THE COMMISSIONER’S CORNER: One of My GREATEST Memories

Published

10 years ago

October 22, 2014

On a day when I have had no calls from one of my many grown children, which often sound like this: “Dad, can you come over and babysit for a few hours?” and no gym requirements, I like to write. It’s relaxing. During a coffee break while working on my “Gentleman Gerry” chapter for my upcoming book, I started to think about all the fighters I have grown up with since I started watching boxing at the age of 10.

While having my coffee (black, please!) I wrote some more. I began jotting down names onto my iPad (I can still recall the days when I used a pen or pencil!). I typed in their names as fast as I could, thinking of who I enjoyed watching the most. I stopped when I got to 15. If I didn’t, I’d still be going.

Here is the list I came up with:

1. Floyd Patterson

2. Joe Frazier

3. Muhammad Ali

4. Emile Griffith

5. Alexis Arguello

6. Mark Breland

7. Howard Davis Jr.

8. Sugar Ray Leonard

9. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad

10. Larry Holmes

11. Hector Camacho

12. Alex Ramos

13. Arturo Gatti

14. Mike Tyson

15. Kostya Tszyu

It’s funny, but the first four names are my all-time favorites. I grew up watching them. Emile Griffith was my first sports hero, not just my first boxing hero. Floyd Patterson was my second. I followed their every move through Ring Magazine. I celebrated their wins by buying my friends 8-cent “egg creams” at the local candy store (egg creams and candy stores were very New York kind of things in the ’60’s). When they lost, I was best left alone.

Joe Frazier and Cassius Clay followed. When Clay told the world he wanted to be called Muhammad Ali, that was fine with me. It wasn’t fine with Ring Magazine boss Nat Fleischer, who insisted on calling him Clay and rating him as Cassius Clay. Then, when Ali refused military induction in 1967, Fleischer not only removed Cassius Clay from the ratings, he stripped him of the title as recognized by The Ring. I really disliked old Nat for doing that. I was then a high school senior. I continued to watch as New York State Boxing Commissioner Edwin Dooley then stripped Ali of New York recognition of the title. I decided then and there, that one day, I would take both their jobs and perhaps get to apologize to Mr. Ali for the wrong Fleischer and Dooley had done to him. I knew right then and there, that I wanted to be in boxing. I wanted to work in boxing. I wanted to make my life in and around these special men. It became my life’s dream.

Dreams DO come true.

Within 12 years after Nat Fleischer stripped “Cassius Clay” of the title, I was sitting in his chair at The Ring. Nine years after that, I sat in Commissioner Dooley’s chair at the New York State Athletic Commission. I was the boss.

Of the 15 men on my list, I became friends with every one except Kostya Tszyu. That’s because I only met him once, when I was announcing the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, Washington. I had the fortune to watch and announce every one of his victories, including his gold medal performance in those games. What skill! GGG reminds me a lot of Tszyu.

In 1992, I attended a luncheon honoring Muhammad Ali. As Chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission, I was seated, not just at the dais with Ali, I was seated NEXT to him. He found it funny that the Chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission–the same position as the one which stripped him of the title 25 years earlier–would be seated next to him and acting so friendly.

When it was my turn to speak, I walked to the podium, knowing I was about to realize one of my life’s major dreams. I was about to apologize to Muhammad Ali for the injustice done to him by the heads of both Ring Magazine and the New York State Athletic Commission.

After being introduced to the crowd of around 1,000, I first looked at Ali and smiled. He smiled back. I placed both hands on the podium and began speaking.

“In 1967, Muhammad Ali was stripped of his title by boxing’s regulatory bodies,” I said. “He was stripped of the title for his failure to step forward when called for induction into the United States’ military. The first of those regulatory bodies to take Ali’s title was the New York State Athletic Commission. At that time, an 18-year-old high school senior out on Long Island, who happened to be a huge boxing fan, was among those who felt it was wrong to strip Ali of the title he won in the ring, just because he was exercising his religious and political beliefs. So this high school senior wrote letters to the Chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission–Edwin Dooley–and to Nat Fleischer, the Editor-in-Chief of Ring Magazine, which also stripped Ali of the title. He told Commissioner Dooley and Mr. Fleischer just how unfair he thought it was to take Ali’s title away. He also told Mr. Fleischer that the magazine had not only lost a heavyweight champion, but a loyal reader, as well. He signed his name to both letters and included his phone number. It surprised the high school senior that he received phone calls from both Commissioner Dooley and from Mr. Fleischer. They each explained how they had a responsibility to the public to punish Ali for his illegal and anti-U.S. actions.

