Classic American West Coast Boxing

[bennie]

The view from his new drive.

[bennie]

My two brothers and partners.

[bennie]

Walking the dogs again.

[bennie]

...in England's green and pleasant land.

[raylawpc]

Bennie's photo of his brothers reminded me of this old joke:

A cowboy, who is visiting Wyoming from Texas, walks into a bar and orders three mugs of Coors. He sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.

The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy, "You know, a mug goes flat after I draw it. It would taste better if you bought one at a time."

The cowboy replies, "Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in Arizona, the other is in Colorado. When we all left our home in Texas, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together. So I'm drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for myself."

The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.

The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way. He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.

One day, he comes in and only orders two mugs. All the regulars take notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss."

The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in his eyes and he laughs.

"Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains, "It's just that my wife and I joined the Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking."

"Hasn't affected my brothers though."

[Rick Farris]

...in England's green and pleasant land.

Looking forward to the U.K. next summer.
Thanks for the pics of your family, Bennie.
Maybe we'll cross paths one day?


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

The Great Inland Empire Hope . . .

I'm always for the L.A. guy in a title fight.
In a world regretably shy of loyalty, the least I can do is hang with a homey.
I like it when an L.A. guy brings home the title. It reminds me of better days in the City of Angels.

Best yet is when the L.A. guy gets his title shot here, and sends the other guy home empty handed.
Mando Ramos vs Teo Cruz II, back in '69, comes to mind. (wow- 40 years ago!)

Next month, an L.A. guy via Riverside County will get a shot at heavyweight super-stardom.
He's fighting Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight title.
I know a few other guys claim world heavyweight championships as well, including Klitschko's younger brother Vlad.
All of the champions have one thing in common. They're all bums.
In the words of the late Tex Rickard, "None are worth a bucket of warm piss."

Sadly, the guys are just too big today. The ignorant are stuck on the notion that bigger is always better.
Depending on the opponent, size can be both an advantage or disadvantage. Too big is rarely an advantage when facing a real fighter.

When Chris Arreola steps into the ring against Vitali Klitschko next month, at the Staples Center, he hits hard enough to make us all proud here in L.A.
All he has to do is plant a good one on the weak chin of an Iron Bloc wonder and he will find instant money and stardom. At least for awhile.
Of course, he'll have to land the shot, and I don't think he has the ability, conditioning or durability to do so.
I don't know Chris, I hear he's a great guy and well liked by mutual friends. But he's going to fight the oldest Lurch brother with a "one lucky shot" mentality.
That's his only hope. As much as I don't care for any of the Eastern European heavyweights, I will say that this one is going to put the L.A. guy in his place.

I will definitly watch the fight, and when the opening bell rings I'm going to hope the L.A. guy can land that lucky shot.
I don't think he will win, but I hope I'm wrong. His candle wouldn't burn long, but it would sure burn bright for a few nights.


Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Arreola
(WBC Heavyweight Championship)
Sept. 26 - Staples Center


-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

THE SHOPPING LIST

I told this story at our table at the World Boxing Hall Of Fame Banquet last year. Rick Farris called me last night and reminded me of it. At the time it wasn't so funny,but now looking back on it I always get a laugh.Here's how it went.

When I first got married I was living in Tijuana because of two reasons. Numero uno , I was waiting for my wife's appointment to go to the U.S Embassy in TJ to get her Green Card,and reason numero dos was I was poorer than a homeless person.

Me and the wife were living in this poor barrio in a run down little shack. I felt like I was the poorest of the poor. I was working in a garden shop in San Diego and pulling in a fat 72 dollars a week.

One night I pull up in front of my Tijuana penthouse(that's what me and the wife jokingly called that shack)and I don't find my wife inside. I knocked on the neighbor's door.
"Donde esta Maria"I asked nervously.
The neighbor looks at me with this impassive face.
"Oh,Maria in the Tijuana jail."
Now I'm genuinely frightened.
"Que paso?What happened?"
"I don't know",answered Senor Stone Face.

