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The Fistic
Fraternity |
The
Fistic Fraternity: An Exclusive
Group Bound Together By Blood, Sweat
And Tears; Hard Men Between The
Ropes...
By TED SARES
Staff Writer FightNightNews
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Many of
the members of this exclusive group
had something in common, whether it
was to engage in a Ring Magazine
Fight of the Year or to be a
post-1950's fighter (my choice), but
one thing they ALL had was being as
tough as nails.
For induction, there is no strict or
well-defined set of criteria.
Rather, a visceral sense of simply
knowing they belong will do. |
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These were hard men; they kept
charging forward wearing their
opponents down by their dogged
determination and tenacity. Backing
up was not a part of their DNA.
Rocco Francis Marchegiano (better
known as Rocky Marciano), with
superb stamina, liked to keep moving
forward and attacking, often
absorbing much punishment but always
handing out more. He just kept
attacking relentlessly, kept coming
and coming, kept boring in throwing
brutal shots and lethal hooks to any
exposed parts of his opponents upper
bodies, shoulder, ribs, arms, face,
until he rendered them helpless and
then closed them out decisively.
Against Roland LaStarza in 1953, he
relentlessly pounded away at
LaStarza's biceps until he could
barely lift his arms, then knocked
him out in the 11th round. The
"Brockton Blockbuster" simply
refused to lose. He might be
horribly bloodied as he was against
the great Ezzard Charles, but he
wouldn't be beaten. His ko's of Joe
Walcott in 1952, and Charles in 1953
reflected this quality, and earned
him Ring Magazine's Fight of the
Year.
Two guys named Tony and Jake were
fearsome brawlers back then as well
and were early members of this club.
They punished their opponents and
steadily wore them down before
taking them out. I'm talking about
Anthony Florian Zaleski, better
known as Tony Zale and Jake LaMotta.
Zale's nickname was 'The Man of
Steel'and that said it all.
LaMotta's nickname was "The Raging
Bul" and that said it all as well.
These rugged warriors did not
understand the word "quit."
Frenchman Laurent Dauthuille found
this out at 2.47 of the 15th round
in his classic battle with LaMotta
in 1950. This was a Ring Magazine
Fight of the Year and had one of the
most fantastic endings in boxing
history. I heard it on the radio as
a 13 year old and was stunned. Zale
fought in multiple Fights of the
year...three against tough Rocky
Graziano alone.
It wasn't or isn't technical skills
and athletic prowess as much as it
was heart, courage and an urge to
brutalize people that sets these top
level fighters apart from the rest.
They had an uncommon, persistent
determination and tenacity to beat
their opponents no matter what it
took'.and for some that meant by
whatever means necessary.....but
sadly for others it took too much.
Bobby Chacon was a proto-type, but
it later cost him dearly. He was
relentless and remorseless and did
not know what 'backing up' meant.
His fights with Boza Edwards and
Rafael Bazooka Limon were classics.
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Of course, "mokin"
Joe Frazier was the
quintessential
incoming, forward
charging fighter. He
kept coming at you
like a train,
feigning with his
head, spitting, and
throwing lethal
hooks until one
landed and then it
was lights out. At
times (particularly
his last two fights
with Ali), it cost
him dearly but Joe,
like his fraternity
brothers, was
willing to pay the
price.
Kid Akeem Anifowoshe
most definitely was
a member and he may
well have paid the
ultimate price for
inclusion. South
Korean warrior Duk
Koo Kim did just
that on November
13,1982 against Ray
Boom Boom Mancini. |
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Arturo Gatti and
Irish Mickey
Ward are
uncommon in
their
representation
of this proud
brotherhood.
Indeed, they
should be office
holders. For
them, finesse
had a secondary
place in their
ring. Oh, they
might start out
looking a bit
slick but as
soon as the
first bomb
lands, it's rock
and roll time.
Marvin Hagler's'
three rounds of
savagery with
Tommy Hearns
placed both in
this category
forever.
