Classic American West Coast Boxing

[bennie]

Matthew Hilton, Light Middleweight, Circa 1985

Hilton is in a bad way these days, apparently. Good fighter in his day, strong, aggressive and brave. He thumped Buster Drayton for the IBF title but weightmaking got the better of him against Robert Hines in a real up-and-downer. Matthew moved up to middleweight but wasn't the same.

[bennie]

Henry Cooper, British and Empire Heavyweight Champion poses with Former Twice Heavyweight Champion of the World Floyd Patterson, and British heavyweight Billy Walker at Isow's Restaurant in Soho. Cooper and Patterson will meet in the ring at Wembley Stadium on 20 September. Billy Walker is scheduled to fight Dick Wipperman on the undercard.

An uncle of mine went to watch this, and was in awe of Patterson's speed. He said Floyd's fists were a blur.

[bennie]

Archie Moore & Mickey Walker
12 September 1955

Somebody once posted a funny story on boxrec concerning Mickey Walker. Apparently The Toy Bulldog detested Stanley Ketchel and his legacy because fight fans were always comparing Walker with Ketchel - and claiming that Ketchel was the better middleweight. One day, in a bar, Mickey met a fight fan who seemed different. He was waxing effusively about Mickey's ring feats. Mickey bought him a drink or three and the guy continued to hail Mickey as one of the greatest middleweights ever. Then Mickey decided the time was right to drop Ketchel's name into the conversation. He asked him the obvious question.
Drink in hand, without a flicker of an eye, the guy looked at Mickey and said, "Ketchel would have moidered you."

[bennie]

American southpaw bogeyman Paul Williams ventures back to middleweight tomorrow night in San Jacinto, California, in a non-title encounter with Andy Kolle.
The rangy Williams, who turned pro at middleweight in 2000, gradually boiled down and currently holds the WBO welterweight title and a reputation as someone to avoid. He says he is only fighting again at middle because none of the leading fighters around his weight want to know. He licked Mexican iron man Antonio Margarito last year in California (pts 12), and avenged his only loss to crafty Puerto Rican Carlos Quintana earlier this year (also pts 12) in one stunning round a fight later.
Paul "The Punisher" has stopped 25 of his 35 opponents.
Kolle won't be a pushover. The 26-year-old from Minnesota has lost only to unbeaten former Olympic star Andre Ward in 18 outings (stopped in six), and that was back in 2006. Since then, southpaw Kolle has won eight on the spin and thumped out a 10-round decision over Contender Jonathan Reid in his last appearance in June and an eight-round decision over Matt Vanda before that. His greater natural strength gives him a chance in this but the classy Williams can do a bit of everything in there and must be favoured to force a late stoppage.

[kikibalt]

Oscar De La Hoya's cornerman changed again Tuesday, and his third trainer in three fights will be Mexico's Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain.

De La Hoya, preparing for a Dec. 6 showdown with Manny Pacquiao, had to choose between working with an available trainer like Beristain or continue with Floyd Mayweather Sr., who signed to train England's Ricky Hatton for a Nov. 22 bout -- an obvious conflict.

Beristain has prepared world champions Ricardo Lopez, Daniel Zaragoza and Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez in the past, but it's his current standing as trainer of Juan Manuel Marquez that appealed to De La Hoya. Marquez fought Pacquiao to a draw in 2004 and lost a split decision to him earlier this year.

"I already have a plan in mind for beating Pacquiao and I know Oscar will do whatever it takes to carry that plan through on fight night," Beristain said in a prepared statement released by De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.

Tickets for the 147-pound bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas go on sale this morning at 10 through Ticketmaster outlets.

[Rick Farris]

I was never much of a Leonard fan myself. He had great ability and developed some real power (he couldn't break an egg in his early years) but, yes, he wanted an edge in every fight and never fought outside of north America as a pro.
Leonard lost twice overseas as an amateur.

