Spring 2012 Updates

A lot has happened since the last time I sat down to write a blog. I'm going to take more steps into video blogging, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to abandon writing. I was born a writer and will be a writer until they put me in the ground. But before I get into that, there's some recent events I want to talk about.

                        Deaths In Boxing

In one of my previous blogs, I wrote about my experience of interviewing the NAACP Freedom Riders. At the same time, I was grieving over the death of Smokin' Joe Frazier (not my dog, but the former heavyweight champ). As far as boxing goes, we've had other shocking deaths over the past month. Muhammad Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee died at 90 years old. I was unhappy to hear about this naturally, but it didn't surprise me. In fact, when his wife died over a year ago, I felt Dundee would definitely leave us sooner than later because of heartbreak and old age. It's sad that he left us. Angelo was a terrific human being, but my opinion on his training still stands. He wasn't a great trainer, but more of a motivator. Muhammad Ali trained himself. He invented his own style, taking the speed of a light heavyweight and adapting it to his 6'3 heavyweight frame. Only Muhammad Ali could fight with his hands down low and not get punished for it often. No disrespect to Dundee, who also trained Jimmy Ellis, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman and others, but in this writer's opinion, he was far from being one of the best trainers in the sport.

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

Just a few days ago, I got another shocker. My favorite boxer, David Tua, officially decided to hang up the gloves. I have mixed emotions about this; feelings of frustration and relief all at once. David is my favorite fighter because of the explosive punching power and relentless aggression he showcased during his prime. 

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

We lost Whitney Houston two months ago. It was a sad shock, but I don't feel cheated by her death. The reason? I've always supported Whitney, even when the rest of the world didn't. She released a dynamite album in 2003 with some solid grooves on it. Her voice sounded phenomenal as usual. Despite having songs produced by Ronald Isley and Babyface, no one cared about the album and it sunk without a trace. I was the only person I knew that had the album. Most people were writing Whitney off as a crack addict, not even giving the music a chance. The same thing happened in 2009, when she released another terrific album. Again, it seems like everyone ignored the album except me. Now that Whitney's deceased, everyone wants a piece of the pie. People are going to finally check out her last two albums--music I've been listening to and blasting in my truck for years. It's sad that Whitney's gone, but her death still doesn't quite add up. Regardless, unlike many of her "fans," I supported her while she was here. 

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!