Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kn9zD5CqNw

T Bone Blues

T Bone Walker

[dagosd2000]

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

Blues For My Cookie

Lightnin' Hopkins

[Rick Farris]

Legends in, Legends out . . .


"Who's the Hall of Fame going to induct this year?"
The question came from my buddy Dave, bartender at the Studio City 'Jerry's Deli', on Ventura Blvd., just around the corner from my place.
After taking a hit off my Heineken, I answered . . .
"This year, from my stand point, it's not about who's getting in, but rather who is already in, and seems to have slipped out."

Dave looked at me like I was crazy. I explained.
"First off, we are just in the process of mailing out the ballots, so it'll be a few weeks before we count votes for this years new World Boxing Hall of Fame inductees.
The answer satisfied his original curiosity, but my first comment left him confused. "But, uh, who slipped out?"

As the Lakers-Rockets game played out on several TV's above the bar, I attempted to explain something I really don't understand.
I told him that I am the the WBHOF's historian, and that I noticed that the 'Honor Roll' of Inductees looked a bit slim, and I found several names missing from both the "Boxer" and "Expanded" catagories.

"Do you remember Jimmy Lennon?
Not Jimmy Jr. the guy who's ring announcer for SHOWTIME boxing, but his father, the voice of the Olympic Auditorium back in the day." Dave immedialy answered, "Yeah, he was great. Wasn't he related to the Lennon sisters?" I told him, "That's right, and one of the greatest boxing announcers to ever step into a ring."
Jimmy Sr. was inducted years ago, but his name has somehow slipped off the 'Roll Call' listing all past and president WBHOF Inductees.

Dave didn't understand how that could happen. Neither could I.
In addition to Jimmy Lennon Sr., legendary boxing names such as Marciano's trainer, Charlie Goldman, managers Jack "Deacon" Hurley and Jake Shagrue, champions Ted "Kid" Lewis, Johnny Kilbain and Marty Servo, just to name a few of many.

What happened? I don't know and don't have the time or energy to find out.
My job is to dig out all the missing names, and there are dozens, and put them back onto the 'Roll Call' so it can be updated and accurate for the WBHOF's beloved, but grossly innacurate banquet program.
Before I brought the matter to the attention of the WBHOF board, nobody was aware of it, and nobody cared.

I'm no genius, but I'm smart enough to enlist the help of some of my most valued friends.
Some just happen to be boxing historians, I mean REAL boxing historians, not the guys who have anoited themselves as such after viewing a couple of Joe Louis bouts in their entirety. I've discovered that I have a talent for ferreting out the missing info, but a lot of the answers to this puzzle are being provided by a few legends in their own right, such as California Boxing HOF president and founder, Don Fraser (who was once associated with the WBHOF.)

When Don and I talked yesterday, the WBHOF Inductee in the promoter/matchmaker catagory mentioned, "I wouldn't be surprised to see my own name disappear off the ballot. I used to be a Board member, but left, and there's a guy still there who hates me".
I assured Don that his name would only be eliminated over my dead body. He then dove into the problem and helped me find a few missing legends.
I then receieved a call from John Bardelli, a successful Pacific Northwest attorney, and son of WBHOF inductee, Young Firpo.
John mentioned other names, like a detective seeking out a kidnapped child.
Dan Hanley, an "Honorary" WBHOF board member found discrepancies in the records of boxers, those who have remained on the ballot, with records far inferior to their true records.
Golden State Boxing Association founder, Ray Owens, dug up a few more.

Armed with this info. We are well into fixing the mess left behind from administrations of the past.
It became my goal last year, the moment I discovered the problem.
This year, we will have the first historically correct publication in many years. I'll take great pride in this.
I'll also take great pride in the program cover, which will feature the brilliant art of our own, Roger Esty (Dagosd).

As I looked up, I saw my friend Dave had left. The guy on the other end of the bar wanted another double vodka rocks.
He was a Rockets fan, and Kobe had just hit from the outside for three points.

Kobe isn't the only one to score big this week.
Thanks to a few amigos, I'll score a game winning shot for a few "Legends of Boxing" this year.
We're going to bring them back home, where they belong!


-Rick Farris
WBHOF Director/Historian

[kikibalt]

Roberto Duran vs Jimmy Robertson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1WjMm-RbyQ

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

[kikibalt]

Some Nat King Cole tunes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D4sgDoSlaQ
"Too Young"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bfsHXEg-yI
"The Very Thought of You"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kP8jPa1wCg
"Autumn Leaves"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDPjG4leifk
"Fascination"

[scartissue]

Continuing with my list from 'the contenders' piece. Here are the junior welters.

Scartissue

JR. WELTER
Willie Joyce (USA) (2)
Kenny Lane (USA) (1)
Angel Garcia (Cuba) (0)
Alfredo Urbina (Mex) (0)
Bunny Grant (Jam) (1)
Jose Napoles (Cuba) (0)
Adolph Pruitt (USA) (2)
Joao Henrique (Brazil) (4)
Carlos Gimenez (Arg) (2)
Esteban DeJesus (PR) (2)
Hector Thompson (Austr) (1)
Dave Green (Eng) (0)
Monroe Brooks (USA) (1)
Alexis Arguello (Nic) (2)
Ronnie Shields (USA) (2)

