Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

Michele Chong
El Monte Amateur boxing show...3-6-09

[kikibalt]

Frankie Baltazar, Carlos Palomino & James Baltazar
El Monte amateur boxing show...3-6-09

[kikibalt]

Carlos Palomino
El Monte amateur boxing show...3-6-09

[kikibalt]

Hap,

Do you remember a local singer by the name of Ruben Reyes? I think his last name was Reyes, anyway Ruben used to play the local clubs, I would see him at the local fights often, in the 1950s of course.

[Dongee]

Hap,

Do you remember a local singer by the name of Ruben Reyes? I think his last name was Reyes, anyway Ruben used to play the local clubs, I would see him at the local fights often, in the 1950s of course.

Yes, Kiki, I remember Ruben very well. He was friendly with Lauro Salas. He had a kinda chunky build and came along a few years after Fernando Rosas, whose big local hit was "Tu Felicidad".
Singers and boxers hung out together in those days. The night I met Sandy Casanova in 1934 he had come to visit us with a hot tenor of the day named Ernesto Inda.

regards

hap navarro

[kikibalt]

Hap,

Do you remember a local singer by the name of Ruben Reyes? I think his last name was Reyes, anyway Ruben used to play the local clubs, I would see him at the local fights often, in the 1950s of course.

Yes, Kiki, I remember Ruben very well. He was friendly with Lauro Salas. He had a kinda chunky build and came along a few years after Fernando Rosas, whose big local hit was "Tu Felicidad".
Singers and boxers hung out together in those days. The night I met Sandy Casanova in 1934 he had come to visit us with a hot tenor of the day named Ernesto Inda.

regards

hap navarro

Hap,

My late uncle Tony Ramos knew Reyes fairly well and we got to seat with him a few times at the Olymipc, I was just a teenager at the time, those other guys you mentioned I don't know, before my time....

[dagosd2000]

Michele Chong
El Monte Amateur boxing show...3-6-09

Everytime I see pics of Michelle Chong,she has a great smile. Must be a good egg

[Dongee]

Don't get me started, Frankie, because I am old as the hills and enjoyed a period in L.A. that some of our younger friends missed. There was a time when the younger set was connected socially and at times politically through a group of "Social Clubs United", some of the larger ones being in East L.A.

I can remember a few, like Club Aristo and Club S.A.S, which stood for "Seamos Amigos Siempre", (Let's be Friends Always), and a really strong one called "Alma Joven" (Young Soul). The highlight of the social year was a "Black and White Ball" (formal) held at the old L.A. Country Club. Joe Garcia promoted that dance to perfection for years.

hap navarro

[dagosd2000]

Don't get me started, Frankie, because I am old as the hills and enjoyed a period in L.A. that some of our younger friends missed. There was a time when the younger set was connected socially and at times politically through a group of "Social Clubs United", some of the larger ones being in East L.A.

I can remember a few, like Club Aristo and Club S.A.S, which stood for "Seamos Amigos Siempre", (Let's be Friends Always), and a really strong one called "Alma Joven" (Young Soul). The highlight of the social year was a "Black and White Ball" (formal) held at the old L.A. Country Club. Joe Garcia promoted that dance to perfection for years.

hap navarro

Hap
You ought to write a book

[kikibalt]

Jose "Pepe" Dominguez, Frankie Duarte & Frankie Baltazar
El Monte amateur boxing show...3-6-09

Dominguez is the one I posted months ago about been punchy before he turn pro, his father Ben Dominguez used to take him to the main St. Gym when Jose was 14-15 years old and had him spar with the the top pros of the day, the sparring sessions at the Main St. Gym were no walk in the park, they for the most part were wars and Jose as a 14-15 year old teenager was in his share of them, and he is showing the effect more so now..to bad....

[kikibalt]

Michele Chong
El Monte Amateur boxing show...3-6-09

Everytime I see pics of Michelle Chong,she has a great smile. Must be a good egg

Rog,

Michele is a beautiful person. As soon as she seen us last night she sat us at a VIP table...

[kikibalt]

Don't get me started, Frankie, because I am old as the hills and enjoyed a period in L.A. that some of our younger friends missed. There was a time when the younger set was connected socially and at times politically through a group of "Social Clubs United", some of the larger ones being in East L.A.

I can remember a few, like Club Aristo and Club S.A.S, which stood for "Seamos Amigos Siempre", (Let's be Friends Always), and a really strong one called "Alma Joven" (Young Soul). The highlight of the social year was a "Black and White Ball" (formal) held at the old L.A. Country Club. Joe Garcia promoted that dance to perfection for years.

hap navarro

Hap, tell us all your memories from the "Golden Age of L.A.Boxing"

[kikibalt]

Michele Chong
El Monte Amateur boxing show...3-6-09

Everytime I see pics of Michelle Chong,she has a great smile. Must be a good egg

Rog,

Michele is a beautiful person. As soon as she seen us last night she sat us at a VIP table...

