I nick into Jackpot, Nevada. Jackpot lies just over the Idaho border and only exists because Idaho banned gambling in 1954. Cactus Pete Piersanti and Don French decided to move their operations of Twin Falls Idaho just south of the border in 1958 and so began the fair city of Jackpot. And so it remains, just fair. Maybe that is pushing it. Jackpot has a population of 1190, five casinos, a post office and a golf course and let’s be frank, it is a shithole. The golf course, surprisely, is quite good. It is obvious it shouldn’t exist as it is carved out of the desert and I’m sure it takes a lot of water they don’t have. Bizarrely up on the top of the course on the 10’s left hand rough are three gravesites. The headstones reveal that these are three people who were involved in the setting up and initial operation of the golf course and died in the 70s. You can just bury people here? It appears so. Anyway my ball lies just a couple of metres away. I make a pretty good recovery with a four iron. I’m sure that is what they would have wanted.
Anyway I repair to Cactus Pete’s for a beer and lo and behold there are a number of pictures of Charles “Chuck” Wepner, the Bayonne Bleeder. The Bayonne Bleeder had been there to open something or other in the 80s. I love the Bleeder. Chuck claimed that when he started fighting he was 6′ 1″ but was 6′ 5″ at end of his career due to all the uppercuts he had received. He fought Sonny “The Night Train ” Liston in 1970. Sonny was well over the hill by this stage, but nevertheless Chuck needed 72 stitches post fight. Ali gave him an undeserved shot at the title in 1975. In the ninth round Chuck knocked Ali down (Ali claimed that Wepner stood on his foot which appears to be borne out by photographs). Wepner ran to his corner and said “Al, start the car. We’re going to the bank. We are millionaires.” To which Wepner’s manager replied, “You better turn around. He’s getting up and he looks pissed off.” In the remaining six rounds, Ali gives him the greatest ass whupping you have ever seen before knocking him down in the fifteenth with nineteen seconds remaining and the ref awarding a TKO. Chuck (post Ali) fought Andre the Giant. Does this all sound a tad reminiscent of a certain fight film, (long shot white hope, the fight by Rocky against Thunderlips) Chuck thought so too. Initially, Stallone refused to pay Chuck when he claimed that he was the inspiration for Rocky, but eventually he settled.
The fight against Sonny. Check out the Ref’s shirt.
- Lumber, gold and prossies
- TIFU – my biggest so far.
50 States of golf 