Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Rick Farris]

The 1950's


The old backyard gyms

Some great fighters have come from backyard gyms. During the time I was in Phoenix, I would drive from the Madison Gym in downtown Phoenix, where I worked with boxers, to my home in Chandler. I'd usually drive thru South Phoenix along Baseline Drive where there are a lot of little Barrios and most of the houses have good size lots. While getting to know the area I'd drive thru the neighborhoods and in I found a couple small backyard gyms. A crude little sign nailed on a palm tree had "Gonzalez Boxing Club" painted in bright red letters with an arrow pointing down a side-street. Naturally, I had to see the club and found it at the end of the block.

I met Mr. Gonzalez and we had a great talk, he showed me his gym out in the back and invited me to return and watch his kids train. Such gyms are very common in Arizona, where lots of miles seperate gyms from potential boxers living in the desert. My friend Richard Rodriguez had started in a back yard gym with his brothers during the 40's in Eloy, Az. Manny Elias started in just such a gym near Tucson in the early 50's.

Thanks for the photo, Frank.


-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

The 1950's


The old backyard gyms

MARIGOLDS
When I got hitched to my wife back in the late 60's,I was so poor I was getting food stamps from the Gobi Desert. Me and the wife lived in a one room shack in Canyon Johnson ,a barrio in Tijuana.A bed and a chair. A light bulb hung from the ceiling. The out house was close outside. I'd stare down into that dark hole wondering if it went to China. Me and the wife called our home "The Penthouse."

The row of shacks where we lived were right under a steep cliff. Everytime there was a hard steady rain part of the cliff would collapse, collapsing whatever was beneath it. We were missed a couple of times real close. I remember one person losing his life in one of these land slides.

Next door to "The Penthouse",in the back of this shack, was a "homemade gym." The family owned a small carpentry shop in front. They made tables,chairs, and bed frames. For some reason the father put up a 'home made gym" in the back.Four wooden ring posts with two ropes and a wooden floor. You couldn't see it from the street and there was no sign in front saying there was a gym .

At night and on the weekends I'd see the kids from the neighborhood pile into the back a box each other. There wasn't much gear to go around. Some gloves . That was about it. The father would light the back up so the kids could spar around to all hours. I never involved myself. I was content to watch those kids go at it every night.

After getting on my feet a little,me and the wife moved to San Diego,but we still commuted to Canyon Johnson because my wife's brother resided there. Yeh,the Momia. He was holed up in the shack we had lived in. He was content living there. Had his gun,his pot,and his hot plate.

One time me and the wife went down there to visit him. It had been raining hard for several days. The street hadn't been paved . The ride was treacherous. The water ran down from above into the Canyon at a terrific force. After bottoming the car out a few times we arrived at our destination. The Momia was sitting in the shack reading a newspaper. I could smell the pot smoke. I had to go to the bathroom so I walked outside to the outhouse. I looked over to see the "backyard gym."
It was covered with rocks and mud.

My brother in law said that the cliff had collapsed onto the gym as a result of all the rain. It happened early in the morning. No one was around. My brother in law seemed unmoved by what had happened.

They never put up another gym. They didn't even clear the debris. During the spring the grass grew up from the dirt and between the rocks. The marigolds with their yellow flowers carpeted the little hill that covered that gym. Those flowers in the spring time were very pretty glowing in the sunlight.

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSm8P6FFgDY

Si Nos Dejan

Antonio Aguilar




The church in Paderrones ,Michoacan where my wife was baptized

[geoffreysadao]

These backyard gyms that you describe kind of remind me of Rogelio Castaneda Sr.'s La Dinamita Gym in North Highlands, which is close to Sacramento. I'll just say that it's very basic. Rogelio fought out of L.A. in the late 70's and early 80's. He beat Ricardo Arrendondo, Julio Gomez and Jorge Morales. He lost a close decision to Alfredo Escalara before Escalara's rematch with Alexis Arguello.

Maybe, some of you guys in Southern Cal. saw him fight?

The 1950's


The old backyard gyms

Some great fighters have come from backyard gyms. During the time I was in Phoenix, I would drive from the Madison Gym in downtown Phoenix, where I worked with boxers, to my home in Chandler. I'd usually drive thru South Phoenix along Baseline Drive where there are a lot of little Barrios and most of the houses have good size lots. While getting to know the area I'd drive thru the neighborhoods and in I found a couple small backyard gyms. A crude little sign nailed on a palm tree had "Gonzalez Boxing Club" painted in bright red letters with an arrow pointing down a side-street. Naturally, I had to see the club and found it at the end of the block.

