Thread: The ugly ends

Perhaps because boxers have historically tended to come from the wrong side of the tracks, or perhaps because the fight game has historically been intertwined with the shadiest elements of society or perhaps because being a fighter necessarily means one must, from time to time at least, be not all that interested in the well being of one's fellow man (or sometimes themselves) or perhaps because fighting damages one's brain in specific ways or perhaps because of some combination of the above, fighters through history seem to come to bad ends, even outside the ring, more often than us regular Joes.

Freddie Mills-175 champion, friend of the Kray Brothers, allegedley killed eight prostitutes, shot himself at 45.

Carlos Monzon-160 champion, threw wife of balcony killing her. Died in car wreck at 51.

Esteban De Jesus-135 champ and first man to defeat Duran. Shot and killed a teenager after a traffic dispute when 30. Died in prison of Aids at 37.

Stanley Ketchell-160 champ. Shot at 24 by a jealous husband.

James Butler-Asshole. Serving 30 years for killing Sam Kellerman.

Zora Folley-Heavyweight contender. Died at 31 under mysterious circumstances of head trauma falling into a swimming pool.

Edwin Valero-Murdered wife and hung himself in prison at 27.

Eddie Machen-Heavyweight contender, jumped out an apartment building window at 40.

Jumbo Cummings-heavyweight. Serving life for repeated offenses.

Bill Brennan-Heavyweight contender. Shot to death by two thieves at 31.

Battling Siki-175 champ. Shot to death while drunk at 28.

Oscar Bonavena-Heavyweight contender. Shot to death at the Mustang Ranch at 33.

Ricky Womack-Promising prospect who twice defeated Holyfield as an amateur. Unbeaten when jailed for armed robbery. Suicide at 40 after winning all four return bouts.

Arturo Gatti-Probably killed self at 37.

Sonny Liston-Heavyweight champ. Died of mysterious drug overdose at 38.


James Scott[/B]-175 contender. Made his name fighting from prison. Serving life for murder.

Vernon Forrest-147 champ. Shot to death at 38.

Michael Nunn-160 champ. Serving time for drug dealing.


Agapito Sanchez-122 contender. Shot to death at 35.

Chico Corrales-130 champ. Drunk motorcycle riding at 29.

Alexis Arguello-Legend. Suicide at 58. Tony Ayala Junior-154 contender. Back in jail again, this time for heroin posession.

Ike IBeabuchi-Heavyweight contender. In prison for rape.


Trevor Berbick-Heavyweight strapholder. Killed by hatchet wielding nephew at 51.

Curtis Sheperd-175 contender. Served 30 years for murder.

Julian Letterlough-Cruiser contender. Shot to death at 35.

Al Bummy Davis-147 contender. Shot to death at 25. [B]

Clifford Ettiene-Heavyweight contender. Serving life for armed robbery.

OK, this is getting pretty damned depressing and I'm pretty sure I have yet to really dent the true list. Little help?

Lol I think u have ur bases covered man!!
Would like to c mike nunn fight again.

Originally Posted by Dropanuke

Lol I think u have ur bases covered man!!
Would like to c mike nunn fight again.

Nunn really was special wasn't he? IIRC he beat Frank Tate, Sumbu Kalambay, The Blade, Juan Roldan, The Cobra and Marlon Starling in a row!

He was dominating James Toney, DOMINATING him, for ten rounds. Then a single left hook...

Billy Collins is another one.

Originally Posted by generalbulldog

Billy Collins is another one.

Geeze, how did I leave Poor Billy out? May God Damn Panama Lewis. I struggle right now to condemn Louis Resto. He has become such a pitiful figure. I think he is serving his time in hell here on earth.

Good work Marble Here's a few of my thoughts:

I remember that Jack Dempsey had 2 championship fights with Bill Brennan, and from reading one of Dempsey's bios, I recall him mourning the death of Brennan, the two had become friends.

I didn't know that Eddie Machen had committed suicide, I can recall him giving Clay/Ali a hell of a test, in one of Clay's early fights as a pro.

In re: Zora Folley, i'd always thought he'd died of cancer or some terminal illness, and was sick when he fought Ali for the HW title in 1967.

I didn't recall Stanley Ketchell being killed at age 24, it's funny, but still tragic that he was shot by a jealous husband, he was still really young, no telling what he could have gone on to accomplish with his boxing career.

Out of all the "ugly ends" you mentioned, the one that affected me most was the death of Arturo Gatti, that got to me, I really liked that kid.

Originally Posted by Mars_ax

Good work Marble Here's a few of my thoughts:

I remember that Jack Dempsey had 2 championship fights with Bill Brennan, and from reading one of Dempsey's bios, I recall him mourning the death of Brennan, the two had become friends.