Okay, a chance to flex a little. A 'junior' division, but far deeper than the 154 lb. class. First up, Willie Joyce, fought twice for the revived 140 lb. title in '46 against Tippy Larkin before it once again fell into disuse. Joyce fought more than 10 world champs, going 3-1 against Ike Williams and 2-2 against Henry Armstrong. Kenny Lane, fought for the once again revived title in '59, losing on a cut to Carlos Ortiz, a man he went head to head with in a three bout series. Lane's fame was at Lightweight where he won Michigan state recognition as 135 lb. champ. Lane also posted wins over Ortiz, Carlos Hernandez, Virgil Akins, Manny Gonzales and Orlando Zulueta. Angel (Robinson) Garcia, anything I could say of him would be an understatement. Suffice to say he had 215 recorded bouts from '55 to '77, fought 15 world champs and was stopped a grand total of 4 times. Alfredo Urbina, fought 9 world champs over two divisions, beating Napoles, Brown, Perkins, Chango Carmona (twice) and Lauro Salas. Bunny Grant, Commonwealth Lightweight champ, but enjoyed great results at 140. Lost to Perkins over 15 for the title but also beat Perkins as well as Urbina, Garcia, Salas and Dave Charnley. Jose Napoles, avoided at 140 until finally abandoning the division altogether for the greener pastures of the Welterweights. At 140 however, he beat Perkins, Hernandez, Urbina, Grant and Pruitt. Adolph Pruitt, also a force in two divisions, nailed down two title attempts at Jr. Welter. Fought 7 world champs, specifically, Napoles, Loche, Perkins and Adigue at 140. Joao Henrique, a tough Brazilian Jr. Welter unfortunate enough to have met Nicolino Loche and Bruno Arcari in their primes. Beat Perkins, Maurice Cullen, Vicente Derado and was ahead on points before getting clocked in the 9th round in '75 by Perico Fernandez in his 4th title try. Carlos Gimenez, an Argentine buzzsaw who boasted of over 100 fights and over 60 KO's by the time he retired. Unfortunately, his two title shots came against a man named Cervantes. Esteban DeJesus, although history knows him as a Lightweight, his foray into the 140 lb. ranks saw him realize two title challenges. His loss to Mamby was at the end of his career, but at his peak...well, like the aforementioned Gimenez, he too met Cervantes. Hector Thompson, an absolutely awesome fighter at 140 who beat Alfonso Frazer, Gimenez (twice), Jimmy Heair, Shinichi Kadota and Adigue. Unfortunately, his crack at the 140 lb. belt was against...wait, don't tell me. Cervantes, right? Dave (Boy) Green, British and Euro champ at 140 as well. Fought boxers the same way he fought sluggers, head into the chest and pound away. His Euro title winning bout against Jean Baptiste Peidvache was a study in sheer brutality. Monroe Brooks, a California fighter whose underused boxing skills would have made his fights so much easier. Layed out Shengsak Muangsurin in the 1st round before finally succumbing in the 15th round of his only title try. Alexis Arguello, his attempts at the 140 lb. crown, specifically the first of the two bouts against Pryor, are classics. Arguello beat Billy Costello, Claude Noel and Vilomar Fernandez in establishing himself at 140. And last, Ronnie Shields, who had all the talent in the world except the fire to initiate. Beat Mamby in a masterful performance but was lethargic against Costello and Hamada in title attempts.

Honorable mention: Jimmy Heair, Jo Kimpuani, Harold Brazier, Frankie Warren, Tony Baltazar.

[kikibalt]

In the late 1950s-early 1960s I used to hang out at a nite club "Bradley's" on Whittier Blvd. and Tommy Carlin was a bartender there.

boxer: Tommy Carlin

division lightweight

nationality United States
residence Los Angeles, California, United States

won 6 (KO 3) + lost 7 (KO 0) + drawn 1 = 14
rounds boxed 55 : KO% 21.43

1958-07-12 130½ Tony Reyes 134 12-13-4
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States L PTS 4 4

1958-03-08 134 Ernest Krenzek 135¾ 4-2-2
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States L UD 6 6

1958-02-22 133½ Toro Martinez 136 0-0-0
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States W KO 3 4

1957-10-10 133 Ralph Bunch 137 2-0-0
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L PTS 4 4

1957-08-03 133½ Eddie Gaspora 130½ 9-0-0
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States L UD 6 6
Carlin down in 5th

1957-07-18 133 Jimmy Mitchell 137 2-0-1
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W PTS 4 4

1957-05-28 132½ Joe Shaw 132¼ 3-1-0
Gilmore Field, Los Angeles, California, United States L PTS 4 4

1956-09-29 131 Ricky Palma 129 9-10-4
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States W PTS 4 4

1956-09-22 Ruben Perez 0-6-0
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States W KO 2 4

1956-09-08 131 Cha Cha Uribe 127 1-0-0
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States L PTS 4 4

1956-07-14 129½ Ricky Palma 127½ 8-9-3
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States D PTS 4 4

1956-03-27 130 Jeff Palma 131 0-4-1
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States L PTS 4 4

1956-03-03 Jimmy Lassiter 0-2-0
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States W PTS 4 4

1956-02-07 132 Henry Pafoya 128 0-0-0
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States W KO 2 4

[Rick Farris]

Roberto Duran vs Jimmy Robertson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1WjMm-RbyQ

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

Jimmy Robertson on Roberto Duran:

"All I remember is we exchanged right hands, his landed, mine didn't. I don't remember anything that happened afterwards, just laying in a hospital bed with two front teeth knocked out."

-From my conversation with Jimmy Robertson, 1976.


-Rick Farris

[Chuck1052]

According to an article by Sherry Jacobson in the May 6, 2009 edition of the Dallas Morning News, the ill-fated Benjamin Flores worked at a Taco Bell in Houston and had a wife and a ten-month-old son. His father, Miguel, was his manager and trainer.

- Chuck Johnston

[kikibalt]

People Exclusive
Ryan O'Neal's Heartbreak over Critically Ill Farrah
By Champ Clark


Farrah Fawcett

Photo by: Dimitrios Kambouris / WireImage

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, an emotional and often teary-eyed Ryan O'Neal spoke for the first time about the devastating illness of his longtime partner, Farrah Fawcett, who has battled cancer for the past two and a half years.

"It's a love story. I just don't know how to play this one. I won't know this world without her," O'Neal, 68, says of his current role as caretaker. "Cancer is an insidious enemy."

