Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

Susan Boyle at age 22

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/musict ... er-before/

[Rick Farris]

I WISHED THEY"D ALL DONE GOOD

Everybody wants to make it to the big time. Big time means big money. This big time fight coming up between Pacman and Hatton. I know it's in Vegas somewhere. Haven't been following it too close,but I know it's the big time. Big money for everyone. With a fight like this,I don't feel sorry for the loser. For big time money like that,nobody loses.

But I'm for the fighters. All of them. What the hell. Tough way to make a living. They asked Carmen Basilio not too long ago how he felt about the fighters today.
"What the hell. I hope they all do good,"he answered grauwchily.
Sometimes I think some of these old timers would rather talk about their grandchildren than fighting.
"What was Sugar Ray like?"
"Who was the toughest guy you fought?"
All I know is Basilio could have fought a thousand fights and not made half as much money as Manny or Ricky are going to put into the bank after Saturday.

So what I'm trying to say is the road to the top is what interests me. These future champions that paid their dues at arenas like the Hollywood Legion,the San Diego Coliseum,and the Tijuana Auditorium. Fighting 4 round pre lims and crowd chasers. Fighting against pugs that were on a ticket to nowhere.

Too bad those guys that rode that train didn't do good. They deserved better.

Maybe they did, and maybe they didn't. You either have it or you don't. Most don't, but somehow believe they did.
A lot of fighters have been taken advantage of, good fighters that almost had what it took, but 99% wouldn't have made it with every advantage on their side.
The Dempsey's, Ali's, Robinson's, Duaran's, Leonard's etc. are very, very rare. Lots come close, but even with all the edges couldn't make it.

I have to say that excuses are much more common than talent in boxing. It's always somebody else's fault.
That's not to say that those prelim guys, club fighters don't have worth, as they often provide the action that saves a show, makes people want to come back and buy a ticket.

There is a fine line seperating good from great in boxing. Anything less than great deverves nothing better than second place.
In boxing, coming in second means you finished in last place.
In such a situation, aside from his purse, a boxer deserves the same prize awarded to those who bet him to win- Nothing.

I've opened the show, been the crowd chaser, semi-main and even had a couple featured events.
I didn't like to lose, got a raw deal on a couple of occasions, stole a decision once, generally fought on even terms, have had my nose busted several times, eye brows sliced, eye's swollen shut, urinated blood for a day or two, woke up with headaches that made me wish I could yank my head off and toss it out the window . . . and I've made other guys feel the same. I was stopped once, but finished on my feet, never knocked out cold, never, not in the gym, not in the ring. I've had my bell rung, stepped out of the ring with no memory of what I'd done during the previous several days leading up to that moment. I've fought blind, one eye swollen shut, blood dripping into the other from a cut. I've had concussions (all of us have).

The greatest moments I've ever experienced in life took place in that ring. I wasn't a punching bag, despite the facts above. It comes with the territory. I didn't fight with the success of the Baltazar's, and they didn't fight the with the success of Leonard or Duran. We all got what we deserved. I had some brilliant moments and have some great memories. More good than bad, a lot more good than bad.

So what? Sometimes I did my best, sometimes it wasn't good enough. Life is unfair, some people have a real problem when it comes to that reality.

I got what I deserved, and so does everybody else in boxing. I don't feel sorry for any boxer that ever walked the face of the planet.
We made a choice, and we did what we wanted. Boxers ALL have nobody to blame but themselves.

We all got we deserved. Nothing more-Nothing less. When a boxer dies in the ring, it's a tragedy. It's also their own fault, all of them.

Would I do it again? You bet I would. You just have to know when to quit. Those who don't, well, it's their own fault, they got what they desereved. And just for the record, I didn't have somebody waiting to give me a job in the studios when I retired, my grandad had been dead eight years. I got in on my own, and it was not easy. I got what I deserved, we all do.


-Rick Farris

[Expug]

I WISHED THEY"D ALL DONE GOOD

Everybody wants to make it to the big time. Big time means big money. This big time fight coming up between Pacman and Hatton. I know it's in Vegas somewhere. Haven't been following it too close,but I know it's the big time. Big money for everyone. With a fight like this,I don't feel sorry for the loser. For big time money like that,nobody loses.