Bennie, I too was no fan of leonard. I will never deny his greatness because he was one of the best. However, I too felt he got the 'edge' in certain fights. He could get by quite well on his talents, but a couple of times he was given the nod because...well, he was Ray. The Benitez fight annoyed me. He was going to get the decision but it was close and obviously no one knew how it would be rendered. He drops Benitez in the 15th, Benitez gets up and Leonard lets three punches fly, which Benitez ducks and dodges all three. Suddenly Carlos Padilla jumps in and stops the fight with seconds remaining. Oh did that piss me off! Secondly, the Kalule fight. It was a close fight. Leonard was ahead but Kalule had his best round in the 8th. Never mind what is officially reported as 2:59 of the 9th round. It wasn't. Kalule got dropped, got up, but the bell never rang. It was 3:06 when the fight was stopped and by claiming it was 2:59 only underscores what was done. The 2nd Hearns fight. Come on! Also, I will always dispute the decision of the Hagler fight. It just felt to me like he always got a bit of an edge.

Scartissue

I have little respect for Sugar Ray Leonard when compared to true all-time greats. At the box-office, Leonard was great. He could really pull in the money and that's why he got "all the edges". The Hagler fight is a perfect example. Leonard wisey "retired" and avoided a lot of abuse while waiting for a Hagler to grow older and slower, before agreeing to a match that would make him his greatest paycheck, not to mention Marvin's. Of course, the defending undisputed middleweight king would not receieve equal pay to Leonard, and would be forced to accept the largest ring known to man with regard to world title fights (something that would give the Maryland runner a place to escape.) Hagler, ever the true champ said, "I don't care. I'll fight him in a parking lot, or anywhere." then of course, knowing that Marvelous Marvin came on strong in the championship round 13-thru-15, Leonard demanded the fight be limited to twelve rounds. This was the first twelve round title fight of the new era. Was this smart on Leonard's part? You bet. Even so, the best I could give the guy was a draw in the Hagler fight, and that's giving Leonard all of the rounds I believed were even at best. Hagler also gave Leonard the first four rounds by fighting as a right hander, which shows that Marvin was no genius. The first Hearns fight shows Leonard coming from behind (ala Louis vs. Conn I) to win a fight he was losing. I credit Leonard for that one. The excuse Leonard fans make for Sugar losing the first Duran fight was his lack of movement (in other words not running like a bitch as he did in the second fight). The truth is, A ready Duran made Leonard fight. When at his best, Duran knew how to control the ring. Ray showed me a lot by his ability to take a licking and keep on fighting in that fight, nothing more, however, that is a championship quality. The second fight wasn't Leonard defeating Duran, but Roberto defeating himself. The second Hearns fight was called a "draw"? How is that possible, even a blind man could see that Tommy dropped him and whipped him. With forty fights logged, a light hitting overweight Camacho KOed LEonard. Camacho at his best couldn't do that to a Baltazar, could he?

Hype, Hype, and more Hype. Don't get me wrong, Leonard was a very talented champion, but his giftes are exaggerated. Leonard was kinda like the new Ali. After Leonard, the quality continued to deteriorate into Roy Jones Jr. another athletic product of hype.

-Rick

[Rick Farris]

Oscar De La Hoya's cornerman changed again Tuesday, and his third trainer in three fights will be Mexico's Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain.

De La Hoya, preparing for a Dec. 6 showdown with Manny Pacquiao, had to choose between working with an available trainer like Beristain or continue with Floyd Mayweather Sr., who signed to train England's Ricky Hatton for a Nov. 22 bout -- an obvious conflict.

Beristain has prepared world champions Ricardo Lopez, Daniel Zaragoza and Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez in the past, but it's his current standing as trainer of Juan Manuel Marquez that appealed to De La Hoya. Marquez fought Pacquiao to a draw in 2004 and lost a split decision to him earlier this year.

"I already have a plan in mind for beating Pacquiao and I know Oscar will do whatever it takes to carry that plan through on fight night," Beristain said in a prepared statement released by De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.