The teenager then said to each man, ‘But you’re not a court of law. ‘ To Commissioner Dooley he said, ‘You are there to regulate boxing.’ To Mr. Fleischer he said, ‘You are there to write about boxing, to report on boxing and to give us the ratings.’ To each he said, ‘What you are doing in unconstitutional. You can’t just take the title away from Ali. He won it in the ring. He should be allowed to lose it in the ring.’

“Ring Magazine’s boss told the youngster it wasn’t unconstitutional. Commissioner Dooley said, ‘Stop listening to Howard Cosell. Ali broke the law and now must pay for his actions.'”

I looked out at the crowd. I had everyone’s attention. Each of them knew the story of Ali and his three-and-a-half-year exile from boxing. I watched them as they watched me. Their eyes were either transfixed on me or Ali, who sat there, staring at one person: Me!

I then turned to Ali, who was sitting there tall and majestically. I said to him, “Muhammad, that high school senior from Long Island now stands before you as the former Editor-in-Chief of Ring Magazine, the same magazine which stripped him of the title, and stands before you as the Chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission, the same regulatory body which was the first boxing commission to take your license away. I cannot undo what they have already done, but for what it’s worth, I want you to know that if I had been in either position when that situation came up, I would have honored you for standing up for your rights and not vilified you. You are, and always will be, the ‘People’s Champion.'”

The moment I said that, the entire room not only applauded, but stood as they applauded. Then Ali stood and walked over to me. He embraced me and said in a low voice, “I love you, Commissioner.”

“I love you, too, Muhammad,” I said.

He stood behind me and took my hands, lifting my arms into the air. It was a very special moment.

So, Ali joins 14 other of my favorite fighters to watch as I moved on in my dream-come-true career.

Alexis Arguello, Joe Frazier and Emile Griffith became three of my best friends, guys I spoke to at least once a week. I’m sure we’d still be speaking that much if they still were here to grace us with their presence.

The other living names on my list are all still men I cherish as friends, not just as favorite fighters to have watched. The only one I never became friends with–and that’s only because the opportunity never presented itself–was Konstantin “Kostya” Tszyu. I still dream of meeting this incredible Hall-of-Famer one day.

I’ll continue to dream.

As I well know, dreams most certainly do come true.

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Randy Gordon

A Fresh Face on the Boxing Scene, Bryce Mills Faces His Toughest Test on Friday

Published

10 hours ago

March 13, 2025

Luis A. Cortes III

A-Fresh-Face-on-the-Boxing-Scene-Bryce-Mills-Faces-His-Toughest-Test-on-Friday

“He wants to test himself and find out just how good he really is,” said International Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Russell Peltz regarding super lightweight Bryce Mills. Peltz, who has dealt with a wide range of fighters throughout his lifetime in boxing, recognized the fire that burned inside Mills at a local show in Philadelphia in early 2022. At the time Mills had less than ten professional fights under his belt.

Mills hails from Liverpool in upstate New York and trains in nearby Syracuse. Currently 17-1 (6 KOs), he’s undefeated in his last 11 since losing a split decision to a Puerto Rican fighter from the Bronx who had fought much stiffer competition.

The fight in question that caught Peltz’s eye was arranged by the well-known and respected matchmaker Nick Tiberi who paired Mills in an intriguing fight against Daiyaan Butt, a tough and skilled fighter from the Philadelphia area. They fought at LIVE Casino in South Philadelphia on Feb. 24, 2022.

Although the crowd on hand that night favored Butt, Mills, although then only 20 years old, wasn’t intimidated and was the clear-cut winner at the end of their exciting, back-and-forth battle. This showed Peltz that Mills was serious about seeing just how far his ability could take him.

