Ray Rodgers: The Cut Man

Been there and done that, Ray Rodgers has made blood his business.

Ray Rodgers is one of, if not the best, cut man around. And he’s certainly the most experienced. Ray’s been around boxing for over 50 years, from the ring, to the corner, to chairman of his local Golden Gloves chapter. We caught up with Ray, who is currently in Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor’s corner, and talked about life as a cut man, boxing, and anything else that was on Ray’s mind.

Everlast: How did you get involved with boxing?
Ray Rodgers: I started boxing in 1947 when I was 10 years old. Through 5th grade, I lived in Oklahoma and I was lucky. Even in grade school, boxing was an integral part of the school system. After 5th grade, we moved to Arkansas, and I've been in boxing there ever since. Been in it for ... well, I let you do the numbers, but like I said I’ve been in boxing since 1947!

Everlast: How did you become a cut man?
Rodgers: Well, again I was lucky. I started coaching boxing back before the invention of headgear. I came up through the bare-chested, Vaseline covered days of boxing. You only had to start a round with a mouthpiece. Once it started, you could spit it out and finish the round out. There were a whole lot of head butts and these guys would get cut all the time. Now, there are rules saying what tools you can use and what you can do to fix a cut in the corner of an amateur fight. Back then, there wasn’t. You had to learn the tricks. With so many head butts and no headgear, there were an unbelievable amount of cuts to fix so I received a lot of practice. Now with headgear and other protective equipment in amateur fights, a lot of guys don’t get that kind of practice.

Everlast: What products did you use then when you first started and what do you use now?
Rodgers: I could tell you this: in the old days I used things that are totally outlawed now. Like Monsel’s Solution, which was an agent that was used to toughen up the skin. It actually scorches the skin, and it seals right up. It’s so dangerous, especially with a guy that’s jerky. If it gets in a kid’s eye, well, that’s just no good. I always say, don’t use anything that’s not obtainable in an operating room in America.

Everlast: Cut men are so vital but can be overlooked sometimes. Why do you think that is?
Rodgers: There aren’t many of us left, talking about the old timers. You got these young guys now… I call them “towel swingers.” You give ’em a white towel, a few Johnson & Johnson Q-tips and all of sudden they are big time cut guys. And they wouldn’t know a laceration from a cow patty.

Everlast: What’s your first priority, a bad cut or bad swelling?
Rodgers: Well, they are of equal importance, but with a cut all you gotta do is stop the bleeding. Swelling actually carries more ramifications. Vargas’ bad swelling in his last fight against Shane cost him the fight.

Everlast: Have you ever had a fight stopped because of a cut?
Rodgers: Never...never.

Everlast: Would you take it personally if a fight got stopped because of your guy’s cut?
Rodgers: Look, it’s no miracle. You need to know what you are doing. You can’t get excited and you have to really, really, attend to business. There’s an old saying – “A cut man is like a 50-second angel.” You get that saying? You’ve got around 50 seconds to assess, cleanup and address all the wounds and get your guy ready for battle again. You don’t have the luxury of laying him down on an operating table and having five assistants help you. You gotta do it all, quickly and efficiently.

Everlast: What about you, have you ever been cut before?
Rodgers: Yes sirree bob. I came up through the ranks where there was no headgear. I was the kind of fighter that if you missed me it made me mad. I wanted to be hit. So I got hit a little bit and when you get hit a little bit, you’re gonna get cut.

Everlast: You’ve been around for a while. Any thoughts of hanging ’em up?
Rodgers: Oh no, I hope I die next to the ring. I am bumping right up against 60 years in the sport. I’d like to go 70 or 80, probably 90 years if I can make it. I’m not like some of the guys that do it full time. I mean I don’t go out and pimp myself often. I won’t go door-to-door with my bucket: “Need a cut man? Need a cut man?” I just don’t do that. I’m pretty selective about who I work with.

Everlast: What boxers have you worked with?
Rodgers: A lot of them. I’ve worked with Iran Barkley, Macho Camacho, Phil Jackson and Tommy Morrison to name a few. Now I work with Jermain Taylor.

Everlast: Will you be in Jermain’s corner for the Winky Wright fight?
Rodgers: Certainly. You ever met Jermain? Great young man. Really a pleasure to work for and work with. He’s just getting ready for a minicamp. He’s looking great.

WORDS. CESAR SUERO, PHOTO. BRANDON EMERSON