Boxing

 

Interview: Bobby Cassidy

by Denzel Ivarsson

09.01 - When I wrote an article about Swedish junior middleweight Bo Högberg, An opponent of Högberg contacted me about the piece and I got interested of course. It wasn't the opponent himself really, actually the son of the opponent. The person I am talking about is Bobby Cassidy. Top-middleweight from the USA during the same era as Högberg. His son Bobby Cassidy Junior is famous boxing journalist and was kind enough to grant me this opportunity to interview his father.

How many professional fights did you have and during which years were you active?

My career touched three decades. I turned pro in 1963 and retired in 1980. I had 80 pro fights with a record of 60-16-3 with 1 No Contest

How many amateur-fights did you have and did you win any National titles?

I never had an amateur fight. I was supposed to fight in the NY Golden Gloves in 1963, but before the tournament, the Daily News, which sponsored the event, went on strike. So the tournament was cancelled. I was anxious to fight, so I just turned pro. At the time, Teddy Brenner, who was the matchmaker at Madison Square Garden, said the odds of a kid making it in boxing without an amateur fight is a million-to-1. I think I did pretty good considering those odds.

How many children do you have? I know of Bobby junior of course who is (correct me if I am wrong) a journalist.

I have two sons, Bobby Jr and Chris. Bobby Jr. is a boxing writer and Chris is photographer and filmmaker. They are both involved in boxing within their own fields. I'm very proud of them.

Are there any of them who have followed in your footsteps and boxed?

I would never let my sons fight. Boxing is a very, very tough game. It's just that I would never want them to go through the things that I went through.

Were do you live and what profession did you have after your career?

I still in Levittown, New York, where I grew up. After I retired from the ring, I trained fighters, including world champions Donny Lalonde and Lonnie Bradley and Godfrey Nyakana, who was a top junior middleweight out of Uganda but lost in a title fight. I also worked as a counsellor at the Nassau County Correctional Centre, I helped inmates who suffered from drug and alcohol addiction. I recently retired from that job. I've trained a few celebrities, actors like Robert DeNiro and Burt Young.

Give me a few names (the best ones) you boxed during your career!

Luis Rodriguez, Rodrigo Valdes, Don Fullmer, Jimmy Dupree, Isaac Logart, Sandro Mazzinghi, Tom Bethea, Gypsy Joe Harris, Ramon Ranquello and Christy Elliott. I lost a split decision to Rodriguez and Harris in their hometowns (Miami and Philadelphia respectively). I regret that I never got a title fight. I fought five men who challenged for the title and beat four of them. I think I deserved a shot. (The five are Dupree, Fullmer, Tommy Hicks, Bethea and Jorge Ahumada. I beat the others and lost to Ahumada)

How high were you rated in the World in your prime?

In 1975, I was rated NO. 1 in the world as a light heavyweight by the WBC

What were your strengths as a boxer in your own opinion?

I was a counter puncher. I was a southpaw with a good left hand.

I wrote a piece about one of your opponents recently, Bo Högberg, what do you remember of him?

I remember that Bo was very, very tough. I hit him with everything. I thought I won the fight, but of course it was in Sweden and Bo was very popular there. At the end of the fight, Harry Gibbs, the referee, just raised both our hands and called it a draw.

Do you think boxing was tougher in your days?

I think it was tougher in the sense that there were more fighters back then. The talent pool was bigger than it is today. Also, for most of my career, there was only one recognized champion in each weight class. So you really had to earn whatever opportunities you got.

What are your opinions of the fighters of today?

I respect all fighters. Boxing is a very, very tough business and it takes something special to climb up in that ring and put it all on the line.

I hale from Sweden were you fought Högberg in the sixties have you ever visited Sweden after that fight?

No, I have never been back to Sweden. But I enjoyed it very much when I was there.

Did you know that a documentary about Högberg was made recently which portrayed the ex-boxers struggle following his stroke? (He can't speak these days but has recuperated well anyway and enjoys retirement with his wife)

I was unaware of the trouble Bo has been going through. I'm very sorry to hear that. I wish him well. He's a tough man.

Why did you become a boxer? How did it happen?

I used to get into a lot of street fights. I used to fight all the time, in school, in parks, anywhere there was a fight, I wanted to be there. Finally after so many fights I got into trouble and a judge told, "You either go to a boxing gym or I'm sending you to jail." So I went to the gym and never left boxing.

Did you train alongside any famous boxers in your era?

When I first started out I used to spar with the great Emile Griffith and they paid me $2 a round. He was the first one to break my nose. I also sparred with Floyd Patterson because at the time he need a southpaw to work with, The thing I remember about him was his speed. He was so fast for a heavyweight.

Who trained you during your career?

I had several different trainers. Paddy Flood managed and trained me for a while. Jimmy Glenn was my trainer for a long time. (he trains Jameel McCline now)

Are you involved in boxing today?

I still like to train fighters, but right now I'm not working with anyone.

Do you follow the sport closely these days?

Yes, I still watch all the fights and sometimes I go to the fights when possible. I've been around boxing for 40 years. It's in my blood. I could never walk away from it.

Finally what achievement in the ring are you most proud of?

I don't know if there is one single achievement that I can point to. Beating Don Fullmer and Isaac Logart was very exciting moments for me. When I beat Luis Rodriguez, that was a big fight for me. That's when I knew I could fight. In the record book, I lost that fight by a split decision.

But it was a very controversial decision, there was a protest by the commission but the decision was never changed. Muhammad Ali, who was friends with Rodriguez, came into my dressing room after the fight said to me, "Hang in there kid, you won that fight." I think the thing I'm most proud of is that I always came to fight. The opponents who fought me know that and they respected that... (I was also rated in the Top 10 as a junior middleweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and cruiserweight)

(Luis Rodriguez is now in the boxing hall of fame)

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