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LobowolfXXX Inner circle La Famiglia 1196 Posts |
I spent almost an hour on the phone today with former welterweight champion Curtis Cokes. His career was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that his title reign came in between that of two other all-time greats, Emile Griffith and Jose Napoles, but he is still a (legitimate) member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Cokes was also an all-state baseball and basketball player in high school, and had a tryout with the Dodgers. He's 77 years old, and extremely sharp with a great memory. Some of you may remember him as Earl in the John Huston movie "Fat City." He trains boxers in Dallas.
We talked about a lot of his opponents and other boxers, including Zora Folley, Sugar Ray Robinson, Tommy Hearns, and Joe Brown. Extremely nice guy, very down to earth and easy to talk to, and really genuinely happy with his life. He got out of boxing when it wasn't fun anymore, and he has no regrets about his career. I only wish I could have met him in person.
"Torture doesn't work" lol
Guess they forgot to tell Bill Buckley. "...as we reason and love, we are able to hope. And hope enables us to resist those things that would enslave us." |
rockwall Special user 762 Posts |
What prompted the opportunity to interview him? Sounds like you had a great time talking to him.
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LobowolfXXX Inner circle La Famiglia 1196 Posts |
I'm a member of the International Boxing Research Organization. The IBRO puts out a journal four times a year, and it includes articles, xeroxes of old newspaper clippings, updated boxers' records, etc. In the most recent one, another IBRO member (Mike Silver) had interviewed Cokes, having gotten his contact info through a mutual friend. Silver reported that Comes was active, mentally sharp, had a great memory, etc. so I contacted Silver, because I'm working on a book about he welterweight division. Silver passed along Comes's phone number, being sure that Cokes wouldn't mind (he really enjoys talking boxing, and the old days). I called him up out of the blue, and that was that.
"Torture doesn't work" lol
Guess they forgot to tell Bill Buckley. "...as we reason and love, we are able to hope. And hope enables us to resist those things that would enslave us." |
landmark Inner circle within a triangle 5194 Posts |
Congrats Lobo. How did you record the conversation if you don't mind my asking?
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LobowolfXXX Inner circle La Famiglia 1196 Posts |
I typed as fast as I could. LOL. Unfortunately, I don't have an actual transcript, but I have a number of his comments verbatim.
"Torture doesn't work" lol
Guess they forgot to tell Bill Buckley. "...as we reason and love, we are able to hope. And hope enables us to resist those things that would enslave us." |
S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
Kudos, Lobo!
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General_Magician Special user United States 707 Posts |
Quote:
On Oct 8, 2014, LobowolfXXX wrote: Sounds like a great conversation. Yeah, most of the great fighters or true bad dudes (as in they knew how to fight really well) that I have met are some of the nicest people will ever meet. You would never know they were bad dudes when you met them. Just down to earth people who are really nice. I am amazed this champion didn't have any memory problems given that he was a boxer and probably got hit quite a few times. Thanks for sharing Lobo!
"Never fear shadows. They simply mean there is a light shining somewhere nearby." -unknown
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tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
Cool! When I was kid many of famous boxers in England used to visit my grandparents home where we lived, as my grandfather was a leading bookie. I had keen interest in boxing for long time but my interest in it faded somewhat over time. Which was after the 60s I guess, when they started messing with who was the world champ. Still a fan but not in same way that I was before that. At the moment I don't know who the world champ is. Back then everybody knew but today I bet most have got a clue who it is. It isn't until somebody mentions boxing, which only rarely, that I think about it. Sad. I as reading something about boxing today as happens though. Do boxing and chess have anything in common?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25491642
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
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