Lure of the Ring Was Overpowering for Weaver Triplets

When Mike Weaver was 11 years old, his mother went to the hospital pregnant and came home carrying a baby boy. This was hardly a surprise, since Mike already had five brothers and three sisters.

It was a surprise, however, when Mike’s uncle followed Mom through the front door, carrying another baby boy. . . . And when Mike’s dad followed Mike’s uncle, carrying another baby boy.

That was 21 years ago, and the triplets have hardly been apart since. They go roller skating together on Sundays. They go to church together on Mondays and Thursdays. And they fight together every day.

Floyd, Lloyd and Troy Weaver are prizefighters, maybe the first triplets ever to compete in a professional sport.

You might say they’re carrying on a family tradition. Their father, Ordain, was a boxer, forced to retire by heart trouble. He died in a car crash when the triplets were 6.

Mike, who was 17 at the time, became the triplets’ substitute father.

“My other brothers were doing other things,” Mike said. “There was one other brother living at home, but he was on the mean side. I was nice, so the triplets took more to me. I had jobs, too, and a couple of my other brothers were in and out of jail, in trouble. There was nobody but me.”

Then Mike joined the Marines and accidentally became a famous boxer. He got into a scuffle over a juke box and KO’d a guy who turned out to be the heavyweight champ of the Marine Corps. A star was born. Mike went on to become WBA heavyweight champ from March, 1980, to December, 1982.

The triplets were always athletic, too. They were also quiet, shy, well behaved kids.

“They were never in trouble, at school or with the law, not once,” Mike said. “They used to be scared of girls. Girls would chase ‘em, and they’d run away. In fact, they’ve just started talking to girls.”

Barely. A week ago they were walking down the street, attracting the usual quota of stares and double-takes from passers-by, when a young woman stopped them. She good-naturedly questioned the triplets, as if trying figure out this intriguing phenomenon.

The triplets smiled and answered her questions. But the guys who call themselves Lightning Lloyd, Flaming Floyd and Too Tough Troy looked as awkward and shy as schoolboys at their first dance.

In short, the triplets aren’t the type you would expect to see jump into the brutal, sometimes seamy world of boxing. At Edgewood High in West Covina, they were standouts in track--relays, naturally--and football, and had football scholarship offers from Brigham Young and Hawaii.

But Mike was their father figure and role model, so they became boxers, too. They had followed him to the gym right from the beginning of his career. They would get up in the mornings and, like puppy dogs, run him ragged when he did his road work.

“I tried to talk them into going into the service, take up a trade, but they wouldn’t listen to me,” Mike said. “They were so determined to take up boxing.”

It was a joint decision, of course. Floyd, Lloyd and Troy couldn’t be tighter if they were Siamese. They look alike, dress alike, think alike, act alike. And they never fight among themselves.

Never?

“Never,” says Floyd, the other two nodding in agreement.

Do they always dress alike?

They nod.

“Our mom always had us dress the same,” Troy says.

Is one of the three a leader?

They shake their heads.

Have they ever been apart for more than a few minutes?

They shake their heads.

“Troy went away for a week once, for a track meet,” Floyd says.

“I called home every day,” Troy says.

As Mike said: “They do everything together. Everything. If one quit boxing, all three would do it. I try to tell them to have their own minds, without following the others, but they don’t listen to me no more.”

That’s an exaggeration. They still love their brother like a father. He still takes them shopping for their matching outfits, and they spend a lot of time at Mike’s house in Diamond Bar, swimming and playing pool.

“They remind me so much of me when I was their age,” Mike said. “They’re not outspoken, they’re not rowdy, they don’t go to parties, don’t drink. Every time I look at them, I see myself.”

Only on a smaller scale. Troy is the biggest of the three, weighing 160. Lloyd fights at 154, and Floyd at 147.

Troy is the puncher, with a fine left jab. Floyd is noted for his quick hands. Lloyd is the knockout specialist.

Each has had about 25 amateur fights, and each has suffered only two or three losses. Floyd won his first pro fight recently, a knockout, and the triplets were signed to fight on the same card at the Irvine Marriott last Monday night.

Lloyd’s opponent fell out, however. With Mike and mom (Juanita) sitting ringside, Floyd earned a draw and Troy lost a split decision.

“I hope they make it,” Mike said. “I know how tough the boxing game is. But they have my support, totally.”

Even three bad dudes named Lightning, Flaming and Too Tough can appreciate that kind of support.