Hap, as you know, Jack Dempsey owned a hotel on 6th St. & Bonnie Brae, in the MacArthur Park area. Today, on what would have been the corner is a vacant lot, probably not big enough for the hotel? However, right next door, is a fairly large hotel that appears to date back to the era and may have been Dempsey's. Dempsey's hotel was "The Barbara". This hotel is called "The Barbizon". Could the "Barbizon" have been Dempsey's "Barbara"? The spelling is close and so is the location.
I understand that Jack Kearns had Dempsey furnish all the suites with Baby Grand Pianos. Whenever Doc would become enamored with a young lady he'd present them with a Baby Grand from one of Dempsey's hotel rooms. There are a few memories of "The Barbara" in the Dempsey biography, "A Flame of Pure Fire".
I know the area pretty well. It's near Parnassus' old Elk's Club office on View Park. Suey Welch had an office on 3rd St. Mel Epstein lived in an apartment on Wilshire, the "Bryson", an older up-scale building owned by actor Fred MacMurray. Close by, on Union Ave., Suey's 30's heavyweight Hank Hankinson, shared an apartment with his girlfriend, a young actress, more than 75 years ago.
One night Hankinson went crazy and beat the woman to death. He then went to one of the bars that Suey owned and beat up his manager's brother Chang, who was behind the bar. Eventually Hankinson was sentenced to prison but got out after a couple of years. Shortly after his prison relaease, Hankinson and his new girlfriend were found dead in the woman's Ohio apartment. It was said the couple died from esphixiation, somebody had turned on the gas while the two slept. At least that was the story I heard. Hankinson had crossed a lot of people in this town.
-Rick Farris
I always thought the two hotels were one and the same, the Barbara and the Barbizon. I remember picking up old time Dempsey trainer Gus Wilson at the Barbizon, which I thought was on the corner of Sixth and Alvarado, kitty-corner from the old Westlake Park, later renamed McArthur Park. And you are spot on about Hankinson, whose real first name was Ellsworth, I believe.
BoxBuzz wrote:Ok my little contribution for 2009. Here is Madison Square Garden in Phoenix....a place I often went with my dad to see boxing...including the last Pro fight that Archie Moore fought vs Ted Dibiase. Back then it seemed a lot more elegant to look at. This pic makes it look like a junkyard...but it's all I could find.
The Madison Square Garden was demolished in 2005. No, not the venue in Manhattan that houses the Knicks. The Madison Square Garden in Phoenix had been a historic wrestling and boxing venue since 1929 and is noteworthy for its integrated audiences through the years. The Garden was torn down to make way for office buildings. 03-06
The Phoenix Madison Square Garden Museum, which is located within the Grace Court project, was created by Broadreach to commemorate the famed arena. The museum pays homage to Phoenix Madison Square Garden’s pugilistic and entertainment history through interpretive displays illustrating key events, activities and personalities, according to historian Vincent Murray.
Built in 1929 for professional boxing and wrestling matches and named after the famous venue in New York City, the largest indoor arena in Phoenix at the time soon became an established venue for many local entertainment acts, including Wayne Newton, Marty Robbins and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Duane Eddy who made his debut at Phoenix Madison Square Garden. These and other activities are memorialized on the bronze plaques mounted on a simulated boxing ring in a new wing of the Phoenix Historical Museum.
I hear they salvaged some of it and stuck chunks of it in this new museum located on the same land as I understand it. Any of you ever drop in and catch a fight or some music?
No offence, Buzz, but it looks like a great place to walk the dog.
Hap, as you know, Jack Dempsey owned a hotel on 6th St. & Bonnie Brae, in the MacArthur Park area. Today, on what would have been the corner is a vacant lot, probably not big enough for the hotel? However, right next door, is a fairly large hotel that appears to date back to the era and may have been Dempsey's. Dempsey's hotel was "The Barbara". This hotel is called "The Barbizon". Could the "Barbizon" have been Dempsey's "Barbara"? The spelling is close and so is the location.
