Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

JACK'S ISLAND

Jack's Island was in a section of Logan that was really down and out. A cop told me that that area was the herion center of San Diego. During the day that part of town barely moved. That's because all the hypes were still sleeping. At night the shadows,as I called the hypes, would be moving like cockroaches. Lost souls lurking through the alleys and between cars. Anything that they could grab and trade in for a fix was their prey. In the middle of it all was Jack's Island.

Me and some black guys from Logan got ourselves a snootfull and we talked ourselves to giving Jack's Island a whirl. I parked the car right in front of the open door. I wanted to be able to see the car at all times. As dark as the neighborhood was inside, the Island didn't add much to the illumination. A bar with eight stools,four booths,and a pool table. There were no pictures on the wall. No sports emblems. A mirror behind the bar. That was it. The shadows would be walking around outside. Sometimes they'd stumble in and have word with the bartender who was this old Mexican guy who wore a stained apron. Couldn't hear what was discussed. Every shadow that walked in went over to the bartender ,said something,and walked out. Me and the black guys from Logan ordered some bottles of beer. The refigeration must have been turned down because the beer tasted stale.

The only lights in the place were behind the bar next to the mirror. The bartender didn't feel like talking to us. He just smoked a cigarette and leaned on the bar. There was a juke box with a bunch of 45 records. I walked over thinking some music would perk up the joint. Most of the songs were Mexican. I put in four quarters. When the music came on it was so low you could hardly hear it. I didn't bother asking the bartender to turn it up.

Me and my pals sat there thinking what to do next. About half way through the beers we decided that we had vacationed enough at Jack's Island. I put a quarter on the bar and we walked out.The bartender didn't say anything.

As we walked out the door another shadow went by us. He was rubbing his nose.
"Well we got that curiosity out of our system,"I said to my friends.
They kind of gave a laugh.
"You know,"I said. "There was more intrigue wondering what it was like before we went inside."
As I said that,the shadow that had passed by us at the door emerged outside rubbing his nose.

Roger . . . I spoke with El Gato's lady Barb this morning, she said he'd check in a little later. She said he had some news regarding Logan, wanted to share it with you. Possibly something about a gym the champ might run. Sounds like the right neighborhood for a gym. Boxing gyms thrive in areas haunted by "shadows". Wouldn't it be great to have a "real" boxing gym close by, one supervised by a real "old school" boxing legend.

We'll see what happens.

-Rick Farris

Rick
There used to be a boxing gym near Jack's Island. I used to work upstairs at the Probation School for boys. Couldn't do much teaching. The kids wanted to go downstairs and box.

[dagosd2000]

L.A. Cut Men . . .

Today everyone is a specialist. Used to be a boxer's manager or trainer would work on cuts. Some were better than others and most had their own "medicine". When I was with Johnny Flores I never cut, so I never gave it much thought, however if I had been cut, Johnny would have handled it. I know that Johnny had his own special cut "formula" and it was a medicine that surgeons used to stop internal bleeding during stomach surgery. Johnny said that it stopped major hemmoraging in surgery in less than five seconds.

When Flores worked the corner of his heavyweight, Jerry Quarry, Teddy Bentham was Quarry's trainer/cutman in the gym and between rounds. Teddy was great with cuts and had worked with world champ Carlos Ortiz for years, as well as other greats. Bentham had come up in New York, and was around guys like Whitey Bimstein and other's who knew how to stop bleeding. Teddy worked my corner twice, along with Johnnie & Julio Flores.

When I was with Mel Epstein, Mel made sure he had somebody else capable of handling a cut, usually Johnny Villaflor worked my corner. Mel was half blind and his hands were shakey, he'd have turned a simple slice into blood bath. Mel knew boxing strategy, but you didn't want him wrapping your hands or trying to seal a cut. Once, Mel used Jerry Beldering, who was of no use in a corner beyond carrying the bucket and handing in the water bottle. Jerry was a guy who hung around boxing gyms but really didn't know much about the game. He was not a teacher, although I saw him trying to teach others. He'd work corners of top guys occasionally, like Art Hafey, but in the corner he was a lost ball in high grass. If you needed somebody to carry something, Jerry was your guy, but that was it. Luckily, I didn't cut when Jerry was in the corner.

