Has the leopard really changed his spots?

It’s sad that Mike Tyson has squandered all his fortune that he has made in the ring and at age 38, still has to fight at least seven more times in order to pay his bills. We’re not organizing a charity drive for Tyson, simply pointing out the need for some intelligent investment counselors and a strong pension fund that should be made available to participants in the sport.

Mike Tyson is not the only fighter who is hurting, regardless of his earning in the ring. And many fighters have been smart enough to invest their hard earned money wisely, as it should be.

Tyson’s problems can be blamed on many things, but ultimately it has to be his choice of life style. While life is short, and it’s understandable why someone wants to go for the gusto while they can, they should also be smart enough to know that sooner or later the dream has to end.

There’s one more factor here, Mike Tyson isn’t considered the sanest person on the planet, and some of his weird activities may be caused by brain damage. Let’s hope not, but if that’s the case, anyone with brain damage doesn’t need to be hit in the head by a big heavyweight punch. Hell, they don’t need to be hit in the head at all.***

If you’re going to be in Northern Nevada on July 10th, make sure you make it to Caesars Tahoe, where a great fight card will be held, and on hand will be special guests Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Penthouse Pet Sunset Thomas, and Vinny Vella of the Soprano’s, and we should never leave out the very popular promoter/manager Lou Duva who is also going to be on hand.***

To date there have been few responses to my subjective question as to who is the hardest puncher in each weight division (active). I know it’s a tough question, but I’d really like to hear from all those boxing mavens out there. This is not a test. I’m not grading anyone and there’s no right or wrong, as it’s just an opinion. But I ask the question to prove a point, and that point is that to prove my theory that the hardest punchers are not found in today’s heavyweight division. Send your picks to me at Rngsports@aol.com.

Update: We are again taking orders for autographed copies of my new book, “OFF THE CANVAS”. Check our website for details. So far I have heard only good things about the book. Be aware that there is about a 3-week backlog on orders. It could be faster, to get non-autographed delivery “Off the Canvas” which is also available on the web at Authorhouse.com, ID#22873, or through major on line book stores like Borders, Barnes and Noble, Waldenbooks or Amazon.com.***

Agree or disagree, feel free to express your views.

Glove2Glove:

Please say prayers for the return to health of Helen Wambolt, wife of our East Coast World Boxing Hall of Fame writer Danny Wambolt. Cards will also be most welcome.

Prayers are requested for Donna Jean Landers, boxing fan from Oklahoma, who has been fighting cancer for three years. She needs your help my friends.

Please say prayers for writer Marty Carson (auto accident) and his wife (health problems) of Indiana. Marty is a long time friend and a boxing expert.

Please say prayers for the return to health of Orazio Esposito, father of our photographer Richard Esposito.

Please say prayers for the soul of Jerry Gladman, boxing scribe from Canada, who has passed away as a result of ALS.

Sandy Johnson a staff member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission is fighting breast cancer. A call, e-mail or card, along with your prayers would really do a lot to raise the spirits of an old friend.

Special prayers go out to Mills Lane for his complete recovery. Mills, who suffered a stroke a few years back may be down, but knowing him, he’s far from out.

Prayers for the return to health of Don Donelson, father of writer Tom, and Gene Sebastian, brother of former middleweight champ Billy Soose. Both are suffering from congestive heart disease. And to Arthur Terciera, father of writer Keith, also having heart related problems.

Prayers are requested for Ringsports.com photo journalist Dale Hausner of Arizona, who is having problems with cancer.

Prayers are requested for Kenneth E. Ryther father of our photo journalist Amy Green. Kenneth is suffering from Parkinson’s.

Prayers for Ed “Whitey” Hadar, a former boxer who is having some serious health problems.

Please say prayers for Phill Grazide of Santa Rosa, CA. a big supporter of amateur boxing, who is suffering the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis.

Needless to say we need prayers for the return to health of both former champs Greg Page and Gerald McClellan, both confined to wheelchairs.

Glove2Glove is a non-denominational group set up to aide those boxing folks and their relatives in need of prayers and cards. We accept no money and only contact our members when someone is in need. It’s free to join. Simply send us your e-mail address. And even if you’re not a member, feel free to contact us if you are aware of some boxing person in need.

Touching on politics briefly: First, for those who asked, (and even those who didn’t, I’m hearing that Dick Gephardt of Missouri is a ‘slam dunk’ for Vice President. Like most of my sources, (unlike the booze) this one comes from someone who is in the know.

What does Gephardt bring besides name recognition and experience? Simply put the labor vote, the State of Missouri, and perhaps some neighboring States as well.

Like Kerry, Gephardt is not an exciting campaigner, so that would be on the down side, but the good here seems to out number the bad for the would be President.***

My biggest problem with Kerry, is not that he doesn’t excite me or anyone (except maybe his wife), but that he doesn’t offer a lot of difference to what we have in power now. And in time of crisis, we’d better be able to elect someone who can protect America, and not just offer the same old backwards logic as to how.

In short, John Kerry’s views haven’t excited me and haven’t excited the electorate. Yet he remains in a dead heat in the polls with Bush. This is where an exciting Vice President can help.

But rhetoric and passing the blame is nothing new is politics. Novel ideas for change would be most welcome by either major candidate or party.

Kerry has not addressed the issues of terrorist nations other then Iraq, help for senior citizens and the record high gas prices (energy shortage). And even if he has, we all know that what people promise during a campaign they don’t always deliver when elected.

The one issue I do completely agree with Kerry on is stem cell research and the right of women to choose what to do with their own body. It’s not that I’m pro abortion, but rather I have to feel that a women’s choice should be dictated between her, her husband and her God, not politicians.

Personally, my ex-wife and I had three kids in four years, so we didn’t believe in abortion, but that was our choice. How much freedom are we going to lose before people realize we could become a banana republic?

Ordinarily the President has no say on the issue of abortion, the Supreme Court does rule on it, but with the aging justices, we can safely say that the issue of abortion could be changed with the appointment of new legislators.

But the issue here isn’t abortion, as long as it remains legal in America, we’d be stupid not to take advantage of it, and help to save many lives with stem cell research. Something our compassionate President doesn’t want to do, either because of his own moral code, or pandering to the religious right.

The best thing that John Kerry has going is that the Bush administration has united the Democratic Party more then I remember seeing in my lifetime. But that should be no surprise, as our President did tell us that he’s a uniter not a divider. One can’t question his honesty on this issue.

Personally, I’d like to see something different, a President with new ideas, and neither candidate excites me with their old-line thinking. That being said, I’d feel much safer if either candidate was President then any of the third party candidates.

Have a wonderful July 4th, and take the time to remember those who gave their lives for Americans to be free.

Agree or disagree, I’d like to hear from you.