Tickets for the 147-pound bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas go on sale this morning at 10 through Ticketmaster outlets.

That's nice, another "trainer". Beristain is great. Regardless, I hope the Little Pac-Man embarrasses Oscar like he so rightly deserves. Randy De LA O said it all, Oscar should be fighting Margarito, and Pac Man should be in with Marquez. Oscar doesn't wish to wake up the morning after the fight in pain, win or lose, and three is likely to be the charm for Marquez if matched with Pac. I have to admit, I'll buy this fight. I have always enjoyed both fighters, however, my respect for Oscar is at a permanent all-time low. Do you think he cares? Yeah, right!

-Rick

[Rick Farris]

Archie Moore & Mickey Walker
12 September 1955

Somebody once posted a funny story on boxrec concerning Mickey Walker. Apparently The Toy Bulldog detested Stanley Ketchel and his legacy because fight fans were always comparing Walker with Ketchel - and claiming that Ketchel was the better middleweight. One day, in a bar, Mickey met a fight fan who seemed different. He was waxing effusively about Mickey's ring feats. Mickey bought him a drink or three and the guy continued to hail Mickey as one of the greatest middleweights ever. Then Mickey decided the time was right to drop Ketchel's name into the conversation. He asked him the obvious question.
Drink in hand, without a flicker of an eye, the guy looked at Mickey and said, "Ketchel would have moidered you."

Classic!

[kikibalt]

RSR Looks Back At Curtis Parker: A Throwback to the Tough Philly Middleweights of the Seventies
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Ringside Report

If there was ever a city that was specialized in churning out tough as nails middleweight prospects and contenders, that city would no doubt be Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Through the years and specifically the latter part of the sixties and well into the decade of the seventies, the hardened boxing gyms of Philly were basically top of the line assembly plants for many of the most skilled and rugged old school-brand middleweight contenders our sport has ever seen.

Philadelphia churned out names such as Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, Gypsy Joe Harris, Wllie “The Worm” Monroe, Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts, “Bad” Bennie Briscoe and the like. All of them were forged over time in the worn, dank Philly boxing gyms which were essentially a proving ground for men that were given to one on one ring warfare. They were forged in these gyms to be iron men of sorts. Their skills were developed over time in bouts with the best available opposition and a loss was viewed as an exercise of education rather than a red flag for dismissal.

There was no quit in their code and each of the aforementioned had their fair share of heartbreaking disappointment and defeat. In the cases of “Boogaloo” Watts and Bennie Briscoe, clear-cut defeats at the hands of all-time ring greats such as “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler and Carlos Monzon were required in order to turn back their challenge. It was a time, literally, when one could honestly state that Philly middleweights were some of the toughest fighters to ever grace the one-hundred and sixty pound ranks. Some years later, Philadelphia would produce Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, a throwback of sorts to this period and arguably one of the greatest middleweight champions of all-time.

Not unlike the aforementioned group tough middleweight contenders, the decade of the eighties produced a Philly middleweight fighter named Curtis Parker who followed a similar forged in the fire path over the course of his twelve year-long career. There was nothing notably flashy about him, just an honest to goodness product of the homegrown Philadelphia boxing scene that gave fans his very best effort every time out. This unheralded fighter had an all-action style that served him well considering that he was following on the heels of Harris, Briscoe, Hart, Monroe and Watts, legendary middleweights that would cause the sport to take notice when they were fighting at their very best.

Parker was the Pennsylvania 1976 Golden Gloves amateur champion and at one point had hopes of reaching the 1976 Olympic trials. When his Olympic ambitions didn’t pan out as hoped, he went on to win the National Golden Glove Championships at 156lbs. the following year. In December of 1977, Parker would turn professional looking to earn a living fighting in the ring. Willie Reddish, both senior and junior served as his trainers at the Frankford PAL. At various points in his career another legendary former Philadelphia middleweight, George Benton, would train him at Joe Frazier’s Gym. Others such as Slim Robinson would serve in that capacity when up at Muhammad Ali’s Deer Lake training camp. While at Deer Lake, Parker had the opportunity to spar with Ali, an all-time great heavyweight champion who by that time was in the late autumn of a storied ring career.

