I booked a flight, and flew to Las Vegas on Friday, March 3, 1995, then checked into the Aladdin Hotel on the strip. The first thing I did after I settled in, was take my $25,000 cash and head to the Caesar’s Palace Sportsbook to place a wager on Whitaker. My strategy from the outset was to bet big money on heavy favorites, keeping my risk to a minimum. I planned on putting $25,000 on Pernell at 6-1 odds, which is where the line was when I got to Caesar’s. When I tried to place my wager however, the manager at the sportsbook told me that without a photo ID, the maximum bet I could place was $10,000. I came from New Jersey, where at the time, a driver’s license didn’t include a photo unless you asked for one. I left the casino confused, and not knowing what to do. After thinking about it a little while, I went back and laid my 10 grand on ‘Sweet Pea’. What made matters worse, was the fact that the odds had increased to 7-1 in the few hours I had been gone. I figured the winnings of $ 1,425 would cover my trip expenses, and get me used to the process of making a big wager.
The next night, I called my brother to ask who won the fight. He said that Pernell had gotten knocked down by more of a slip, but pretty much won easily. Energized by the good news, I headed next door to Bally’s to catch my favorite all-time female singer, Barbara Mandrell perform. I had seen her 15 times in person before, but this would be the first time seeing her live in Vegas.
Before I went to Bally’s, I put on a beautiful USA Olympic red, white and blue sweatshirt, knowing she was very patriotic. As I took my seat pretty close to the stage at Bally’s, I was hoping my colorful shirt might catch her eye, and that she might bring me on stage, as she did with someone every show. Sure enough, not long into her act, I noticed her staring at me more than once. A few minutes later, she made a bee line right for me, and I became part of her stage show for about 10 minutes. She also mentioned that she had gotten a boxing glove signed by George Foreman and Joe Frazier for Christmas, and that was her favorite sport. She brought it up because I told her I had come to Vegas for the Riddick Bowe vs. Herbie Hide fight. When she asked if I had a ticket, I said “Yes”, not telling her that it was a betting ticket. Haha. It truly was one of the highlights of my adult life that night, getting to go one stage with her, and it’s a memory I have treasured since.
The next day it was back to business, and I took my $11,425 from the Whitaker fight, and immediately put $10,000 grand at Caesar’s on Riddick Bowe, hoping he would defeat Hide the following Saturday night, at 5-1 odds. Immediately after, I crossed the street, and placed another $10,000 on Bowe at the Flamingo Hilton. After eating lunch, I went back and put another 5 grand on Bowe, bringing my total wager to $25,000 at 5-1. A Bowe victory would bring me a nice $5,000 profit, and set my plans in place for my goal of getting out of credit card debt.
When I took my flight back to Philadelphia, I was even more excited and confident that my plan would work. I also felt proud, knowing that I had the guts to do what most people could never do. Risk money you don’t really have, and take a shot to achieve something. With boxing being what I felt I know better than anyone, I really believed in my heart that my goals would soon be within my reach.
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