But I'm for the fighters. All of them. What the hell. Tough way to make a living. They asked Carmen Basilio not too long ago how he felt about the fighters today.
"What the hell. I hope they all do good,"he answered grauwchily.
Sometimes I think some of these old timers would rather talk about their grandchildren than fighting.
"What was Sugar Ray like?"
"Who was the toughest guy you fought?"
All I know is Basilio could have fought a thousand fights and not made half as much money as Manny or Ricky are going to put into the bank after Saturday.

So what I'm trying to say is the road to the top is what interests me. These future champions that paid their dues at arenas like the Hollywood Legion,the San Diego Coliseum,and the Tijuana Auditorium. Fighting 4 round pre lims and crowd chasers. Fighting against pugs that were on a ticket to nowhere.

Too bad those guys that rode that train didn't do good. They deserved better.

Maybe they did, and maybe they didn't. You either have it or you don't. Most don't, but somehow believe they did.
A lot of fighters have been taken advantage of, good fighters that almost had what it took, but 99% wouldn't have made it with every advantage on their side.
The Dempsey's, Ali's, Robinson's, Duaran's, Leonard's etc. are very, very rare. Lots come close, but even with all the edges couldn't make it.

I have to say that excuses are much more common than talent in boxing. It's always somebody else's fault.
That's not to say that those prelim guys, club fighters don't have worth, as they often provide the action that saves a show, makes people want to come back and buy a ticket.

There is a fine line seperating good from great in boxing. Anything less than great deverves nothing better than second place.
In boxing, coming in second means you finished in last place.
In such a situation, aside from his purse, a boxer deserves the same prize awarded to those who bet him to win- Nothing.

I've opened the show, been the crowd chaser, semi-main and even had a couple featured events.
I didn't like to lose, got a raw deal on a couple of occasions, stole a decision once, generally fought on even terms, have had my nose busted several times, eye brows sliced, eye's swollen shut, urinated blood for a day or two, woke up with headaches that made me wish I could yank my head off and toss it out the window . . . and I've made other guys feel the same. I was stopped once, but finishes on my feet, never knocked out cold, never, not in the gym, not in the ring. I've had my bell rung, stepped out of the ring with no memory of what I'd done during the previous several days leading up to that moment.

So what? Sometimes I did my best, sometimes it wasn't good enough. Life is unfair, some people have a real problem when it comes to that reality.

I got what I deserved, and so does everybody else in boxing. I don't feel sorry for any boxer that ever walked the face of the planet.
We made a choice, and we did what we wanted. Boxers ALL have nobody to blame but themselves.

We all got we deserved. Nothing more-Nothingless. When a boxer dies in the ring, it's a tragedy. It's also their own fault, all of them.


-Rick Farris

Rick and Rog.
These two posts that you guys just made here should be carved in freakin granite and put on a wall for the next hundred generations to read.
They arent just about boxing.If everyone had the attitude about life in general that you guys mentioned in reference to the fight game, the world would be a better place.
Not making excuses, taking reponsibility for our actions , being grateful for being able to do what we love,
and appreciating the journey wherever it takes us.
I think thats what you guys mean and I agreee.
Great stuff guys. Wisdom for the ages.

[Rick Farris]

I WISHED THEY"D ALL DONE GOOD

Everybody wants to make it to the big time. Big time means big money. This big time fight coming up between Pacman and Hatton. I know it's in Vegas somewhere. Haven't been following it too close,but I know it's the big time. Big money for everyone. With a fight like this,I don't feel sorry for the loser. For big time money like that,nobody loses.

But I'm for the fighters. All of them. What the hell. Tough way to make a living. They asked Carmen Basilio not too long ago how he felt about the fighters today.
"What the hell. I hope they all do good,"he answered grauwchily.
Sometimes I think some of these old timers would rather talk about their grandchildren than fighting.
"What was Sugar Ray like?"
"Who was the toughest guy you fought?"
All I know is Basilio could have fought a thousand fights and not made half as much money as Manny or Ricky are going to put into the bank after Saturday.

So what I'm trying to say is the road to the top is what interests me. These future champions that paid their dues at arenas like the Hollywood Legion,the San Diego Coliseum,and the Tijuana Auditorium. Fighting 4 round pre lims and crowd chasers. Fighting against pugs that were on a ticket to nowhere.

Too bad those guys that rode that train didn't do good. They deserved better.