I understand that Jack Kearns had Dempsey furnish all the suites with Baby Grand Pianos. Whenever Doc would become enamored with a young lady he'd present them with a Baby Grand from one of Dempsey's hotel rooms. There are a few memories of "The Barbara" in the Dempsey biography, "A Flame of Pure Fire".
I know the area pretty well. It's near Parnassus' old Elk's Club office on View Park. Suey Welch had an office on 3rd St. Mel Epstein lived in an apartment on Wilshire, the "Bryson", an older up-scale building owned by actor Fred MacMurray. Close by, on Union Ave., Suey's 30's heavyweight Hank Hankinson, shared an apartment with his girlfriend, a young actress, more than 75 years ago.
One night Hankinson went crazy and beat the woman to death. He then went to one of the bars that Suey owned and beat up his manager's brother Chang, who was behind the bar. Eventually Hankinson was sentenced to prison but got out after a couple of years. Shortly after his prison relaease, Hankinson and his new girlfriend were found dead in the woman's Ohio apartment. It was said the couple died from esphixiation, somebody had turned on the gas while the two slept. At least that was the story I heard. Hankinson had crossed a lot of people in this town.
-Rick Farris
I always thought the two hotels were one and the same, the Barbara and the Barbizon. I remember picking up old time Dempsey trainer Gus Wilson at the Barbizon, which I thought was on the corner of Sixth and Alvarado, kitty-corner from the old Westlake Park, later renamed McArthur Park. And you are spot on about Hankinson, whose real first name was Ellsworth, I believe.
hap navarro
Thanks Hap. It has to be the same hotel where you picked up Gus Wilson. In fact, I've learned in recent months, thru Kiki's posting of KO mags, that several managers took residence in the "The Barbara", Dempsey's old place, and Gus Wilson was one of them.
-Rick Farris
Last edited by Rick Farris on 13 Jan 2009, 15:15, edited 1 time in total.
BoxBuzz wrote:Ok my little contribution for 2009. Here is Madison Square Garden in Phoenix....a place I often went with my dad to see boxing...including the last Pro fight that Archie Moore fought vs Ted Dibiase. Back then it seemed a lot more elegant to look at. This pic makes it look like a junkyard...but it's all I could find.
The Madison Square Garden was demolished in 2005. No, not the venue in Manhattan that houses the Knicks. The Madison Square Garden in Phoenix had been a historic wrestling and boxing venue since 1929 and is noteworthy for its integrated audiences through the years. The Garden was torn down to make way for office buildings. 03-06
The Phoenix Madison Square Garden Museum, which is located within the Grace Court project, was created by Broadreach to commemorate the famed arena. The museum pays homage to Phoenix Madison Square Garden’s pugilistic and entertainment history through interpretive displays illustrating key events, activities and personalities, according to historian Vincent Murray.
Built in 1929 for professional boxing and wrestling matches and named after the famous venue in New York City, the largest indoor arena in Phoenix at the time soon became an established venue for many local entertainment acts, including Wayne Newton, Marty Robbins and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Duane Eddy who made his debut at Phoenix Madison Square Garden. These and other activities are memorialized on the bronze plaques mounted on a simulated boxing ring in a new wing of the Phoenix Historical Museum.
I hear they salvaged some of it and stuck chunks of it in this new museum located on the same land as I understand it. Any of you ever drop in and catch a fight or some music?
No offence, Buzz, but it looks like a great place to walk the dog.
Lots of "street walkers" used to move around that part of Van Buren when I was in Phoenix. There had been a MAcDonalds right next door, on the other side of the building that we see in the photo. However, there was no business so MacDonalds closed shop.
This has been posted before but I make no apologies for positing it again as I really like the pic!! Obviously we all know who they are, I believe their dad posts on here occasionally!! :)
Two born and bred warriors. They were at the tail end of a great era just before boxing started to slide a bit. Both of them fought some tough guys and some tough fights. Great photo.
