Thursday, March 11, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

ROYCE FEOUR: O'Callaghan was leading champion of fight game

Of all the governors who have served during the 36 years I have covered sports for the Review-Journal, Mike O'Callaghan was easily the most passionate about boxing.

Memorial services for O'Callaghan will be at 1 p.m. today at the Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, and a huge gathering is expected. It probably will be standing room only, which would be deserving.

Seeing politicians sitting ringside at major fights is not unusual. In fact, it's the norm. Any politician can show up for a megafight at the MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay or Caesars Palace, but I remember seeing O'Callaghan at more smaller fights than big fights.

I recall seeing a red-faced O'Callaghan trying to explain to a 4- or 5-year-old girl, who could have been his granddaughter, about a voluptuous round-card girl at the Silver Nugget. And there weren't many smaller cards than at the Silver Nugget. O'Callaghan also attended cards at the Showboat and the Silver Slipper and other club fights.

When O'Callaghan was governor, he used to call me and would want to know what time the cards started because he wanted to get there in time to catch the preliminary fights. He made a point of wanting to get there for the undercard. How many boxing fans, let alone governors, do that?

"Mike was a guy just as likely to go to a smoke-filled club fight (as a major fight)," former Gov. Bob Miller said. "He appreciated it at every level. He knew it was a character builder."

I first met O'Callaghan when he was a teacher at Basic High School. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., also goes back to high school with O'Callaghan, who taught Reid to box at the Henderson Boys Club.

"Mike was a great fighter," Reid said. "He had over 100 amateur fights, not counting those in the streets. He was really a tremendous fighter. He lost his leg and that was that. He was very powerful and knew all of the skills of a fighter.

"When we did roadwork, he would get in the car and drive behind us as we ran up the hill to Railroad Pass. He said, 'If you stop, I will run over you.' He was a very good teacher. He also had a thing (where) if there was a bully, he would dare him to get in the ring at the Boys Club. On more than one occasion, he cold-cocked the guy."

Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, said O'Callaghan gave him valuable counsel.

"One of my last conversations about boxing with him was he called me about the offensive lyrics some fighters walk in to," Ratner said. "He called me to do something about it, and I try to do that. That was a real good thing he brought up. I knew it anyway, but he crystallized it for me."

Miller said he talked to O'Callaghan about the appreciation of what boxing meant to the state economically and how important it was to regulate the sport properly.

"Mike would call you when he liked something and when he didn't like something," Miller said. "I think he liked some of the persons I selected for the commission. I was fortunate he was supportive, particularly of Dr. Elias Ghanem, who we were both close to. Guys like Luther Mack, he liked him and many of the others."

Sig Rogich was appointed to the commission by O'Callaghan in 1976 and became chairman. Rogich said he appreciated the governor's support when Rogich refused to back down to a WBA demand that Nevada use WBA judges, which led to the last-minute cancellation of a Victor Galindez-Mike Rossman WBA light heavyweight championship fight in 1978 at Caesars Palace.

There was a lot of pressure on the state to side with the WBA and let the fight go on because the sold-out arena ticket sales had to be refunded and ABC's "Wide World of Sports" was left without a fight to televise.

Rogich said O'Callaghan came to him and said, "We can't let anyone extort us on their officials or we won't ever be able to appoint officials. You do what is right. Cancel the fight."

Said Jim Nave, a former chairman of the commission: "If Gov. O'Callaghan would give you advice, you took it with the ultimate belief. If he gave you criticism, you also took that with a great deal of importance. I had such respect for Gov. O'Callaghan."