The Fight to Get Off the Canvas and Stay Sober – Gerry C.

About This Speaker Tape

1981, Madison Square Garden. Gerry C. knocks out Kenny Norton in 54 seconds, but the victory is a trap. The pressure mounts, and the "big hole" in his chest—one he'd been filling with Boone's Farm since age 13—widens. While the world saw a heavyweight contender, Gerry was drifting, missing morning runs and slipping into a 13-month blackout of professional decay.

By 1987, the wreckage landed him in a beautiful home in the Hamptons, waking up at 11 a.m. terrified of his own reflection. He describes the fight to get off the canvas, a process of trial, a relapse fueled by ego, and a final surrender to a Higher Power in April 1988. No longer fighting for a belt, he now works the steps to dismantle a lifetime of selfishness. He spends his days helping other fighters "turn the page," trading the knockout punch for a life of service and golf.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Jerry C. discusses growing up in an alcoholic family and starting to drink Boone's Farm at age 13.
• 2:10 The 1981 Kenny N. fight and the beginning of the pressure-induced drinking.
• 3:40 Hitting bottom in the Hamptons in 1987 and the first moment of real fear.
• 4:15 Mention of the Seafield Center and calling for help during Alcohol Awareness Week.
• 5:00 Relapse after five months of sobriety due to a new relationship.
• 5:40 Returning to the rooms in April 1988 and working the steps.
• 7:10 Discussion of FIST (Fighters Initiative for Support and Training) and helping other fighters.
• 8:20 Reflections on selfishness versus selflessness and his relationship with his Higher Power.
• 9:10 Advice for young people: trying the rooms for 90 days.