Thats right, Rick, great nite for Frankie for sure....Rick Farris wrote:Rick Farris wrote:kikibalt wrote:Harry Kabakoff, born Melville Himmelfarb and know as the "Mad Russian" has died.
Kabakoff's best known fighter was Jesus Pimentel who fought Ruben Olivares for the bantamweight title, losing by ko, he also managed other lesser known fighters, who he kept busy fighting at the fame Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, Ca.
El Russo Loco . . . R.I.P.
Last time I saw Harry Kabakoff was in 1995, at the Olympic.
Sitting nearby were Archie Moore, Jackie McCoy, Don Chargin and Bennie Georgino.
Harry was wearing his trademark Hawaiian shirt and a straw hat.
I remember in 1970 beating one of Kabakoff's boxers, Frankie Granados, in my second pro fight.
I still remember referee John Thomas giving the instructions, in the center of the ring.
I saw Kabakoff standing in front of Johnny Flores and I with his fighter.
Seeing Harry in the ring across from me in that big Hawaiian shirt, made me realize that I'd reached a goal.
I was a part of the L.A. professional boxing scene. A small part, but I was fighting a Harry Kabakoff fighter on TV from the Olympic.
I remember those exact thoughts from that night in summer, 1970.
I'd grown up watching Harry with his best fighter, the great Jesus "Little Poison" Pimentel.
I wanted to be one of the guys I saw fight at the Olympic.
Pimentel was my favorite bantam in the 60's, right up to Olivares.
In 1967, I recall Pimentel fighting Canadian Jackie Burke st the Olympic.
As part of the pre-fight publicity, I remember the Heral-Examiner posting a photo of Kabakoff & Pimentel in the Olympic ring, wearing Batman & Robin costumes.
They were truly a "Dynamic Duo".
Ringside TV announcer, Jim Healy, would refer to Kabakoff as "Hula Harry."
Harry is one of the last of the legends of my era in L.A. boxing.
I remember him so well. Gone with Harry is a wealth of boxing history.
-Rick Farris
Frank . . . Frankie Jr. made his main event debut against a heavily favored Harry Kabakoff fighter, Chango Cruz.
Frankie scored a big upset that night.
Classic American West Coast Boxing
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
From Boxing historian Tony Triem:
I asked Freddie Roach if he thought that his counter-part, Joe Santiago- who verbally jousted with Roach during this promotion- allowed the fight to go on because he believed that taking his man to the finish line would somehow be beneficial to his own reputation.
" Definitely, a world champion in survival mode, when that happens, you gotta bail him out. That’s his job to bail him out. Fighters can’t quit. If a fighter says,’ Stop the fight.’ It’s embarrassing. In MMA they quit, but not in this sport. So the thing is, it’s up to the corner to protect the fighter. There’s no reason they should’ve gone on and they let him take a beating he really didn’t need to take. Because he had already given up on the win, he was trying to survive and they were just trying to get a morale victory by going the distance against Pacquiao.
"I was happy when they did stop the fight. But if I was the coach, after eight, it was over."
I asked Freddie Roach if he thought that his counter-part, Joe Santiago- who verbally jousted with Roach during this promotion- allowed the fight to go on because he believed that taking his man to the finish line would somehow be beneficial to his own reputation.
" Definitely, a world champion in survival mode, when that happens, you gotta bail him out. That’s his job to bail him out. Fighters can’t quit. If a fighter says,’ Stop the fight.’ It’s embarrassing. In MMA they quit, but not in this sport. So the thing is, it’s up to the corner to protect the fighter. There’s no reason they should’ve gone on and they let him take a beating he really didn’t need to take. Because he had already given up on the win, he was trying to survive and they were just trying to get a morale victory by going the distance against Pacquiao.
"I was happy when they did stop the fight. But if I was the coach, after eight, it was over."
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Antonio Margarito Surfaces in Las Vegas!
November 17, 2009 by Michele Chong
A “Tijuana Tornado” sighting
After being banned from boxing for a minimum of one year, Antonio Margarito made his presence felt during the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight weekend in Sin City. Margarito’s name will be forever linked with Cotto, since his subsequent destruction of the Puerto Rican warrior in their July 2008 battle.
The night before the big fight, we ran into the welterweight as we were attending the Grand Opening festivities at the Fight Museum LV in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. We first saw his co-manager Francisco Espinosa, who enthusiastically told us, “Tony’s here! You should be seeing him walk by soon.” The amiable Espinosa was wearing a “Tijuana Tornado” t-shirt under his jacket that said “Since 1978,” which is Antonio’s year of birth.
After the museum party, we rounded the corner and ran right into Margarito, his wife Michelle, and a couple of their friends. Tony has always been a friendly guy, and this time was no different. He was relaxed, smiling and it appears that the slugger has not stopped training since his suspension.
His group didn’t isolate him from the crowd, but they were also keeping low-key in a corner of the casino. Some small talk and some quick pics took place before we had to leave for another event. There wasn’t time for a long conversation, although there are so many questions that remain for the once-beloved boxer. But last Friday night, we shook his hand, said adios and went on our way.
