Published by on April 16th, 2008
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By Scoop Malinowski
Sports historian Bert Sugar recently sat down with Boxinginsider.com to talk some boxing…
Boxinginsider: Does Zab have a chance with Floyd?
Sugar: “He’s got a chance, yes. Depends. I don’t know if Zab read the fine print in his contract. That read, You might get hit. He doesn’t like getting hit. Judah is, I think, the closest thing to Pernell Whitaker with power. Therefore he’s gonna move. Because Mayweather can also move. You might be watching reverse polarity for a couple rounds. But it’s gonna depend on Zab, how good the fight is.”
Boxinginsider: What is a lasting early memory image you have of Mike Tyson?
Sugar: “Oh, he was the sweetest guy I ever met. He was just nice, very deferential, very quiet. Then, somehow, someway, somewhere, something else kicked in. Cus introduced me to him. At that point I asked Jimmy Jacobs – who was really his manager, really the money – Why is Mike fighting so often? To keep him out of trouble. Then it began to occur to me why. But Mike has all these things going on in his head. He can get a group discount from the American Psychiatric Association.”
Boxinginsider: Rahman Toney, how will it play out do you think? And who wins?
Sugar: “Toney. I don’t think Rahman is as good a fighter as that one punch against Lewis indicates. What has he won lately, a fight over Monte Barrett, that was a fight? That was about as exciting as a Super Bowl. And I think Toney is a throwback fighter. If you watch his defense – that’s as good as anybody’s. He blocks punches with his shoulders. He’s an excellent fighter. Of course he’ll come in looking like a Goodyear Blimp, as heavy as he is. But he can still fight.”
Boxinginsider: Is Toney one of the greats in boxing history?
Sugar: “Not really. Because of what he’s done to himself, and how he’s handled his career and dissipated himself.”
Boxinginsider: Imagine if he had trained like a Hopkins and was in his best shape for every fight?
Sugar: “But he never was in his best shape. I remember being on the same floor as he was after he weighed in for the Roy Jones Jr. fight. Came in at weight. The carts for room service squeaky wheels kept me awake. He gained 13 pounds over night. Just eating. And of course, his mother makes pies and cakes – she has a bakery – so it comes naturally to him. But so does fighting.”
Boxinginsider: What are your favorite boxing books?
Sugar: “Leibling The Sweet Science is far and away the best I read. Bill Heinz has done some brilliant work. There’s some boxing books that are good. I give kudos to several others but A.J. Leibling The Sweet Science.”