That’s why Peltz decided to join forces with Mills. Despite being semi-retired, Peltz is still active enough to help guide fighters through the ever-changing wild west landscape that is boxing. Since their union after Mill’s victory over Butt, Mills has been on a nine-fight winning streak heading into what Peltz believes is the toughest test of his career this Friday against Alex Martin 18-6 (6 KOs) of Chicago.

“I didn’t want him to take this fight, it’s a dangerous fight for him. Martin is a southpaw and is tricky, he’s a veteran and is experienced. His father (Mills’s father) called me and said that Bryce wanted the fight, to his credit,” says Peltz. One look at Martin’s resume and it confirms what Peltz stated. All six of Martin’s losses came against fighters with outstanding records including a former world title challenger. Martin also holds some quality wins over undefeated prospects that were at similar points in their careers to where Mills currently is in his development.

Bryce Mills looks like a fighter (he’s always in shape), acts like a fighter (testing his craft against all comers), walks the walk of a fighter, and fights with a fan-friendly pedal-to-the-metal style. That is a winning combination that could be the breath of fresh air the boxing world could surely use and on Friday night at the Wind Creek Events Center in Bethlehem, PA, live on DAZN, Mills is going to have the opportunity to put the boxing world on notice.

***

DAZN will televise the Mills-Martin fight along with a main event that features undefeated middleweight Euri Cedeno (10-0-1, 9 KO’s) against Ulices Rivera (11-1, 7 KO’s). Knockout artist Joseph Adorno (20-4-1, 17 KOs) and undefeated Reading, PA super featherweight Julian Gonzalez (15-0-1, 11 KOs) appear in separate bouts on the undercard. Tickets for the Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotion show are still available through Ticketmaster. Lobby doors open at 5:00 pm. First bell is at 7:00.

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High Drama in Japan as ‘Amazing Boy’ Kenshiro Teraji Overcomes Seigo Yuri Akui

Published

17 hours ago

March 13, 2025

Arne K. Lang

High-Drama-in-Japan-as-'Amazing-Boy'Kenshiro-Teraji-Overcomes-Seigo-Yuri-Akui

Overshadowed by countrymen Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani, Kenshiro Teraji embossed his Hall of Fame credentials in Tokyo tonight with a dramatic 12^th-round stoppage of Seigo Yuri Akui. At stake were two pieces of the world flyweight title. A two-time world title-holder a division below (108), Teraji (25-1, 16 KOs) was appearing in his 16^th world title fight.

This Japan vs. Japan matchup will go down in Japanese boxing lore as one of the best title fights ever on Japanese soil. Through the 11 completed rounds, Akui was up 105-104 on two of the cards with Teraji up 106-103 on the third. However, judging by his appearance, Akui was more damaged. The stoppage by Japanese referee Katsuhiko Nakamura, which came at the 1:31 mark of the final round with Akui still standing, struck some as premature but the gallant Akui was well-beaten.

A second-generation prizefighter, Kenshiro Teraji, 33, came bearing the WBC 112-pound belt which he acquired this past October with an 11^th round TKO of Nicaraguan veteran Cristofer Rosales. The 29-year-old Akui (21-3-1) was making the second defense of the WBA strap he won with a wide decision over previously undefeated Artem Dalakian.

Although Teraji keeps on rolling – this was his seventh straight win which began with a third-round blast-out of Masamichi Yabuki, avenging his lone defeat – things aren’t getting any easier for the so-called “Amazing Boy.” In his last three fights, which include a hard-earned majority decision over Carlos Canizales, he answered the bell for 35 rounds.

By and large, fighters in his weight class don’t age well. While Teraji is starting to slip, he has no intention of retiring any time soon. His goal, he says is to unify the title and eventually move up a notch to pursue a world title in a third weight class. The other pieces of the 112-pound title are currently the property of Mexico’s Angel Ayala who defends his IBF diadem against Yabuki later this month and LA’s Anthony Olascuaga who was in action on tonight’s undercard.

