| Buddy McGirt once said, "I remember my fight | | | | Anthony Stephens for the USBA Welterweight |
| with him like it was yesterday, He came up to | | | | Title. The fight was televised on ESPN. In a |
| me before the fight and asked for my | | | | previous bout, Stephens had knocked Felix |
| autograph. He was wearing a cowboy hat, | | | | Trinidad off his feet before before being |
| cowboy boots, had a chew of tobacco in his | | | | ko'd by Tito. Coming from behind, he savaged |
| mouth and a cup in his hand. He definitely | | | | Stephens, knocking him down an astounding |
| could have been someone to look out for. He | | | | five times before the fight was mercifully |
| had an awkward style, but he could sure | | | | halted in the twelfth and last round. |
| fight."Buddy could have added that he shared | | | | Becoming the new USBA champion, he was now |
| something with the likes of Danny "Little | | | | looking ahead to better fights and bigger |
| Red" Lopez, Bobby Chacon, Saad Mohammed, | | | | paydays.His next fight on April 7, 1995 |
| Jaime Garza,Tito Trinidad and Arturo Gatti. | | | | against a streaking prospect from the UK |
| He had that knack......that special flair for | | | | named Adrian "The Predator" Stone reinforced |
| the dramatic.....of coming back from the | | | | his growing reputation for the dramatic. The |
| brink of defeat to take his opponent out in | | | | undefeated Stone was the favorite, and in the |
| breathtaking fashion. Only a fool would ever | | | | early goings, he lived up to his billing |
| count him out. With a no-defense, | | | | giving him a solid beating. But he kept his |
| full-offense brawling style, he would take | | | | cool, regrouped and suddenly, like a |
| take several blows to land one of his heavy | | | | lightening bolt, took command winning by a |
| handed straight rights. Hanging tough, he | | | | sensational knockout in round ten. As is my |
| would suddenly and dramatically turn the | | | | wont, I was up and screaming at the end, |
| tables at the end. Once he had his opponent | | | | hardly believing the sudden turn of events. |
| hurt, he would close things out decisively.He | | | | One thing was now certain; he had become one |
| had emerged seemingly out of nowhere as one | | | | of my very favorite fighters. I had found my |
| of the fight game's most exciting, | | | | Bobby Chacon and Saad Muhammad all wrapped |
| tough-as-nails welterweights and the fans | | | | into one fighterAfter quickly disposing of |
| came to love him both as a fighter and as a | | | | Kenny Lewis, he then faced capable veteran |
| young man with an obvious big heart, full of | | | | Nick Rupa on July 7, 1995 in what would turn |
| personality and promise. He was the | | | | out to be his last fight. True to form, he |
| quintessential blood and guts warrior who, | | | | was losing the fight, but suddenly turned |
| like the aforementioned fighters, always | | | | the tables and ko' d Rupa in round seven.... |
| seemed to grab victory from the throes of | | | | and he did it in front of his proud family. |
| defeat. His come from behind victories over | | | | It was Rupa's first stoppage loss and he too |
| Anthony Stephens, Adrian Stone, and, in his | | | | would never be the same fighter. I could |
| final fight, Nick Rupa, won him not only the | | | | hardly wait for his next fight.It would never |
| USBA welterweight title, but a hugh fan | | | | come. Sadly, seventeen days after the Rupa |
| following throughout the boxing world and the | | | | fight, my favorite fighter was missing. |
| ESPN circuit. Possible big fights were on | | | | Between July 24 and August 11, 1995, boxing |
| the horizon and names like Tito Trinidad and | | | | had lost one of its grittiest warriors, but |
| Yori Boy Campas were being mentioned. In | | | | his parents, three younger brothers, wife and |
| boxing parlance, he was a hot property. Hell, | | | | child, lost far more. His truck was found on |
| He was Gatti before Gatti.He was also a | | | | the railroad tracks outside of town where |
| loving son and was from a close knit family, | | | | some speculated a "fierce battle" had taken |
| but from another perspective, he lived his | | | | place. Days later, his body was found in a |
| life the way he wanted to........freely and | | | | swamp.The autopsy revealed he had received a |
| on the edge..........the wild and dangerous | | | | blunt trauma to the head, but not one that |
| side, but as his boxing success increased, | | | | would have resulted in his death. More than |
| his personal life seemed to be stabilizing at | | | | ten years later, the circumstances |
| least somewhat. Though, as his brother | | | | surrounding his death remain the subject of |
| related, "settling down and going to work | | | | much speculation and have been detailed by |
| wasn't part of his life. He had several jobs, | | | | far better writers than I and I'll leave that |
| he was one of the best roofers in the County, | | | | part of the unfinished and highly complex |
| but that just didn't appeal to him." By some | | | | tragedy to them.* Suffice to say the pathos, |
| accounts, he was also allegedly robbing drug | | | | intrigue and cross currents are the stuff of |
| dealers, an activity that can have the most | | | | movies and best sellers.One account I came |
| serious of repercussions. Allegedly, he would | | | | across indicated that after he was found in |
| do this in a dangerous, crime ridden area of | | | | the swamps, his body was loaded onto the back |
| his town known as "The Bottoms."He became a | | | | of a train engine and taken home to Mobile, |
| professional boxer at age 21 on July 13, 1987 | | | | Alabama as the sun was setting in the distant |
| against Billy Pryor whom he knocked out in | | | | western sky. If so, then the man for whom he |
| the third round in Mobile, Alabama. He | | | | was named, the Outlaw Jesse James, must |
| knocked out his next four opponents. After | | | | surely have been smiling down on the Outlaw |
| these bouts, he was a bit inconsistent, | | | | Jesse James Hughes who lived like he |
| though extremely exciting, winning some and | | | | fought...........on the edge."Boxing has |
| losing to rugged Canadian Stephane Ouellett, | | | | become America's tragic theater." Joyce Carol |
| and then to Eric Holland in a televised | | | | Oates*See: "Ten Years Later: Death of Jesse |
| slugfest from Philadelphia in August 1994 | | | | James Hughes Remains a Mystery" by Sean |
| featuring savage back-and-forth exchanges. | | | | Newman, May 10, 2005.Ted Sares, PhD, is a |
| Curiously, Holland, a bright prospect at the | | | | private investor and syndicated writer who |
| time, would never be the same after this | | | | lives in the White Mountain area of Northern |
| brutal bout. Things changed for the better on | | | | New Hampshire with his wife Holly and Min Pin |
| January 4, 1994, when he fought tough Buddy | | | | Jackdog. He writes a bi-weekly column for a |
| McGirt in Florida. Even though he lost a ten | | | | local newspaper, is a regular contributor to |
| round decision, he gained respect from those | | | | the NH Business Review, and many of his other |
| who witnessed the fight, but more | | | | pieces are widely published.His works focus |
| importantly, he gained self-confidence | | | | on issues and themes dealing with |
| knowing he could hang tough with somebody as | | | | socio-political topics, business and |
| capable as McGirt. I recall the look on | | | | (economics in which he advocates a free |
| Buddy's face toward the end of that fight and | | | | market approach to capitalism), patriotism, |
| it was one of extreme caution and fear as he | | | | and matters dealing with individual |
| was being stalked until the final bell. I | | | | freedom.They are frequently inspirational in |
| sensed something........here was someone to | | | | nature and sometimes reflect the Objectivist |
| keep an eye on.Things exploded quiet | | | | philosophy of novelist and philosopher Ayn |
| literally on October 26, 1994 when he fought | | | | Rand. |