The Mane Event

Forgot to post this yesterday on Boxing Day. As hard as it may be to believe, my pre-racket-club years (age 8-9) were spent boxing at the Crowell Recreation Center in Detroit. I actually come from a long line of boxers, so this seemed completely natural at the time, especially given my older brothers' obsession with professional fighting (Bill had Muhammad Ali posters all over his room and compiled his own rankings). I don't remember landing too many punches back then, but the thing I do recall excelling at was the leg weights -- how gay am I? I started "working out" in third grade! -- although you'd never guess it by looking at me today.

That's my brother Terence and me sparring briefly (note the Kristy McNichol 'do) before my brother Bill's big match against David Stubbs, in April 1976. The ref stopped it after the second round, but you gotta love my brother's slimming green tank -- he doesn't look an ounce over 88 pounds!