”OLD SCHOOL” MANAGER WAS TRULY A GEM
San Francisco, CA– Having always enjoyed being around Howie Albert, I was truly saddened to hear of his passing a fortnight ago. The partner of Gil Clancy, Howie was the manager, or as we joked, “the brains” of a successful partnership that spanned six decades. Emile Griffith, George Foreman, Rodrigo Valdes, Jerry Quarry, Juan Laporte, all titleholders in their own right are among the dozens of fighters they handled.
THOUGHT RUIZ WAS TOO BIG FOR ROY! Howie was given the “legend” treatment in the lead up to the Roy Jones 2003 win over John Ruiz in Las Vegas. Working with Don King, he was the “expert” everybody in the pressroom could quote going into the fight. Around me, Howie liked to be funny, wasn’t afraid to be the center of attention, and was quite forthright when talking about boxers and or boxing in general. He thought Ruiz was going to win, and wasn’t afraid to voice his displeasure with the lack of aggression John Ruiz displayed.
TREATED HIS FIGHTERS BEYOND EXTREMELY WELL
To say Howie was “old school” would indeed be a truism. This was truly a man who was genuine in his concern for his “kids” as Howie liked to call them. A family man, an honest man, and while I didn’t know Albert during his heyday of the 60s & 70s, the occasions to which I was afforded his company were always pleasant and enjoyable. Howie Albert was 86.
Pedro Fernandez
Note: Mr. Fernandez is an award-winning writer, TV commentator, radio talk show host, former San Francisco Policeman and four-time Golden Gloves champion. Comments regarding this submission can be left below.