posted by Large

• Cheryl Tiegs? Dah… what was my primary masturbation fantasy from about 1982 to 1986 doing at a fricking Richard Gutierrez fight? Or was she there to see the Cubans? Or… well, what the hell was she doing there exactly? Matt Damon, Zo, Jake LaMotta… I get it. It’s the Fountanbleu, Rat Pack, whatever. But the Queen of the Swimsuit Issue? And did you notice how Joe Tessitore slipped it in as if it were no big deal? “And there’s Cheryl Tiegs, out enjoying the fights tonight.” Like, yeah, because that sort of thing happens all the time at Friday Night Fights. “Oh, and look over there, it’s Bianca Jagger. And whaddya know, there’s Carol Alt french-kissing Kathy Ireland.”

• The Cubans – I got a better feel for the less-heralded Erislandy Lara last night than I did for the great Guillermo Rigondeaux, primarily because that dude that Rigondeaux fought, Juan Noriega, may be the worst opponent I’ve ever seen served up in a televised fight. The guy was Golden Gloves amateur-class territory, and what’s more, he was visibly terrified in there, which made the whole thing agonizing to watch. I understand they have to get a guy like Rigondeaux a couple of serious tomato cans before he fights even a borderline skilled fighter, but still, something about last night’s debacle made me feel like I was watching an afterschool special. The bell rang, they waded out to the center of the ring, and I took one look at Noriega and thought, “stop the fight!” The poor kid. He did not belong anywhere near that ring. I felt for him.

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