Revealing for the first time how the anal cancer long ago spread to other parts of Fawcett's body, including her liver, O'Neal says, "She stays in bed now. The doctors see that she is comfortable. Farrah is on IVs, but some of that is for nourishment. The treatment has pretty much ended."

Fawcett, 62, herself tells of her journey through illness in Farrah's Story a two-hour NBC documentary the onetime Charlie's Angels icon shot with pal Alana Stewart that airs Friday, May 15.

The Fateful Day
"It was never meant to be a documentary," says Stewart, 63. "Farrah just took her little hand-held camera to the doctor one day." It was the day, as it turned out, that Fawcett learned from her doctors the cancer she thought she had licked had returned.

"Farrah was devastated," says O'Neal. "It was horrible, terrible news." Despite this, Fawcett chose to keep the camera running. Says Stewart: "She wanted to tell the truth. There were times I'd stop filming because I thought it was too personal and she said, 'This is what people go through with cancer. Film it.' So I would."

Farrah's Story details Fawcett's trips overseas for medical treatment not readily available in the U.S. "They really didn't know what to do in the States," says O'Neal. All in all over a period of two years, the ailing actress visited Germany six times and was under the supervising care of Dr. Ursula Jacob of the Alpenpark Clinic. "We had great promise," continues O'Neal. "There were times when there seemed to be positive results. Farrah was even playing tennis."

Sadly, Fawcett's condition worsened. "At about the halfway point in our trips the news started to get darker and darker and darker," says O'Neal. "The hope started to fade. But not for Farrah. She continued fighting. There was always a courage there, and a quiet dignity. Farrah never changed. I fell in love with her all over again because of how she handled this."

Her Days Now
Fawcett now spends her days at home, often asleep. "She stays in bed," says O'Neal. "It's a nice bed." She receives visits from a few close friends – including fellow Charlie's Angels stars Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson and, when able, likes to watch TV, especially Dominick Dunne's cable program Power, Privilege and Justice.

Another visitor has been Fawcett and O'Neal's son Redmond, who, behind bars for a drug-related probation violation, on April 25 was allowed three hours at home with his mother to say what might be his final goodbye. In his jail-issued jumpsuit and in shackles, Redmond is seen in the NBC documentary climbing into his sleeping mother's bed and crying. "Oh my gosh, my gosh," he says as he hugs the frail figure next to him. "Oh, my gosh."

"Farrah doesn't know Redmond's in trouble," says O'Neal. "And Redmond is terrified for his mother. 'I don't want to be in jail and have some guard tell me she is gone,' he said to me. I told him, 'She's rebounding.' I lied to him. I lie to her. It's the best thing." Redmond, meanwhile, is awaiting transfer to a lockdown rehab facility.

No Vanity
A particularly cruel aspect of the disease is that Fawcett has now lost her iconic golden tresses. "The hair is gone," says O'Neal. "Her famous hair. I have it at home. She didn't care. I rub her head. It's kind of fun, actually, this great, tiny little head. How she carried all that hair I'll never know. She doesn't have a vanity about it."

For now, O'Neal struggles to keep hope alive and to avoid facing the future without the love of his life. "I can't hear a song, I can't pass places that we were together, without being stabbed in the heart," he says. "A week ago Farrah said to me, 'Am I going to make it?' I said, 'Yes, you'll make it. And if you don't, I'll go with you.'

"Farrah has never, ever talked about how unfair it is," concludes O'Neal. "But I've thought about it. She may have thought to herself that she had been chosen to do this, that some higher power had put her in this situation. Because then there would be something positive to come out of it. And maybe that's true. But I'm just not so sure it's something positive for Farrah."

[Randyman]

Guys, Jeri and I picked up Andrew today from the Long Beach Airport. He'll be here til the 13th. This is the first time we have seen him in over two years. In the last five years we have only seen him a handful of times. Jeri was overcome with emotion. Below are a few photos from this morning.


The Alaskan airline plane Andrew flew in on from




Jeri was crying tears of joy. It's been a while.


With the old man.


The first thing Andrew wanted to eat was an in-n-out burger.

[raylawpc]

Randy, I'm glad your son is home - safe and sound. Two years is a long time. I hope you emjoy your time together.

[kikibalt]

Courtesy of Hap Navarro

RIGHT CROSS

Brief Synopsis

A boxer''s ego battles his love for his manager''s daughter.

Synopsis

Sean O'Malley, a wheelchair-bound fight promoter who was once known as the best in his business, has lost his professional stature and is now suffering from poor health. Sean's daughter Pat has taken over many of her father's responsibilities, and is romantically involved with Sean's best fighter, Johnny Monterez. Though Sean had hoped that Johnny would help to revive his flagging career, he dislikes the fact that Johnny is ashamed of his Mexican heritage. When Sean tells Pat that promoter Allan Goff is trying to steal Johnny from him, Pat decides to visit Johnny at his training camp. Pat arrives in time to watch Johnny fight a practice match, but the match ends abruptly when fighter Marty Lynn injures Johnny's hand. While Johnny's hand is being examined at the hospital, Pat looks for her friend, Rick Gavery, a hard-drinking sports reporter who has been following Johnny's career. Pat eventually finds Rick in jail, where she has found him on many previous occasions. When Johnny's physician, Dr. George Esmond, tells him that his hand is now vulnerable to permanent injury, Johnny asks the doctor to keep his condition a secret. After telling Pat and some reporters that his hand is merely bruised, Johnny returns to his training camp. A short time later, Johnny receives word that his trouble-prone cousin, Luis, is in jail again and needs two hundred dollars for bail. The news reminds Johnny that Luis, who is also a Mexican immigrant, has not had the same opportunities that he has had to lift himself out of poverty. Believing that his hand injury may end his boxing career at any moment, Johnny decides to sign a lucrative contract with Goff, who has promised to provide him with a guaranteed income from promotional sales after his retirement. Johnny takes Rick to visit his mother, but soon after they arrive, Johnny tells his sister Marina that she must stop dating her boyfriend, Bob, b ecause he is a "gringo." Johnny also tells Marina that Bob is interested in her only because she is the sister of a famous fighter. When Rick accuses Johnny of harboring a prejudice against whites, Johnny sends him away with an insult. Later, Pat, expecting a marriage proposal from Johnny, is disappointed when Johnny tells her that he has decided to sign with Goff. Sean dies a short time later, and Pat accuses Johnny of killing her father with his act of betrayal. Realizing that he has nearly lost Pat's love and Rick's friendship as a result of his actions, Johnny decides to get out of boxing forever by purposely losing the upcoming title match against Al Heldon. Though he loses the match, Johnny does not cause permanent injury to his hand until he punches Rick for being honest with him. With help from Rick, Pat and Johnny reconcile and look forward to a happy future together.

