Augustus and Everything After
A look back at the sad turn of events for one of boxing’s most entertaining originals.
(Originally Published: October, 2014 @ TheBoxingTribune.com)
After seventeen years as a professional boxer, Emanuel Augustus came home to Baton Rouge at 37 years of age without a suitcase or driver’s license and with few possessions to speak of. Two years later, he lies in critical condition on life support, with a gunshot to the back of his head.
According to unverified reports on social media, lent credence by an accompanying hospital room photo of the fighter (used in this article), Augustus is now somewhat responsive and, although he can’t speak, he has been able to move his legs and right hand. Hopefully, this is a sign of good things ahead.
At any rate, there is a story to tell in the boxing life of Augustus– one which goes beyond fighting and the spectacle of the sport.
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In 1998, Augustus fought in Denmark, Louisiana, and the United Kingdom…Not over the course of a year, but in a 22-day span.
In Denmark, he fought well-regarded hometown hero, Soren Sondergaard to a draw. Eight days later he was in New Orleans, Louisiana, knocking out club fighter, Eduardo Martinez. Then, it was back on the plane and over to the UK ten days after that to take on tough John Thaxton in a KO 7 win for IBF/WBO Inter-Continental titles.
Forget his seven other fights that same year (in 6 different US cities, 4 different states with 1 contest in Germany), that 22-day span, alone, would be enough to run any fighter into the ground. The fact that Augustus managed a 2-0-1 record in those three contests is testament to how good Augustus was and it provides proof as to just how good he could’ve been.
Anyone with even a marginally trained eye could see the flashes of brilliance in Augustus, even in his war-ravaged later years and even in losing efforts against young, hungry, fresh prospects.
Educated hands, smart movement and fluid punch selection—it was still on display in brief glimpses up until the very end of his career. But you could also see the life force being squeezed from this talented fighter. In the last years of his career, Augustus was fighting on smarts and instincts alone and he had still managed to be somewhat competitive with hotshot prospects and fringe contenders, although he was starting to take some serious punishment.
His penultimate fight, a September 2010 loss to a protected and marginally well-regarded 13-0 prospect, Charles Hatley, was further evidence of a real and noticeable decline in both punch resistance and overall reflexes as Augustus was sent to the canvas twice in the eight-rounder. Prior to that, he suffered a real physical beating against undefeated Russian prospect Ruslan Provodnikov, getting dropped three times in the nine-round TKO loss.
In the past, Augustus could show up ill-prepared and ill-rested and still give the undefeated hometown hero a major battle. In his latter days, lesser fighters were starting to cause some serious damage to boxing’s “Drunken Master” and the end was clearly in sight for a fighter gifted with world class ability and reflexes, but also world class character flaws.
At 38-34-6 (20 KOs), Augustus will not be getting into the Hall of Fame anytime soon, but the record alone doesn’t begin to tell the story of a fighter who, under the right circumstances and in a sport that actually conducted itself as a sport, could’ve been so much more.
Emanuel Augustus had always been his own worst enemy, especially as a participant in the cruelest sport of all. By jumping from manager to manager, listening to none and always drifting off to do his own thing in the end, he facilitated the mad dash to use and abuse his talents. Often working on short notice and nearly always in the backyard of his opponent, his fights were frequently controversial and almost always entertaining as he’d alternate his ring style between true, brawling grit and master showmanship.
When he felt good, we’d get the juking and jiving Drunken Master, bouncing and twisting like a marionette tied to a ceiling fan. When he felt mean, he’d go toe to toe with his rival, rifling off five and six shots at a time and daring his rival to fire back.
But without any sort of guidance (or desire to be guided), Augustus’ world-class talents were raffled off to the highest bidders, forcing him into situations where the young prospects he was up against would often pull out the win regardless of what actually happened in the ring.
Some would say that, easily, a quarter of the losses on his record could be overturned on review and more than a handful could be explained by the absolutely insane schedule Augustus kept in his physical prime. Another couple could be singled out by some as flat-out hired losses (aka dives).
