LITTLE ROCK — Some 35 years ago, an Arkansas Democrat sports columnist (who had never boxed seriously) sought a match with a pro bantamweight.

This was a period of time when journalists threw baseballs to New York Yankees players (then wrote about it), wrestled calves in rodeos (then wrote about it), and, if possible, tried to last a couple of rounds against some qualified pugilist.

Archie Moore, the world light heavyweight champion from 1952-1961, disliked such foolishness but finally agreed to box an exhibition with a comedian. The match ended in the middle of the second round with the comic nursing a bloody nose.

“Don’t forget,” Moore said, “You are entitled to a rematch.”

In his youth, the late Aubrey “Buddy” Holderfield had won a national Golden Gloves lightweight title in 1944, and mopped up several Pacific military tournaments before being discharged from World War II military service in the summer of 1946. He had a busy pro career as a welterweight (27-20-1) before he semiretired in 1955. No matter what jobs he held, he never shed his passion for boxing.

“We had a building on Pine Street from 1964 to about 1974,” Linda Holderfield, his widow, said in a recent interview. “Buddy handled appliances and boxing; furniture was mainly my thing when we settled on Asher. But lately we’ve been busy closing out the place. We used to have plenty of room for boxers that Buddy was training in those days.”

Fred Morrow was the writer determined to box a professional, but he told Buddy Holderfield, “You’ve got too much experience.’’

About that time, Bobby, the younger Holderfield, walked in to start punching the bag one afternoon. He was about 5-5 and 120.

“How many pro fights have you had, son?” Morrow asked. “Nine, I think,” the younger Holderfield said. (Morrow was about 6-0 and 180.) The elder Holderfield suggested two or three days of road work and bag-punching.

When the day arrived and the bell rang, possibly six spectators were present.

“I felt sorry for the kid - I really did,” Morrow said. “The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back, getting water splashed all over me. They estimated I lasted 33 seconds.”

Buddy Holderfield died of cancer February 1989 in Little Rock.

Linda Holderfield said Bobby Holderfield is retiring from Mississippi casinos and that Karen Holderfield, her daughter, is probably more absorbed in boxing than any other family member. She said, “Karen has been judging championship fights for years.”

Eventually, Linda Holderfield became a boxing promoter.

“Promoter Pat O’Grady [of Oklahoma City] died while trying to get a boxing show together in South Carolina. Jean Grady, his wife, asked me to help,” she said. “That seemed to work out OK, but then we found out he’d also been trying to put on a show in Little Rock.

“At the Little Rock show, a lot of fight fans told us it was one of the best cards ever seen here. Maybe they were just being nice, but I decided I should promote furniture, not fights.”

Sports, Pages 16 on 11/06/2012