Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

Ah Rick
Ask Monica if she's ever been to the tapas bars in Spain. They open around midnight. The good ones are in the old sections of the city. Maybe the Gypsy quarter.The buildings are 500 years old dating back to the Conquistadores. Even further back to the Moors. The stone streets are narrow. Lanterns give a bronze hazy . Mostly shadows in the light. Tapas bars with names like "El Rinconcillo" and "La Casa De Anselma." Around midnight the Flamenco crowd gathers out side. They've been eating and drinking and now they want to dance Flamenco. All the dances. Sevillanas,Bulerias,Tangos. They wear their street clothes. Flamenco is the street. Traditional,emotional. Yes,you must dance Flamenco with emotion. You can know all the steps,but dancing without feeling,you are not a Flamenco dancer. The bar full of smoke and glasses filled with Miura. Shouts of "Ole!". The rhythm of the men beating on the drums called 'cajones" Guitarists strumming the beat of the steps of the dancers. Virtuosity as each person goes out to the floor ,alone ,absorbed in the music.A pretty girl dances . If she has the feeling,the men want to dance before her. Shouts and shouts. They know when there's a an emotion building between the sexes. The heat of all the people inside. The heat of the music. The heat of the passion felt between men and women. It goes on like this till dawn. It goes on like this every night. Flamenco.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Roger . . . Monica said she has been to Seville, Madrid and Jijon (Asturias). Yes, she remembers the bars in the south of Spain exactly as you described them. She said she was last there in the summer of '94 and it was very hot, one of the hottest places she had been in her life. She said she was surprised that after lunch everything closes for siesta, everything closes for a couple hours. One thing Monica loved most about Spain was the Queso Cabralles, a type of cheese and an alcoholic apple cider? Thanks for the info on Flamenco as well. Your descriptive skills put me in the bar, I could almost feel the beat of the drums.

Rick
Monica is right about Seville being very hot in the summer.We like to go to Cadiz which is near Gibralter on the Atlantic Coast during the weekends. Oldest city in Europe. Very beautifuul too. Moorish and Roman influences along with Spanish archtecture. The beaches are topless optional. Now here is a dividing point between Mexico and Spain. The Spanish women think nothing of taking off their tops. Mexican women are very modest. You go to some beaches in Mexico and the women go into the water with their clothes on.

[dagosd2000]

Photos and caption courtesy of Roger



Amanda dancing at Casa De Anselma 3 in the morning in the Gypsy Quarter in Seville,Spain. She was 9 years old.

Once again, very impressed! Between Rog and Monica, I'm taking a quick stroll thru the South of Spain. I just had to open a beer . . . I'm in a shadowy bar, the music is great, people are dancing . . . "Ole!"

First break I get, were outta here . . . ready to jump on a plane.

-Rick

Amigo
You would love it. Maybe one day when Amanda is on her own in Europe dancing Flamenco on the Continent's famous stages, you and Monica and me and Maria can sit at an outdoor cafe one evening in Sevilla in the Gypsy Quarter they call La Triana, beside the river eating open faced tapas sandwiches,drinking the local liquer called Miura,listening to an accordian player serenading our table. And then we'll go, as Amanda's guests, to watch her perform at the Palacio Andaluz. Ole!

[raylawpc]

(if the cow was killed correctly).

Dead is dead, No?....

That said, I am reasonably certain that Jesus and the disciples did not eat menudo con pata at the Last Supper.

They don't know what they missed..... DD

Frank
If you read the Gospel,Jesus liked to hang around poor people. I'm sure he ate menudo con pata somewhere along the way. i know a lot of people refer to him as a Jew. I don't want to start a religous controversy on the thread,but going to Catholic school and living in Mexico,I've never heard Jesus being called a Jew. Keeping that in mind,I could see Jesus today sitting in front of one of those carts in TJ with a bowl of menudo con pata in front of him with plenty of Kosher Korn torillas.

Explain to me how you correctly kill a cow? I bet Tom knows.

Yes, Tom knows . . .

Jews may only eat kosher mammals and birds that have been killed by Shechitah. Shechitah is killing the animal by slitting its throat with a very sharp knife. The animal must then have all the blood drained from it. Why? It is contrary to Jewish law to inflict pain on an animal. The theory is that a sharp knife cuts the carotid so that the animal loses consciousness before it feels pain.

There are also some rules about the perfection of the knife blade. And, even if the animal has been killed by Shechitah, an otherwise kosher animal becames unkoster is there is a problem with its internal organs. There is also a rule that a cow can't be killed if it stumbles when being led to slaughter. If that happens, the cow gets a 24-hour repreve.

[dagosd2000]

I'm sorry I asked

[raylawpc]

I'm sorry I asked

I am too. It reminded me how much absolutely useless information I have rattling around in my brain. (I guess it wouldn't be useless if I was Jewish, but I'm Lutheran, so . . .)

It does help out at trivia contests, though.

[dagosd2000]

I'm sorry I asked

I am too. It reminded me how much absolutely useless information I have rattling around in my brain. (I guess it wouldn't be useless if I was Jewish, but I'm Lutheran, so . . .)

It does help out at trivia contests, though.

Tom 'ol Pal
I can see you at our table in Spain eating and drinking in the Gypsy Quarter beside the river. You begin a topic on kosher stomachs. You're in the river.

[raylawpc]

I'm sorry I asked

I am too. It reminded me how much absolutely useless information I have rattling around in my brain. (I guess it wouldn't be useless if I was Jewish, but I'm Lutheran, so . . .)

It does help out at trivia contests, though.

Tom 'ol Pal
I can see you at our table in Spain eating and drinking in the Gypsy Quarter beside the river. You begin a topic on kosher stomachs. You're in the river.

Why would I start a conversation on kosher stomachs at a bar in Gypsy Quarter in Seville? :??

[Rick Farris]

I'm sorry I asked

I am too. It reminded me how much absolutely useless information I have rattling around in my brain. (I guess it wouldn't be useless if I was Jewish, but I'm Lutheran, so . . .)

It does help out at trivia contests, though.

Tom 'ol Pal
I can see you at our table in Spain eating and drinking in the Gypsy Quarter beside the river. You begin a topic on kosher stomachs. You're in the river.

For now, why don't we kinda plan on meeting next year at the WBHOF banquet? Tom, Bennie, Bruce, Rob and Frank were "No Shows" this year, maybe next year the ENTIRE contributing element of this thread will show up. You guys say the word, I'll provide the tables. It ain't Spain, but maybe we can set the idea in motion. As Bennie would say, Cheers!

-Rick

[Bobbin & Weavin]

I am too. It reminded me how much absolutely useless information I have rattling around in my brain. (I guess it wouldn't be useless if I was Jewish, but I'm Lutheran, so . . .)

It does help out at trivia contests, though.[/quote]

Tom 'ol Pal
I can see you at our table in Spain eating and drinking in the Gypsy Quarter beside the river. You begin a topic on kosher stomachs. You're in the river. [/quote]

For now, why don't we kinda plan on meeting next year at the WBHOF banquet? Tom, Bennie, Bruce, Rob and Frank were "No Shows" this year, maybe next year the ENTIRE contributing element of this thread will show up. You guys say the word, I'll provide the tables. It ain't Spain, but maybe we can set the idea in motion. As Bennie would say, Cheers!