During that period a noted California journeyman named David Love was making a name for himself beating up Philly fighters which included decisions over Perry “Lil” Abney and Bad Bennie Briscoe. In between those wins he flattened remnants of Willie “The Worm” Monroe and Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts. When Love looked to make a victim of yet another fighter from The City of Brotherly love in March of1980 he took on the young and undefeated Parker who had up to that point won all fifteen of his professional contests which included wins over Willie “The Worm” Monroe and former WBC Light Middleweight Champion Elisha Obed. On that occasion, Parker fought with marked passion as though he was looking to get back some for Philly, handing Love a thorough thrashing, stopping the Californian in round nine.

After the Love win, Parker extended his undefeated streak to 17-0, 14 KO’s in winning the USBA Middleweight Title with a comprehensive twelve-round unanimous decision over talented contender Mike Colbert. Three months later Parker tasted defeat, losing a clear decision to the 26-0 Dwight Davison of Detroit. The loss would start a three-fight losing streak; a hard-fought and heartbreaking split decision loss to world-rated southpaw Mustafa Hamsho who was moving towards a challenge of World Middleweight Champion “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler and a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of future title challenger Wilford Scypion would follow.

He scored two wins by knockout to break the losing streak before taking a rematch with Hamsho in 1982, a fight that again culminated in defeat, this time by unanimous decision. From there Parker started his own winning streak, stopping four of his next five opponents with only Tony Braxton lasting the distance. The fifth opponent was one Eddie Flanning, notable in that it was Parker’s only return to Philadelphia during this period, a bout fought at the legendary Blue Horizon.

In his next bout some two months later, Parker was crushed in the first round by a future world middleweight title challenger, an 18-0, 18 KO’s John “The Beast” Mugabi, marking the first time in his career that he had lost a bout by knockout. Undaunted, Parker would rebound in early 1984 against the undefeated Donald Bowers, a win which earned him a shot at his old title, the USBA Middleweight Title, against the 20-2 Alex Ramos, a bout he would go on to lose by close unanimous decision.

In 1985 Parker would meet fellow Philadelphian Frank “The Animal” Fletcher in Atlantic City, winning by stoppage in the third round. After another win, a majority decision over fringe contender Ricky Stackhouse, Parker was moved toward a major showdown with the popular Michael “The Silk” Olajide, a 15-0 fighter out of Vancouver, Canada. The Olajide match would be of stinging consequence, a bout which found Parker on the short end of a hotly-contested split decision. Seven months after losing to “The Silk”, Parker found himself on the losing end of a wide unanimous decision to future IBF Middleweight Champion, Frank Tate.

Notable in the Tate bout was Parker’s lack of commitment and passion, qualities he seemed to previously have in abundance. Looking back, one can safely deduce that the Olajide disappointment had taken the wind out of his game and that by the time he faced the 13-0 Tate he was only staying in the sport for the money. In his only start for 1987, Parker earned an uninspired technical decision over the 17-0-1 Phillip Moorefield when the bout went to the score cards in the fifth round. His career finished-up in March 1988, almost eight years to the day of his inspired, Philly pride-infusing win over David Love, fighting for the NABF Middleweight Title against unbeaten, 28-0 future IBF Middleweight Champion Michael “Second To” Nunn, losing by technical knockout early in the second round. The writing was on the wall. Parker was thoroughly through as a winning fighter and the fire that had marked his early years as a professional had all but gone out.