Maybe they did, and maybe they didn't. You either have it or you don't. Most don't, but somehow believe they did.
A lot of fighters have been taken advantage of, good fighters that almost had what it took, but 99% wouldn't have made it with every advantage on their side.
The Dempsey's, Ali's, Robinson's, Duaran's, Leonard's etc. are very, very rare. Lots come close, but even with all the edges couldn't make it.

I have to say that excuses are much more common than talent in boxing. It's always somebody else's fault.
That's not to say that those prelim guys, club fighters don't have worth, as they often provide the action that saves a show, makes people want to come back and buy a ticket.

There is a fine line seperating good from great in boxing. Anything less than great deverves nothing better than second place.
In boxing, coming in second means you finished in last place.
In such a situation, aside from his purse, a boxer deserves the same prize awarded to those who bet him to win- Nothing.

I've opened the show, been the crowd chaser, semi-main and even had a couple featured events.
I didn't like to lose, got a raw deal on a couple of occasions, stole a decision once, generally fought on even terms, have had my nose busted several times, eye brows sliced, eye's swollen shut, urinated blood for a day or two, woke up with headaches that made me wish I could yank my head off and toss it out the window . . . and I've made other guys feel the same. I was stopped once, but finishes on my feet, never knocked out cold, never, not in the gym, not in the ring. I've had my bell rung, stepped out of the ring with no memory of what I'd done during the previous several days leading up to that moment.

So what? Sometimes I did my best, sometimes it wasn't good enough. Life is unfair, some people have a real problem when it comes to that reality.

I got what I deserved, and so does everybody else in boxing. I don't feel sorry for any boxer that ever walked the face of the planet.
We made a choice, and we did what we wanted. Boxers ALL have nobody to blame but themselves.

We all got we deserved. Nothing more-Nothingless. When a boxer dies in the ring, it's a tragedy. It's also their own fault, all of them.


-Rick Farris

Rick and Rog.
These two posts that you guys just made here should be carved in freakin granite and put on a wall for the next hundred generations to read.
They arent just about boxing.If everyone had the attitude about life in general that you guys mentioned in reference to the fight game, the world would be a better place.
Not making excuses, taking reponsibility for our actions , being grateful for being able to do what we love,
and appreciating the journey wherever it takes us.
I think thats what you guys mean and I agreee.
Great stuff guys. Wisdom for the ages.

Brian, I added a few more things to my original post. A couple things I believe is important.

-Rick

[Rick Farris]

I WISHED THEY"D ALL DONE GOOD

Everybody wants to make it to the big time. Big time means big money. This big time fight coming up between Pacman and Hatton. I know it's in Vegas somewhere. Haven't been following it too close,but I know it's the big time. Big money for everyone. With a fight like this,I don't feel sorry for the loser. For big time money like that,nobody loses.

But I'm for the fighters. All of them. What the hell. Tough way to make a living. They asked Carmen Basilio not too long ago how he felt about the fighters today.
"What the hell. I hope they all do good,"he answered grauwchily.
Sometimes I think some of these old timers would rather talk about their grandchildren than fighting.
"What was Sugar Ray like?"
"Who was the toughest guy you fought?"
All I know is Basilio could have fought a thousand fights and not made half as much money as Manny or Ricky are going to put into the bank after Saturday.

So what I'm trying to say is the road to the top is what interests me. These future champions that paid their dues at arenas like the Hollywood Legion,the San Diego Coliseum,and the Tijuana Auditorium. Fighting 4 round pre lims and crowd chasers. Fighting against pugs that were on a ticket to nowhere.

Too bad those guys that rode that train didn't do good. They deserved better.

Maybe they did, and maybe they didn't. You either have it or you don't. Most don't, but somehow believe they did.
A lot of fighters have been taken advantage of, good fighters that almost had what it took, but 99% wouldn't have made it with every advantage on their side.
The Dempsey's, Ali's, Robinson's, Duaran's, Leonard's etc. are very, very rare. Lots come close, but even with all the edges couldn't make it.

I have to say that excuses are much more common than talent in boxing. It's always somebody else's fault.
That's not to say that those prelim guys, club fighters don't have worth, as they often provide the action that saves a show, makes people want to come back and buy a ticket.

There is a fine line seperating good from great in boxing. Anything less than great deverves nothing better than second place.
In boxing, coming in second means you finished in last place.
In such a situation, aside from his purse, a boxer deserves the same prize awarded to those who bet him to win- Nothing.

