Deaths In Boxing
Less than a week ago, Bert Sugar passed away from lung cancer at 75. The ironic thing is that I never once saw Bert smoke those cigars he always had in his hand. My wife and I joked that it was just a prop. But evidently he was smoking them away from the cameras, which could likely be the reason for the lung cancer.
The deaths of Frazier, Sugar and Dundee hurt. Yes, they were all getting up in age, but they were still active within the boxing community. They were still giving interviews and appearing on TV programs, reflecting on past fights and commenting on the poor state of heavyweight boxing today. When they spoke, I hung on to every word. It was always a pleasure to hear their perspective on different boxing topics. On that note, Ron Lyle passed away shortly after Joe Frazier did. No one will forget the brutal, hard punching showdown he had with George Foreman in the late 1970s. Butch Lewis died a few months ago as well. A lot of boxing legends are peeling off and it's really sad to see.
Tua Hangs Up The Gloves
I've blogged enough about David Tua in the past so I'll just say this....I'm not entirely happy that he's retired, although it's the best option for him. Seriously, if he can't beat Monte Barrett in two fights or knock out a low level contender like Demetrice King, can any sane person picture the lethargic, overweight David Tua of 2012 defeating either of the Klitschkos for a world title? No sir. However, Hasim Rahman still calls out David Tua quite often. He's desperate for a rubber match with the Tuaman. I'd like to see them get it on for a third time. Meanwhile, Evander Holyfield has done moderately well against guys like Brian Neilson and Francis Botha, but could he withstand the devastating power of David Tua? We'll never know unless they fight. Obviously, there are still a few washed up name fighters out there for Tua that could draw a big gate. But I've heard that Tua is homeless and heartbroken over his wife Robina leaving him. My heart goes out to the guy. I just hate that after the 20-year career he's had, he doesn't have a world title or money to show for it.
Goodbye, Whitney
Last but not least, my last blog was a video where I was giving advice to aspiring journalists. I think I'm finally going to take my own advice and get more involved in this digital era that we live in. I'm somewhat against video blogging because everyone is doing it. It seems like everybody is talking in front of their cell phone or web cam while filming themselves. It's not really my cup of tea. But at the same time, I'm a journalist. It's expected of me to do things like this.
Writing is and always will be the most important thing; it's the very skill that brought me to the dance. The most important thing in journalism is your content. But I think I'll become more vocal with videos, especially when I encounter a celebrity. I've got some things planned that I can't wait to share with everyone. Stay tuned. Same Dugger time, same Dugger Channel!