Phil Silvers also was an L.A. corner man, but I don't know how good he was at stopping bleeding. Back in those days, guys wore many hats in the corner. Today, I recall an up and coming young boxer, Francisco "Panchito" Bojado. Here was a kid who turned pro young after doing well in the Olympics. Racked up a few wins and soon had a whole entourage, Joe Chavez was his hand wrapper/cutman, A guy named Rob, who was De La Hoya's nutritionist/conditioning trainer was brought in to "condition" Panchito's body, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. would actually "train" the boxer, and there was an internet mgr, and there was a PR man, and their was a physician on the payroll as "camp doctor", and the attorney, and there was Bojado's dad, collecting a check for making sure his son got up early every morning to run, and then there was Shelly Finkle, his "advisor". Keep in mind this young fighter hasn't yet reached the top ten, or even the top twenty. As it turned out, they spoiled a great prospect, ruined him with Bullshit. The kid thought he was already a champ, and lost his drive, he finally lost to an old vet, and today is nothing more than a De La Hoya sparring partner.

Too many specialists.

-Rick Farris

Rick
You've really been on a roll lately with your stories on LA. area boxing. You could put that stuff together and have a nice little book. Throw in Frank's photos and you've got something that's a credit to the sport and to good writing. BTW. I suggested this last year. Hey the 14th is coming up. Brian's post on Indian Red.

Roger . . . As the first anniversary for "Classic American West Coast Boxing" approaches, we are pushing 15,000 posts and 600 pages. Instead of fizzling out, we just get stronger. This is only the tip of the iceberg, I think we're going to around for awhile?

As for the book, I'll do the writing if Frank will help me with the pics. And Rog, if I'm able to turn out something decent, would you consider doing a painting for the book cover? I'm serious- I'm going to write the book!

-Ricardo

NO PROBLEMA

[dagosd2000]

For about 25 years I used to go to a barber shop, "Jimmy's Scissor Cut's", Jimmy Espinoza and his son Dino were the barbers, only two ways they would cut hair, scissors or straight razor, take it or leave it, mostly everybody would take it as that shop was pack all the time, it was also a local hang out, I would stop there even if I didn't need a hair cut, have a couple of beer and shoot the bull with the guys, Albert "Superfly" Sandoval's dad also used to hang out there, in the mid-1990's Jimmy died, a year late Dino died, after that I had a hard time fining a good barber, one day my wife tells me, "go with Blanca", Blanca is connie's hair dresser, "Blanca will cut your hair any you want", so now I go to "Blanca's" and listen to all the ladies gossip, I don't like to gossip because somebody that gossips with you will gossip about you....

That last line...Did you know Willie Shoeshines too?

[dagosd2000]

THE HAIRCUT

My wife wanted to go to Tijuana today because they're going to have a baby shower for my grand daughter at my sister in law's place. I dropped my wife off outside. She wanted me to go inside and say "hello",but my bad manners got a hold of me and I sped on. I pulled into a parking lot near by. I wanted to get a haircut.It was raining on and off all day.

I passed this salon that had written on the window"Corte de Pelo de Hombres 50 Pesos." 2 months ago that would have been around 5 bucks American. Today,it was down to four. There were a couple of women attending to their customers. One customer was an old lady that was getting her hair dyed. The other was a middle aged guy getting the trim. I like going to TJ for a hair cut. They use the scissors a lot and the straight razor. Don't use the straight razor in San Diego no more. Blood pathogens. Can you believe that? I figure if I get AIDS sitting in a barber chair with all the whoring around I've done...well then it's my time.

I sat on a sofa waiting for someone to get up from one of the barber's chairs. There was a little kid in a "walker" moving around the barber shop. The two women cutting hair would look at him and say,"Papi,que quieres? Papi, Yo voy ahorrita."
I don't know who's kid it was between the two of them.

It started to rain again. First a drizzle,then hard. There was a bucket on the floor collecting drops of water that was leaking from the ceiling. At first the drops plopped in the bucket at 5 second intervals. I was counting. The when it started to came down harder, it was a steady trickle.