Frank, glad to see you were able to get these fights on youtube. Nothing I tried worked.
Randy
Randy...some guy in N.J is doing it, I send him the DVDs and he is doing the hard work...
When I get a chance, I'll put them in a custum player so each fight can be viewed in it's entirety.
It'll make them easier to view. Sometime during the week or this weekend, I would like to post the videos on the website. I'm glad they'll finally get a chance to be viewed.
Chuck1052 wrote:I am sorry to learn that Bernard Docusen, a top welterweight with a beautiful boxing style who was active during the 1940s and 1950s, has passed away. It is my hope that his family, friends and fans accept my condolences.
- Chuck Johnston
My condolences to the family and friends of Bernard Docusen. I never saw him fight but if he fought Sugar Ray Robinson and lost by a close decision, he had to be great, especially when you consider that he fought Robinson when Robinson was at his peak, as the welterweight champ. Even more telling is that Docusen never got a rematch or another crack at the title.
dagosd2000 wrote:Frank
I mean this. I've met Junior twice. I wish I had his disposition. Down to Earth. Easy going. Not all wrapped up in himself. I work on it all the time,but when I meet someone like Frankie,I wish I was him.
Rog...Its true what you say about Frankie, he is the sweetest guy outside the ring you'll ever meet.
I gotta tell you Frank, I really like Frankie. A real nice guy. It's nice to see an exfighter fit and healthy and doing good. As Mel Epstein would say "He's a deserving guy". I always took that as the ultimate compliment and that's how I mean it as well. By the way, the same goes for you. They say the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree.
The World Boxing Hall of Fame (WBHF) held their election this past weekend and it’s official: Armando Muñiz has been voted the new President of the non-profit organization. The former welterweight’s two-year term begins immediately.
The WBHF was founded in 1979 and is based in Los Angeles, California. Muñiz joined the group just one year after its inception, giving him the distinction of having the most “seniority” on the board. He also helps plan their annual Celebrity Golf Tournament, an event held in the summer since 1998. And Muñiz is no stranger with being the group’s leader. In his 29 years with the organization, he served a previous term as President in 2005 and 2006. A highlight of this first tenure was having Roberto ”Manos de Piedra” Duran fly in for the 2006 banquet weekend.
Muñiz has a lengthy list of boxing credentials. In 1968, he represented the United States in the Mexico City Olympics and was a National AAU Welterweight Champion in 1969 and 1970. Turning pro, Muñiz (44-14-1, 30 KOs) fought Gil King, Emile Griffith, Eddie Perkins, Hedgemon Lewis, Carlos Palomino and Sugar Ray Leonard among many others. He’s frequently referred to as the “uncrowned champion” in the aftermath of his 1975 fight against Jose “Mantequilla” Napoles that resulted in a controversial decision that went to Napoles.
That bout in Mexico, a personal injustice to Muñiz, is something that he has come to grips with over the years, “Ironically, the highlight of my career was the loss of my first title fight to Jose Napoles. I lost it–but I won in the long run because people treat me like I won. I wouldn’t be here without the fans. I don’t want to give up trying to do the best I can but…I didn’t get the full benefits of winning. Things would be much, much different if I had won. But at the same time, God did it for a reason.”
Married for over 40 years to Yolanda, the Riverside couple has three children and five grandchildren. A former full-time teacher, he now works as a substitute teacher and has a bail bonds business with one of his sons. Their company motto is “I’ll Fight Until You’re Out.” A supportive bunch, the Muñiz family always volunteers their services at the banquet–you’ll find the friendly Yolanda in charge of the WBHF souvenir booths at the yearly gathering. And the pugilistic gene runs in the Muñiz clan; his nephew is boxer Oscar Muñiz (39-8-4, 23 KOs), who fought Jeff Chandler twice and was a regular on Olympic Auditorium fight cards.