I've opened the show, been the crowd chaser, semi-main and even had a couple featured events.
I didn't like to lose, got a raw deal on a couple of occasions, stole a decision once, generally fought on even terms, have had my nose busted several times, eye brows sliced, eye's swollen shut, urinated blood for a day or two, woke up with headaches that made me wish I could yank my head off and toss it out the window . . . and I've made other guys feel the same. I was stopped once, but finished on my feet, never knocked out cold, never, not in the gym, not in the ring. I've had my bell rung, stepped out of the ring with no memory of what I'd done during the previous several days leading up to that moment. I've fought blind, one eye swollen shut, blood dripping into the other from a cut. I've had concussions (all of us have).

The greatest moments I've ever experienced in life took place in that ring. I wasn't a punching bag, despite the facts above. It comes with the territory. I didn't fight with the success of the Baltazar's, and they didn't fight the with the success of Leonard or Duran. We all got what we deserved. I had some brilliant moments and have some great memories. More good than bad, a lot more good than bad.

So what? Sometimes I did my best, sometimes it wasn't good enough. Life is unfair, some people have a real problem when it comes to that reality.

I got what I deserved, and so does everybody else in boxing. I don't feel sorry for any boxer that ever walked the face of the planet.
We made a choice, and we did what we wanted. Boxers ALL have nobody to blame but themselves.

We all got we deserved. Nothing more-Nothing less. When a boxer dies in the ring, it's a tragedy. It's also their own fault, all of them.

Would I do it again? You bet I would. You just have to know when to quit. Those who don't, well, it's their own fault, they got what they desereved. And just for the record, I didn't have somebody waiting to give me a job in the studios when I retired, my grandad had been dead eight years. I got in on my own, and it was not easy. I got what I deserved, we all do.


-Rick Farris

[Expug]

Rick, when I was a kid my Mother used to tell me "son, you are your own person".
She didnt mean it as a negative or a compliment. She could just tell at an early age that I was gonna go my own way.Not follow the crowd .Follow my heart I guess.
I think you are the same way Rick.
I see it as a good thing.

[dagosd2000]

Susan Boyle at age 22

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/musict ... er-before/

Frank
I'm glad this gal is finally getting recognized. I hope she's put on easy street. All that time in osbscurity. The thing is she's got the pipes.There's still some cheep shot cowards that poke fun at her. I'm sure she'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

[dagosd2000]

THE BOOKMARKER

Times are tough. Getting tougher everyday for a lot of people. The baby boomers aren't used to this. It was my generation(baby boomers) that let this thing happen. The politicians(baby boomers) were supposed to protect us. They sold out and stood guard for the old guard and now we're all paying for it,literally.

See more homeless walking the streets. My grand daughter Amanda's Flamenco class is in a neighborhood in San Diego called Golden Hill.Used to be a high end little burg. Old Victorian style homes. Well with the recession the gold has lost a lot of its glow. People sleeping in Balboa Park(which is in the area) , in the alleys and the store fronts. I see families picking through the trash cans. Beggars.

There's a Starbucks a half block away from the dance studio on the corner. Me and Amanda have a frappacino waiting for the class to begin. We usually sit there listening to the best piped in music. Soul,jazz,and blues. Fits the bohemian atmoshere.

There's this one gal. I'd say middle aged. From the way she looks I'd say she doesn't have a place to live.Her clothes look like they've been slept in. I see her going through the city trash bins and the sanitainers in the alleys.

She's come around to me and Amanda a couple of times. Once up at Luigis Pizza Parlor about two blocks away,and the other day at Starbucks. She asks if you could spare a quarter or anything,and you get to pick these hand painted book markers she's made. She's draws animals,seascapes,sunsets,country and mountain images. The bookmarkers are very pretty and colorfull. I always buy a few. She's always very appreciative.

She could probably sell her bookmarkers at a street fair or in the park. Even a store that sells things like that. A gift store.

Sometimes I think my art goes unnoticed. Well just about every artist is thinking the same thing. However when I start feeling sorry for myself that my art ain't hanging in the Louvre,I think of that gal with the bookmarkers. She's happy just to have something to eat.

[dagosd2000]

Rick, when I was a kid my Mother used to tell me "son, you are your own person".
She didnt mean it as a negative or a compliment. She could just tell at an early age that I was gonna go my own way.Not follow the crowd .Follow my heart I guess.
I think you are the same way Rick.
I see it as a good thing.

Brian
I've always tried to follow my heart,but there's another part of my anatomy that leads me in another direction.

