Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

Rick...Also in the Keeny Teran/Nick Sander's card, Russ Gilliam who went on to be come a referee fought a four round fight.

[Rick Farris]

Rick...Also in the Keeny Teran/Nick Sander's card, Russ Gilliam who went on to be come a referee fought a four round fight.

Familiar names with youthful faces . . .

I wasn't familiar with Russ Gilliam.
However, it's interesting to see names from my past who were trainers, managers, promoters, etc. in my day.
When I see such names in record books, or ancient boxing programs, I'm reminded that these men were once boxers, as well.

Just recently, while thinking of the guys who coached in Los Angeles, I was able to reflect on their earlier days in the ring.
We saw them in one light only, not always aware that these guys were also fighters, and some of them pretty good.
We'd know they were ex-fighters, but not realize how good many had been. Of course, I needn't dig to deep to uncover the evidence.

I'll always see John Thomas as a referee, as I knew him, but I also see him as a former lightweight contender who fought the best.
Everybody knew that Sonny Ray was a major league light-heavy, but who knew Ernie DeFrance KOed Spider Webb in one round?
I grew up watching Jackie McCoy in the corner of champs, but I also see him as a hot little bantam who challenged the best of a great era.

When I was a kid I watched the great Henry Armstrong training a young pro. He was in his 50's, I'd never seen him fight.
However, I never thought of Armstrong as anything but one of the greatest fighters ever. He had attained legendary status in that regard.

I enjoy seeing the names in the Knockout publications.
A name like "Sammy Saunders" brings a smile to my face.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Hey Frank . . . Aren't lap tops great. Can really save an afternoon

[kikibalt]

Courtesy of Hap Navarro

Avila ready for boxing nationals

By Matt Miller/[email protected]

The youngest boxers at the Georgie Duke Sports Center wear oversized headgear and gloves, hit bags, throw punches at one another, let loose some bottled up energy as part of the Vacaville Police Activities League program.
It's a bustling room of activity on a recent afternoon. But when trainer Al LaGardo points at one of his prized pupils and says "Get in there," the noise stops.
That's when 16-year-old Manuel Avila steps into the ring. The youngsters gather ringside to watch "Tino" spar, the talented teenage fighter that many of the youngsters aspire to be.
It'll be seven years come July 4, his birthday, since Avila joined the program. He has quickly risen into one of the program's best, a boxer who may have a future professional career.
Avila is headed to the USA Boxing Championships in Denver, Colo., this week. He'll be one of the youngest fighters in the competition as part of the Region 11 Central Pacific team representing Northern California. Randy Guerrero (125) of Fairfield and Vacaville's Adam Field (132) are also competing.
Avila has a record of 32-7 with 14 knockouts. Last year he won a bronze medal in the Junior Olympics in Marquette, Mich., as a 112-pound fighter. This year he has settled in at 119 pounds.
More than 450 boxers are competing in this premiere amateur boxing national championship event. More than 180 of those join Avila in the open men's division, vying for national titles in their respective weight classes, which will serve
as a world championship qualifier.
Opening ceremonies at the Denver Coliseum will be Monday with preliminary bouts scheduled for Wednesday.
There are 17 boxers in the 119-pound weight class. Among the contestants is Rau'shee Warren of Cincinnati, Ohio, the two-time Olympian and 2007 world champion. Roman Morales of San Ardo is the 2008 National PAL champion. Randy Caballero of Coachella is the 2008 U.S. Futures Stars national champion at 112 pounds.
"He's probably one of the best I've ever had," said LaGardo of Avila, a veteran trainer who has worked with many in the Sacramento Valley, including world kickboxing champion and Vacaville native Dennis Alexio. "He's a student of the game and he's always in good condition.
"The first time I put on the pads, he was a powerful little kid. Some guys don't want to fight him because he's such a powerful puncher."
The Fairfield resident and Rodriguez High School student played baseball and soccer as a kid but always wanted to try boxing. Now it is his passion and he is disappointed on the days he can't get to the gym.
"His mom's a little worried about him fighting men, but they all have to make the same weight," his father Manuel Avila, Sr. said. "He can take a punch. He's still my kid and I still worry about him, but if he stays relaxed he can do good."
Avila, Jr., said he doesn't mind getting hit, just as long as it is in limited quantity.
"It just makes me want to hit the guy back 10 more times," he said. "It makes me more aggressive. I'm just going to have to fight harder than I've ever had to fight."
LaGardo has high hopes for Avila in Colorado.
"He should do well," LaGardo said. "He's younger than everyone else, but he has good determination. People know about him through Junior Olympics and a lot of them want to run from him. His last four fights have all been knockouts and that just doesn't happen very often in amateur boxing."

