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I’d rank it as one of the weirdest calls I’ve ever received. Global Sports, out of the blue, contacted this humble servant in order to flesh out some information on, specifically, pugilist Shawn O’Sullivan and, generally, the Cabbagetown boxing gym “back in the day”. A friend of mine had given Global my name as an expert on both Shawn and the gym in the early eighties. It was fantastic to reminisce and set the record straight on a number of subjects. Circa 1980, if I’d taken the proverbial “alien” to the gym and asked him to pick out, from the sweaty throng, the reigning world amateur champion, he would have definitely selected Shawn. He was hard working, devoted and Spartan in his approach to the game. A mere five years later that Shawn had disappeared. Instead he was coasting and, flush with financial success and fame, no longer advancing as a fighter.

Now, the game was royally screwed when his management team, comprised of Michael Trainer and Sugar Ray Leonard, decided to step up Shawn’s level of opposition suddenly and dramatically, engaging future world champ Simon Brown in June of 1986. Brown represented the type of foe Shawn had never so much as even sparred with, an elite foe that an eleven fight pro is expected to studiously avoid until he has obtained meaningful experience. Michael Trainer/Sugar Ray Leonard would screw all their prospects with what became their signature, an inability to gradually introduce their charges to more difficult levels of opposition. Instead, they would toss you to the wolves. Kenny Baysmore was impaled by Roger Mayweather, Anthony Hembrick destroyed by Bobby Czyz, and Shawn nearly decapitated by Brown. Shawn had a series of far easier fights lined up, all to be televised by NBC, and all against opponents within his skill set. The decision to face Brown was premature and illogical.

Shawn was the greatest amateur fighter Canada has ever produced, ranking as the top junior middleweight in the world from 1981 until 1984. He has told me his greatest regret was not turning pro after defeating Armando Martinez in the 1981 World Amateur Championship in Montreal. The long wait for the Olympics took something from Shawn he never quite recovered. I believe if Shawn had signed with Dave Wolf (manager of Ray Mancini) in 1984, his career would have taken a far different path. Wolf insisted Shawn leave Toronto in order to acquire better sparring and world class facilities. Shawn refused and, instead, signed with Mike Trainer, who acquiesced to all of Shawn’s short-sighted demands (namely that he be allowed to employ Toronto as his base). Trainer knew next to nothing about boxing and had relied heavily on Angelo Dundee to plan Sugar Ray Leonard’s path to the welterweight belt. The “ego that roared”, Trainer, as unlikeable as anyone I’ve ever met, decided he would manage Shawn without a veteran trainer’s assistance, with disastrous results.

Look, if you’re a fan of Shawn’s, you may want to take a pass on the Global piece (due to air sometime within the next few days). A few very uncomfortable details were shared with me, though I’m not sure what Jennifer Williams will actually use in her piece. Shawn isn’t necessarily in a good spot right now, and some of the details about his life today are very sad. The life of a fighter can be brutally hard, particularly when a career is continued, as in Shawn’s case, long after it was profitable or sensible. I was ringside in Montreal in 1981 when Shawn won the World Amateur title from Armando Martinez and a part of me is still there, rejoicing and madly waving a small Canadian flag. The intervening years brought Shawn some setbacks and some disappointments, yet the glorious, all encompassing excitement of achieving a world title can never be diminished. Cheer and support your friends, don’t be false, follow the rugged path through the good times and the bleak. In talking to Global I did my best to emphasize the success and the joy that illuminated Shawn’s time as a boxer. All these years later, I’ve still got Shawn’s back…

PUG LIFE…it’s not going to a popular assertion, but I’m delighted to hear of the March 13^th Joshua Clottey - Manny Pacquiao fight. Clottey is an accomplished, adept professional that utilizes an airtight defence and superior counter punching abilities to wear opponents down. Clottey was unjustly deprived of the decision against Miguel Cotto and should enter his encounter with Pacquiao highly motivated. Pacquiao, on the other hand, will likely be demoralized by both the collapse of his showdown with Floyd Mayweather and the puzzling accusations being made against him. This is a very interesting fight, one offering intriguing possibilities with a live dawg…I can’t understand the Mayweather camp’s insistence on harassing Pacquiao with allegations of cheating. We’ve all heard the rumours surrounding fighters like the Klitschkos, Roy Jones, Sugar Ray Leonard and Evander Holyfield. But I’ve never heard rumblings about Pacquiao, be it from a disgruntled ex-sparring partner, a fired fitness trainer or whatever. It also appears unlikely that a man of Freddie Roach’s integrity and life experience would tolerate the use of illegal substances. Where is the smoking gun? Could it be true that Mayweather is aghast at the possibility of losing his unbeaten record? I’m on record as saying this fight will happen in September. It’s a date I’ve held to since the bloodied remnants of Miguel Cotto were escorted from the ring two months ago. I’ll worry “if and when” summer passes and the fight has not been signed…Mayweather is apparently looking at Paulie Malignaggi as his next possible opponent. That would be an unfortunate mismatch with Paulie’s greatest attribute, his speed, nullified by Money’s electric arsenal. Mayweather against the winner of Shane Mosley - Andre Berto would be enticing…Mayweather vs. Matthew Hatton, Rickey’s younger incompetent brother, is just a disgusting prospect…Mayweather and Pacquiao are both expected to fight March 13^th. Which fighter will you watch?….

PONIES..it was nice to see Andrew Beyer, the most influential writer in the thoroughbred industry, come out forcefully in favour of Rachel Alexandra over Zenyatta as horse of the year. No event left me as angry and disappointed in 2009 as the groundswell of support of the west coast filly’s HOTY campaign. Zenyatta is a master of plastic, that’s all. Rachel’s 2009 was one for the ages…weirdest rumour of 2010; Zenyatta has apparently been on the track, recently recording a four furlong work. She is due to visit the breeding shed but could an appearance against Rachel be in the offing? It would be the thoroughbred event of the year, clearly, and a smashing gambling opportunity for the fans of Rachel Alexandra…