To celebrate his victory, Muñiz said he wants to keep having fundraising events that will generate funds to help others while also allowing boxing fans to interact with the champs as well. As President, he will rely on his Executive Committee and dedicated Board of Directors, “I will involve them in the decisions I make and the Board of Directors and I will decide together what our next fundraiser will be.”
Muñiz is a boxing purist and a proud representative of the sport, “Please don’t compare our sport to MMA. I know we’re losing a lot of fans to it, but I want people to know boxing is sport of art, integrity, responsibility and kindness–and it should be admired.”
The former fighter has been honored by his peers many times. The most recent was his June 2008 induction into the inaugural World Boxing Council (WBC) Hall of Fame at their grand opening of the WBC Legends of Boxing Museum. He was also an inductee in the California Boxing Hall of Fame’s 2007 class.
Muñiz has remained close to the boxing community through the years and continues to work with youth programs. With his renewed role as WBHF President, he has the opportunity to reach out and help others in need, especially with other boxers. The ex-boxer will be attending the January 17 benefit dinner for former WBC Champion Genaro Hernandez, who was diagnosed with cancer three months ago. His compadre Muñiz welcomes the chance to support a fellow fighter, “I would like to be a big help to “Chicanito” and others. We have to find a way to take care of our boxers when insurance won’t take of them. He isn’t the first to need help and he won’t be the last.”
The 2007 and 2008 President Adolfo Perez was also running for reelection and will stay on as a Board of Director. Under the guidance and leadership of Perez, the WBHF held various fundraisers through his presidency including a Women in Boxing Awards Banquet, a Thanksgiving charity event and last week’s toy giveaway at an L.A. school, which was his last public event as President.
New President Muñiz will continue the group’s fundraising efforts to have their own museum where they can showcase boxing memorabilia while honoring fighters of the past. Their mission statement is ”Where champions live forever” and the new leader promises to continue their quest, “I want to make (founder) Everett Sanders’ first dream a reality. We can’t waste time; we want to produce a museum for the fans.”
He has many goals for this year but the WBHF’s annual banquet is always their main focus, ”I want to make sure we have an outstanding dinner with the Banquet of Champions. I want it to be a success and choose credible electees to the Hall. I’m a diehard. I will not be part of it unless it’s a quality Hall of Fame with the best in history entitled to become Hall of Famers.”
The WBHF will continue to work towards their ultimate goal of building a museum.
For updates on all WBHF events, please continue to check this website.
kikibalt wrote:
Sam Langford & Jimmy "The Baron" Doughtery
Circa 1923
Fellas:
Jim Doughtery was the very first out-of-state referee imported to work a California show after the law legalizing boxing was passed.(late 1924)
The date was February 23, 1925; the site was San Francisco's Recreation Park, and in the main event Joe Benjamin decisioned Jack Silver in a ten-round elimination match to find a new lightweight champion after Benny Leonard had retired. Ace Hudkins was also among the contenders for the vacant throne.
kikibalt wrote:
Sam Langford & Jimmy "The Baron" Doughtery
Circa 1923
Fellas:
Jim Doughtery was the very first out-of-state referee imported to work a California show after the law legalizing boxing was passed.(late 1924)
The date was February 23, 1925; the site was San Francisco's Recreation Park, and in the main event Joe Benjamin decisioned Jack Silver in a ten-round elimination match to find a new lightweight champion after Benny Leonard had retired. Ace Hudkins was also among the contenders for the vacant throne.
hap navarro
Hap . . . The name Joe Benjamin brings to mind a few personal stories that my good friend Karl Nelson told me. As a child, Nelson grew up in the same neighborhood as Dempsey's home, the one near Western Ave. Karl's future father-in-law, actor/gangster/boxer Lee Moore was one of Dempsey's close friends, and among the gang that hung out at Dempsey's place was Joe Benjamin. As a child, Karl said that the boxers would allow the neighborhood kids in to watch the boxers train in a backyard gym Dempsey had set up, complete with a ring. After the fighters fininshed their workouts, they'd match up the kids off the street, tying gloves on them and letting them fight to exhaustion as they tried to impress the Heavyweight champ, if he was watching.
