RIP Trevor Berbick

Ah, I can imagine that you always worked the big rooms.

 

Wrote a couple of stories for the National Post about Berbick when he fought Shane Sutcliffe for the Canadian national title in 2000 or so. Interviewed him in a crappy Montreal hotel room with his brother sitting at the other end of the table. It was enlightening to say the least. Said Angelo Dundee poisoned him during the Tyson fight. Also said poison gas had been pumped into his hotel room. Added that he lost to Holmes because of an early bell. Finished by saying he was going to buy up a whole block in Montreal and settle down there.

And the damnedest thing was, I really wanted to believe him, about everything.

But then he was also still wearing his WBC Champion jacket from 1986. It was faded and a little tight around the shoulders. He very reluctantly took it off the for the weigh-in. He stepped on the scale wearing a singlet, long underwear, and wool socks. A classic pose.

And then he beat the mess out of Sutcliffe, big pool of black blood on the canvas. It was unreal on just about every level, and I can remember that night like it's still going on.

 

One of my favourite columnists Stephen Brunt has a good piece today:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061030.wberbickbrunt30/TPStory/Sports/columnists

 

Police in Jamaica are now saying Berbick was killed by his own nephew, the culmination of a long-running feud between the former champ and his sister-in-law.

Toronto Star story

The nephew’s mother, who was detained for questioning and released this week, had been involved in a long-running land dispute with Berbick, police said.

Berbick, who has been living in the area since being deported from the United States in 2002, was charged with larceny for breaking into his sister-in-law’s house that year and was later cleared. Earlier this year, Berbick was charged with assault for allegedly punching the woman.

In other news, Kyra Phillips of CNN has just bought a new alarm system for her home.

 

Finally can get a conviction and sentencing in this case:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/22/sports/othersports/22berbick.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin

 

For a minute I thought he died again.

 

Has Reuters story disappeared?