Rest in peace, Reg
Wednesday 28 January 2009 17:42, UK
Adam Smith laments the loss of the late, great, Reg Gutteridge, who sadly passed away this week.
Gutteridge may be gone but those lines will live forever
This week the British boxing world was hit by the sad passing of Reg Gutteridge. He was 84. The whole fight fraternity will miss the long-time boxing journalist, television stalwart and thoroughly good all-round chap. Since I was 11 years old, the only thing I ever wanted to be was a sports commentator. I admired, studied and always looked up to the finest exponents of what is such a subjective and hard art to perfect. There were so many legendary voices in my youth: from Dan Maskell to Peter O'Sullevan; Brian Moore to Richie Benaud; Bill McLaren to Barry Davies; Harry Carpenter to Reg Gutteridge. One of my sporting heroes was Tommy Hearns. I loved the Hitman and his tall stature, the ferocious power, the ability to truly excite, and his warrior-like attitude - even when things weren't going according to plan. To this day I vividly remember watching that epic three-rounder with Marvin Hagler in 1985. I also recollect Reg saying that the battle was 'like walking into a minefield': a twist, of course, on his own horror of landing on a mine and losing his left leg when a foot soldier with The King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1942. It was an electrifying fight, Hagler's greatest hour, as the terrific Hearns was beaten in such brutal fashion. Those commentary lines stayed with me. > Reg - along with his fabulous partner in crime Jim Watt - guided us all through those awesome fight moments. Reg was a wonderful wordsmith with a distinct voice; his warm humour mixed superbly with hard, cutting comments when needed. A former amateur flyweight who had always been around boxing, Reg's wealth of knowledge was amazing, and he was never ever afraid of telling it straight. I was highly privileged to have worked with Reg, when he joined Sky in the late nineties. Hearing those super stories that have been told over and over: from him being summoned to interview Muhammad Ali between rounds, to 'out-toughing' the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson and Sonny Liston by ramming forks into his wooden leg - recollected by the man himself - was priceless for me. I'll never forget his easy manner, blended together with those clinical quips. When Prince Naseem Hamed performed his usual flip into the ring, Reg merely stated: 'The ego has landed!'. Tyson-Holyfield I was quite perfectly summed up by Reg as 'the biggest upset in the fight game bar none.' I can still hear that line ringing around the corridors of Sky.
Reg was such fun, a true gentleman, and an entertaining and wise colleague, who was always there to help us youngsters starting out. Years later, I feel utterly honoured to be alongside Reg's comrade, Jim.
I love hearing the old tales, and however close I am to Jim, I know I will never ever replace 'his Reg', not even if we're together for another 20 years. They were quite brilliant - as great a partnership as you will ever get behind the sporting mic.
