Sport

Vinny Paz on his career, Duran and movie plans
by Ciaran Baynes, 07 May 2008

Vinny Paz on his career, Duran and movie plans

Vinny Paz spoke to setantasports.com about his incredible boxing career, plans for a movie of his life and his pride in emulating his hero Roberto Duran.

Paz, formerly Pazienza, became the second fighter after his idol Duran to go from being a world lightweight champion, to winning a title at light middleweight - a fight since accomplished by Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather.

Although Paz, who ended with a record of 50-10 (30 KOs) also beat Duran towards the end of the Panamanian legend's career, he says he does not count them as the fighter known as 'Mano de Piedra' ('Hands of Stone'), was a shadow of his former self at this point.

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"I retired 50 wins, five world titles and a couple of brain cells left - so I'm good," Paz told setantasports.com's Spencer Fearon.

"That was my greatest night. For that fight. I knew Gilbert Dele was a big puncher, a big strong guy and undefeated.

"I knew to win I had to box and win and in the end I knew I would be the puncher and I was stopping him in the 11th round.

"How ironic and crazy life is. When I was an amateur fighter, the Duvas took me to Madison Square Garden to watch Roberto Duran fight Davey Moore.

"So I was sitting there watching, thinking look at this guy he's awesome, he's an aimal.

"He became the first fighter in history to go from lightweight to win a title at light middleweight.

"Who in the world would have thought I'd be the second to do that?"

"And who would have thought in a million years that I would end up fighting Roberto Duran twice?

"When I fought Duran, I beat him twice but I don't even count that.

"When I gave him his award [at the world boxing hall of fame], I told the people I beat Duran the twice we fought but it doesnt count because he was 90 when we fought. He was older than he is now."

The performances in the ring were only a small part of the story of the Rhode Island-born gladiator's story though.

His recovery from a broken neck to return to the ring against doctor's orders in 1992 and went on to challenge for world super middleweight titles on three occasions, the first occasion against Roy Jones Jr.

Unsurprisingly, Hollywood has come calling since his retirement in 2004 and they a biopic of his life is in the pipeline.

"We're working on the life story soon of when I broke my neck. It will be on big screens to," Paz added.

"James Caan, he's going to play my dad and his kid, Scotty Caan will play me. He's a hot actor now, he was in Ocean's Eleven. He's making a name for himself and he can fight as well."

Paz, who used to come into the ring to the Rocky theme tune also spoke about the time when he met his own celluloid hero Apollo Creed.

"He said: 'Vinny, I'm Carl Weathers'.

"I said: Don't tell me who you are. Matter of fact, I started boxing because I liked you!'"

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Comments

TJ - 12 May 2008 23:23: Hi Clinton, you've confirmed what I've been hearing re Johnson.. there were several rumours he threw the fight, which is a real shame. I wonder how long he could've reigned for if he hadn't theown the fight? i too have heard from various sources that he was a fascinating individual both inside and outside the ring and he enjoyed sticking it to the authorities... all in all a very colourful character... would be good for people to delve more into his leagacy.... Thanks for the info!; Report this to a moderator

Clinton - 11 May 2008 21:36: Hello TJ, I fortunately have seen several old clips of Jack and thought he was the best heavyweight of his era. I also believe that he threw the fight against Jess Willard so he would be allowed to return unscathed back into the US. In the old films and pictures, you can see Johnson shielding his eyes from the sun as the referee counted him out. To me, that indicates he had all of his faculties and could have continued. Great fighter, charismatic champion.; Report this to a moderator

TJ - 11 May 2008 18:44: Thanks Clinton, that is really good news to know.. What are your views on this colourful and controversial character... i've heard that he was good enough to hold his own with most of the champions from all eras... I've seen some of him against the likes of Jess Willard and he was quite a mobile man of good size for his time with a good jab and good power in his right!; Report this to a moderator

Clinton - 11 May 2008 16:43: TJ, there is a movie about Jack Johnson. It was made about 1972 and starred the great actor James Earl Jones as the title character, although the name used was Jack Jefferson. Jane Alexander played his wife. There was also an award winning Broadway play of the same name: "The Great White Hope". It also starred JEJ. I don't know which came first and which one was based on the other.; Report this to a moderator