[bennie]

Tell Pops Blackpool is still OK, Dan, but it went downhill for a while because of holidays abroad but is picking up again now (they are doing a helluva lot of work on the Promenade). I certainly enjoyed the week: friendly people, good beer, good food, plenty of entertainment, a day trip to the Lake District, and the hotel was great. A nice little break before the summer season really packs out the town.

PS: It is only the teenagers who have a tattoo and an earring done, Rick. It is like a tradition (or certainly was).

[kikibalt]

A Kinder & Simpler Time

[dagosd2000]

A Kinder & Simpler Time

FALSE TEETH

To try put things in perspective is difficult if you watch the news. My dentist is in Tijuana. I've only got three teeth of my own with the uppers. So I get a full bridge done in 4 hours for 250 bucks. If something goes wrong I get it fixed for free.

My dentist is this gal whose kids go to school across the street on Calle Madero. I bring English books for her children. She even has a painting of mine of Pancho Villa in her office.We talk about our families.the economic conditions on both sides of the border,and what the crime situation is like.

Point is that Americans have just about disappeared off the streets down there. Now with this swine flu thing, it's the coup de gras.

My son in law's father has about as many teeth in his mouth as I have. I told him to come with me and see my dentist. NO WAY. He doesn't want to get get gunned down in the street and catch the flu at the same time. OK pal have it your way. Keep listening to the news and take their word for it. So he shells out 6 grand and waits a month for the same set of false choppers that I have.

For 6 grand he could have bought a bullett proof vest and a surgical mask and had enough left over to buy some tacos.

[kikibalt]

Roach says Hatton's team is making excuses in advance


Ed Mulholland / US Presswire
Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton shake hands after weighing in for their junior-welterweight bout.
There are reports of training camp friction in the Englishman's corner before fight with Pacquiao.

By Lance Pugmire
May 2, 2009

A day after Ricky Hatton's trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. hinted there was some training camp friction in the Englishman's corner, the opposing veteran cornerman said the alibi-making has begun.

"I think it's just excuses," said Freddie Roach, who trained Manny Pacquiao for Saturday night's 140-pound main event against Hatton at MGM Grand. "Now, when Manny beats him, they've got an excuse."

The fighters weighed in Friday, with Hatton stepping on the scales at the junior-welterweight limit 140 pounds while Pacquiao weighed 138.

England's Hatton (45-1, 32 knockouts) is expected to surge in weight before he steps into the ring and should easily surpass Oscar De La Hoya as the heaviest man Filipino icon Pacquiao (48-3-2, 35 KOs) has fought.

"Ricky genuinely believes he'll knock Manny out," Hatton attorney Gareth Williams said. "He's the naturally bigger guy, and Manny's victory over De La Hoya isn't impressive given the condition Oscar was in."

Yet, it was Hatton's camp left to defend the condition of their team unity.

On Thursday, Mayweather, training Hatton for the second bout after a previous impressive battering of Paulie Malignaggi, told reporters near the end of a round table conversation that the training camp had included some conflict.

"It doesn't mean it's not a good camp if we have a problem," Mayweather told spam.com and Yahoo Sports. "Was there a problem? Yes."

The animated Mayweather reportedly had a personality conflict with Hatton's assistant trainer from England, Lee Beard, although Hatton's attorney was quick Friday to dismiss the reported tension. Thursday, Mayweather explained that it was "not just me and Lee, but you might be on the right track."

In one scene from the HBO reality series "24/7," Hatton was seen waiting in the gym for Mayweather to show up. A separate shot showed the trainer at a Taco Bell.

Friday, Williams talked about "some idiots stirring things up on the Internet," and addressed an issue that he describes as "absolute nonsense. Floyd's the man, and Ricky is happy with Floyd."

And Mayweather was hurrying to retract anything he said the day before. In a telephone conversation with The Times before the weigh-in, he said, "It's all lies, we had no dispute. Ricky will be good and Freddie can talk all he wants. What does a Roach know anyway? A Roach ain't got a brain. I'll let you all see how well the camp went tomorrow night.

"Whatever I said, let it be."

The Yahoo Sports story said Roach could emerge as a possible replacement trainer.

"I like guys like him, I think we would fit well because I like guys who work hard and fight hard, but right now I'm training my guy to knock him out," Roach told The Times. "The problem I have with [Mayweather] is that it's always about me, me, me, and he never talks about his fighter. I might be the best trainer, but it's only because I train Manny Pacquiao."

