Classic American West Coast Boxing

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 19:11

Irish Bob Murphy vs Henry Brimm

dagosd2000 · Post by **dagosd2000** » 23 Apr 2008, 19:26

kikibalt wrote:
dagosd2000 wrote:
kikibalt wrote:
Ken Norton vs Jim Gilmore
These are the kind of guys Kenny was fighting before he met Garcia.
YES!!

First off,How you feelin'? Damn it, if you're not on this Forum, you can't be replaced.

That top photograph of Norton training in San Diego was when he was matched up with,I believe, a Cuban heavyweight by the name of Pedro Sanchez. You should have seen this guy. It looked like he trained on my wife's "gorditas" and beer. His trainer was half "looney" The trainer would stand in front of the heavy bag,I guess,trying to show this Sanchez how to throw a right hand. The trainer would throw this round house swing and spin all the way around and his cap would fly off!

To tell you the truth,I never liked Norton. The first time I sparred with anyone was with Norton,a little before this fight.He roughed me up pretty good,but he couldn't knock me down. He never seemed friendly. I always thought he was a little arrogant.

BTW Frank. I like "gorditas" with mantequilla,sour cream,and hot sauce. Gee, I wonder if any of my arteries are clogged up from eating too much of that stuff?

Robinson · Post by **Robinson** » 23 Apr 2008, 19:28

classic story.

So Norton was a bit of a gym bully.

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 20:02

dagosd2000 wrote:First off,How you feelin'? Damn it, if you're not on this Forum, you can't be replaced.

That top photograph of Norton training in San Diego was when he was matched up with,I believe, a Cuban heavyweight by the name of Pedro Sanchez. You should have seen this guy. It looked like he trained on my wife's "gorditas" and beer. His trainer was half "looney" The trainer would stand in front of the heavy bag,I guess,trying to show this Sanchez how to throw a right hand. The trainer would throw this round house swing and spin all the way around and his cap would fly off!

To tell you the truth,I never liked Norton. The first time I sparred with anyone was with Norton,a little before this fight.He roughed me up pretty good,but he couldn't knock me down. He never seemed friendly. I always thought he was a little arrogant.

BTW Frank. I like "gorditas" with mantequilla,sour cream,and hot sauce. Gee, I wonder if any of my arteries are clogged up from eating too much of that stuff?

diego,

I had a good day today, gordtites with beans, carnitas and real HOT sauce is the way I like them, don't like mantequilla, or sour cream.

I don't know about your arteries been clogged, all I know is that mine are.
All that good Mexican food that I been eating all my life is to blame, but shit it taste good, NO TACO BELL FOR ME!!..

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 20:10

Henry Armstrong

dagosd2000 · Post by **dagosd2000** » 23 Apr 2008, 20:18

kikibalt wrote:
Irish Bob Murphy vs Henry Brimm

"Hey Tony,don't you ever take a day off?"
"I haven't taken more than a week off since George's father opened the Arizona in 1945."
I remember Tony Panza when I was a kid settin' up pins in the bowling alley that was through the little hallway that led from the bar. Tony ran the bowling alley and George Radovich handled the bar. Between the bar and the bowling alley there was a small kitchen. George always made sure he had some 'ol gal in there cookin' up lunches. I'm not kiddin' ya',they were the best home cooked meals down at the beach.Pork Roasts,mashed potatos,corn on the cob,salad. Dishes like that that stuck to your ribs. Everyone affiliated with the Arizona Cafe was some kind of Serb. They all went to the Serbian church and married Serbians,drank Vodka by the gallons,spoke Serbian and hated Tito's guts. They all belonged to the "Serbian Defense League." One time I asked George Radovich.
"What the hell is the Serbian Defense League?"
"We sit around and get drunk on Vodka and talk about invading Yugoslavia",laughed George.

Well George finally had to break down and get "automatic pin setters" because too many pin boys like myself were getting hit in the noggin' by the pins flying around. After that Tony Panza moved inside and tended bar. The Arizona was like a historical museum in a way. There were old pictures on the wall of the beach and the Arizona Cafe. But the ones that interested me the most were the pictures of "Irish Bob" Murphy. George handled Murphy when he was an amateur just gettin' out of the Navy. There was always an "Irish Bob" Murphy story to go around. I've run a few by you,but here's a fresh one.

Tony's tellin' me this artist comes into the bar one night and draws one of these" charactertures" of George behind the bar. George likes the artwork and commissions this guy(I think it was all the booze you could drink)to do one of these "charactertures" of everyone sittin' at the bar. Tony told me on this night the place was really packed. All the local crowd was there. Well Michaelangelo is workin' his way down the bar doin' his artwork and every body is pleased as punch. At the end of the bar is Murphy sittin' there with his then manager Travis Hatfield. The way Tony told it was like this.

