Monday, August 22, 2005

Beltway Boxing -- A Look Back!

This is a site for boxing news and commentary along the Beltway, but it is also a site for remininiscing.

I have seen a lot over these past 17 years, some good, some bad, some downright unusual. About two years ago, when I celebrated my 15th anniversary, I wrote some of these moments down and sent them to a website I was working on. I want to rewrite these reflections down here.

Hopefully, they will be full of moments and people you remember and hopefully, you will give your comments about them. Also, if you have moments you would like to share, please do.

We start with the strangest moment I can remember in 17 years: The Night Leon Spinks Came to Town.

In a sport where strange things are more the rule than the exception, the night of October 22, 1994 set a bar for the surreal in my career. I was still doing Boxing Spotlight and we got word in August that former world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medallist Leon Spinks was going to headline a card in DC at the Washington Convention Center.

Now we knew that Spinks was way on the downside of his career, but we knew his name would be good publicity, not only for us but also for DC boxing as a whole.

The card was loaded; Darryll Tyson and Sharmba Mitchell also fought on the card. But Spinks was the one everyone came to see. He faced a guy named John Carlo from New York who was listed as 11-1 with 10 KO's. I remember Carlo not saying a whole lot at the press conference and that should have been a tip-off that something was not quite right, but I was younger then and didn't pick up the signs.

Things really got crazy the night of the bout. Here's Spinks standing in the ring with Carlo on the other side and in the middle was former DC Mayor Marion Barry, serving as guest ring announcer. Barry's enthusiasm for the job was truly evident, even if he did call John Carlo "Juan Carlos" and pronounced Spinks as "Sphinxs."

I'm at ringside getting ready to call the bout. The bell rings and I glance down to read some information about the fighters to the audience. That turned out to be a mistake because as I raise my head to look at the action, I see Spinks heading down to the canvas, knocked down from the first punch Carlo threw, a punch I never saw. Spinks is trying to get up; he rolls around on the canvas as referee Sylvester Stevens begins the count. He's up at the eight-count and Carlo moves in. He starts hammering Spinks again and sends him tumbling to the canvas. Remember, we're only about a minute into the bout and by this time there is screaming for the bout to be stopped. A towel flies in from the Spinks corner but Stevens doesn't see it. Carlo gets Spinks into a neutral corner and pummels him again until Stevens finally stops it.

As my broadcast partner, Charles James, and I are trying to recap what we've seen, cups start to fly, including one right near our broadcast location. While I wasn't totally embarrassed by what I just saw, I was afraid for my safety for a little bit.

The strange aspects of this bout continued weeks later when I saw the tape of the interview conducted by our Boxing Spotlight reporter, the "Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears, with Spinks. I would quote things that Spinks said, but after more than 10 years, I still can't understand a word he said to Spears.

Remember, I said that Carlo was LISTED at 11-1 with 10 KO's? Well, this was before the rule that stated that all boxers should have a federal ID number and card and before the Internet that now has sites where a person's boxing record can be authenticated.

Years later, we found out that the bout was Carlo's professional debut! Again, there were signs that pointed to that, like how Carlo didn't go to a neutral corner after knockdowns, but again, I didn't pick up those signs. We also found out that Carlo was named in a bout-fixing scheme when he was accused of laying down for Richie Melito in 2000. It was just a crazy night that gets crazier as the years go on.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

gary, i can remember that night as well.. The strangest thing to me was listening to Leon Spinks attempting to speak days before on the radio. i can rember Donnie Simpson saying after the interview, how Spinks should not be allowed near a boxing ring. That was probably one the saddest boxing moments D.C. has seen. How he was allowed to fight was beyond me. I am glad to see that boxing has gotten better.

Gary, I can also remember watching WIlliam Joppy fight a guy at Showplace Arena, in maybe his sixth pro fight, that looked as if he could barely walk. Joppy stopped him in the first round and I could swear the guy only took two steps out of his corner. He had a terrible limp in his walk, as if he was handicapped!!! It was truly unbelievable !!!!

