kikibalt wrote:Rick Farris wrote:Rick, In April of 1977, , Frankie, Johnnie Flores and I were in Miami Beach for Frankie's fight with Francisco Villegas, Don King put us up at the Fontainebleau Hotel, thats where Beau Jack had his shoeshine stand, met him and he shine Johnnie's, Frankie's and my shoes.
Thats the time we had Joe Louis as our driver.
Rick Farris wrote:BEAU JACK; A TRUE ALL TIME GREAT
By Jim Amato
The name Sidney Walker would not be very familiar to most fight fans. Mention the name Beau Jack and you would get a much different reaction. They are one and the same. Beau Jack was one of the most exciting fighters of the 1940’s and early 50’s.
Sidney Walker was born on April 1, 1921 in Augusta, Georgia. He began his professional career in 1939 fighting out of South Carolina. Later Beau Jack boxed often out of the New England area. By the time he invaded New York in 1941 he sported a 27-4-2 record. He scored a knockout win in a fight at Ebbets Field and his next bout was at Madison Square Garden. It would be the first of twenty-seven appearances Beau Jack would make at that famous venue a testimony to his popularity over the years.
Late in 1941 Beau lost two fights to tough Freddie Archer. He would bounce back to win twelve straight including victories over Terry Young and Allie Stolz. This set the stage for a 1942 match between Jack and Tippy Larkin for the vacant New York State Athletic Commission lightweight title. Beau took out Larkin in three rounds to win the title. Beau would then defeat Fritzie Zivic twice and Henry Armstrong in over weight matches.
In 1943 Beau lost his NYSAC title to the talented Bob Montgomery. Three fights later Bobby Ruffin upset him. In his next fight Beau would regain his title by beating Montgomery. In 1944 Beau beat Lulu Costantino, drew with Sammy Angott and beat Maxie Berger at The Public Hall in Cleveland, Ohio. He would again lose to Montgomery and his title was gone.
Jack came right back with wins over Al ” Bummy ” Davis, Juan Zurita and Montgomery with no title at stake. He then beat Willie Joyce, drew with rugged Johnny Greco and stopped Angott. In 1946 Buster Tyler upset him. In 1947 Youngstown great Tony Janiro stopped him for the first time in his career. Beau suffered a knee injury in the fight.
Back on the comeback trail Beau put together five wins but then lost to Terry Young. He then defeated Johnny Greco and Janiro in rematches. In 1948 the sensational Ike Williams halted him. Beau came right back to stop England’s highly touted Eric Boon. In eight fights after beating Boon he only lost to Greco. This led to a bout with the legendary Kid Gavilan. The ” Keed ” dominated Beau and won a lopsided decision. Jack then lost to Tuzo Portuguez and another Youngstown battler Joey Carkido.
He did stop Lew Jenkins but in his last twelve fights he went 4-7-1. He lost to Fritzie Pruden, Del Flanagan and Ike Williams. Gil Turner stopped him inside the distance and in his last bout Ike Williams kayoed him. In his remarkable career Beau Jack had 117 fights. His final ledger was 88-24-5. He scored 43 KO’s and was stopped only four times in his storied career. He was a thrilling, action fighter who met the best of his time. He truly was an all time great.
One of my favorite fights from the past is Beau Jack's last bout with Ike Willimas. It was a brutal fight and Beau Jack knocked one of Williams' teeth out during an exchange. Williams said he had a perfect set of teeth prior to that, and was in pain after losing the tooth.
Williams stepped things up and moved Beau Jack into a corner, landing blow after blow. Only the ring ropes was holding Beau Jack up when Williams turned to the ref and asks . . . "What do you want me to do, kill the man?
The referee finaly stopped the fight. Decades later, HBO would replay the stoppage of that bout and interview the two boxers.
I have to say it was one of the greatest interview I've ever seen between two great fighters, recounting their fights with each other.
The respect of these two great fighters for each other is equalled only by the courage they exhibited in the ring.
I was in Miami back in the 80's on a film. I had hoped to break away from the company and visit Beau Jack's shoe shine stand, but never had the opportunity.
-Rick Farris
Beau Jack shing your shoes and Joe Louis driving you around. As Don King would say . . . Only in America!
Yeah! Rick, I though I had died and gone to boxing heaven. I can still Louis and Johnnie acting like two over grown kids in the back seat of the car....
Johnny Flores and The Brown Bomber . . .
Frank, we who trained at Johnny's gym in Pacomia during the 60's heard a lot about Joe Louis.
Johnny and the heavyweight champion of the world had met during WW2, and the following decade worked together.
Joe Louis promoted bouts in Hollywood, at the Moulan Rouge night club, and Flores was his matchmaker.
I remember as a kid, I'd see posters tacked up on the wall of Flores' backyard gym, posters from fights he and Louis had put on.
One story that Flores shared comes to mind.
One evening Johnny walked into the gym carrying an over-sized pair of REYES boxing gloves.
He was showing us a gift that had been presented to him years earlier, while in Mexico with Joe Louis.
Louis and Flores had been guests at the boxing glove manufacturer's factory.
Afterwards, both Louis and Flores were presented a pair of giant gloves.
Johnny told us he found a large plastic bag in which to wrap his gloves for the plane trip home.
When he and Louis left the hotel, he said the former champ had the gloves tied together and slung over his shoulder.
He then carried the gloves on the plane, as well. Needless to say, he got a lot of attention normally, this created more.
Johnny told us, "Joe really liked those gloves, and the attention."
-Rick Farris
