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Frank Cotolo
June 19, 2014 |
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I love the sport of boxing. A lot of people don't like to think of it as a sport and a lot of other
people don't like to think of it at all. There is something repugnant to many folks about two guys
pelting the living daylights out of one another but to me it is appealing. I enjoy watching the
punches, the skipping around the ring, the actions and reactions of the boxers.
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Every fight is different, too, and any fight can end at any moment. That kind of suspense is great
in a world where so many things are programmed and rehearsed.
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One of the best bouts I ever saw was with Flying Fist Morrie Madigan and Strong-arm Sullivan. It was
short but terrific. Madigan came out at the clang of the bell in the first round and one of his
fists flew into the head of Sullivan. It hit Sullivan between the bridge of the nose and his
eyebrows. After the punch, which technically ended the bout in a knockout, we had to wait for
Sullivan to hit the ground and then for the referee to count him out. The punch time for the bout
was five seconds.
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A lot of people who went to see that bout live were disappointed because they paid over a hundred
dollars for a seat in the arena. To make them feel like they didn't get gypped, the arena played a
loop of the single punch many times while the next two boxers on the card got ready for their match.
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I like long and short boxing matches. The long ones can get bloody, like the one between Julio
Vesterbule and Mickey Myosa back in 1979 or 1985 or maybe it was 2000, I don't recall. But I do
remember the blood. The bout went 12 rounds, even though by round five Julio was streaming blood
from his left eye socket. Though the blood clouded his vision, Julio managed to land a solid right
to Mickey's right eye, which obstructed Mickey's vision but leveled the playing field, so to speak.
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As the two boxers bled and a slippery puddle or two formed in the ring, the two kept missing hitting
each other. They were throwing lots of punches but with each of their opposite eyes out of
commission they could not focus clearly on the other guy.
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This went on for many rounds. The referee wanted to stop the fight but a number of people in the
front rows threatened him with his life. The fans were thrilled by the colorful spectacle of blood
and punches. I was, too. It was thrilling too because we all knew that one of them was bound to hit
the other eventually and change the dynamics of the fight. That is what happened in Round 12.
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