Boxing has always been known for the unexpected and bizarre. :)

Anonymous said...

Round One gymnasium has been shut down for back rent. Everyone should thank all of AD's former champs who never paid him the money they owed. Now, aside from plenty of aspiring amateurs and pros being displaced, there will be a bunch more kids on the streets. Good job guys.

A boxing fan.

Gary Digital Williams said...

I think I remember that Joppy bout, SlickWalt. He had some interesting bouts at the ShowPlace Arena.

As far as Spinks was concerned, one thing he did say after the bout (that I understood) was that at that time he was not thinking of retiring.

As a matter of fact, I think he did win one or two bouts after that.

Gary Digital Williams said...

That is a shame about Round One. I noticed they didn't have as big a team at the Mayor's Cup as usual.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened to Mr. Davis. They have had to move a couple of times because they didn't have the money to pay the rent.

Thanks for the tip.

Anonymous said...

What does it meant that this has happened before? It means that illegitimacies continue, and no one steps up to be sure this historic gym, and honorable man have been treated as such. What does it mean that Round One didn't have as many KIDS as usual at the MAYOR'S tournament? Wonder if the mayor can have a positive SAY, or better yet, a positive ACTION. Its ok though that Joe Gibbs is struggling with the Redskins because he is a Hall of Famer. It's ok that Cal Ripken went on 1-2 month slumps when he couldn't hit every year, 'cause he's a hall of famer. It doesn't matter that Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner, 'cause he's a Hall of Famer. It don't matter that the White House was used to sell slaves on the front lawn, 'cause it's the White House. I have always had respect for 'Digital', step up and say something stronger with more definition though. So what if it's happened before, HE'S A HALL OF FAMER.

Anonymous said...

Former champions step up, there are more coming out of this gym. Don't you remember when you were up and coming? Don't you remember when this man guided you correctly? Don't you remember all the slickness you developed in his gym, that you would have never otherwise picked up? Would you have gotten to where you are without the knowledge he gave you? Remember those injuries he helped you overcome. Remember when he protected you from sparring or fighting the wrong guys. You don't have appreciation for that, then your a fool!!!

Gary Digital Williams said...

All I meant was (and it is common knowledge) that Adrian has had to move his gym a couple of times because of lack of funds. This was not meant as a slam against Adrian in any way.

It's a shame the Beltway Boxing community has not stepped up in a bigger way, similar to the way Baltimore stepped up and put together a brand new gym for Mack Lewis a few years ago.

What Adrian and Brenda Davis have done for young people in the area has been wonderful.

Normally, Round One is very well represented in a local tournament setting. This year, they had a few boxers but usually they have double-digit numbers.

DC Mayor Tony Williams can't say a whole lot because Round One is technically not in DC. But surely Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson could spearhead a campaign to work with Adrian to save the gym.

Anonymous said...

How soon people forget what someone has done for them. It is truly a chame that someone as honest and sincere as AD has been shafted by fighters he formed.

Gary Digital Williams said...

It does seem that way. However, this has happened to Adrian three times now. While his fighters (past and present) might not be paying all the money they owe, there could be some mismanagement involved.

Again, this is where not only the boxing community steps up, but also the PG County community. Jack Johnson doesn't know how important Round One is to this community. Maybe a foundation, similar to the one started for Mack Lewis in Baltimore should be put together to help raise funds for the gym.

Anonymous said...

i remember that fight well leon was making a comeback but little do people know is john carlo the man he fought is a big puncher and has one of the most underated left hooks in the game and was never given a chance early in his career if he was you would of compared him to tommy morrison,i know he kod me in a fight in NC

kirk woods

Gary Digital Williams said...

Apparently, Carlo had some skills. He finished at 13-1 with 11 KO's. His only loss coming in that controversial bout against Richie Melito.

I wonder why he decided to quit in 2002.