Peak condition

Pacquiao is a 5-2 favorite at Las Vegas sports books, and Roach, known more for truth than hype, said his fighter has never been "so focused" in his attempt to win a fourth consecutive fight in a different division.

"He's driven to get better and better and he looks so good," Roach said. "In a workout this week, he did everything in the game plan perfectly. I had nothing to criticize him for when he came back to the corner. I just said, 'Manny, you're looking great.' He knows exactly what to do. I believe we'll knock [Hatton] out."

Undercard

An injury to world super-featherweight champion Steven Luevano of La Puente and a gun charge against unbeaten rising star James Kirkland weakened the fight card before Pacquiao-Hatton, but it does include a WBC super-featherweight title bout between champion Humberto Soto (47-7-2, 30 KOs) of Mexico and Canada's Benoit Gaudet (20-1, 7 KOs), and an appearance by unbeaten middleweight Daniel Jacobs (15-0, 14 KOs) of Brooklyn.

Next big fight

Mayweather's unbeaten and retired son Floyd Jr. is in negotiations to return to fight July 18 in Las Vegas against Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez, said Marquez and an HBO source.

"We're still negotiating," Marquez told The Times on Friday. "I'm pretty sure it's going to happen. I'm training now [in Las Vegas], and that's what I'm pointing to."

An MGM Grand official told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the hotel is saving the date for the bout.

Meanwhile, Marquez will need to spend at least another week in Las Vegas because he said he's been told to stay out of his home in Mexico City because of swine flu.

Times staff writer Kevin Baxter contributed to this report.

[email protected]

[kikibalt]

The fun, and cash, flows around Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton


Ed Mulholland / US Presswire
A Manny Pacquiao fan displays his sign proudly during the weigh-in Friday for the junior-welterweight bout between Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton.
The Las Vegas fight that bespeaks excess could be a good one.

Bill Dwyre
May 2, 2009

From Las Vegas -- Boxing's current theater of the absurd ended Friday, and now they can fight.

Saturday, shortly after 8 p.m., 2-1 favorite Manny Pacquiao, the pride of the Philippines, will take on Ricky Hatton, the pride of the pubs of Manchester, England.

One of the pitches of the promotion, billed as the Battle of the East and West, is that the fighters have come from opposite ends of the earth to meet in the center of a ring in Las Vegas. Stated less dramatically, they have come from opposite ends of the earth because each is guaranteed around $12 million.

The roughly 16,000 seats in MGM's Grand Garden are sold out.

"This is a real sellout, not one of those sellouts where we still have tickets left," said one boxing official. That brought to mind the boxing promotion axiom uttered by Top Rank's Bob Arum, who once said, when pressed on a statement, "I was lying to you yesterday. Today, I'm telling you the truth."

The economics of the fight revolve around much more than the live gate. Promoters are hoping to sell as many as 1 million HBO pay-per-views in the United States at $49.95 each, and maybe even more than that in Britain. They also are selling tickets for closed-circuit viewing at one of seven other Las Vegas hotels, which have a total of 20,000 seats available for $50 each. Pacquiao will get 52% of the additional action after his $12-million guarantee.

So the cash should flow as freely as the fun did Friday, when boxing once again made a huge show out of two guys standing on a scale in their underwear. Hatton weighed the limit of 140, Pacquiao 138, and everything that preceded that 20 seconds of action was showbiz.

An estimated 25,000 Brits have flown over the pond, as well as the prairies, to be here, and perhaps 5,000 of them got into the arena for the free-of-charge weigh-in. Of those 5,000, a good guess is that 500 had tickets for the fight. Another good guess is that they will challenge the Las Vegas beer consumption record established the last time Hatton fought here.

Question: When does a Brit fight fan lose his membership in the club? Answer: When he is caught without a bottle in his hand.

Besides the Brits singing and booing and having a grand old time, the weigh-in featured an alleged Hollywood celebrity named Mario Lopez, asking various ex-fighters dumb questions that nobody could hear over the din of the crowd anyway.

Lopez to Oscar De La Hoya: "When is the last time you saw this kind of crowd at a weigh-in?"

Correct answer, which De La Hoya didn't give: "Oh, Mario, maybe for my last 10 fights."

There was also Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, telling the crowd, "My philosophy is that every Mexican boxing fan is rooting for Manny Pacquiao."