-Rick[/quote]

Rick,
Count me in; after hearing all of the great stories and seeing the pictures I really regret not being able to make it this year. But next year is another story, looking forward to it.
Bruce

[Rick Farris]

I am too. It reminded me how much absolutely useless information I have rattling around in my brain. (I guess it wouldn't be useless if I was Jewish, but I'm Lutheran, so . . .)

It does help out at trivia contests, though.

Tom 'ol Pal
I can see you at our table in Spain eating and drinking in the Gypsy Quarter beside the river. You begin a topic on kosher stomachs. You're in the river. [/quote]

For now, why don't we kinda plan on meeting next year at the WBHOF banquet? Tom, Bennie, Bruce, Rob and Frank were "No Shows" this year, maybe next year the ENTIRE contributing element of this thread will show up. You guys say the word, I'll provide the tables. It ain't Spain, but maybe we can set the idea in motion. As Bennie would say, Cheers!

-Rick[/quote]

Rick,
Count me in; after hearing all of the great stories and seeing the pictures I really regret not being able to make it this year. But next year is another story, looking forward to it.
Bruce[/quote]
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have a feeling next year's banquet is going to be a classic, as far as this thread is concerned, no doubt.

-Rick

[kikibalt]

Coy Bacon dies at 66; defensive lineman was named to three Pro Bowls


Los Angeles Times
“He was the best pass rusher I ever saw. He had a very nimble body for a guy his size,” Cincinnati Bengals radio analyst Dave Lapham said of the 6-foot-4, 270-pound Coy Bacon.

From Times Staff Reports
December 23, 2008

Coy Bacon, a standout defensive lineman for the then-Los Angeles Rams as well as for the Chargers, Bengals and Redskins, and who was named to three Pro Bowls during his 14-year career, died Monday at his home in Ironton, Ohio, according to the Cincinnati Bengals. He was 66.

The cause of death was not reported.

"He was the best pass rusher I ever saw," Bengals radio analyst Dave Lapham said of the 6-foot-4, 270-pound Bacon. "He always gained ground . . . never wasted any steps. He could make you miss," Lapham, a former offensive lineman, told the Cincinnati Enquirer some years ago. "He had a very nimble body for a guy his size."

Bacon was born Lander McCoy Bacon on Aug. 30, 1942, in Cadiz, Ky. He played high school football in Ironton and college ball at Jackson State University but left college before graduation. He was never drafted by the NFL, starting his professional career with Charleston of the minor league Continental Football League.

The Dallas Cowboys eventually signed him to a free-agent contract. But Rams coach George Allen liked what he saw of Bacon in a rookie scrimmage and traded a fifth round draft choice for him in 1968.

At that time the Rams' defensive line was populated by Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Roger Brown and Lamar Lundy.

Bacon spent much of 1968 on the reserve squad but was activated after an injury to Lundy. In 1969, he was elevated to starting right tackle after Brown broke his hand during the exhibition season. He moved to defensive end when Lundy retired after the 1969 season. He made the first of his three Pro Bowls as a member of the Rams.

Two years later, the Rams traded Bacon along with running back Bob Thomas to San Diego for quarterback John Hadl. In his first season with the Chargers, Bacon had an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown.

In 1976, he was traded to the Bengals for wide receiver Charlie Joiner.

In Cincinnati, the defensive lineman blossomed into the league's top pass rusher, leading the NFL in quarterback sacks in 1976 with 26, according to the Bengals. (The NFL did not start officially tallying sacks until 1982.) He was selected to the Pro Bowl in both of his two years with Cincinnati.

"Coy was a tremendous player for the Bengals, the greatest pass rusher our team has ever had," Bengals owner Mike Brown said in a statement. "After he left the team, he worked hard to make life better for youths in the Ironton area. What he did was admirable, something all of us respect. We are saddened by his passing."

In 1978, Bacon was traded to the Redskins along with cornerback Lemar Parrish for a first-round draft pick. He recorded 15 sacks in 1979 and 11 the next year but was clearly on the downhill slide of his career. Despite being the Redskins' top rusher, he was having problems with Joe Gibbs, then in his first season as head coach of the team, and was waived at the start of the 1981 season. He finished his career with the Washington Federals of the USFL in 1983.

After his playing days, Bacon worked briefly as a professional wrestler and had some trouble with the law. He was charged with possession of cocaine, a misdemeanor in Washington, and was later shot in the abdomen in an attack at his apartment.

Bacon later termed the shooting "a wake-up call." He became a "born-again Christian" and left Washington for Ironton, where he found a job as a juvenile corrections officer.

He also spent some of his time coaching youth basketball. A comment on the website of the Ironton Tribune newspaper Monday reflected Bacon's reputation in the small southern Ohio town: "Ironton has lost a true hero. Mr. Bacon has done so much for children of Ironton and he'll be greatly missed. He coached my daughter in basketball several years ago and was such a positive influence. My heart goes out to his family and friends."

Information on survivors and funeral services was not immediately available.

[kikibalt]

Amanda eating waffles beside her best friend Neerma at a cafe in Cadiz Spain. Neerma's family owns oil wells in Dubais. Neerma is a fashion model and is hostess of Dubais's most popular TV show,Beach Party Dubais. Neerma wants Amanda to marry her younger brother. She wants her first daughter to marry my grandson Adam. Neerma drinks and smokes. She doesn't wear her top at the beach. Neerma is my kind of gal.

[kikibalt]

Frank
If you read the Gospel,Jesus liked to hang around poor people. I'm sure he ate menudo con pata somewhere along the way. i know a lot of people refer to him as a Jew. I don't want to start a religous controversy on the thread,but going to Catholic school and living in Mexico,I've never heard Jesus being called a Jew. Keeping that in mind,I could see Jesus today sitting in front of one of those carts in TJ with a bowl of menudo con pata in front of him with plenty of Kosher Korn torillas.

Explain to me how you correctly kill a cow? I bet Tom knows.

Yes, Tom knows . . .

Jews may only eat kosher mammals and birds that have been killed by Shechitah. Shechitah is killing the animal by slitting its throat with a very sharp knife. The animal must then have all the blood drained from it. Why? It is contrary to Jewish law to inflict pain on an animal. The theory is that a sharp knife cuts the carotid so that the animal loses consciousness before it feels pain.

There are also some rules about the perfection of the knife blade. And, even if the animal has been killed by Shechitah, an otherwise kosher animal becames unkoster is there is a problem with its internal organs. There is also a rule that a cow can't be killed if it stumbles when being led to slaughter. If that happens, the cow gets a 24-hour repreve.

So thats why my grandpa killed a goat that way, and we all thought he was nuts, but he told us that was the right way to kill the animal, we still told him he was nuts.....

[kikibalt]

Manny Pacquiao Vs Ricky Hatton: What can the British Superstar do to overcome the Filipino Sensation?

By Andrew Seidman
RSR

After a stunning victory Manny Pacquiao recently had over Oscar De La Hoya, he has become the number one guy in boxing. Manny Pacquiao was able to make an obvious size mismatch look like a daily sparring session at the local boxing gym. Many enthusiasts and fans will talk about weight issues, trainers, age, or any of the other many highlighted factors that went into this fight. The thing the boxing industry is paying attention to is over 1.2 million pay per views sold.

