once, he was an up and comer but then came the losses, then the ridicule and then the moniker “Bum”. Now he fought only to survive. He stepped back from the scale. Watched as his opponent was weighed. Lean, sinewy and young. The crowd roared their approval. “You'll kill the bum, kid, he's got no heart”.

 It's the morning of the fight now, your wife and kids watching as you get your gear together. You look into their eyes and you see yourself as they see you, and you begin to believe again. “Maybe, you think to yourself, just maybe.”

 You are alone with your trainer in your dressing room. The days when your room was filled with the press, the boxing crowd, leeches and beautiful chaos is long gone. No one cares anymore. The world loves a winner.

 You can hear the roar of the crowd from your room. Another knockout. Another bum knocked into oblivion, and another up and coming fighter moving up the rankings.

You hear your name called. It's time to make the ring walk. You look at your cornerman and he says to you, “Just do your best son, just do your best. He's young and strong, don't get careless”. You smile and begin your walk.

 As you make the walk, you begin to hear the jeers and laughter. Someone throws a soda at you. You hear the laughter and your mind begins to think about your old trainer, long dead, who once said to you “What's he got that you ain't got? A head with a brain in it, two arms, two legs and two feet? What's he got you ain't got?” And again, you begin to believe.

 You step into the ring, you hear the boos and you wait. You pace up and down the ring. Something you haven't done in a while. You are suddenly anxious. Feels like old times maybe. You look at your trainer and he smiles.

 As the young opponent climbs into the ring the crowd roars it's approval and he prances around the ring. He looks at you and sneers and you think to yourself “What's he got that I ain't got?” You smile at him.

 The introductions are made and the first round begins. Almost immediately his jab is in your face. You can't avoid it. He's fast. He backs you up and the crowd goes wild. “I'm okay” you tell yourself. It continues like that for the rest of the round. Jab, jab, right hand and an occasional left hook to the body. “Predictable” you think to yourself.

 “Follow that jab” says the trainer, “Follow that jab! Don't just stand there!” You can hear him faintly but your mind begins to wander and you remember how you fought the best in your day. Didn't win them all "but you fought the best” and you begin to believe again.

 As the next round begins the kid throws two careless jabs and you follow them home with a right hand and a left hook and the kid goes down. He's never been down before, this kid, and panic sets in and he jumps up and goes crazy. You've been here before you remind yourself.

 You look across the ring as you sit in the stool. You see the concern in the opposite corner. “Okay, I got their attention”. You look at your trainer and his eyes are lit up for the first time in years and he nods at you.

That this has become a test for the young contender becomes obvious. He comes out for the next round back in control of himself. He has recovered. He's quick, this kid, and he can bang but still you ain't going to quit on yourself!

 Somewhere in the middle rounds a fight is taking place. For the first time in years you hear the crowd calling for you to win. You smile and remember how good it felt. For a brief moment you find yourself reaching back in time.

 No one expected this fight, not the press, not the crowd, not even yourself. Then you remember your family. They know you, they believe in you, they dared to expect it, and you fight on.

It's the late rounds now. One eye is closed, blood is pouring from your nose but you are unbowed. “I will not quit!” you say to yourself, not quite sure if you are thinking it or speaking out loud.

 You find yourself on the ropes, fatigue hurting you more than the punches. Your hands going down just for a second or two, and your young opponent takes full advantage, then you begin to punch.

 You remember your old trainer telling you years ago “When you find yourself on the ropes or in the corner and you don't know what else to do, just punch, just punch your way out!” and so you punch.

 It's the last round now. “Maybe I can knock him out” you think to yourself. You look him in the eye as the last round begins. This young, strong fighter shows something in his eyes that you didn't see earlier and you recognize it immediately. This young man has come to respect you!

 Still his job is to fight and win. Several times in the round you find yourself against the ropes, punching, swinging at anything but never, ever lying down.

 The bell signals the end of the final round. The crowd roars it's approval. You and your young opponent collapse onto each other, spent, tired and worn. You give each other a hug and you tell him “Great fight kid”, “Same to you old man” and you both walk back to your corners.

 You didn't win this fight, you know that and you never fought again. You were never a champion. You were once a contender. It was enough. You found a job, you lived your life with your family and you were content.

 Oh, to have been such a magnificent bum!