rIP - Michael Dokes

[jofre]

Michael Dokes always packed a punch. Nicknamed "Dynamite," the heavyweight fighter came out of Akron in the 1970s and made an immediate name for himself in the boxing ring.

He also set off on a life of excess when it came to drugs, alcohol and women.
Dokes, who turned 54 on Friday died in Akron on Saturday night after battling liver cancer for several years.

"It's hard to know what to say," said longtime friend Stanley Jackson of Cleveland. "I met him when he first turned pro. He was like a young son to me. I just know I loved him."

With his fast and powerful fists, Dokes was on the national boxing stage at age 15 when he made it to the finals of the national Golden Gloves tournament. He won the national AAU heavyweight championship in 1975 and the Golden Gloves title the following year.

"I remember some classic Golden Glove bouts between Michael and Cleveland's Freddie Bambino," said Clytee Dunn, veteran amateur official with USA Boxing's Lake Erie Association. "They were something."

Dokes turned professional and stopped Al Byrd in his first bout on Oct. 15, 1976 in Hollywood, Fla.

He was 25-0-1, with 14 knockouts, when he won the World Boxing Association heavyweight title with a first-round technical knockout of Mike Weaver at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nev., on Dec. 10, 1982. In a rematch five months later, the bout was judged a majority draw and Dokes retained the title.

However, Dokes disappointed his hometown fans when he lost the title to Gerrie Coetzee on a 10th-round stoppage at The Coliseum in Richfield on Sept. 23, 1983.

Dokes admitted his drug use cost him the title. In an article in Sports Illustrated years later, Dokes said he trained for the fight "on cocaine and Jack Daniels."

"That fight should never have happened," Dokes told the Akron Beacon Journal in August 2010. "It's a fight I didn't live up to. I should never have brought it home."

Promoter Don King put on that fight in Richfield.

"Michael was a great fighter," said King. "He fought the good fight. It's unfortunate."

While Dokes remained a contender, he was unable to regain the championship. He lost pivotal bouts to Evander Holyfield in March 1989 and to Donovan Ruddock in April 1990.

In that latter bout, he was knocked unconscious for several minutes in the fourth round at Madison Square Garden. It was felt by some that Dokes' career should have been put to rest at that point.

He was given one more opportunity to reach the top. But that ended just as badly, with the fighter already showing the signs of decline both in and out of the ring.

Before his 1993 Madison Square Garden title bout against champion Riddick Bowe, Dokes enjoyed the New York limelight as he dined with followers and reporters. Weighing 244 pounds, Dokes did not back off from a plate of pasta as it would not hamper his training for the big fight.

"The past is history, the future isn't here yet, and the present is linguine and clam sauce," he told The Plain Dealer.

Dokes was stopped in the first round by Bowe. He earned $750,000.
He fought five more times after that, losing his final two bouts. He was stopped in the second round by Paul Phillips in his final bout on Oct. 11, 1997 in Erlanger, Ky., to finish with a career record of 53-6, with 34 knockouts.
In 1998, Dokes was arrested in Nevada on charges that he assaulted his girlfriend and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He had pleaded guilty to attempted murder, second-degree kidnapping and intent to commit sexual assault.

He was paroled in 2008.

He lived in Las Vegas before returning to Akron to live with relatives in 2010.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
jmaxse@plaind.com, 216-999-5168
On Twitter:
@JoeMaxse
© 2012 cleveland.com. All rights reserved.

[Rob Morris]

RIP. A lot of the 80's heavies have died, Leroy Jones, Scott LeDoux, Trevor Berbick, Anders Eklund, James Broad, Leroy Boone, Jeff Sims, Greg Page and now Dokes.

[bear]

rip

[kenyan_cheena]

RIP. Always liked him and he was a major character for a while in my TGPiS uni.

[Bogie]

Rip

[Ian Lord]

Rip.

