Of these, only Wayne “Hurricane” Hargrove, fighting for the super-middleweight title, had a trial lawyer in his corner. Chris Seeger, whose firm Seeger Weiss has won billions in settlements against the scoundrels behind Vioxx, Accutane and other medications, was there to help his friend punch people in the face.
Mr. Seeger talks about martial arts as if they are the natural extension of courtroom competition. He divides his time between New York and New Orleans, where he is carrying out a lawsuit against contractors who used faulty Chinese drywall in reconstruction projects. He trains three days a week, often coming straight to the gym from the airport.
At his first bout with Mr. Seeger in his corner, they waited patiently while his opponent spent minutes dancing his way into the ring. When the bell finally rang, Mr. Hargrove skipped to the middle, dodged a sloppy overhand and, with a jab and a hook taught by the trial lawyer, put the dancer face down on the mat. At five seconds, it was the New Jersey record for fastest knockout, and it set him up for his first title shot.