With these numbers Manny Pacquiao is now receiving the Oscar De La Hoya treatment. He's the money man as many would say. His time to cash in on the hard work has come. Like the Golden Boy, anyone and everyone not named Oscar De La Hoya has put their name into the Pacquiao sweepstakes. No one has been more vocal about a clash with Manny Pacquiao than Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton.

In Hatton’s last fight against Paulie "The Magic Man" Malignaggi, he made sure the judges would have an easy night. Paulie looked as gun-shy as Oscar De La Hoya did against Manny Pacquiao. In any case, Ricky, who is two victories removed from a knockout loss to Floyd "Pretty Boy" Mayweather, JR., is back in the running for a mega fight. After Manny’s victory over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton was interviewed and talked all about how he would love to fight Pacquiao.

Even in the pre-fight hype, Ricky Hatton was reported to have said he preferred to fight Manny Pacquiao over Oscar De La Hoya. Ricky Hatton’s new trainer Floyd Mayweather, SR., said that Ricky Hatton had no business getting in the ring with Oscar De La Hoya. After watching how good Pacquiao looked, or after seeing how bad Oscar looked, I wonder if the Hatton camp is rethinking about their recent comments.

The beautiful thing about a possible Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao match is that it can happen at 140 pounds. Weight and natural size advantage would go to Ricky Hatton. The good thing for Pacquiao is that Hatton has short arms and is only 5'7 1/2". Manny Pacquiao is 5′ 6 1/2″ and actually has a slight reach advantage. Since the natural size advantage for Hatton is not too extreme, this fight has had some whispers throughout the boxing world since even before Manny’s last few fights.

There is one thing that allows Pacquiao to move up in weight and still be favored by many to win against many of the top names in boxing. Ask anyone who’s been in the ring before and they all say the same thing, speed kills. Manny has enough of it to spare for the entire heavyweight division. One of the bigger problems Hatton will have aside from Manny’s grease lightening speed is that unfortunately for his opponents, he’s still getting better.

Freddie Roach who is the highly decorated trainer who has magnificently sculpted Manny Pacquiao into a diverse fighter will undoubtedly have no problem scheming up a formula to hack down "The Hitman." Ever since Manny Pacquiao has burst onto the boxing scene, his improvements have been obvious to the most avid of boxing fans.

There was a time when I used to say any fighter who can keep the pressure on Manny Pacquiao and make him go backwards will beat him. There was a time when Manny Pacquiao would basically lunge in from so far it seemed he had springs in his feet. As time went by he became much more calculated in his attacks and his defense improved with a greater knowledge of how to use those quick feet which he always had.

Manny’s faints and improved body attack would give Erik "El Terrible" Morales fits. The second and third time they fought it was very obvious Pacquiao was not the same fighter he was in their first fight. Ever since then he has steadily showed improvements. Most recently he has showed a major improvement in pivoting and turning to his right. Along with a right hook upstairs and downstairs, Pacquiao has also learned that he doesn’t always have to land bombs with his left cross. Throughout his fight with Oscar De La Hoya he used the left hand almost like a jab which is the sign of someone who either has no power which obviously is not the case, or is the sign of someone who has learned more about how to use their arsenal.

Pacquiao has a fountain of boxing knowledge being poured into him by his now longtime trainer Freddie Roach. Hatton on the other hand has switched from his longtime trainer Billy Graham to Floyd Mayweather, SR. As ironic as it sounds it has been a great decision so far. I'll be the first to admit I wasn’t to sure this would work but so far it has worked great for Ricky. Should Hatton get his wishes and fight Manny he will need a trainer well schooled on the science of boxing.

One of the most important things Hatton will need to do is learn how to cut off the ring. You might be thinking that maybe Ricky can go circle and wait for Pacquiao to go on the attack. That's out of the question. There are few cases where you should let a fighter with faster hands, especially one with power come forward consistently. Hatton must make Pacquiao go backwards.

To be perfectly honest, Ricky Hatton isn’t good enough defensively or at counter punching to let anyone with good footwork come forward. One way he will have to cut the ring off is with a heavy body attack. Ricky Hatton does have quick hands and good enough power to keep Pacquiao aware. Unlike Paulie who is barely breaking glass, Manny Pacquiao is not soft fisted. The more Hatton wrecks havoc on Manny’s ribs and kidneys the less Manny will be trigger happy. If Manny Pacquiao is so confident he’s trigger happy, that’s pretty much the end of the fight. When Manny starts pivoting or trying to go left or right, Ricky needs to meet his movements with hooks to the body.

The relentless aggressive style of Hatton will not be an option either. When he does cut the ring off he’s going to have to throw in some faints and be extremely cautious of Manny’s left cross. Pacquiao being a southpaw could make for tough times for Ricky. Ricky has rarely seen a punch he didn’t mind tasting and with Manny’s arsenal I'm very sure Mayweather Sr., is very aware that this will have to change. Hatton's face has swelled up a lot in his past fights. With two good eyes and watching Manny fight on television it’s hard to see all of his punches, so I can only imagine what that speed would look like if you are in the ring with him and your eyes were swollen.

If Manny gets caught at anytime in the middle of the ring brawling with Ricky, it is extremely important that Ricky wins these exchanges. If something like this does happen in the fight it means either that Pacquiao doesn’t respect Hatton or that he has become so confident throughout the fight that he’s going for the kill. In any case, a confident Pacquiao who is willing to exchange in the middle of the ring pretty much means that Hatton is in trouble. It doesn’t matter if he is losing or winning, should he lose these exchanges and back off in these situations, he will probably get knocked out.

If there is one game plan that has worked against Pacquiao, it is the one that Juan Manuel Marquez used against him. We can call this game plan "not an option for Ricky." Marquez is far more technical than Hatton and quite frankly should be fighting Pacquiao a third time. Trying to fill up Hatton’s head with all that Marquez knows about boxing will only confuse him at this stage of his career. That doesn’t mean that studying the film religiously should be ignored. As we saw with Nacho Beristain, a sure hall of fame trainer who trained Marquez and was hired by De La Hoya for the Pacquiao fight, not every game plan works the same for every fighter.

Everyone knows Hatton loves his left hooks. If you think it was mistake that Mayweather, JR., knocked him out as he lunged in and found a left hook from Mayweather Jr., waiting for him, then your mistaken. That was brilliantly planned and in order for Ricky to get his left hook going he is going to have to throw his right cross more often. Not only will he have to throw it more often he needs to be happy just to land it, at least in the early stages of the fight. To begin the fight he really shouldn’t be trying anything too drastic, Ricky needs to just get whatever leather he can on Manny just to show that he can.

That brings us to landing punches. Hatton in his past tries to decapitate his opponents with every punch. As we saw recently against De La Hoya, Pacquiao is now using his smaller size and speed to his advantage. His footwork was like a puzzle that I believe mentally broke De La Hoya down from the first round. Once a fighter breaks down mentally, everything else goes out the window. If Hatton doesn’t take whatever shots are open, and throw some punches just to land he will become predictable and will eventually become sloppy and resort to lunging in the same way he did in the late rounds against Mayweather, JR.

