Rocky - At the Main Street Gym

This is my favorite boxing movie of all time. In January or February of 1976, I was a young boxer training at the Main Street Gym, in Los Angeles, California, when I got a call from my manager/trainer, Mel Epstein, telling me that they were filming a movie about the life of Rocky Marciano at the gym. He asked if I would like to be an extra in the movie. Of course I said yes. Well as it turns out, they were not making a Marciano biography.

As the film got under way, I had a chance to meet Sylvester Stallone, at that time, I was not very impressed, since the only other time I had seen him was in the "Lords of Flatbush". He was not yet the superstar he would later become. In fact he was really an unknown. He was however, a very nice guy. I got a picture with him, and I've since had it blown up into an 8x10, it's my pride and joy of a long ago time. In case anybody is interested, the scene that I'm in, is when Rocky and Mickey are arguing after his gear was removed from his locker and hung on "skid row". I'm in the upper right hand corner, in the ring that's on the right side of the screen. I'm sparring with Monroe Brooks, who was the California State Champ at the time, and a very nice guy, by the way. I'm wearing an off white tan colored trunks and red head gear. Actually, these are my Navy swim trunks. Brooks, I believe, was wearing red trunks. Not that it matters, but just for identification only, he's the black guy (I hate doing that).

Burgess Meredith had lunch with Mel (my trainer) and picked his brain for his Mickey character. They filmed at the gym for three days, and I got paid forty dollars a day. I would have done it for free. I was glad to see the movie get an Oscar, and disappointed that Stallone did not get the best actor award. It's funny, but my kids always tease me, they know I like showing the movie and the picture whenever someone is over for the first time. I've tried to stop because I think it embarrasses them. Rocky was a classic story about an underdog who gets his shot at respect. And it's about heart. For all these reasons, Rocky is one of my favorite movies, definitely my favorite boxing movie.

Just a thought....

Just a thought on what I think is wrong about my beloved sport. EGO! Everybody wants to be a multi division champion, regardless of what it does to their body or their career. Sometimes you just can't have it all. If I were to pick two models of consistency, and perfect examples of what I'm talking about, it would be, Marvin Hagler and Bernard Hopkins. Both true middleweights and both had the same goal and plan, to be the best of their division. This is what makes their careers so great, and long lasting. There was alot of pressure put on Hagler when he was champion, to fight Michael Spinks, a natural light Heavy, he wisely and rightfully declined, but he did extend an invitation to Spinks to come down in weight and fight for the middleweight title. Spinks, just as wisely, declined. The two best examples of spreading yourself too thin, in the weight classes are Sugar Shane Mosely and Oscar De La Hoya, two fighters that have reached the top of their profession, but not their full potential, at least not in my eyes. As long as they stayed in their weight class they were unbeatable, especially Mosely who moved up just too much by taking on Wright (actually he was defending the title that he took from De la Hoya). Mosely should be fighting guys like Ricky Hatton, Floyd Mayweather jr. or Arturo Gotti. Hopefully, the up and coming young fighters, (and their managers) are paying attention.

Nobody asked me yet, but.....

I haven't heard anybody mention it yet, but I think a good fight for Floyd Mayweather would be "Sugar" Shane Mosely. Never mind that Mosely has had some bad luck in the last couple of years. Vernon Forrest was too big and the styles just weren't right. Winky Wright was just too big, period, for Mosely. Although I thought he lost the second fight with Oscar De La Hoya, it was competitive, and close. No, Mosely still belongs at the lighter weight, and I think the welters would be better suited for him. And despite Mayweather's overwhelming win against Arturo Gotti last Saturday (06/24/05) and looking great doing it, beating Gotti has about as much significance as Roy Jones' thrashing of Vinnie Pazienza exactly ten years ago, which is none at all. As good as Gotti is, and as exciting as he has been, he just isn’t in the same class as Mayweather, or Mosely. There is no doubt in my mind, that Mosely would have done the exact same thing if he had fought Gotti. A match between the two makes sense to me. It would be an exciting fight, and nothing short of a classic ring war. I hope I'm not the only one who thinks so!

Dedicated to every boxer that ever stepped into the ring....

I've had this gem floating around for years. I don't know who wrote it, or when, but if you're a boxer, or know someone who is, or even if you're just a fan, you'll love this........

.....It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory or defeat........Anonymous