My favorite Muhammad Ali story was told by Chuck Wepner a, journeyman heavy weight boxer from Bayonne, New Jersey who fought and lost to Ali over 40 years ago.
Wepner, who is of German and Ukrainian descent, was nicknamed the Bayonne Bleeder for his tendency to cut easily and bleed profusely throughout his 14 year, 51 fight boxing career. He may have been a bleeder, but he was also a big, tough brawler who had beaten some of the best of his era.
Wepner’s career was handicapped because he was not able to devote his full time and attention to the business of boxing. He held full-time jobs to support himself and his family and trained early in the morning and after work.
In early 1975, a promoter was found who was willing to put up the money for a fight between Wepner and then Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali. The deal contained a $100,000 guarantee for Wepner and $1.5 million for the Champ. Ali agreed and the fight took place March 24, 1975 in the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio where, at that time, the NBA Franchise Cleveland Cavaliers played.
Wepner trained diligently for the fight. He spent seven weeks in the Catskill Mountains. When he broke camp, he was in the best shape of his life. He was ready and confident. He was sure he was about to become the next Heavyweight Champion of the World.
On the day of the fight he went out and bought his wife a new nightgown and told her, “Wear this tonight because you’re going to be sleeping with the Heavyweight Champion of the World.” Continue Reading……..
It was almost the Rocky Balboa story come true in real life .Give the Louisville Lip a big salute for giving a Rocky hopeful a shot at his title and greatness.
Great bed time story Tom and The Mighty Manfred will sleep sound tonite.
Thank you, Sir.
And I’ll always remember him as a “draft-dodging Black Muslim with an I.Q. of 78”. Ashton O’Dwyer.
Calling Tom Callaghan and the Mighty Mandfred…..
Its Thursday, where art thou Tom Terrific ? We need to discuss Obama’s attempt, orchestrated thru his DOJ’s mouthpiece and Demos’ congressional sit-in for gun legislation, to divert the TRUTH and real motive for Orlando’s massacre, namely RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM.
The Demos are crapping in their ballots and fearful of losing the LGBT and Latino vote for Hill so they go to lyin’ and redacting about the motive for the savage Orlando massacre of gays and Latinos by a 911 self- confessed RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORIST, whose radical Islamic doctrine commonly kill gays for violating the HOLY KORAN throughout the Middle Eastern Islamic communities.
And when the Syrian refugees ( multiplied by 500% by presidential hopeful Hill) get settled you will see many more professional Islamic hits on America. So, I personally think Obama needs to direct many of these un-vetted Syrians with embedded terrorists,as announced by ISIS, into Hill’s own neighborhood of NY so she can personally look after them, get to know them and them get to know what a wonderful person she is. And like Trump says she needs to be brave like she tells the Americans to be and get rid of of all her guns worn by all her SS troops guarding her in her $2,000 Gucci pants suits.
Mr. Tight, Sir…
Be of good cheer. Think of the unhappiness that would be visited upon us if Hilary wore cheap
pant suits.
More seriously, I will offer my observations on events on or about July 6.