When the kids got to be a pain-in-the-ass, as kid's usually do, Karl said Benjamin would run the kids off. Thanks for the history relating to Dougherty, and the elimiantion match. Good to hear the name Ace Hudkins, as well. Now I'm curious. Did Benjamin and Hudkins ever fight? I'll hit Boxrec up for that answer.
By the way, I'm heading to the Barbizon later this week with a camera. I doubt I'll find one person with any knowledge of the building's history, but I'll dig something up. I'll have Frank post the pictures. You see, there was a time when I had people I saw every day that knew the building, the history & the players. They taught me a lot, but I never asked about this building back when these people were alive. They are all long gone today.
kikibalt wrote:
Sam Langford & Jimmy "The Baron" Doughtery
Circa 1923
Fellas:
Jim Doughtery was the very first out-of-state referee imported to work a California show after the law legalizing boxing was passed.(late 1924)
The date was February 23, 1925; the site was San Francisco's Recreation Park, and in the main event Joe Benjamin decisioned Jack Silver in a ten-round elimination match to find a new lightweight champion after Benny Leonard had retired. Ace Hudkins was also among the contenders for the vacant throne.
hap navarro
Hap . . . The name Joe Benjamin brings to mind a few personal stories that my good friend Karl Nelson told me. As a child, Nelson grew up in the same neighborhood as Dempsey's home, the one near Western Ave. Karl's future father-in-law, actor/gangster/boxer Lee Moore was one of Dempsey's close friends, and among the gang that hung out at Dempsey's place was Joe Benjamin. As a child, Karl said that the boxers would allow the neighborhood kids in to watch the boxers train in a backyard gym Dempsey had set up, complete with a ring. After the fighters fininshed their workouts, they'd match up the kids off the street, tying gloves on them and letting them fight to exhaustion as they tried to impress the Heavyweight champ, if he was watching.
When the kids got to be a pain-in-the-ass, as kid's usually do, Karl said Benjamin would run the kids off. Thanks for the history relating to Dougherty, and the elimiantion match. Good to hear the name Ace Hudkins, as well. Now I'm curious. Did Benjamin and Hudkins ever fight? I'll hit Boxrec up for that answer.
By the way, I'm heading to the Barbizon later this week with a camera. I doubt I'll find one person with any knowledge of the building's history, but I'll dig something up. I'll have Frank post the pictures. You see, there was a time when I had people I saw every day that knew the building, the history & the players. They taught me a lot, but I never asked about this building back when these people were alive. They are all long gone today.
Rick Farris
Rick:
You are right about Dempsey and Benjamin. I understand they were extremely close and got together often whenever Jack traveled to the west coast.
In another bit of trivia, the only fighter who was managed by not one, but two "Barons" was the great George Godfrey. During most of his career he was guided by Jim Dougherty, the so-called "Baron of Leiperville, (Pa.) After he retired and made a brief comeback in 1937 he signed on with a real German Baron, Henry Von Stumme, who got him a match against deadly punching Hank Hankinson at the Olympic. In a riotous finish, Hank kayoed Godfrey, with Max Baer as referee.
In a crazy finale, Baer retired Hankinson by kayoing him in a round sometime later at Honolulu, I believe.
You are right about Dempsey and Benjamin. I understand they were extremely close and got together often whenever Jack traveled to the west coast.
In another bit of trivia, the only fighter who was managed by not one, but two "Barons" was the great George Godfrey. During most of his career he was guided by Jim Dougherty, the so-called "Baron of Leiperville, (Pa.) After he retired and made a brief comeback in 1937 he signed on with a real German Baron, Henry Von Stumme, who got him a match against deadly punching Hank Hankinson at the Olympic. In a riotous finish, Hank kayoed Godfrey, with Max Baer as referee.