Conditioning should be one of Hatton’s top priorities. Manny’s conditioning is quite amazing. He never looks out of shape in anyway and always comes in the ring ready to go from the first round to the last round. His fights with Marquez had the type of intensity that anyone who has been in the ring could appreciate. Hatton in some of his tougher fights has slowed down significantly and he then becomes sloppy in his technique. When that happens, his hand speed and reactions naturally become slower.
Muhammad Ali once said that you don’t need to train to fight every round hard. Instead he says depending on the game plan you might train to fight the first 3 or 4 rounds hard. Then the next round you might cruise a little bit. This is exactly what Hatton needs to do. Manny has proven he can push his body to whatever the fight asks of him, Ricky Hatton has not. Even if Ricky were to dominate the first six rounds of the fight, that might lead to him sacrificing his energy and getting TKO’d or KO’d in the later rounds as it did with Mayweather, JR.

If this fight were to happen it would be a very intriguing matchup. I think I speak for everyone when I say 24/7 would have a boxing cast of superstars. With Mayweather, SR., talking smack, there would be an abundance of highlights for the boxing community to talk about. I'm not sure upsetting Roach and Pacquiao would be a good idea. There is no doubt Mayweather, SR., would. My prediction is that this fight could possibly do better ratings than Pacquiao vs. Hoya. As much as Oscar De La Hoya is considered "The Golden Boy," he’s not as entertaining a personality as Hatton. Maybe the best thing about this fight is the fact that it puts two guys in the ring who people actually like. Neither guy can or will play the bad guy. This fight would have no gimmicks and need no major marketing schemes. It would be a fight that boxing fans and mainstream fans could agree; the fight makes sense for the right reasons and not just the paycheck.

[bennie]

Manny Pacquiao Vs Ricky Hatton: What can the British Superstar do to overcome the Filipino Sensation?

By Andrew Seidman
RSR

After a stunning victory Manny Pacquiao recently had over Oscar De La Hoya, he has become the number one guy in boxing. Manny Pacquiao was able to make an obvious size mismatch look like a daily sparring session at the local boxing gym. Many enthusiasts and fans will talk about weight issues, trainers, age, or any of the other many highlighted factors that went into this fight. The thing the boxing industry is paying attention to is over 1.2 million pay per views sold.

With these numbers Manny Pacquiao is now receiving the Oscar De La Hoya treatment. He's the money man as many would say. His time to cash in on the hard work has come. Like the Golden Boy, anyone and everyone not named Oscar De La Hoya has put their name into the Pacquiao sweepstakes. No one has been more vocal about a clash with Manny Pacquiao than Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton.

In Hatton’s last fight against Paulie "The Magic Man" Malignaggi, he made sure the judges would have an easy night. Paulie looked as gun-shy as Oscar De La Hoya did against Manny Pacquiao. In any case, Ricky, who is two victories removed from a knockout loss to Floyd "Pretty Boy" Mayweather, JR., is back in the running for a mega fight. After Manny’s victory over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton was interviewed and talked all about how he would love to fight Pacquiao.

Even in the pre-fight hype, Ricky Hatton was reported to have said he preferred to fight Manny Pacquiao over Oscar De La Hoya. Ricky Hatton’s new trainer Floyd Mayweather, SR., said that Ricky Hatton had no business getting in the ring with Oscar De La Hoya. After watching how good Pacquiao looked, or after seeing how bad Oscar looked, I wonder if the Hatton camp is rethinking about their recent comments.

The beautiful thing about a possible Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao match is that it can happen at 140 pounds. Weight and natural size advantage would go to Ricky Hatton. The good thing for Pacquiao is that Hatton has short arms and is only 5'7 1/2". Manny Pacquiao is 5′ 6 1/2″ and actually has a slight reach advantage. Since the natural size advantage for Hatton is not too extreme, this fight has had some whispers throughout the boxing world since even before Manny’s last few fights.

There is one thing that allows Pacquiao to move up in weight and still be favored by many to win against many of the top names in boxing. Ask anyone who’s been in the ring before and they all say the same thing, speed kills. Manny has enough of it to spare for the entire heavyweight division. One of the bigger problems Hatton will have aside from Manny’s grease lightening speed is that unfortunately for his opponents, he’s still getting better.

Freddie Roach who is the highly decorated trainer who has magnificently sculpted Manny Pacquiao into a diverse fighter will undoubtedly have no problem scheming up a formula to hack down "The Hitman." Ever since Manny Pacquiao has burst onto the boxing scene, his improvements have been obvious to the most avid of boxing fans.

There was a time when I used to say any fighter who can keep the pressure on Manny Pacquiao and make him go backwards will beat him. There was a time when Manny Pacquiao would basically lunge in from so far it seemed he had springs in his feet. As time went by he became much more calculated in his attacks and his defense improved with a greater knowledge of how to use those quick feet which he always had.

Manny’s faints and improved body attack would give Erik "El Terrible" Morales fits. The second and third time they fought it was very obvious Pacquiao was not the same fighter he was in their first fight. Ever since then he has steadily showed improvements. Most recently he has showed a major improvement in pivoting and turning to his right. Along with a right hook upstairs and downstairs, Pacquiao has also learned that he doesn’t always have to land bombs with his left cross. Throughout his fight with Oscar De La Hoya he used the left hand almost like a jab which is the sign of someone who either has no power which obviously is not the case, or is the sign of someone who has learned more about how to use their arsenal.

Pacquiao has a fountain of boxing knowledge being poured into him by his now longtime trainer Freddie Roach. Hatton on the other hand has switched from his longtime trainer Billy Graham to Floyd Mayweather, SR. As ironic as it sounds it has been a great decision so far. I'll be the first to admit I wasn’t to sure this would work but so far it has worked great for Ricky. Should Hatton get his wishes and fight Manny he will need a trainer well schooled on the science of boxing.

One of the most important things Hatton will need to do is learn how to cut off the ring. You might be thinking that maybe Ricky can go circle and wait for Pacquiao to go on the attack. That's out of the question. There are few cases where you should let a fighter with faster hands, especially one with power come forward consistently. Hatton must make Pacquiao go backwards.

To be perfectly honest, Ricky Hatton isn’t good enough defensively or at counter punching to let anyone with good footwork come forward. One way he will have to cut the ring off is with a heavy body attack. Ricky Hatton does have quick hands and good enough power to keep Pacquiao aware. Unlike Paulie who is barely breaking glass, Manny Pacquiao is not soft fisted. The more Hatton wrecks havoc on Manny’s ribs and kidneys the less Manny will be trigger happy. If Manny Pacquiao is so confident he’s trigger happy, that’s pretty much the end of the fight. When Manny starts pivoting or trying to go left or right, Ricky needs to meet his movements with hooks to the body.

The relentless aggressive style of Hatton will not be an option either. When he does cut the ring off he’s going to have to throw in some faints and be extremely cautious of Manny’s left cross. Pacquiao being a southpaw could make for tough times for Ricky. Ricky has rarely seen a punch he didn’t mind tasting and with Manny’s arsenal I'm very sure Mayweather Sr., is very aware that this will have to change. Hatton's face has swelled up a lot in his past fights. With two good eyes and watching Manny fight on television it’s hard to see all of his punches, so I can only imagine what that speed would look like if you are in the ring with him and your eyes were swollen.

