Ringside Report Looks Back at Tough Heavyweight Steve Zouski
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By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart
He fought a Foreman, a Tyson and a Frazier.
He was in the ring no fewer than 49 occasions in a career that spanned from 1978 to 1991. During that time, again he may not have gathered many baubles – he never fought for them – but he was a tough and game fighter who managed to take with him a crowd of affectionate boxing purists because he gave it all in the ring and was willing to face even the fiercest of foes.
Steve Zouski, 31-18, 15 KO’s stands as a curious character in a sport that would challenge Dr Seuss to relate in rhyme but of his time, he was a genuine heavyweight gate keeper and more than a journeyman to be beaten.
He started with a win record, like many do – 12 straight wins, most by knockout.
His most notable contest though and one for which he got much attention was on March the 9th in 1987 when he was to enter the ring and face a guy who was on the comeback trail. His best may have been well behind him but nobody doubted that George Foreman was still a force behind 10oz gloves.
Unfairly perhaps it was suggested that Zouski was only in it for the money but a win against Foreman would have given his record an increasing look of respectability. Foreman was entering the ring to begin a return that saw him fight over 30 more times professionally and get a version of the world title back whilst Zouski NEVER fought for a title but battled with the best.
It was not a classic and Foreman managed a 4th round stoppage giving the boxing writers plenty to scribe and much upon which to speculate – Foreman’s size captured most of the headlines. Clearly far from in shape and after a decade out the ring the focus was always going to be on him but Zouski was bullish before the fight claiming, Foreman is “going to have to do a lot more work and needs some luck,” before adding: “There are a lot of guys out there who are bigger and faster than me who can throw some punches that can reach him.” Zouski did not rate the former champion’s chances of mixing with the best.
Foreman had planned, if you can plan such a thing, to get rid of the ring rust and take it into the 7th or 8th round but claimed that he went for an early finish because he was hurt. Claiming he had a swelling under his left eye he went in for the kill and stopped the contest. With $24,000 in his pocket he declared this was all going to church funds whilst the 7th defeat in a row for Zouski did not dampen his wish to stay active in the ring. We have no idea what Zouski’s payday was but can be assured it was less than Foreman’s. It did get him noticed but it was at the wrong end of a defeat and the wrong end of his career.
One year before hand he had got in the ring with Iron Mike Tyson and not managed to get to the 4th round; in all the wrong ways it could be claimed that 4 rounds with Foreman was progress!
In 1986 Tyson had walked down Zouski until in the 3rd when a series of uppercuts hurt Zouski and sent him stumbling. Tyson had snapped back Zouski’s head and it was a massive left hook that sent Zouski down face. Zouski made it to his feet but only after the referee had reached the count of ten.
It was brave Zouski’s first professional knockout and Tyson gave him some credit for his performance saying, “He was a game opponent and I have to give him a lot of credit for standing in and taking some good punches. I didn’t like my performance. I have a lot of personal problems that I am just getting over, but I’m going to do all to my best ability to be ready for the twenty-ninth against James Tillis.”
Five years beforehand, in 1981, Zouski had faced, not father Joe but son Marvis Frazier in the legendary Madison Square Garden, where he was beaten on points by a man who was then only on his 4th professional fight. Had it been the father on a comeback trail who knows what would have happened but without an Ali on his fighting history there are at least three great names on the record of a man who was not called out but called in to prove a stiff test. Ask Corrie Sanders, Tommy Morrison and Tony Tubbs!
Aside from these very memorable fights Zouski fought a career that was about getting in the ring, doing your thing and staying healthy. It was never to end up in lights but for most of us boxing fans, when we see those names of the guys who can box, can fight and get the other guys into deeper waters we know that no matter what their record is on paper we might just get a true and real contest in front of our very eyes. Zouski belonged to the category of fighter who gave it what he had and made many dig deeper than they had before.
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