| 30 August 2010
Inarguably, the single most impressive thing about the DFW boxing scene is the close-knit community that is composed of the various players in the sport. This communal feeling was well in display this past weekend as the North Texas boxing scene collectively mourned the unexpected passing of one of its own, boxer Franco Dunmoodie.
Dunmoodie died in a motorcycle accident Thursday night.
Franco Dunmoodie lived life like he boxed, full speed ahead. Fans of the Harrison Boxing Group’s Texas Slugfest series no doubt remember Forth Worth’s Dunmoodie for his aggressive style and dedication to give fans their money’s worth. He never failed to achieve these desires. His 2008 fight with James Freeman would go down as one of the greatest fights to take place in North Texas. It was classic Dunmoodie, a man who did things in fifth gear but always with the temperament of a warrior.
News of his premature death sent a shockwave through the Fort Worth boxing community. On the night that his younger brother, Joshua Dunmoodie, was set to make a return to the ring following an 18-month hiatus, the younger Dunmoodie would be forced to contend not only with the punches of his opponent, but the mental anguish of loosing his brother.
“It felt like someone punched me in the face,” Joshua Dunmoodie explained moments after pulling off a spilt decision victory Friday night. “I just went down to the floor.”
I had the pleasure of covering Franco Dunmoodie early in my career and I always came away in admiration for the heart and tenacity he possessed in the ring. Outside the ring, Dunmoodie was always cordial and accommodating. He never turned away an interview request and always was there in support of his brother when the elder Joshua would fight.
Though Dunmoodie had been inactive for the last two years, he will always be considered a member of the North Texas boxing fraternity. His sudden and tragic passing undoubtedly weights heavy on the hearts of both fighters and fans here in the DFW.
Dunmoodie was what you wanted to see in a fighter, and that will never be forgotten.
(Photos © Edward Garza/NorthTexasFisticuffs.com)
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