Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

A CLEAR VIEW OF LIFE

With things getting a little rough for people maybe it's time to reprioratize. I ran this by a few months ago about my friend Wally who passed away last year. He was confined to a wheelchair. I was his only visitor. He had a daughter in Spain who was angling to be a famous Flamenco dancer. She was in Spain and her dad was here in San Diego in a wheelchair.

There was a Mexican woman,who the daughter hired,who came from Tijuana to care for Wally. Graciela was her name. She lived out by the "Presa" on the outskirts of TJ. She took a bus to the San Ysidro border. That trip was an hour. Then the trolley to Old Town. 45 minutes. Another bus to Wally's neighborhood in UC. An hour and a half. Get off at the bus stop and then walk 2 miles to his house.

When I visited Wally,Graciela would be watching "her" novelas in the kitchen while she was cooking something. She was the most pleasent of people. Wally suffered excruciating pain. He'd had a stroke and couldn't hardly move. Just to touch him made him agonize. Graciela had to wash him,dress him,and take Wally to the bathroom.She also fed him and would come to his aid when he was choking. The pain was so severe Wally would scream out. He'd get angry with whoever was touching him. But afterward he settle down. He was very thankfull.

I don't know how much Graciela was getting paid,but it couldn't have been much. I asked her once how life was treating her.
"I am very happy,"she told me. "I have my children with me."
Graciela was a woman who didn't need to do any reprioratizing.

[raylawpc]

Courtesy of Hap Navarro

THE HISTORY OF L.A. BOXING by HAP NAVARRO


White elephants, east and west.

Two of the most anxiously awaited sporting venues in the Los Angeles area were the Eastside Arena and the westside's Pan Pacific Auditorium. The first, which opened in 1930 was a bright, spic and span facility located at Ninth and Lorena, in east L.A. Its westside counterpart was at 7600 Beverly Blvd., not far from the Farmers' Market. That one opened to a Home Show in 1935.

Because of its neighborhood fan base, the Eastside was geared strictly for boxing and wrestling shows. The Pan Pacific, though ideally fit for major boxing galas, periodically housed all sorts of exhibitions, sporting events, etc. but never showcased the sweet science. Not that the people in charge disdained the fight game. All efforts to promote fisticuffing just seemed to fall short.

The first pro boxing show proposed for the Pan Pacific was to be on February 17, 1944, when Promoter Joe Lynch, wartime "boy wonder" in the area, sought to match Bantam king Manuel Ortiz with NBA Featherweight ruler Phil Terranova , 15 rounds, for the latter's crown.

Lynch, who had been going outdoors with some mega bouts, was denied an "indoors" license by the Commission due to strong protests lodged by both the L.A. Olympic and Hollywood Legion Stadium managements.

After several die-hard promoters had tried a hand at showing in the Eastside club (including Babe McCoy), the place closed down permanently in 1941 and was converted to a warehouse.

The beautiful, art deco PanPac survived for more than 50 years through the able staging of basketball and hockey games, Elvis concerts, etc., until 1989 when a major fire destroyed the building.

hap navarro

Thanks to Hap and Kiki for that one. This is a great post. I knew the Pan Pacific Aud. from childhood and not much happened there, as expected. I recall that it was actually landlocked with no real access at one point before it's destruction. I saw it when it was a shell, late 80's, roof falling in. A building listed on Southern California's historic landmark register, never to be razed. Sadly, I think it had to go, it was nothing more than a great idea. It occupied a lot of valuable real estate and in reality, had done so long past it's shelf life.

Now the Olympic, today a Korean Church? And the building that is today a Balley's Health Club, but was once the Hollywood American Legion Stadium? Now those two must stand forever, at least until I'm dead and no longer care. We can keep these buildings going, even if not in their original design. These buildings are timeless classics, always functional and desired by an eclectic group.

