Cinderella story over for Peterson

By Boxing News - 05/09/2012 - Comments

By John F. McKenna (McJack): IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KO’s) and his rags to riches story of rising from being a homeless youth on the streets of his hometown of Washington, D.C. to win the world light welterweight title last December spawned a multitude of good press for Lamont.

Everybody loves to see a story about someone who rose from oblivion to make it big in whatever field they have chosen in life. Boxing is no exception.

The original “Cinderella Man” Jimmy Braddock made it all the way back from being a journeyman fighter during the dark days of the Great Depression in the 1930’s to being a contender for the heavyweight championship of the world. Braddock for a time had to go on welfare just so that he and his family could survive.

Braddock went on to achieve pugilistic immortality by defeating the power punching heavyweight champion of the world Max Baer. What made Braddock’s victory all the more remarkable was that Baer was responsible for the death of at least one of his opponents in the ring. It was and still is regarded as possibly the hugest upset in boxing history.

A decade later a down and out tough kid named Rocky Graziano grew up in and out of reform schools in New York City. He met legendary slugger and future middleweight champion Jake La Motta while being incarcerated. He went on to have a pretty good boxing career and was widely regarded in the 1940’s as having the best right hand in boxing. Graziano and middleweight great Tony Zale had a three fight trilogy that is unmatched in the annals of boxing history for its brutality. In the second fight Graziano KO’d “The Man of Steel” after which he grabbed the ringside microphone and uttered the unforgettable “Hey mom your bad boy done good! Somebody up there likes me!” The line was so good that a movie was made with the same title starring Paul Newman.

Last December when Peterson pulled off his upset victory over then IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (26-2, 18 KO’s) it was totally unexpected. It was another story about a kid who overcame all the odds that life can throw at you to make it big.

The unfortunate story which broke over the weekend about Peterson will surely tarnish the image of the local boy who made good. It was a good read and today in boxing we need more of those kinds of stories.



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