A Gem From Roy McHugh

[Surf-Bat]

Former Pittsburgh Press boxing writer Roy McHugh pointed out that the term "Uncrowned Champ" has officially disappeared from the pugilistic lexicon. "Boxing today is so saturated with champions there could be no such thing as an uncrowned one."

[cmoyle]

Hah, pretty funny, yeah there might be as many champions today as non-champions

[Surf-Bat]

This one is great. It involves Pittsburgh heavyweight Art Swiden, a lazy and defensive minded fighter who turned off his hometown fans with his lackadaisical, disinterested approach to his career:

Even in the gym he was ostracized. Billy Conn, officially retired but preparing for an exhibition match somewhere, wanted nothing more to do with Swiden after two rounds of sparring. "The hell with this," Conn told him. "You hold me. You twist me. You turn me. What good does it do?" Rocky Marciano, training for his first fight with Jersey Joe Walcott, worked three rounds with Swiden and failed to land a punch. Having seen all he wanted to, Marciano's manager, Al Weill, sent Swiden home with an airplane ticket and a hundred-dollar bill. Marciano's farewell was a lecture. As repeated by Swiden in a dead-on imitation of a Massachusetts twang, it went like this:

"Aht, you brainless jackass, look at all those bums who couldn't lay a glove on you makin' big money. Get in shape and staht usin' the talent you were born with."