Friends of Cus D’Amato

Steve Lott

Steve Lott (January 17, 1950 – November 6, 2021) was the CEO of Boxing Hall of Fame Las Vegas Nevada, boxing manager,[1] former film editor at ESPN, and assistant to fight managers of the time Bill Cayton and Jim Jacobs, who financed Mike Tyson’s boxing coach and life mentor Cus D’Amato, boxing film historian.

On November 6, 2021, it was announced on the Boxing Hall of Fame Las Vegas Facebook page that founder and CEO Steve Lott died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his loved ones.

Oskar Haltorp was a close friend to the late Steve Lott. Oskar is a native of Sweden and presently resides in Stockholm. He received his degree from Medieinstitutet, with a focus in professional video editing and happens to share the same birthday as both Steve and Cus.

His mastery is motion graphic design, as well as video editing and post production. He coordinated with Steve in 2013 and created this amazing tribute to Cus D’Amato for the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) in 2013. The BWAA award for the best manager of the year is now named the “Cus D’Amato Award”. CUS LIVES!

Tom Patti

Tom Patti is an American businessman and politician who is a member of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. As an amateur boxer, Patti was training partners with Mike Tyson. After the death of Cus D’Amato, Patti became Tyson’s manager and coach. He was a Republican candidate in the 2022 election in California’s 9th congressional district.

Biography
Born 1963 in New York, Patti moved to Stockton, California. After graduating from high school, he attended Delta College where in 2015 he became a member of the Delta College Foundation board, a non-profit organization with the purpose of creating opportunities for local students to get an expanded education.

Beginning in 1982, Patti, along with Mike Tyson, was mentored by boxing manager-trainer Cus D’Amato. In 2001, Patti returned to California.

On November 8, 2016, Patti became the County Supervisor of District 3 in San Joaquin County, where he has been a proponent for solving homelessness, fighting crime, and lowering taxes.

Kevin Rooney

After spending over a year training and communicating back and forth with Kevin in the mid 2000’s, he agreed to write the forward to Confusing The Enemy if we helped him put it together. My Co-Autor and I spoke over the phone after my numerous visits to the Catskills and helped Kevin put this together. Unfortunately, Rooney was consumed with extra curricular activities and became quite bedraggled. He was unreachable for quite a while and when I could speak with him, he was sadly incoherent. My back up plan and ever so amazing was to have “Gentleman” Gerry Cooney help as he always had interesting insight from his stint with D’Amato. Long live the legacy of Cus D’Amato.

Kevin Rooney was one of Mike Tyson’s most influential trainers, playing a key role in Tyson’s rise to becoming the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history. Rooney was a protégé of the legendary trainer Cus D’Amato, who developed the peek-a-boo style that Tyson perfected. When D’Amato passed away in 1985, Rooney took over as Tyson’s head trainer and continued refining Tyson’s aggressive, defensive, and fast-paced style.

Rooney’s partnership with Tyson was incredibly successful. Under Rooney’s guidance, Tyson became a dominant force in the heavyweight division, winning the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles and becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion by 1987. Their combination of the peek-a-boo defense, with its high guard and head movement, and Tyson’s devastating power, made them nearly unbeatable at the time.

However, Tyson and Rooney’s relationship ended in 1988 after Tyson’s manager, Don King, influenced Tyson to part ways with Rooney.

Many fans and boxing experts believe that the loss of Rooney as a trainer was a major factor in Tyson’s later struggles in the ring, including his eventual losses to fighters like Buster Douglas. Rooney’s knowledge of Tyson’s style, conditioning, and discipline was seen as crucial to his early career success.

Rooney remains closely associated with Tyson’s peak boxing years and is often credited with helping to shape one of the greatest heavyweight champions in boxing history.

Oskar Haltorp

Oskar Haltorp was a close friend to the late Steve Lott. Oskar is a native of Sweden and presently resides in Stockholm. He received his degree from Medieinstitutet, with a focus in professional video editing and happens to share the same birthday as both Steve and Cus. His mastery is motion graphic design, as well as video editing and post production.

He coordinated with Steve in 2013 and created this amazing tribute to Cus D’Amato for the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) in 2013. The BWAA award for the best manager of the year is now named the “Cus D’Amato Award”. CUS LIVES!

Burt Young

Burt Young (1940–2023), born Gerald Tommaso DeLouise, was a talented actor and a former professional boxer. Before gaining fame as an actor, Young had a brief career in boxing, fighting under the tutelage of the legendary trainer Cus D’Amato. While he never reached the heights of boxing stardom, his experience in the ring gave him a tough, gritty persona that later enhanced his roles on screen.