I just desire knowing the place is still there, the Olympic, regardless of what face she wears. One thing is certain- you never know what tomorrow will bring. Some thing's just survive quietly and when least expected, they suddenly re-emerge in all of their past glory. Or . . . they just turn to dust. I'm no philosopher, so I hope the Olympic doesn't turn to dust. I bet it out lives all of us, those of you who are reading this. A fight arena? At some point, Church or not, the Olympic will showcase professional boxing. Do you have any idea how much money a tax-free Church could make in box office-TV rights to a weekly L.A. Boxing show. It might not work, the fights are sometimes great, but not as good on a weekly basis as what Aileen Eaton put on at the Olympic. Week after week, Quarry, Ramos, Rojas, Lewis, Lopez brothers, Chacon, Pajarito Moreno, Orbillo, Crawford, Pimentel, Heilman, Liston, London, Patterson, Lincoln, Frazier, MAthis, Foster, and on and on, . . . . Not until you put on that quality of competitive boxing, week after week, with the true winners usually winning. Mando Ramos dropped a close decision that would have never gone to the Korean Suh KAng Il in today's official friendly world. But MAndo lost a close one in the ring, and on the cards. MAndo came back, we still loved him, greater feats were soon to follow for Mando. He had magic. When they can create that magic, then it can be as good as it was before. But we really don't have any Mando Ramos's in the world that I have seen lately. Back then we had Ramos, and Sugar Ramos, Crawford, Numata. I'll stop here. Sorry, rambling.

Don Ricardo

Here's the problem Rick: If a church - or any charity for that matter - starts regularly promotng professional prizefights, it will have to pay taxes like any other business because it is then engaging in a commerical activity unrelated to its tax-exempt status as a church. In the 1950s, Congress enacted a whole set of tax statutes - called the "unrelated taxable business" rules - intended to close that tax loophole.

Worse yet, the IRS might look into whether the charity could even keep its status as a 501(c)(3) organization if it promoted prizefights.

[Rick Farris]

Howdy, Rick Farris:

I just learned how to access this fine forum, that's why I am so late in expressing my thanks to you for your kind words of a few days ago. Always a booster, glad to know you are still on my side, nice person.

Your recent anecdotes about happenings in your profession easily hold my interest, Rick. I'm certain others who check out the thread feel the same.

take care, pal

hap navarro

YES!!!! Thanks, Hap. It is so great to have you here. Now it's really goint to get good.

-Rick

[Rick Farris]

Hap Navarro & middleweight Willie Vaughn
Circa..1953

Hap . . . I remember something about a photo of you at Sopers Training camp with Willie Vaughn and Don Fraser. In the photo, you are holding a mike and interviewing either Fraser of Vaughn for a TV/radio spot? I know there was a training camp up in the Saugus area of L.A. County, off of Bouquet Canyon. Was that Soper's?

-Rick

[raylawpc]

I remember when I was a young teenager my mom cooking on a wood
stove similar to the one on this photo, an yes I had to do the
wood chopping.... :laugh:

Frank
I remember living in Jiquipan when me and the wife were first married. Maria cooked on a "lena". Yeah I had to chop wood too. :(

I used my chainsaw to cut up a tree that blew over in a storm a couple of weeks ago and I'm gonna use the wood in my fireplace this winter . . . does that count for anything?

[Dongee]

Rick:

I had just signed Vaughn to meet Charley Green for the state middleweight title when that shot above was taken at the Teamsters' Gym, 7th and Stanford in L.A.

The shot with me and Fraser was taken in the cafe area of Soper's Ranch, which was always located in the mountains near Ojai, Ca. Don was taping an interview to publicize the Green-Vaughn show, to be released to radio sportscasters.

The camp you are probably thinking about near Saugus, was actually nearer Newhall, north of San Fernando. That one was set up by Baron Henry Von Stumme in the late 1920s, when he decided to run ads asking for heavyweight applicants who wanted to be like Jack Dempsey.

Baron was a lifelong hotel manager who spent a small fortune in search of a title contender. He only managed a couple of average talents, Jack Van Noy and Chuck Crowell, out of the dozens he interviewed, housed, trained and fed at his outoor camp.

hap navarro

[dagosd2000]

THE WRONG SONG


Archie Moore loved fried chicken. He loved to eat it and he loved to make it. Before my time he owned a fried chicken restaurant in South East San Diego. Moore's career with fighting wasn't exactly always on the mark. He had some rhythmatic heart problems. There was an episode in the 50's when he was considering being a jazz musician. And then there was the fried chicken restaurant.