If Manny gets caught at anytime in the middle of the ring brawling with Ricky, it is extremely important that Ricky wins these exchanges. If something like this does happen in the fight it means either that Pacquiao doesn’t respect Hatton or that he has become so confident throughout the fight that he’s going for the kill. In any case, a confident Pacquiao who is willing to exchange in the middle of the ring pretty much means that Hatton is in trouble. It doesn’t matter if he is losing or winning, should he lose these exchanges and back off in these situations, he will probably get knocked out.

If there is one game plan that has worked against Pacquiao, it is the one that Juan Manuel Marquez used against him. We can call this game plan "not an option for Ricky." Marquez is far more technical than Hatton and quite frankly should be fighting Pacquiao a third time. Trying to fill up Hatton’s head with all that Marquez knows about boxing will only confuse him at this stage of his career. That doesn’t mean that studying the film religiously should be ignored. As we saw with Nacho Beristain, a sure hall of fame trainer who trained Marquez and was hired by De La Hoya for the Pacquiao fight, not every game plan works the same for every fighter.

Everyone knows Hatton loves his left hooks. If you think it was mistake that Mayweather, JR., knocked him out as he lunged in and found a left hook from Mayweather Jr., waiting for him, then your mistaken. That was brilliantly planned and in order for Ricky to get his left hook going he is going to have to throw his right cross more often. Not only will he have to throw it more often he needs to be happy just to land it, at least in the early stages of the fight. To begin the fight he really shouldn’t be trying anything too drastic, Ricky needs to just get whatever leather he can on Manny just to show that he can.

That brings us to landing punches. Hatton in his past tries to decapitate his opponents with every punch. As we saw recently against De La Hoya, Pacquiao is now using his smaller size and speed to his advantage. His footwork was like a puzzle that I believe mentally broke De La Hoya down from the first round. Once a fighter breaks down mentally, everything else goes out the window. If Hatton doesn’t take whatever shots are open, and throw some punches just to land he will become predictable and will eventually become sloppy and resort to lunging in the same way he did in the late rounds against Mayweather, JR.

Conditioning should be one of Hatton’s top priorities. Manny’s conditioning is quite amazing. He never looks out of shape in anyway and always comes in the ring ready to go from the first round to the last round. His fights with Marquez had the type of intensity that anyone who has been in the ring could appreciate. Hatton in some of his tougher fights has slowed down significantly and he then becomes sloppy in his technique. When that happens, his hand speed and reactions naturally become slower.
Muhammad Ali once said that you don’t need to train to fight every round hard. Instead he says depending on the game plan you might train to fight the first 3 or 4 rounds hard. Then the next round you might cruise a little bit. This is exactly what Hatton needs to do. Manny has proven he can push his body to whatever the fight asks of him, Ricky Hatton has not. Even if Ricky were to dominate the first six rounds of the fight, that might lead to him sacrificing his energy and getting TKO’d or KO’d in the later rounds as it did with Mayweather, JR.

If this fight were to happen it would be a very intriguing matchup. I think I speak for everyone when I say 24/7 would have a boxing cast of superstars. With Mayweather, SR., talking smack, there would be an abundance of highlights for the boxing community to talk about. I'm not sure upsetting Roach and Pacquiao would be a good idea. There is no doubt Mayweather, SR., would. My prediction is that this fight could possibly do better ratings than Pacquiao vs. Hoya. As much as Oscar De La Hoya is considered "The Golden Boy," he’s not as entertaining a personality as Hatton. Maybe the best thing about this fight is the fact that it puts two guys in the ring who people actually like. Neither guy can or will play the bad guy. This fight would have no gimmicks and need no major marketing schemes. It would be a fight that boxing fans and mainstream fans could agree; the fight makes sense for the right reasons and not just the paycheck.

Hatton needed to get Pacquiao over here, in my opinion.

[kikibalt]

Manny Pacquiao Vs Ricky Hatton: What can the British Superstar do to overcome the Filipino Sensation?

By Andrew Seidman
RSR

After a stunning victory Manny Pacquiao recently had over Oscar De La Hoya, he has become the number one guy in boxing. Manny Pacquiao was able to make an obvious size mismatch look like a daily sparring session at the local boxing gym. Many enthusiasts and fans will talk about weight issues, trainers, age, or any of the other many highlighted factors that went into this fight. The thing the boxing industry is paying attention to is over 1.2 million pay per views sold.

With these numbers Manny Pacquiao is now receiving the Oscar De La Hoya treatment. He's the money man as many would say. His time to cash in on the hard work has come. Like the Golden Boy, anyone and everyone not named Oscar De La Hoya has put their name into the Pacquiao sweepstakes. No one has been more vocal about a clash with Manny Pacquiao than Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton.

In Hatton’s last fight against Paulie "The Magic Man" Malignaggi, he made sure the judges would have an easy night. Paulie looked as gun-shy as Oscar De La Hoya did against Manny Pacquiao. In any case, Ricky, who is two victories removed from a knockout loss to Floyd "Pretty Boy" Mayweather, JR., is back in the running for a mega fight. After Manny’s victory over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton was interviewed and talked all about how he would love to fight Pacquiao.

Even in the pre-fight hype, Ricky Hatton was reported to have said he preferred to fight Manny Pacquiao over Oscar De La Hoya. Ricky Hatton’s new trainer Floyd Mayweather, SR., said that Ricky Hatton had no business getting in the ring with Oscar De La Hoya. After watching how good Pacquiao looked, or after seeing how bad Oscar looked, I wonder if the Hatton camp is rethinking about their recent comments.

The beautiful thing about a possible Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao match is that it can happen at 140 pounds. Weight and natural size advantage would go to Ricky Hatton. The good thing for Pacquiao is that Hatton has short arms and is only 5'7 1/2". Manny Pacquiao is 5′ 6 1/2″ and actually has a slight reach advantage. Since the natural size advantage for Hatton is not too extreme, this fight has had some whispers throughout the boxing world since even before Manny’s last few fights.

There is one thing that allows Pacquiao to move up in weight and still be favored by many to win against many of the top names in boxing. Ask anyone who’s been in the ring before and they all say the same thing, speed kills. Manny has enough of it to spare for the entire heavyweight division. One of the bigger problems Hatton will have aside from Manny’s grease lightening speed is that unfortunately for his opponents, he’s still getting better.

Freddie Roach who is the highly decorated trainer who has magnificently sculpted Manny Pacquiao into a diverse fighter will undoubtedly have no problem scheming up a formula to hack down "The Hitman." Ever since Manny Pacquiao has burst onto the boxing scene, his improvements have been obvious to the most avid of boxing fans.

There was a time when I used to say any fighter who can keep the pressure on Manny Pacquiao and make him go backwards will beat him. There was a time when Manny Pacquiao would basically lunge in from so far it seemed he had springs in his feet. As time went by he became much more calculated in his attacks and his defense improved with a greater knowledge of how to use those quick feet which he always had.