Overall, Curtis Parker was unbeaten in fifteen fights in Philly. His final record was 29-9, 21 KOs. He always gave fans everything he had when that fire burned brightly from within and he was thrown into tough match after tough match against many of the very best from the middleweight division of that period. Had he managed to get past Mustafa Hamsho in early 1981, Parker very well may have moved on to challenge “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler for all of the marbles later that year in a bout that would be most fitting given Hagler’s previous experience with legendary Philly middleweights such as Willie “The Worm” Monroe, Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts, Eugene “Cyclone” Hart and of course “Bad Bennie Briscoe. Given the level of the Marvelous One’s talent at that point in 1981, it would be an almost certainty that Parker would have been handed a loss, but there would have been an almost poetic congruency had he found himself in the opposite corner to that of Hagler.

Curtis Parker was inducted into the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame this past May, taking his rightful place alongside that group of legendary middleweight contenders that Philadelphia produced, some of the most talented and spirited fighters ever to compete in the middleweight division.

[bennie]

I watched the entire Leonard-Hagler show 'live' in a cinema in London's Leicester Square in the days of closed-circuit screenings (and great days they were). My main memory of the event is Juan Domingo Roldan Dishing out a brutal beating to James Kinchen for nine rounds before it was stopped. Jesus, that was horrible!
There is a postscript to this. My old man likes a flutter and I convinced him to lay a big wager on Roldan when he took on the dangerous but rather fragile Tommy Hearns later in the year.
Ouch!

[Rick Farris]

Oscar De La Hoya's cornerman changed again Tuesday, and his third trainer in three fights will be Mexico's Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain.

De La Hoya, preparing for a Dec. 6 showdown with Manny Pacquiao, had to choose between working with an available trainer like Beristain or continue with Floyd Mayweather Sr., who signed to train England's Ricky Hatton for a Nov. 22 bout -- an obvious conflict.

Beristain has prepared world champions Ricardo Lopez, Daniel Zaragoza and Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez in the past, but it's his current standing as trainer of Juan Manuel Marquez that appealed to De La Hoya. Marquez fought Pacquiao to a draw in 2004 and lost a split decision to him earlier this year.

"I already have a plan in mind for beating Pacquiao and I know Oscar will do whatever it takes to carry that plan through on fight night," Beristain said in a prepared statement released by De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.

Tickets for the 147-pound bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas go on sale this morning at 10 through Ticketmaster outlets.

That would be a conflict, and not the first involving Mayweather Sr. A few years back, a friend of mine, Matt Butkus, was involved in the management of Paunchito Bojado, who was being hailed as a future star. While DeLaHoya was on hiatus, Mayweather was brought in to train Bojado, as was cut man/hand wrapper Joe Chavez. When Oscar found out, he orderd both Mayweather and Chavez to drop Bojado, or not work his future mega fight against Bernard Hopkins. What could they do? They had to leave or sacrifice the biggest paydays of their careers. Typical Oscar. Shows that even East L.A. can produce a prima donna.

-Rick Farris

[bennie]

Oscar De La Hoya's cornerman changed again Tuesday, and his third trainer in three fights will be Mexico's Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain.

De La Hoya, preparing for a Dec. 6 showdown with Manny Pacquiao, had to choose between working with an available trainer like Beristain or continue with Floyd Mayweather Sr., who signed to train England's Ricky Hatton for a Nov. 22 bout -- an obvious conflict.

Beristain has prepared world champions Ricardo Lopez, Daniel Zaragoza and Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez in the past, but it's his current standing as trainer of Juan Manuel Marquez that appealed to De La Hoya. Marquez fought Pacquiao to a draw in 2004 and lost a split decision to him earlier this year.

"I already have a plan in mind for beating Pacquiao and I know Oscar will do whatever it takes to carry that plan through on fight night," Beristain said in a prepared statement released by De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.

Tickets for the 147-pound bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas go on sale this morning at 10 through Ticketmaster outlets.

