Packy’s World: Deontay Wilder, Ken Norton – Larry Holmes, Judy Garland, My Pal Al, & The Chutzpah Award Posthumously Goes to Al Martino

By Packy “Boom Boom” Goldstein

Oy Vay are you going to hear it today… I told you Bradley to have your editor hat on and that I was back to write while Sadie is off with the yentas at Bal Harbour today shopping which gives me some more free time. I’m just a retired Jew on a pension! Oy Vay can my bagel breaker spend! Good thing the boys looked out for my investments years back, I’ll tell you that.

Deontay Wilder… He destroys the Pillsbury Doughboy Chris Arreola in 4 rounds! End of discussion. I gave up on Chris a long time ago.

Ken Norton… His heavyweight title defense in June of 78, against Larry Holmes, was not only the best heavyweight title fight I have ever seen, I think he should have got the nod. Now if Larry didn’t have the shoulder or arm problem, it may have been a wide decision his way. Either way, I hated they never had a rematch because Kenny deserved it!

Judy Garland… Sure she had golden pipes, but she was also a damn good actress too. Here are my top five Garland movies.

5. Meet Me in Saint Louis
4. The Clock
3. The Wizard of Oz
2. Judgement at Nuremberg
1. A Star Is Born

My Pal Al (“Bad” Brad’s Father)… I got so many emails about the last story about Al I was truly moved. Yes, he was just that funny and never pulled any punches. Al story… He loved to call in to radio stations and mess with disc jockeys he loved. If they had a guest on who was for gambling which was a big thing they tried to get passed for years before he passed, he would be against it. If they were against it, he was for it. Because he knew all the DJ’s, they would crack up and not let the guest in on the joke. I wish I had those shows on tape today, I’ll tell you that!

The Chutzpah Award… The Chutzpah Award Posthumously goes to Italian crooner Al Martino. His voice cut like ice! Just listen to his first smash hit Here In My Heart. I will steal a word from Bradley. Fuggedaboutit! In the late 60’s, Al worked at the Chateau Madrid in Fort Lauderdale. The top floor was a restaurant/nightclub and many famous acts played there and Al Martino sang there. Al Berkwitt invited me to the show and after Martino did his act, I was taken back stage by Al to meet Martino.

Al sang in great voice that night and I wish I still had the picture we all took together. He was a true gentleman. I actually didn’t think about this story until I was looking at Bradley’s book the other day, Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime and was reminded that Al Martino wrote a beautiful foreword for it. We will never see the likes of Martino and his contemporaries in singing ever again, but thank heaven, we have their music on CD. Martino sadly died in October of 2009. RIP to both Al’s…

[si-contact-form form=’2′]