In a crazy finale, Baer retired Hankinson by kayoing him in a round sometime later at Honolulu, I believe.
Hap . . . I heard Hankinson could bang, but that he also had a weak chin? I've heard that he was a good looking guy and got close to the film industry, dating a lot of actresses including Suey's old friend, Mae West. As Hankinson's appeal diminished, so did the level of actress whom he'd hook up with. The night he beat the young girl to death, he went directly to Suey Welch's bar, he had a money dispute (?), and he took it out on Suey's brother Chang, who was the bartender. Chang Welch was in a coma for two weeks as a result of the beating.
Suey didn't talk about Hankinson, at least not with me, however a couple of Suey's friends did. This is a very interesting and important part of L.A.'s boxing history. There is no bigger name in boxing history than Jack Dempsey. Ali was Ali, Louis was Louis, and Dempsey was Dempsey. All three were huge, but none bigger than Dempsey. And a lot of Dempsey news would flow from Los Angeles. Some of the great Dempsey's brightest and darkest moments took place in the City of Angels.
kikibalt wrote:
Gerry Cooney
Caesars Palace...Las Vegas
June 1982
Man, I was a big Cooney fan back when he was coming up.
All my Irish hooligan friends at that time loved the guy too.
Geery could have done something big I believe if he wasnt brought along fighting the guys he fought early in his career.
The whacko Twins Mike Jones and Dennis Rappaport threw him in way too easy for way too long.
Geery was an astute sensitive guy and I think this really played on his confidence.
He must have asked himself why his trainers were setting him up with so many easy fights.
He must have thought to himself, "is it because I cant fight"?
That doesnt do a fighter any good to think that way.
Then all of a sudden hes in there with Holmes.
Cooney fought well and lost to a great champion.No shame in that.
Problem was, his confidence was all ready a little wobbly before he fought Larry because of the way he was brought along.
After that fight,the problem got worse.
kikibalt wrote:
Gerry Cooney
Caesars Palace...Las Vegas
June 1982
Man, I was a big Cooney fan back when he was coming up.
All my Irish hooligan friends at that time loved the guy too.
Geery could have done something big I believe if he wasnt brought along fighting the guys he fought early in his career.
The whacko Twins Mike Jones and Dennis Rappaport threw him in way too easy for way too long.
Geery was an astute sensitive guy and I think this really played on his confidence.
He must have asked himself why his trainers were setting him up with so many easy fights.
He must have thought to himself, "is it because I cant fight"?
That doesnt do a fighter any good to think that way.
Then all of a sudden hes in there with Holmes.
Cooney fought well and lost to a great champion.No shame in that.
Problem was, his confidence was all ready a little wobbly before he fought Larry because of the way he was brought along.
After that fight,the problem got worse.
I have to say that Cooney's "low blow" in the Holmes fight was one of my all-time favorite punches. When I saw Larry agonizing on the deck, clutching his cajones, I thought, "regardless of what happens, Cooney did OK."
kikibalt wrote:
Gerry Cooney
Caesars Palace...Las Vegas
June 1982
Man, I was a big Cooney fan back when he was coming up.
All my Irish hooligan friends at that time loved the guy too.
Geery could have done something big I believe if he wasnt brought along fighting the guys he fought early in his career.
The whacko Twins Mike Jones and Dennis Rappaport threw him in way too easy for way too long.
Geery was an astute sensitive guy and I think this really played on his confidence.
He must have asked himself why his trainers were setting him up with so many easy fights.
He must have thought to himself, "is it because I cant fight"?
That doesnt do a fighter any good to think that way.
Then all of a sudden hes in there with Holmes.
Cooney fought well and lost to a great champion.No shame in that.
Problem was, his confidence was all ready a little wobbly before he fought Larry because of the way he was brought along.