I met Mr. Gonzalez and we had a great talk, he showed me his gym out in the back and invited me to return and watch his kids train. Such gyms are very common in Arizona, where lots of miles seperate gyms from potential boxers living in the desert. My friend Richard Rodriguez had started in a back yard gym with his brothers during the 40's in Eloy, Az. Manny Elias started in just such a gym near Tucson in the early 50's.

Thanks for the photo, Frank.


-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Got some old family picture I want to share with you guys


Thats me on the left with my late uncle Max, we are at the
Long Beach Pike jail. some time in the early 1950's

[kikibalt]

Thats me on the right, working at the car wash in Whittier, Ca., 1952
Can't remember the name of guy in the car, he also worked at the car wash

[Rick Farris]

The 1950's


The old backyard gyms

MARIGOLDS
When I got hitched to my wife back in the late 60's,I was so poor I was getting food stamps from the Gobi Desert. Me and the wife lived in a one room shack in Canyon Johnson ,a barrio in Tijuana.A bed and a chair. A light bulb hung from the ceiling. The out house was close outside. I'd stare down into that dark hole wondering if it went to China. Me and the wife called our home "The Penthouse."

The row of shacks where we lived were right under a steep cliff. Everytime there was a hard steady rain part of the cliff would collapse, collapsing whatever was beneath it. We were missed a couple of times real close. I remember one person losing his life in one of these land slides.

Next door to "The Penthouse",in the back of this shack, was a "homemade gym." The family owned a small carpentry shop in front. They made tables,chairs, and bed frames. For some reason the father put up a 'home made gym" in the back.Four wooden ring posts with two ropes and a wooden floor. You couldn't see it from the street and there was no sign in front saying there was a gym .

At night and on the weekends I'd see the kids from the neighborhood pile into the back a box each other. There wasn't much gear to go around. Some gloves . That was about it. The father would light the back up so the kids could spar around to all hours. I never involved myself. I was content to watch those kids go at it every night.

After getting on my feet a little,me and the wife moved to San Diego,but we still commuted to Canyon Johnson because my wife's brother resided there. Yeh,the Momia. He was holed up in the shack we had lived in. He was content living there. Had his gun,his pot,and his hot plate.

One time me and the wife went down there to visit him. It had been raining hard for several days. The street hadn't been paved . The ride was treacherous. The water ran down from above into the Canyon at a terrific force. After bottoming the car out a few times we arrived at our destination. The Momia was sitting in the shack reading a newspaper. I could smell the pot smoke. I had to go to the bathroom so I walked outside to the outhouse. I looked over to see the "backyard gym."
It was covered with rocks and mud.

My brother in law said that the cliff had collapsed onto the gym as a result of all the rain. It happened early in the morning. No one was around. My brother in law seemed unmoved by what had happened.

They never put up another gym. They didn't even clear the debris. During the spring the grass grew up from the dirt and between the rocks. The marigolds with their yellow flowers carpeted the little hill that covered that gym. Those flowers in the spring time were very pretty glowing in the sunlight.

[kikibalt]

I know I seen Rogelio Castaneda fight, I just can't remember against who

Rogelio Castaneda

Birth Name Rogelio Castañeda
Country Mexico
Global Id 18337
Division Lightweight


Career Record © http://www.boxrec.com

Date Opponent Location Result
1980-09-24 Armando Ramirez Las Vegas, USA L KO 5
1980-07-22 Mark Ibanez Honolulu, USA L KO 2
1980-05-13 Frank Newton Oklahoma City, USA L KO 6
1980-03-07 Herman Montes San Bernardino, USA L KO 3
1979-11-14 Frankie Moultrie Las Vegas, USA L PTS 10
1979-05-12 Ruby Ortiz Las Vegas, USA L PTS 10
1979-04-26 Hector Julio Rivera Pico Rivera, USA W UD 10
1979-04-11 Miguel Estrada Las Vegas, USA W PTS 10
1979-02-14 Horace Shufford Las Vegas, USA L KO 8
1979-01-28 Jorge Morales Reno, USA L UD 10
1978-06-03 Alfredo Escalera San Juan, Puerto Rico L PTS 10
1978-04-24 Jorge Morales Las Vegas, USA W PTS 10
1978-01-23 Johnny Lira Las Vegas, USA L PTS 10
1977-10-25 Jorge Morales Las Vegas, USA W PTS 10
1977-06-10 Ricardo Arredondo San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1977-05-20 Victor de la Cruz San Diego, USA W KO 4
1976-10-29 Juan Garcia Los Angeles, USA W PTS 10
1976-08-31 Ben Villaflor Honolulu, USA L UD 10
1976-06-18 Ray Lunny III Redwood City, USA L PTS 10
1976-05-08 Julio Gomez Inglewood, USA W MD 10
1975-10-16 Ignacio Castaneda Los Angeles, USA W PTS 10
1975-08-29 Pete Vital Las Vegas, USA W PTS 6
1975-06-12 Edwin Viruet Los Angeles, USA L SD 10
1975-05-17 Javier Muniz Los Angeles, USA D PTS 8
1975-04-16 Nick Alfaro Las Vegas, USA W PTS 10
1974-03-21 Trini Lopez Los Angeles, USA L PTS 5

