8/18/06 - In Rusty's Corner
In Rusty's Corner
By Rusty Rubin, editor-in-chief of the Ringsports.com publication and website advisor is the author
of "Off the Canvas", #22873, a view of American history and the social problems of the times,
as seen by an 80-year old ex-champion. "Off the Canvas" takes you from the time of the Great
Depression till the World Trade Center disaster and is a book that has been getting rave reviews.
Copies are $15.00 each available at authorhouse.com, (22873)
Ringsports.com and on-line major book retailers.
"Billy Soose, the Champion Time Forgot" #31809co-authored by Tom Donelson, is also available. Soose was the
middleweight champion of the world, beating greats like Tony Zale and Ken Overlin in less than a month's time.
Since Tom and I live in different parts of the USA, it would be hard to co-ordinate a joint signing, both
Tom or I will be available. The book is available at Authorhouse.com
(book id #31809) and other fine on-line outlets. Early sales appear strong.
Buy both books and the recipient will really appreciate your caring, and this writer
won't complain one little bit.
My upcoming book, "Woozel, Boxing and Me", #31810 (now available for purchase) is a compilation of funny and true
boxing stories, oddities and quotes, will be out within the next few weeks. "Woozel, Boxing and Me" is a final tribute
to my best friend of more than 25 years, who attended many boxing events with me. She passed away from colon cancer
in Feb. 2004. The early demand for this true, and in my not-so-humble opinion, one of the funniest boxing books
ever written, has been strong. For advance ordering or to purchase an autographed copy, please advise me ASAP.
All these books are available for purchase at Authorhouse.com.***
Mark Your Calendar:
Sept. 14-17, the American Association of Professional Ringside (AAPRP) holds it's convention at the Luxor in
Las Vegas. Ringsports.com East Coast Editor Jack Hirsch is being given the media award. Jose Sulaiman, Alex
Ramos and a few others are also getting their just due. Congratulations to all.
Oct. 14, 2005...World Boxing Hall of Fame induction, LAX Marriott...Call 909-239-3541...Inductees includes
Roberto Duran, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Julian Jackson, Eddie Perkins and many more. Fans would not want to miss
this tribute to some truly great boxing people.***
What did the Rahman - Maskaev fight mean for the heavyweight division? Mainly that the top American heavyweights have
gone the way of American top tennis players, they have aged and pretty much no longer exists.
Congratulations to the aging Russian on his TKO win, but does it have much impact on the heavyweight division? Will
James Toney step up to the plate and fight Oleg Maskaev, if he beats Sam Peter in LA on Sept. 2? One thing for sure,
no matter how you feel about "Lights Out", he doesn't duck anyone.
As for Rahman, even at 36, there's no reason he can't hang around and beat some of the other heavys in this horrible
division. Will he? My guess is yes. There are enough titles out there that there is still plenty of opportunity to
earn some decent money as well as a world title.***
This Saturday the action shifts to Reno, NV. where veteran Sharmba Mitchell, 57-5, (30) is hoping that his age
doesn't work against him against long-armed tough middleweight, undefeated Paul Williams, 30-0 (22).
This is an interesting match-up and it will be shown live on HBO's 'Boxing After Dark'.
Picking a winner, on the surface looks easy, with Williams on his way up the ladder and Mitchell on the downside
of a two-world championship career. Mitchell is an important step for Williams, and the bet here is that he
makes the grade with a late TKO.
Agree or disagree, I'd like to hear from you. (Rusty@ringsports.com)
Glove2Glove:
Prayers for the souls of Vic Patrick and Al Hostak, two boxing greats who answered their final bell this week.
Please say prayers for long time promoter and friend, Moe Smith, who has been having some ongoing heart related problems.
Patti Brandenburg continues to have health problems and continues to need your help via prayers.
Prayers for Mae Sebastian, who is fighting a serious illness. Mae is the wife of Gene Sebastian, who gave Tom
Donelson and myself the info needed to write the book "Billy Soose, The Champion Time Forgot".
Prayers for the return to health of Ruben Chacon, uncle of RS.com's outstanding West Coast photographer, who is
ailing with prostate cancer.
Prayers needed for Elise Brown, grand daughter of Ringside Products head honcho and good boxing guy John Brown.
Young Elise has heart problems.
Prayers have also helped but continue to be needed for Dennis Wilcox, brother of boxing scribe David Wilcox, who
is in an Oregon hospital suffering from Leukemia. The family and everyone at Glove2Glove ask for your prayers
for his total recovery.
Prayers for the return to health of Audrey Talmo, wife of Ed, a long-time boxing fan who cares about our sport.
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.***
Please say prayers for the recovery of good friend and great boxing guy Norm Cote, Past President of the World
Boxing Hall of Fame, who is undergoing dialysis three times a week. Norm's a fighter and we have to be there in his corner.
Prayers also for former World Boxing Hall of Fame Presidents Dub Harris and Charlie Casas who are having some
severe health problems as well.
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.
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 absolutely 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: Call me a cynic (I'm often called worse), but I have little faith that this cease
fire in the Middle East will work. This seemingly endless hatred of Hizballah and other extremist groups
wanting the destruction of the only democracy in that region of the World has led to the volatile situation to start with.
This is not to defend Israel's killing of innocent civilians in Lebanon and vice-versa, there can be no defending
that behavior. But in fairness, Israel has the technology to guide their weapons and Hizbollah does not. War is ugly!
Perhaps the Israeli's over-reacted to the kidnapping of two of their soldiers, or perhaps that incident was
the straw that broke the camels back.
Suffice to say that we're not going to solve this hatred that goes back thousands of years, in one editorial.
I just hope I'm wrong and that every nation will someday soon, be able to live together in peace.
That won't give us World peace, of course. The cold-blooded Islam fundamentalists hate any other way of life,
and think freedom is not an option. They always seem to be plotting ways of attacking those nations that refuse
to accept their backward belief system.
Then again, is forcing 'freedom' on those Middle Eastern nations who have never known it that much different?
Look at some of elected leaders of both parties, how many honest men and women do you see?
Giving illegal aliens the same right to vote as legal citizens makes no sense either. Is that the freedom
that our young men fought and died for?
This is certainly a much better system of government than that which blows up religious statues and
discredits other beliefs, but we are still forcing our way of life upon others. Can freedom really exist in a vacuum?
Never any easy answers...May God bless our troops.
Agree, disagree or just want to help? I'd love to hear from you.
(Rusty@ringsports.com)
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