Mike Skaggs was a fat, red-haired kid. I didn’t have a lot of problems with him until seventh grade. We were playing at school one morning, the way twelve year old boys play, and our play got rough. Instead of fighting right then and there, however, we made an appointment to fight after school, the following Friday. It didn’t really affect me one way or the other, as I’d made such appointments before, but they never came to pass.

This was different, however. He wouldn’t let it go. By Friday, most of the school was talking about our fight. Pressure began to mount. Still, I thought it would drop.

After school that day, Mike, along with about twenty others were waiting outside the school. Our pact was to fight on school property. Mike, however, had a change of heart. His friends convinced him not to fight on school grounds. Instead, he wanted to fight on a small lot down an alley across from the school.

I refused, and he started to leave. It was then that a large black kid named John Simpson literally grabbed me by the collar and dragged me to the lot. There must have been about thirty to fifty kids there, all to see me fight. Due to my size, most were sure I would lose.

It must be mentioned that I was no stranger to striking people with my fists. I was a boxer, and one of my favorite hobbies was to break out the boxing gloves and fight the neighborhood kids. I seldom lost. Later, I joined a boxing team at the YMCA.

Mike had no real intention to fight, however. When I walked into the center of the circle of kids, he wanted to talk. I allowed him one sentence: “I’ve waited a long time for this, McGuire.”

After this last word, my left fist flew into his face. Then my right. He looked like he was dog paddling. Slow, awkward, and now bleeding profusely from the nose, mouth, and one eye. His glasses broke on my second blow.

I showed no mercy. My punches continued until he started crying and ran away. I felt no guilt, remorse, or pity. He was twice my bodyweight. The shit had it coming to him. To this day, I have no regrets.