By Ken Hissner: Former heavyweight Randall “Tex” Cobb was known for his “joking comments,” like when asked about getting paid for his parts in the movies. He said, “I would like to get paid for being good-looking, but that would be like stealing money!”
Cobb was brought up in Bridge, Texas, along with three brothers he would fight on a daily basis. Their father, a factory foreman, died when Cobb was 6, but he had a mother that didn’t miss a beat disciplining the boys well.
It was said there were only 650 people living there, but Cobb said, “that’s a lie because 600 moved away!” He played football and enrolled at Abilene Christian College, playing next to future Philadelphia Eagle running back Wilbert Montgomery. When this writer asked if he blocked for Montgomery, he said, “he didn’t need any blockers!”
Cobb would drop out of college after his first year choosing karate instead of the gridiron. He lived in the school’s studio, cleaning it to pay his rent. He then went into kickboxing, going 9-0 with 9 knockouts.
He was signed by a new boxing promoter who had him in a gym in El Paso before sending him to Philadelphia’s Joe Frazier’s gym under the instructions of legendary trainer George Benton. This writer remembers seeing him kick the heavy bag before Benton came into the gym.
Still strapped for cash Cobb lived in a corner room of the YMCA. He worked as a bouncer at Dr. Watson’s Pub. He would put on his cowboy hat when using the subway in the crime-filled city, performing kicks and karate moves to ward off potential muggers.
Inside the Frazier’s gym, he would spar with Mike Koranicki, Joe Gholston, and Duane Bobick, getting his nose broke three times in his first week. He would have two amateur fights and lose both. His on-the-job training included sparring with Roy “Tiger” Williams and Jimmy Young.
Cobb turned pro in 1977, winning his first 16 fights, 15 by knockout. During this time, he would get a movie part in “The Champ” starring Jon Voight. He wouldn’t move to Hollywood because “these people do not deal with reality!”
Cobb’s big break was when Gerry Cooney dropped out of a fight with Earnie Shavers, and Cobb stepped in. He may have had the concrete chin against one of the all-time hardest hitters. Cobb broke Shaver’s jaw in stopping him late in the fight that was a war. Of the fight, he said, “no one hits as hard as Shavers. If there were a fighter that hit harder than Shavers, I shoot him!”
Next up would be Ken Norton for Cobb in another slugfest for ten rounds, losing a split decision. Cobb called it a disputed decision. He would then fight Michael “Dynamite” Dokes losing a majority decision. He was scheduled to fight Mike “Hercules” Weaver but got a cut during sparring, causing a postponement.
In the meantime, Cobb would go onto do some television programs like David Letterman several times with one after Cobb lost to Larry Holmes for his title. He took such a beating that commentator Howard Cosell would never broadcast again. “Larry Holmes didn’t beat me; he just won the first 15 rounds!” Afterward, Cobb asked for a rematch stating, “Holmes fists could not take the pounding that my face could give them.” When hearing about Cosell, he said, “if I knew that, I would have celebrated for both that and the fight!” Holmes said, “for 15 rounds, no one fought me harder!” As Letterman was saying goodbye to Cobb, the latter said, “thanks for having me on your last show!”
Cobb went onto fight John Jackson for PK Super Heavyweight good from that sport. He would return to the ring, losing a majority decision to James “Buster” Douglas and against Michael Dokes a technical loss in four rounds. Then he was stopped in the first round by unknown Dee Collier. He took an absence from the ring for two years.
Cobb returned to the ring and hooked up with new promoter shady Rick “Elvis” Parker against Leon Spinks, where he won a majority decision. He received new roles in the movies before returning to the ring against Sonny Barch, who claimed he did cocaine with both promoter and fighter, saying he threw the fight. The fight was stopped in first and later turned over to a no-contest since both tested positive to cocaine. Cobb sued Sports Illustrated for claiming the fight was fixed, winning the case that would be overturned.
Cobb went back to doing movies, including doing a Texas Ranger episode with Chuck Norris. He ended his boxing career in June of 1993 after winning his last nine fights since the Barch fight with a 42-7-1 with 35 knockouts.