Three Dallas boxing historians speak of March 13

March 11, 1:36 PMDallas Boxing ExaminerMatt Stolow

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Dickie Cole (left) and son Laurence. (Photo: Matt Stolow)

Three men were titans of Dallas boxing when I came on the scene way back in 1985 doing publicity. They were Dickie Cole, Steve Crosson, and Arlen "Spider" Bynum.

They still are giants to me today.

Cole ran an insurance agency across the street from Southern Methodist University. Crosson had a successful and still has real estate appraisal business and Spider Bynum is still an attorney.

Cole retired from the insurance business (now run by his referee/son Laurence) and for over a decade has been the boxing coordinator of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

He has never done it for the money but for the love of boxing and to help young boxers.

"Dallas is and has always been an "event / high - status conscious city," said Cole. "That's not a bad thing, but just a fact.

"My daddy was a big boxing fan and by time I was seven I was going to the fights
in the late 1930s here in Dallas. Former world lightweight champion Lew Jenkins who was from Sweetwater (near Abilene) fought here several times in real fights and exhibitions before he won the title. I saw him lose to Chino Alvarez (7-29-38) at the Sportatorium.

"Jack Ruby (who shot Lee Harvey Oswald) would always go to the fights. He would go to see a young Curtis Cokes at Memorial Coliseum. Ruby would hang out with the other club owners, restaurateurs, bookies, and gangsters and go see the AFL Dallas Texans (now the Kansas City Chiefs) one week at the Cotton Bowl and the next week the NFL Dallas Cowboys. During the week it was Southern Methodist University (SMU) basketball. But Jack had no involvement with the fight game though.

"Around World War II heavyweight Champion Joe Louis fought exhibitions here in Dallas. Muhammad Ali fought exhibitions here after he lost his title and before mounting his comeback.

"Curtis Cokes defended his welterweight title here three times in late 1960's.

"Dallas is a city impressed with upper - echelon activity. It is not a club show town. You need a Manny Pacquiao to sell and then Dallas will support it. Unlike neighboring Fort Worth or Austin which are blue-collar towns. Dallas is cosmopolitan. Fort Worth is down to earth.

"World War II destroyed the careers of many good fighters that I grew up watching. But I believe the fighters today are bigger, stronger and better. There are just not enough of them.

"A fighter like Dallas' Curtis Cokes (inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame) would have been great in any era because he was a puncher and if he connected, it was over.

Steve Crosson.  (Photo: Matt Stolow)

Crosson was an International Secretary of the World Boxing Council and a world- class referee. He may be most famous for being referee of the Larry Holmes vs. Tex Cobb fight in Houston in which announcer Howard Cosell decided to retire afterwards.

"The history of professional boxing in Dallas may be characterized as a) big-time promoter hustles local neophyte for unsuccessful, one-time event; and b) local promoter tries vainly for success, without adequate funding and marketing power," said Crosson.

"The March 13th promotion is the antithesis of this history; the promoter and the site promoter possess all the ingredients for success, not the least of which is the world's preeminent sports stadium. We hope that it is wildly successful and that this is the new prototype for world boxing.

"Heretofore, the economic dynamics of gaming-based casinos have precluded successful competition by other venues. However, the combination of Jerry Jones' financial recources, eye-popping venue, and in-house marketing advantages have the potential to change the model," Crosson added.

Bynum was legal council to Jose Sulaiman and the WBC while also a world class judge.

Mr. Bynum had to be away at trial and was not available to be interviewed for this story. I will attempt again later in week.

All three plan to be at or near ringside Saturday night and these men should be recognized for all the unselfish sacrifices they made over the years trailblazing the path that made Pacquiao vs. Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington possible Saturday night.