I rushed back to the car and sped off to the 8th Street Jail. I had a list in my pocket of errands I had to do when I got back to the shack. The normal list:Pick up some milk,pay the light bill,fill the car with gas,drop off my shoes at the repairman's shop. Now I could add to the list,get my wife out of the Tijuana jail.

Well the worse thing you can do in a situation like that is to act anxious in front of the Tijuana cops. And of course that's exactly what I did. The cops saw that they had me by the balls so they played me along. They acted like they were on barbituates and walked along in a daze. I knew my wife is in there,but the cops were milking it for all that it was worth. Literally.I don't know how they knew, but I left that jail with my wife without a nickel in my pocket.They got it all.

Driving back to the shack I'm happy that my wife was OK,but I was drained.
"What happened?"I asked.
"Dees guy on the bus he grab me. He drunk."
Now in TJ they let you on the bus if you're drunk,but this guy must have snuck in a bottle. He thought he could get frisky with my wife,but he doesn't know that my wife had been in more fights than Jerry Quarry. All bedlam broke out and the bus driver pulled over. The cops jumped inside and threw my wife and the drunk in jail.They don't allow fighting on the bus either.

I figure that was the end of the story. I just wanted to get back to the penthouse.
"You don't want know who won?"chirped my wife.
I turned my head to look at her.
"I kick his ass",she gloated looking straight ahead.

I knew there was something about her that attracted me.

[dagosd2000]

My two brothers and partners.

Great smiles tell me that they must be great people.

[dagosd2000]

Walking the dogs again.

Nice Bennie. Real nice. The little things wind up being the big things in life.

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7WJLPGKOwM

Never Gonna Give You Up

Jerry Butler (for my wife today on her birthday)

[Rick Farris]

THE SHOPPING LIST

I told this story at our table at the World Boxing Hall Of Fame Banquet last year. Rick Farris called me last night and reminded me of it. At the time it wasn't so funny,but now looking back on it I always get a laugh.Here's how it went.

When I first got married I was living in Tijuana because of two reasons. Numero uno , I was waiting for my wife's appointment to go to the U.S Embassy in TJ to get her Green Card,and reason numero dos was I was poorer than a homeless person.

Me and the wife were living in this poor barrio in a run down little shack. I felt like I was the poorest of the poor. I was working in a garden shop in San Diego and pulling in a fat 72 dollars a week.

One night I pull up in front of my Tijuana penthouse(that's what me and the wife jokingly called that shack)and I don't find my wife inside. I knocked on the neighbor's door.
"Donde esta Maria"I asked nervously.
The neighbor looks at me with this impassive face.
"Oh,Maria in the Tijuana jail."
Now I'm genuinely frightened.
"Que paso?What happened?"
"I don't know",answered Senor Stone Face.

I rushed back to the car and sped off to the 8th Street Jail. I had a list in my pocket of errands I had to do when I got back to the shack. The normal list:Pick up some milk,pay the light bill,fill the car with gas,drop off my shoes at the repairman's shop. Now I could add to the list,get my wife out of the Tijuana jail.

Well the worse thing you can do in a situation like that is to act anxious in front of the Tijuana cops. And of course that's exactly what I did. The cops saw that they had me by the balls so they played me along. They acted like they were on barbituates and walked along in a daze. I knew my wife is in there,but the cops were milking it for all that it was worth. Literally.I don't know how they knew, but I left that jail with my wife without a nickel in my pocket.They got it all.

Driving back to the shack I'm happy that my wife was OK,but I was drained.
"What happened?"I asked.
"Dees guy on the bus he grab me. He drunk."
Now in TJ they let you on the bus if you're drunk,but this guy must have snuck in a bottle. He thought he could get frisky with my wife,but he doesn't know that my wife had been in more fights than Jerry Quarry. All bedlam broke out and the bus driver pulled over. The cops jumped inside and threw my wife and the drunk in jail.They don't allow fighting on the bus either.

I figure that was the end of the story. I just wanted to get back to the penthouse.
"You don't want know who won?"chirped my wife.
I turned my head to look at her.
"I kick his ass",she gloated looking straight ahead.

