By Bart Barry-
Hotel Viejoyhermoso, San Jacinto Plaza, El Paso, Texas, on a Friday evening in June 2012
Worst scorecard I’ve seen, you, Bruce?
What were you thinking and are you embarrassed by it?
Stocky writer standing presenting performing for three salts, old, nervous the lad, wee in his presentation, stocky to quickshrunk, iffy – though not quite.
Gorgeous old bar here, he says. Read somewhere there are more free museums here per capita than another city. Any American city. Isn’t that something?
Timmy told us he knows he lost. Went back and rewatched it, knows he didn’t win it.
But your scorecard. Just the damndest thing.
Dastardly.
Who paid you post such shite?
I’m at The Courtyard across the way, he says. Pool on floor seven. Can see Juarez. Warning words or pleas for help on a mountain. Y’all see it?
You and two other jokers.
There were three of you scored it blindfolded.
Six if you count the officials, he says, annoyed finally.
Make sure Bob doesn’t catch you.
Do you one better, he says. Lee’s got me writing for AP tomorrow night.
Old salts cackle. Just don’t –
They ask you to score it?
Don’t score it.
If you score it run her past me first so I can fix it.
Will do, he says.
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Sun Bowl field, UTEP, on Saturday afternoon
Spicy hot midday midfield no shade till outside sidelines hot like picosa hot till your mouth burns or hot like caliente blisterbubbles your tongue? Yes. Deranged hot. Texas sun showing out for its bowl. Print media, no meal, sippy bottles warm water runny cooler a sixty dasher off tables. McCarson’s got a hat on, only Irish with half a wit. Barry bareheaded like an ass, stocky writer.
Juan Carlos, good to meet you.
Barry – what time you get here?
Hours ago. Nobody told me. What time the fight is?
Hell if anyone must be nine or ten Eastern, no? Su acento no es mexicano.
Soy hondureño.
The crime reporter!
Supposed to be trouble tonight else they don’t call me. Hope so. Mexican kid, what’s his name?
Chavez Jr. Failson dated someone’s deceased son’s wife.
Laughing. Givesn’t a quarterfuck. Bluemat reads America’s Safest City.
___
Courtyard, North Santa Fe Street, El Paso, Texas, on Thursday night
I like your shape, muy nalgona, extraordinary.
I told you, she says. But you didn’t believe me now you believe me see it’s for real.
Surreal, he says, so real. What do you want to order?
I’m nervous.
Don’t be.
Tell me more about the boxing thing.
Filibuster it, he thinks, warms up, goes in, script reading from flight home from Vegas from flight away to El Paso, many hours thinking.
Do you know who Pacquiao is?
Duh.
He lost by decision a few days ago. A few of us scored it for the other guy, Bradley, good man. Institution’s pissed. No dissent be brooked.
You use fancy words like you’re trying to impress me but you don’t have to you know?
C’mon let me show you the best view here.
On the roof?
No my room.
___
Sun Bowl field, UTEP, on Saturday evening
Did you get the time?
Right here, says McCarson. It was a right hand. Two fights to go.
Or a left. Doing double duty. AP expects five hundred a few minutes after the bell. Trying to write for Abrams too. Got a crime reporter check me out.
Judges: Filipino, Texan, Brit. Referee: Failson Texas. Mayor John Cook please remove your hats and take your feet dim the lights and I sing for you, a cappella, just a guitfiddle for the anthem and a key to America’s Safest City for Mr. Bob.
Freddie’s giving Junior a shoulder rub. Pulled up in a stretch Humvee.
See the snipers on the roof, says Juan Carlos, make sure you mention them, Barry, and scare the angrydolt gringos back in New York.
Good idea.
Who wins?
The shootout or the fight?
You funny – I gave up on the shootout hours ago.
Cannot imagine we’d be all the way out here next to Juarez if they planned to nod at the Irishman.
Ut’s his name?
Irish Andy Lee.
Who’s the guy with him looks familiar?
Steward. Kronk Gym. Trained Hearns.
Motor City Cobra!
Every Latino calls him that every American calls him Hitman.
No heroes in Honduras are hitmen, güero.
___
Hotel Viejoyhermoso, San Jacinto Plaza, El Paso, Texas, on Friday evening
Look who it is.
Who’s this kid?
One of the dummies scored it gainst Manny.
I was in good company, he says.
You guys sit next to one another like penpals?
Nope.
HBO guys told me the scores fore it got announced. Ducked out. Didn’t want the reaction.
They know the scores before they’re announced? he says.
Salts chuckle one looks askance the other two, two of the three irate a rube happened their huddle.
Who’s this, Bruce?
Barry.
Never heard of him.
___
Courtyard, North Santa Fe Street, El Paso, Texas, on Thursday night
That was a helluva round three.
Me hechaste al plato, cabrón.
What time your kids expect you home?
They’re with their dad this week.
Let’s go eat. You must be hungry.
Then we make a little güerito with green eyes mmm.
God no please.
___
Sun Bowl field, UTEP, on Saturday evening
Junior didn’t punch for a couple minutes stomped slowly about hoping to make up what he lost making weight and drained. Irish Andy much smaller defter too moved more better more schooled. Freddie looking weird between rounds Manny looking confident. Fifteen minutes in gears shift with a snap. Irish Andy fading fading bleached white redfaced white paled; Manny proper nervous cornerways. Junior pounds his balls out.
Shit that was fast.
I get you quotes, says Juan Carlos. Just write, Barry, I come back.
Honduran madman over one table under another comes up middle of HBO screen cuts in the interview like he’s Larry or Max comes back to write half the five hundred with quotes. Pro’s pro.
___
Tamaulipas Tacos, Rojas Drive, El Paso, Texas, on Sunday morning
I’m not from the Eleven Families or nothing.
But raised affluent.
Juan Carlos shrugs sated looks the yellow posted menu more food.
Good food, fair prices, says Juan Carlos.
On me.
What I want to do is build up great credit get a huge cash advance move the hell out of here, straight abscond, can it be done?
Nah by the time you get that far you believe in the system and never leave, makes whores of us all.
This was fun for my first boxing fight.
Yeah they’re not all like this, eh?
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Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry
