Celebrity Boxing Matches

John Wayne Bobbitt, celebrity? Boxer?!?!?

Image: Scott Applewhite/Associated Press

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John Wayne Bobbitt was once again unexpectedly cut the other night.

Bobbitt, who gained notoriety in 1993, when his wife at the time sliced off his penis as he slept, arrived at the Marple Sports Arena in Broomall, west of Philadelphia, ready to fight comedian Reverend Bob Levy.

But after failing several blood pressure tests, Bobbitt was replaced by a pro wrestler. Levy, a Howard Stern irregular, won the three-round exhibition on points to snare the Celebrity Boxing Federation Cruiserweight title.

If you have never heard of the C.B.F., you're not alone. The Philadelphia-based sanctioning body is nearly as obscure as some of its "celebrities."

Launched last January, the organization is the brainchild of Damon Feldman, a Philly boxing promoter.

"To me, a celebrity is anyone who's newsworthy or was once newsworthy," he says. "The celebs who fight for me are generally C- to F-listers."

Bobbitt barely qualifies as a Z-lister. In the 15 years since his former wife Lorena seized his prize and sliced it to size, he has devoted his life to cashing in on the infamy.

He embarked on a worldwide media tour ("Love Hurts") during which he autographed steak knives, formed a band (the Severed Parts), appeared in a couple of skin flicks (John Wayne Bobbitt: Uncut and John Wayne Bobbitt's Frankenpenis) and hawked novelty items (The Official John Bobbitt Private Parts Protector).

Though Bobbitt had never fought in a ring before, he did have a record. Since becoming a celeb, he has been arrested seven times on charges from assault to grand larceny, and served time in jail for domestic battery and abuse.

"For years he's stood in the shadows of celebrity," Feldman says. This was Bobbitt's chance to return to where the light was lime.

The price of fame? Five hundred dollars, plus expenses.

"The John Wayne Bobbitts of the world have already had their 15 minutes of fame," Feldman says. "I give them a chance to grab their 16th minute." And since C.B.F. bouts consist of three 60-second rounds, the world's Bobbitts sometimes get a 17th and 18th minute.

For all intents and purposes, Feldman is the C.B.F. He woos fighters, courts advertisers, and runs the website, celebrityboxing.tv. "It's a one-man operation," he says. "It's all about hustling, and I do all the hustling myself."

Feldman was to the hustle born. His father, Marty, was a prizefighter who campaigned as the "Hebrew Hammer." Marty, who still trains palookas, is perhaps best know for guiding the career of Frank "The Animal" Fletcher, a charismatic, crowd-pleasing middleweight contender currently serving a 22-year parole-violation sentence in a federal prison in Colorado. Marty used to list his profession as "Animal husbandry."

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