Last night when Michele sat Frankie, James and I at a VIP table, James turns and looks at me and say "A VIP table?" I said "Yes Mijo, it nice to know people"...

[Dongee]

Don't get me started, Frankie, because I am old as the hills and enjoyed a period in L.A. that some of our younger friends missed. There was a time when the younger set was connected socially and at times politically through a group of "Social Clubs United", some of the larger ones being in East L.A.

I can remember a few, like Club Aristo and Club S.A.S, which stood for "Seamos Amigos Siempre", (Let's be Friends Always), and a really strong one called "Alma Joven" (Young Soul). The highlight of the social year was a "Black and White Ball" (formal) held at the old L.A. Country Club. Joe Garcia promoted that dance to perfection for years.

hap navarro

Hap, tell us all your memories from the "Golden Age of L.A.Boxing"

I think all of our Forum friends would have enjoyed watching heavyweight Rex Layne develop during the 1950s. He came to us at Hollywood in 1949 in a four round preliminary in which he outpointed lanky Hank Thurman, the fighter Rick Farris was trying to remember recently.That was only Layne's third pro bout and he was really something to watch. He moved like a middleweight, boxed well and stole the show that night. He came back some time later to win a six round semi-windup against Willie McCoy. His stablemate Jay Lambert boxed the main event that night.

I have always thought of Rex Layne as a precursor to the great Jerry Quarry, who brightened the western fight scene so well. Layne had that same fire, although he always seemed to be better equipped, physically, than Jerry, who arguably might have possessed better punching power. Later, I equated Jerry's masterful handling of Shavers in the same light as Layne's win over Bob Satterfield, both were standout ring performances.

Those two men were head and shoulders above the run-of-the-mill white heavies of the day. Most of them were capable performers but I can only visualize Rex and Jerry as world title threats.

hap navarro

[kikibalt]

Don't get me started, Frankie, because I am old as the hills and enjoyed a period in L.A. that some of our younger friends missed. There was a time when the younger set was connected socially and at times politically through a group of "Social Clubs United", some of the larger ones being in East L.A.

I can remember a few, like Club Aristo and Club S.A.S, which stood for "Seamos Amigos Siempre", (Let's be Friends Always), and a really strong one called "Alma Joven" (Young Soul). The highlight of the social year was a "Black and White Ball" (formal) held at the old L.A. Country Club. Joe Garcia promoted that dance to perfection for years.

hap navarro

Hap, tell us all your memories from the "Golden Age of L.A.Boxing"

I think all of our Forum friends would have enjoyed watching heavyweight Rex Layne develop during the 1950s. He came to us at Hollywood in 1949 in a four round preliminary in which he outpointed lanky Hank Thurman, the fighter Rick Farris was trying to remember recently.That was only Layne's third pro bout and he was really something to watch. He moved like a middleweight, boxed well and stole the show that night. He came back some time later to win a six round semi-windup against Willie McCoy. His stablemate Jay Lambert boxed the main event that night.

I have always thought of Rex Layne as a precursor to the great Jerry Quarry, who brightened the western fight scene so well. Layne had that same fire, although he always seemed to be better equipped, physically, than Jerry, who arguably might have possessed better punching power. Later, I equated Jerry's masterful handling of Shavers in the same light as Layne's win over Bob Satterfield, both were standout ring performances.

Those two men were head and shoulders above the run-of-the-mill white heavies of the day. Most of them were capable performers but I can only visualize Rex and Jerry as world title threats.

hap navarro

Great classic narrative on both Rex Layne and Jerry Quarry, Hap....

[Dongee]

Don't get me started, Frankie, because I am old as the hills and enjoyed a period in L.A. that some of our younger friends missed. There was a time when the younger set was connected socially and at times politically through a group of "Social Clubs United", some of the larger ones being in East L.A.

I can remember a few, like Club Aristo and Club S.A.S, which stood for "Seamos Amigos Siempre", (Let's be Friends Always), and a really strong one called "Alma Joven" (Young Soul). The highlight of the social year was a "Black and White Ball" (formal) held at the old L.A. Country Club. Joe Garcia promoted that dance to perfection for years.

hap navarro

Hap
You ought to write a book

There are many fine historians who might do a better job, my friend, so I will defer to them.

Now that I have your attention: I lived in the Fletcher Hills area of San Diego for 33 years before moving to Santa Maria. We had a store and art gallery in El Cajon's Parkway Plaza. Did you ever shop there? Whereabouts is your home in that wonderful city of San Diego?