[kikibalt]

Randy/Jeri, enjoy your son's visit....

[dagosd2000]

Guys, Jeri and I picked up Andrew today from the Long Beach Airport. He'll be here til the 13th. This is the first time we have seen him in over two years. In the last five years we have only seen him a handful of times. Jeri was overcome with emotion. Below are a few photos from this morning.


The Alaskan airline plane Andrew flew in on from




Jeri was crying tears of joy. It's been a while.


With the old man.


The first thing Andrew wanted to eat was an in-n-out burger.

Great Great Great

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pfwT2E6XJ4

Tijuana Makes Me Happy

This little 3 minute song says a lot about the place

[dagosd2000]

BACK TO THE STARS

When it's all over it's back to the stars. Everything from the beginning will go back to where it began. Everything will swirl around and go its different way.Where it lands is anyone's guess. A left hook. A dance step. The smell of an old gym. A saxophone riff. A baby's smile. My mother's voice. My father's look. A fleck of paint.

Maybe it really began here. It doesn't matter.

I hope that lucky 'ol sun is rolling around heaven all day. Maybe we all are and just don't know it.

[Expug]

Guys, Jeri and I picked up Andrew today from the Long Beach Airport. He'll be here til the 13th. This is the first time we have seen him in over two years. In the last five years we have only seen him a handful of times. Jeri was overcome with emotion. Below are a few photos from this morning.


The Alaskan airline plane Andrew flew in on from




Jeri was crying tears of joy. It's been a while.


With the old man.


The first thing Andrew wanted to eat was an in-n-out burger.

Randy, Im very happy for you and Jeri .
The union with your son is wonderful.

[Rick Farris]

Guys, Jeri and I picked up Andrew today from the Long Beach Airport. He'll be here til the 13th. This is the first time we have seen him in over two years. In the last five years we have only seen him a handful of times. Jeri was overcome with emotion. Below are a few photos from this morning.


The Alaskan airline plane Andrew flew in on from




Jeri was crying tears of joy. It's been a while.


With the old man.


The first thing Andrew wanted to eat was an in-n-out burger.

Randy, Im very happy for you and Jeri .
The union with your son is wonderful.

Randy . . . Glad Andrew is home! Good looking young man, and after reading what he wrote about you, I can see why you are so proud. You raised a man, a good man! Congratulations my friend.

-Rick

[bennie]

Guys, Jeri and I picked up Andrew today from the Long Beach Airport. He'll be here til the 13th. This is the first time we have seen him in over two years. In the last five years we have only seen him a handful of times. Jeri was overcome with emotion. Below are a few photos from this morning.


The Alaskan airline plane Andrew flew in on from




Jeri was crying tears of joy. It's been a while.


With the old man.


The first thing Andrew wanted to eat was an in-n-out burger.

Moving moments. A warrior's return.

[bennie]

Continuing with my list from 'the contenders' piece. Here are the junior welters.

Scartissue

JR. WELTER
Willie Joyce (USA) (2)
Kenny Lane (USA) (1)
Angel Garcia (Cuba) (0)
Alfredo Urbina (Mex) (0)
Bunny Grant (Jam) (1)
Jose Napoles (Cuba) (0)
Adolph Pruitt (USA) (2)
Joao Henrique (Brazil) (4)
Carlos Gimenez (Arg) (2)
Esteban DeJesus (PR) (2)
Hector Thompson (Austr) (1)
Dave Green (Eng) (0)
Monroe Brooks (USA) (1)
Alexis Arguello (Nic) (2)
Ronnie Shields (USA) (2)