Manny’s faints and improved body attack would give Erik "El Terrible" Morales fits. The second and third time they fought it was very obvious Pacquiao was not the same fighter he was in their first fight. Ever since then he has steadily showed improvements. Most recently he has showed a major improvement in pivoting and turning to his right. Along with a right hook upstairs and downstairs, Pacquiao has also learned that he doesn’t always have to land bombs with his left cross. Throughout his fight with Oscar De La Hoya he used the left hand almost like a jab which is the sign of someone who either has no power which obviously is not the case, or is the sign of someone who has learned more about how to use their arsenal.

Pacquiao has a fountain of boxing knowledge being poured into him by his now longtime trainer Freddie Roach. Hatton on the other hand has switched from his longtime trainer Billy Graham to Floyd Mayweather, SR. As ironic as it sounds it has been a great decision so far. I'll be the first to admit I wasn’t to sure this would work but so far it has worked great for Ricky. Should Hatton get his wishes and fight Manny he will need a trainer well schooled on the science of boxing.

One of the most important things Hatton will need to do is learn how to cut off the ring. You might be thinking that maybe Ricky can go circle and wait for Pacquiao to go on the attack. That's out of the question. There are few cases where you should let a fighter with faster hands, especially one with power come forward consistently. Hatton must make Pacquiao go backwards.

To be perfectly honest, Ricky Hatton isn’t good enough defensively or at counter punching to let anyone with good footwork come forward. One way he will have to cut the ring off is with a heavy body attack. Ricky Hatton does have quick hands and good enough power to keep Pacquiao aware. Unlike Paulie who is barely breaking glass, Manny Pacquiao is not soft fisted. The more Hatton wrecks havoc on Manny’s ribs and kidneys the less Manny will be trigger happy. If Manny Pacquiao is so confident he’s trigger happy, that’s pretty much the end of the fight. When Manny starts pivoting or trying to go left or right, Ricky needs to meet his movements with hooks to the body.

The relentless aggressive style of Hatton will not be an option either. When he does cut the ring off he’s going to have to throw in some faints and be extremely cautious of Manny’s left cross. Pacquiao being a southpaw could make for tough times for Ricky. Ricky has rarely seen a punch he didn’t mind tasting and with Manny’s arsenal I'm very sure Mayweather Sr., is very aware that this will have to change. Hatton's face has swelled up a lot in his past fights. With two good eyes and watching Manny fight on television it’s hard to see all of his punches, so I can only imagine what that speed would look like if you are in the ring with him and your eyes were swollen.

If Manny gets caught at anytime in the middle of the ring brawling with Ricky, it is extremely important that Ricky wins these exchanges. If something like this does happen in the fight it means either that Pacquiao doesn’t respect Hatton or that he has become so confident throughout the fight that he’s going for the kill. In any case, a confident Pacquiao who is willing to exchange in the middle of the ring pretty much means that Hatton is in trouble. It doesn’t matter if he is losing or winning, should he lose these exchanges and back off in these situations, he will probably get knocked out.

If there is one game plan that has worked against Pacquiao, it is the one that Juan Manuel Marquez used against him. We can call this game plan "not an option for Ricky." Marquez is far more technical than Hatton and quite frankly should be fighting Pacquiao a third time. Trying to fill up Hatton’s head with all that Marquez knows about boxing will only confuse him at this stage of his career. That doesn’t mean that studying the film religiously should be ignored. As we saw with Nacho Beristain, a sure hall of fame trainer who trained Marquez and was hired by De La Hoya for the Pacquiao fight, not every game plan works the same for every fighter.

Everyone knows Hatton loves his left hooks. If you think it was mistake that Mayweather, JR., knocked him out as he lunged in and found a left hook from Mayweather Jr., waiting for him, then your mistaken. That was brilliantly planned and in order for Ricky to get his left hook going he is going to have to throw his right cross more often. Not only will he have to throw it more often he needs to be happy just to land it, at least in the early stages of the fight. To begin the fight he really shouldn’t be trying anything too drastic, Ricky needs to just get whatever leather he can on Manny just to show that he can.

That brings us to landing punches. Hatton in his past tries to decapitate his opponents with every punch. As we saw recently against De La Hoya, Pacquiao is now using his smaller size and speed to his advantage. His footwork was like a puzzle that I believe mentally broke De La Hoya down from the first round. Once a fighter breaks down mentally, everything else goes out the window. If Hatton doesn’t take whatever shots are open, and throw some punches just to land he will become predictable and will eventually become sloppy and resort to lunging in the same way he did in the late rounds against Mayweather, JR.

Conditioning should be one of Hatton’s top priorities. Manny’s conditioning is quite amazing. He never looks out of shape in anyway and always comes in the ring ready to go from the first round to the last round. His fights with Marquez had the type of intensity that anyone who has been in the ring could appreciate. Hatton in some of his tougher fights has slowed down significantly and he then becomes sloppy in his technique. When that happens, his hand speed and reactions naturally become slower.
Muhammad Ali once said that you don’t need to train to fight every round hard. Instead he says depending on the game plan you might train to fight the first 3 or 4 rounds hard. Then the next round you might cruise a little bit. This is exactly what Hatton needs to do. Manny has proven he can push his body to whatever the fight asks of him, Ricky Hatton has not. Even if Ricky were to dominate the first six rounds of the fight, that might lead to him sacrificing his energy and getting TKO’d or KO’d in the later rounds as it did with Mayweather, JR.

If this fight were to happen it would be a very intriguing matchup. I think I speak for everyone when I say 24/7 would have a boxing cast of superstars. With Mayweather, SR., talking smack, there would be an abundance of highlights for the boxing community to talk about. I'm not sure upsetting Roach and Pacquiao would be a good idea. There is no doubt Mayweather, SR., would. My prediction is that this fight could possibly do better ratings than Pacquiao vs. Hoya. As much as Oscar De La Hoya is considered "The Golden Boy," he’s not as entertaining a personality as Hatton. Maybe the best thing about this fight is the fact that it puts two guys in the ring who people actually like. Neither guy can or will play the bad guy. This fight would have no gimmicks and need no major marketing schemes. It would be a fight that boxing fans and mainstream fans could agree; the fight makes sense for the right reasons and not just the paycheck.

Hatton needed to get Pacquiao over here, in my opinion.

Thats not going to happen...

[kikibalt]

[kikibalt]

I remember life like that as a kid


Paul Ecke Sr. and his wife, Magdalena, sit on their porch in Encinitas
in 1925, two years after moving the family business from Los Angeles
to San Diego County. The house still stands on Ecke Ranch, and the
business has been in the family for four generations.

[kikibalt]

Merry Christmas everybody, and may you have a Happy News Years

From the Baltazar's

[raylawpc]

Frank
If you read the Gospel,Jesus liked to hang around poor people. I'm sure he ate menudo con pata somewhere along the way. i know a lot of people refer to him as a Jew. I don't want to start a religous controversy on the thread,but going to Catholic school and living in Mexico,I've never heard Jesus being called a Jew. Keeping that in mind,I could see Jesus today sitting in front of one of those carts in TJ with a bowl of menudo con pata in front of him with plenty of Kosher Korn torillas.