[Ric915]

Rip

Hard to believe the 80's began 32 years ago. Man time is flying

[Ian Lord]

Originally Posted by Rob Morris

RIP. A lot of the 80's heavies have died, Leroy Jones, Scott LeDoux, Trevor Berbick, Anders Eklund, James Broad, Leroy Boone, Jeff Sims, Greg Page and now Dokes.

That's quite a few. There's been John Tate as well.

[Antonin]

A local warrior! Well, almost local. Akron is just down the road.

Rest in peace.

[Jackyle]

RIP Champ

His fight with Holyfield was classic.

[professordp]

I had the opportunity to see him at the Garden back in 1978 when he was just breaking out as a prospect. He had a world of talent and potential that was never realized.

[professordp]

Originally Posted by Rob Morris

RIP. A lot of the 80's heavies have died, Leroy Jones, Scott LeDoux, Trevor Berbick, Anders Eklund, James Broad, Leroy Boone, Jeff Sims, Greg Page and now Dokes.

A rather sad commentary on the sport when you think about it. I fear that a comparative actuarial analysis with other sports wouldn't do much to enhance boxing's image.

[Rob Morris]

Originally Posted by professordp

A rather sad commentary on the sport when you think about it. I fear that a comparative actuarial analysis with other sports wouldn't do much to enhance boxing's image.

And I forgot John Tate from that list too

[professordp]

Originally Posted by Rob Morris

And I forgot John Tate from that list too

Of course there's no answer, but I've often wondered if it has more to do with the lifestyle of boxers than with the sport itself.

[Tommysixfingers]

Originally Posted by professordp

Of course there's no answer, but I've often wondered if it has more to do with the lifestyle of boxers than with the sport itself.

Agreed.

It could very well be a combination of the two. Taking punches to the head repeatedly for 10-20 years combined with a lifestyle that most people would not call quiet, peaceful or healthy (especially among the lost generation in the 80's) won't exactly prolong ones life.

It lies in the nature of the sport that many boxers came from poor conditions, were brought up in a hard enviroment and so on and they never really leave that "hard" life to a 100%. Chaos of some sort always seem to lurk just around the corner. Even for the boxers that have enjoyed success of some sort in their careers.

[Ian Lord]

Originally Posted by Tommysixfingers

Agreed.

It could very well be a combination of the two. Taking punches to the head repeatedly for 10-20 years combined with a lifestyle that most people would not call quiet, peaceful or healthy (especially among the lost generation in the 80's) won't exactly prolong ones life.

It lies in the nature of the sport that many boxers came from poor conditions, were brought up in a hard enviroment and so on and they never really leave that "hard" life to a 100%. Chaos of some sort always seem to lurk just around the corner. Even for the boxers that have enjoyed success of some sort in their careers.

Spot on Tommy. A lot of the 80's heavie's were caught up in the party culture of drink and drugs. I personally think there was a lot of talent there that got wasted. Guy's like Dokes, Tubbs and Witherspoon won 'world' title's but could have made so much more of their careers had they not got caught up in that lifestyle.

[professordp]

Originally Posted by Tommysixfingers

Agreed.

It could very well be a combination of the two. Taking punches to the head repeatedly for 10-20 years combined with a lifestyle that most people would not call quiet, peaceful or healthy (especially among the lost generation in the 80's) won't exactly prolong ones life.

It lies in the nature of the sport that many boxers came from poor conditions, were brought up in a hard enviroment and so on and they never really leave that "hard" life to a 100%. Chaos of some sort always seem to lurk just around the corner. Even for the boxers that have enjoyed success of some sort in their careers.

I always thought of boxers as being somewhat akin to jazz musicians. Talented performers in an increasingly niche art form that frequently took them into the darker realms of life.

[Ric915]

Originally Posted by professordp

I always thought of boxers as being somewhat akin to jazz musicians. Talented performers in an increasingly niche art form that frequently took them into the darker realms of life.

Very nice analogy

[Mad Bomber]

Sad news.

[comicfanman]

Rip