Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

Eduardo Lausse

[Rick Farris]

Lucia Rijker . . .

Would anybody mind if I invited her and a guest to join us at our table? She would appreciate the company, I'm sure.


-Rick

Its ok with me.....

Frank, here is a great Lucia Rijker site with videos, pics and a lot of interesting stuff . . .

www.LuciaRijker.net

[kikibalt]

Small Montana, Sam Sylvester and Little Dado
November 1938

[Rick Farris]

Frank
Awhile back I asked you about a ref ,Frankie Van. You hinted that the guy was prejuduced. Well last night I watched a tape of Lauro Salas winning Jimmy Carter's title at the Olympic in 1952. Salas out punched and out worked Jimmy. Van was the ref. When Jimmy Lennon announced a split decision,the crowd and Salas's corner went ballistic. Fortunately the two judges had Lauro way ahead. Van ,close verdict for Carter.

I think you had something there. Either Van was readin' the papers while the fight was goin' on,or he hated menudo con pata.

BTW,were you or Hap at that one?

I was, I don't know about Hap, but I would say that he was, I was also there for their first fight.

You know pal you lived,in my opinion,during Los Angeles's Golden Era. The late 40's and 50's. I remember as a kid we'd visit my uncle and my nephew in West Hollywood during that period. My memories are in black and white. The old film noir movies with LA. as the backdrop were in black and white. "He Walked By Night." "Dragnet." "Them" with James Arness. The street scenes of San Pedro ,downtown,Sunset Boulevard. That's part of the reason I look at old Superman episodes.

Frank Baltazar:a black and white snapshot of a age that's only a flickering memory.

I also see old L.A. in black & white. Many of my memories are in B&W, and you said it, "The old film noir movies with L.A. as the back drop . . ." I get it.

-Rick

[kikibalt]

Lucia Rijker . . .

Would anybody mind if I invited her and a guest to join us at our table? She would appreciate the company, I'm sure.


-Rick

Its ok with me.....

Frank, here is a great Lucia Rijker site with videos, pics and a lot of interesting stuff . . .

http://www.LuciaRijker.net

Thanks Rick, it looks like a nice web site.....

[Rick Farris]

Small Montana, Sam Sylvester and Little Dado
November 1938

I'd have loved to have seen the Filipino fighters from that era. By the way, there are three men in this photo, which one isn't a boxer? :??

-Rick

[kikibalt]

(l. to r. Little Dado , Small Montana, Promoter Leo Leavitt. Seated l. to. r.
Johnny Sylvester, matchmaker and Sid Wolfe, Montana's manager)

[kikibalt]

[dagosd2000]

Lucia Rijker . . .

Just spoke with Lucia and she'll be present at the WBHOF banquet. Would anybody mind if I invited her and a guest to join us at our table? She would appreciate the company, I'm sure. If you get a chance, rent Lucia's DVD "Shadow Boxers". It's a great documentary on Women Boxing, with some great behind the scenes training camp footage with trainer Frddie Roach, James Toney and others.

Lucia never lost as a boxer or kick-boxer, that is, except to a man, a world champion Thai kick boxer, who she held her own with before being KOed. YouTube has some great Lucia Rijker bouts available. She's one bad ass lady, but without question, a lady. Lucia is one of the most interesting women I've ever met.


-Rick

The more,the merrier

[dagosd2000]

Diego; a B & W pic. of Connie and me...C-1959

LA. Film Noir aka: Frank and Connie Baltazar.

[kikibalt]

Bob Fitzsimmons


"Ruby"

By Diego

[dagosd2000]

(l. to r. Little Dado , Small Montana, Promoter Leo Leavitt. Seated l. to. r.
Johnny Sylvester, matchmaker and Sid Wolfe, Montana's manager)

Another small gem of Califirnia history:The Filippino community . Areas like Stockton,Fresno,San Francisco,and later after the Vietnam Era,San Diego(National City).

[dagosd2000]

Diego; a B & W pic. of Connie and me...C-1959

LA. Film Noir aka: Frank and Connie Baltazar.

I often wonder after we blow ourselves up some day in the future ,and then thousands of years later the Martians land here,would they be able to piece things together,for example,by looking at a photograph like the one above of Frank and Connie?

Maybe only if they served menudo con pata on Mars.

