Remembering Jerry Quarry.

[H2O Man]

Hello, DU sports fans!

I'll be starting my DU:Sports articles on the sport of boxing this week. There's a potentially great fight on this weekend -- Alexander vs Bradley -- which on paper is as good as any possible match-up save one (Mayweather vs Pacquiao).

I've also got a couple interviews lined up .... one with Micky Ward (see the film "The Fighter"), and one with a young European heavyweight prospect, Tyson Fury.

But! A little news: I've been asked, and agreed to, work on a movie about the former heavyweight contender, "Irish" Jerry Quarry.

Kind of cool, eh?

[Condem]

1. Looking forward to it, H!!

I enjoy reading them.

[H2O Man]

16. Thanks!

I enjoy watching and talking about most sports. But there is something about boxing that is addictive for me. I probably should resent it -- especially with the difficulties I'm having today -- but I just love it. And I really do appreciate that sports fans on DU read and enjoy the articles I post here.

[Kingofalldems]

2. Wow! Who is playing Jerry? Mike?

[H2O Man]

4. I'm not sure.

I've heard of one possible actor for Jerry -- I never heard of the guy before, which doesn't mean much, as I do not watch a lot of movies these days. Maybe my kids can tell me who he is.

But you raise a good point: it will require two similar looking actors, if the movie includes both Jerry and Mike.

I'll be contacting Mike Nixon later today, to hear what he thinks.

[RagAss]

3. So Cool !

I met Jerry in 1975...he was at a charity event in my hometown. I was 17 and doing some amateur boxing and just went up and started talking to him. He was very kind and attentive....he told me to make sure I took my studies seriously, because boxing was a very difficult sport and an education was a very good thing to have to fall back on. I'll never forget that talk.

A tough man, not as big as the other Heavyweights of his era, but every bit as tough.

Good Luck with the project Waterman...keep us posted.

[H2O Man]

5. He'd be a cruiserweight today.

And he'd definitely be the champion of that division.

I was telling my wife and new "daughter" (foreign exchange student who likes boxing) about how Jerry fought guys like Ali, Frazier, and Lyle .... I think his fights in the WBA tournament were some of his best, too. And Mac Foster.

I'm getting out piles of old scrapbooks today. Dang! I have one of the larger collection of press on his career.

[RagAss]

6. Yes...that classic WBA elimiation tournament.

I believe Ellis came out of that the winner...and that set up the 1970 fight with Frazier, correct?

[H2O Man]

7. Right.

Every one of the fights ended up an "upset," at least according to the "experts" of the day. Jerry beat Patterson, then stopped Thad Spencer, before losing to Ellis in the finals.

Ellis was also too small for the real heavyweights. Rubin "Hurricane" Carter had decisioned Ellis a few years before the tournament. Jimmy was one of six of Ali's smaller sparring partners that fought Carter.

[RagAss]

8. Thanks.

I knew that tournament was a pivotal part of that golden era.

I saw Ellis live once in my life. A fight at the Garden in '73. Sadly, it was a One Round Kayo that he lost to the relatively unknown(at the time) Ernie Shavers. Another Cruiserweight today, perhaps.

[H2O Man]

12. I watched Ernie's last

fight, before he shaved his head. It was at the Broome County Arena, In Binghamton, NY. The Arena was being used as a "feeder" for Madison Square Garden at the time.

There was a young contender, "Roach" Norris, who would also be a cruiserweight today. His people thought he could decision Shavers -- or stop him if he ran out of gas. Man! That guy could throw a left hook. It ended Norris's career in ever meaningful way.

I'll get out my photos of my daughters and I hanging out with Ernie last June. He is still at "fight weight." Great guy!

[RagAss]

9. One more thing I recall about Quarry....

Like I said this was a charity event and there was a dinner that evening for those who helped set it up and anyone else who wanted to attend. My parents were there, and the next day they told me how amazed they were at Jerry Quarry's voice. Apparently, he grabbed the mic and joined the band for a few numbers during the entertainment portion of the evening. I don't recall ever having heard about his singing...but trusting my Dad, who was an old jazz musician himself, I guess Quarry had enough of a singing voice to impress him.

[H2O Man]

13. There's a good film

of Jerry singing the national anthem up now on a web site; I think it's boxingchannel.com .

The guy was a good singer, fair actor, and one of the best fight announcers.

[Kingofalldems]

10. Tyson Fury is an Irish Traveller.

Very interesting.

[H2O Man]

14. Yes, he is.

Big kid, with some potential. I'm hoping that he'll fight George "Monk" Foreman in the US in 2011. Gotta talk to Teddy Atlas, to see if ESPN could make that happen!

[Old and In the Way]

11. Very cool!

Should be a great opportunity for you and look forward reading your column here. Here's another name from the past that I hope you can interview: Marvelous Marvin Hagler. I saw him a couple of times at the old Portland Expo. He was incredible.

[H2O Man]

15. A few years back,

my boys & I went to our seats at a fight card. We sat next to Hagler and Jake LaMotta. It doesn't get any better than that! Plus, right behind us were Shane Mosley and Diego Corrales. It was my younger boy's 18th birthday, and I dare say a time he will not soon forget.

When he's in North America, Hagler often hangs out at Rubin's house. Now, that would make for a great interview!

[JonLP24]

17. Looking forward to your interviews

Especially with Mickey Ward. Also very interested in seeing the movie but I read that the movie is missing one of three fights with Gatti. Which is odd considering all three of those fights defined his career(I think).