THE TRUTH ON VITALI KLITSCHKO & RING RAGAZINE
Landover, MD-Anyone defending Vitali Klitschko should track down his comments to Russian media about being willing to return only for Lennox Lewis. The audacity of a fighter whose career legacy is two losses where he was ahead on the cards, and beating men with tits acting like hes too good to come back, or even show up for fights like Hasim Rahman is appalling. More appalling is Ring Magazines online editorial comparing Klitschko to retiring champs of the past like Lewis, Rocky Marciano, and Gene Tunney., FROM STEALING STORIES, TO ANOINTING CHAMPS!
Ring editor Nigel Collins, you should be ashamed. The only difference between Vitalis reign and that of other alphabet soup titlists like Frans Botha and Trevor Berbick was your magazine and Jim Lampley shamefully stating, on-air, that Klitschko-Corrie Sanders was for the linear title. You, as primary protector of the institution that is Ring, are staining the history of the sport by refusing objective reporting. That said, Ring would be right to recognize a fight between their #1 at 154 lbs. Roman Karmazin and #3 Daniel Santos as being for the World title. Karmazin after all beat #2 Kasim Ouma decisively in his last bout. This should be the only sort of situation where Ring invokes their 1-3 exception rule
HISPANIC CAUSES PANIC & SHARMBA IN UPSET?
Juan The Hispanic Causin Panic Lazcano looked solid in defeating Courtney Burton on Friday night. Im concerned about the manner in which Burton has been losing of late, in other words, his health! The more I think about it, the more I think that Sharmba Mitchell is a live underdog against Floyd Mayweather; however, with the contract minimums HBO pays for Floyd, and the number of tough fights at 140 and 147, this is still a real slap in the face to fight fans who want to see Floyd in against elite competition.
KLITSCHKO RETIREMENT MEANS TIME FOR CLASSICS!
Vitali Klitschko-Hasim Rahman was supposed to happen over the weekend, and yet here we are with a whole lot of speculation, and frustration. We can say only one thing with certainty, and that being that the highlight of the night was not going to be the heavyweight showdown. No, the fight that was likely to generate the most buzz among hardened fight fans was a battle between WBO welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito and all-action journeyman Manuel Gomez. So what was I to do with all of the anticipation that is the wait for a live welterweight throwdown? The answer was to look into the vault for a battle that predated my parents zygotes. Imagine if you will that it is 1951 in Chicago, rain and sleet marking a storm that would pale in comparison to what was seen in the ring. Its a welterweight war between two men that has largely been lost to history.
RAY DOWNS JAKE & WELTER TITLE VACANT
Today, a world champion moving up in weight to claim another world title is fairly common and not always spectacular. How could it be when there are 17 weight classes with at least four recognized belts? In 1951, the climate was different. When “Sugar Ray” Robinson reigned over the 147 lb. class, he was the only champion, and there were only eight weight classes. His knockout win against World middleweight champ Jake LaMotta did not result in a slew of new champions emerging at 147. There was still only one title (though it would take some time for US and European recognition to line up after Robinsons departure), and the top two contenders in the wake of Robinsons departure were the slick Johnny Bratton (41-16-2, 26 KOS) and the rugged Charlie Fusari (64-8-1, 38 KOS).
BRATTON-FUSARI A STUDY IN CONTRASTS!
Both men were still young (Bratton was 23 and Fusari was 25 and each man was already a seventh year pro), but each had sampled the sour taste of defeat against some of the worlds best. Fusari had even stepped between the ropes with the great “Sugar Ray.” Both men had been stopped prior to their clash with each other. For Bratton, the trick had been turned twice, both broken jaw stoppages to future Hall of Fame lightweight kings Ike Williams and Beau Jack in welterweight clashes. Fusaris only stoppage loss had been to the right-handed thunder of middleweight legend Rocky Graziano. A fast pace early would be seen as a tip to the audience that a short night may not be out of the cards.
FIRST ROUND SAMPLE OF THINGS TO COME!
