This was a big boxing week in my family. My son, Joey Negron, had his first boxing tournament, since he won The Daily News Light Heavyweight Golden Gloves Championship back in April.
This week, he beat two-time champ Leslie Jean for the New York Amateur Boxing Championship Light Heavyweight Division.
After the fight, my sons and I went to see the new movie Hands of Stone for a special screening for NY Sports Day. Throughout the years, I have been very fortunate to be in the company of Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran. As a matter of fact, George Steinbrenner had a special pay-per-view in the Yankee Clubhouse for all the players to see the first Duran-Leonard fight.
After Duran beat Leonard, Reggie Jackson had me deliver a Reggie model bat signed by Mr. October. I took it to his hotel and Duran would not stop swinging it. About two years later, I would see Duran again and he would ask me if I could get him another bat because, in a fit of rage, he threw the bat at a crowd outside his house.
In the movie, you actually see him throwing a bat at a crowd outside his house. I laughed my ass off when I saw this scene because I knew that would have been that bat.
Usher Raymond plays Leonard brilliantly. Edgar Ramirez is magnificent as Duran and, of course, Robert De Niro is Robert De Niro – the greatest.
John Turturro gets a loud honorable mention as the mob boss. John is such a great actor, you wish his part was bigger.
Knowing Duran, it’s as close to the truth as you can get.
I highly recommend it.
Rating: ****
