During the summer of 1966, I'd lose in my first attempt to win a Jr. Golden Gloves championship at the Olympic Auditorium. I'd win two open-class championships in following years, but after winning three bouts to reach my first Jr. Gloves title fight, I'd drop a decision to a kid from San Diego.
The next day, my grandfather drove me to the Main Street Gym. I was 14, and needed to work on something after being outpointed the night before. My trainer, Manny Diaz, met me in the gym at 10 am. and I got some basic instructions on how to deal with a southpaw. I didn't box with anybody, just shadow boxed, skipped some rope, stretched out, and got some schooling from a good teacher. I hadn't slept all night after the loss, my first after six straight wins. I worked out my questions in the gym, I got a lot out of that day.
After I finished my workout, I grabbed a towel and walked over to one of the rings where Johnnie Flores was fastening Jerry Quarry's head gear. The future heavyweight contender stepped up to the ring for a sparring session. I saw light-heavy Joe "Shotgun" Shelton over to the side, slipping into his cup and pulling it up to his waist. I knew Jerry and Shelton worked together.
As Jerry climbed thru the ropes, I was surprised to see "Indian Red" Lopez move over to the ring and step inside the ropes with him. A moment later the bell rings and both Quarry and Lopez move to the center of the ring, extend their left arms and tap each other's gloves and then begin to move. Jerry is boxing and Ernie is pressing, As Jerry slides to his side, Ernie slides the same direction, cutting off the heavyweights movement, then landing with a good shot to Jerry's body. The punch lands with a thud, but Quarry is uneffected. They end up exchanging some good blows with each other, and at one point I could tell that Jerry must have got stung, because he started to drop bombs. Ernie made several blows miss, but took a couple, as well. They never got crazy, or lost control, but Ernie "Indian Red" Lopez gave Jerry a great workout, one for speed.
Later, on the way home from the gym, my grandfather and I stop for lunch at Felipe's, the legendary French dip place across from Union Station. My Grandmother worked there as a cashier. While we're sitting at one of the long tables, we see Ernie Lopez sit down across the room with his lunch, a French dip sandwich with a glass of lemonade. My Grandfather liked Ernie Lopez, they would talk at the gym. They had both lived on Indian Reservation land growing up, my grandad had boxed.
I remember that afternoon my Grandfather pointed across the room to Ernie, and told me that he thought Ernie Lopez was the toughest fighter in town, tougher than Quarry, Rojas, any of them. That was his opinion.
I'd have to say that my Grandfather was pretty close to right.
-Rick Farris
Rick
That was a great Indian Red/Quarry story. The last time I talked to David Love,he said the toughest guy he was ever in the ring with was Indian Red. Love said they would spar quite often.Said that he punched very hard and had a nasty disposition.Remember Love was in there with Bennie Briscoe and Willie Monroe. Love said the greatest fighter he saw was Napoles.
A Rare Smile . . .
Roger . . . I know that you were in the house for at least one of the three Indian Red-Hedge Lewis fights. I remember all the press that went on before their first match. Local papers touted the event as "Hollywood vs. The Main St. Gym".
Hedgeman Lewis was unbeaten, and had Eddie Futch training him for his celebrity management team of Ryan O'Neal, Bill Cosby, Robert Goulet, Chris Connelly and attorney Arthur Barens. Ernie was managed by Howie Steindler, who ran the Main Street Gym and made no secret of his disdain for Lewis' movie star manager's. "Ryan O'Neal may be the best thing in movies, but he ain't the best thing for boxing," Howie told reporters.
At the time, Ryan O'Neal was starring in the TV hit, "Peyton Place", along with his wife, actress Leigh Taylor-Young. Whenever Hedgeman Lewis fought at the Olympic, the audience resembled that of the old Hollywood Legion, the movie crowd turned out in full support of O'Neal's hot shot welter.
Nobody needs me to tell them what happened in that first fight. Howie was right, and the Main Street Gym won over Hollywood that night, by KO. Next time out, Hollywood would get even by decision. In the rubber match, Ernie "Indian Red" Lopez left no doubt who the best man was, once again stopping Hedgeman Lewis.
After their final fight, I remember Lopez leaving the ring and heading back up the aisle to the dressing room. Ernie showed little emotion as he passed by my seat on the aisle. However, a rare smile on Howie's face spoke volumes. I knew Howie Steindler for more than a dozen years, only on rare occasions did I see him smile. I wish I had a picture of that.
-Rick Farris
Rick
I'd never seen Indian Red fight before his first match with Hedgemon Lewis. I'd seen Hedge fight on TV and I thought his boxing skills would prevail with Ernie.
When I went to the Olympic to watch that fight I could see early that Red was the stronger guy and wouldn't be denied.
After that fight I saw Hedge in Tijuana fighting a pretty decent welter named Raul Rodriguez at the Jai Lai Palce. Well in struts Ryan O'Neal,Chris Connelly,and their blond girl friends. I figured Lewis would dominate Rodriguez and he did. It was a slaughter. I wrote about that night earlier in the thread.
Anyway after the ref stops it,I look at Lewis's entourage sitting at ringside. Lewis and the Hollywood stars are ducking for cover. They all ran out of that place muy pronto.
Expug wrote:Rick, I was gonna ask you about the Ryan Oneal -Hedgemon Lewis relationship.
Didnt O'Neal play a fighter in some movie with Barbara Streisand also?
"The Main Event" . . .