[kikibalt]

Hey Frank . . . Aren't lap tops great. Can really save an afternoon

Yes, they are Rick, I do most of my posting from my desk top, but times like today my lap top comes in handy.

[kikibalt]

My son-law Ray is in the hospital, don't know yet what is wrong, in a bit Connie and I're leaving the BBQ to go see Ray.

[Rick Farris]

Hey Frank . . . Aren't lap tops great. Can really save an afternoon

Yes, they are Rick, I do most of my posting from my desk top, but times like today my lap top comes in handy.

Frank . . . I also do most of my posting from a desk top, but have a lap top when I need it.
I actually posted to this thread from my I-Phone while working on a film location last year.
It's amazing when you consider our options for site access.


-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Hey Frank . . . Aren't lap tops great. Can really save an afternoon

Yes, they are Rick, I do most of my posting from my desk top, but times like today my lap top comes in handy.

Frank . . . I also do most of my posting from a desk top, but have a lap top when I need it.
I actually posted to this thread from my I-Phone while working on a film location last year.
It's amazing when you consider our options for site access.


-Rick Farris

Rick...I can do same from my phone but, hell its to hard.....

[kikibalt]

LATimes sports page

Mando Ramos breaks hand

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/files/1 ... sports.jpg

[kikibalt]

How is this for memories

[Rick Farris]

How is this for memories

The tape deck . . .

I bought a car stereo from Mad Man Muntz in 1969. Forty years ago.
I needed something cool for my '55 Ford pick-up, something to drown out the engine noise.
Muntz had a store in the San Fernando Valley, on Roscoe Blvd.

It was a 4 & 8 track tape deck. I'd seen it advertised, I bought it, they installed it.
I cruised home to music.
Carlos Santana . . . "You've got to change your evil ways, baby . . ."

Mad Man Muntz is a retail legend.


-Rick Farris

[Randyman]

Going through some old boxes in the garage I found these two programs from the Forum. I would pit the Forum Ring Card girls against any. The Forum left no stone unturned in finding and hiring the best.

Check out Barrera's hair. Mel Epstein would turn over in his grave. Barrera won his fight against Eduardo Ramirz via a 12 round decision. Paul Banke won by majority decision against Antonio Ramirez. Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez won by UD in his fight with Pablo Tiznado and Gabe Ruelas stopped Ben Lopez in five. I was there that night but I can't remember one fight from that night.

Randy

[Randyman]

I also found this Sports Illustrated with Joe Louis on the cover. I immediately thought of our Roger. It's a beautiful piece of work.

Randy

[Randyman]

Another Sports Illustrated, this time with a young, pre-champion and pre -Don King tainted Mike Tyson. He seems genuinely happy. He was a juggernaut when he was coming up.

[Randyman]

The Salvador Sanchez-Wilfredo Gomez fight was one for the books and the article on Rocky Graziano was interesting but I posted this magazine strictly because of the Dream Fight query on the upper right hand corner. Sandy Saddler vs Danny Lopez? Was Danny good enough for Saddler? No one had a bigger heart than Danny......

Randy

[Randyman]

This is the magazine that really got my attention. When I bought this magazine I went to my father's house, who was dying of cancer, I took this magazine and a stack of other boxing mags and we just satin the den for hours reading and talking boxing. That was the last time we did that. Memories!

