(Again, I actually do this type of stuff periodically. I don’t talk about it much, because I am not looking for any “credit”, but I thought it would be a good idea to let the Younger G’s out there know how to get down.)
After helping out the homeless and the less fortunate I did some last minute errands to get ready for a trip – south of the border, which happens to be where I am at now.
Perfecto.
In other news, analysts at Deutsche Bank raised their view of Coeur d’Alene to buy from hold with a 12-month price target of $54 a share as they become more bullish about the stock amid rising silver and gold prices.
At the end of the 19th century, the bluebloods took over the bare-knuckle prize ring, put gloves on the contestants and laid claim to the fights. It was the best and worst thing that had ever happened to boxing: Now civilized, the sport grew in popularity but compromised its savage soul. In the 1950s, televisions arrived in American living rooms and fans tuned in to watch the Friday-night fights. It was the best and worst thing that had ever happened to the sport: Though immensely profitable, boxing lost a primal connection with its most avid fans, the spectators in the arena.
Between these eras, during the so-called golden years, the best and worst thing that happened to boxing was the mob.
This was a period in which a fighter had to be “connected” to compete in the fights at Madison Square Garden—the fights that mattered. The mobsters—Frankie Carbo, Frank Costello, “Blinky” Palermo, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and countless figures associated with the Genovese, Lucchese and Gotti crime families— controlled every aspect of boxing management and promotion, the fights and fighters. Yet the same era spawned such champions as “Cinderella Man” James J. Braddock, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and the self-proclaimed “Greatest of All Time,” Muhammad Ali.
Kevin Mitchell, the chief sports writer for the London Observer, unravels the helix of the mafia and the fight game in “Jacobs Beach,” his second book on the sweet science. (“Jacobs Beach” was a nickname for the corner of Broadway and Eighth Ave. in Manhattan, where fight fans would crowd for tickets at the offices of promoter Mike Jacobs.) Less about the sport than about the business intrigue surrounding it, Mr. Mitchell’s account brings to life the fight world of that era, often drawing on his own interviews with athletes and notables, such as writer Budd Schulberg, boxer Joe Miceli and trainer Lou Duva.
I have mentioned many times before that I have gotten back in to Boxing this year as serious as I have ever been since I boxed Golden Gloves as a young pup. Working out seven days a week, and sparring three times per week.
Along with jumping rope, one of the things that has helped me get back into top form is Shadow Boxing. Watch one of the best:
Sergio Martinez Shadow Boxing
His footwork, tempo and rhythm are excellent. He just keeps his hands so low. But its working for him, so who am I to say anything.
Good video of some Sergio Martinez Hightlights:
The very beginning of the video he does a shuffle left then an off beat, off tempo, perfectly timed shot. Perfectly. One of my favorite moves.
In other news, here is an interesting article about Stephen A. Schwarzman:
“The United States is going through a difficult time politically, and having other types of issues that everybody in this group knows about,” Mr. Schwarzman told the conference, adding, “The political calculus of the last two years hasn’t resulted in a winning calculus.”
Among the European assets he’s examining: Irish real estate, which he believes will be soon available at bargain-basement prices as a result of Ireland’s sovereign debt crisis.
“They just set up a massive R.T.C.,” Mr. Schwarzman said, referring to the Resolution Trust Corporation, the government agency that liquidated assets seized during the savings and loan crisis in the United States. “They barely know what they own.”
But he does not like every foreign market, expressing relief that Blackstone stayed away from Spanish real estate in 2006, and noting that in parts of Europe throughout the last few years, “the risk/reward equation was really wrong.”
He also cautioned investors to remain patient in the face of economic unrest, and to wait for signs of improvement until investing heavily in distressed foreign markets.
“You want to wait until there’s really blood in the streets,” he said, adding, “You’re better off paying 10 percent more into a healing situation than trying to pick bottoms.”
I have mentioned before that The Legendary 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach has recently re-opened and I plan to be there soon. My father, Michael John Mason VI, used to take me there as a young pup and that was where I first met Muhammad Ali (among others). I can’t wait to go back. It’s already locked in stone on my schedule. Congratulations to Angelo Dundee, Dr. Ferdie Pacheco, Tom Tsatas, Matt Baiamonte and Dino Spencer for making it happen. This is a huge one in the win column and a true sign that The Apocalypse is Not coming. At least not yet anyway.
The History of 5th St. Gym, Miami Beach
Muhammed Ali:5th Street Gym
The Fight Years (documentary trailer) 5th Street Gym
There is no doubt that George Bush damaged America’s reputation Internationally, as anyone who has travel the world extensively since the 1990’s will tell you.
This year however, I have noticed that the once great “Image” of Americans has also taken a header like Cisco did recently (and I am not talking about that weesh R&B artist, that wack food supply company, or that low-end booze that makes fools jump out of windows either).
I started noticing America’s Image Problem when I went to Barcelona earlier this year. I told the story of a stunningly beautiful Catalan girl who stepped to me in a dope hotel bar. (Side note: I can’t really blame her since I was feeling great and I was wearing a sicker than “foot in mouth” Custom Made Suit).
Anyways, after consummating the relationship in my dope apartment in the Eixample, she started off an interesting conversation:
Fly Catalan Girl: I am surprised you are American.
Michael Mason: (Not really in the mood for conversation, but I decide to bite) Why?
Fly Catalan Girl: Because you seem cool, and you have good style.
Michael Mason: Most American’s that come to Barcelona don’t?
Fly Catalan Girl: No. Most American’s are wankers.
(Side note II: She learned her English while modeling in London. Hence the use of the word “wanker”).
I really thought nothing of the exchange at the time.
Then fast forward to London Fashion week, when I was hanging out with a fly rich daughter of a Colombian mining family. We were taking a leisurely stroll near Wellington Square in Chelsea, puffing on jacks.
Michael Mason: Where have you traveled to in America?
Fly Rich Colombian Girl: NYC, California, DC, Miami Beach, New Orleans, Las Vegas etc (continuing a long list).
Michael Mason: Do you like America?
Fly Rich Colombian Girl: Yes, its nice to visit. But I am am always surprised by how fat the people are. Especially the girls.
This conversation was pretty interesting, as I aways thought that America had pulled one over on the rest of the world making them think our women were tops through our Media and Hollywood Hype Machine. But I didn’t think too much of it, as this fly rich Colombian girl had actually been to America, and thus “pulled the curtain back”, so to speak.
This whole thing really came to a “head”, so to speak, on my recent travels to Riga, Latvia.
I had no less that 5 different girls in Riga, Latvia say to me: “American Girls, they are really fat, yeah?” And only a couple of them had actually been to America.
I was particually brutal when I was hanging out with two fly Latvian girls, 18 and 19 years old, with thin, beautiful Baltic bodies and they said “American Girls, they are really fat, yeah?” and both girls started laughing evilly, wickedly and uncontrollably while sipping on cocktails.
It was then that I realized: America is a joke to the rest of the world.
How did we fall so fast?
The Rest is Up to You…
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