After that fight,the problem got worse.
Brian, I agree with what you said. I wrote this on another site a few years ago.....
....... You had to love the big guy. One of the hardest punching heavyweight but he suffered from the Tommy Hearns syndrome, BIG punch and soft chin. My honest opinion is he did not really want to be a fighter. I don't know what his reasons were that made him become one, but I always had the feeling his heart wasn't in it. Not that he lacked heart, he had plenty of it. On the way to his title fight with Larry Holmes he had a string of knockouts including Ron Lyle, an equally hard puncher, and Ken Norton. He lost to Holmes in a pretty good fight in 1982, but I think the pressure put on him by the media had a lot to do with his losing, almost as much as Holmes did. He fought a few more times before being stopped by both Michael Spinks and George Foreman, a pretty big puncher himself. One of the truly nice guys of boxing.
You are right about Dempsey and Benjamin. I understand they were extremely close and got together often whenever Jack traveled to the west coast.
In another bit of trivia, the only fighter who was managed by not one, but two "Barons" was the great George Godfrey. During most of his career he was guided by Jim Dougherty, the so-called "Baron of Leiperville, (Pa.) After he retired and made a brief comeback in 1937 he signed on with a real German Baron, Henry Von Stumme, who got him a match against deadly punching Hank Hankinson at the Olympic. In a riotous finish, Hank kayoed Godfrey, with Max Baer as referee.
In a crazy finale, Baer retired Hankinson by kayoing him in a round sometime later at Honolulu, I believe.
Hap . . . I heard Hankinson could bang, but that he also had a weak chin? I've heard that he was a good looking guy and got close to the film industry, dating a lot of actresses including Suey's old friend, Mae West. As Hankinson's appeal diminished, so did the level of actress whom he'd hook up with. The night he beat the young girl to death, he went directly to Suey Welch's bar, he had a money dispute (?), and he took it out on Suey's brother Chang, who was the bartender. Chang Welch was in a coma for two weeks as a result of the beating.
Suey didn't talk about Hankinson, at least not with me, however a couple of Suey's friends did. This is a very interesting and important part of L.A.'s boxing history. There is no bigger name in boxing history than Jack Dempsey. Ali was Ali, Louis was Louis, and Dempsey was Dempsey. All three were huge, but none bigger than Dempsey. And a lot of Dempsey news would flow from Los Angeles. Some of the great Dempsey's brightest and darkest moments took place in the City of Angels.
-Rick Farris[/quote]
Rick, you said it right about Jack Dempsey. When I was growing up he was my hero. There are none bigger. It was Jack Dempsey and Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller). I'm surprised that someone has not made the definitive movie about Dempsey. A real movie.
Brian, speaking of Irish fighters, I wrote this brief comment on Mickey walker a while back.....
...After Jack Dempsey no other fighter epitomized Boxing better than Mickey Walker during the Roaring Twenties, and surely no fighter better epitomized the Irish fighter than Walker. Quite an accomplishment in an era of great Irish fighters. Walker was pure hell in and out of the ring. He was a hard drinking, hard fighting, womanizing Son of a B****, in other words he was an Irishman. He didn't box, he threw punches nonstop round after round and Winning the Welterweight and the Middleweight Titles in the process. He was managed by the legendary manager (and con man) Jack Kearns. Walkers Moniker Was the Toy Bulldog and at five foot seven, and pug nosed he lived up to it, fighting everyone from welters to heavyweights, here's a small sampling; Jack Britton, Pete Latzo, Lew Tendler, Mike McTigue, Harry Greb, Tiger Flowers, Paul Belenbach, Ace Hudkins, Tommy loughran, Jack Sharkey, Max Scmeling, Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom, and Young Corbett II. The final stats are; 163 bouts 93 wins 19 losses 4 draws 60 KO's 46 no decisions 1 no contest. Like old movies, cars and dames, they don't make'em like this anymore. Another tip o'the hat to the Irish.