I watched a portable TV with the rabbit ears while waiting. They had on some variety program with girls in skimpy out fits dancing and strobe flashing on and off. The camera jerked around. It was noisy. The color on the TV screen was bright and smeary looking.

Finally the guy was done with his haircut and I sat in the chair. It wasn't a real barber chair,but one of those salon chairs. I thought I was going to lose my balance.
"No te precupos. No worry. You no fall down. You OK," said the gal that was going to cut my hair.
Just then the little kid bumped into my leg.
"Papi,Yo voy Papi. You want dulce? Candy?"
The gal who was about to cut my hair unwrapped a candy bar for the kid.
"Papi,you like?"
The kid stuck the candy in his mouth.

She asked me how I wanted my hair cut. I told her a number 2 and trim the eyebrows.Before, I never felt right about women cutting my hair,but now I prefer it. Women are attentive and very carefull about pleasing a man about how he wants to be cared for. At least Mexican women barbers are that way.

While she was trimming around,I looked through the nail polsh bottles that were on the rack ,outside to the street. The rain was coming down hard. It was a darkening sky and the wind was picking up. I saw a woman with an umbrella walkng on the other side of the street. I recognized the walk. It was fast and pronounced. Beatriz. I knew were she was walking from. Yes,there was no use standing outside in the rain. No one would come around today. Not in weather like this. She'd just get a cold. The when the sun came out,she'd be sick. I knew were she was walking to. The calafia stand to catch the bus to La Presa. It would take her over an hour to get home in all the traffic and rain. Her head was down .She was walking at a good pace.

The gal finished up cutting my hair and trimming the eyebrows. A liitle talc on the back of the neck,and she took off the apron.
"Listo senor."she said.
I looked in the mirror she was holding in front of me.
"Buen hecho. Very good."
I tipped her a dollar.

As I went outside, the rain had let up. I saw a rainbow to the West. Inside the barber shop I looked at the two women. They were looking at the little kid.
"Ven Papi. Want more candy?"

"I figure if I get AIDS sitting in a barber chair with all the whoring around that I've done...well then it's my time."

Classic!

What's a number 2?

A number 2 is a "close" haircut. A number 1 is real "close".



A number 2 haircut and a ugly man. I hope I didn't crash the thread

[kikibalt]

For about 25 years I used to go to a barber shop, "Jimmy's Scissor Cut's", Jimmy Espinoza and his son Dino were the barbers, only two ways they would cut hair, scissors or straight razor, take it or leave it, mostly everybody would take it as that shop was pack all the time, it was also a local hang out, I would stop there even if I didn't need a hair cut, have a couple of beer and shoot the bull with the guys, Albert "Superfly" Sandoval's dad also used to hang out there, in the mid-1990's Jimmy died, a year late Dino died, after that I had a hard time fining a good barber, one day my wife tells me, "go with Blanca", Blanca is connie's hair dresser, "Blanca will cut your hair any you want", so now I go to "Blanca's" and listen to all the ladies gossip, I don't like to gossip because somebody that gossips with you will gossip about you....

That last line...Did you know Willie Shoeshines too?

No, but I knew that I had real that line somewhere, wasn't sure where....

[kikibalt]

My wife wanted to go to Tijuana today because they're going to have a baby shower for my grand daughter at my sister in law's place. I dropped my wife off outside. She wanted me to go inside and say "hello",but my bad manners got a hold of me and I sped on. I pulled into a parking lot near by. I wanted to get a haircut.It was raining on and off all day.

I passed this salon that had written on the window"Corte de Pelo de Hombres 50 Pesos." 2 months ago that would have been around 5 bucks American. Today,it was down to four. There were a couple of women attending to their customers. One customer was an old lady that was getting her hair dyed. The other was a middle aged guy getting the trim. I like going to TJ for a hair cut. They use the scissors a lot and the straight razor. Don't use the straight razor in San Diego no more. Blood pathogens. Can you believe that? I figure if I get AIDS sitting in a barber chair with all the whoring around I've done...well then it's my time.

I sat on a sofa waiting for someone to get up from one of the barber's chairs. There was a little kid in a "walker" moving around the barber shop. The two women cutting hair would look at him and say,"Papi,que quieres? Papi, Yo voy ahorrita."
I don't know who's kid it was between the two of them.