[kikibalt]

Bernard Docusen


"Big Duke"

By Diego

[kikibalt]

Maybe only if they served menudo con pata on Mars.

Menudo, don't know if it has pata

[kikibalt]

Tippy Larkin

[kikibalt]

Publicity photo with famous boxers of the 50s. Included are
Bobo Olson (far left), Jimmy Carter (2nd from left) Lauro Salas
(3rd from right), and Pete Rodriguez, co-producer of Rheingold's
Fandango (2nd from right).

[dagosd2000]

Maybe only if they served menudo con pata on Mars.

Menudo, don't know if it has pata

To the guys who live in SoCal. It doesn't get more diverse and rich anywhere if you stop to examine our region. New York and Chicago always made the front pages,but as I grow older,I think back East never was any greater than what we had going out here. Both coasts were different,but I think the dynamics in Southern California were just as profound.

Back East Irish,Italian,Jewish,and Black neighborhoods had their trademarks,but those neighborhoods died out and changed. The suburbs did away with a lot of that.

LA. was always suburbs. Suburbs started here. The old timers that made back East a landmark for Americana are almost all gone. Out here there's still a heartbeat. I think that's because the Mexican community has grown in leaps and bounds. The Mexican community will always have that communal sense no matter how big it gets. Family,food,and religion are the cornerstones. Work is just something to pay the bills.

I sometimes think too if alien life from outer space flew into our orbit,where would they land? They'd probably hear the Mariachis and beam themselves in.

[Rick Farris]

Lucia Rijker . . .

Just spoke with Lucia and she'll be present at the WBHOF banquet. Would anybody mind if I invited her and a guest to join us at our table? She would appreciate the company, I'm sure. If you get a chance, rent Lucia's DVD "Shadow Boxers". It's a great documentary on Women Boxing, with some great behind the scenes training camp footage with trainer Frddie Roach, James Toney and others.

Lucia never lost as a boxer or kick-boxer, that is, except to a man, a world champion Thai kick boxer, who she held her own with before being KOed. YouTube has some great Lucia Rijker bouts available. She's one bad ass lady, but without question, a lady. Lucia is one of the most interesting women I've ever met.


-Rick

The more,the merrier

I'll contact her again this weekend. I had two seats come available at the table and plan on nominating her for induction next year, when she will become eligable.

-Rick

[Rick Farris]

Publicity photo with famous boxers of the 50s. Included are
Bobo Olson (far left), Jimmy Carter (2nd from left) Lauro Salas
(3rd from right), and Pete Rodriguez, co-producer of Rheingold's
Fandango (2nd from right).

Third from left is Jimmy Lennon Sr.

[Rick Farris]

(l. to r. Little Dado , Small Montana, Promoter Leo Leavitt. Seated l. to. r.
Johnny Sylvester, matchmaker and Sid Wolfe, Montana's manager)

Another small gem of Califirnia history:The Filippino community . Areas like Stockton,Fresno,San Francisco,and later after the Vietnam Era,San Diego(National City).

Very true, Rog. I know Stockton had a large Filipino community and had a lot of boxing action at one time.

[Rick Farris]

Eduardo Lausse

Anybody familiar with his bout with Gene Fullmer?

-Rick

[kikibalt]

Chicano's know how to party.
Whittier, Ca.

[dagosd2000]

CHAMPAGNE MUSIC


He lasted over 40 years. His Champagne Music was his trademark. PBS shows his program on Saturday nights. I try to catch every rerun. I especially like the old black and white episodes. His musical family became a part of many familes on a weekly basis.

When the Big Band Era died,he kept his musicians together. He employed fellas' who normally would be scufflin for gigs. Some younger people thought he was "square".I did once. But think about it. Everyone on that program could dance and were good at it. Christ,it was originally a polka band from South Dakota. Every mother in America wanted to dance with Lawrence Welk.

The program was broadcast from Los Angeles. The older I get,the more I enjoy listening to his music.I remember the Arizona. Radovich's bar in Ocean Beach. Radovich was a Serb and every bartender,cook,or pin boy had some kind of Polack blood in him. George had about a dozen Lawrence Welk songs on the jukebax. My favorite was the "Clarinet Polka". He'd put that on and those old vodka drinkers would tear up the old dance floor.

No one could convince me they were "squares."

[kikibalt]

Lee Ramage