That would be a conflict, and not the first involving Mayweather Sr. A few years back, a friend of mine, Matt Butkus, was involved in the management of Paunchito Bojado, who was being hailed as a future star. While DeLaHoya was on hiatus, Mayweather was brought in to train Bojado, as was cut man/hand wrapper Joe Chavez. When Oscar found out, he orderd both Mayweather and Chavez to drop Bojado, or not work his future mega fight against Bernard Hopkins. What could they do? They had to leave or sacrifice the biggest paydays of their careers. Typical Oscar. Shows that even East L.A. can produce a prima donna.

-Rick Farris

This is quite topical because it is looking increasingly likely that Amir Khan will be trained by Freddie Roach for his big comeback fight on December 6 over here. Roach, however, is training Manny Pacquiao for his fight with Golden Balls on the SAME night.

[kikibalt]

Floyd Patterson & Cus D'Amato

[kikibalt]

Floyd Patterson vs Eddie Machen

[kikibalt]

Floyd Patterson vs Pedro Agosto

[kikibalt]

[bennie]

Floyd Patterson vs Eddie Machen

When you think about it, Patterson was desperately unlucky after losing his titles to Liston. He ran into Ali, of course, but proved he could still beat most of the leading contenders and looked to have a real shout in the '68 tournament to find Ali's successor, but he dropped a majority decision in his first fight to Quarry, the eventual finalist and a man whom Floyd had previously held to a draw. I wonder if the rematch was one of those 'either way' decisions. I would like to know more about that one.
A year after the tournament, they say Floyd was robbed against Jimmy Ellis in Sweden for the WBA title.

[bennie]

TO EACH HIS OWN

I remember going to the CREA GYM in Tijuana to watch Julio Chavez fine tune himself for his defense against Danilo Cabrera. The old gym under the bleachers of the stadium was packed with fans who wanted to see their hero train. Julio Cesar spareed lightly ,hit the heavy bag,shadow boxed,and did his floor exercises. I was very interested watching him and how the fans were enthralled by his presence. Then I heard a couple of fans talking with each other off to the side. They were talking about how Chavez didn't skip rope. He wasn't good at it and didn't like doing it. It wasn't a part of his training routine.

Boxing is as funny a sport as any other. Here's the great J.C. Chavez at the pinnacle of his career never incorporating the jump rope as part of his workout. I think later when Emmanuel Stewart worked with him,he made him jump rope. Oh well. I figure it didn't make any difference.

Some football teams work in aerobics with their training thinking it enhances footwork and coordination. Jim Jeffries would lift one of his steers to build up power and strength. Lou Nova practiced yoga.Rocky Balboa chased a chicken. I guess if it works,don't change it. And if it doesn't,don't mess with it even if all the others are doing it.

I agree with that philosophy, Roger. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

-Rick

Chavez made the last defence of his WBC super-featherweight title against Danilo Cabrera (whom he absolutely pummelled for 12 rounds), before moving up to lightweight and also battering Edwin Rosario. Chavez's old super-feather crown was picked up by one Azumah Nelson. I would much rather have seen Chavez-Nelson than Chavez-Rosario.

[raylawpc]

Floyd Patterson vs Eddie Machen

When you think about it, Patterson was desperately unlucky after losing his titles to Liston. He ran into Ali, of course, but proved he could still beat most of the leading contenders and looked to have a real shout in the '68 tournament to find Ali's successor, but he dropped a majority decision in his first fight to Quarry, the eventual finalist and a man whom Floyd had previously held to a draw. I wonder if the rematch was one of those 'either way' decisions. I would like to know more about that one.
A year after the tournament, they say Floyd was robbed against Jimmy Ellis in Sweden for the WBA title.

Look at all those SWEDES!! After nearly getting killed by Ingo and that incompetent ref, you'd have thought Machen would have stayed as far away from Sweden as possible.

