SCORECARD
OOK, THIS is boxing, man,” says the trainer. “There
will come nights where some things happen that
you just can’t explain. I try not to think about it.”
Before his fighter died, James (Buddy) McGirt understood
the risks. Before he became a trainer, he climbed into a
boxing ring an incredible 80 times, with 48 knockouts
in his 73 wins. One took place on Sept. 30, 1983, when
McGirt TKO’d a welterweight named Larry Fleming at
the Felt Forum in New York City. On that same card,
McGirt’s stablemate Isidro (Gino) Perez suffered a beatingL
16 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED | AUGUS T 12, 2019
THE DEATHS OF TWO BOXERS
WITHIN A WEEK FORCE A TRAINER—
AND OUR WRITER—TO RECKON WITH
THE SPORT’S INHERENT DANGER
MORTA L
COMBAT
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