It started to rain again. First a drizzle,then hard. There was a bucket on the floor collecting drops of water that was leaking from the ceiling. At first the drops plopped in the bucket at 5 second intervals. I was counting. The when it started to came down harder, it was a steady trickle.

I watched a portable TV with the rabbit ears while waiting. They had on some variety program with girls in skimpy out fits dancing and strobe flashing on and off. The camera jerked around. It was noisy. The color on the TV screen was bright and smeary looking.

Finally the guy was done with his haircut and I sat in the chair. It wasn't a real barber chair,but one of those salon chairs. I thought I was going to lose my balance.
"No te precupos. No worry. You no fall down. You OK," said the gal that was going to cut my hair.
Just then the little kid bumped into my leg.
"Papi,Yo voy Papi. You want dulce? Candy?"
The gal who was about to cut my hair unwrapped a candy bar for the kid.
"Papi,you like?"
The kid stuck the candy in his mouth.

She asked me how I wanted my hair cut. I told her a number 2 and trim the eyebrows.Before, I never felt right about women cutting my hair,but now I prefer it. Women are attentive and very carefull about pleasing a man about how he wants to be cared for. At least Mexican women barbers are that way.

While she was trimming around,I looked through the nail polsh bottles that were on the rack ,outside to the street. The rain was coming down hard. It was a darkening sky and the wind was picking up. I saw a woman with an umbrella walkng on the other side of the street. I recognized the walk. It was fast and pronounced. Beatriz. I knew were she was walking from. Yes,there was no use standing outside in the rain. No one would come around today. Not in weather like this. She'd just get a cold. The when the sun came out,she'd be sick. I knew were she was walking to. The calafia stand to catch the bus to La Presa. It would take her over an hour to get home in all the traffic and rain. Her head was down .She was walking at a good pace.

The gal finished up cutting my hair and trimming the eyebrows. A liitle talc on the back of the neck,and she took off the apron.
"Listo senor."she said.
I looked in the mirror she was holding in front of me.
"Buen hecho. Very good."
I tipped her a dollar.

As I went outside, the rain had let up. I saw a rainbow to the West. Inside the barber shop I looked at the two women. They were looking at the little kid.
"Ven Papi. Want more candy?"

"I figure if I get AIDS sitting in a barber chair with all the whoring around that I've done...well then it's my time."

Classic!
What's a number 2?

A number 2 is a "close" haircut. A number 1 is real "close".



A number 2 haircut and a ugly man. I hope I didn't crash the thread

Then I want a #4....

[kikibalt]

Rog...I'm going to put that picture on a most wanted poster...

[dagosd2000]

Rog...I'm going to put that picture on a most wanted poster...

Now you know why I have little problems with discipline in my classroms. I don't need to say much.

[dagosd2000]

My wife wanted to go to Tijuana today because they're going to have a baby shower for my grand daughter at my sister in law's place. I dropped my wife off outside. She wanted me to go inside and say "hello",but my bad manners got a hold of me and I sped on. I pulled into a parking lot near by. I wanted to get a haircut.It was raining on and off all day.

I passed this salon that had written on the window"Corte de Pelo de Hombres 50 Pesos." 2 months ago that would have been around 5 bucks American. Today,it was down to four. There were a couple of women attending to their customers. One customer was an old lady that was getting her hair dyed. The other was a middle aged guy getting the trim. I like going to TJ for a hair cut. They use the scissors a lot and the straight razor. Don't use the straight razor in San Diego no more. Blood pathogens. Can you believe that? I figure if I get AIDS sitting in a barber chair with all the whoring around I've done...well then it's my time.

I sat on a sofa waiting for someone to get up from one of the barber's chairs. There was a little kid in a "walker" moving around the barber shop. The two women cutting hair would look at him and say,"Papi,que quieres? Papi, Yo voy ahorrita."
I don't know who's kid it was between the two of them.

It started to rain again. First a drizzle,then hard. There was a bucket on the floor collecting drops of water that was leaking from the ceiling. At first the drops plopped in the bucket at 5 second intervals. I was counting. The when it started to came down harder, it was a steady trickle.

