>Appluads all of Mudcat for their efforts<

Wow!

>Gives everyone a standing ovation for their help!<

I was away at a family funeral for a bit. I'm so overwhelmed with good material that I have requested permission to do a seperate article on Boxing/Prize-fighting songs apart from the general sports overview I was wortking on with my colleague. I hope they give it a go ahead. Even so, I have so much material to work with, I believe I'll write something up anyway and find a home for it later. In all my searches, I haven't found a comprehensive essay that encompasses both Trad Folk tunes and songs that date from after 1960. The latter day songs are every bit as powerful as the earlier ones and in some cases they document tremendous events in the sport.

What got me going on the subject was Warren Zevon's song 'Boom Boom Mancini' since it graphically describes a major turning point in the sport. After Du Koo Kim's death, a study was convened that found most fatal and/or severe injuies occured in Rounds 12, 13, 14 and 15. As a result, matches were cut back to 12 Rounds. In addition, Mancini carried that cloud over his head for decades. He didn't exorcise it until he went to South Korea in to participate in the fiming of THE CHAMPION which chronicled the life of Kim. He was welcomed with open arms and any blame that might have followed him seemed to evaporate at that point. It's good film too, starring Yu Oh Seung.

Boxing holds such a large part of the American imagination. Growing up in an Irish household in NYC, I recall watching fights with my Uncles and getting very caught up in the subculture even though I was a girl.   I know hispanic women who have told me they experienced the same thing. I came of age during Boxing's last big heyday and remember both the Du Koo Kim/Mancini fight AND the Mancini/Chacon fight referenced in the song. I continued to follow Boxing avidly up until Mike Tsyon went completely bat-shit and chomped off Holyfield's ear.

I'd like to thank various people for the following:

Thanks to :

*Guest for 'Big Strong Man' which references Jack Dempsey..there must be other songs about him and I'll go look.

*Guest Allen for 'Song for Sonny Liston' - another great fighter.

*Flash Company for the references to The Turpin/Sugar Ray Robinson fight - these historical references to actual fights and fighters has been very helpful!

*Margaret V for referencing 'Dream Street' by John Gorka

*Tony B for the info on The Wymondham Fight about Tom Cribb - that was one I was looking for.

*Guest for 'The Eyes of Roberto Duran' by Tom Russell. That one I really need to go and find. That was a big part of my own memories of Prize-fighting. NO MAS!

I'm off to go find a few more songs.