Young is best known for his portrayal of Paulie Pennino in the Rocky film series, where his background as a boxer added authenticity to the character’s rough demeanor. His time with Cus D’Amato, a revered figure who also trained champions like Floyd Patterson and Mike Tyson, provided Young with insights into the physical and mental demands of the sport. Though his boxing career was short-lived, it laid the foundation for his rugged, blue-collar image in Hollywood.

In addition to his role in Rocky, Young appeared in numerous other films and TV shows, becoming a well-respected character actor. His connection to the world of boxing through his work with Cus D’Amato added an extra layer of realism to his portrayal of working-class, often tough characters.

Buster Mathis

(June 11, 1943 – September 6, 1995 was an American boxer who competed from 1965 to 1972.

Buster Mathis once said:

I regret leaving Cus D’Amato. There were people around me who kept saying that Cus would run my life, that I should be more independent. All Cus ever did was look out for me. He was one of the best things that ever happened to me in boxing. And the ’64 Olympics, that’s another big regret. I guess I’ve thought about that two million times. I had made the team, I was going to Tokyo. But then I broke my hand in training, and they replaced me with Joe Frazier. So what happens? Frazier wins the gold medal and goes on to become world champion. Would it have happened to me if I had gone instead? Man, I don’t know. But I can’t help but wonder.

He was a top contender throughout his career, beating other top contenders including George Chuvalo and Chuck Wepner. He fought Heavyweight greats such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Jerry Quarry and Ron Lyle; he also notably beat Joe Frazier as an amateur to qualify for the Olympics but was later replaced due to a hand injury.

Career

Mathis (back) vs. Roberto Davila in 1967

Mathis had a successful career as an amateur heavyweight boxer. He qualified for a spot in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics but had to withdraw due to an injury. He was replaced in the tournament by Joe Frazier, who went on to win the gold medal.

Mathis turned professional in June 1965 with a second round knockout victory over Bob Maynard. He went on to win his next 22 contests as well and qualified for a shot at the New York State Athletic Commission World Heavyweight Title, which had become vacant after Muhammad Ali was stripped of the title for refusing to be drafted into the United States Army.[

The title fight was held on March 4, 1968, in New York’s Madison Square Garden against “Smoking” Joe Frazier, his old rival. Frazier won by an 11th-round knockout.[citation needed]

Mathis continued to fight in the following years, outpointing George Chuvalo, but losing on points to Jerry Quarry – a fight Mathis was favoured to win. Mathis retired after losing to Quarry in 1969, but he returned in 1971 to box Muhammad Ali for the NABF belt, losing on points over 12 rounds.[12] Ali was later criticized for not finishing Mathis in the final rounds of the fight.

After Mathis was knocked out in just two rounds in September 1972 by Ron Lyle, he retired for good.

Buster Mathis Sr., a former heavyweight contender, died on Sept. 6 at age 51 after suffering a stroke and a heart attack. He was his son’s trainer and best friend.

Buster Mathis’s regret over leaving Cus D’Amato

I regret leaving Cus D’Amato. There were people around me who kept saying that Cus would run my life, that I should be more independent. All Cus ever did was look out for me. He was one of the best things that ever happened to me in boxing. And the ’64 Olympics, that’s another big regret. I guess I’ve thought about that two million times. I had made the team, I was going to Tokyo. But then I broke my hand in training, and they replaced me with Joe Frazier. So what happens? Frazier wins the gold medal and goes on to become world champion. Would it have happened to me if I had gone instead? Man, I don’t know. But I can’t help but wonder.

Buster Mathis Jr son of Buster Mathis Sr who went on to fight Mike Tyson recalls

“My dad used to quote Cus about fear,” Buster continued, “that fear can be your enemy or it can be your friend. If you use it right, it can be your friend. Like a deer in the woods. He hears something and gets scared because he knows it’s dangerous. And then he runs away, fast and graceful.”

Mathis Sr. did not see his son’s fight with Tyson due to his final battle was health problems of diabetes and kidney issues. Mathis Sr. died a few weeks before the Tyson fight. In the third round Tyson knocked Mathis Jr. out with a right uppercut. Ten days after the Tyson fight Mathis Jr.’s trainer and long time friend Joey Fariello died, and Mathis Jr. quickly lost his spark for the sport.

Gene Kilroy Discussing Cus Ali and Cus

GENE KILROY, THE LAST SURVIVING MEMBER OF MUHAMMAD ALI’S INNER CIRCLE, SHARES HIS MEMORIES AND INSIGHT ON THE NIGHT JOE FRAZIER WOULD NOT BE DENIED

“It scared the heck out of me,” said Gene Kilroy.

Muhammad Ali’s business manager watched as Ali landed flat on his back, triggering just about every flashbulb in Madison Square Garden.

Smokin’ Joe Frazier had launched forward behind his almighty left hook and Ali plummeted to the deck.