Bangkok Reopening Trip Report

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

Another trip to Bangers.  Times are tough and lots of poor Issan farmers are depending on their young daughters to send my money home.  It's an arduous and thankless task but someone has to do it .  Stayed at the Rembrandt Suites once again, unbeatable value for a thousand baht.

I always felt I received good service, seems even better now.  Girls soap me up and down during shower ? give back massage, wash my dick .

 

 

There's a Buddy's Bar and Grill between Sois 18 and 20, Guinness for 195/pint.  Good breakfast too but they don't open until 11 AM.  The 'full monty' is 250.  It was nearly noon so I had a Guinness instead of cappuccino.  First time I've had Guinness for breakfast but it's a versatile brew .  I think you could put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in and it would still be good, although I haven't tried.

 

 

Another time I tried the German Dog with sauerkraut.  The German's don't do it this way but baseball season  ⚾ is nearly here and in Milwaukee we put sauerkraut inside the bun with a bratwurst, then add mustard and stadium sauce.  I used to have three of these ? with 5 or 6 Pabst Blue Ribbons during the game .  The canned kraut didn't do it for me  (I'll tell you where to find good sauerkraut later in the post).

 

 

Down Nana way they offer 50% on all food at Hooters between 3 and 4 PM.  I was never a fan of Hooters food I've discovered it tastes better during these times. ?

 

 

The baja shrimp tacos are my favorite, ? with a tropical long island ?, tastes like fruit punch and packs one too.

 

 

Sea Bass ? tacos are not bad either

 

 

Afterwards I ran into sailingbill ⛵ at a Tavern in the Haight-Ashbury section of Soi Nana.  He's a good guy to have a beer with.

 

 

Temperature checks to get into Nana Plaza

 

 

More GoGos started to open as time progressed, Billboard, Butterflies ?, and Rainbows  ? 4 & 5, at least on the weekend.

 

 

Stopped by The Sportsman Pub on Soi 13 for St. Paddy's Day ☘️, on the ground floor of The Trendy Condo, where I used to live for 7 years.  No green beer on tab, but the Magner's Cider went down well.  They had a promotion, buy a second and get a free hat.

 

 

The German Brau Haus next door roasts a pig ? every Friday.  This is the place to get good sauerkraut since they make their own.  I ordered the small plate for 175, the large was 335 but would have been too much.

 

 

Went over to Soi Cowboy for some Hoegaarden wheat beer.  Just the name Soi Cowboy screams Hoegaarden. Surprisingly, Sharks is still closed, along with all The Arab's bars, but there were still 8 or 9 GoGos open.

 

 

Tried the prime rib ? at Arno's in the Hyatt Regency, which was disappointing.  Bill came to 1250 including 7% tax and 4% service, so I rounded up to 1300 to take care of the waitress.  Maybe I'll try the burger ? the sometime, but I'll be having my steak at El Gaucho from now on.

 

 

Patpong was extremely quiet, I think business is really struggling there.

 

 

I stopped at Le Bouchon for some dinner, next to the famous Star of Light BJ Bar, which appears closed.

 

 

Had the lobster ? bisque for starters, served in a thin pastry.

 

 

Chicken ?  breast stuffed with spinach for main course, first time I can remember where the starter was more expensive.  Soft jazz ? plays in the background for a relaxing meal, but no BJ   at the star of light after.

 

 

I did two photo shoots while I was in town, these with the mirrorless ?, everything else was the cell phone.?

The best camera is the one you have with you.  -- Steve Jobs

 

 

Hope you enjoyed, I'll be back soon. ?

[awesum4 2,319]

14 minutes ago, RhinoTusk said:

Another trip to Bangers.  Times are tough and lots of poor Issan farmers are depending on their young daughters to send my money home.  It's an arduous and thankless task but someone has to do it .  Stayed at the Rembrandt Suites once again, unbeatable value for a thousand baht.

I always felt I received good service, seems even better now.  Girls soap me up and down during shower ? give back massage, wash my dick .

 

 

There's a Buddy's Bar and Grill between Sois 18 and 20, Guinness for 195/pint.  Good breakfast too but they don't open until 11 AM.  The 'full monty' is 250.  It was nearly noon so I had a Guinness instead of cappuccino.  First time I've had Guinness for breakfast but it's a versatile brew .  I think you could put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in and it would still be good, although I haven't tried.

 

 

Another time I tried the German Dog with sauerkraut.  The German's don't do it this way but baseball season  ⚾ is nearly here and in Milwaukee we put sauerkraut inside the bun with a bratwurst, then add mustard and stadium sauce.  I used to have three of these ? with 5 or 6 Pabst Blue Ribbons during the game .  The canned kraut didn't do it for me  (I'll tell you where to find good sauerkraut later in the post).

 

 

Down Nana way they offer 50% on all food at Hooters between 3 and 4 PM.  I was never a fan of Hooters food I've discovered it tastes better during these times. ?

 

 

The baja shrimp tacos are my favorite, ? with a tropical long island ?, tastes like fruit punch and packs one too.

 

 

Sea Bass ? tacos are not bad either

 

 

Afterwards I ran into sailingbill ⛵ at a Tavern in the Haight-Ashbury section of Soi Nana.  He's a good guy to have a beer with.

 

 

Temperature checks to get into Nana Plaza

 

 

More GoGos started to open as time progressed, Billboard, Butterflies ?, and Rainbows  ? 4 & 5, at least on the weekend.

 

 

Stopped by The Sportsman Pub on Soi 13 for St. Paddy's Day ☘️, on the ground floor of The Trendy Condo, where I used to live for 7 years.  No green beer on tab, but the Magner's Cider went down well.  They had a promotion, buy a second and get a free hat.

 

 

The German Brau Haus next door roasts a pig ? every Friday.  This is the place to get good sauerkraut since they make their own.  I ordered the small plate for 175, the large was 335 but would have been too much.

 

 

Went over to Soi Cowboy for some Hoegaarden wheat beer.  Just the name Soi Cowboy screams Hoegaarden. Surprisingly, Sharks is still closed, along with all The Arab's bars, but there were still 8 or 9 GoGos open.

 

 

Tried the prime rib ? at Arno's in the Hyatt Regency, which was disappointing.  Bill came to 1250 including 7% tax and 4% service, so I rounded up to 1300 to take care of the waitress.  Maybe I'll try the burger ? the sometime, but I'll be having my steak at El Gaucho from now on.

 

 

Patpong was extremely quiet, I think business is really struggling there.

 

 

I stopped at Le Bouchon for some dinner, next to the famous Star of Light BJ Bar, which appears closed.

 

 

Had the lobster ? bisque for starters, served in a thin pastry.

 

 

Chicken ?  breast stuffed with spinach for main course, first time I can remember where the starter was more expensive.  Soft jazz ? plays in the background for a relaxing meal, but no BJ   at the star of light after.

 

 

I did two photo shoots while I was in town, these with the mirrorless ?, everything else was the cell phone.?

The best camera is the one you have with you.  -- Steve Jobs

 

 

Hope you enjoyed, I'll be back soon. ?

I did enjoy reading this, as I always do.

You take great pictures of some lovely ladies.

Thanks for sharing them and telling us of your adventures. It gives me hope that one day I will return to have a few of my own. 

[Bullfrog 2,224]

34 minutes ago, RhinoTusk said:

Hope you enjoyed,

I know I'm odd but her teeth and mouth are so bloody sexy !!!

[sailingbill 1,015]

Another good one ,Thanks. Not a fan of Hooters but the shrimp taco will have me visiting. As you know im a regular at Le Buchon and the Tavern. Hope to see you again.  You always seem to find the good venues.  My  German grandparents were first generation here and taught me about German food. Sauerkraut is indeed an art. The German Brau Haus will be my next visit. Sadly Baltimore lost all of our German restaurants.   I'll be looking for the hat. 

[jacko 8,786]

Excellent as always.

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

20 hours ago, sailingbill said:

Another good one ,Thanks. Not a fan of Hooters but the shrimp taco will have me visiting.

If you like shrimp tacos, may I suggest Slanted Taco on Soi 23.  90 baht, but you get 2-for-1 on Tuesdays.  Here, a pair of shrimp tacos and a pair of sea bass tacos with a mango margarita made from fresh mango.  No Hooters girls, however.

 

 

You can also order in the Beer Garden outside, but I thought this Vedett Extra Blonde was overpriced at 300 baht, and then they added 17% for tax and service.  I should have stayed indoors and ordered a second mango margarita instead.

 

[veill 195]

Nice reports ,

Keeps me dreaming , last girl is absolutely stunning !

Frank

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

7 hours ago, veill said:

Nice reports ,

Keeps me dreaming , last girl is absolutely stunning !

Frank

See my camera thread to see more of her

 

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

By the looks of things, bars in Pattaya will be opening before Bangkok, and not for a while yet.  Soapies are closed where I am so I’m heading back to Koh Chang for a few weeks.  I’ll do a week on Koh Kood as well.  There’s been only one covid case per day being detected in the Trat Province, very few tourists, and room rates are currently lowest I’ve seen. Escape to paradise. ?️

[CalEden 358]

Not too hard to find places serving in BKK.

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

2 hours ago, CalEden said:

Not too hard to find places serving in BKK.

But not Gogo bars 

[CalEden 358]

Did notice a few back alley massage places open and the ladies sitting outside bekoning to male passers.

[CalEden 358]

Took a walk up Soi 4 last night. Very little open all dark except Nana Hotel. The thirst for a good ole cold one drove me to Soi 8. The volume indicates the best places for refreshing coffee. Deeper in the Soi is a very nice garden oasis on the left.

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

Chu’s, in the Exchange Tower, one of my favorite places for breakfast with their smoked salmon eggs Benedict, has shut down permanently, another victim of the pandemic.  I featured Chu’s on the first page of this thread.  For lunch and/or dinner, the pasta dishes were good too.  Chu’s will be missed, it served fine meals for twelve years.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/coronavirus-curbs-shutter-thousands-bangkok-restaurants-2021-06-03/

[jacko 8,786]

9 hours ago, RhinoTusk said:

Chu’s, in the Exchange Tower, one of my favorite places for breakfast with their smoked salmon eggs Benedict, has shut down permanently, another victim of the pandemic.  I featured Chu’s on the first page of this thread.  For lunch and/or dinner, the pasta dishes were good too.  Chu’s will be missed, it served fine meals for twelve years.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/coronavirus-curbs-shutter-thousands-bangkok-restaurants-2021-06-03/

Darn, I too had a similar habit when staying at the Rembandt Hotel and Suites.... usually on my way to Asok and on to Ekamai.

Edited June 3, 2021 by jacko

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

Came to town for my first Covid jab, hadn't been in Bangers for four months.  Since there's a 9 PM curfew I knew I would be spending most of my time in the room so I booked a nice crib.  I don't think they had many guests because the girls at the front desk knew my name before I handed them my passport at check-in.

 

 

The hotel has direct access to the Nana BTS

 

 

Rooms are decent size, the hotel opened about two years ago.  Rates were 7000 per night when it opened, about 5600 pre-covid.  I enjoyed the 60-inch TV but wasn't impressed by a lack of desk, they only provided a pair of tables, not that I planned to do any work.

 

 

Some nice views of lower Sukhumvit from my room on the 22nd floor, looking west in the direction of Nana Plaza.

 

 

 

The pool was open but only one guest at a time because of covid restrictions, so you had to make a reservation with the front desk in advance.  It was an outdoor pool on the 6th floor.

 

 

That's Q House across the street on the right, where condos start at 30 million baht.

 

 

 

There were a pair of jacuzzi pools as well, it was a nice place to hang out for an hour.

 

 

 

You could swim to the edge of the pool and look down over the Sky Train, most noticeable was how clean the air was.

 

 

The exercise room had the same conditions as the pool, one guest at a time and reserve in advance.

 

 

Breakfast was included in the room rate and was quite robust, I had to save the yoghurt and muesli for lunch.

 

 

I went over to Villa Market on Soi 11 for some liquid refreshment, the Kentucky rocket fuel that inspired Hunter S. Thompson.  Fear and Loathing in Bangkok.

 

 

The main reason I wanted to stay at the Hyatt Regency was for six years I watched it being built from my window at Trendy Condo across the street.  Construction noise really wasn't too bad and before I could see the Baptist Church across Sukhumvit on Soi 6.  This photo is from 2014.

 

 

Conversely, here's a view of the Trendy Condo from near the elevator on the 22nd floor.  My condo at the Trendy was on the 10th floor.

 

 

In 2016, there was a small fire but the fire department quickly extinguished it.

 

 

Construction on the external structure completed in 2018 but there was still much work to do.  The sign announces a grand opening in Q3 2018 but the hotel didn't actually open until January 2019.

 

 

NEXT:  AROUND TOWN

Edited August 13, 2021 by RhinoTusk

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

Terminal 21 was open in the basement for the grocery store.

 

 

Over at Soi Cowboy, people seemed happy to see a farang.

 

 

Carry Out at Pala

 

 

Some freelancers about but I don't think I wish to partake in any p4p until I've been fully vaccinated, just thinking about all the viruses I've collected from the girls over the years.

 

 

Construction next to Q House progressing briskly.

 

 

 

Across the street on Soi 7 it's lagging behind

 

 

Still nothing is happening at Chuwit Garden.  It's my understanding that a mall will eventually be built on this spot.

 

 

SOI 11

 

 

 

Australian has fielded temporarily to Sugar Club

 

 

Wine connection is becoming my Go2 place

 

 

Old German Beer Haus is closed on Soi 11

 

 

...but open for carryout on Soi 13

 

 

Across Sukhumvit on Soi 8

 

 

Soi Arab (i.e. Soi 3/1)

 

 

Soi Nana

 

 

Since I came for the vaccination, I wanted to be prepared for any adverse effects, and collected several remedies with progressively ascending alcoholic concentration: 4.9%, 13%, 35%, and 50.5% respectively.  Turned out overkill because I awoke only with a cotton mouth and felt slightly lethargic, but the beverages didn't go to waste.

 

 

My appointment was for AstraZeneca at MedPark hospital and I was in and out in an hour.

 

 

NEXT: The Banyan Tree

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by RhinoTusk

[jacko 8,786]

Taking the trip to Bangkok to get jabbed is beginning to look like something I should have done last month. But if I had to stay overnight I would not enjoy it much. A friend suggested we share a ride there and back, but we were confused as to how we could organize jabs at the same time. Thanks for your posts. 

[sailingbill 1,015]

33 minutes ago, jacko said:

Taking the trip to Bangkok to get jabbed is beginning to look like something I should have done last month. But if I had to stay overnight I would not enjoy it much. A friend suggested we share a ride there and back, but we were confused as to how we could organize jabs at the same time. Thanks for your posts. 

Jacko had a good night prior to my appt staying at the Landmark. Most of the 5 stars are deeply discounted with the Sheraton Grande  and Landmark at 1600/1900 night. My friend bought bread, cheese, meats and libations from Villa.  Good Pizza can be ordered in. Room service available but at room service prices. Ordered in ice, plates silverware and a table for a 100 baht tip.. Good conversation, great fun. We went over to the Sushi restaurant at Bumrungrad as you can sit a a table. I am with Rhino Tusk and will avoid the FL but my friend knew of an obscure Massage place behind the hospital .The girl was young, fit , pretty and wonderful. Perhaps you and your friend can consider this prior to your appointment.  I will be in Bangkok all week either this week or next for some health checks and my first Iol. But unable to drink. Well maybe a glass or two of wine.

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

As long as I came all this way via taxi, intercity buses aren't operating, I thought I'd spend a few days at the Banyan Tree on Sathorn Ave, about a 30 minute walk to the main entrance of Lumpini Park, halfway between the German and Malaysian embassies. 

 

 

I booked the VIP package including breakfast, thousand baht per day food and beverage credit (excluding alcohol), early check-in/late check-out, daily fruit plate, and room upgrade.

 

 

Most impressive was the huge bathroom, as large as the living room.

 

 

Nice view from the bathtub

 

 

You could see the Chao Phraya River in the distance from the 23rd floor.

 

 

They included incense, both stick and liquid, next to the bathtub.  It was very relaxing to burn the incense while taking a hot bath.

 

 

Another interesting feature were emergency alarms scattered throughout, I suppose they could save your life in case of a heart attack.  There was a switch beside the bed and pull cables in the bathroom, next to the bathtub, in the shower, and next to the toilet.  I almost pulled one thinking it was for the flush.

 

 

Breakfast was included, served in-room due to covid restrictions.

 

 

I was disappointed with the food credit because of limited choices and I thought the food was just OK.  Here's an example:  Chicken Cesar Salad with Fettuccine Bolognese and Chocolate Mousse, also included a pot of green tea not pictured.  I still had to pay 17% for service charge and government tax, and I supplied the Bordeaux.

 

 

The hotel lobby was nice, included a grand piano, but no one was there to play.

 

 

Took a walk over to Patpong, about 15 minutes away.

 

 

There were some hot cars in the neighborhood.

 

 

And some nice upscale restaurants

 

 

The locals queued up for street food on Silom Road.

 

 

I found where I could buy some wine

 

 

First, I took a stroll down Soi Thaniya

 

 

Remember this guy?  The Japanese do.

 

 

Some places were open for carry out

 

 

Henry Mancini's bar with Inspector Clouseau, closed.  Oh well, if you've seen one Stradivarius, you've seen them all.

 

 

Le Bouchon also closed, not even carry-out.

 

 

Dragon Bar was open but not serving.  The bartender directed me to a discreet open bar 'manned' by ladyboys, but I wasn't that hard up for a drink.

 

 

Here's a nice concept.

 

 

All the signage has been removed from the famous Star of Light BJ Bar, an institution for decades.  Patpong will never be the same.

 

 

I've been a customer at King's Castle I (and Pink Panther) for 30 years.

 

 

Haven't tried the pizza at Madrid yet, and I'll have to wait a while longer.

 

 

It wasn't long ago this was a steakhouse, and they had a fine Aussie tenderloin.

 

 

I ordered Crown Royal here once, they said they don't stock it.

 

 

The way back to Silom Road.

 

 

I never went into Bar Bar, not my scene, but I miss the hawker that was always out front.

 

 

This hawker is still out.

 

 

Then I went over to Lumpini park, the entrance was open but the cops chased me out.  A sign said 10:00 - 11:00, so I guess those are the hours now.  I was thinking about coming back in the morning but stayed in my room instead.

 

 

Took a taxi home, an orange zone where I can still eat in a restaurant.  Passed through a police checkpoint, had my travel document ready but they didn't ask to see it, just spoke to my driver and asked for his identification.  Expect I won't be back to Bangers until it's time for my second covid jab, but I enjoyed the journey and I'm glad to have some protection.  Cheers!

[CalEden 358]

You mentioned the Soi and apparently didn't visit. Starting late afternoon beer sales/consumption wide open on mentioned Soi and a nearby sub Soi with same number plus also serving. A FL venue on mentioned Soi discretly open beginning late afternoons. Noticed people entering whilst having a street beer and asked if open and confirmed by beer vendor.  

But right now Bangkok is a semi ghost town and quite boring. Up until last week was going to Ban Chang/Rayong with friends for long weekends. Oceanside Hotel with ocean view rooms/pool serving  and cheap rates. Spending the days at the beach Umbrella/table Seafood setups drinking beer and eating fresh seafood. Was great way to spend the weekends with your lady and friends until the military cracked down week ago last Wednesday with follow up inspections. 

Going home this weekend and will not come back until qurrantine gone, no travel restrictions and alcohol sales back to normal. Despite Covid have enjoyed the last four months.

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

After 12 weeks I returned for my second AstraZeneca jab.  The vibe was much different this time, much more upbeat, and more people in the hotels.  I booked the Sofitel and they gave me a corner room on the 25th floor with lots of windows.

 

 

The governor of my province had outlawed the sale of alcohol until the end of the month in an effort to reduce the covid spread, even in the 7-11s, so I came a few weeks early.

 

 

The lobby was a nice place to hang out for afternoon tea

 

 

I tried the 24-hour room service for Khao Soi, actually a Lanna dish, but listed as a specialty of the house.  Usually it comes with a chicken drumstick, their version had Boston Lobster.

 

 

I also dined in with a carry out 350 g Rib Eye from El Gaucho Steakhouse on Soi 19.  Alcohol was still forbidden in restaurants and I wanted some wine with my steak.

 

 

I also tried the Belgian rooftop restaurant, which was expensive.  I ordered baked cod and enjoyed the views from the 34th floor.

 

 

I was grateful for the direct access to the BTS since I could get to Terminal 21 in the rain using the skywalk and not get wet.

 

 

A few freelancers hanging around Thermae next door but mostly ladyboys.

 

 

Room included breakfast buffet, here smoked salmon eggs benedict with bacon, mushrooms, mixed nuts, imported cheese, dark rye, passion fruit, dried fruits, fresh juice, and coffee.  What a way to start the day!

 

 

I went over to the Sportsman's Pub for a change of pace for breakfast, in the Trendy Condo where I lived seven years.  They had baseball, basketball, and football all on concurrently.

 

 

Another change of pace was a visit to Bourbon Street on Soi Ekkamai for crab cake eggs benedict for breakfast.

 

 

Since I was in town three weeks, I visited many places I like to hang out, like IconSiam.  Caught the free river shuttle from the Sathorn Pier, which only runs on the weekend now during covid.

 

 

I paused for some Pad Thai on the 6th floor pavilion overlooking the river.

 

 

Another place I visited was Lumphini Park.

 

 

These two didn't get along well, I didn't realize monitors fight amongst themselves to show who's boss.

 

 

There were a few beer bar areas open.  I spent some time in them until the cops started raiding places, like Crazy House (2nd floor) where 61 were arrested, and another place on Soi 12.  These were indoor places where the risk is greater but since they were arresting customers as well as staff I didn't wish to chance it.

 

 

I sat around Soi Nana awhile, out in the open, where I thought less likely to be arrested drinking 'coffee'.

 

 

I don't know what happened to the huge crushed coke cans at the entrance to Nana Plaza.  They were gone the next week.

 

 

Soi Cowboy has food vendors in the afternoon

 

 

But it was eerily quiet at night.

 

 

I stopped at the Shell station on Soi 23 to fill up my McLaren.  ?

 

 

I went over to Rachada to check out the soapies but were all closed as I expected.  Supposedly, Poseidon will be converted into a hotel. ?

 

 

I opted for the full service massage shops.

 

 

I participated in a few photo shoots to pass some time.

 

 

Another place I spent an afternoon was Benchasiri Park

 

 

The view through the dirty window at Emporium food court.

 

 

I went over to the EmQuartier mall across the street

 

 

The food court had a place called the Smoked Joint.  I haven't done that in years. ? I tried the brisket, smoked 14 hours, the meat was so tender you could cut it with a plastic fork and the smokiness was overwhelming.  It was expensive for what you got, only 120 g, but very tasty.  Definitely a cut above what you find in most food courts.

 

 

I went over to El Gaucho for lunch when I could get wine in a glass.  The lunch special includes a complimentary starter and potato, here is the beef soup, which was really good.

 

 

Followed by a 250 g USDA Prime NY strip loin and a nice glass of red.  Bill came to just over 2000.

 

 

Finally, November brought the return of fully vaccinated alien tourists and alcohol was legally available in restaurants until 9 PM

 

 

There was a changing of the guard

 

 

Soi Nana was a-buzz again

 

 

At 9 PM, they changed your drinking receptacle

 

 

Happy Days are back.  Hopefully,  GoGo Bars open December 1st.  Cheers!

 

 

[sailingbill 1,015]

Good to see the Hat out and about. Appreciate the update as ill be back this week. I may try the Sofitel if Thermae is open.I suspect we may be handsome men even to the China Dolls on the left until the Japanese return. You do get the best girls and 2 weeks ago i did ok at the Massage Parlors on 23. If you run that gauntlet on 23 the Barcelona Gaudi Restaurant is worth a stop.  The Tavern is open so ill be there if your still around. I'm waiting to hear from Serge as Le Buchon is moving to a new location.  All the best RT.

[jacko 8,786]

Excellent..... tempting.

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

There's a new burger joint in town called Bang Bang Burger, at the location of the previous Daniel Thaiger burger before 'the T' on Soi 11, across from Hillary 11.  They serve the same craft beers as before but the restaurant now has a boxing theme.

 

 

They serve a Cassius burger, an Iron Mike burger, a Raging Bull (with jalapenos), and a Duke.  Burgers go for 320, including fries.  This is the Cassius, a bacon burger.

 

 

Here is The Duke, which is without the bacon.  I had to research "Duke" in boxing lore and it turns out to be Tommy Morrison, who defeated George Foreman for the WBO Heavyweight championship in 1993.  I remember watching the fight with friends, Foreman was 20 years older.  Morrison had one successful title defense before losing the title to Michael Bentt later that year.  He then won the vacant IBC heavyweight title in 1995 before losing it to Lennox Lewis.  Morrison was called 'The Duke' because he claimed to be a distant relative of John Wayne.  He was married to two different women at the same time and had an acting role as Tommy "The Machine" Gunn in Rocky V.  Morrison had his boxing license suspended in 1996 after testing positive to HIV, which he succumbed to in 2013 at the age of 44.  He finished his boxing career with a record of 48-3-1.

 

 

Edited November 9, 2021 by RhinoTusk