The Hidden Wrench Story

The above photo is a re-creation photo of a Fazzolari story from long ago. For obvious reasons my recollection of the evening is not great.

You'll see why.

I'm pretty sure it was a general party with friends and relatives. I know that my Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Herb were there because my cousins Joe and Paul were there.

As our corner men.

You see, this was a different day and age. Parents would buy boxing gloves for the kids. Ali and Frazier were great heavyweights and we all wanted to box for a living.

There weren't helmets.

Just two young boys, swinging wildly...trying to knock each other out.

I think I was about 10 and John was 11. Joe and Paul were early teenagers. I may be wrong about the ages, but that was the neighborhood.

(Like I've said...it's a foggy memory).

In any regard, we were in my parents basement and we wanted it set up like a real boxing ring.

We put up some tables on end and made a square. We had a bell to signal the end of the rounds. We were scheduled to go 15 rounds for the title. We may have even found a belt for the soon to be champ.

And off we went.

I have always had the reach on John and Joe was an excellent trainer. He taught me about the jab and I was able to keep my stronger, smaller brother at bay.

In fact, the crowd (brothers and sisters and cousins) was solidly in my corner by the late rounds and everyone was talking about the fact that John would have to knock me out in the last round in order to win the fight.

I never saw the punch coming.

He hit me on the right temple.

I dropped like a bag of dirt.

I swear to God I can still hear my cousin imploring me to wake up. Joe was over the top of me and he was real concerned.

I know, for a fact, that John had knocked me clean out. I have no idea how long I was unconscious.

What I also didn't know...at the time...was that my cousin Paul had worked it all out in between rounds 14 & 15.

He had placed a wrench in John's glove.

So, the above photo is about right.

Recently I saw my cousin Joe and he remembered it all.

He laughed nervously.

"I was worried he had killed you," he said. "I couldn't imagine going up and telling Uncle John and Aunt Lynda that John had killed you because Paul put a wrench in John's glove. I'm so glad you woke up."

Me too, Joe.

Me too.