The Sure Thing

I was sitting in Josie's sipping on a margarita and talking to a beautiful young lady one night...

"So tell me gorgeous, what have I got to say to get you to go home with me?" I asked, smiling slyly.

"You're an attorney right?" she asked...

"Yes I am, Robert Foxworth,Attorney at law at your service." I said.

"And that's your car outside right?" she asked again..

"That's one of em, yeah..." I remarked.

'Well then say no more...I'm there." she said...

Why did I do this?, It was just too easy sometimes...Maybe that's why I wasn't in anything resembling a relationship right now... Just as I paid my tab and was getting ready to escort the young lady out the door....That trumpet player, the one I don't like, named Symphony Sam walked in...

"Robert...Robert my man......have I got a peice of business for you...Hey Gus..you too..come over here man...." he said.

"What is it Sam...I gotta business to run..." said Gus, who didn't take fools lightly.

"Listen...I got a piece of this fighter....His name is John Henry Armstrong.....Tough as nails...Undefeated....He's fighting "Sailor Mike" Friday night.....Now is the time to put some money on this guy....He's the next champ...I'm tellin ya...The next champ....Joe Neptune over the Mermaid Club, put a G. down..What you got?" asked Symphony Sam.

"I got nothin...I aint a sportin man." said Gus.

"Gus?, Gus? I'm tryin to put you down with a sure thing..." said Symphony Sam.

"Yo look man...I'm like Gus...I don't bet....on nothin..." I said.

"Aww come on shyster....come see my boy fight and then tell me you won't put some money down on him." said Sam.

"What's in it for you?" asked Gus.

"Nothin....I already got a deuce on him.....I'm just tryin to put my guys down on a money makin
proposition." he said.

"Remind me one day, when I feel like talkin to you, to tell you how I almost lost my house, this bar and the shirt off my back bettin on the horses." said Gus.

"Gus, this aint no horse..This is John Henry Armstrong, all American, next Champion...He's 28 and oh...Never been defeated." said Symphony Sam.

"Oh yeah..Well Sailor Mike has been around, he's had sixty or seventy fights....He's no slouch." I retorted.

"Yeah and he's lost about 14 of those 70 fights...He's old, he's punch drunk..." snorted Symphony Sam.

"I tell you what...I come watch your boy fight...He does good with Sailor Mike......I'll put a little money on him next time." said Gus.

"Next time....Gus man, Robert....Next time. he'll be in Vegas fightin for the title." laughed Symphony Sam as he walked out of Josie's...

"Hey counselor...where's your date?" asked Gus...

I turned around and the young lady I had been talking to was nowhere to be seen...She had left while we had been fooling around with Symphony Sam. Gus cracked up and walked away.

Friday Night, practically everybody was at the Arena to see John Henry Armstrong fight "Sailor" Mike McCulley...... I saw Fathead, Roscoe, Ralph Mole and several beautiful ladies sitting
in the crowd, Chris Thompson, Chess, Donald Smooth, Kevin, Clerow,Sean Jackson, Conrad Nelson, Cock Robbins, Chance, Paris ,Blake and Joe Neptune were sprinkled amongst the crowd of boxing fans also...

"In this corner....From West Philadelphia......Undefeated in twenty eight bouts, weighing 228 pounds....The master of disaster.....the captain of calamity....John Henry Armmmmmstrong.....
(Loud applause) And in this corner... also from West Philadelphia and the U.S. Navy, weighing
225 pounds....with a record of Seventy eight wins and seventeen defeats, plus thirteen ties....
"Death from the sea......" "Sailor " Mike McCulleyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...(more applause), Nowwww, let's get readdddy to rummmmmmmmmmmbllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."

The fight began...both fighters circled each other....John Henry was tall, sinewy and chisled....His
muscles looked like they had muscles...He landed a right cross, then followed up with a left...Sailor Mike bobbed and weaved and landed some body punches of his own...then a left and a right combonation...It looked pretty good so far....

Then Sailor Mike moved in and landed a hard right hand ,high and hard to John Henry's temple..
John Henry was staggered..Then Sailor Mike cracked him in his jaw... John Henry fell to the ground like a tree that had been chopped down in the forest... The room got silent!

"one...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight....nine...ten!...he's ouuuttttttttt...The winnah, byyyyyyy knockout! Sailor Mike McCullllllleyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! YOWSAHHHHHH!"

Fathead, Roscoe and Ralph Mole walked over to Symphony Sam, whose mouth was hanging open.....

"It's a good thing I didn't bet any money on this bum...or I'd have killed you Sam." He said as they walked out...

I just shook my head....I was glad that I hadn't bet any money either...Gus had been on to something after all.... I looked around.....He was in the doorway shaking his head. Joe Neptune
however wasn't a happy camper...I saw him pull out his .38 and load it and start heading toward
Symphony Sam...

I tapped Sam on the shoulder....

"Hey Sam...If I was you..now would be a good time to exit, stage left." I said.

"Damn man, I just lost two g.'s man...on this bumb with a glass jaw." screamed Symphony Sam.

"Better to lose your money than your life man." I said and pointed to Joe Neptune who was fastly approaching.

"Good Looking out Robert...I owe ya." said Symphony Sam as he darted toward the exit.....

"Don't mention it.." I said with a laugh.