Three Cheers to Mercante Triple Triumph for Jose Sulaiman Retired Boxers Fund

Raise your glasses in a Toast, because a germinating idea, which ripened and then fermented, into an elixir of success, has topped up the Jose Sulaiman Retired Boxers Fund to the tune of Sixteen Thousand dollars!

BEST LAID PLANS SUFFERS A TKO

The original idea was a three-day celebration in New York City including a black-tie formal dinner at the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) and a Heavyweight Championship bout in March 2021, to honour the Fiftieth Anniversary of the historic Fight of the Century in Madison Square Garden between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, who were both undefeated at the time.

One of the primary organizers was James Mercante, an attorney in New York and WBC Member, whose Father Arthur Mercante was the legendary Hall of Fame boxing Referee…and the third man in the ring on that fabled night.  James together with Mauricio Sulaiman, Jill Diamond, Madison Square Garden and the New York Athletic Club top brass met several times at the NYAC to plan and develop the long weekend of celebrations.

It was all mapped out on a chart of plain sailing, but then the squall of the pandemic hit and bit deep into the plan during a bleak 2021, followed by becalming conditions to take the wind out of the event. It presented a daunting dilemma and setback to the original course, which had to be overcome by inspiration, initiative and ingenuity.

GET KNOCKED DOWN….GET BACK UP!

Undeterred by the pandemic setback, James who still wanted to celebrate this vintage chapter of Boxing History, decided to find, produce and market a wine, labelled with The Fight of the Century theme.  A bold Cabernet Sauvignon red wine from the sun-kissed Napa Valley, was especially selected.  For this, he sought advice of the famed O`Shaughnessy Vineyard.

But another obstacle to overcome then occurred.  Muhammad Ali`s executors and agents for the Estate loved the 50<sup>th</sup> Anniversary celebration idea, but as a Muslim it wasn`t possible for Ali’s image to endorse an alcohol product.  Thinking cap time once again and James plus his wife Annie came up with brainwaves on how to ensure the two Champions names could appear on the label with no image of either fighter.

The front and back label ideas were developed by James and created by a New York Brand Strategist Dan Smith.  The front label displays a 50th Anniversary Gold Belt, depicting the number 50 in the center and a magnificent sketch by famed artist Joel Berman of World Renowned referee Arthur Mercante, purposefully  pointing with the disciplined instruction for Joe Frazier to go to a neutral corner after he had knocked down Muhammad Ali with a humongous left hook in the last round.

The back label depicts the famous and coveted WBC Green and Gold Belt with kind permission of WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman.  Also, a famous photo of Arthur Mercante scoring the fight, taken by Frank Sinatra, who was on assignment at ringside for Life Magazine.  Another time capsule moment in history because a boxing referee no longer scores a fight.  And to have the two Champions names appear on the label, James employed Annie’s idea and used a quote from Arthur`s book “Inside the Ropes.”  A patent lawyer, also a member of the NYAC, advised James that the book quote of his father’s was acceptable under the ‘’Fair Use Doctrine.’’

So many factors and label details were involved that all involved were all on tenterhooks thinking that a decision on approving the label from the Federal Tobacco, Alcohol and Tax Bureau (known as the TTB) could take many months or be rejected.  But in next to no time, the O`Shaughnessy owners contacted James to confirm that everything had been approved in just seven days saying: ‘’We`ve never seen anything like it. There must be a boxing fan at the TTB!”

The wine sales proved a superb success and James (who had promised Mauricio) donated half of the profits to the Jose Sulaiman Retired Boxers Fund, which is independently and ably administered by the Nevada Community Foundation.

MEMORIES OF THE BOUT

James was a teenager at the time of the Monday March 8^th 1971 fight, but he has some vivid memories of what his father told him and they shared.  He recalls:

‘’My Father left the NYAC where he had an early dinner, and jumped in a taxi to Madison Square Garden to ref the big fight.  He conducted his usual pre-fight routine including giving instructions to the fighters in their respective dressing rooms, checked the boxing gloves and then tested the ring ropes before the fight started to make sure they were sturdy.”  Ringside, there were all the celebrities you could imagine. Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, Barbara Streisand, Bob Dylan, Leroy Neiman, Hugh Hefner, Sammy Davis Jr., Dustin Hoffman, Woody Allen, other actors and actresses, the New York Knicks. Actor Burt Lancaster was the ringside announcer.  (Note: James recalls that it was Burt Lancaster that night that came up with the famous phrase “Down Goes….” not Howard Cosell who is widely credited with the phrase “Down Goes Frazier”.   It was epic inside but also outside the ring.  Arthur Mercante always said it was the most exciting and challenging fight he ever refereed because they were two great heavyweight fighters with non-stop movement and action.

‘’There wasn`t a lot of clinching. Joe Frazier was coming in like a bull and when Muhammad Ali went down in the 15^th round from that massive left hook, to Ali’s credit, he got up at the count of two. But at the end of that round, my Father said they were so exhausted he felt that if he had separated them too hard, they would have both fallen down. They were that tired”.

‘’I remember waking up the next day, went to the bathroom to get washed up in preparation for school and I saw my father`s bloody white shirt soaking in the sink. I quickly went  to my parent`s room and asked if he was OK.  My father told me…don`t worry James I`m fine. That blood is from the fighters.

‘’My Father said that Ali was talking a lot in the beginning of the fight….’Joe you can`t hurt me. You`re in the ring with God tonight’.  My Father was looking at both fighters and making the sign for them to stop talking and Joe then replied to Muhammad…’well if you`re God…you`re in the wrong place tonight!’

It was extremely important to James and the WBC to mark the 50^th Anniversary tribute to the Fight of the Century; a memorable event that took place in Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of Boxing. It seems the whole world including the Viet Nam War stopped to watch this fight.  In refereeing this bout, my Father really had to be on his toes and he himself was in great shape, like a Matador.  Jose Sulaiman used to say that “Arthur Mercante was the best referee my eyes have ever seen.”

He knew how to be in the right position at the right time. More importantly, which is his motto, he was In the scene, but Unseen. Some referees well know where the cameraman is positioned on the ring ropes and will make sure they are in the camera frame as often as possible.  On the other hand, my Father recognized his role as a non-participant so to speak (like any official), and was always moving around away from the two boxers so he was not in the camera or the focus of the fight.

CONTRIBUTION AN HONOR

In conclusion, James said it was an honor to contribute in this way to the Boxer’s Fund.  James admired Jose Sulaiman very much and assisted Jose Sulaiman and the World Boxing Council throughout the years in any way he could in his capacity as an attorney and otherwise.  James has remained a good friend of Maurico and the WBC.  He is hopeful this contribution will make a difference in the lives of some of the boxers in need.  A Gallery of great photos of the tribute wine project (“Legacy Corner”) with James’ new wine venture can be found at MercanteWines.