DaVinci works his way up to Murphy and says he's going to paint his picture. Well I don't think Picasso knew who Murphy was because if he did he'd known that Murphy was one of those "bad" drunks. Tony said Murphy gave him a sneer and sad"Why not?"
Well Rembrandt is paintin' up a storm and gets finished painting Murphy. He holds up the finished product in front of his face and asks Murphy his opinion. Next thing you know Murphy's fist comes crashing through the guy's painting and lands against his nose. Norman Rockwell is layin' there unconscious on the bar room floor with Murphy's painting next to him. Hatfield,who's been drinkin' with Murphy all night,turns to Murphy and says,"I guess you didn't like it?"

The Arizona Cafe is closed up now. George died a while back,Murphy broke his neck in '61 in a motorcycle accident. Tony's around,but with the Arizona gone,I assume his days will be numbered. But you know what?After that guy painted all those pictures of everybody at the Arizona that night,George hung them all up behind the bar. Even Murphy's picture. But Murphy's picture was held together in two by Scotch Tape. To think they had to use Scotch Tape to put that Irishman together. I bet that made him sore.

dagosd2000 · Post by **dagosd2000** » 23 Apr 2008, 20:21

kikibalt wrote:
dagosd2000 wrote:First off,How you feelin'? Damn it, if you're not on this Forum, you can't be replaced.

That top photograph of Norton training in San Diego was when he was matched up with,I believe, a Cuban heavyweight by the name of Pedro Sanchez. You should have seen this guy. It looked like he trained on my wife's "gorditas" and beer. His trainer was half "looney" The trainer would stand in front of the heavy bag,I guess,trying to show this Sanchez how to throw a right hand. The trainer would throw this round house swing and spin all the way around and his cap would fly off!

To tell you the truth,I never liked Norton. The first time I sparred with anyone was with Norton,a little before this fight.He roughed me up pretty good,but he couldn't knock me down. He never seemed friendly. I always thought he was a little arrogant.

BTW Frank. I like "gorditas" with mantequilla,sour cream,and hot sauce. Gee, I wonder if any of my arteries are clogged up from eating too much of that stuff?
diego,

I had a good day today, gordtites with beans, carnitas and real HOT sauce is the way I like them, don't like mantequilla, or sour cream.

I don't know about your arteries been clogged, all I know is that mine are.
All that good Mexican food that I been eating all my life is to blame, but shit it taste good, NO TACO BELL FOR ME!!..

Damn it,I forgot the beans. Shit, no more Taco Bell for me. It's true what they say"A way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 20:43

diego

Great story on Murphy!!

Love to read your writings!!

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 20:50

Floyd Patterson vs Calvin Brad

Referee--Frankie Van

dagosd2000 · Post by **dagosd2000** » 23 Apr 2008, 21:03

kikibalt wrote:
Floyd Patterson vs Calvin Brad

Referee--Frankie Van

Frank
What kind of referee was Tommy Hart? Didn't he do most of the big fights in LA. in the '50's?

dagosd2000 · Post by **dagosd2000** » 23 Apr 2008, 21:39

kikibalt wrote:
Henry Armstrong

One day about ten years ago I was walking around downtown. There was this big 3 story used book store on the the corner ,I think,6th and C Streets. The place was liquidating all the books because it was closing down its doors. I'd been going in the place for years and I was sad a place like that was closing down. You never know what you can find in places like that. It also was kind of a museum. I went in there and picked up a bunch of old books,mainly because they were old. I figured they might be antiques. I'm about to have the guy ring me up,when I notice on the floor(the place was a mess) a book with Henry Armstrong's face on it. It's his Autobiography. Inside the front cover is this inscription to another fighter signed by Armstrong.

Well I go up to the counter with a load of books and put them down. The guy behind the counter has seen me in there before so he knows me. He's ringing up my purchases and then from behind my back I hold up Armstrong's signed Autobiography.
"Say,I found this one on the floor. I notice it doesn't have a price on it"
Well the checker looks like a cross between Wally Cox and Mr. Limpet.
"Since you bought all these other books,you can have that one for free."

After a week or so the book store closed its doors. I often wonder if there was an Autobiography of John L. Sullivan laying around on the floor in there someplace?

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 21:41

dagosd2000 wrote:Frank
What kind of referee was Tommy Hart? Didn't he do most of the big fights in LA. in the '50's?

Tommy Hart was a good referee, but kind of arrogant.

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 21:48

Eddie Machen, ? and Floyd Patterson

dagosd2000 · Post by **dagosd2000** » 23 Apr 2008, 21:53

kikibalt wrote:
Eddie Machen, ? and Floyd Patterson

OK,I know I'm kind of out of touch. But when was the last time anyone saw two fighters shake hands and smile at their press conference?

Whoever that guy is in the middle,he doesn't look too worried that Machen and Patterson are going to ambush each other.

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 22:06

dagosd2000 wrote:
kikibalt wrote:
Eddie Machen, ? and Floyd Patterson
OK,I know I'm kind of out of touch. But when was the last time anyone saw two fighters shake hands and smile at their press conference?

Whoever that guy is in the middle,he doesn't look too worried that Machen and Patterson are going to ambush each other.

