23.12.05 – By Ron Lipton: “I just wanted to say to all my boxing friends besides wishing everyone a very Happy and Merry Christmas and healthy new year that I am very grateful to all of the caring boxing people who stood by me to help me get back into that ring. Furthermore, whether I ever get my referee license again in NY or not, due to what I know specifically is a totally unjust situation, I have come to a few conclusions about life.
I believe I remain someone who will still speak out like all of you when a boxing situation merits it, and I would still like to think I am the same tough street kid I was long ago but I have come to realize one truth.
There are many good people in boxing who have shown me they are good guys to the marrow of their bones and one of the best in my opinion of is Teddy Atlas..
I have come to respect and really like Teddy and I count myself as one of his friends. I had him all wrong and I can tell you for sure his heart is in the right place and that is all that counts to me in this hard hard life we all face. We both love boxing and may or may not disagree on things from time to time, but he is the salt of the earth kind of guy.
I also think I was wrong to Publicly criticize some refs who fouled up in the ring, only because they did not do it on purpose and were doing the best they could.
Certain refs who got assignments through relatives my opinion stays the same, especially regarding ring injuries and death. That being said, I think I was very wrong to risk hurting any human beings feelings, because nothing is worth that to me anymore in life.
So, whether or not I get back in that ring again, the new year for me will see a different outlook on things. We as boxing fans see everything, we all know what is going on but as a fighter who scored many brutal ko’s, I never enjoyed hurting any man, it was always competiton to me. I never want to hurt another person’s feeling either, that did not come gunning for me personally so to speak.
People have shown me recently when I have really been down as far as I could go that they have a good heart, and it has changed my outlook tremendously.”
thank you all,
Ron
Ron Lipton’s Untold Story