(BTW, Patterson didn't knock Eddie down in that photo - Eddie slipped - unlike when INGO nailed him with the old Hammer of Thor. )

[scartissue]

TO EACH HIS OWN

I remember going to the CREA GYM in Tijuana to watch Julio Chavez fine tune himself for his defense against Danilo Cabrera. The old gym under the bleachers of the stadium was packed with fans who wanted to see their hero train. Julio Cesar spareed lightly ,hit the heavy bag,shadow boxed,and did his floor exercises. I was very interested watching him and how the fans were enthralled by his presence. Then I heard a couple of fans talking with each other off to the side. They were talking about how Chavez didn't skip rope. He wasn't good at it and didn't like doing it. It wasn't a part of his training routine.

Boxing is as funny a sport as any other. Here's the great J.C. Chavez at the pinnacle of his career never incorporating the jump rope as part of his workout. I think later when Emmanuel Stewart worked with him,he made him jump rope. Oh well. I figure it didn't make any difference.

Some football teams work in aerobics with their training thinking it enhances footwork and coordination. Jim Jeffries would lift one of his steers to build up power and strength. Lou Nova practiced yoga.Rocky Balboa chased a chicken. I guess if it works,don't change it. And if it doesn't,don't mess with it even if all the others are doing it.

I agree with that philosophy, Roger. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

-Rick

Chavez made the last defence of his WBC super-featherweight title against Danilo Cabrera (whom he absolutely pummelled for 12 rounds), before moving up to lightweight and also battering Edwin Rosario. Chavez's old super-feather crown was picked up by one Azumah Nelson. I would much rather have seen Chavez-Nelson than Chavez-Rosario.

Although, that Chavez-Rosario fight was a true barn-burner. A fight I love watching on replay. IMO that is the fight that made Chavez. He took shots in that fight that would have dropped most 135 lbers of the day and then simply put the hurt on Rosario, never losing control of the fight despite those lethal hand grenades bouncing off his chin. A truly remarkable fight.

Scartissue

[kikibalt]

Floyd Patterson vs Eddie Machen

When you think about it, Patterson was desperately unlucky after losing his titles to Liston. He ran into Ali, of course, but proved he could still beat most of the leading contenders and looked to have a real shout in the '68 tournament to find Ali's successor, but he dropped a majority decision in his first fight to Quarry, the eventual finalist and a man whom Floyd had previously held to a draw. I wonder if the rematch was one of those 'either way' decisions. I would like to know more about that one.
A year after the tournament, they say Floyd was robbed against Jimmy Ellis in Sweden for the WBA title.

Look at all those SWEDES!! After nearly getting killed by Ingo and that incompetent ref, you'd have thought Machen would have stayed as far away from Sweden as possible.

(BTW, Patterson didn't knock Eddie down in that photo - Eddie slipped - unlike when INGO nailed him with the old Hammer of Thor. )

My friend Tom, is showing his bias.....

[kikibalt]

Orozco dominates Fight Night
He defeats Zavala in the feature of the 45-bout event.

By Robert Morales, Staff Writer


Moises Orozco, left, picked up a victory over Anthony Zavala at Fight Night at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach on Sunday.
(Stephen Carr/Staff Photographer)LONG BEACH

If Anthony Zavala had stuck to his game plan in his bout against Moises "Mighty Mo" Orozco on Sunday, he might have emerged victorious.

But after moving and jabbing in a first round that appeared to go his way, Zavala went the toe-to-toe route in the second and third rounds. He absorbed more right crosses than he landed, and Orozco came away with the decision in their 75-pound bout before about 1,000 at Walter Pyramid.

Long Beach's Orozco came in having won a National Silver Gloves title, three Ringside National Tournament titles and two Desert Showdown championships. Zavala has won a National Silver Gloves championship and two Junior Olympics titles. The 11-year-olds had boxed each other three times previously, and Orozco now has a 3-1 advantage in what is developing into quite a rivalry.

"I pressured him more," said Orozco, when asked the difference between the first round - which he appeared to lose - and the second and third rounds. "In the first round, I wasn't pressuring him; I wasn't into it. I think I won the last two rounds, but the first round was close."