At the opening bell, each man came forward and began the cycle of the fight. Bratton would use his legs, seeking spots to land his sneaky right hand. Fusari would use his jab to try and cut the ring off and land hard crosses and hooks. By the final minute of the first round, each warrior was already beginning to see the fruits of their labors. Fusari would briefly rock Bratton only to have a cut opened up over his right eye. Already the announcer was wondering aloud how many rounds could take place at such a violent speed.
EBB AND FLOW OF BOUT OCCURS IN OVERDRIVE!
With a Pabst Blue Ribbon graphic the only way to tell the rounds apart, the fight maintained a steady chaos. Fusari would be dropped in the fourth for a quick count, and Bratton would find himself trapped against the ropes at varying points, sometime by design, and sometimes because they were the only objects that could keep him on his feet. Bratton, lashing out with a snake like jab, did everything he could to draw further blood from the eyes of Fusari, often taking solace in the steady pour that came from Charlies clearly shattered nose. The tide would take another sharp turn in the tenth round as a breathless ring announcer wondered how much more these two could take.
TENTH A TESTAMENT TO CHARACTER OF BOTH!
At around the two-minute mark of the tenth, Bratton would use his jab and a light hook to turn Fusari directly into his best right hand of the night. Unleashed with his whole body behind it, Bratton would head to the neutral corner, probably hoping that the man who hed just sent to the deck as if shot would stay where he left him. It was not to be the case. Fusari would beat the count by a fraction of a second, and on unsteady legs, make the sort of stand that legendary fights are made of. Using a combination of slipping, holding and punching, Fusari would weather the next minute only to connect with some of his best right hands of the night in the rounds final minute. The crowd, the announcers, and certainly the fighters, were left breathless at the bell.
BRATTON FIGHTS WAY THROUGH THE FINAL FIVE!
The fight would settle back into its pattern for the next four rounds. Fusari chased the agile Bratton, each right hand swinging not only at a deficit on the scorecards, but also the wide points loss to Robinson in his only other title shot. Bratton swung to beat back the beasts of burden that were the whispers that he could not get it done at the highest level of the sport. In the final round, clearly ahead on the cards, Bratton began with the intention to box safe, but his heart betrayed him and he was drawn again into slugging with Fusari. Each man would throw everything they had left into the bouts final seconds and their embrace at the bell was one that said Damn man, we did something tonight! The announcer at one point exclaimed that the fight was a throwback to the olden days but the fighters knew better. Days like this had been, and still are, few and far between.
FIGHT SIGNALS ZENITH FOR BOTH MEN!
The buzz of an audience ready for a rematch, and the raucous applause that greeted the split decision verdict for Bratton, in a perfect world, would have signaled the birth of stardom for both these gallant men. Sadly, that was not to be the case. This night of March 14 in 1952 was to be the last, and perhaps only moment, of true greatness for either man. Fusari would fight only four more times, losing three, before finishing his career at 65-12-1 with 38 stops. Fusari passed away in 1985 at the age of 61.
GREAT FIGHT SANS HALL OF FAME FIGHTERS!
Bratton would continue for many more years, mostly as a name opponent. He would lose his title two months later by decision with (what else but) a broken jaw to the legendary Kid Gavilan. He would fail in two subsequent rematches to overturn that verdict, and also collected other losses to name fighters like Ralph Tiger Jones and Rocky Castellani before retiring in 1955 with a record of 59-24-3 and 33 stops. The man nicknamed Honey Boy passed away in 1993 at the age of 65. Brattons name adorns this years Hall of Fame ballot, and while his win-loss record against the very best makes his a long shot for entry, for one night both he and Charlie Fusari put each other through 15 rounds of Hall of Fame hell. Their names rarely are linked with the lists of great world title fights. I urge anyone who can, to track down the tape of this classic because its time this fight take its proper place in history.
PEDRO RETURNING FROM VACATION TODAY!
Pedro Fernandez, fresh off 21 days of spa life is putting together a column for today as well.
Cliff Rold
Note: 24-Karat Rold is not just the best young boxing writer on the planet. He is also an award winning poet and recently received his Masters degree in US Foreign Policy at the American University in Washington DC. Your comments, pertaining to this article may be left below.