(Philosophy? Every Mexican boxing fan?)

And Richard Schaefer, Hatton's promoter for Golden Boy, responding by leading the crowd in yet another verse of "There's only one Ricky Hatton."

(Headline in tomorrow's Geneva newspaper: "Former Swiss Banker Goes Goofy.")

Mercifully, there is always a fight at the end of all this, and Pacquiao-Hatton should be a decent one.

The sense here is that 30-year-old Pacquiao, even though he is only two months younger than Hatton, is a boxer on the rise and Hatton is one who, deservedly, is cashing in on a few last big paychecks before settling down to Wednesday night dart-throwing.

Both have fought a lot, Pacquiao with a 48-3-2 record that includes 36 knockouts, Hatton with 45-1 and 32 KOs. Hatton's one loss was to undefeated and about-to-come-out-of-retirement Floyd Mayweather Jr., who sent him into the ring turnbuckle and then down in a spectacular knockout.

Expect Hatton to charge out early and try to establish a barge-and-bully pace. Expect lots of quick flurries from him, followed by some grabbing and wrestling, followed by some punches out of breaks that he initiates before the referee can, making them legal.

And expect that, if that works, Pacquiao could be in trouble, even get caught and put down early, or at best have to fight a different kind of fight than his trainer, Freddie Roach, wants.

If it doesn't work, if Pacquiao scores well in the early rounds and is the one establishing the rhythm of the fight, as he did against De La Hoya, then look for a frustrated Hatton to eventually walk into a left hook and come to rest somewhere near the same turnbuckle where Mayweather Jr. left him.

Do not expect this one to be jab-and-dance, poke-and-run, let the judges decide. That could happen, but it would disappoint fans from opposite ends of the earth.

As well as those right here in Las Vegas, on boxing's axis.

[email protected].

[kikibalt]

Rick, when I was a kid my Mother used to tell me "son, you are your own person".
She didnt mean it as a negative or a compliment. She could just tell at an early age that I was gonna go my own way.Not follow the crowd .Follow my heart I guess.
I think you are the same way Rick.
I see it as a good thing.

Brian
I've always tried to follow my heart,but there's another part of my anatomy that leads me in another direction.

Always pointing north...huh?....

[Rick Farris]

Roger . . .

I'll send you a PM within a week, maybe we can discuss some ideas for the WBHOF, your art, etc.
After that, we can set-up a 3-way call with Mando Muniz, and put things in motion for October.
Thi is all new, a first time, see what we can do with it.

Our next board meeting is next saturday, the 8th


-Rick

Rick,I'm at your humble service.Rog

Rog . . . I'll contact you this coming week. Get things in motion.
My personal goal is something that will benefit both yourself and the WBHOF with regard to income.
However, aside from possible financial benefit (?), as a boxing history guy I believe that your art is very good for boxing and the boxers you paint.

In many of the paintings, something comes thru that truly captures the heart of the subject. I most often find it in the "eyes".
If eyes are the windows to the soul, then your paintings provide the viewer with a clear look into the heart of champions.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Rick, when I was a kid my Mother used to tell me "son, you are your own person".
She didnt mean it as a negative or a compliment. She could just tell at an early age that I was gonna go my own way.Not follow the crowd .Follow my heart I guess.
I think you are the same way Rick.
I see it as a good thing.

Brian
I've always tried to follow my heart,but there's another part of my anatomy that leads me in another direction.

Roger . . . I understand.


-Rick

[kikibalt]

Watch the Pac-Hatton fight here for free?

http://fightfranchise.com/phpBB3/ucp.ph ... f=0&p=1414

[Rick Farris]

Tell Pops Blackpool is still OK, Dan, but it went downhill for a while because of holidays abroad but is picking up again now (they are doing a helluva lot of work on the Promenade). I certainly enjoyed the week: friendly people, good beer, good food, plenty of entertainment, a day trip to the Lake District, and the hotel was great. A nice little break before the summer season really packs out the town.

PS: It is only the teenagers who have a tattoo and an earring done, Rick. It is like a tradition (or certainly was).

Bennie . . . When I was younger, I considered getting a tiny tattoo of the national flag for every woman that I shared romantic love with (beyond casual sex). At the time, there were just 3 or 4. Had I done so, and kept it current my body would reveal these flags:

The U.S. flag, a Union Jack, Brazil, Finland, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Canada, Mexico, Denmark, Sweden, South Africa, France, Australia, Thailand, Holland, Iceland, Norway, Japan, Romania, Barbados, Chile and Kenya.