I knew there was something about her that attracted me.

Rog . . . This happens to be a favorite of mine. I'll never forget it.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7WJLPGKOwM

Never Gonna Give You Up

Jerry Butler (for my wife today on her birthday)

Maria . . . Happy Birthday from Rick & Monica.

[bennie]

My two brothers and partners.

Great smiles tell me that they must be great people.

Or half-cut, Rog.

[Counter-puncher]

When Chris Arreola steps into the ring against Vitali Klitschko next month, at the Staples Center, he hits hard enough to make us all proud here in L.A.
All he has to do is plant a good one on the weak chin of an Iron Bloc wonder and he will find instant money and stardom. At least for awhile.

i think you might need to watch some more Vitali Klitchko fights, if you think he is a 'weak-chinned Iron Bloc wonder'. never been down pro or amateur.

[bennie]

I believe he got chinned in a kickboxing match by Britain's own Pele Reid (from a punch).

[Counter-puncher]

i was always told pele did him with a kick, bennie. anyhow, even if kicks were allowed, Arreola doesn't look like the type who can kick his height

[bennie]

i was always told pele did him with a kick, bennie. anyhow, even if kicks were allowed, Arreola doesn't look like the type who can kick his height

You would know more about it than me. Either way, Arreola stands no chance.

[dagosd2000]

When Chris Arreola steps into the ring against Vitali Klitschko next month, at the Staples Center, he hits hard enough to make us all proud here in L.A.
All he has to do is plant a good one on the weak chin of an Iron Bloc wonder and he will find instant money and stardom. At least for awhile.

i think you might need to watch some more Vitali Klitchko fights, if you think he is a 'weak-chinned Iron Bloc wonder'. never been down pro or amateur.

The Klitschkos aren't bad fighters,but they're not great fighters either. I've never seen such a lack of talent in the heavyweight division as there is today. I think Roy Jones Jr. in his prime at light heavy could have outboxed either one to get a decision.

The next heavyweight that comes out like the young Tyson will put the interest back into boxing again,but I don't see anyone like that on the horizon. Without a deep heavyweight division,I'm afraid boxing's heavyweights will take a back seat to the UFC. I think that has already happened and deservedly.

[Counter-puncher]

one brother has a weak chin, the other definitely doesn't, is all I am saying

[dagosd2000]

i was always told pele did him with a kick, bennie. anyhow, even if kicks were allowed, Arreola doesn't look like the type who can kick his height

You would know more about it than me. Either way, Arreola stands no chance.

Bennie
I think what has happened in the U.S. is that any opponent against a Klitschko is going to be the sentimental favorite. The brothers don't have the charisma that Americans like. They're not killers or showmen,and most of all they are not Americans.

I forget which one it is,but when he's introduced as "Dr. Klitschko",I roll my eyes.

[dagosd2000]

one brother has a weak chin, the other definitely doesn't, is all I am saying

No argument from me.

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7WJLPGKOwM

Never Gonna Give You Up

Jerry Butler (for my wife today on her birthday)

Maria . . . Happy Birthday from Rick & Monica.

Thanks good people.

[Rick Farris]

When Chris Arreola steps into the ring against Vitali Klitschko next month, at the Staples Center, he hits hard enough to make us all proud here in L.A.
All he has to do is plant a good one on the weak chin of an Iron Bloc wonder and he will find instant money and stardom. At least for awhile.

i think you might need to watch some more Vitali Klitchko fights, if you think he is a 'weak-chinned Iron Bloc wonder'. never been down pro or amateur.

That's because he quits the moment it gets too hot in the kitchen (i.e. Chris Byrd).
However, he has no worries on this night, Arreola is the bigger bum.


-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

I was thinkin'. If Arreola happens to sneak one over,they'll tear down Oscar's statue and erect a bigger one of Arreola. I think the Mexican nationals are going to pull for Arreola,but if he loses they'll say he was just another American contender who was cannon fodder for Klitschko.

I'd like to see Arreola win. Man,would that shake things up.