8/31/06 - 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.***
Here's your gift special: Get all three autographed books for $55.00 plus postage,
if you order by Oct. 15, for Christmas delivery. Interested? Drop me a line for details.
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.***
Agree or disagree, I'd like to hear from you. (Rusty@ringsports.com)
One of the most intriguing fights of the year will take place on Sept. 2nd, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
James Toney and Samuel Peter will get it on, so to speak in an important heavyweight fight.
Peter, is a big banger from Nigeria, with a predictable going forward, looking for a knockout style. His only
loss was to a much taller Wladamir Klitschko.
Toney, who hails from Ann Arbor, MI. is about the same height as Peter, briefly held the heavyweight crown,
(beating John Ruiz) before testing positive for a banned substance, is one of the smartest fighters in the ring,
and a very good defensive counter-puncher.
Toney, who likes to brag, but has always backed up his boasts, (except for a loss to Roy Jones Jr., at middleweight,
some years back) by all reports, is looking very sharp, and has not gained any serious weight for this encounter,
which is probably a good thing.
Peter, a soft spoken, religious, gentleman is always in shape, and he can and will reach Toney's chin.
Fortunately for James, his whiskers are very solid, and if he gets hurt at any point, knows how to tie up his opponent.
The styles are opposite, their determination is strong. It makes for a fight that is definitely worth watching.
A pick? Since I have to make one, and I'll go with the better boxer. Toney to win a close 12 round decision.
Glove2Glove:
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:
Like a bad television commercial (aren't they all)? I get a bit tired of the line used by those who defend the
war in Iraq with the incorrect statements that "we're fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here".
The facts suggest something far different, if anyone bothers to look at them. In America, we are used to taking
things at face value. Here are the facts:
1. Iraq never attacked America and had no capabilities to do so. We attacked them, and while we got rid of a
cold-blooded dictator in Sadaam Hussein, we also got rid of the only person strong enough to prevent a civil
war in that oil-rich nation. There were no Iraqis on the planes that hit the World Trade Center on 9/11.
2. Since there was little civil disobedience in Iraq under Sadaam's regime, at least not openly reported and Iraq
was serving as a buffer zone to neutralize their long-time enemy Iran. Anyone care to guess where the majority
of terrorists are coming from in Mesopotamia?
3. Muslims of one religious sect (Sunni) are killing Muslims of another, (Shia) and that sounds like the definition
of a civil war to me. Muslims are killing Muslims in far greater numbers than Americans are.
4. Afghanistan was a far more logical target for America. The country was the primary base for Al Qaeda, the
real thugs that attacked us, should have been the sole focus of our attack.
5. Attacking Iraq made no sense then and in retrospect, far less now. However, pulling out and running
only emboldens our enemies.
6. There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Even the administration has admitted that. Our invasion was
based on bad information.
7. There is plenty of blame to go around for our ill-advised attack on Iraq and it's certainly not just the President
who is to blame. Yeah, he's in charge, and the buck has to stop there, but Congress listened to the same bad
intelligence that Bush and others did. Instead of checking the facts, our leaders voted to enable Bush to
blindly lead us into the 'Valley of Death' so to speak.
8. The real blame belongs to everyone who was in a leadership position and didn't bother to check the facts, and
that's regardless of party affiliation. If anyone bothered to check our Constitution, the reason that we have
three houses of government is a system called checks and balances. It should have been check the facts!
9. Sadly some uninformed Americans still believe the lies we were told when we attacked Iraq. But it's largely the
same group that thinks there really is something called an 'American Idol'. They really think Elvis and Michael
Jackson were kings and Springsteen is the 'boss' of something. News flash, no one ever voted for any of them and
these labels are totally stupid. This large group has little grasp on reality and never bothers checking the facts.
They would rather vote for someone on television rather than our leaders. No wonder America is in trouble today.
10. I believe that it would be wrong to pull out of Iraq now, thus leaving behind an ugly mess that America created.
Anyone remember the old song 'Fools Rush In'? If an all out civil war breaks out, and I'm not sure that it hasn't
already happened, we better get our boys out of there pronto.
11. Democracy, in order to work, can't be forced on other nations, they have to both want and need it.
12. There have probably been more mistakes made in the Iraq war than all of our leaders have made over the
course of history and that includes the arrogant stupidity of guys like George Armstrong Custer.
13. It's a mess in Iraq, a nation once called the 'cradle of civilization', but sadly it's a mess that we helped
create and no matter what the future holds, we have to support our brave boys who are fighting to improve a
situation that our elected leaders, in all their ignorance, created.
14. Voting for change on Election Day doesn't guarantee improvement, but at least it sends the message to our greedy
legislators that we're sick and tired of paying you (so do big corporations) to do the job of not-representing
their constituents. This may not get us out of the mess in the Middle East, but maybe this message will
finally put some honest folks, who can think of other things besides greed, into our government.
I am looking forward to Election Day. In Nevada, we aren't given a lot of good choices this year, and we can't
write in candidates. Still, I'm prepared to vote anti-incumbent of none of the above in virtually all races this year.
Agree, disagree or just want to help? I'd love to hear from you.
(Rusty@ringsports.com)
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