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DEATHS ; Notable Passings; The Thread to Pay Last Respects

Tiki Tom

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GHT

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Classically-trained Ronald Pickup, an actor who in a long and varied career shared a stage with Olivier and played an ageing Lothario in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was a highly respected, incisive character actor who specialised in the portrayal of prominent historical authority figures or crusty academics. He was born in Chester, England, to lecturer Eric Pickup and his wife Daisy (née Williams). Ronald received his education at Leeds University and then studied at RADA.
 
Don’t know if there are any boxing fans here, but one the greats, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler died today at aged 66. Hagler was one of the all-time great middleweight champions, and the opening round of his 1985 title bout with Thomas Hearns is widely regarded as the greatest single round in boxing history.

RIP to one of the legends.
 
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Don’t know if there are any boxing fans here, but one the greats, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler died today at aged 66. Hagler was one of the all-time great middleweight champions, and the opening round of his 1985 title bout with Thomas Hearns is widely regarded as the greatest single round in boxing history.

RIP to one of the legends.
He was one of the most entertaining fighters of the seventies and eighties. He, Leonard, Hearns, and Duran were the fighters who really got me into combat sports when I was a youngster. His fights with Hamsho and Antufermo were pretty darn good as well as that Hearns fight. That was my heyday for boxing.
So sad. He was such a tough fighter, I would have thought he would have lived forever.
:D
 
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He was one of the most entertaining fighters of the seventies and eighties. He, Leonard, Hearns, and Duran were the fighters who really got me into combat sports when I was a youngster. His fights with Hamsho and Antufermo were pretty darn good as well as that Hearns fight. That was my heyday for boxing.
So sad. He was such a tough fighter, I would have thought he would have lived forever.
:D

Growing up in the '70s felt like the decade of the heavyweights: Ali, Frazier, Forman, Norton, Lyle, Shavers, etc.

And the '80s, as you note, was the decade of the middleweights.

Sadly, it all seemed over in the '90s and my interest in boxing fading after that.

That 3 round Hagler-Hearns fight was one of the best fights ever.
 
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The good ole days before UFC when boxing was my passion.

Hagler was so disgusted after losing a decision to Sugar Ray Leonard -- stolen, he claimed, by the judges -- that he never fought again.

He lost that fight, but only because Leonard perfectly executed his fight plan. He knew he could never go toe-to-toe with Hagler, so he outpunched him and played to the judges, beating him on points.

Growing up in the '70s felt like the decade of the heavyweights: Ali, Frazier, Forman, Norton, Lyle, Shavers, etc.

And the '80s, as you note, was the decade of the middleweights.

Sadly, it all seemed over in the '90s and my interest in boxing fading after that.

That 3 round Hagler-Hearns fight was one of the best fights ever.

I got seriously upset with boxing after I paid good, hard-earned semolians to watch Lennox Lewis batter Evander Holyfield from pillar to post for 12 rounds only to be greeted with a draw. That, and USA cancelled Tuesday Night Fights the year before. I've started to watch more lately as Fox has had Saturday fights about once a month for the past couple of years.

"I wonder what whatsisname is eating...probably soup."
 
He lost that fight, but only because Leonard perfectly executed his fight plan. He knew he could never go toe-to-toe with Hagler, so he outpunched him and played to the judges, beating him on points.

Hagler wasn’t the only one who thought he won that fight. One of the judges admitted that he’d incorrectly scored Leonard with two rounds that should have gone to Hagler, though he says it would not have changed the outcome. Hagler claims that Leonard even told him after the last bell “you beat me, man”. Leonard denied it, but the television microphone backs up Hagler’s claim. At any rate, one of great fights of the era. Hagler wanted a rematch, but Leonard retired again. When Leonard came back out of retirement a few years later, he offered the rematch, but Hagler said he was retired for good and was done with boxing.
 

Worf

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This one REALLY hurts. I personally have always felt that the 80's early 90's was the "Silver Age" of professional boxing. Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, Duran, Pryor, Arquello etc and the rise of Tyson. Of all those fighters, some of whom I saw fight "live" Hagler was my fave. "Destruct and Destroy" was his motto. No entourage, no hangers on. He just fought and more often than not, won. I first fell in love with him watching him duck beer bottles after he absolutely destroyed Alan Minter in England. I was at his induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY (that's a tragedy for another day). He's one of only 2 fighters I've ever truly loved. A bunch of us went to the R.P.I. Field House to watch Hagler/Hearns on PPV. We had about 3 lawyers a couple of engineers and 2 of us Environmental types. By the end of that first "round of Fury", Dick King, a very stoic and quiet man who was General Counsel for my Agency was standing on the top of his folding chair saying over and over at the top of his lungs....

"DID YOU SEE THAT?"
"DID YOU SEE THAT?"

At that moment I knew I'd seen perhaps the greatest round of fighting (NOT boxing) I'd probably ever see in my lifetime.
Thanks Marvelous.... you never quit, you never embarrassed yourself or your sport... You'll be missed.

Worf
 
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This one REALLY hurts. I personally have always felt that the 80's early 90's was the "Silver Age" of professional boxing. Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, Duran, Pryor, Arquello etc and the rise of Tyson. Of all those fighters, some of whom I saw fight "live" Hagler was my fave. "Destruct and Destroy" was his motto. No entourage, no hangers on. He just fought and more often than not, won. I first fell in love with him watching him duck beer bottles after he absolutely destroyed Alan Minter in England. I was at his induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY (that's a tragedy for another day). He's one of only 2 fighters I've ever truly loved. A bunch of us went to the R.P.I. Field House to watch Hagler/Hearns on PPV. We had about 3 lawyers a couple of engineers and 2 of us Environmental types. By the end of that first "round of Fury", Dick King, a very stoic and quiet man who was General Counsel for my Agency was standing on the top of his folding chair saying over and over at the top of his lungs....

"DID YOU SEE THAT?"
"DID YOU SEE THAT?"

At that moment I knew I'd seen perhaps the greatest round of fighting (NOT boxing) I'd probably ever see in my lifetime.
Thanks Marvelous.... you never quit, you never embarrassed yourself or your sport... You'll be missed.

Worf
I had forgotten about Alexis Arguello and Aaron Pryor. Both were great fighters with more than their share of tragedy.
Those were the days when you could watch great fighters on regular television and not have to cater to ppv. Tyson on ESPN (or was it USA or both?) on his way up. Thomas Hearns knocking out Pipino Cuevas on a Saturday afternoon fight. There were so many good fights on all the time.
:D
 
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The good ole days before UFC when boxing was my passion.

Hagler was so disgusted after losing a decision to Sugar Ray Leonard -- stolen, he claimed, by the judges -- that he never fought again.
Same here. I really got into watching and following it when the WEC started televising their bouts. So many possible ways to finish a fight; the fighters have to be ready for so many disciplines. For me, it has left boxing way behind.
:D
 
American actor Yaphet Kotto has died at age 81. Kotto was a prolific character actor for several decades, and a bit of a "that guy", an actor you certainly recognize even if you don't remember his name. Probably most noted for his role as James Bond villain Mr. Big in "Live and Let Die" and as Dennis Parker in "Alien", he also had a distinguished television career.

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