TJ - 10 May 2008 18:30: A Hollywood movie about the first Great Black Heavyweight World champion Jack Johnson at the turn of the 20th Century would be ace... He was a gifted champion and possibly a top ten of all time.. I've seen shows on him and heard from experts such as Bert Randolph Sugar & Nat Fleischer that this man was incredible.. But as good as he was in the ring he was contoversial outside it... He prompted the tag The Great White Hope as America was desperate to get it's title back and was aggrieved that a black man held the greatest title in sports... They even tried to get the American secret services involved to discredit JJ (as he liked to frequent bordellos and frolic with white women)... Come on Jack Johnson's story is perhaps the best as even when he lost to the giant Jess Willard people still say he threw the fight.. He was forced to flee US and live in France and defend his titles against all comers! Plus he couldn't half fight!; Report this to a moderator

TJ - 09 May 2008 17:26: Paz bringing up Davey Moore reminds me, around that period was a shocker for boxing, first with Panama Lewis taking the padding from Luis Resto's gloves allowing him to "assualt" the undefeated Billy Collins Jnr in the ring.. Collins died later in a motor accident (appears he never got over that shellacking).. Then Tommy Hearns blasted out the undefeated James BlackGold Shuler in a round and he too died in a motorbike accident days later and Davey Moore too died in a freak motor accident not too long after this beating he suffered from Duran... We lost three very good young men, who never had the chance to realise their potential... I saw these fights on TV at the time and always remember the sustained beating Davey Moore took...It was shocking and he was so brave... I'll never forget such bittersweet memories...Perhaps we can honour some of those that died incl. (Salvador Sanchez & Diego Chico Corrales )before their time in an article here!!!; Report this to a moderator

Johnny Bee - 09 May 2008 17:10: Can someone tell me how much boxing does Spencer Fearon know and when is the McCallum interview going up? Keep up the good work.; Report this to a moderator

Clinton - 09 May 2008 13:14: Hello Heatherb, Pazienza may or may not be a nice guy now, but when he was fighting, he definitely was not. One thing is for certain, HE WAS NEVER A GREAT FIGHTER.; Report this to a moderator

heatherb - 08 May 2008 22:21: Hey Blah to all you Vinny haters. He IS A GREAT FIGHTER. I once was just a fan but we have become great friends. He's a Helluva fighter and a helluva guy.; Report this to a moderator

Clinton - 08 May 2008 15:02: Hello Tony, With all due respect, Pazienza broke a bone, but never severed his spine. Otherwise he would have been a paraplegic. I'm not trying to minimize his injury, but claim what a classless lout he was before and after his injury,even though one would have thought that after the injury, he would have had more class and humility. Quite frankly, he had neither. He never beat a top class fighter, and went out of his way to behave like a buffoon in and out of the ring. I'm quite surprised that he demonstrated respect for Duran in this interview, because that definitely was not his style when he was out and about. But then again, considering Duran's stature as a lightweight, even loudmouth Pazienza would not have gotten away with belittling him. Duran was 43-44 when they fought.; Report this to a moderator

Jason - 08 May 2008 13:02: This is a very good interview, Paz is very laid back cool guy. Very good Lightweight champion not great but very good.Spencer Fearon you do it again thanks for this mate.; Report this to a moderator

Tony - 08 May 2008 11:51: I agree that there are more great fighters to make movies about but none more compelling this guy near died and still trained with a broken neck?; Report this to a moderator

Clinton - 08 May 2008 05:08: Pazienza never, NEVER beat a great fighter. At least he has the common sense to admit that when he fought Duran, Duran was so ancient and past it that the Panamanian never should have been in the ring in the first place. The problem with Pazienza is that after he broke his neck, he made an absolute heroic comeback, only to return to his embarrasing and belittling far inferior opponents. Anytime he fought a very good or great opponent, he got his butt kicked. He even had the gall to make a million excuses after Roy Jones absolutely destroyed him. There are far more compelling characters in boxing to make a Hollywood movie about.; Report this to a moderator

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