I loved them all, however, had I put even the tiniest image of those flags on my body, today, my junior middleweight body would weigh-in at light-heavy from the twenty pounds of ink that I'd be carrying around. So, no tattoos.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

A Kinder & Simpler Time

FALSE TEETH

To try put things in perspective is difficult if you watch the news. My dentist is in Tijuana. I've only got three teeth of my own with the uppers. So I get a full bridge done in 4 hours for 250 bucks. If something goes wrong I get it fixed for free.

My dentist is this gal whose kids go to school across the street on Calle Madero. I bring English books for her children. She even has a painting of mine of Pancho Villa in her office.We talk about our families.the economic conditions on both sides of the border,and what the crime situation is like.

Point is that Americans have just about disappeared off the streets down there. Now with this swine flu thing, it's the coup de gras.

My son in law's father has about as many teeth in his mouth as I have. I told him to come with me and see my dentist. NO WAY. He doesn't want to get get gunned down in the street and catch the flu at the same time. OK pal have it your way. Keep listening to the news and take their word for it. So he shells out 6 grand and waits a month for the same set of false choppers that I have.

For 6 grand he could have bought a bullett proof vest and a surgical mask and had enough left over to buy some tacos.

I agree your perspective, Rog. This swine flu outbreak is being captitolized on by the press. It's a great excuse for "shocking copy". I'm not saying there isn't reason for concern, but it's being blown out of proportion. Same thing about T.J. I've known people who go to Mexico for medical care and not only save money, but get treatments that are safe and effective, but not approved by the FDA.

-Rick

[Dongee]

Rog:

When I had an art gallery at Parkway Plaza in El Cajon, there was a small location at Balboa Park called Spanish Village, (if memory serves) that accepted arts and crafts on consignment from local artists. Have you ever considered such an option for your uniquely different works? And for my own curious mind: do you paint on canvas or on board? Do you use oil or acrylic?

regards

hap navarro

[dagosd2000]

Hap Navarro

[dagosd2000]

Rog:

When I had an art gallery at Parkway Plaza in El Cajon, there was a small location at Balboa Park called Spanish Village, (if memory serves) that accepted arts and crafts on consignment from local artists. Have you ever considered such an option for your uniquely different works? And for my own curious mind: do you paint on canvas or on board? Do you use oil or acrylic?

regards

hap navarro

Hap 'Ol Pal

When I was thinking I was the second coming of Van Gogh,I went to the Spanish Village to see if I could earn a space in their plaza. Turns out there were three cottages that were vacant. They told me to submit my application and bring samples of my art to the Puppet Theater to be judged.

Well when I arrived I saw the other applicants setting up their stuff. It was pretty good,but I was the only artist that had painted portraits. As I was putting my portraits up a crowd gathered around. There must have been 20 or so people. I looked at the other tables . The other artists were looking at me like they wanted to spit on my stuff.

I was told by the committee to write a brief autobiography. In my paragraph I said that I had been painting only a year and had never had an art lesson. (This was 8 years ago).The committee told me to return in 2 hours to see if I had been accepted.

When I returned I looked at the judges scores.They were all zeros. They had written that my portraits had little promise and that I should take art lessons. I was devastated.

I looked at the artists who were accepted. I think everyone knew each other. It was a clique where I was a stranger. I've learned that artists are not a brotherhood,but mostly petty individuals who form little groups like the one they have in Soanish Village in Balboa Park.My grandchildren think I'm the greatest. That's all the acceptance I need.

Oh,by the way. I use mostly oils. Some acrylics. Rog.

[Dongee]

I'm siorry I even suggested them to you, Rog, because I had no idea of their criteria for selection. I only visited the place a couple of times in the many years I lived in the area.

In my place I showed Olaf Wieghorst (minor works), Keith Sluder (egg tempera), Irene Spencer (oils, prints and etchings), Scott Morgan, oils; DeGrazia gaphics; Walter Brennan, Jr. oils, and a variety of several recognized cowboy artists. It is a fascinating field that I am sorry I entered very late in my life to be totally successful at it.

regards

hap navarro

[Dongee]

WOW! You are a magician as well, Rog, because I look like that at this very moment, gray beard and all.......have you been stalking me, buddy, unbeknownst to this old man?

regards

hap navarro