The Mammoth Book of Hard Bastards (Mammoth Books) (57 page)
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Authors: Robin Barratt
By now Ali’s ageing body had absorbed a shocking amount of blows and he was way past the point at which he should have retired for health reasons alone. But again, he didn’t; he kept climbing up into the ring where he eventually met up again with a former sparring partner turned champion, Larry Holmes. Larry was a formidably fast and vicious puncher who showed little mercy to his one-time employer, who again took a serious beating. Ali finally called it quits for good on a long and punishing career after losing to upcoming Trevor Berbick, the man from whom Tyson later took the unified title, in 1981.
Ali’s record shows sixty-one fights with only five defeats, four decisions and one TKO when he retired injured. From his fifty-six wins, thirty-seven were by way of knockout.
It is my humble opinion that there was a short window at the very peak of Mike Tyson’s career when his predatory, crouching style, lightning hand speed and explosive punching with both hands could have beaten Ali. I base that opinion on how easily and emphatically Tyson disposed of every heavyweight around during his rise to power under Cus D’Amato, and the fact that throughout Ali’s career, several men were able to get close enough to land telling punches on him. Even our own Henry Cooper floored and seriously dazed him to the point where Ali’s trainer, Angelo Dundee, had to snatch more time for his man to recover at the end of the round by ripping the seam of his glove and complaining to the referee, who then had no option but to delay proceedings until it was replaced. Before and after that window though, Ali would have whupped Mike every time. When it comes to “hard men”, Ali must surely have been the hardest and toughest heavyweight that the world has ever seen or will see for a very long time to come. Unfortunately, he is now paying the heavy toll on his health for that incredible physical resilience.
The editor would like to thank the following for their kind
permission
to publish the articles and re-edited extracts indicated:
“Bouncer” © Geoff Thompson, originally published in an abridged version by
The Times
, 18 December 2003, and reproduced by permission of the author. Website: www.geoffthompson.com
“America’s Most Dangerous Prisoner” © Randy Radic, reproduced by permission of the author Randy Radic
“The Doorman – Into the Fire” © Sean Reich, from the
forthcoming
book
A Long Walk Home
, reproduced by permission of Sean Reich
Apex Publishing Ltd for “The Lion and the Pussycat”, an extract from
Loonyology
© Charlie Bronson 2008. Website: www. ApexPublishing.co.uk
New Breed Publishing for “A Champion”, an extract from
What
Makes Tough Guys Tough?
The Secret Domain
© Jamie O’Keefe 1998. Website: www.newbreedbooks.co.uk
“A Hard Man in a Quiet Country” © Barbara Preston, reproduced by permission of the author Barbara Preston
“Sex, Money, Murder” © Randy Radic, reproduced by permission of the author Randy Radic
“Almost Out of Time” © Camille Kimball, reproduced by permission of the author Camille Kimball. Website: www. camillekimball.com
“Soviet Bodyguard” © Alexey Fonarev, reproduced by permission of the author Alexey Fonarev
“My Story” © Bob Honiball, reproduced by permission of the author Bob Honiball. Website: www.bobhoniball.lt
“Round Twelve – January 2002 to June 2005” © David Weeks, originally published in
Tyson and I: A Journey Through Life and
Anger
(Author House, 2007), reproduced by permission of David Weeks
“1963–94 Led Zeppelin” © Don Murfet, originally published in
Leave It to Me – A Life of Rock
,
Pop and Crime
(Anvil
Publications
, 2004), reproduced by permission of Lyndsey Murfet
“Hard Times” © Joe Egan, originally published in Big Joe Egan,
The Toughest White Man on the Planet
(Pennant Books, 2005), reproduced by permission of Joe Egan and Pennant Books. Websites: www.pennantbooks.com, www.bigjoeegan.com
“Beyond the Badge; Life on the Beat” © Kimberly Wood,
reproduced
by permission of the author Kimberly Wood
“Trial” © Mickey Francis and Peter Walsh, originally published in
Guvnors
(Milo Books, 1997), reproduced by permission of Peter Walsh. Website: www.milobooks.com
“The Man Without a Face” © Scott C. Lomax, reproduced by permission of the author Scott C. Lomax. Website: www. sclomax.co.uk
“Tough Talk” © Arthur White, Millie Murray and Tough Talk, originally published in
Tough Talk
(Authentic Lifestyle, 2000) and reproduced by permission of Arthur White. Website: www. tough-talk.com
“Anatomy of an Ambush” © Thomas A. Taylor, originally published in
Dodging Bullets
,
A Strategic Guide to World-Class
Protection (Institute of Police Technology and Management, 1999) and reproduced by permission of Thomas A. Taylor
Apex Publishing Ltd for “The Johnny Kidd Memorial Night”, an extract from
Warrior Kings
,
The South London Gang Wars
1976–1982 © Noel “Razor” Smith 2008. Website: www. ApexPublishing.co.uk
“Funerals” © Steve Wraith and Stuart Wheatman, originally published in
The Krays, the Geordie Connection
(Zymurgy Publishing, 2002), reproduced by permission of Steve Wraith and Stuart Wheatman
“Raging Bull” © Rob MacGowan, reproduced by permission of the author Rob MacGowan
New Breed Publishing for “Prize Fighter”, an extract from
What
Makes Tough Guys Tough?
The Secret Domain
© Jamie O’Keefe 1998. Website: www.newbreedbooks.co.uk
“The Building Society Bandit” © Vicki Schofield, reproduced by permission of the author Vicki Schofield
“Liverpool’s Hardest Doorman” © Barbara Preston, reproduced by permission of the author Barbara Preston
Apex Publishing Ltd for “Gypsy Kings and Bare-Knuckle Knights”, an extract from
Left Hooks and Dangerous Crooks
© Tel Currie 2009. Website: www.ApexPublishing.co.uk
“Hard Bastards, What Exactly Are They?” © Rob MacGowan, reproduced by permission of the author Rob MacGowan
Robin Barratt
is probably one of the best-known nightclub bouncers and bodyguards in Great Britain. He started his career in security and protection in the 1980s on the doors in his home town of Norwich and went on to work the doors in London, Manchester and even in Paris, France. He then attended a six-week close
protection
training course in Hereford, England, and ended up travelling the world looking after the rich (but not so famous). He eventually became the International Director of Training for the Worldwide Federation of Bodyguards up until the year 2000 when it was sold in to an Icelandic subsidiary of Securitas.
Robin started writing in 2002 and published his first book
Doing the Doors
, which is now a genre bestseller. For a while he also published and edited
Protection News
for the close protection community,
The Circuit
, an online magazine for the British Bodyguard Association, and
On the Doors
, the only quality magazine in the world dedicated exclusively to door supervision.
Robin is currently living in Bahrain where he still writes, as well as occasionally providing security and protection consultancy services in the Middle East.
Doing the Doors
Confessions of a Doorman
Maria’s Story
Bouncers and Bodyguards
Respect and Reputation
(co-authored with Charlie Bronson)
Street Smart
Recent Mammoth titles:
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The Mammoth Book of Great British Humour
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The Mammoth Book of Drug Barons
The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance
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Constable & Robinson Ltd
3 The Lanchesters
162 Fulham Palace Road
London W6 9ER
www.constablerobinson.comFirst published in the UK by Robinson, an imprint of Constable & Robinson, 2011
Copyright © Robin Barratt, 2011 (unless otherwise indicated)
The right of Robin Barratt to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
A copy of the British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978–1–84901–759–6