strong>PAEZ THE MAN WAS “NO CLOWN”
San Francisco, CA– As we enter this second instalment on Jorge Maromero” Paez, I see that the “old guard” of boxing is still intent on dwarfing the accomplishments of the circus acrobat turned prizefighter. Boxing purists were sickened by Paez, complete with barf bags as they sat awaiting Paez vs. somebody on NBC TV. Working the TV end of things for the Peacock Network, Kevin Monaghan was the suit in charge, while the man that became famous as Muhammad Ali’s MD, Ferdie Pacheco did color, as his cohort, infamous for biting chicks and crossdressing, was Marv Albert.
KEVIN SHUT UP AFTER THE 90% QUOTE
Monaghan was one of those men that, at least in his early days as a TV executive, that spoke his mind. One time he told me, “I don’t like 90% of the people I have to deal with in boxing.” While he never denied it, Kevin would be frequently asked for a year or so, “Am I one of the 90% Kevin?” That might have been the first occurrence in which the honest Irishman learned NOT
to say what he truly felt.
“HOMIE, NO MAS BOX HOMIE”
When I left off yesterday, I was getting ready for an unhappy ending massage at the Las Vegas Hilton health spa on Saturday, February 3, 1990. At 5:58 PM, a muted locker room all of a sudden became a whirlwind of activity as four men carried Jorge Paez out of the sauna and laid him on a bench.
FROM PEACE TO PANIC IN OPENING OF DOOR
With Jorge wearing a hoodie and rubber-like pants, I was in a state of confusion as the peaceful atmosphere that has enveloped the room was shattered by people screaming, some in broken English. Fourteen hours away from a same-day morning (8 AM) weigh in for a Sunday afternoon NBC fight, Paez was almost lifeless. “Homie, no mas box, homie” was about all that the weakened fighter could say.
SOME GUYS WERE “SET” AFTER PAEZ
Team Paez, at least the guys that stand out in my mind were L. A. barrister Dean Gettleson, who handled Jorge’s legal affairs during his heyday and Tijuana promoter Nacho Huizar. Gettleson, while he was a competent attorney, he was no Clarence Darrow I was told, a real character I would see in various spots around Los Angeles when I was running around in the south land bar scene. When his time with Paez was over, Gettleson pooled his money and bought a high end L. A. strip club that has reaped millions for Dean and his peeps.
PAEZ’S LAWYER WAS “FREAKING OUT”
Fearing that I was running the story on “Ring Talk Worldwide,” which would air later that night, Gettleson does everything but bribe me to shut up. “Flash,” as Dean and Mike Tyson liked to call me, “Please don’t tell anybody about this.” My concern involved involved Paez’s health and the fight some 19 hours away. I told Gettleson I wouldn’t mention it on the radio, but I did call my friend Herb Lambeck, then the odds maker for Leroy’s Sports Book in Las Vegas, who pulled his “man to man” bet on Paez and instead bet the fight would go 12 full rounds.
NACHO COULD USE CERTS ENDORSEMENT
Nacho Huizar, a Tijuana based promoter who didn’t always play second fiddle to Fernando Beltran, while he was getting rich off Paez’s appearances on NBC and later PPV, either handled his money horribly or has a bunch of money buried somewhere, has had recent some problems his making payroll on a 2010 card.
A METAMORPHOSIS OF SORTS FOR JORGE PAEZ
Dead to the world last night at 6 PM, it is now 2 PM on Sunday afternoon. After making the weight limit of 126 lbs at 8 AM, this was seemingly NOT the Paez who was begging for an opportunity to retire some 20 hours earlier. Bouncing around the ring, Paez is in show off mode, while his opponent Troy Dorsey, sporting a scowl, the Texan seems determined to send Paez back to the circus.
Paez cutman the late Chuck Bodak
< PART III THURSDAY HERE!
Seeing I’ve already tallied close to 700 words, I’m going to air the third segment three of, Jorge Paez: Boxing’s Last Network TV Star” Part III Thursday morning at RingTalk.com It will include a look at the most colorful member of Team Paez, the late, great cutman Chuck Bodak.
Pedro Fernandez