I remember one time there was a Martin Luther King Festival at Ocean View Park in Logan Heights. It was a pretty well celebrated affair. Jimmy Smith ,the Hammond B 3 organ genius was there ,as well as other local blues and jazz musicians. Archie attended with his family. That day was an homage to the great civil rights leader who the people of South East San Diego still greatly revered.

Archie had a booth where he was dishing out his fried chicked by the bucket fulls. There was also corn on the cob,red beans and rice,and bowls and bowls of potato salad. Well the secret of Archie's chicked was his sauce. Man was it tasty and tangy with just a hint of sweetness. The thing with Archie was if it was a secret of his,the CIA couldn't beat it out of him. People were always guessing what was in it,but Archie would give them the wink and say,"Nope. That's not it."

That evening at Ocean View Park there was this little old Black woman who probably didn't know that Archie was hoarding his secret about his sauce. I was about 20 feet from his booth. I saw her walk up to the Mongoose and ask Moore about what was in his sauce.
"Mr. Moore sir. You're sauce is wonderfull. Could you tell me what's in it please?"
I couldn't believe it,but the Old Man started telling her. No one else was around so I tried to nonchalantly inch my way closer. Just when I get within earshot,Jimmy Smith gets on the mike and says ,"Now we're gonna play Sack of Woe." The sound was so loud I couldn't catch the conversation.

Why couldn't Jimmy Smith have played "Summertime?"

[raylawpc]

Hap, this is before your time but I hope maybe you remember something you heard or somebody told you. Jim Jeffries managed (or, perhaps better put - mis-managed) heavyweight Al Morro in the early 30s. Soon after, he started promoting amatuer fights at his Barn in Burbank. I've seen news accounts from that period saying that Jeffries managed Al Morro "and others" circa 1930-1931. Well, I've been trying to track down the names of those mysterious "others," but with no success. Do you remember the names of any other fighters Jeffries managed during that period?

Thanks.

[kikibalt]

I remember when I was a young teenager my mom cooking on a wood
stove similar to the one on this photo, an yes I had to do the
wood chopping.... :laugh:

Frank
I remember living in Jiquipan when me and the wife were first married. Maria cooked on a "lena". Yeah I had to chop wood too. :(

I used my chainsaw to cut up a tree that blew over in a storm a couple of weeks ago and I'm gonna use the wood in my fireplace this winter . . . does that count for anything?

No, thats cheating, you had to have used an axe...

[kikibalt]

Primo Carnera

[kikibalt]

Aaron Perry

[kikibalt]

Aaron "Little Tiger" Wade

[kikibalt]

Newsboy Brown

[raylawpc]

No, thats cheating, you had to have used an axe...

You guys sure are picky. Next, I guess you'll tell me that the hatchet I used on campouts in Boy's Brigade doesn't count either . . .

[Dongee]

Raylawpc (Tom?):

Jim Jeffries did a rather good job managing Al Morro, except that the young man did not quite measure up to Jim's expectations. Al won recognition as Pacific Coast Heavyweight Champion in only his second pro bout by beating a capable opponent---boxer-turned-barrister Armand Emanuel at the Legion Stadium in 1930. Old hand Les Kennedy, far more experienced, burst the Morro bubble shortly after that. Of course, some would say that the young man was obviouslyl rushed into stiff competition.

Eventually, Jeffries sent Morro east to join the Jack Sharkey stable under the guidance of Boston's Johnny Buckley. But Jim's first heavyweight of any note was a guy billed only as "BIG MITCH", who might have been related to the Mitchell heavyweights boxing out of the beach area in southern California.

Jeff also had an interest in some of the lighter fellows developed out of his amateur boxing club in Burbank during the mid-1930s.

Thanks for the welcome mat, Tom?

hap navarro

[kikibalt]

No, thats cheating, you had to have used an axe...

You guys sure are picky. Next, I guess you'll tell me that the hatchet I used on campouts in Boy's Brigade doesn't count either . . .

Your're right, Tom, that don't count either....

