23/10/2019
From Okey,my lovely friend
KEEPING OUR PAST PRESENT; WHILE WE LOOK OVER THE HORIZON
Today, October 23rd, marks the 57th anniversary of the historic tussle between Dick Tiger and Gene Fullmer, for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Middleweight Championship Belt! Thankfully some ace sports writers witnessed the showdown firsthand, and hereâs how they say it went down!
ACT FIVE, SCENE FIVE
NARRATOR #2: The skies opened up, and the rains continued to pour profusely, causing landslides and fatalities. As a result, the fight is pushed up to the final date of October 23, 1962. Present at ringside are Dick Tigerâs old friends and associates from Liverpool, England; and a delegation from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, led by Nigeriaâs sports Minister, Chief Joseph Modupe Johnson (JMJ), and Hogan âKidâ Bassey. A group of Nigerian students are rounded up by Jersey Jones to be part of the rooting section for Dick Tiger. THE FIGHT LASTED 15 ROUNDS.
(At Candlestick Park, in San Francisco)
ANNOUNCER: (after the national anthems; with a microphone, standing in the center of the boxing ring) Laaaaadies and gentlllemen! The WBA Middleweight Championship Belt is up for grabs! Todayâs bout is between the challenger for the WBA middleweight championship, Dick Tiger of Nigeria! (Cheers and applaud.)
(Tiger steps out with his signature left fist raised, does a 360-degree twirl, acknowledging the cheers of the crowd).
ANNOUNCER: And, the reigning WBA middleweight champion, Geene Fulllllmer! (Cheers.)
(Fullmer enters the stage, with hands raised in greeting to the crowd. The bell rings, and the men begin to duel.)
Narrator #3: Fullmer lives up to his reputation as âthe brawlerâ. He comes charging into Dick Tiger, throwing shots; almost overwhelming Tiger, but Tiger blocks his wild punches and responds by standing his ground and connecting his gloved fists to Fullmerâs head and body.
In rounds two and three, both score evenly. In the third and fourth rounds, they do too, but with Tiger winning on points.
Round five, Tigerâs stinging left hook puts a gash on Fullmerâs forehead. Blood oozes down his brow, covering his eyes. In round eight, Tigerâs head butts into Fullmerâs, worsening the cut; causing blood to flow profusely. A ringside physician attends to the cut. Despite the injuries, Fullmer plods on.
Rounds five through eleven are judged in Tigerâs favor. Rounds twelve, thirteen, and fourteen are also awarded to Dick Tiger. By all accounts, Tiger is winning. In the fifteenth and final round, Dick Tiger dominates the fight, and wins, snatching the middleweight championship from the only man to beat Sugar Ray Robinson, unanimously.
ANNOUNCER: (Bell sounds; and the boxers stand together in the ring.)
Laaaaadies and gentlemen! We have a new World Boxing Association middleweight boxing champion! (The crowd roars.) Dick Tiiiiger! (Thereâs drumbeat and jubilation. Tiger waves to the crowd; as his elated fans storm into the ring, and hoist him on their shoulders.)
- From the book titled:
In Africaâs Honor: Dick Tiger Versus Gene Fullmer III A Blast from Nigeriaâs Glorious Past
_ Justina Ihetu
Why should we tell stories of our heroes past? As a respected historian once said, âIndifference to history isnât just ignorant, itâs rude. Itâs a form of ingratitude.â So, let us tell our children stories of our heroes; our glorious, and inglorious pasts. Itâd only add value and depth to their lives. No more, no less.