Explain to me how you correctly kill a cow? I bet Tom knows.

Yes, Tom knows . . .

Jews may only eat kosher mammals and birds that have been killed by Shechitah. Shechitah is killing the animal by slitting its throat with a very sharp knife. The animal must then have all the blood drained from it. Why? It is contrary to Jewish law to inflict pain on an animal. The theory is that a sharp knife cuts the carotid so that the animal loses consciousness before it feels pain.

There are also some rules about the perfection of the knife blade. And, even if the animal has been killed by Shechitah, an otherwise kosher animal becames unkoster is there is a problem with its internal organs. There is also a rule that a cow can't be killed if it stumbles when being led to slaughter. If that happens, the cow gets a 24-hour repreve.

So thats why my grandpa killed a goat that way, and we all thought he was nuts, but he told us that was the right way to kill the animal, we still told him he was nuts.....

Well, I'm glad somebody found the information useful.

[scartissue]

Can anyone here help identify any of these folks?


See hyperlink for more info.......with a name like CaliforniaJed doing the requesting, I'm thinking it may be a west coast connection somehow.

http://forum.boxrec.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=94025

This picture has been bothering me. I can't say I recognise anyone but the dude at the far left has been nagging at me. It's his ex-pug's nose that finally clicked. Isn't that a young or younger Freddie Brown? Rick, you met Brown when you sparred with Duran, what do you think?

Scartissue

That looks like a great call, Dan.
You know, in the most recent edition of Boxing Monthly they showed a pic of Freddie Brown with a young Duran - and labelled Freddie "Ray Arcel".

Man, I turn my back for one minute and four pages have elapsed. Just getting caught up here. Bennie, that kind of stuff always has annoyed me. I figure if these guys are getting paid to put out an issue of anything, they should be up on their homework. I remember when I was in my teens picking up a magazine and they had a fight poster at the back with a fighter in his pose and labelled, Carlos 'Teo' Cruz. Anyone would have thought I was nuts screaming, "That's not Teo Cruz, that's Ismael Laguna." Which is why I kept it to myself. But you get my drift.

Scartissue

[scartissue]

THE GIFT GIVER

I told you about the orphanages in Tijuana. Maybe you'd think they're in need. In a practical way ,they're not. I go to a few of them. They're off the old road going to Rosarito. The kids go to the local school. A bus picks them up and brings them back. The milk man delivers milk for free every morning. There's a big stainless steel kitchen. Lots of clothes and toys. The local business organizations like Rotary and Lions make sure everything is in order.

The thing that's not provided is parents. The orphens always approach every visitor as someone who's going to take them home and be their new Mommy or Daddy. That's why I don't go to the orphanages much anymore. I'd go back to my van and there's 20 kids piled inside. Telling them I couldn't take them with me was awful . I'd cry all the way back.

What I do now is load up the van with gift donations and drive to TJ and go to a poor barrio. I pick out a house with a lot of little kids outside. That's where I deliver the gifts. It usually goes like this.

I'll see someone near by. I'll ask if the family inside has a lot of kids. When I get the nod,I go to the door. A mother or grandmother in tatters will open the door. I point to my van. Its doors open.
"Los regalos. Para ti."
I'll get a pause. A look. I wave them on. Then everyone inside emerges and takes the the lawn bags full of clothes and toys inside the house.

Not a word is spoken . They're trying,probably, to understand what this meant. As I watch the last of the bags go inside,I only say one thing.
"Vaya con Dios."
I then get in the van and cry all the way back.

Roger, this message is from my wife Monica, who is most touched by what you write. Often, she is in tears, as she is now, after reading your words. As I sit at the comptor I'll often ask if she wants to hear Roger's latest story and she always drops what she's doing for a moment to read what you have written. Here is what she wanted me to write to you:

I often read your stories, Roger. They are very touching and beautiful. Often I am reminded of my life in Brazil. I would one day love to go to Tijuana with you and Maria and join in when you give gifts. In Brazil, I was a cosmetologist, and would often donate my time and services cutting hair for those who could not afford it. Ricky and I collect clothing during the year from friends who have beautiful wardrobes that they no longer use. We send it to Brazil, where my family distributes it to those in need. My father was the mayor of a small town in Bahia called Terra Nova, my mother was a school principal. My two older brothers are a dentist, and chemical engineer and I have a sister who is an architect. We were lucky to receieve a good education, but even so, things were tough. We moved to Salvador (the capitol of the state of Bahia) when I was young. Salvador, unlike Terra Nova, is a big city and despite it's beachside beauty, things are very challenging. Life can be dangerous, there is a great deal of desperation. Intelligent tourists do not wear fancy watches, etc. on the streets. As I reached my teens, my mother passed away and my new step mother put us all out on the street. I learned to survive but I did not follow the path of others put in such a situation. I was able to get by without stealing or selling myself. Eventually I found my way to Portugal where I found work, then Europe and then here. People in this country take so much for granted. I know what it is like to be hungry, not to have a doll to play with, to be bullied. The police in Brazil are corrupt, as in most third world countries. However, I love people and I love life. Like Maria, I've worked cleaning houses, taking care of children as a nanny, I worked as an interpreter, a hair stylist/make-up artist, I've built and reconditioned furniture, as a kid would make popsicles and sell them on the beach to tourists, whatever it took to survive. I always had a passion for dancing and did so in stage plays and also in shows during Carnival season. In Brazil, we do the Samba and I was dancing from the time I could walk, later being paid for it while involved with a Brazilian dance company. Despite the poverty and danger of Brazil, the culture of those in the North east is very relaxed and mellow. In Rio and Sao Paulo things are a lot more hectic. By the way, Sao Paolo's mayor is a former boxer, Eder Jofre, Ricky tells me. When we go to Brazil this year, Ricky will interview Jofre and, if necessary, I will translate. Ricky is learning to speak Portugese, but wants me to help him.

Reading your stories reveals a tremendous heart, a very special person. Please excuse me for interfering here, I know this forum is not my place, it's for you, Ricky and rest of your friends. However, your words and actions bring tears of happiness to my eyes. You have heart. God Bless you!

-Monica Farris

Monica, I think you've developed the ability of relating some of the most descriptive stories like that guy of yours. Man, I was blown away. Do not apologise for interfering here. You have a place at this message board anytime.

Dan

[dagosd2000]

THE GIFT GIVER

I told you about the orphanages in Tijuana. Maybe you'd think they're in need. In a practical way ,they're not. I go to a few of them. They're off the old road going to Rosarito. The kids go to the local school. A bus picks them up and brings them back. The milk man delivers milk for free every morning. There's a big stainless steel kitchen. Lots of clothes and toys. The local business organizations like Rotary and Lions make sure everything is in order.

The thing that's not provided is parents. The orphens always approach every visitor as someone who's going to take them home and be their new Mommy or Daddy. That's why I don't go to the orphanages much anymore. I'd go back to my van and there's 20 kids piled inside. Telling them I couldn't take them with me was awful . I'd cry all the way back.

What I do now is load up the van with gift donations and drive to TJ and go to a poor barrio. I pick out a house with a lot of little kids outside. That's where I deliver the gifts. It usually goes like this.