Okay, a chance to flex a little. A 'junior' division, but far deeper than the 154 lb. class. First up, Willie Joyce, fought twice for the revived 140 lb. title in '46 against Tippy Larkin before it once again fell into disuse. Joyce fought more than 10 world champs, going 3-1 against Ike Williams and 2-2 against Henry Armstrong. Kenny Lane, fought for the once again revived title in '59, losing on a cut to Carlos Ortiz, a man he went head to head with in a three bout series. Lane's fame was at Lightweight where he won Michigan state recognition as 135 lb. champ. Lane also posted wins over Ortiz, Carlos Hernandez, Virgil Akins, Manny Gonzales and Orlando Zulueta. Angel (Robinson) Garcia, anything I could say of him would be an understatement. Suffice to say he had 215 recorded bouts from '55 to '77, fought 15 world champs and was stopped a grand total of 4 times. Alfredo Urbina, fought 9 world champs over two divisions, beating Napoles, Brown, Perkins, Chango Carmona (twice) and Lauro Salas. Bunny Grant, Commonwealth Lightweight champ, but enjoyed great results at 140. Lost to Perkins over 15 for the title but also beat Perkins as well as Urbina, Garcia, Salas and Dave Charnley. Jose Napoles, avoided at 140 until finally abandoning the division altogether for the greener pastures of the Welterweights. At 140 however, he beat Perkins, Hernandez, Urbina, Grant and Pruitt. Adolph Pruitt, also a force in two divisions, nailed down two title attempts at Jr. Welter. Fought 7 world champs, specifically, Napoles, Loche, Perkins and Adigue at 140. Joao Henrique, a tough Brazilian Jr. Welter unfortunate enough to have met Nicolino Loche and Bruno Arcari in their primes. Beat Perkins, Maurice Cullen, Vicente Derado and was ahead on points before getting clocked in the 9th round in '75 by Perico Fernandez in his 4th title try. Carlos Gimenez, an Argentine buzzsaw who boasted of over 100 fights and over 60 KO's by the time he retired. Unfortunately, his two title shots came against a man named Cervantes. Esteban DeJesus, although history knows him as a Lightweight, his foray into the 140 lb. ranks saw him realize two title challenges. His loss to Mamby was at the end of his career, but at his peak...well, like the aforementioned Gimenez, he too met Cervantes. Hector Thompson, an absolutely awesome fighter at 140 who beat Alfonso Frazer, Gimenez (twice), Jimmy Heair, Shinichi Kadota and Adigue. Unfortunately, his crack at the 140 lb. belt was against...wait, don't tell me. Cervantes, right? Dave (Boy) Green, British and Euro champ at 140 as well. Fought boxers the same way he fought sluggers, head into the chest and pound away. His Euro title winning bout against Jean Baptiste Peidvache was a study in sheer brutality. Monroe Brooks, a California fighter whose underused boxing skills would have made his fights so much easier. Layed out Shengsak Muangsurin in the 1st round before finally succumbing in the 15th round of his only title try. Alexis Arguello, his attempts at the 140 lb. crown, specifically the first of the two bouts against Pryor, are classics. Arguello beat Billy Costello, Claude Noel and Vilomar Fernandez in establishing himself at 140. And last, Ronnie Shields, who had all the talent in the world except the fire to initiate. Beat Mamby in a masterful performance but was lethargic against Costello and Hamada in title attempts.

Honorable mention: Jimmy Heair, Jo Kimpuani, Harold Brazier, Frankie Warren, Tony Baltazar.

I would give anything to see some of these guys fight in their prime.

[scartissue]

Guys, Jeri and I picked up Andrew today from the Long Beach Airport. He'll be here til the 13th. This is the first time we have seen him in over two years. In the last five years we have only seen him a handful of times. Jeri was overcome with emotion. Below are a few photos from this morning.


The Alaskan airline plane Andrew flew in on from




Jeri was crying tears of joy. It's been a while.


With the old man.


The first thing Andrew wanted to eat was an in-n-out burger.

Randy, definitely a heart-warming reunion. Enjoy the times.

Scartissue

[scartissue]

Continuing with my list from 'the contenders' piece. Here are the junior welters.

Scartissue

JR. WELTER
Willie Joyce (USA) (2)
Kenny Lane (USA) (1)
Angel Garcia (Cuba) (0)
Alfredo Urbina (Mex) (0)
Bunny Grant (Jam) (1)
Jose Napoles (Cuba) (0)
Adolph Pruitt (USA) (2)
Joao Henrique (Brazil) (4)
Carlos Gimenez (Arg) (2)
Esteban DeJesus (PR) (2)
Hector Thompson (Austr) (1)
Dave Green (Eng) (0)
Monroe Brooks (USA) (1)
Alexis Arguello (Nic) (2)
Ronnie Shields (USA) (2)

Okay, a chance to flex a little. A 'junior' division, but far deeper than the 154 lb. class. First up, Willie Joyce, fought twice for the revived 140 lb. title in '46 against Tippy Larkin before it once again fell into disuse. Joyce fought more than 10 world champs, going 3-1 against Ike Williams and 2-2 against Henry Armstrong. Kenny Lane, fought for the once again revived title in '59, losing on a cut to Carlos Ortiz, a man he went head to head with in a three bout series. Lane's fame was at Lightweight where he won Michigan state recognition as 135 lb. champ. Lane also posted wins over Ortiz, Carlos Hernandez, Virgil Akins, Manny Gonzales and Orlando Zulueta. Angel (Robinson) Garcia, anything I could say of him would be an understatement. Suffice to say he had 215 recorded bouts from '55 to '77, fought 15 world champs and was stopped a grand total of 4 times. Alfredo Urbina, fought 9 world champs over two divisions, beating Napoles, Brown, Perkins, Chango Carmona (twice) and Lauro Salas. Bunny Grant, Commonwealth Lightweight champ, but enjoyed great results at 140. Lost to Perkins over 15 for the title but also beat Perkins as well as Urbina, Garcia, Salas and Dave Charnley. Jose Napoles, avoided at 140 until finally abandoning the division altogether for the greener pastures of the Welterweights. At 140 however, he beat Perkins, Hernandez, Urbina, Grant and Pruitt. Adolph Pruitt, also a force in two divisions, nailed down two title attempts at Jr. Welter. Fought 7 world champs, specifically, Napoles, Loche, Perkins and Adigue at 140. Joao Henrique, a tough Brazilian Jr. Welter unfortunate enough to have met Nicolino Loche and Bruno Arcari in their primes. Beat Perkins, Maurice Cullen, Vicente Derado and was ahead on points before getting clocked in the 9th round in '75 by Perico Fernandez in his 4th title try. Carlos Gimenez, an Argentine buzzsaw who boasted of over 100 fights and over 60 KO's by the time he retired. Unfortunately, his two title shots came against a man named Cervantes. Esteban DeJesus, although history knows him as a Lightweight, his foray into the 140 lb. ranks saw him realize two title challenges. His loss to Mamby was at the end of his career, but at his peak...well, like the aforementioned Gimenez, he too met Cervantes. Hector Thompson, an absolutely awesome fighter at 140 who beat Alfonso Frazer, Gimenez (twice), Jimmy Heair, Shinichi Kadota and Adigue. Unfortunately, his crack at the 140 lb. belt was against...wait, don't tell me. Cervantes, right? Dave (Boy) Green, British and Euro champ at 140 as well. Fought boxers the same way he fought sluggers, head into the chest and pound away. His Euro title winning bout against Jean Baptiste Peidvache was a study in sheer brutality. Monroe Brooks, a California fighter whose underused boxing skills would have made his fights so much easier. Layed out Shengsak Muangsurin in the 1st round before finally succumbing in the 15th round of his only title try. Alexis Arguello, his attempts at the 140 lb. crown, specifically the first of the two bouts against Pryor, are classics. Arguello beat Billy Costello, Claude Noel and Vilomar Fernandez in establishing himself at 140. And last, Ronnie Shields, who had all the talent in the world except the fire to initiate. Beat Mamby in a masterful performance but was lethargic against Costello and Hamada in title attempts.

