Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

Chico Vejar and Art Aragon

[dagosd2000]

Two of the nicest guys around.

[dagosd2000]

Chico Vejar and Art Aragon

Frank
It looks like they're at a bar.

[kikibalt]

Chico Vejar and Art Aragon

Frank
It looks like they're at a bar.

Probably were.....

[dagosd2000]

[Rick Farris]

Rick
Do you know if the old Chaplin studios still exist?

Yeah, Rog. Today it's known as A&M Records on La Brea. The Charlie Chaplin Stage, is the only film stage on the property, which housed A&M Exec.s Herb Albert & Jerry Moss for years. Most of it is recording studios and the stage has been used for commercials, music videos, etc. On the Chaplain Stage, I'd have the great pleasure of working on a legendary music video, "We Are The World". And the best musician's in the world chipped in on this 80's Quincy Jones production. A few years back, A&M was bought out by a conglomerate, but the Chaplain Stg. is still a busy filming location and the recording studios, as well.

-Rick

Rick
Thanks for getting back to me on that.

One more quick one. Did DesiLu buy RKO Studios,and are those studios still around?

Roger . . . Desilu bought out RKO from Howard Hughes. There were two studio lots involved. One was just four stages on Melrose and Gower, which became the Desilu Studios. That small studio was on the corner right next door to, and are now a part of, Paramount Studios. The other was a much bigger studio in Culver City that had Originally been the old Selznick Studio where they shot "Gone With The Wind". Hughes had bought it from Selznick and changed the name to RKO Pathe. The studio was then sold along with the Melrose stages to Desilu, and became Desilu Pathe. That lot is now known as Culver City Studios and can still be seen off Washington Blvd. by the big Mount Vernon building out in front. Amazing history to that Studio, in fact, same can be said of all studio lots.

Desi Arnaz was a very gifted man. He created the formula for which TV live-audience sit coms are produced. He used multipie cameras and shot the "I Love Lucy" TV show like stage play, as opposed to shooting out of continuity as we do on common film productions. Another little history. It was an old German cinematographer named Karl Fruend, who invented the "zoom lens" for Desi's "Lucy" production. Before that all camera lens' were fixed-focal length "prime" lenses. The zoom lens is one of the greatest photographic inventions to date and it was originated thanks to Desi Arnaz suggestion to the brilliant cameraman.

Lucy had a rep as strong, talented and cheap. She new how to keep a project "under budget". Desi Arnaz was a great business man, and a great ladies man.

-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Chico Vejar and Art Aragon

Frank
It looks like they're at a bar.

Probably were.....

I can't believe it! It must just be a desk top, or something. Roger, boxers are athletes and they do not drink alcholic beverages. That's what mom told me when I was a kid. I'm surprised Frank didn't know that?

-Rick

[Rick Farris]

deleted

[Rick Farris]

Alejandro Lavorante vs Zora Folley

That young ref looks like the "Professor", the late George Latka.

-Rick

[kikibalt]

Alejandro Lavorante vs Zora Folley

That young ref looks like the "Professor", the late George Latka.

-Rick

It is George Latka...

[Boxingnut]

That's kinda cool, Rog. What in the hell is it?

Its a pair of gloves isn't it?

[kikibalt]

George Parnassus, Ricardo "Pajarito" Moreno & ctiy councilman Ed Roybal

[Rick Farris]

George Latka . . .

I spoke with George Latka's wife Trudie, recently. She told me that George grew up in Gary, Indiana, where he and Tony Zale were best of friends. It was a friendship that stayed strong right to their deaths. Trudie invited me to their home in Huntington Beach, where George's office is full blown boxing museum. She has many letters and correspondences between her husband and Zale. A lot of intersting history.

-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

That's kinda cool, Rog. What in the hell is it?

Its a pair of gloves isn't it?

Of course. I was still wiping the sleep out of my eyes when I first checked it out.

-Rick

[Rick Farris]

Damn. Roger, that would make a great cover for the WBHOF Program. Beautiful.

-Rick

[kikibalt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhJ_eARg7NU
Jerry Quarry vs Jack Bodell

[dagosd2000]

Damn. Roger, that would make a great cover for the WBHOF Program. Beautiful.