Other Bouts of Note

Olascuaga, a stablemate of Junto Nakatani, trained by 2024 TSS Trainer of the Year Rudy Hernandez, advanced to 9-1 (6) with a hard-earned unanimous decision over Hiroto Kyoguchi. The judges had it 118-110 and 117-111 (scores condemned as too wide) with the third judge having it 6-6 in rounds but scoring it 114-113 in acknowledgement of the knockdown credited to Olascuaga in round 11, the result of a short left that produced a delayed reaction.

Olascuaga was making the second defense of his WBO belt in his fifth straight trip to Japan. In his lone defeat, he was thrust against the formidable Teraji as a late sub, acquitting himself well in defeat (L TKO 9) despite having only five pro fights under his belt and having only 10 days to prepare. Kyoguchi (19-3) had previously held titles in the sport’s two smallest weight classes.

In a big upset, Puerto Rico’s Rene Santiago, thought to be well past his prime at age 32, wrested the WBO light flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Shokichi Iwata who was making the first defense of the title he won with a third-round stoppage of Spain’s previously undefeated Jairo Noriega. Tokyo’s Iwata was a consensus 9/1 favorite.

Santiago, who advanced to 14-4 (9), won by scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112. It was the second loss for Iwata who had knocked out 11 of his first 15 opponents.

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Keith Thurman Returns with a Bang; KOs Brock Jarvis in Sydney

Published

2 days ago

March 12, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Keith-Thurman-Returns-with-a-Bang-KOs-Brock-Jarvis-in-Sydney

The combination of age and ring rust made Keith Thurman a tricky proposition against Brock Jarvis, but the 36-year-old Floridian, a former WBA and WBC world welterweight champion, had too much firepower for the overmatched Aussie, knocking out Jarvis in the third round tonight in Sydney and setting up a massive fight with Tim Tszyu.

Thurman’s career has been repeatedly interrupted with injuries. He missed all of 2023 and 2024 and this was only his second fight back since being out-pointed by Manny Pacquiao in 2019. He was slated to fight Tszyu in March of last year in Las Vegas with two 154-pound straps on the line, but pulled out with a biceps injury and was replaced by Sebastian Fundora who saddled the snakebit Tszyu with his first defeat.

Against Brock Jarvis, Thurman started slowly. The TV commentating team, which included Tszyu and Shawn Porter, had the busier Jarvis winning the first two rounds. But the savvy Thurman was simply “processing data” and found his grove in the third frame, smashing Jarvis to the canvas with a combination climaxed by a wicked uppercut. Jarvis staggered to his feet but was a cooked goose and the referee waived it off immediately when Jarvis hit the deck again after absorbing a harsh left hook. The official time was 2:19 of round three.

It was the second bad loss for Jarvis (22-2), a noted knockout puncher who had previously been stopped in the opening round by countryman Liam Paro. He hails from the Sydney suburb of Merrickville which also spawned Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech, Jarvis’s former trainer.

Thurman advanced to 37-1 with his twenty-third win inside the distance. According to Tszyu’s promoter George Rose, the match between Thurman and Tszyu will finally come to fruition on July 6, likely at the Gold Coast Convention Center in Broadbeach. That’s predicated on the assumption that Tszyu wins his next fight without complications which comes on April 6 against Minnesota’s 19-1 Joey Spencer at Newcastle, Australia.

Other Bouts of Note

Melbourne Middleweight Michael Zerafa, who also covets a match with Tim Tszyu, improved to 33-5 (21 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of Germany’s obscure Besir Ay (19-2) who was on the deck twice before the referee waived it off. This was the second fight back for Zerafa after getting pulverized by Erislandy Lara who stopped him in the second round in March of last year. Ay, 35, is recognized as the middleweight champion of Germany.

In a middleweight match slated for 10, Tim Tszyu’s longtime sparring partner Cesar Mateo bombed out Sergei Vorobev in the fifth round, ending the match with a spectacular one-punch KO. The 26-year-old Mateo (18-0-1, 11 KOs) is a native of Tijuana. Vorobev (20-3-2) is a 30-year-old Sydneysider born in Russia.

Thurman vs. Jarvis, a pay-per-view event in Australia, aired in the U.S. on a tape-delay on the PBC youtube channel.

Photo credit: Grant Trouville / No Limit Boxing

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