Record to Date
Won 11 (KOs 1) Lost 14 Drawn 1 Total 26

The son

Rogelio Castaneda Jr

Birth Name Rogelio Castañeda Jr.
Country Mexico
Global Id 32929
Birthplace Tijuana, BC, Mexico
Division Light Welterweight
Age 32
Born 1976-09-08
Stance Orthodox
Reach 183cm
Height 173cm


Career Record © http://www.boxrec.com

Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
2008-11-22 Sirimongkol Singwancha 59-2-0 Las Vegas, USA L MD 8
2008-09-12 Lucas Martin Matthysse 22-0-0 Grand Prairie, USA NC NC 3
2008-07-05 Lamont Peterson 24-0-0 Las Vegas, USA L TKO 9
2007-10-19 Ubaldo Hernandez 22-18-2 Oroville, USA W UD 10
2007-07-27 Francisco Bojado 17-2-0 Tucson, USA L TKO 10
2007-04-12 Ubaldo Hernandez 21-17-2 Sacramento, USA L UD 10
2006-11-25 Demetrius Hopkins 24-0-1 Hidalgo, USA L UD 12
USBA Light Welterweight Title
2006-07-20 Lamar Murphy 29-10-1 Sacramento, USA W UD 10
2006-04-21 Craig Weber 21-1-2 Sacramento, USA W RTD 4
International Boxing Association Light Welterweight Title
2005-12-02 Ernesto Zepeda 37-9-4 Oroville, USA W TKO 3
International Boxing Association Light Welterweight Title
2005-08-12 Hernan Galaviz 15-8-1 Denver, USA W TD 6
2005-05-27 Tomas Barrientes 27-7-0 Sacramento, USA W MD 12
International Boxing Association Light Welterweight Title
2004-12-10 Craig Weber 20-1-1 Cleveland, USA D PTS 12
International Boxing Association Light Welterweight Title
2004-07-08 Ernest Johnson 15-0-0 Sacramento, USA W UD 10
2004-01-30 Miguel Figueroa 23-3-1 Philadelphia, USA W MD 10
2003-09-26 Oscar Diaz 15-0-0 Corpus Christi, USA L UD 10
2003-07-11 Craig Weber 17-0-1 Canton, USA W SD 10
2003-03-14 Jose Armando Santa Cruz 10-0-0 Oroville, USA L UD 8
2003-01-10 Eliezer Valentin 8-1-1 Elizabeth, USA W TKO 1
2002-10-18 Dagoberto Najera 15-4-0 Las Vegas, USA L SD 12
WBC FECARBOX Light Welterweight Title
2002-05-24 Eduardo Castillo 9-17-3 Oroville, USA D PTS 8
2001-09-28 Juaquin Gallardo 11-0-1 San Francisco, USA L UD 10
2001-06-02 Frankie Santos 14-0-2 Miami, USA W KO 4
WBC FECARBOX Light Welterweight Title
2001-02-16 James Crayton 31-14-2 Las Vegas, USA L UD 10
2000-09-29 Juaquin Gallardo 6-0-1 Woodland, USA L UD 8
2000-06-29 Victor Manuel Gomez 0-3-0 Sacramento, USA W KO 1
1999-12-04 Richard Sierra 14-0-0 Miami, USA L MD 12
vacant WBA Fedecentro Lightweight Title
1999-09-27 Antonio Ramirez 14-1-4 Inglewood, USA L KO 3
1999-07-24 Mack McLin 6-4-0 Las Vegas, USA W SD 4
1999-06-09 Johnny West 11-0-0 Miami Beach, USA D PTS 8
1999-03-30 Arthur Cruz 3-2-0 Toppenish, USA W UD 5
1998-11-19 Gustavo Tapia 7-7-3 Reseda, USA W PTS 8
1998-08-29 Ernesto Martinez 10-2-1 Reno, USA W MD 6
1998-08-20 Gerry Glasper 4-5-0 Sacramento, USA W KO 3
1998-07-25 Jose Luis Reynosa 0-10-0 Reno, USA W PTS 6
1998-05-09 Gerry Glasper 4-4-0 Sacramento, USA W UD 8
1997-12-04 Gerry Glasper 4-3-0 Sacramento, USA W PTS 4
1997-08-22 Raul Basulto 3-0-0 Sacramento, USA L PTS 4
1997-07-11 Federico Contreras 1-1-1 Sacramento, USA W PTS 4
1997-06-07 Adriel Pebenito 1-1-1 Sacramento, USA W TKO 2
1997-04-16 Adriel Pebenito 1-0-1 Sacramento, USA W PTS 4
1997-01-17 Jermaine Fields 0-0-0 Reseda, USA L KO 1
1996-11-14 Angel Ogaz 0-0-0 Sacramento, USA W KO 2

Record to Date
Won 24 (Eight KOs) Lost 15 Drawn 3 Total 43

[Rick Farris]

delete

[kikibalt]

The girls that worked at the car wash, early 1950's

[Rick Farris]

The girls that worked at the car wash, early 1950's

Hey Frank . . . You da Man!

[kikibalt]

Thanks, Rick, we had lots of fun working at that car wash back in the day, I used to wash Lou Filippo's car back then, 1951-52.

[dagosd2000]

Thats me on the right, working at the car wash in Whittier, Ca., 1952
Can't remember the name of guy in the car, he also worked at the car wash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXaI-xsyYTQ

ROSE ROYCE

CAR WASH

[kikibalt]

Back in those day Lou Filippo had a blue 1949 Pontiac that he would get wash every Friday.

[kikibalt]

My sister Rachel, she is the one that is sick with cancer, late 1940's

[kikibalt]

Rachel, mid-1950's

[dagosd2000]

STICKY FINGERS

I think we're on the same wave length tonight. The first job I had after I got married was at the car wash in Clairemont Mesa in San Diego. I'd drive across the border with the kid that lived across the street to work everyday.

The owner of the car wash was this Italian guy from Chicago. I told my dad about him and the next thing I know my dad is at the car wash making friends with this grease ball. They'd sit in the office like they were a couple of Dons.

One day Frankie LaPorte comes blowin' into town from Chicago. He's a made guy and he wants to run down a few things with my dad. Like usual the FBI is following LaPorte around wherever he goes ,but Frankie don't mind. He tells the Feds Al Capone stories and they're happy.

My dad invites LaPorte to the car wash to introduce him to his dago buddy from Chicago.In the mean time LaPorte gets his hands on a new Cadillac while he's out to the Coast and decides to wheel it over to the car wash.

My friend from TJ ,who I go to work with, and me are cleaning LaPorte's Cadillac. Well my friend gets a little too rapped up in cleanin' and cleans out LaPorte's designer sunglasees from the automobile. Laporte tips off the boss about the heist and my friend gets his walking papers.

I explained to my friend who he stole from. A made Mafia guy. My friend hustles me back to TJ. That was 1969. I don't think he's crossed the border since.

[Rick Farris]

Thanks, Rick, we had lots of fun working at that car wash back in the day, I used to wash Lou Filippo's car back then, 1951-52.

I'll see Lou on Sat. morning at a HOF meeting. Where was that car wash, Frank? I want to mention it to Lou. I was born in 1952, so I'm going to have some fun reminding him of a few things that aren't written in boxing history that I'm really too young to know. I do that everytime I see him, and he looks at me like, "how the hell do you know that?" It's like a game between us now, he gets a kick out of it. :)

-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Back in those day Lou Filippo had a blue 1949 Pontiac that he would get wash every Friday.

Perfect! I'll have some fun with that when I see Lou this Sat. I'll do that everytime I know I'm going to cross paths with Lou. He's in his 80's now and looks pretty good, fit. Lost his wife a couple years ago. He's back on the WBHOF board, and is a former WBHOF President.

Believe it or not, a lot of these little things I'll learn from you or Hap, I use to spark a memory that will put these men right back in a very special time of their lives. We aren't living in the past, but we are allowing ourselves to enjoy a time or moment that was special, like a gift that keeps on giving. It's like collecting some interest on an investment. Or something like that?

This makes it easy for people to recall the history they were a part of, the history I want to record and put in a place where it will always live. I will see that happens. Our history, the L.A. boxing we know.

-Rick Farris

[Expug]

Interesting stuff about the Backyard Gyms guys.
Very cool picture.We dont have those in these parts.Maybe the weather being crap all the time is a factor.
I remember hearing that Michael Carbajal trained in a backyard gym. His brother was his trainer also.
I used to enjoy watching that kid fight."Lil Hands Of Stone" was an entertaining fighter.
His bouts with Chequita Gonzalez were classics.

[Rick Farris]

Interesting stuff about the Backyard Gyms guys.
Very cool picture.We dont have those in these parts.Maybe the weather being crap all the time is a factor.
I remember hearing that Michael Carbajal trained in a backyard gym. His brother was his trainer also.
I used to enjoy watching that kid fight."Lil Hands Of Stone" was an entertaining fighter.
His bouts with Chequita Gonzalez were classics.

Brian . . . Michael Carbajal still lives in the Phoenix barrio in which he was born, and lived in that home for years, even after married and making millions. That was where Michael was trained by his older brother, Danny, in that little backyard gym. The house is located on a corner on 16th St., less than a mile from the Arizona State Capitol Bldg.

Directly across the street on the opposite corner, is an old church building that the Carbajal brothers converted into a boxing gym. It's called "Carbajal's 16th St. Gym" and some good amateurs and a few pros train there. It reminds me of Ressurection Gym in ELA.

I've been away from the Phoenix boxing scene since '02 so I'm telling how it was when I was there. Today? I know Michael and Danny have had some issues, so who knows?

-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

This one he liked, we still have it, but not to give....

I remember that robe, too! I'm serious Frank.
Just for the record, I don't want it.

(However, if that zarape robe should resurface . . . )

-Rick

[Rick Farris]

El Gato's First Decision . . .

Rodolfo "El Gato" Gonzalez was 13-years-old when he won his first pro fight, the first of thirty-five consecutive KO's (a record for world champs). When El Gato was finally taken the full ten rounds, it was by a boxer named Jose Luis Castillo. This was long before the birth of the most recent Jose Luis Castillo.

Three weeks later, El Gato got revenge and KOed Castillo, once again embarking on another long KO string.

Rodolfo "El Gato" Gonzalez . . . A true L.A. Boxing Legend!

[El Gato]

This post is for all readers---

Back in my era there were many good fighters coming out of Mexico City, some were from Guadalajara and some were from Baja California. I knew quite a few of them, but I lost track of most of them. Maybe some of you readers know who they are and where they are today.

Kid Anahua--- I was his sparring partner when I was 14 years old. He was such a great boxer and I would get so frustrated because I couldn't hit him. He won a decision against Sugar Ramos and that same night I fought the 10 round semi main. I won by KO which was among my first 35 consecutive knockouts.

Mario Diaz---Another excellent boxer. I used to watch him train in Guadalajara but never fought him.

Torito Mota--- He reminded me of Dwight Hawkins. He always kept on coming at his opponent with devastating body punches. He also trained in Guadalajara. I only knew him slightly.

Alfredo "Molote" Cota, Jose "Potrillo" Lopez and Jesus Pimentel were also great fighters but I never fought or sparred with any of them.

Efren "Alacran" Torres, his older brother, Moy Torres and Vicente "El Tortas" Garcia were three more that I knew very well. We all trained together at the same gym in Guadalajara and we helped each other sparring before each fight.

Hector Agundez, Colimote Gutierrez, Surdo Pina, and Raul Soriano were big name fighters, all of them from Baja but I never met any of them in person.

El Gato

[dagosd2000]

This post is for all readers---

Back in my era there were many good fighters coming out of Mexico City, some were from Guadalajara and some were from Baja California. I knew quite a few of them, but I lost track of most of them. Maybe some of you readers know who they are and where they are today.

Kid Anahua--- I was his sparring partner when I was 14 years old. He was such a great boxer and I would get so frustrated because I couldn't hit him. He won a decision against Sugar Ramos and that same night I fought the 10 round semi main. I won by KO which was among my first 35 consecutive knockouts.

Mario Diaz---Another excellent boxer. I used to watch him train in Guadalajara but never fought him.

Torito Mota--- He reminded me of Dwight Hawkins. He always kept on coming at his opponent with devastating body punches. He also trained in Guadalajara. I only knew him slightly.

Alfredo "Molote" Cota, Jose "Potrillo" Lopez and Jesus Pimentel were also great fighters but I never fought or sparred with any of them.

Efren "Alacran" Torres, his older brother, Moy Torres and Vicente "El Tortas" Garcia were three more that I knew very well. We all trained together at the same gym in Guadalajara and we helped each other sparring before each fight.

Hector Agundez, Colimote Gutierrez, Surdo Pina, and Raul Soriano were big name fighters, all of them from Baja but I never met any of them in person.

El Gato

Gato
When I was in Michoacan last summer,my neice's husband(who's a big boxing fan)told me Alacran Torres owns a furniture store in Guadalajara. Rogelio