-Rick

Rick
You guys decide,but I think the painting should be generic like the boxing gloves. I'll post another one I call the "Knockout"

[dagosd2000]

The Knockout

[Boxingnut]

The Knockout

F**king hell that is amazing!!

[kikibalt]

Henry Armstrong & co.

[Rick Farris]

Damn. Roger, that would make a great cover for the WBHOF Program. Beautiful.

-Rick

Rick
You guys decide,but I think the painting should be generic like the boxing gloves. I'll post another one I call the "Knockout"

I agree with you. I look forward to seeing the "knockout". I'm really excited about the boxng gloves. Any verbage necessary (and I mean minimal) could be laid over it. I'm going to call Mando right now. I know the event is months off, however, I just hope the event equals the program cover. You really did a great job.

-Rick

[kikibalt]

Art Aragon vs Teddy "Red Top" Davis

[kikibalt]

CHAMPIONS WASTELAND ; SHOZO SAIJO
By Jim Amato


Today with so many governing bodies and organizations around it has become very hard to take someone’s claim of ” world champion ” seriously. I mean there is the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBA and God knows how many more will pop up in the future. Split titles are not anything new to boxing but in days gone by it was a lot less complicated. As much as I hated it when either the WBA or the WBC ” stripped ” a champion of his crown for some bogus reason and then ” made ” his own champion. At least it kept the rift between just two claimants. In some cases there were much needed unification fights like Bob Foster and Vincente Rondon or Carlos Monzon against Rodrigo Valdez. There were also cases where a unification bout would have generated a lot of fan interest and cleared up the situation but they never came off. Some bouts that come to mind are Salvador Sanchez vs Eusebio Pedroza, John Conteh vs Victor Galindez and Carlos Palomino vs. Pipino Cuevas. There is one bout that could have taken place in 1971 pitting two champions from Japan who each claimed a portion of the featherweight title. They were WBC titleholder Kuniaki Shibata and his WBA rival, Shozo Saijo. Alas the fight never materialized. It seems that today Shibata is still remembered as the man who made great Vincente Saldivar surrender. What about poor Shozo Saijo? He has been long forgotten outside of Japan and somehow that just does not seem quite fair.

Saijo was born in 1947 and turned pro in 1964. Shozo was not an instant sensation and over his first twenty fights he compiled a less then earth shaking 14-4-2 records. In 1968 he lost a decision to the highly regarded Jose Luis Pimentel. In a rematch Saijo turned the tables and he got the verdict. That led to a fight with the rugged Raul Rojas.After the retirement of Saldivar, Rojas defeated Enrique Higgins to claim the vacant WBA featherweight title. Rojas was matched with Saijo in a non-title battle and Saijo copped the decision. On September 27th, 1968 in a rematch with the title on the line Saijo became the new WBA champion.

Saijo did not just sit on his laurels. He was a very active champion who defended his title five times and won seven of eight non-title affairs. His only loss was to WBA super featherweight champion Hiroshi Kobayashi with no title at stake. Finally on September 2nd, 1971 Shozo lost his championship when he was hallted in five rounds by Venezuala’s Antonio Gomez. Saijo never fought again. His overall record stood at 29-7-2. He scored eight stoppage victories and suffered only one knockout loss and that was to Gomez. The path of Saijo and Shibata never crossed when they both held the title at the same time.Shibata held his portion of the title from 12-11-1970 to 5-19-1972. Saijo had a longer reign from 9-27-1968 to 9-2-1971, holding his piece of the crown for nearly three years. A champion like Saijo should not be forgotten.

[Rick Farris]

Armando Muniz . . .

Hey Roger, Mando just popped into the site and checked out the story you wrote about his bouts with Napoles and he also saw both your paintings. I'll wait and let Mando tell you himself what he thought, but it was not unlike my reaction. By the way, "The Knockout" is really something. Mando was honored by your story and impressed with what we do on this thread. He has bookmarked the site and would like to answer any questions any of us might. I'll help him get started here, he's got to sign-up, etc. By the way, Mando's in the process of printing out the story, "I want to show my friends", he said proudly.

Thank you again for taking the time to paint and post your art. It's really going to enhance the cover of our program. What a kind contribution.

-Rick Farris

[Expug]

Outstanding idea for Rog to do the artwork for the program.
Perfect.Im already looking forward to the next banquet.Cant wait to see Rog's work also!