Thats the way it was in the great days of boxing.

raylawpc · Post by **raylawpc** » 23 Apr 2008, 22:16

dagosd2000 wrote:
raylawpc wrote:
Rick Farris wrote: Ray . . . I was scheduled to box on the undercard of the first Norton-Garcia fight. My bout fell out, but I stayed to watch the card. I wish I could answer your question, but I missed the action talking to this hot young lady I was seeing at the time. I did see the end however, and most who did, never really put a lot of faith in Norton's ability to take a good crack on the chin. Keep in mind, I'd also seen Kenny KOed by Jerry Quarry in the gym. I thought Norton was the best built heavyweight of his era, but fighters know that means nothing. The ting that always stuck in my mind is that Norton's people carefully avoided giving Garcia another fight. It was several years later, after Norton was a top ranked heavyweight, and Garcia had fallen apart physically due to chronic syphlis (spelling?), that Kenny fought the very small 6'1", 185 lb. Garcia again. This time, Kenny had no trouble winning. Garcia, was more of a cruiser weight than a heavyweight, and he was no George Foreman. Sorry I can't answer your question, but it brought to mind something I do remember about the fight.

-Rick Farris
I think Garcia was taller than 6'1". When he fought in Oklahoma City in 1974, I was in the ring with him (NOT as the opponent!) and, briefly, afterwards in the dressing room and he was nearly as tall as me. I'm 6'4". He weighed over 200 pounds, I'm sure, but most of that was in his midsection. He was on the downside of his career, after all. He looked as if he'd weigh about 185-190 if in shape. His body type reminded me a bit of Bob Foster except, at that point in time, Garcia was thick around the middle.

He did not look good in Oklahoma City and struggled at times against a very ordinary guy named Charles Atlas before stopping Atlas in the fifth or sixth round.

You are right about Norton - incredibly ripped for those days. When I met him briefly in 1975, He told me that he did nit all with boxing training and exercise - no weights.

Garcia was about 6' 5" . And you're right about Kenny's physique. Never touched a weight.

I think he was a bit shorter than 6'5". I generally remember when guys are taller than me.

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 22:19

Clayton Fry, Floyd Patterson, Jimmy Lennon Sr. and Jerry Quarry

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 22:21

Jerry Quarry vs Floyd Paterson II

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 22:26

Floyd Patterson and Roy "Cut and Shoot" Harris.
Don't know who the gent on the right is, don't think
it Clayton Fry.

dagosd2000 · Post by **dagosd2000** » 23 Apr 2008, 22:41

kikibalt wrote:
Floyd Patterson and Roy "Cut and Shoot" Harris.
Don't know who the gent on the right is, don't think
it Clayton Fry.

I've heard the expression"Died with his boots on",but weighing in for the fight with your boots on? That's a first for me.

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 22:48

dagosd2000 wrote:
kikibalt wrote:
Floyd Patterson and Roy "Cut and Shoot" Harris.
Don't know who the gent on the right is, don't think
it Clayton Fry.
I've heard the expression"Died with his boots on",but weighing in for the fight with your boots on? That's a first for me.

Hey dude, he's from Texas after all, bush goes to bad with his boots on, but no surprise there.

dagosd2000 · Post by **dagosd2000** » 23 Apr 2008, 22:51

kikibalt wrote:
Clayton Fry, Floyd Patterson, Jimmy Lennon Sr. and Jerry Quarry

Frank
Every time I look at Jimmy Lennon Sr.,he kind of reminds me of the announcer we had in San Diego. Fred Lewis. Lewis had dark hair,unlike Lennon,but he had a good voice and delivery like Jimmy. Lennon and Lewis weren't Johnny Addie,but The East Coast is the East Coast and the West Coast is the West Coast. All these guys where were they beloged. Do you have any photos of Lewis? He still does a local show interviewing old time San Diegans. Another ten years and I'll probably be on his show.

dagosd2000 · Post by **dagosd2000** » 23 Apr 2008, 22:55

kikibalt wrote:
dagosd2000 wrote:
kikibalt wrote:
Floyd Patterson and Roy "Cut and Shoot" Harris.
Don't know who the gent on the right is, don't think
it Clayton Fry.
I've heard the expression"Died with his boots on",but weighing in for the fight with your boots on? That's a first for me.
Hey dude, hi's from Texas after all, bush goes to bad with his boots on, but no surprise there.

I have a rule,"Never make love with your boots on,unless you're like them singin' cowboys and rather kiss your horse."

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 23:05

dagosd2000 wrote:
kikibalt wrote:
Clayton Fry, Floyd Patterson, Jimmy Lennon Sr. and Jerry Quarry
Frank
Every time I look at Jimmy Lennon Sr.,he kind of reminds me of the announcer we had in San Diego. Fred Lewis. Lewis had dark hair,unlike Lennon,but he had a good voice and delivery like Jimmy. Lennon and Lewis weren't Johnny Addie,but The East Coast is the East Coast and the West Coast is the West Coast. All these guys where were they beloged. Do you have any photos of Lewis? He still does a local show interviewing old time San Diegans. Another ten years and I'll probably be on his show.

No, I don't have a pic. of Lewis.

Another 10 years? I thought you were an OLD San Diegan already..

kikibalt · Post by **kikibalt** » 23 Apr 2008, 23:07

Did you know that Cut and Shoot Harris is a lawyer?