If you could meet any fighter in history and???

[jim glen]

Hi Ron, great stories you've had an exceptional life - your a very blessed man you know...

Did you ever meet Lloyd Marshall or know anything about him, I think he is a 'lost' treasure and apart from my grandfather's story, I think Lloyd Marshall's would be an incredible journey - they were supposed to fight you know Marshall & Gilroy, but Ol' Jack Solomons wouldn't put it together despite Tommy Gilmour's relentless efforts (no surprise)!!!

Jim.

[Kid Achilles]

Thanks for the stories Ron, it's just incredible that you got to meet and talk to all of these great men.

It's hard for me to think of any contemporary boxers that will go down in history as beloved and respected figures, as Braddock and Louis certainly were. Maybe there's someone just on the horizon, some young gun in the amateurs with all the right tools and a strong mind and the discipline to put it all together and keep it there.

I don't know how the sport will fare if not. Guess it'll just sort of plod along as it's been doing.

[greek1237]

What did Walker talk about of Greb, and his title fight with Greb?

[Ron Lipton]

Thank you Jim and Kid.

I never met the Lloyd Marshall who was the destroyer from the 40's although I would have really wanted to. The Lloyd Marshall who I boxed with in this story, was the Newark NJ lightweight who fought Laguna, Duran and Maurice Cullen.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=7448&more=1

My best boxing memory was meeting Ray Robinson who I spent some good time with before his fight with Joey Archer, although I met him a few times before but briefly, Joe Louis for that one moment, Braddock, Dempsey, and my long interview alone with Archie Moore.

I got a real kick of spending time alone with LaMotta, which I have on film,
and the sweetest most gentle soul of all was known as the toughest meanest fighter and that gentle soul, who suffered so badly in the end was Sandy Saddler.

I enjoyed some gym time I spent with Rocky Graziano and Barney Ross alone in the old Garden basement when I sparred with Emile, when they would come to watch him, I have that on film too, and when I spoke at the dinner honoring Ken Norton where I had a chance to be with Chuvalo, Chico Vejar, Tony DeMarco, Iceman Scully, and others.

Some of the best men God ever put together, all respectful of people like most warriors are.

[TKO Tom]

I've been lucky and fourunate in the fact that I have met most of the guys that I have wanted to meet.

I've spent time and spoken with Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer, Joe Frazier, George Chuvalo, Bernard Hopkins, Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello, Ken Buchannan, Gerry Cooney, Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran, Larry Holmes, Shane Mosley, Micky Ward, Oscar De La Hoya, Earnie Shavers, Angel Manfredy, Diego Corrales, Hector Camacho, Ken Norton, Carl Williams, Floyd and Tracy Patterson, Manny Steward, Don King, Eddie Futch, Jose Torres, Lou Duva, Ruben Olivares, Bob Foster, Samuel Peter, Sergei Liakhovich, John Ruiz, Joe Gamache, Michael and Leon Spinks, Emile Griffith, Matthew Saad Muhammad.....Those are just some of the ones that come to mind, but there are many, many others.

The one guy that I never met and who I really like is Archie Moore. That would have been something. Moore was a philosopher, renaissance man, cultured and self educated all in one. Just a fascinating man.

The other is Sonny Liston. I find Liston a fascinating personality and he represents something about the mystique of boxing and boxers that has always attracted me. I guess it's that perverse dichotomy where Liston was known to be violent and mean, yet at the same time as gentle as a lamb. Many fighters are like that and it's just fascinating human behavior to me.

I think Sugar Ray Robinson would be another one. I would have liked to have just seen him fight when he was in his prime. Maybe at Madison Square Garden on a rainy, New York City night. That would be a pure dream.

[Dynamitedye92]

i have met Tommy Morrison and actaully emailed him and they told me to send a list of questions to him.

[Dynamitedye92]

i have also talked to John(Iceman) Scully quite abit

[mike]

alot of guys--also john l sullivan and the great johnny dundee and his brother.

[mike]

alot of guys--also john l sullivan and the great johnny dundee and his brother.

[BDeskins]

Sam Langford---He was just a good person and one hell of a funny guy, not to mention...one of the greatest fighters to ever live!

Others---Terry McGovern, Barbados Joe Walcott, Joe Grim, Jack Johnson, etc...

[rocky111]

Ive met a bunch of them. No one tops meeting Dempsey. I wrote about it in my Dempsey piece in the Wail. It was like meeting a legend who lived up to all of the hype. Something else.
Tony Zale, Sonny Liston, Hatchetman....They were all special.
Who would I like to meet?
Well Jack Johnson of course!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

[rocky111]

Ive met a bunch of them. No one tops meeting Dempsey. I wrote about it in my Dempsey piece in the Wail. It was like meeting a legend who lived up to all of the hype. Something else.
Tony Zale, Sonny Liston, Hatchetman....They were all special.
Who would I like to meet?
Well Jack Johnson of course!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

[Elmer Ray]

ron lipton awesome stuff...........what was it like meeting rocky marciano and jersey joe walcott??? did marciano look bigger than you thought he would?

[HE Grant]

Rocky, where was your post about meeting Dempsey. I'd love to read it. What issue ?

[gregbeyer]

dempsey. lou jenkins, rocky graziano,tony zale, greb, mickey walker, joe louis, henry armstrong...

met basilio, napoles, oliveras. chacon , lopez, mando ramos, raul rojas, frankie crawford, ken buchanan...most of the guys that either came to L.A. or lived there from late 60's to early 70's. i always got a kick out of these guys. still... sitting in a bar with dempsey, graziano, jenkins , greb and walker would be a night out to remember. of course greb died to young for this to happen but.... we are just talking here.
greg

[Boxscribe]

Stanley Ketchel was one of my original boxing heroes and I would loved to have met him - completely wrong time frame of course.

Fighters who were alive when I was (I think I still am - I'll have to check), that I would loved to have met are: Eddie Booker, Lloyd Marshall, Holman Williams, Ezzard Charles, Cocoa Kid (assuming he was still around in the 60s), Archie Moore, Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey.

If I could pick just one it would probably be Moore as he could talk about the first few with some authority.

[rocky111]

Rocky, where was your post about meeting Dempsey. I'd love to read it. What issue ?

HE It was in the July 2001 Issue and it was called "What The Champ Meant to Us Then". I think you'll like it. yur pal Rock

[rocky111]

That is the 2001 July issue of The Wail.