Honorable mention: Jimmy Heair, Jo Kimpuani, Harold Brazier, Frankie Warren, Tony Baltazar.

I would give anything to see some of these guys fight in their prime.

Bennie, when you see the names it really makes you want to jump in that time-machine doesn't it? What a rich history in this sport.

Scartissue

[kikibalt]

Student Javier Molina is strong in the sweet science

Eric Sondheimer
May 8, 2009

If there's a fight on the campus of John Glenn High in Norwalk, forget about calling security as long as Javier Molina is close by.

"We would never use a student that way, but Javier could bring a quick end to the fight," Principal Linda Granillo said.

Molina is the rarest of high school seniors, a professional boxer who made his winning debut on ESPN with a second-round knockout on March 27 at the Nokia Theatre. Classmates cheered for him when the announcement was made during a school dance.

Last summer, he was the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic boxing team that competed in Beijing. During the opening ceremonies, he was walking with and taking pictures of Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.

By day, he goes to classes in economics and graphic design. By the afternoon, he heads to the boxing gym at Bristow Park in Commerce and trains relentlessly as he pursues his goal of becoming a world champion.

"I always pictured myself as a professional boxer," he said. "It's always been my dream and now that I'm living it. It's a great feeling."

Molina, 19, was supposed to graduate last year from Glenn, but he had to miss school while training for the Olympics. He has come back because he and his parents believe nothing is more important than education, so as an honor student he'll join the class of 2009 in June graduation ceremonies.

"I'm a super senior," he said.

He serves as an admirable example of what can be accomplished when a teenager is focused on academics and athletics.

"It's been amazing for the last couple of years watching him grow from a high school student to an Olympic athlete and now this year turning pro," Granillo said. "He has put his education first."

Molina comes from a family of boxers. His father, uncle and older brother have been professional boxers, and his twin brother was a member of Mexico's Olympic team.

Molina is 5 feet 9, weighs 145 pounds and has been with trainer Roberto Luna since he was 9. He had 166 amateur fights and is a junior welterweight.

"He's always been very successful because he's disciplined," Luna said. "He's quick at making adjustments inside the ring. He understands the situations. He's not a pattern fighter. He's extremely strong and has a lot of energy."

It takes lots of energy for Molina to go from doing homework to standing in a ring and shadowboxing until sweat is coming down his face.

He gets nervous before fights, but he said, "I'm real relaxed in the ring. I know a lot of people might be thinking, 'Oh, he's scared,' because you have somebody throwing punches at you. But I don't look at it that way. I look at mostly what I'm going to do to them, not what they're going to do to me."

Classmates are still coming to terms with the fact that the unassuming boy walking around campus in a T-shirt and jeans is a pro boxer.

"Some didn't know I boxed," Molina said. "They were shocked to see me on ESPN, 'Oh yeah, that kid goes to my school.' "

The power and sting in his hands can be felt and heard as he pounds away on a heavy bag in the gym. And his intelligence comes through when he talks about getting an A in Advanced Placement biology or when he's studying economics. "I better get an A in that one so I can manage my money," he said.

He has no regrets about devoting time to school, though he admitted, "It's a little weird. One week I'm fighting, then I go back to school."

His attitude is refreshing because he understands that the places he wants to reach require time, effort and commitment.

"You can have talent," Molina said, "but if you're not disciplined, you're not going to get too far."

[email protected]

"Molina is the rarest of high school seniors, a professional boxer".

To be a hight school senior and a pro boxer, might be rare, but to be a pro boxer and a high school senior is not, there is a long list of boxers that turn pro while still in high school, including my boys, Frankie and Tony, who were still in hight school when they had their first pro fight, I think Rick was still in high school when he had his first pro fight, am I right, Rick?

At the time Frankie turn pro while still in high school, La Puente High School had two pro fighters in their senior class, Frankie and Jorge "Kid Dynamita" Morales.

[kikibalt]

The Pacman-Hitman Experience
May 7, 2009 by Michele Chong

Something for everyone during the Vegas weekend!

Proclaimed “The Battle of East and West,” the Pacquiao-Hatton fight offered a little something for everyone as both Filipino and British fans all converged at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The marquee matchup featuring Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) versus Ricky Hatton (45-2-0, 32 KOs) brought out hordes of people all anticipating a possible fight of the year.

There’s nothing quite like a big fight weekend in Vegas: It’s exciting, overwhelming, exhausting, and just plain crazy–I love it!

Here’s a rundown of my experiences this past weekend in Sin City.

Friday: It’s weigh-in day!

Arriving in town late Thursday night and staying on the Strip at Bally’s, I’m excited to get to the MGM for the official weigh-in. My boyfriend and I always enjoy seeing all of our boxing pals during the high-profile fights. Imagine running into tons of your favorite friends all at the same time, in one location, and at a great event. Outside of the MGM we meet a cheerful, shirtless bloke from London who is wearing only white sneakers, thin cotton shorts and a red and white flag. He’s soaking up the desert sun and happy to be at the fight. He says, “There are four of us here from England. We all came out for the Malignaggi fight too. Before Vegas, we went to L.A. and got to visit the Wild Card gym.” I ask him what songs they’re planning to sing. “The ‘Wonderland’ song is our favorite, but we have lots of new ones we’ll be singing too!” he promises us as we enter the front desk area where the MGM gold lion is perched in a boxing ring. Everyone’s in great spirits, some donning Ricky Hatton masks while anticipating the action. It’s a blast.