I hate to sound like I've worked on every picture made in Hollywood, but I have done over sixty major films, and one of them is, "The Main Event", starring Ryan O'Neal, Barbra Streisand and Don Johnson's ex-wife, Patti DeArbenville. We shot the movie in three months in late 1978-79.
Ryan O'Neal remembered me from boxing and so did Hedgeman Lewis, who had a small background part in the film. It was a fun shoot, except for Streisand, whom O'Neal had dated a couple years previous. Barbra Steisand is one of those "pain-in-the-ass" pro's who are so good and bankable they get away with anything. When we shoot Barbra, she wants the stage cleared of everybody but key crew members. I will credit her for being the only actress I've ever known who truly "knows" her light. You have to light her face very carefully, and very flat (straight on). If you light her too much from the side, that big nose throws a shadow over the other side of her face. We light her soft and flat, plenty of back light rimming her hair, and a special light my uncle called a "snoot" that pumps ambience below that huge nose to erase any shadow.
We shot the movie locally at the Culver Studios, the Main St. Gym, the Olympic Auditorium, a Long Beach exterior location, and a Malibu Beach house.
Ryan, he gets along with the crew, and likes to have fun. He has a younger brother named, Kevin, who told me he was a better fighter than his older brother, and should have fought as a pro bantamweight. I asked him why he didn't? His answer was the he was signed to play in a '1964 Warner Bros. TV series titled, "No Time For Sargents", and he had to stop boxing.
I knew he was full of crap. He may have boxed with his brother at the Teamster's Gym, but he was no pro prospect that I ever heard of.
The last time I talked to Ryan O'Neal was at the 2007 California Boxing HOF banquet, when Frank Baltazar Sr. was inducted. Ryan was sitting at Don Fraser's table along with Gwen Adair, Hedgeman Lewis, and his son Redmond (from Farrah Fawcett).
Hey Frank, ever hear of Ryan O'Neal's brother, Kevin?
-Rick Farris
Eddie "The Animal" Lopez had a good speaking part in the "Main Event", in scenes that were shot in Big Bear, Ca.
Frank
That Laza looked pretty well skilled. So was Tony though. Good stance,good balance. Said Tony was left handed and that's why he had the big left hook. Funny,just me,but everytime I tried to box southpaw I could never throw a right hook properly and I'm right handed.
Both Frankie and Tony left a legacy in the ring that will be remembered. Good fighters.
Frank
That Laza looked pretty well skilled. So was Tony though. Good stance,good balance. Said Tony was left handed and that's why he had the big left hook. Funny,just me,but everytime I tried to box southpaw I could never throw a right hook properly and I'm right handed.
Both Frankie and Tony left a legacy in the ring that will be remembered. Good fighters.
Rog...Tony did have a big left hook, but his right hand was almost useless, where Frankie could use both hand equally well, outside the ring Tony can't do nothing with his right hand, where again Frankie can do lots of things with his right hand, there is a word for that that I can't remember right now.
Frank
That Laza looked pretty well skilled. So was Tony though. Good stance,good balance. Said Tony was left handed and that's why he had the big left hook. Funny,just me,but everytime I tried to box southpaw I could never throw a right hook properly and I'm right handed.
Both Frankie and Tony left a legacy in the ring that will be remembered. Good fighters.
Rog...Tony did have a big left hook, but his right hand was almost useless, where Frankie could use both hand equally well, outside the ring Tony can't do nothing with his right hand, where again Frankie can do lots of things with his right hand, there is a word for that that I can't remember right now.
scartissue wrote:
Frank
That Laza looked pretty well skilled. So was Tony though. Good stance,good balance. Said Tony was left handed and that's why he had the big left hook. Funny,just me,but everytime I tried to box southpaw I could never throw a right hook properly and I'm right handed.
Both Frankie and Tony left a legacy in the ring that will be remembered. Good fighters.
Rog...Tony did have a big left hook, but his right hand was almost useless, where Frankie could use both hand equally well, outside the ring Tony can't do nothing with his right hand, where again Frankie can do lots of things with his right hand, there is a word for that that I can't remember right now.
Ambidextrous
Scartissue
Dang!, who can remember that word.... ...Thanks, Dan...
Rick Farris wrote:Another Ryan O'Neal - Hedgeman Lewis fact . . .
Ryan and Hedge have remained friends ever since they hooked-up in the mid 60's. Back in the 70's, Hedge's wife served as governess of Ryan's children, Tatum & Griffin. As a child, Tatum won an Oscar for "Paper Moon", with the boxer's wife serving as her on-set "guardian". Tatum played opposite of her father in the role. Hedgeman Lewis' wife worked for the family for years, until the kids were out of the house.
Hedge would usually have a small background roles in O'Neal's feature films when the actor was at the top of his game. I would also cross paths with Lewis on other productions he'd work as a background actor. I hadn't seen him for years when I talked with him at the '07 CBHOF banquet. Prior to that I saw him back in the mid 80's when we both worked on an episode of "The A-Team".
-Rick Farris[/quot
What was it like working on The A-Team, Rick.? I was never a huge fan (I'm more of a Six Million Dollar Man man) but the concept was effective and I always liked George Peppard.
The A-Team wasn't a bad show to work on, producer Stephen Cannell was a good man to work for. We would work about 14 hours a day. I never got to know George Peppard very well, he was never one of theose actors who was "one of the guys", but he was very professional, had a serious nature, pretty much. The only A-hole on the A-Team was Mr. T. For a somebody who was nothing more than a glorified bouncer, he was pretty full of himself. A first class pain-in-the-ass!
As for the "$Six-Million Man", in 1976 when I broke into the business at Universal, my uncle was the Lighting Director on that production, and occasionally I'd work a few days on the show. Lee Majors was a good guy and a big boxing fan. Whenever Hedgeman Lewis would fight, Lee would be at the Olympic along with Burt Reynolds, O'Neal and company.
Expug wrote:Rick, I was gonna ask you about the Ryan Oneal -Hedgemon Lewis relationship.
Didnt O'Neal play a fighter in some movie with Barbara Streisand also?
"The Main Event" . . .
I hate to sound like I've worked on every picture made in Hollywood, but I have done over sixty major films, and one of them is, "The Main Event", starring Ryan O'Neal, Barbra Streisand and Don Johnson's ex-wife, Patti DeArbenville. We shot the movie in three months in late 1978-79.
Ryan O'Neal remembered me from boxing and so did Hedgeman Lewis, who had a small background part in the film. It was a fun shoot, except for Streisand, whom O'Neal had dated a couple years previous. Barbra Steisand is one of those "pain-in-the-ass" pro's who are so good and bankable they get away with anything. When we shoot Barbra, she wants the stage cleared of everybody but key crew members. I will credit her for being the only actress I've ever known who truly "knows" her light. You have to light her face very carefully, and very flat (straight on). If you light her too much from the side, that big nose throws a shadow over the other side of her face. We light her soft and flat, plenty of back light rimming her hair, and a special light my uncle called a "snoot" that pumps ambience below that huge nose to erase any shadow.
We shot the movie locally at the Culver Studios, the Main St. Gym, the Olympic Auditorium, a Long Beach exterior location, and a Malibu Beach house.
Ryan, he gets along with the crew, and likes to have fun. He has a younger brother named, Kevin, who told me he was a better fighter than his older brother, and should have fought as a pro bantamweight. I asked him why he didn't? His answer was the he was signed to play in a '1964 Warner Bros. TV series titled, "No Time For Sargents", and he had to stop boxing.
I knew he was full of crap. He may have boxed with his brother at the Teamster's Gym, but he was no pro prospect that I ever heard of.
The last time I talked to Ryan O'Neal was at the 2007 California Boxing HOF banquet, when Frank Baltazar Sr. was inducted. Ryan was sitting at Don Fraser's table along with Gwen Adair, Hedgeman Lewis, and his son Redmond (from Farrah Fawcett).
Hey Frank, ever hear of Ryan O'Neal's brother, Kevin?
-Rick Farris
Eddie "The Animal" Lopez had a good speaking part in the "Main Event", in scenes that were shot in Big Bear, Ca.
I forgot about the training camp scenes we shot in the mountains. Another boxer who appeared in the film was New Yorker ChuChu Molave. He did a little boxing with O'Neal at the Main St. Gym.
Rick Farris wrote:The A-Team wasn't a bad show to work on, producer Stephen Cannell was a good man to work for. We would work about 14 hours a day. I never got to know George Peppard very well, he was never one of theose actors who was "one of the guys", but he was very professional, had a serious nature, pretty much. The only A-hole on the A-Team was Mr. T. For a somebody who was nothing more than a glorified bouncer, he was pretty full of himself. A first class pain-in-the-ass!
As for the "$Six-Million Man", in 1976 when I broke into the business at Universal, my uncle was the Lighting Director on that production, and occasionally I'd work a few days on the show. Lee Majors was a good guy and a big boxing fan. Whenever Hedgeman Lewis would fight, Lee would be at the Olympic along with Burt Reynolds, O'Neal and company.
-Rick Farris
Stephen Cannell is also a very good novelist, despite the fact that he struggles with dyslexia, one great writer that I enjoy reading, case in point "Hollywood Tough"," Vertical Coffin", great stories.
Last edited by kikibalt on 14 Feb 2009, 13:51, edited 1 time in total.
Rick Farris wrote:Another Ryan O'Neal - Hedgeman Lewis fact . . .
Ryan and Hedge have remained friends ever since they hooked-up in the mid 60's. Back in the 70's, Hedge's wife served as governess of Ryan's children, Tatum & Griffin. As a child, Tatum won an Oscar for "Paper Moon", with the boxer's wife serving as her on-set "guardian". Tatum played opposite of her father in the role. Hedgeman Lewis' wife worked for the family for years, until the kids were out of the house.
Hedge would usually have a small background roles in O'Neal's feature films when the actor was at the top of his game. I would also cross paths with Lewis on other productions he'd work as a background actor. I hadn't seen him for years when I talked with him at the '07 CBHOF banquet. Prior to that I saw him back in the mid 80's when we both worked on an episode of "The A-Team".
-Rick Farris[/quot
What was it like working on The A-Team, Rick.? I was never a huge fan (I'm more of a Six Million Dollar Man man) but the concept was effective and I always liked George Peppard.
The A-Team wasn't a bad show to work on, producer Stephen Cannell was a good man to work for. We would work about 14 hours a day. I never got to know George Peppard very well, he was never one of theose actors who was "one of the guys", but he was very professional, had a serious nature, pretty much. The only A-hole on the A-Team was Mr. T. For a somebody who was nothing more than a glorified bouncer, he was pretty full of himself. A first class pain-in-the-ass!
As for the "$Six-Million Man", in 1976 when I broke into the business at Universal, my uncle was the Lighting Director on that production, and occasionally I'd work a few days on the show. Lee Majors was a good guy and a big boxing fan. Whenever Hedgeman Lewis would fight, Lee would be at the Olympic along with Burt Reynolds, O'Neal and company.
-Rick Farris
Rick, do you remember the boxing-themed episode of 6M Man where Jerry Quarry had a pretty good role? It just wasn't his boxing scenes where he's supposed to spar with Majors to see what he has and to teach him the finer points (Quarry is 'amazed' how quick Steve Austin picks up on the sport as he is 'unaware' of Austin's bionic frame), but Jerry has some good lines in the episode.
-Rick Farris[/quote]
Eddie "The Animal" Lopez had a good speaking part in the "Main Event", in scenes that were shot in Big Bear, Ca.[/quote]
I forgot about the training camp scenes we shot in the mountains. Another boxer who appeared in the film was New Yorker ChuChu Molave. He did a little boxing with O'Neal at the Main St. Gym.
-Rick[/quote]
Chuchu Malave! Man, I remember him. Only saw him fight once on a televised Saturday afternoon from the Felt Forum where he fought Ken Buchanan. He gave a good account of himself before slowly falling to Kenny in the 7th round I believe.
Frank, Rick, Roger, Scar, Pug, & Hap and all,
Congratulations on a year of this unbelieveable threat, the knowledge, the pictures, the humor and some moments of sadness. I have enjoyed every day of it as I know so many others have. I feel we went through a lot of things together this past year, the election, the struggles of our economy the ups and downs of each others personal health, I truly beleive this thread has helped me through a lot of times that I may have otherwise spent worrying about, like my job, about raising my children, about my father's failing health. I have been one of the lucky ones still employed and got my father through a bout with throat cancer this past year and I had you guys there, whether you knew it or not. Heres a toast to you and this thread and to the many dollars I may have had to spend on therapy! LOL
Keep punchin' those keys.
Bruce
Bobbin & Weavin wrote:Frank, Rick, Roger, Scar, Pug, & Hap and all,
Congratulations on a year of this unbelieveable threat, the knowledge, the pictures, the humor and some moments of sadness. I have enjoyed every day of it as I know so many others have. I feel we went through a lot of things together this past year, the election, the struggles of our economy the ups and downs of each others personal health, I truly beleive this thread has helped me through a lot of times that I may have otherwise spent worrying about, like my job, about raising my children, about my father's failing health. I have been one of the lucky ones still employed and got my father through a bout with throat cancer this past year and I had you guys there, whether you knew it or not. Heres a toast to you and this thread and to the many dollars I may have had to spend on therapy! LOL
Keep punchin' those keys.
Bruce
Bobbin & Weavin wrote:Frank, Rick, Roger, Scar, Pug, & Hap and all,
Congratulations on a year of this unbelieveable threat, the knowledge, the pictures, the humor and some moments of sadness. I have enjoyed every day of it as I know so many others have. I feel we went through a lot of things together this past year, the election, the struggles of our economy the ups and downs of each others personal health, I truly beleive this thread has helped me through a lot of times that I may have otherwise spent worrying about, like my job, about raising my children, about my father's failing health. I have been one of the lucky ones still employed and got my father through a bout with throat cancer this past year and I had you guys there, whether you knew it or not. Heres a toast to you and this thread and to the many dollars I may have had to spend on therapy! LOL
Keep punchin' those keys.
Bruce
From The December 1999 Issue Of Wail!, (CBZ) Steve (Gordoom) reposted Rick's article on a Jerry Quarry thread today
My Memories of Jerry Quarry
By Rick Farris
Less than a year ago, I was watching ESPN hoping to hear the result of a fight that had taken place earlier in the evening. When the sports news finally came on I waited thru the scores of games I had no interest in and was happy to hear the announcer say . . . "And now from the world of boxing".
I expected a report on the fight since there was nothing else of importance going on in boxing at the time. Instead, I heard something that made me forget about the fight result I had been waiting for. I still remember the
words . . ."a sad note to report in boxing today, former heavyweight contender Jerry Quarry has died at the age of 53." I was stunned.
I was aware that Jerry had not been doing well and suffered from Dementia pugilistica. I knew that he had been living with his mother Arawanda in a mobile home park near the Hemet area of Southern California and was under her care. Mutual friends from the past, such as former middleweight Mike Nixon, Jerry's brother-in-law, had told me that Jerry could no longer handle simple daily tasks, such as shaving. Jerry's older brother Jimmy would help him with such things. I remember how sad it was to hear this a couple of years back, and that Jerry would no doubt die young. However, I couldn't imagine him dead at 53.
I wasn't the only person surprised to hear of Quarry's death. However, in my case it was something very personal. You see, as a kid all I wanted to do was become a boxer. Jerry Quarry helped make this possible. Jerry's success and accomplishments are a part of boxing history. However, being close to a boxer who won the National Golden Gloves Heavyweight title in 1965, and went on to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship as a professional, is a part of my history.
When I was twelve-years-old I had a dream that was a bit unusual for a middle class kid growing up in Burbank, California. I was going to be a professional boxer. I didn't just want to be a pro fighter . . .I was GOING TO BE a pro fighter. I set a goal for myself and nothing was going to stop me. Of course, nobody took me seriously but it didn't matter, I took myself seriously. However, this was not going to be easy. First off, there were no boxing gyms in the Burbank area or close by where I could start out. The YMCA didn't have a boxing program and even if it had, I was looking for a place where real boxers trained, amateurs and pros.
In early 1965, the Western Regional Golden Gloves Championships were televised in the Los Angeles area and, naturally, I was glued to the TV. The heavyweight final was won by a 19-year-old from Bellflower named Jerry
Quarry. Quarry scored a decision over Clay Hodges and would represent Los Angeles in the national tournament the following week in Kansas City. There was something special about this fighter and I couldn't see anybody beating him in the Nationals. I was right.
Jerry Quarry not only won the 1965 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight title but was the only boxer to do so by knocking out all five of his opponents. I read about Quarry winning the National Golden Gloves title in the Los Angeles Times and the news made me want to start boxing even more.
I was frustrated because I had a goal and couldn't get started. I was twelve years old and not getting any younger. I couldn't help but remember that the TV announcer for the Golden Gloves had said that Quarry had started boxing when he was seven, so I believed that I was about five years behind schedule. I used to think of how great it would be to start out in the same place, and train in the same gym as Quarry did, wherever that was.
One day I had this crazy idea. Why not call Jerry Quarry on the telephone and ask where he trains and how I could get my boxing career started. Of course, this would require a phone number. I remembered that Quarry had been introduced in the ring as being from Bellflower, so I called information and asked the operator for the number of a Jerry Quarry in Bellflower. She said she had one listing and it proved to be the right one. A few minutes later I was talking on the phone with Jerry Quarry.
I think Jerry was as surprised by my call as I was to get thru to him. I congratulated him on winning the Golden Gloves and asked where he started out. Jerry said he started when he was seven-years-old in a little gym behind the garage of Johnny Flores, the manager and trainer of quite a few top professional and amateurs boxers. I asked Jerry where this gym was and he said it was in the San Fernando Valley.
"The San Fernando Valley, I live in the Valley, where's the gym"? I asked. Quarry told me that "The Johnny Flores Gym" was in Pacoima, about a dozen miles from where I lived. I asked Jerry if Flores still worked with kids and was told that Johnny had several kids competing in amateur and junior amateur tournaments. Quarry told me that he was about to turn professional and that Flores would co-manage his career along with his father Jack. I asked when he would have his first fight and he told me that he would make his debut on the undercard of the Vicente Saldivar - Raul Rojas featherweight title fight at the L.A. Coliseum in a few weeks. I wished him luck and thanked him for the information. My grandfather had just retired and he and my father agreed to give me transportation to Flores Gym if I agreed to keep my grades up. Within a few weeks I was a member of the same boxing stable as my new idol, Jerry Quarry.
During the next six years I competed as an amateur and turned professional shortly after my 18th birthday. In 1970, the year of my pro debut, Quarry split from manager Johnny Flores. However, during the first six years of Jerry's pro career, I was one of the first to hear about what was going on behind the scenes in the world of heavyweight boxing.
After Quarry turned professional, he shifted his training headquarters from Flores' Gym to the Main Street Gym in downtown Los Angeles. On weekends, Johnny's gym was closed, so I'd hop on a bus early Saturday morning and workout at Main Street before the professionals took the floor. It was here that I was able to watch Jerry Quarry train as he moved up the ladder in the heavyweight division
Every weekend when Jerry worked out at the Main Street Gym, his entire family would turn out to watch. When I say entire family, I mean everybody. Jerry's parents, brothers & sisters, children and other's would fill the bleachers at one end of the gym. Jerry's mother Arawanda would pack a picnic basket and the family would make an event of it. This was something that used to irritate gym owner Howie Steindler. One day after the Quarrys left the gym, Steindler had to pick up paper plates, cups and napkins left by the Quarry brood. The gruff little Steindler finally posted a sign by the front door that read "THIS IS A BOXING GYM. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A PICNIC TAKE IT TO GRIFFITH PARK".
Watching Jerry spar with other heavyweights in the gym was always exciting to me. He boxed with a variety of fighters such as Amos "Big Train" Lincoln, Eddie "Boss Man" Jones and Joe "Shot Gun" Shelton to name a few. On occasion, he would even spar with welterweight contender Ernie "Indian Red" Lopez for speed. However, it seemed that the most brutal workouts were the sparring sessions between Jerry and his younger brother Mike, who was my age.
I remember once, shortly after Jerry had become rated among the top ten in the heavyweight division, he and Mike sparred together one Saturday morning. Mike was just 16 at the time and weighed about 160, thirty five pounds less than Jerry. Jerry cut down on his brother like he were fighting for the title and left Mike laying face down on the canvas. Mike had taken a brutal left hook to the body and thought the punch had broken his back. I could understand a fighter working hard when sparring but was surprised to see him cut down on his 16 year old brother like he did. It was no wonder why Mike Quarry adapted a jab-and-move boxing style when he fought. He had learned to keep his distance from his older brother or pay the price.
After winning his first twelve pro fights, eight by knockout, Jerry was held to a draw by another unbeaten heavyweight from Utah, Tony Doyle. He won his next three fights scoring two knockouts before being held to another draw by Tony Alongi. Jerry would get lazy in these fights and allow himself to fight on a dead even level with boxers that were nowhere near him in talent. This drew criticism from the fans and would drive Flores crazy. Jerry had tremendous talent, however, he also had a lazy streak that came out more than once during his career.
After the Alongi fight, Jerry's record was 15-0-2 (10 KO's) and he needed a victory that would impress the many L.A. boxing fans and journalists that were following his career. As he would do so many times in the future when
people doubted him, Jerry Quarry came alive. Jerry was matched with one of the most rugged heavyweight trial horses in the world, George "Scrap Iron" Johnson. Johnson had fought some of the best heavyweights in the world and had never been knocked down. Joe Frazier fought "Scrap Iron" early in his career and Johnson became the only man aside from Oscar Bonavena to go the distance with Frazier.
In the second round of Jerry's fight with "Scrap Iron", Johnson backed Quarry into a corner. The moment Jerry's back touched the turn buckle he cut loose with a vicious left hook that landed flush on Johnson's jaw and sent him reeling backwards across the ring. "Scrap Iron" spun around twice before hitting the ropes on the other side of the ring and went down flat on his back. Referee Lee Grossman didn't even bother to count.
The following month, Jerry returned to Kansas City where he had won his National Golden Gloves title and defeated Al Jones in a ten rounder. It was then back to L.A. for a rematch with Alongi and Flores was upset that Jerry was not taking him serious. Again, Quarry and Alongi fought to a draw. Flores was frustrated at his fighter and told Jerry that he would never reach the top ten unless he started taking things seriously. As far as Jerry was concerned he was still unbeaten and good enough to beat anybody in the world. In his next fight, he would learn differently.
Eddie Machen was considered an over-the-hill former contender that had been KO'ed by Ingemar Johansson in one round, half a dozen years earlier. At least that was Jerry's view. Machen was on a comeback and had recently upset another unbeaten L.A. heavyweight named Joey Orbillo. Quarry knew that he was better than Orbillo and took old Eddie Machen lightly. On July 15, 1966, Machen would hand Jerry Quarry his first professional loss via a unanimous ten round decision.
After a three month rest, Quarry finished 1966 with three straight wins and won three more in early 1967, including a ten round decision over Brian London whom had fought Muhammad Ali for the title the year before. About the time Quarry beat London, Ali was stripped of his Heavyweight title for failing to register for the Draft and the heavyweight title was suddenly vacant.
At this stage, The Ring Magazine rated Jerry Quarry just outside the top ten heavyweights in the world. For Quarry to break into that elite group he would have to defeat one. His next match would offer that chance. The man Quarry would be facing was not only a contender, he was a former World Champion. Floyd Patterson was not only a former champion, but the youngest to ever win the title and the only one ever to regain the title after losing it. These facts would be enough to inspire anybody to take the fight serious, however, the most motivating factor for Quarry was that Floyd Patterson was his idol.
Quarry trained hard for the Patterson fight and should have won. He had everything necessary to beat Patterson but showed the former champ too much respect and didn't follow up on several occasions when Floyd was hurt.
After ten rounds the decision was a draw.
A few months later Joe Frazier won the New York version of the Heavyweight title with a decision over Buster Mathis. However, few considered Frazier-Mathis as a valid title bout considering there were eight other heavyweights in the picture. I will never forget the smile on Johnny Flores' face the day he walked into his backyard gym and told us that he had learned that there was going to be an eight man elimination tournament to determine a successor to Muhammad Ali's title. The reason for Flores happiness was that his heavyweight, Jerry Quarry, would be among the eight.
In the quarter final round Quarry would be matched with Patterson in a rematch of their fight just four months previous. Jerry wanted a tune-up first and KO'ed Billy Daniels in one round at the Olympic Auditorium. Six
weeks later he would avenge his draw with Patterson and score a 12 round split decision over the former two-time champ.
Quarry's opponent in the semi-final round of the tournament would be Thad Spencer, the man who was favored to win the title. I remember that during the weeks leading up to this fight, Johnny Flores would talk about reports
he was getting regarding Spencer's conditioning. Flores had gotten word that Spencer was doing a lot of partying and taking Quarry lightly. This was a major mistake because Jerry was in top condition and ready. On February 3, 1968 Jerry Quarry gave Thad Spencer a one-sided beating before stopping him in the 12th and final round. Going into the championship final with Jimmy Ellis, Jerry Quarry was a solid 8-to-5 favorite based on his exceptional performance against the heavily favored Spencer.
By now, the in-fighting between Jerry's father Jack and Johnny Flores had been going on for months. Flores was one of boxing's shrewdest and most respected managers in boxing. Jack had been a problem from day one. He had no experience in dealing with boxing promoters and had no business being included in the management of his son. He insisted Jerry make him co-manager along with Flores so he could keep an eye on things. His only responsibility was to make sure that Jerry got up every morning early to do his road work. Unfortunately, Jack Quarry rarely got up early enough to wake his son.
In Jerry's first shot at the heavyweight title, he made the mistake of trying to out box Jimmy Ellis and dropped a boring fifteen round decision. After the decision was announced, Quarry grabbed the microphone from the ring announcer and dramatically announced his retirement from boxing in the middle of the ring. Jerry was only 23 and I remember thinking, "give me a break", as I watched this on TV. After the disappointing performance Jerry had put on that night, nobody cared.
Seven months later Quarry was back in the ring and KO'ed trial horse Bob Mumford in Phoenix. After winning four straight with three knockouts Quarry made his Madison Square Garden debut with an impressive twelve round decision victory over Buster Mathis. Jerry Quarry was back in the heavyweight spot light and three months later would return to the Garden for another shot at the Heavyweight title. This time, Quarry would be facing one of the best heavyweights to ever step into the ring, Joe Frazier.
I will never forget this fight. I was seventeen years old at the time and had watched it develop from day one. My closest friend, amateur heavyweight Alan "Kit" Boursse' would travel to New York with Flores and Quarry to serve as a sparring partner. Jerry set up training camp in the Catskills at the legendary Grossingers Resort where many boxing greats of the past, such as Rocky Marciano, trained for championship fights at the Garden. I would get weekly reports back home from Boursse' who told me that Jerry was in top shape and had injured every sparring partner in camp but himself. "Jerry's punching the crap out of everybody they bring in here and I don't know how I've avoided getting hurt", Boursse reported. "He's going to surprise everybody that thinks he hasn't a chance with Frazier. Jerry is likely to knock him out".
I had high hopes for Jerry Quarry the night he stepped into the ring with Joe Frazier for their first fight. Jerry was ready and, as always, so was Frazier. In the first round I think Jerry shocked everybody, especially Frazier, by going right to Smokin Joe and backing him up. Quarry had Frazier reeling from an all-out attack and there was the smell of an upset in the air. Jerry fought Frazier tough and I'll never forget the people in the theatre watching it on closed circuit TV jumping to their feet and cheering Quarry during the first few rounds. However, by the 7th round Frazier had taken control of the match and stopped Jerry. Jerry had given his best and I was disappointed he didn't win. To add insult to injury, after the bout, the I.R.S. invaded Quarry's dressing room and served he, his father Jack and trainer Teddy Bentham with tax bills. They announced that back taxes for all three would be garnished from the purse. The only one in Jerry's camp that was not served with a tax bill was Flores. Jack Quarry was furious that he would have to pay back taxes out of his cut and noticed that the feds were not bothering Flores. "What About him!" Jack shouted, pointing at Flores. The agent looked at Jack and answered "Mr. Flores has paid his taxes and is not involved in this".
This was the beginning of the end of Flores' association with Quarry. Jerry would fight three more times in 1969, scoring two KO's prior to returning to Madison Square Garden in December to face George Chuvalo. Chuvalo was the rugged Canadian who had fought Ali for the title five years earlier and was known as a catcher. Jerry went into the bout a heavy favorite and in good shape. Of all the disappointing moments in Jerry Quarry's career this was the most surprising of all. As expected, Jerry had his way with Chuvalo and handed him a one sided beating. Thru the first six rounds Quarry had staggered Chuvalo repeatedly and in the 7th had Chuvalo ready to go. After staggering the Canadian Jerry got careless and caught a left hook on the chin. The blow caught Jerry off balance and sent him to the canvas. Jerry was not hurt but the referee had to call it a knockdown. Instead of Quarry jumping to his feet quickly to show he wasn't hurt, he foolishly decided it would be a good time to take a breather until the count of eight. Jerry was resting in a kneeling position but when the count reached eight he remained on one knee and was counted out. Jerry's excuse was that he couldn't hear the count and the fans went crazy. I still remember how disgusted Flores was when he returned to California after the fight. At this point Flores and Jerry were no longer speaking and Johnny would never again work his fighters corner.
Jack Quarry had convinced his son to drop Johnny Flores. However, Flores still had two years remaining of a seven year contract signed by the fighter upon his turning professional. Jack Quarry didn't pay much attention to
contracts and attempted to sign with promoters for fights involving his son. He soon discovered that the contracts were no good without Flores' signature and that promoters had no time to do business with an idiot like Jack Quarry.
This infuriated the elder Quarry and Jerry as well. As wrong as it was to alienate himself from Flores, Jerry made one smart move at the time and that was to get rid of his father. Unlike Flores' contract, Jack Quarry's
contract with his son had expired two years previous and had never been renewed. Johnny Flores would still be entitled to one half of 33.3% of all of Jerry's future earnings until 1972. The father would be entitled to exactly what he deserved, nothing.
At the time Jerry had become friendly with a very well known Los Angeles attorney known for his underworld connections. It was no secret that Quarry was upset over having to honor Flores' share of future purses and a few months later Flores' became the target of an attempted contract hit involving two off-duty Los Angeles police officers. The attempt upon Flores' life was a failure and never connected to Quarry directly. The L.A.P.D. was able to play the incident off as a case of "mistaken identity" but Flores sued the City of Los Angeles and settled out of court.
After winning four straight in 1970 with three KO's Jerry would become Muhammad Ali's first opponent after three years of inactivity. The bout was held in Atlanta on October 26th and Ali had no trouble using Quarry as a
target, stopping Jerry in three rounds.
After winning his next six fights, Quarry challenged Ali a second time in 1972 and once again was stopped, in seven rounds this time. Jerry opened 1973 with a 7th round knockout over Randy Neumann and the following month was matched with Ron Lyle. Lyle was an unbeaten knockout artist and was considered the next Sonny Liston. Quarry entered the match an underdog and not expected to beat the thunderous punching Lyle. As so many times before in the career of Jerry Quarry, he rose to the occasion and easily defeated Lyle over twelve rounds at Madison Square Garden.
Ten months later, after scoring two more knockouts Quarry was matched with another unbeaten knockout puncher, Earnie Shavers.
Quarry was considered to be on the down side of his career despite his beating Lyle earlier in the year. People would say "Quarry just can't win the big ones", and Shavers was expected to win. Once again Jerry Quarry
defied popular opinion and this time did it convincingly. He knocked out Earnie Shavers in the first round, setting up a rematch with Joe Frazier.
The previous year, Frazier had the lost the title to George Foreman and had just lost his second fight with Ali. Quarry was hot and Frazier had lost his last two. Quarry fans believed that this might be Jerry's fight. However,
after five rounds Quarry was finished and the bout was stopped.
Quarry's ring career came to an end on March 24, 1975 he was KO'ed by Ken Norton in five rounds at Madison Square Garden.
Quarry wisely announced his retirement from boxing after the Norton fight and was immediately hired by CBS to announce their televised fights. This was an ideal situation for Quarry because he was articulate and the fans loved his analysis of fighters and matches. Jerry was able to provide something in the broadcast that other sports announcers could not and that was a fighter's perspective of a match. After years of Howard Cosell's nonsense on ABC, Quarry was a welcome alternative and CBS could not have been happier.
Two years later, after establishing himself with CBS, Quarry was having thoughts of a comeback at age 32. When CBS got word of Jerry's intentions they immediately were supportive of their announcer's decision to fight again and wanted to televise his comeback on their network. They told Quarry that if it was successful, great. However, if it did not go well he would be able to step right back into his job at the mike. However, they wanted to have an option on the TV rights to his first fight and offered him $250,000.
This is where it became evident that Jerry Quarry was no wiser a business man than his father Jack. When Quarry learned that ABC was willing to pay $300,00 to televise his comeback, Quarry took the greater offer and signed with ABC. On November 5, 1977 Jerry returned to the ring in a scheduled ten round bout that appeared on ABC. Jerry fought a light hitting nobody named Lorenzo Zanon in Las Vegas and took a beating from the opening bell until finally catching the Italian with a left hook in the 9th round. Luckily, Zanon went down from the hook and couldn't (or wouldn't) get up. Had the fight gone the distance Quarry would have lost. Jerry realized he
was thru and retired once again.
About this time I stopped by Johnny Flores' house with Kit Boursse', my friend who'd been Jerry's sparring partner years earlier. Flores' told us that after the fight Quarry tried to get his job back with CBS but the network was so angry at him for giving ABC the television right to his comeback they were no longer interested in him.
The last time I saw Jerry Quarry was in 1983. I was living in Westalke Village, California and I knew that Jerry had a home in Agoura Hills, just a few miles away. One day a friend of mine who worked in a local restaurant
called me to say that a couple of boxers were sitting at the counter and they said they knew me. "Who are they?" I asked. "Jerry and Mike Quarry". I immediately drove to the restaurant and talked with Jerry and Mike for about an hour. Jerry seemed the same as always and I didn't notice any signs of dementia at the time. However, Mike looked like a beat up old fighter and was slurring his words. I'd run into Jerry several times over the years but hadn't seen Mike since before he was KO'ed in a world title fight by Bob Foster. I could tell that Mike was different and it made me feel bad because he was always the best looking and sharpest of the Quarry brothers.
Jerry was 38 years old at the time and very overweight. A couple of months later I was shocked to learn that he'd had a fight in Albuquerque and had scored a first round knockout. A few months later he won again by decision in a ten rounder in Bakersfield, California. However, Jerry retired again and I hoped that this time it was for good. Unfortunately it wasn't. Nine years later at the age of 47 Jerry Quarry lost a six round fight in Wisconsin to some nobody. This would be Jerry's last boxing match, however, it would not be his last fight.
Jerry's biggest challenge would come in the form of Dementia Puglistica. The night I tuned into ESPN hoping to hear the result of a fight, I had no idea it would be the result of Jerry Quarry's last fight.
Today when I think of Jerry Quarry I don't picture him with dementia, or bleeding from a cut after a bout with Muhammad Ali. I see the Jerry Quarry that excited thousands of boxing fans as he fought his way into the
heavyweight picture at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. I see the Quarry that sent "Scrap Iron" Johnson flying across the ring before falling unconscious to the canvas. I see Jerry going toe-to-toe with Joe Frazier and
having the best of it in the early rounds. I see Ernie Shavers unable to make it thru the first round with Jerry. And I can still hear the voice of the 1965 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion telling me where I can
find my dream and make it come true.
Rick, do you remember the boxing-themed episode of 6M Man where Jerry Quarry had a pretty good role? It just wasn't his boxing scenes where he's supposed to spar with Majors to see what he has and to teach him the finer points (Quarry is 'amazed' how quick Steve Austin picks up on the sport as he is 'unaware' of Austin's bionic frame), but Jerry has some good lines in the episode.
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Scar . . . I remember the episode well, although I never watched it on TV. I remember seeing my Uncle in the Universal Set Lighting office before work one day, and he told me Jerry was guest starring on his show, inviting me to stop by the the stage later to say hello to him.
At the time, Universal Studios was not only the world's biggest studio, but the busiest in it's history, with multiple TV productions, feature films, TV movies, etc. I was working on "Kojak" at the time, and after out lunch break I visited the "$6 Million Man" set to say hello to my former stablemate.
Some of the other Universal TV productions at the time were . . . Baretta, Rockford Files, The Incredible Hulk, Quincy, Switch, Adam-12, Marcus Welby M.D., Emergency, McCloud, Battle Star Galactica, Buck Rogers, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, MacMillan & Wife, The Bionic Woman and several more.
...Thanks, Dan... 
