Tommy Gallahger’s Not a Bit Player

By Joe Rein
Fightworld.us Exec. Editor
Picture courtesy of Yahoo! Inc 

If you’ve watched “The Contender” and seen the bald- headed Damon Runyon trainer that all the boxers swear by; that’s Tommy Gallagher. He’s not a bit player from central casting. He’s the closest thing you'll ever meet to Popeye Doyle from the “FRENCH CONNECTION.”  

We had an amateur team together in the 1970’s and ‘80s that produced New York Golden Gloves champs, and some pros. 

Next time you see “The Contender,” and Gallagher’s on screen, maybe you’ll think of these stories.  

Gallagher was Donnie Lalonde’s trainer when he defended his light heavy title at Ceasar's Palace in Vegas against Sugar Ray Leonard. Gallagher asked me to join him. 

Because Lalonde was the headliner, everybody in his entourage was given special treatment by the management of the hotel. 

One evening, I was in the lobby with Tommy, his family, and some of our neighborhood friends. A very official looking guy in a three-piece suit came over: "Good evening, Mr. Gallagher. 

"Speaking for the management of the hotel, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to you and all of your friends. Now, If you'll follow me, I'll take you to be seated at the Pointer Sisters’ show."  

Gallagher looked at me. His voice reverberated through the lobby: "WHO IS THIS HALF-A-FAG?”

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Gallagher’s a larger-than-life, profane, mean as a junk-yard dog, opinionated, impatient, very loud, crude, brutally honest, very loyal, former undercover cop, and laugh riot 24-hours-a-day. Being with his family is like an episode of the Osbournes. 

An author put it best, describing his dad: "My father lived his life at the top of his lungs"...That's Tommy Gallagher. 

When we went to the Pointer Sisters’ show, the room was a semi-circle of tiered wooden benches – pews. Nobody had their own table. Everybody was bunched together. 

We were a party of about 15, but all around us were families looking like they just stepped out of a Norman Rockwell painting. 

Gallagher was in top form, cracking everybody up with one story after another. Somebody asked him: "Tommy did you ever fight out of the country as an amateur?" 

As if he was trying to be heard over gym noise, Gallagher shouted, "I was a young, Irish Catholic kid and I never was no place. They asked me to fight for the U.S. team in Spain. So, when I got to Spain, I walked around…and there was, like, this little circus." 

"There was a sign on one of the cages, and somebody told me it said: Anybody that could last a round with the bear would get $50. I never seen that much money...or a bear."  

"So, I looked in the cage, and there's this big mop of fur on the floor. I figure: No problem; I'll knock this thing out."  

"So, when I turned around to tell the guy I wanted to do it, the bear REACHED THROUGH THE BARS AND TRIED TO FUCK ME…IT’S A GOOD THING I WAS WEAR'N SHORTS!" 

I fell on the floor, I laughed so hard. 

The families were fleeing in horror. 

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Gallagher trained Yuri Vaulin, a tall, light-hitting Russian cruiserweight. 

Vaulin was matched with Tommy Morrison, who was on track for a title fight, in a main event on national TV.  It was supposed to be no more than tune-up for Morrison. 

From round one through four, the Russian surprised everyone, out jabbing and out boxing Morrison.  

The crowd and Gallagher sensed an upset -- the big money for Vaulin was in grasp. 

Suddenly, in the 5th round, Morrison caught the Russian with a left hook to the body. He crumpled to the canvas and couldn’t beat the count. 

The TV announcer jumped into the ring and shoved a microphone in Gallagher's face while he ministered to the Russian. 

"Tommy, Tommy, your kid was so close to being a contender. What happened?" 

"The cocksucker quit!" Gallagher said, coast-to-coast. 

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