Of course,
Chavez and Duran
were both raging
bulls in their
own right and
would frequently
do it by
whatever means
necessary. Davey
Moore and
Meldrick Taylor
would pay a
terrible price
for discovering
this. Matthew
Saad Muhammad
vs. Indian Yaqui
Lopez was an
example of what
happens when two
such guys go to
war...to the
brink if you
will.
In what turned
to be a great
personal
disappointment,
Mike Tyson could
have been the
essence of what
I'm writing
about. When the
bell rang, It
was full steam
ahead and a
prime Tyson
didn't stop
until his
opponent was
gone.
Regrettably,
however, and in
one of boxing's
biggest 'what
ifs,' he just
lost it at some
point along the
way. In my view,
quitting on a
stool against a
limited opponent
or biting part
of an opponent's
ear off (twice)
manifestly does
not qualify one
for entry into
this select
group.
In February
1995, 'The Dark
Destroyer,'
Nigel Benn
fought ko artist
Gerald McClellan
in a punch-out
that no one will
ever forget both
for its fury and
its horrific
ending. These
two would have
been willing to
die in the ring
before quitting.
I believe, Erik
Morales, Marco
Antonio Barrera,
Glen Johnson,
Jorge Barrios,
Lamon Brewster
and Manny
Pacquiao, among
others, share
this
willingness.
A prime Evander
Holyfield was a
poster child for
the dogged and
determined
fighter. One of
only a few to
transcend the
sport in these
past many years.
He did this by
winning wars
with incredibly
tough
opposition. He
was not into
boxing
theatrics, fake
weigh-in fights
or feigned
prefight antics;
he was a
warrior, nothing
more, nothing
less. Hopefully,
he has not given
too much. The
same holds for
Diego Corrales,
arguably the
best example of
what I am
talking about
here. And
hopefully, for
Scott Pemberton
as well. Heck,
anyone watching
Vinny Maddalone
battle Brian
Minto or
Courtney Burton
go to war with
Ebo Elder knows
exactly what I
mean.
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Ricardo Mayorga
took a horrific
beating against
Tito Trinidad
but he just kept
getting back up
in an incredible
display of
courage. He was
willing to die
right there and
then. In his
classic brawl
against Ron
Lyle, George
Foreman was
knocked down
three times.
After returning
to his corner,
he was asked by
his trainer, 'Do
you really want
it'' He decided
he did and went
out and ko'd the
rugged Lyle.
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He showed no
quit that night,
he showed what
boxing fans
admire the most
in a fighter. He
showed heart.
It's why they
fill the hall to
capacity in
Atlantic City to
see a Gatti or
why they fill
the arena in
Manchester to
watch Ricky
Hatton. If
"quit" is not a
part of their
make-up, neither
is pain.
The fighters I
mentioned above
are
representative
of the members
of this
brotherhood.
Many have been
engaged in a
'Fight of the
Year.' None
refused to stay
down and many
had to be saved
by their corner.
They were (or
are) fierce
aggressors,
on-coming
warriors who
will gladly take
several punches
just for the
opportunity of
landing one.
Regrettably, I
have left out
many valiant
warriors (guys
like Hogan
Bassey, Archie
Moore, George
Chuvalo, Jerry
Quarry, Emil
Griffith, Doug
DeWitt, Danny
Lopez, Wilfredo
Gomez, Larry
Holmes [who can
forget his
coming off the
canvas against
Shavers and
Snipes], Carmen
Basilio[ who
engaged in five
Ring Magazine
Fights of the
year] and Tough
Tony Demarco). I
deeply apologize
for this, but
space simply
does not permit
their inclusion.
Many are
legends. Many
like Carlos
Baldomir were
under the radar
screen; some
remain under it.
Others like
Jorge Arce show
great promise
for induction.
Indeed, many do
battle at local
clubs while
others fight in
top venues or on
PPV. Maybe you
can name some
others. Have a
go!
Willie Pastrano,
when asked by
the ring doctor
if he knew where
he was: "You're
damn right I do.
I'm in Madison
Square Garden
getting the S***
knocked out of
me."
Ted Sares is a
member of the
Boxing Writers
Association of
America and is a
boxing
historian. He
can be reached
at
tedsares@adelphia.net |
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