I watched a portable TV with the rabbit ears while waiting. They had on some variety program with girls in skimpy out fits dancing and strobe flashing on and off. The camera jerked around. It was noisy. The color on the TV screen was bright and smeary looking.

Finally the guy was done with his haircut and I sat in the chair. It wasn't a real barber chair,but one of those salon chairs. I thought I was going to lose my balance.
"No te precupos. No worry. You no fall down. You OK," said the gal that was going to cut my hair.
Just then the little kid bumped into my leg.
"Papi,Yo voy Papi. You want dulce? Candy?"
The gal who was about to cut my hair unwrapped a candy bar for the kid.
"Papi,you like?"
The kid stuck the candy in his mouth.

She asked me how I wanted my hair cut. I told her a number 2 and trim the eyebrows.Before, I never felt right about women cutting my hair,but now I prefer it. Women are attentive and very carefull about pleasing a man about how he wants to be cared for. At least Mexican women barbers are that way.

While she was trimming around,I looked through the nail polsh bottles that were on the rack ,outside to the street. The rain was coming down hard. It was a darkening sky and the wind was picking up. I saw a woman with an umbrella walkng on the other side of the street. I recognized the walk. It was fast and pronounced. Beatriz. I knew were she was walking from. Yes,there was no use standing outside in the rain. No one would come around today. Not in weather like this. She'd just get a cold. The when the sun came out,she'd be sick. I knew were she was walking to. The calafia stand to catch the bus to La Presa. It would take her over an hour to get home in all the traffic and rain. Her head was down .She was walking at a good pace.

The gal finished up cutting my hair and trimming the eyebrows. A liitle talc on the back of the neck,and she took off the apron.
"Listo senor."she said.
I looked in the mirror she was holding in front of me.
"Buen hecho. Very good."
I tipped her a dollar.

As I went outside, the rain had let up. I saw a rainbow to the West. Inside the barber shop I looked at the two women. They were looking at the little kid.
"Ven Papi. Want more candy?"

"I figure if I get AIDS sitting in a barber chair with all the whoring around that I've done...well then it's my time."

Classic!
What's a number 2?

A number 2 is a "close" haircut. A number 1 is real "close".



A number 2 haircut and a ugly man. I hope I didn't crash the thread

Then I want a #4....

Can you believe she trimmed my eyebrows? Must have grown back waiting in line at the border.

Should have asked her to trim the hair out of my nose too.

[kikibalt]

Jennie Rivera

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XPfoFZYso8

Glass Harmonica Music(glass harmonica invented by Ben Franklin)

Mozart

[kikibalt]

Jennie Rivera

Don't like Jenni Rivera singing, she has a Dolly Parton voice, and I hate Dolly Parton't voice...

But look at that behind.....

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euq3L5qSeIM

Besos y Copas




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p34iJVihVE

Mi Soldadita

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_ommBIh6kk
Mi Tio Juan

Chayito Valdez

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsr-U30RC-I

Siete Leguas(Pancho Villa's Horse)

CHAYITO VALDEZ

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXL2vasrYQc

Ponzona




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BACF-L9Tgpc
Fichas Negras

Chelo Silva

[kikibalt]

[dagosd2000]

AMANDITA

[kikibalt]

AMANDITA

Beautiful granddaughter, Rog, you got to be very proud of her....

[Rick Farris]

Hollywood Legion Stadium

The Hollywood Legion's Boxing Ring . . .

I wish I could have sat ringside for a couple of the greats fights that Frank saw there, matches that were made by our Hap Navarro. I always had a curiosity about the Hollywood Legion. It had been gone a few years by the time I stated boxing.

My manager Johnnie Flores, who built boxing rings, inherited the Legion ring's corner poles. Johnnie would rent boxing rings to promoters, however, he was never able to use these corner pieces because they were too heavy to transport, so they just lay under his gym ring for years. One evening after I finsished working out with another boxer, Johnnie asked me if I wanted to make some extra money. My buddy and I were teenagers and always looking for a way to supplement our part-time income from the Jack-In-The-Box stand we worked in on weekends.

Johnny told us that if we were willing to pull the four heavy poles from under the ring, we could take them to a scrap metal yard and make a fortune, since the poles were so heavy. "They pay you by the pound", Johnnie told us.

That night, my friend and I agree to pick-up the poles after school the next day. I'd just bought an old '55 Ford pick-up truck for $400 and this would be my first opportunity to use the truck to haul something. I knew the poles would be heavy, but my buddy was a heavyweight so lifting the steel out of the gym and loading into the truck shouldn't be much of a problem, I thought.

The next day, I pick-up my buddy and we head to Johnnie's. Flores wan't home and his wife Rose unlocked the Gym for us. Since I'm the smallest, I must climb under the ring and roll the polls to the side, where we can life them out. I go under, try to push one of the poles to the side and it wouldn't budge, like it was stuck to the cement floor. I finally brace myself and push my feet against the bottom of the ring and slowly roll all four to the side, one at a time. That took about half an hour. We then try to lift the poles up and out from under the ring, but it was no easy job, those things were so damn heavy the two of us could barely lift them, but we did, and about an hour later finally had all four in my truck. We tied a red rag to the back of the load since it was sticking way out the back of the pick-up truck bed.

Before we climb into the cab of the truck, I look at how the load is resting in my truck. The back was weighed down so much it looked like the front wheels were going raise off the ground, like a dragster doing a "wheelie" as it leaves the starting line. We'd wasted enough time loading the steel and wanted to hit the road and find a scrap metal yard. As we drove, we knew we had a fortune in scrap metal in our possession, and started to plan how we'd spend the money, my friend considered using his half as down payment on a motorcycle he wanted. I'd probably just open a bank account with my half? We headed up to San Fernando Road and found a scrap metal yard in Sun Valley.

The guy who manged the Scrap yard watched us pull in and stepped out to the truck. He looked over the load and said he'd buy it. I asked if he wanted us to unload the poles to weigh them and the guy told me leave them in the truck and he'd weigh the truck with the poles in the bed, then after unloading them would weigh the truck again, then do the math.

A few minutes later the truck was weighed and the man's helpers unloaded the weight from my truck. The old Ford pick-up actually looked relieved to have the weight off it's back. The guy went to the scale, jotted down a number and then went to his cash register. He pulled out a small wad of cash and brought it to us. All totaled the four heavy ring posts were worth a little under $19.

Needless to say, the amount fell way below what we expected to get, but what the hell, we took the money and left. We each made about nine bucks, which wasn't so bad in 1969. Jack-In-The-Box was paying us about $1.50 an hour back then. At the time I could buy gas for 25 cents a gallon (gas war price). Al didn't get his down payment and I didn't open a savings account, but Johnny got rid of his junk, and nine bucks beat a sharp-stick-in-the-eye, so we were happy.

In those days, all we were concerned about was the upcoming L.A. Golden Gloves Championships. In our minds, were were one day going to get rich boxing. It was fun to dream. Now it's fun to remember. Those truly were "the good old days".

And to my good friend, heavyweight Alan "Kit" Boursse', rest in peace amigo.


-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Rick...Back in the mid-1970's my daughter Linda worked at a Jack-In-The-Box around Sherman Way & Coldwater Canyon, do you know the place?

[dagosd2000]

MY MOTHER LOVED ME :(

[dagosd2000]

AMANDITA

Beautiful granddaughter, Rog, you got to be very proud of her....

Thanks Frank

[kikibalt]

MY MOTHER LOVED ME :(

Rog...Connie just seen your self-portrait, she liked it, then she read the caption and she is still laughing....

[Rick Farris]

MY MOTHER LOVED ME :(

" Thing of beauty is a joy forever". We love you too, Rog.

[Rick Farris]

Rick...Back in the mid-1970's my daughter Linda worked at a Jack-In-The-Box around Sherman Way & Coldwater Canyon, do you know the place?

Frank, that was the next Jack closest to where we worked. Ours was on Roscoe, about a couple blocks east of Coldwater Cyn., directly across the street from Poly High School in Sun Valley. It was closed down around 1971. Became a gang hangout after Al and I left, too much trouble for business.

-Rick