Zavala, of Bellflower, had several fans in the stands. They came with a chorus of boos when the decision was announced.

"I think I won the first round," Zavala said. "The second round I just got in (there) a little bit. I forgot to do my thing. I'll get a rematch."

Rudy Orozco trains his son. He had some words of wisdom for him as the bell sounded to begin the third round.
"I told him, `You have to win the last round to win,"' Rudy Orozco said.

Forty-five bouts were contested in two rings. Many of the boxers were in their first bouts, and it showed. Interestingly, one of the best matches came between Lina Licona, 10, and Dalia Garcia, 11.

Santa Ana's Licona, weighing 68 pounds, won a decision over the 72-pound Garcia. It was obvious that Licona knew what she was doing the way she jabbed and counterpunched out of her southpaw stance.

As it turns out, she's the niece of professional fighter Marcos Licona, who is 24-10-1 and owns a 1999 win over current super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez.

Two boxers from Williams Boxing in Long Beach did well. Cleven Isle, 20, won a decision over Hector Castro of the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood in the middleweight division.

Also at middleweight, Malcolm McCallister, 17, won a decision over Talatonu Amauta of Santa Ana.

DG Boxing in Long Beach promoted the event. One of its boxers, John Crispo, fought a more experienced Oscar Andrade of Los Angeles. Crispo gave a good account of himself, but lost a decision at 152 pounds.

And George Ponce, a 33-year-old assistant coach at DG Boxing, won his debut when Amad Jones of Westminster was disqualified for holding at 175 pounds.

Ponce, however, was on his way to victory. He had given Jones a standing eight-count with a crisp uppercut to the chin.

[raylawpc]

When you think about it, Patterson was desperately unlucky after losing his titles to Liston. He ran into Ali, of course, but proved he could still beat most of the leading contenders and looked to have a real shout in the '68 tournament to find Ali's successor, but he dropped a majority decision in his first fight to Quarry, the eventual finalist and a man whom Floyd had previously held to a draw. I wonder if the rematch was one of those 'either way' decisions. I would like to know more about that one.
A year after the tournament, they say Floyd was robbed against Jimmy Ellis in Sweden for the WBA title.

Look at all those SWEDES!! After nearly getting killed by Ingo and that incompetent ref, you'd have thought Machen would have stayed as far away from Sweden as possible.

(BTW, Patterson didn't knock Eddie down in that photo - Eddie slipped - unlike when INGO nailed him with the old Hammer of Thor. )

My friend Tom, is showing his bias.....

What bias . . .???

[Rick Farris]

Patterson-Ellis This fight was televised live in the U.S. and Floyd's decision loss, preventing him from regaing the title an unprecidented third time, remains the worst decision I have ever seen in a heavyweight title fight. For U.S. TV reasons, the bout was held in the dark early morning hours, outdoors while snowing. I still recall both boxers entering the ring wearing ski pants. -Rick

[Randyman]

Well, he did get out of France, he met my great grandmother in Mexico, I of course never met either one of them, Bennie, I have no desire to go to France or any place out of the barrio.

Except fishing . . . right Frank?

Right Tom, an I'm going next month.

Tom, I think you have seen this pic. of the fish I caught a couple of years ago in the Hight Sierra,
hope to catch some more like that next month.

Hey guys, when Frank posted photo a few days ago it got me thinking about this book that I read a few years ago. I had to dig it up but I found it. The book, though centered around fishing is really about the relationship between a father and son. The son, author William Plummer discovers his father's fishing diary, after his father's death. He uses the diary to trace his fathers fishing experiences. Fishing where his father fished. As he fishes he learns much about his father that he was too busy to learn about while he was alive.

It's not a large book and can be read in a day or two but I liked it and thought that one of you might want to read it. It's a pretty good book in a small, charming kind of way. The book is called Wishing my Father Well, A Memoir of Fathers, Sons and Fly Fishing by William Plummer. Here is a link to the Amazon.com page: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/158567 ... roduct_top