I'll see someone near by. I'll ask if the family inside has a lot of kids. When I get the nod,I go to the door. A mother or grandmother in tatters will open the door. I point to my van. Its doors open.
"Los regalos. Para ti."
I'll get a pause. A look. I wave them on. Then everyone inside emerges and takes the the lawn bags full of clothes and toys inside the house.

Not a word is spoken . They're trying,probably, to understand what this meant. As I watch the last of the bags go inside,I only say one thing.
"Vaya con Dios."
I then get in the van and cry all the way back.

Roger, this message is from my wife Monica, who is most touched by what you write. Often, she is in tears, as she is now, after reading your words. As I sit at the comptor I'll often ask if she wants to hear Roger's latest story and she always drops what she's doing for a moment to read what you have written. Here is what she wanted me to write to you:

I often read your stories, Roger. They are very touching and beautiful. Often I am reminded of my life in Brazil. I would one day love to go to Tijuana with you and Maria and join in when you give gifts. In Brazil, I was a cosmetologist, and would often donate my time and services cutting hair for those who could not afford it. Ricky and I collect clothing during the year from friends who have beautiful wardrobes that they no longer use. We send it to Brazil, where my family distributes it to those in need. My father was the mayor of a small town in Bahia called Terra Nova, my mother was a school principal. My two older brothers are a dentist, and chemical engineer and I have a sister who is an architect. We were lucky to receieve a good education, but even so, things were tough. We moved to Salvador (the capitol of the state of Bahia) when I was young. Salvador, unlike Terra Nova, is a big city and despite it's beachside beauty, things are very challenging. Life can be dangerous, there is a great deal of desperation. Intelligent tourists do not wear fancy watches, etc. on the streets. As I reached my teens, my mother passed away and my new step mother put us all out on the street. I learned to survive but I did not follow the path of others put in such a situation. I was able to get by without stealing or selling myself. Eventually I found my way to Portugal where I found work, then Europe and then here. People in this country take so much for granted. I know what it is like to be hungry, not to have a doll to play with, to be bullied. The police in Brazil are corrupt, as in most third world countries. However, I love people and I love life. Like Maria, I've worked cleaning houses, taking care of children as a nanny, I worked as an interpreter, a hair stylist/make-up artist, I've built and reconditioned furniture, as a kid would make popsicles and sell them on the beach to tourists, whatever it took to survive. I always had a passion for dancing and did so in stage plays and also in shows during Carnival season. In Brazil, we do the Samba and I was dancing from the time I could walk, later being paid for it while involved with a Brazilian dance company. Despite the poverty and danger of Brazil, the culture of those in the North east is very relaxed and mellow. In Rio and Sao Paulo things are a lot more hectic. By the way, Sao Paolo's mayor is a former boxer, Eder Jofre, Ricky tells me. When we go to Brazil this year, Ricky will interview Jofre and, if necessary, I will translate. Ricky is learning to speak Portugese, but wants me to help him.

Reading your stories reveals a tremendous heart, a very special person. Please excuse me for interfering here, I know this forum is not my place, it's for you, Ricky and rest of your friends. However, your words and actions bring tears of happiness to my eyes. You have heart. God Bless you!

-Monica Farris

Monica, I think you've developed the ability of relating some of the most descriptive stories like that guy of yours. Man, I was blown away. Do not apologise for interfering here. You have a place at this message board anytime.

Dan

Monica
Dan is right about that.

[Bobbin & Weavin]

Merry Christmas everybody, and may you have a Happy News Years

From the Baltazar's

Frank, & the Classic American West Coast Boxing Gang,
What a fun year this has been, keeping a daily eye on this thread, reading learning & getting to know you guys it has helped take away the stress of what is going on in our world.
I second the motion for everyone to have a great Holiday & lets make the New Year even better!
Here's to you!
Bruce
Bobbin & Weavin in NorCal

[scartissue]

Mel Epstein told me that Dave Shade had an "educated left hand".
He could jab in a variety of ways that would keep opponents off-
balance, breaking their timing. Many years later, Mike Tyson would
tell me that Shade was one of Cus D'Amato's all-time favorites.
A master boxer. (Image courtesy of John Bardelli)

-Rick Farris

A few pages back I asked Frank if he could access any of the stories from the boxing writers that were on that poster. Tad,Damon Runyan,Dan Parker,et al. Those guys wrote about the Dave Shades,Jack Brittons,Johnny Dundees,and the Bennie Leonards. The pugs who had 250 fights. The dawn of the scientific fighter. I have some old newspapers with reporting on the fights done by these writers. Sometimes I go to the newspaper archives on line to read about the fight the day after.

The last one I read was a New York Times review of the Leonard/Britton fight for Jack's Welter Title. Benny lost on a foul. Now there have been a lot of Jewish fight historians that have proclaimed that Benny didn't want Jack's title so he fouled the Irishman. That never settled right with me so I looked up the story from back when the fight happened 80 years ago. There was a round by round analysis. Britton was outpointing Leonard. Jack was ahead on the cards. It sounded like Benny's added weight had slowed him down.

Hap and Frank go back,but to go back further, going on line to the archives can give us some good obsrevations from the guys who were there.

Rog, I remember you mentioning this fight a few pages back and you piqued my interest. I too fell into that pool so many of us do where we believe what has been written so many times before. I had always read that Leonard was far ahead on the cards and simply did not want the title and deliberately fouled out in the 13th. It was, as you said, pure rubbish. I too subscribe to newspaper archive (what a great site, I never leave work without printing out some old fight reports to read on the train home. Some days I'm on a Zora Folley kick, or Ernie Lopez or Bob Satterfield, etc.) and read the report. It's one of those boxing myths that gained legs and has been running around out there forever. Britton was indeed way ahead on the cards and in the 13th Britton went down from either a low blow or a body blow, but then Leonard walked around the Ref and smacked him twice while Jack was on his knees. Maybe it detracted from the Leonard mythos how this story got turned around, but he was going to lose that fight in another two rounds. I'll tell you another fight story that has blown out of proportion. The first Ali-Cooper fight. How many times have we heard that Dundee widened an already torn glove on Ali after the 4th round to gain Ali precious time to recover from Cooper's left hook that decked him? I have heard 3-4 minutes over the years while the gloves were being changed, even from Dundee himself. You know what? It never happened. Dundee complained to the Ref, who would have none of it and the interval last 10-11 seconds longer. That was it! Boxing myths, my friends. I'll give you one more that no one seems to want to address on some of these old time ESPN shows and that is the Johnson-Ketchel fight. We all know the story. How Ketchel reneged on an agreement to take it easy but went for broke in the 12th round and decked Johnson. Well, I trust my baby blues and I have watched that knockdown so many times I could act it out. Watch as Ketchel throws this right hand that everyone on the planet Earth can see coming. Johnson's left foot is turning in and he's already falling. The right hand skids across the top of his head and does no damage. I think he simply fell over awkwardly and was embarrassed, which is why he just took Ketchel out. But he would have fallen over even if Ketchel hadn't touched him (and I really think I'm giving that right hand too much credit of even skidding across his head. It may not have even touched him). You can examine this knockdown on youtube as many times as you want. One of them really shows a good close-up. Anyways, that my exploding popular myths for the day.

Scartissue