When Benjamin was no older than 5, he traded in bedtime stories for a nightly ritual of boxing a teddy bear. The bear, held upright by his father, proved to be a good punching bag.
One night, the elder Watson gave the bear a little more oomph, some movement, some counterpunching, and the bear got the best of the kid. The first loss of young Benjamin's life.
''I beat him down pretty good with the teddy bear," Kenneth said, laughing at the memory. ''I knocked him all over the place. And put him to bed."
But not to sleep. A short while later, Benjamin was outside his parents' bedroom screaming for the bear to come out and take the whipping he deserved.
''That bear is not going to beat me!" Benjamin yelled