The arena fills up quickly. I meet a lovely blonde couple from Manchester who tell me they’re in Vegas for a whole week. They paid 600 pounds each ($900 in U.S. currency) for the flight and hotel room. Pretty good deal to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime weekend. The Hatton band is there and apparently the whole British empire! I love being around the visitors from the U.K. We were at the Mayweather-Hatton fight and meeting the Englishmen was a fun highlight of that trip. I couldn’t wait to hear and see what the fellows would do as their hometown hero faces the best pound-for-pound boxer out there.

Forgot to disclose that I was recovering from a bad case of bronchitis (with a bruised rib and strained muscle). I only feel the piercing pain when I breathe, eat, drink, walk, talk, and laugh! Since I’m pass the contagious phase, I tough it out because I don’t want to miss out on this historic matchup. And if you want a quick cure for what ails you–hang out with the Brits, the most jolly chaps you’ll ever meet! Before the weigh-in, the singing begins and they do indeed have a ton of new songs besides their “Hatton Wonderland” tune. Backed by the Hatton band of musicians, the Great Britain residents alternate between their national anthem of “God Save the Queen” to several other humorous ditties they’ve all memorized. Such a fun, friendly bunch!

While waiting for the boxers to hop on the scales, the Manchester pair explain the English football club rivalries between Manchester United (Red) and Manchester City (Blue). Ricky’s father and grandfather both played for Man City and that’s why he dons the light blue trunks. And the Manchester City Football Club was well-represented with plenty of MCFC flags, shirts and banners waved throughout the masses. But, during a Hatton fight, Man United and Man City put aside their differences and become one unit–no hooligans today. Ricky’s the one uniting force between the sworn enemies who all wave their Union Jack flags with national pride.

The weigh-in begins as Michael Buffer starts the event saying, “We just got word that the swine flu went to visit the Philippines and the U.K. and NO ONE was there!” The audience laughs and cheers as the action gets underway. Actor Mario Lopez, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez, Amir Khan and Juan Diaz are all introduced to the crowd. The Brits serenade the “Golden Boy” with a couple of songs in appreciation for the newly-retired champ who tells the crowd, “I’m glad I retired so I could go have a pint!”

But 99.9% of the love is saved for only one: Ricky Hatton. “Who are ya, who are ya, who are ya” was the steady chant often heard rumbling through the audience when anyone–not named Hatton–manned the microphone. In this case, “Who are ya” turns out to be the equivalent of “politely” saying “Get the f— off the stage, we want Ricky!”

Once the “Hitman” appears, bedlam ensues. At the weigh-in, there is a small section of fans from General Santos City and Manila, but the majority of the volume comes from the Brits.

After the weigh-in, we head out into the parade of Brits, Filipinos, and more. There are a lot of wacky outfits being shown off; it’s a costume party similar to the famous Comic-Con Convention! There’s a little something for everyone: boxing icons and legends, rising stars of the sport, superhero characters, TV and film celebrities, scantily-clad girls, cheerleaders, both female and male (in skirts and wigs!), energy drink models and tons of flag-waving, beer-carrying, happily-singing Brits.

Two other Filipino fighters get noticed near the casino: Nonito Donaire and Brian Viloria, who are both coming off of their April victories. Nonito and wife Rachel need a bodyguard to wade through the crowd as the fans flock around the flyweight. Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz is also a crowd favorite who poses for photos with the fans.

We leave the MGM to go to the fights at South Point and I’m looking forward to visiting this hotel for the first time–I hear they even have a bowling alley and full-sized movie theater in the casino. A lot of our friends go to the Hard Rock to catch the Urbano Antillon fight and the Alfonso Gomez undercard and I ask them to call me with results. The action at South Point is great! Four amazing fights and the whole Wild Card bunch is there. I’ll have more on that in the next article.

Saturday: It’s Fight Day!

Our hotel is connected to the Paris Las Vegas Hotel so we go to their famous Le Village Buffet. Loading up on carbs seems like a good idea at the time. We make our way to the MGM which is now at a frenzied pitch. We meet two of our friends and they introduce us to the classy Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez who passes by our group. The crowd is growing fast, and today it’s the Filipino fans who seem more vocal, buoyant, confident, rowdy and energetic, just like the hearty contingent of Brits were at yesterday’s weigh-in. Perhaps this was a sign of things to come. There’s a Tecate girl who’s handing out stickers that say Hatton and Pacquiao. We ask her which sticker has been requested more and surprisingly, it’s Pacquiao. I thought for sure the Brits outnumbered the Filipino fans.

Pacman’s crossover appeal transcends the sport. He’s a cultural icon to a whole nation. The only thing I can compare it to is “Fernandomania” with L.A. Dodger Fernando Valenzuela, back when the Dodger pitching sensation took over the city. Before we left for Vegas, we spoke with Pear from Enterprise where we picked up an econo car to make the trek to Nevada. She’s married to a Filipino and has become a hardcore Pacquiao fan. She summed up the country’s passion for Pacman. “I’ve never seen a sport where the whole race supports the athlete. Even if you’re not necessarily a boxing fan, you still have to watch Manny. It’s incredible.” Pear tells us she and her husband will be watching the fight at the Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood. The theatre houses the Nike store (where limited-edition Pacman shirts sold out in record time) and has become the official Pacquiao fan headquarters.