[raylawpc]

Raylawpc (Tom?):

Jim Jeffries did a rather good job managing Al Morro, except that the young man did not quite measure up to Jim's expectations. Al won recognition as Pacific Coast Heavyweight Champion in only his second pro bout by beating a capable opponent---boxer-turned-barrister Armand Emanuel at the Legion Stadium in 1930. Old hand Les Kennedy, far more experienced, burst the Morro bubble shortly after that. Of course, some would say that the young man was obviouslyl rushed into stiff competition.

Eventually, Jeffries sent Morro east to join the Jack Sharkey stable under the guidance of Boston's Johnny Buckley. But Jim's first heavyweight of any note was a guy billed only as "BIG MITCH", who might have been related to the Mitchell heavyweights boxing out of the beach area in southern California.

Jeff also had an interest in some of the lighter fellows developed out of his amateur boxing club in Burbank during the mid-1930s.

Thanks for the welcome mat, Tom?

hap navarro

Yes, Hap, its me, Tom. Thanks for your reply. I know some people thought that Jeff rushed Morro. Of course, Delaney rushed Jeffries - but Jeffries had the talent to make it anyway.

Interestingly, Jeff spoke out of both sides of his mouth regarding Morro. In one article that I have, he spoke glowingly about Morro and how he sold Morro's contract to Buckley and Sharkey because Jeff believed Morro had real talent and Buckley had better connections than Jeff to take Morro to the top. Yet, in another article, he suggested that he dumped Morro on Buckley because Morro wouldn't train hard enough to go anywhere in the fight game. Strange.

Yet, whatever the real story, Morro stayed close to Jeffries the rest of Jeffries life. He was at Jeff's bedside when he died, and served as a pallbearer at his funeral.

I will have to see what I can find out about Big Mitch. If you can remember anything more about him, or the names of those lighter-weight boxers, give me a shout.

Its really great to have you on this board, Hap!!

Tom

P.S.: Hap, I have a publicity picture somewhere of Jeffries "examining" Les Kennedy's handwraps. Do you know if Les Kennedy was related to Joe Kennedy, the turn-of-the-century heavyweight that Jeffries kayoed in 1902 and who later served as Jeff's sparring partner?

[raylawpc]

Hap, could this possibly be the "Big Mitch" you were talking about?

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

[kikibalt]

James J. Jeffries

[kikibalt]

James J. Corbett & James J. Jeffries

[kikibalt]

Jack Johnson

[raylawpc]

James J. Jeffries

That photo was taken in 1909 when Jeff was making his comeback against Johnson.

This is one of my favorite photos of Jeff, taken right after he beat Fitz for the title:



Here's my favorite photo - Jeff in training camp. (seated (l-r) Joe Kennedy, Jack Jeffries, Jim Jeffries, unknown. Standing, Billy Delaney.)

[raylawpc]

Uh-Oh, you got me started, Frank:



This photo is from Jeff's 1903 training camp at Harbin Springs, CA for the second fight with Corbett. The bear belonged to Bob Fitzsimmons. That bear bit Jeff on the leg and the injury almost resulted in postponement of the fight.



These photos were run in the Police gazette in 1905 and accompanied the story about Jeff's retirement. They were actually taken in 1899 after Jeff won the title.



Jeff as Santa. Can anyone identify the young lady on the left (Jeff's right)?

[Dongee]

Tom
That's the one I had in mind. You'll note on his record that he boxed at Taft a few times. It seems Jeffries was involved with the Taft enterprise in some way, because I believe he refereed a few shows there, too.

If you can research some of the amateur shows held in the LA area back in the 1930s--40s. some of the boys listed as respresenting Jeffries' Barn were most likely handled in part by Jim in the pro ranks. I used to have a listing of them, somewhere, but today....quien sabe? All of them were white.

About the Kennedy...... angle you had asked me that on the CBZ and I didn't know the answer then.

Can I ask what you are planning to do with your research on Jeffries? I can offer one little tidbit that I was going to use in one of my long awaited (by me, of course) books.

hap navarro

[Dongee]

Tom:

That's Shirley Temple, whose brother George was an LA area wrestler in my time.

hap