Butcher Boy was bred by Frank Fitwater. He was born in Irving, TX on June 4, 1967. Norman Hooten obtained Butcher Boy at 6 weeks of age by trading $50.00 worth of horseshoeing to a man who knew Frank and had a litter of pups, but said that Frank would not sell a dog to a stranger or to anyone who did not come with references.
The man introduced Norman to Frank, the deal was made and he picked up his pup, or rather he picked him since he was the only one that came up to him and grabbed him by the pants legs and started shaking like a true bulldog. Frank and Norman became close friends and remained the same until Frank's death.
Butcher developed rapidly and later proved to be an outstanding dog. He was first rolled at 12 monthsof age against his littermate brother, Weaver's Mike. It was at this time that Norman knew that he had a special dog as he went deep into the shoulder and left holes like a 12-gauge shotgun. When scratched, he went low, hard and very fast with power like a fullback. Mike, who was owned and campaigned by Ed Weaver, went on to become a champion in his own right at a lighter weight than Butcher Boy, winning three and losing one. The one loss was because he went blind during the match adn couldn't find his opponent in time to beat the count.
At 16 months of age Butcher Boy was rolled into Carver's Rastus. This roll was better than many contracted matches witnessed by Norman. Maurice picked Rastus up at the :20 minute mark, stating that Butcher Boy was just too big for him, which he was. Norman believed that it was at that roll that Maurice start to take a real interest in Butcher Boy, though he was still doubtful about his gameness. Rastus went on to prove his greatness in his loss to the Tater dog i California in a match that went over 2 hours. Rastus proved beyond a doubt that he was indeed "dead game".
After a three dog test, Norman and Maurice started looking for a match and Maurice finally called and asked if he wanted to match into the 2X winner, Kennedy's Booger Red. He agreed and the match was made, set for the Oklahoma Convention.
Danny Burton conditioned and handled Booger Red for this match. For the first :20 minutes both dogs had been fighting even, when Butcher Boy threw Booger Red and took a killing chest hold, cutting a artery, causing blood to spurt. After working this hold a few times, it was visible that Booger Red was in trouble. Red got to his feet, but could no longer fight even with Butcher Boy. A turn was called on Red at about the :30 minute mark. Red made agood, hard scratch, but was put down by Butcher Boy. A pickup and Butcher Boy went fast, knocking Red down and shaking hard. At about the :45 minute mark Red had about all he was capable of taking, when he was released he was unable to stand...he fell on the floor too weak to move. Butcher Boy the winner in :46. Booger Red took his death without a whimper.
It was in Butcher Boy's 2nd match, in 1969 in Mississippi, against Edward's Luke, a 2X winner, that Butcher Boy scratched into Luke so hard that he actually knocked Luke's handler completely OUT of the pit at least 5 times. At :15 minutes, a turn was called on Butcher Boy. Edwards was having a hard time holding his dog in the corner. :18 Luke scratches good with Butcher Boy meeting him in the center, hard. :21 Butcher scratches like a jet. The next 7 scratches came almost once every minute until Luke goes down in his corner and takes the count at :33 minutes, making Butcher Boy a 2X winner.
Butcher Boy's dam, Womack's Big Liz was also on the card for this convention winnig in :28 minutes.
The "Day of the Upsets" was in 1972 and that was day that Butcher Boy won his championship match over Corn's Smokey, a son of Bullyson. He was the only favorite to win his match, which went :18 minutes as Smokey just could not take what Butcher Boy had for him and quit cold. On this same card Bullyson was defeated by his son Benny Bob.
Shortly after his win over Smokey, it ws determined that he had heartworms adn was subsequently treated twice for the deadly parasite and retired from combat.
His true test came in 1973 at six years of age when he was brought out of retirement, after being treated for heart worms twice, to go into the 2X winner, Stinson, Glover & Co's Sampson. Sampson, Carver bred dog had beat a dog of M. Carver's at 56 lbs and was in his prime at 30 months of age. Because of Butcher Boy's age and the fact that it was known that he had been treated for heart worms twice, he was a 3 to 1 underdog going in. But, he beat Sampson by biting him down in 1:45 minutes in a classical match. Both, Sampson and Butcher Boy died after this great match. Butcher Boy was awarded Best of Show for his dead game , hard biting efforts.
Of the four contract opponents that faced Butcher Boy in the pit, only one survived- Corn's Smokey and he curred out in :15 minutes.
Champion Butcher Boy was a great dog and has been touted by many longtime, top dogmen who witnessed all his matches as perhaps the greatest 57lb. dog of the century, and most certainly the best 57lb. dog of his time. He was, truly, a once in a lifetime dog.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário