I agree, Randy. Roger's story puts you in the house.Randyman wrote:Great writing, as usual Rog. All of you guys have doing some great writing lately. I posted thisone on my site. Great, great writing.dagosd2000 wrote:POP POP POP
The Arena 72 was just north of Aguas Caliente Boulevard near the race track. It was built in 1972 so it got its name. The bigger fights were held at the Municipal Auditorium or the downtown bullring. One thing all three venues had in common:the opponent was going to fight in their house. The out of towner,or the foreigner. You were in TJ now. You had to be ready or else.
I loved the atmosphere at the Olympic ,San Diego's Coliseum,the ball parks. If it was Mexican fighters, the fans in the stands were at one with the fighters. But in Mexico ,you were in their house. Don't pull any of this "in the U.S. we do it this way."
Whether it was the fights or ,for example a Vicente Fernandez concert,once you left the arena here in the
states it was back to "Gringolandia". In Mexico you were saturated "puro Mexicano." The feel never left you once you left the arena. The smell of the Mexican diesel,the manteca crackling, the smoke from the fires that burned the trash in the colonias. The taco carts with their vats of horchata and jamaica.The packs dogs running through the crowd's feet. The dirt lots. The aficianados were in their element. Come and enjoy what it's like at the fights,but we don't want your suggestions. We do it the same way. Put on the gloves in the ring. The photographers flashing the bulbs of their cameras at the fighters and the referee. The dead rattlesnake and the bloody woman's underpants being tossed around. The cops standing there doing nothing. Don't correct us. Asi es.
I'm not going to talk about a particular fight. Whether it was in the tiny Arena 72 or outdoors in the bullring.The chifles inundating the air. There would be firecrackers going off. I can smell the smoke from those cuetes now.
Randy
I can smell the smoke, and hear the firecrackers. Mexican fans love a fight, and seem to always have a supply of firecrackers and cherry bombs to liven up the event. That was how it played out at the FORUM, during the George Parnassus' years.
The Nationals that crossed the borber via chartered buses provided by the legendary Greek promoter brought all the booze and explosives necessary to get them thru a ChuCho Castillo fight, or Olivares, Herrera, Napoles, Zarate, etc.
In '68, the brand new Forum exploded when ChuCho Castillo dropped a close split decision to champ Lionel Rose. After the controversial title fight, Dwight Hawkins and Mexican Fernando Sotelo were in the third round of their ten round bout when the Forum was suddenly a smoke filled disaster in the making. Cushioned seats were sliced open and the cotton inside set afire. Bottles were hurled from high above, many striking fans in the lower seats.
The Hawkins-Sotelo match was stopped and both fighters led out of the ring by security. My friends and I headed for the lower dressing room exit. Veteran trainer, Canto Robledo, who was blind and seperated from his guide, tried to find his way to safety. I was with my heavyweight friend Kit Boursse' and Ruben Navarro. Ruben grabbed Canto by the arm and dragged him thru the crowd to the floor exit. We headed up the ramp to the parking lot, where a Cadillac owned by Parnassus' attorney, Paul Caruso, was being tipped over by rioting Mexicans. They were having a good time.
I thought to myself, this was the first riot I've ever seen that didn't involve a member of the Quarry family. The Quarry's never brought fireworks, they brought their women. With all respect to the below-the-border Hell Raisers, they had nothing on Ma Quarry. She was really tough!
-Rick Farris
