Ring Observer Boxing by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: Three-time world champion – Featherweight, Super Featherweight and Lightweight. Final ring record was 77-8 with 62 knockouts. He never lost a world title defense, successfully defended his titles 15 times.
Ht: 5-10 Wt: 140
DOB: April 19, 1952 In: Managua, Nicaragua
Childhood Heroes: Hank Aaron. Ray Robinson. Joe Louis. Frank Robinson. Jesse Owens.
Favorite Movies: The Exorcist. Jaws. I love those movies. They keep my blood going, my adrenaline going.
Nicknames: The Explosive Thin Man – from Howard Cosell. Little Onion. My father was Big Onion.
Hobbies/Interests: Boxing. History.
Childhood Dreams: I tried a lot of different sports – baseball, basketball, soccer. Boxing was the only one that excited me. I love it. I really love it. I wanted to be a world champion for my country, for my people. I wanted it so much with my heart. I love boxing with my heart. Nothing can stop you when you want something with your heart. I thank God I found boxing when I did. Boxing got me out of the ghetto. I just wish I could re-live it all again and be sixteen again.
Pre-Fight Meal: Steak – lots of protein. Salad, rice, beans, pasta. I love Coca Cola. That’s publicity. Tell them to send me a check [laughs].
Pre-Fight Feeling: Never thought about it. I was sleeping. I was Sleeping Beauty before every fight [smiles]. What gave me relaxation was knowing I did the work. I was always in good shape. When a man is in good shape, his psychological point is on top. That’s the most important thing. If you didn’t prepare enough, your mind is uncertain. When you’re in shape, you know you can do the things you want. Guts, determination, desire…those are important things. I was never nervous after my first pro fight (KO 1 Israel Medina in 1968).
Funny Boxing Memory: [Laughs]…funny memory…with respect to my opponent, the day it happened was in Atlantic City in 1980. I don’t want to mention his name. The first time I got in a clinch with him, he stink. He stink so bad. I said to my corner, I don’t know what happened to this guy, but I think this guy poo in his pants. ‘Cause he stinks so bad! The next round when the bell rings and he turned to go back to his corner, I saw his pants and he soiled his pants! With a punch I hit him with right in the solar plexus. And it was funny. Until I saw it I thought, Oh, what a bad guy I am. But it was from a punch I hit him with.
Early Boxing Memory: The day I got on my knees and asked for my mom’s blessing (to box). I came home from a sparring session with Ruben Olivares (age 16). I buckled him with a right hand and he came on and threw a million punches. That was my mistake. I got him mad. My eye was swollen, puffy out to here. I had to get my mom’s blessing. I felt boxing is a great sport, I love it so much. She (Zoila) saw my eye and said don’t do it. You’re going to get hurt. They’re going to hurt you.
First Job: Carpenter with my brothers, Guillermo. Ivan, Orlando (age 12).
First Car: 1973 red Ford Cortina.
Greatest Sports Moment: Every time I won a world title. Each was a really great moment in my life. Ruben Olivares for the WBA Featherweight title (KO 13 in 1974). Alfredo Escalera for (WBC) Super Featherweight (TKO 13 in 1978). And Jim Watt for (WBC) Lightweight (win 15 in 1981). Each was special.
Most Painful Moment: Like when a man wants a dream and he gets the chance to make the dream but the dream doesn’t come true…it was with Aaron Pryor (in ’82 and ’83). But I was discouraged but I wasn’t sad because I knew I lost against a great champion.
Hardest Puncher: Art Hafey. Canadian. I knocked him out in five. His punching power was tremendous. He was a strong guy with a neck like a bull. He hurt me but I didn’t go down.
Toughest Opponents: Aaron Pryor. So strong, quick guy with a lot of speed. Jim Watt. Southpaw position was awkward for me. Alfredo Escalera. Another tough guy. Anytime I hit him, he kept coming, no matter what. Kept coming.
Favorite Boxers To Watch: Ray Robinson. Joe Louis. Carmen Basilio. Barney Ross. Before he died, I met Sugar Ray in Los Angeles when I was fighting Olivares for the championship. He was kind of loosening himself up in the Main Street Gym in downtown L.A. And that was one of the greatest moments of my life, to get to meet such a great fighter. I told him of my admiration for him. He was one of my inspirations. In my country, I used to pay ten cents to watch him on Sundays in the movies, Sport Gillette. We had no television. I really told him, boxing to me, he was the best, I tried to imitate him. And I told him that. He told me, Alexis, keep working hard and as much as you work, you accomplish what you want. Always to dedicate myself. If a man can work, he can do anything he wants. That was the most important day in my life when I met him.
Favorite Fights: Joey Maxim-Robinson. I saw that on Gillette. They used to show that in my country. Great fight.
Musical Tastes: The Platters, Earth Wind & Fire, classical, Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond.
Funniest Boxers Encountered: In my day we were all serious.
Closest Friends From Boxing: Boom Boom Mancini. My dear buddy. All of them. We have something in common. Whenever I see my opponents, I get happy. We hug, we say hello, we talk. We got up there in front of everybody.
Most Treasured Possession: My boxing career. My career was special to me. It was the American dream 100%.
Favorite TV Shows: Martin – funny, I crack up. Sanford And Son, Jerry Lewis. Charlie Chaplin. The Honeymooners.
Interesting Fact: I love the world. I love the human kind. I love all people. We should love, respect and help each other as much as we can.
When Were You At Your Best: All of them. Because I always made the condition, to do a good performance. Did my job as well as I could. I loved what I did. I’m really happy for what I did. And if I was born again, I’d do it again.”
Any Fights You Wanted But Never Got: There was a rumor that a fight would be interested…Roberto Duran and myself. And I thought, Holy shit! That would be a tough one. The date they tell me for that I will dedicate six months for that one! But we never came to. He went from 135 to 147. And I went from 126 to 130 and to 135. It would have been a train collision, a great fight.
People Most Admired: Winston Churchill. Ben Franklin and George Washington – they created the best piece of paper on the Earth, the Constitution 1776. Freedom. A man born free is supposed to die free. A man deserves what comes to him, what he works for. Albert Einstein. Abe Lincoln. I love that man. I know those days are gone. Sometimes I think I’m misplaced. If we taught our future generations about them, we could be better.
You can read more of Scoop’s Biofiles at www.mrbiofile.com
