COMMISSIONER’S CORNER
Hearns and Shuler square off for a pre-fight publicity photo.
The years went by, and our friendship remained. So did his bike. I don’t think there was ever a time we spoke where I didn’t say, “Get rid of that bike!” One day he surprised me after I said that. “I’ve got good news and bad news,” he said. “Give me both,” I sighed. “Well, you’ll love to hear that I sold my bike,” Shuler told me. “That’s my good news.” “Great!” I exclaimed. But I didn’t get too excited. I knew bad news was on the way. I expected to hear exactly what I did. “I bought a new one,” he then said. “It’s a lot bigger. And faster!” “Wonderful!” I said facetiously. “Don’t worry,” Shuler told me. “I’m a very safe driver.” “It’s not you I worry about,” I replied. “It’s all the unsafe drivers.”
from that April 1985 classic, he did get his wish for having Thomas Hearns as an opponent. Hagler went from his victory in the Hearns slugfest to another slugfest – this time against Mugabi. Shuler was given his dream opponent. The winner was all but promised the next shot at Hagler. Would it be Hearns in a mouthwatering rematch, or Shuler? When it was announced that Shuler would be facing Hearns, I knew I had to be there. I promised him I would. I made arrangements to go. Around two weeks before the fight, I received a call from Jim Jacobs, the co-manager of Mike Tyson. At the time, Tyson was 19 years old and unbeaten in 18 fights. He had stopped every opponent. None had lasted past the sixth round. At the time, I was referring sparring partners and even a few opponents for Tyson. Jacobs knew my birthday was March 11, and he and Team Tyson had a surprise for me. “How would you like to announce Mike Tyson’s next fight?” asked Jacobs. “Sure!!” I exclaimed. Almost immediately, I realized it was on March 10, at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. I would be in Las Vegas with James Shuler. I told Jacobs I wouldn’t be able to do it because of my commitment to Shuler. Jacobs asked if I could call Shuler and explain this situation. “We know that Mike is going to be heavyweight champion of the world,” said Jacobs. “There will be no TV for Mike’s fight. We’d like you to call the fight for historical purposes. “Look,” said Jacobs. “Shuler will be earning his living that night in Las Vegas. You earn your living as an announcer. We’ll pay you very well for the fight. Afterwards, the crowd at the Coliseum will be able to watch both the Hagler-Mugabi and Hearns-Shuler fight on a big screen. Call Shuler. I am sure he will understand.” When I called Shuler and told him of my dilemma, he was excited for me. “By all means, take the gig!” he
said. “Then sit back and watch me beat Hearns.” It was a great night for me. The Tyson-Zouski fight, which was over in the third round, is shown with regularity on ESPN. Things didn’t go as well for Shuler. He was knocked out in the first round. I tried to call him in his room that night at Caesars Palace, but he wasn’t taking calls. I reached him two days later at home. “Hey, I got caught. It happens. I’d love to have another crack at him.” He changed the subject and asked. “How’d it go announcing Tyson’s fight?” I told him it went very well but ended any further discussion about my fun announcing gig. It was nice of him to ask, but I’m sure his mind was elsewhere. He told me he planned on taking a few days off, then getting back into the gym. “I will work harder than ever to come back. I know I can beat Hearns … and Hagler, too.” He really believed that. He left this world believing that. When the word came that he was killed when his motorcycle was hit by a tractor-trailer on a lonely road in Philadelphia one week after his loss to Hearns, I wasn’t shocked. I wasn’t stunned. I was saddened. I feared that would happen. Perhaps he did, too. Many think he drove too fast that day, depressed over the loss and not wanting to go on. I don’t believe that. On the phone days earlier, he sounded fine. He sounded like a fighter with a plan and a mission, not like a man in a dark place with no hope. At the Baker Funeral Home in Philadelphia, an overflow crowd paid their respects. At his service, I stood at his casket with tears streaming down my face. I thanked him for coming into my life six years earlier. I took a deep breath, then whispered to the spirit of James Shuler, which I felt all around me: “I told you to get rid of that damn bike a long time ago!”
• March 24 (1975) – Muhammad Ali TKO 15 Chuck Wepner. Struggling actor/ writer Sylvester Stallone was watching and got the idea for a screenplay, which turned into Rocky. • March 31 (1976) – My professional debut and retirement, both on the same night! • March 31 (1973) – Ken Norton broke Muhammad Ali’s jaw and beat him on a 12-round split decision. • March 9 (1987) – The start of George Foreman’s amazing comeback, which I talked him into. My original plans were for me to be in Las Vegas for Marvin Hagler’s defense of his middleweight title against unbeaten slugger John “The Beast” Mugabi. The night’s co-feature was a 12-round bout for the NABF middleweight title between Thomas Hearns and unbeaten contender James “Black Gold” Shuler. I had met Shuler the night of his debut in New York in September 1980 and we became immediate friends. I was ringside for each of Shuler’s 22 victories. I announced one of them on ESPN. During our five and a half years of friendship, I had visited him several times in Philadelphia to watch him train. Quite often, he’d show up at the gym on his motorcycle. I owned one in college. After seeing a few friends who also rode motorcycles severely injured after being struck by automobiles driven by intoxicated drivers, I gave up my “bike.” I cringed whenever Shuler would pull up to the gym on his, which was admired by another Philadelphia motorcycle rider – Smokin’ Joe Frazier. “If I was your manager,” I’d say to Shuler, “I’d tell you to sell the bike!” He’d put an arm around my shoulders and playfully say with a laugh, “I’m glad you ain’t my manager!”
THE LONG MARCH By Randy Gordon
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Shortly after that conversation, Shuler called to tell me he was close to signing a contract for his next fight. His opponent would be Hearns. It would be the co-feature to Hagler- Mugabi. As much as I wanted to see that middleweight title bout, I wanted to see Hearns-Shuler more. Shuler had talked to me constantly about his desire to face Hearns, especially after Hearns dispatched Roberto Duran in June 1984 and Fred Hutchings three months later. “I know I can beat him,” Shuler told me. “I know I can.” When it was announced that Hearns would be challenging Hagler in April 1985, Shuler was hoping to gain a spot on the undercard. It was not to be, as Shuler had recently beaten previously unbeaten James “The Heat” Kinchen by a split decision in a bruising, action- packed fight and needed time to recover. Instead of fighting on the undercard of Hagler-Hearns, he watched from ringside. “I want the winner,” he told me. “I don’t care who it is, but I’m pulling for Hearns.” While Shuler didn’t get the winner
R ecently, my longtime Andre Viola and our producer, “Bulldozer” Ben Queen, were sitting in a boardroom going over our planned guest schedule for the next four weeks. The topic of anniversaries of top fights in the month of March came up. March is easy. My birthday is in March. It’s on the 11th. I easily remember boxing dates in proximity to my birthday – especially important fights, big fights and megafights. As my SiriusXM team prepared to explore the internet, I held up my hand. “March is my month,” I said. SiriusXM Radio partner Gerry Cooney, along with Senior Producer
“Watch this.” I started scribbling on the pad in front of me. In order, here are the dates I listed: •
March 8 (1971) – Joe Frazier UD 15 Muhammad Ali in the “Fight of the Century.”
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March 22 (1967) – Muhammad Ali stops Zora Folley. It was Ali’s final fight before he was stripped of his boxing license for three and a half years. March 10 (1986) – Marvin Hagler KO 11 John Mugabi; Thomas Hearns KO 1 James Shuler; and Mike Tyson KO 3 Steve Zouski.** March 4 (1968) – Joe Frazier opens the new Madison Square Garden by beating Buster Mathis.
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