5/9/07 - Jim Amato " GLOVES GONE BY " : CASEY GACIC By Jim Amato article written 5-1-07 He was from Parma, Ohio and he only had twenty one fights in a career that spanned from 1971 to 1979. Still he fought tough completion and he fought well enough to be ranked by the " Bible Of Boxing ", Ring Magazine. Casey Gacic started his career with a draw against rugged Gary Summerhays of Canada. He would then beat Summerhays over eight rounds in a rematch. Also in 1972 Casey won decisions over veteran light heavyweights Harold Carter and Joe Cokes. In 1973 Casey lost two key decisions to crafty Vinnie Curto and a rubber match to Summerhays. Casey would not fight again for over two years. On returning to the ring in 1976 Casey created a stir when he drew with hot prospect and future world light heavyweight champion Mike Rossman. In his next fight Gacic went to Madison Square Garden and again held a highly regarded prospect Christy Elliot to a ten round draw. Casey had now served notice that he deserved a world ranking. In his next bout Casey took on another touted prospect, unbeaten middleweight Mike Colbert. The speedy and flashy Colbert outboxed Casey over the ten round route. In his next fight Gacic traveled into the lion's den of Philadelphia to take on the slick Bobby " Boogaloo " Watts. In a heartbreaking loss, Casey was stopped on cuts in round seven. Gacic bounced back with two decision wins and then he outfought rugged Leo Saenz as part of the controversial United States Tournament. Eight months later Casey was outscored by another undefeated prospect Edgar " Bad News " Wallace. In 1978 Casey returned to Cleveland as he won a points verdict over Charles Carey. Then it was back to Madison Square Garden where Casey took on contender Mike Baker. Gacic was stopped in the sixth round in a bout that tuned out to be his final ring appearance. Although he did not have a stellar record ( 12-6-3 ), he mixed it up with an array of rough and tumble fighters and earned his place in the rankings. 
 THE RITE OF PASSAGE By Jim Amato article written 5-2-07 " Out with the old, in with the new ". How many times have we heard that phrase in our lifetimes ? Or " the young eat the old " ? The aging champion, however great he may have been must step aside for Father Time. There will always be a young lion poised and ready to take his place. As great as Muhammad Ali was the ravages of time saw him lose to a novice named Leon Spinks and then get savaged by his heir apparent Larry Holmes. It was sad to see but no less demoralizing then watching the Brown Bomber , Joe Louis getting belted by a champion in waiting named Rocky Marciano. Some boxers just seem to age over night. The once great skills that they spent a lifetime honing just erode at the sound of a new opening bell. Instead of being a champion they instead emerge as a shell of a once great athlete. We as fans hate to see it but we all know that it is going to happen sooner or later. To see the once devastating and domineering Bob Foster struggle to a draw with Jorge Ahumada was a reality check. To watch our heroes struggling and losing to fighters they would have surely defeated in their glory years in very disheartening indeed. It is an endless list but as the grief for our fallen heroes subsides we embrace and cheer the new conquering hero. It is the nature of the game and that is why it thrives. Oscar De La Hoya has had his day in the sun. It may now be time for him to step aside and make way for a new sheriff in town. Is Floyd Mayweather Jr. ready to take over the pedestal of greatness ? Is it time for Floyd's rite of passage ? We will see on May 5th. jimsboxing@zoominternet.net
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