Once in the arena, I notice that there’s a lot of SOBER Brits! During the Mayweather fight, the Hatton fanatics were seen camping out with trays of beer; the MGM even ran out of suds during the fight! The lines were long and the Englishmen patiently waited to cart off several beers at a time. Now I see that they only have one beer in their hand or none at all! Not sure if it’s the recession but I don’t see the beer-fueled revelry that I witnessed during the Mayweather weekend. I miss the crazy Englishmen!

Before the fight, most of the people we chatted with thought Pacman would win, but many were pulling for the underdog Hatton. My boyfriend commented, “Everyone loves Ricky Hatton!” as many wondered if an upset was possible (like Hopkins-Pavlik, Pacquiao-De La Hoya, Mosley-Margarito). At the time, the consensus was that the fight would be a classic. Sadly, no one expected Ricky to be flat on his back in just under six minutes.

During the undercards (including a Humberto “Zorrita” Soto fight), we meet a lot of Pacquiao fans from San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle. Many admit that they don’t watch a lot of boxing unless the Filipino sensation is involved. When asked if they follow any other Filipino fighters, the majority says no–just Manny, only Manny.

Everyone’s anticipating the eventual showdown between the Pacman and the Hitman. The arena of over 16,000 erupts when the two superstar combatants enter the arena. Ricky looks eager in the ring and Manny looks loose, smiling a lot. The two 30-year-old face off–and the rest is a blur. Unfortunately, Ricky took a ride on the “Pac-Man Express.” It was brutal, it was quick, as predicted by trainer Freddie Roach.

During the first round, everyone was shocked to see Ricky go down face first. I couldn’t believe it happened so fast. Then after the second knockdown, the sad realization hit that this was not going to be a classic 12-round war. We all knew then that it was just a matter of time. The highly-anticipated showdown quickly became a big letdown. The Brits were paralyzed in the moment while the Filipinos were awed by Pacman’s supremacy in the ring.

And when the southpaw delivered that left hook in the second round, it was a shot heard ’round the world. Pacquiao’s blinding hand speed and devastating power was too much for Hatton, who was outmanned, outgunned and out cold on the canvas–lights out. It all happened so quickly that I never even sat down, there was no need to sit down. The jaw-dropping knockout–in just two quick rounds–broke thousands of hearts Across the Pond.

Pacquiao, the country’s National Treasure, secures his idol status as the Filipinos cheer wildly. The Brits are stunned, still clutching their royal flags. Walking out of the arena, everyone is heard saying, “I hope Ricky’s okay” with everybody concerned about his health first and future in the ring second.

We walked near the sportsbook area to see the fans’ reactions. As we passed the MGM Lion Habitat exhibit, we encountered an obviously disappointed Brit, smoking a cigarette with a Manchester flag wrapped tightly around him like a comforting blanket. We acknowledged him and nodded but didn’t know what else to say. There were no words left. The lone fan stared off into the empty lion cage, seemingly in shock after Hatton’s devastating knockout at the hands of Pacman. It was a sad, shocking and surreal moment for Ricky’s fans.

Sunday: The fight aftermath…

The boxing community is still abuzz over the fight. Everyone gives Manny credit for the brutal (and some say beautiful) knockout punch delivered to Ricky. Some mention that Hatton said in the “24/7″ finale (that aired the night before the fight) that he didn’t want his young son to see him get knocked out. It turned out to be a prophetic statement from the Hitman. Many are also excited about the return of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and if he gets past Juan Manuel Marquez, then taking on the Pac-Man. I ask the Filipino fans what about Pacquiao squaring off against Mosley, Cotto, JCC Jr., perhaps even Margarito? Nope! They want their beloved idol to fight Mayweather! “Pretty Boy” Floyd vs. the “Pac-Man”–what do you think?!

Strolling the Strip, we visit Caesars Palace for a bite to eat. Vegas is back to business as usual, we don’t hear or see any fight fans through the casino. The only pugilist we find is the statue of Joe Louis that overlooks the sports zone.

Back at Bally’s, we take a break from boxing and get some pool time. On the way down, we meet Chad at the hotel’s mall area. He’s manning a cool massage store and happens to be a big Pacquiao fan. Chad, of Filipino descent, tells us that after he watched the PPV broadcast, he and his buddies went to the Mandalay Bay for the post-fight party where you could hear Pacquiao sing karaoke. He said tickets were $20, the line was super long, and Manny only sang three songs. But all in attendance were just thrilled to be near their hero, the “People’s Champion.”

Poolside at Bally’s is awesome! It’s nice to be a tourist sometimes and enjoy the hotel’s fun pool atmosphere. We grab some chairs and enjoy the sunshine and sights. There’s a dance contest on stage, an air guitar contest, and a bikini contest during the afternoon. It’s a party by the pool, and a good chance to recuperate from all the boxing excitement. Three college boys pass by wearing plastic guitars filled with a slushy booze concoction that come handily equipped with an oversized straw. For $35, these “guitar heroes” can still shred while slurping down the pink cocktail. It was a very funny “only in Vegas” sight that reminds me why millions flock to this city.

While sunbathing, I hear some guys talk about Hatton’s future, wondering if he will retire. Then the talk turns to Pacquiao’s future. Again, the name Mayweather seems the desired opponent mentioned the most.

I always have a grand time in Vegas, it really does offer something for everyone! Of course, gambling is in the equation, so I give the slot machines one last whirl. After sitting down at a penny “Star Trek” slot, I hit a jackpot for $273! Thank you, Mr. Spock!

Before packing up for the drive back to L.A., we decide to try the French crêpes at Paris Hotel and Casino’s cobblestone walkway. OMG–they are delicious! Be sure to have one (or two) if you’re in town for the upcoming Mayweather-Marquez fight OR a future Mayweather-Pacquiao bout…IF/WHEN that happens!!!

“Cheers” to the British fans for their loyalty to Ricky Hatton and “Salamat” to the Filipino fans for their faith in their Manny Pacquiao. You all made it a memorable weekend!