I didn't know that Eddie Machen had committed suicide, I can recall him giving Clay/Ali a hell of a test, in one of Clay's early fights as a pro.

In re: Zora Folley, i'd always thought he'd died of cancer or some terminal illness, and was sick when he fought Ali for the HW title in 1967.

I didn't recall Stanley Ketchell being killed at age 24, it's funny, but still tragic that he was shot by a jealous husband, he was still really young, no telling what he could have gone on to accomplish with his boxing career.

Out of all the "ugly ends" you mentioned, the one that affected me most was the death of Arturo Gatti, that got to me, I really liked that kid.

Brennan's last fight was also the famous last fight of Billy Miske. Miske was dying of kidney disease (and would be dead a month later) but somehow he KO'd Brennan.

Machen had a long history of mental issues.

The Zorra Folley one is weird. He was supposedly just horsing around in a pool and yet the autopsy found multiple places where his skull had been cracked.

Gatti. Geeze. I never thought I'd see the spiritual descendant of Bobby Chacon. But Arturo sure was.

Rocky Lockridge. He's still with us but man, sad sad sad for a true champ.

Remember when Top cruiser Sergey Kobozev was killed. Pissed off the Russian mafia and promising career-life was snuffed out.

Tim 'doc' Anderson. Hapless club heavy who crushed Mark Gastineu, was dupped and refused to be a pawn to crooked promoter and throw rematch. So he shot promoter who reportedly drugged him in that fight....SJC

James Hughes. All balls to the wall brawler who earned a big payday only to get murdered after party life caught up. Check his fight with Stone and Stephans, solid raw grit!

Cody Koch yng top hvy killed in a street brawl....why does that particular list run on so long

Yeah man nun was special, middleweight division used to b on fire!
I'll always remember been vs eubank and the winner got a contract with don king and the clause didn't say anything about a draw!!!
And mike nunn was ringside b4 the fight talking hype!
Eubank would have been huge in vegas I think

Originally Posted by Spicoli

Rocky Lockridge. He's still with us but man, sad sad sad for a true champ.

Remember when Top cruiser Sergey Kobozev was killed. Pissed off the Russian mafia and promising career-life was snuffed out.

Tim 'doc' Anderson. Hapless club heavy who crushed Mark Gastineu, was dupped and refused to be a pawn to crooked promoter and throw rematch. So he shot promoter who reportedly drugged him in that fight....SJC

James Hughes. All balls to the wall brawler who earned a big payday only to get murdered after party life caught up. Check his fight with Stone and Stephans, solid raw grit!

Cody Koch yng top hvy killed in a street brawl....why does that particular list run on so long

Geeze oh man! Except for poor Rocky I don't think I know ANY of these other stories! Thanks! Now I gotta go research!

bosing related injuries have seem some nasty conclusions

Brennan was shot during a robbery of the bar he owned. Davis was shot during a robbery of a bar he had just sold: he was there to draw customers for the new owner and started throwing punches at the armed robbers. Stanley Ketchel had most of his fights here in Butte, where he also worked (from the age of 15) as a bouncer in the brothels. He was later put on atrain out of town as an undesirable. He took this very personally, took the name "The Michigan Assassin" and never mentioned Butte as the place where he had 41 fights.
In the Nunn/Toney fight, Toney had actually won rounds 8, 9, 10 with straight, hard right hands. The fight was originally called by Goosen, I forget his first name, and he had previously managed and trained Nunn and was trying to get him back. Watch the fight with no sound or in slow motion and it is much less one sided.

Originally Posted by greynotsoold

Brennan was shot during a robbery of the bar he owned. Davis was shot during a robbery of a bar he had just sold: he was there to draw customers for the new owner and started throwing punches at the armed robbers. Stanley Ketchel had most of his fights here in Butte, where he also worked (from the age of 15) as a bouncer in the brothels. He was later put on atrain out of town as an undesirable. He took this very personally, took the name "The Michigan Assassin" and never mentioned Butte as the place where he had 41 fights.
In the Nunn/Toney fight, Toney had actually won rounds 8, 9, 10 with straight, hard right hands. The fight was originally called by Goosen, I forget his first name, and he had previously managed and trained Nunn and was trying to get him back. Watch the fight with no sound or in slow motion and it is much less one sided.

I'll have to do that. Bummy Davis is one of the great boxing characters.

from Wiki...

Michael Dokes -
In 1999 was sent to prison between four and fifteen years after being convicted of an attack on his fiancee in August of 1998. Late in 2008, Dokes was released on parole. He is currently fighting a battle with liver cancer.

Gerald McClellan, reduced to being taken care for by his sister and eating baby food, personal reasons keep me from feeling too bad for the guy, but well it's still a bad way out