By Ted Sares:
A ‘cutie’ to me is a guy who has such subtle, and often brilliant, boxing skills that most people who watch him do not even realize it…It’s the cutie, though, that gets things done without the usual flash and speed and explosiveness associated with great fighters. They are like magicians in a sense that they get the job done and sometimes people who watch it don’t realize it until well after it’s over. They look at the end result and say “How did that happen?”
“Iceman” John Scully
In my book Boxing is my Sanctuary, I had this to say about Vernon Paris in 2007:
“Vernon the Iceman Paris is only 19 years old and fights out of Detroit, but he has the slickest moves of any young fighter I have seen since a young Pernell Whittaker was doing his thing. In an article dated April 28, 2007…Doug Fischer describes Paris as a kid who exhibits good footwork, excellent hand speed and hand-eye coordination, as well as a variety of punches and combinations. He employ shoulder-roll counters with his left hand held low while in close like a poor-man’s Floyd Mayweather.
“When it becomes evident that an opponent is not going to be blasted out early or easily, he gets on his bicycle and ruthlessly pot-shots until the referee had seen enough.”
Vernon Paris is one talented boxer. He is a kid, but he is an old school kid. He also fights with two bullets lodged near his spine, the result of a shooting incident last year in which he was an innocent victim.”
Hard Times
He fought 8 times in 2007, but only once in 2008 and had a 21 month layoff as he went through an incredible number of serious personal issues which I covered in another article. At any rate, I had pretty much given up on him, though I was pleased he was still boxing. Then, he again picked up the pace in 2010 fighting 5 times, and after beating Emanuel Augustus (just barley) in January of this year, it looked like he might be coming back.
Tonight (8-5-11), the manner in which he dispatched Tim “Pit Bull” Coleman (19-1-1 coming in) convinces me that Paris (now 25-0) can once again make some real noise in the light welterweight division.
Showing his signature slick moves and mixing his punches nicely, the 23-uear old Mo Town native began to break Coleman down finally hurting him with a series of sharp uppercuts. Sensing that he had him ready for the kill, he cut loose with several painful Micky Ward-like body shots to the Pit Bull’s liver that decked him three times. Once Paris knew the vulnerable spot, he went after it like a Doberman goes after meat. The last knockdown occurred in the 7th stanza prompting the stoppage.
I’m not yet ready to be as enthusiastic as I was in 2007, but I am ready to watch The Iceman fight again..