Australian boxing champion Barry Michael opened a heartbreaking meeting in a Melbourne nightclub which left him an end -of -career injury in the hands of an underground infam.
The former holder of the title Lightweight World Junior IBF revised a scary incident that occurred at the Lazars disco in Melbourne in 1987.
Michael, then 32, entered the establishment of King Street with his first wife Sandy and a friend and was quickly spotted by the notorious boss of crime Alphonse Gangitano – known as the Black Prince of Lygon Street.
Michael had defeated the Australian boxer Lester Ellis two years ago in an epic resentment match – and Gangitano was involved in the promotion of Ellis fights.
“We have sort of agitated each other,” Michael told Podcast Little Fish.
“I hadn’t seen him for years … And all of a sudden, a bottle of champagne came and the server said” it’s Mr. Gangitano and he would like to speak “and to cut a long story, we went to speak.
Boxing champion Barry Michael (photo) was attacked in a Melbourne nightclub by the boss of crime Alphonse Gangitano and his henchmen in 1987
The boss of the crime wanted Michael to give Ellis a revenge match, to whom the champion Pug says he was open.
“ I say to Alphonse that I will fight it (Ellis) at any time, we bring together with the other guys, my team, which was a colorful identity by the water, and we will sort this fight, when all of a sudden, my first wife started to shout ”, explained Michael.
“I turned around and my companion Simon is unconscious and is carried out by the bouncers. One of Alphonse’s friends had just royal him from the dancefloor.
“ I was just surrounded by a lot of guys with death in their eyes and the first thing I thought was “I am probably dead” because I know they wore pistols and no matter.
“ I turned to Alphonse and I said: “You are such that you installed me” and he jumped me and I returned to a sofa – and I never withdrew …
“They just beat me. Chopper Read believes he was there – I don’t remember seeing him – it was a bit vague.
“That night, I was a concussion … My nose was broken on the right under my left eye. He (Chopper Read) believes that they broke me with one of these glass ashtrays.
“Alphonse hung on to my right cheek – he tried to bite my right cheek.
The boxing champion says that Gangitano (photo) – known as the black prince of Lygon Street – tried to bite the right cheek
Australian hitman Mark “Chopper” Read (photo) said he had witnessed the whole attack and that Michael had been struck with a glass ashtrard during the beats
Actor Vince Colosimo would later play the role of Gangitano in the television series Underbelly
The world champion fell in disorder of the club and went directly to the hospital to treat his injuries.
He chose not to file a complaint against the gangitano and his henchmen because “there would have been repercussions” for his family.
Michael also thinks that brutal blows had an impact on his defense of the world title four months later against Rocky Lockridge.
“After the blows in Lazars, it was the end of me,” he said.
“ Regarding motivation, I lost desire, I was not the same …
“Do not take anything from Lockridge because he was a big fighter, but in my best, I could have beat him. And my nose broke at the first minute of the first round against Lockridge – which was after being rebuilt.
On January 16, 1998. Alphonse Gangitano was shot dead, only carrying his underwear, while he was standing in the laundry of his house in Melbourne.
His death is largely considered to be one of the first events of the murders of Gangland de Melbourne which lasted from 1998 to 2010.
Vince Colosimo would later play the role of Gangitano in the first television series Underbelly.