We started to go into Charlie’s more wild and crazy days last night. Apparently, if you were bored in Odessa in the late ’70s, you’d just pick a fight with someone. It wasn’t that you wanted to hurt the person… it was just a form of entertainment.
Charlie has had quite a few street fights. One was near Sherwood Park by Ross Elementary. Right now it’s hard to imagine these locations in my head. I know one day I’ll need to go and see everything myself.
We also talked about a fight at a restaurant called Sambo’s. His older brother got him into that one. Charlie ended up with a trip to jail and 14 stitches.
Then there was another fight one night where Charlie got hit in the chest by a gallon-sized whiskey jug. As he fell forward, the guy kicked him in the mouth. Charlie ended up with 8 stitches in his lip that night.
I know that these fights were just “something to do,” but it seems like they crossed the line sometimes. It’s also important to note that Charlie didn’t start most of these fights. He wasn’t one to try to fit in, and I think a lot of people disliked him for it. He said that he was usually fighting in survival mode – he just happened to be really good at it.
As a side note, Charlie said last night that he was actually a better wrestler than a boxer. In 6th grade, he was a wrestling champion.
We talked a lot about Charlie’s family last night, too. It was actually his dad who originally had the nickname, “Tuffy.” For some reason, it got passed onto Charlie when he started boxing.
Charlie has two daughters and four grandchildren with his second wife, Pam.
I’m starting to understand what life was like in Odessa in the late seventies and early eighties. I’ve never been to Texas… and Charlie has probably never been to Virginia. He’s going to start sending me some articles and pictures that he has saved over the years, though, so that should help paint a better picture for me.
Say a prayer for me,
K. E.
As Crazy As It Sounds 
Odessa was a good place to grow up.and really petty safe. Charlie was always there as a self appointed protector for my girls and myself. Elton Faught loved Charlie and he loved Elton.
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I’m a friend of Charlie and will be following.
I could help with a Facebook page.
It would be professional but we can get it going .
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Funny you should mention Sherwood Park. It is a favorite park in Odessa. Grown better in these years. In the seventies and eighties, there is a 50M pool, prairie pete playground, with a metal tree house, a ship, a spider and web for kids to play on. Great place. About five years ago a humorous eulogy was given at Tooky Berry’s funeral. Tooky was a few years older than Charles. There were three Berry brothers. A TOUGH GUY challenges some kids playing there. “Who said you can come here.” answered Royce Berry says so, and then that was OK. Royce or Mack played pro football, the other was a boxer like Charles. There are so many stories, so many names, and this stuff is legend. Please write the book. David Palmer
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You forgot the oversized whale that you can walk in his mouth and out his blowhole. Haha.. The Birdcage was my favorite though as a kid. I had one fight in high school in 86 in that Park. I seen the guy that I fought about 30 years after the fact and when we saw each other, he bowed out his chest and stared me down. I wanted to laugh but since he got the worst end of the fight that day , I think he wanted to do it again. That is the kind of craziness that goes on in this town. If you grew up in this town, the chance of you being a sissy are pretty slim.
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