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Originally Posted by Rmtt
Yeah....that's why I said I wished he would have stayed in the other camp. Deep down it probably wouldn't have made a difference, but he had a lot of internal conflict going on.
Hated to see it go down like that. Just one bad decision that leads to others, and that's what you're remembered for.
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World class boxer, but I didn’t have a particularly high opinion of him as a man. However, I had to backtrack a little on my own judgement: I was pleasantly surprised 11 years ago, when I read he had taken a detour, while he was in the UK on a promotional / speaking tour.
He visited a small town in southern Wales, called Merthyr Tydfil. It is an ex iron ore and coal mining town. Very much a working mans town, generating many amateur and professional boxers.
It is unglamorous and a hard environment.
Kudos to Mike, as he took what was clearly a personal detour to pay respect to two local fighters.
Laying flowers at the statue of "The Merthyr Matchstick" Johnny Owen, who died in 1980, after being fatally injured in a boxing match. He also paid his respect at the statue of Howard Winstone, a Welsh world champion boxer in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.
For all of Irons Mike’s faults (of which there are many), his personal homage to two fellow professionals, made me appreciate that he clearly has a great deal of respect for his chosen sport. Further, that we shouldn’t judge a man on his failings alone.
Thanks for the prior posts - it was interesting to hear your thoughts.