The magazine covers a lot of the fighters that we talk about here. I'll post some pages. The Sanchez photo is from the inside cover.

Randy

[Randyman]

[Randyman]

How is this for memories

Man, that takes me back!

Randy

[Randyman]

Frank, you always seem to find another Keeny Teran photo. Thanks for posting it here and on my site. I'll have to show this to Mike.

Randy

[kikibalt]

[kikibalt]

[Rick Farris]

Going through some old boxes in the garage I found these two programs from the Forum. I would pit the Forum Ring Card girls against any. The Forum left no stone unturned in finding and hiring the best.

Check out Barrera's hair. Mel Epstein would turn over in his grave. Barrera won his fight against Eduardo Ramirz via a 12 round decision. Paul Banke won by majority decision against Antonio Ramirez. Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez won by UD in his fight with Pablo Tiznado and Gabe Ruelas stopped Ben Lopez in five. I was there that night but I can't remember one fight from that night.

Randy

Randy . . .
I too was at this fight. And I forget what happened, except for Gabe Ruelas.
I'd come to see Gabe and he busted up Ben Lopez pretty good.
Of course, Barrera and Chiquita were always great, but I don't remember what happened on this night.

I always thought Mel would have considered Marco Antonio Barrera "his kind of fighter".
However, I forgot Barrera's hair in the early 90's.
Can you hear Mel's voice, his opinion of Barrera's "Do"?

"Look at the silly bastid, all that hair, you know he's got the Cwabs (crabs). It makes people crazy, too much hair, his head can't breathe. That's what's wrong with women. It's that f__king Ed Sullivan's fault. He brought the Beatles over here and they ruined the country. They all got screw woims in their brains, they walk around barefoot and don't bath. Dirty Bastids."

Of course, a few years later when the great little fighter kicked Princess Nasim's ass, Mel would have pointed out, "That Barrera is one helluva fighter. And he's gotta fighta's haircut!"


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Hap and Frank . . .

What can you tell me about Lee Boren?
He was still around when I first showed up, but I don't remember him.
I know he had a good stable at one point.
Any history, his death?
Special memories?

Looks like he was from your neighborhood, Frank?

Thanks,
Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Hap and Frank . . .

What can you tell me about Lee Boren?
He was still around when I first showed up, but I don't remember him.
I know he had a good stable at one point.
Any history, his death?
Special memories?

Looks like he was from your neighborhood, Frank?

Thanks,
Rick Farris

Yeah, Rick, Lee Boren was from my home town but, I never met him, use to see him at the fights/gyms at times, but that was all.

[dagosd2000]

How is this for memories

I NEED NOT GO ON

My father never had good business sense. I remember when these 4 Tracks came out. It was the rage. Yeah,ask someone if they remember 4 Tracks. They'll say,"You mean 8 Tracks?"

Now they have CD players and stuff I haven't caught up with yet,but back then a 4 Track was state of the art. My father was always looking for an easy score. Make it fast ,spend it faster. Well,my father thought selling these stereos was going to be thing that would bring home the bacon. The problem with his plan was he wanted a franchise in Mexico. Mexicali,Mexico of all places.

My father had the product. Muntz Stereos were like the Wii's a few years ago. Everybody wanted one. For the car. Inside the house. The only obstacle was that my father wanted to sell something in Mexico and make a killing. He should have known better. The spin doctors in Mexico ain't gonna' let no gringo get away with the loot.

One day the Chief Of Police of Mexicali comes through the door and wants to buy 3000 dollars worth of stereos. Like I said,my dad was no Donald Trump. My dad's "art of the deal" included taking a check from this "lawman". I need not go on. Everybody in the world selling Muntz Stereos was rollin' in dough except my dad who just got plain rolled.

But there was a happy ending. It came many years later. You see there was a international police officer convention in San Diego. I don't have to tell you who was there representing Mexicali's finest. My dad caught wind of his appearance. I need not go on.