Respectfully hap navarro

[kikibalt]

Jimmy Gambina
El Monte amateur boxing show...3-6-09

Jimmy is the son of the late Ralph Gambina, manager of top fighters in the "Golden Age of L.A. Boxing"

[dagosd2000]

Carlos Palomino

[kikibalt]

Hap, look what I found, Ruben Reyes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8FK9UjSaXc
Mi Cancion De invierno

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vugdtP3Vsw4
Amor De La Calle

[dagosd2000]

Don't get me started, Frankie, because I am old as the hills and enjoyed a period in L.A. that some of our younger friends missed. There was a time when the younger set was connected socially and at times politically through a group of "Social Clubs United", some of the larger ones being in East L.A.

I can remember a few, like Club Aristo and Club S.A.S, which stood for "Seamos Amigos Siempre", (Let's be Friends Always), and a really strong one called "Alma Joven" (Young Soul). The highlight of the social year was a "Black and White Ball" (formal) held at the old L.A. Country Club. Joe Garcia promoted that dance to perfection for years.

hap navarro

Hap
You ought to write a book

There are many fine historians who might do a better job, my friend, so I will defer to them.

Now that I have your attention: I lived in the Fletcher Hills area of San Diego for 33 years before moving to Santa Maria. We had a store and art gallery in El Cajon's Parkway Plaza. Did you ever shop there? Whereabouts is your home in that wonderful city of San Diego?

Respectfully hap navarro

Hap, I live with my wife in Clairemont. I don't think I was ever in your store. You may want to defer (to who I don't know),but when this thread is put on disc, your memories will probably be the most cherished.

[Rick Farris]

Don't get me started, Frankie, because I am old as the hills and enjoyed a period in L.A. that some of our younger friends missed. There was a time when the younger set was connected socially and at times politically through a group of "Social Clubs United", some of the larger ones being in East L.A.

I can remember a few, like Club Aristo and Club S.A.S, which stood for "Seamos Amigos Siempre", (Let's be Friends Always), and a really strong one called "Alma Joven" (Young Soul). The highlight of the social year was a "Black and White Ball" (formal) held at the old L.A. Country Club. Joe Garcia promoted that dance to perfection for years.

hap navarro

Hap, tell us all your memories from the "Golden Age of L.A.Boxing"

The stories Hap tells are some of the most interesting and informative I've ever heard. I have learned more from reading Hap Navarro stories than anybody else in boxing. Frank, when you think back to the guys who were in boxing when we started out, the people who were running L.A. boxing, all had been tied in with Hap. I'd mention a name, a guy who I knew from our era, and then hear how he came up, where they came from. Hap has answered so many questions, I try to keep all the information as clear and accurate as possible. We aren't reading what some reporter wrote in a newspaper, we are hearing what actually happened behind closed doors, how these great matches were made. Often, the stories "behind a fight" is as good as the fight itself.

-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Don't get me started, Frankie, because I am old as the hills and enjoyed a period in L.A. that some of our younger friends missed. There was a time when the younger set was connected socially and at times politically through a group of "Social Clubs United", some of the larger ones being in East L.A.

I can remember a few, like Club Aristo and Club S.A.S, which stood for "Seamos Amigos Siempre", (Let's be Friends Always), and a really strong one called "Alma Joven" (Young Soul). The highlight of the social year was a "Black and White Ball" (formal) held at the old L.A. Country Club. Joe Garcia promoted that dance to perfection for years.

hap navarro

Hap, tell us all your memories from the "Golden Age of L.A.Boxing"

I think all of our Forum friends would have enjoyed watching heavyweight Rex Layne develop during the 1950s. He came to us at Hollywood in 1949 in a four round preliminary in which he outpointed lanky Hank Thurman, the fighter Rick Farris was trying to remember recently.That was only Layne's third pro bout and he was really something to watch. He moved like a middleweight, boxed well and stole the show that night. He came back some time later to win a six round semi-windup against Willie McCoy. His stablemate Jay Lambert boxed the main event that night.

I have always thought of Rex Layne as a precursor to the great Jerry Quarry, who brightened the western fight scene so well. Layne had that same fire, although he always seemed to be better equipped, physically, than Jerry, who arguably might have possessed better punching power. Later, I equated Jerry's masterful handling of Shavers in the same light as Layne's win over Bob Satterfield, both were standout ring performances.

Those two men were head and shoulders above the run-of-the-mill white heavies of the day. Most of them were capable performers but I can only visualize Rex and Jerry as world title threats.

hap navarro

Hap, thanks for bringing the name Hank Thurman to mind. I met Hank a few years ago at a liquor store in Culver City where we'd both stopped in to buy Lotto tickets. We struck up a conversation and discussed a few boxers from the Westside, guys like Tommy Garland, etc.

-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Phil Barba . . .

Hey Frank, did you see Phil Barba last night? He was with Frankie Duarte. He's a great guy, I always enjoy seeing Phil when I stop by his barber shop to visit Frankie in Venice.

-Rick

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loqc2o_3e3A

Lucho Gatica

For Hap and Frank

[dagosd2000]

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

Tona "La Negra"

Cenizas