Those same hands of his have been under intense scrutiny as the former WBA, IBF and WBO Champion went from being the most popular Mexican boxer of current times to a disgraced pariah of the sport.
Earlier in the day, Antonio was scheduled to make an appearance at a meet-and-greet event at a Mexican supermarket, so it seems like Team Margarito is testing his loyal fan base to see how the former hero will be accepted back into the boxing folds. And the card at the MGM Grand had many Margarito connections. Besides the obvious Cotto reference, there was also the Daniel Santos-Yuri Foreman bout. Daniel and Antonio fought each other twice in the past, resulting in a no contest and a loss for Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs). Another link on the undercard was the Alfonso Gomez vs. Jesus Soto-Karass fight. Antonio was a stablemate of Soto-Karass’, with both pugilists having been trained by Javier Capetillo (whose license was also revoked for a year).
After mentioning to some pals that the banned boxer was in town, a few jokingly said to check our hands to see if there was any concrete powder on them. While Roberto Duran (who was also in Vegas) is known as “Manos de Piedra” or “Hands of Stone,” any reference of this nickname toward Margarito takes on a whole different meaning with a much darker, sinister tone. And “MargaCheato” is just one other disparaging nickname that Tony has been given (earned?) by the blogging universe.
It has been nine months now since the Mexican brawler and his trainer, Capetillo, received their sentences at the California State Athletic Commission’s (CSAC) disciplinary hearing that went on for over five hours in front of a standing-room only crowd. After his January 2009 fight against Shane Mosley, Margarito’s hand wraps and knuckle pads were seized; it was later determined that an illegal Plaster of Paris-like substance was used.
After the testimony and a unanimous vote, the boxer and the trainer were both given a minimum one-year revocation of their licenses.
Now in just two months, the two can approach the commission in an attempt to reapply for their licenses.
In boxing circles, there have been whispers bubbling under the surface that many think Antonio WILL be given his license back. Many expect (or hope) he will be back in the ring next year. After all, the sweet science thrives on controversy. Controversy sells. Controversy helps put the fans in the seats. And boxing is a business, after all. But there are also those who also feel once a cheater, always a cheater.
Now in the wake of Pacman’s own destruction against the beleaguered and back-pedaling Cotto, rumors of a possible Margarito-Cotto rematch are also being bandied about. Since Bob Arum promotes both fighters, it isn’t out of the question if this were to take place. It has also been reported that Margarito’s manager Sergio Diaz Jr. would not rule out a Cotto rematch–if Antonio gets reinstated.
At 31 years old, Margarito could still have a very lucrative and long career ahead of him. But if he gets the nod from the commission, the mystery remains if the fans would really want to see him in the ring again.
But first things first: Should CSAC uphold his suspension?
“I think they have to give him his license back–I think everyone deserves a second chance,” his fellow fighter Ruben Castillo tells me. “He has a right to come back. Antonio got caught; he paid his dues. ‘You go to jail, you do your time.’”
Both Ruben and I were at the CSAC hearing back in February, and we listened intently to numerous testimonies about the infamous hand wrap incident.
Castillo, a former featherweight who fought for a world title four times, is a straight shooter, both inside and outside the ring. He’s never been one to hold back his opinions. “He’s a great fighter. This is his job,” he says of Margarito, whom he shares a mutual respect for. “But I still think he was aware of what was going on. He made a mistake, hell, we all make mistakes.
“BUT I still don’t know why they did it; that was totally illegal with those hand wraps. So there should be some sort of probation, some repercussions even if he comes back. He will always be under scrutiny, under a microscope, and I think he’ll have a tough time getting opponents.”
I ask Ruben if he thinks Margarito’s huge fan following will still be there, if he gets a license to return.
“It ruins it. I think he’ll lose a lot of drawing power,” Castillo replies. “How do you come back from this? I think he has lost a lot of fans because of this.”
The former contender then goes on to liken Antonio’s cheating to that of baseball’s Mark McGwire (alleged steroid user) and Manny Ramirez, who was recently suspended for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Castillo explains that the fans’ opinion of these superstars will always be tainted.
But he also adds, “People forgive and forget too.” Castillo, who himself has gone toe to toe against Alexis Arguello, Salvador Sanchez, Julio César Chavez and Juan La Porte, among many others, offers a much harsher assessment of trainer Capetillo.
“His trainer should be banned for life!” he exclaims. “He’s like Panama Lewis. Get rid of him!”
Castillo feels the boxer should be given a second chance, but not his coach. “Antonio needs to disassociate himself from Capetillo. Like my father always told me, ‘Get rid of the fleas…Get rid of the dog!’”
That reminds me of another saying, “Every dog has his day,” which boils down to everyone deserves their chance for success…a chance at revenge…one more chance eventually.
For Antonio Margarito, he will be asking for a second chance for success.
November 17, 2009 by Michele Chong
A “Tijuana Tornado” sighting
After being banned from boxing for a minimum of one year, Antonio Margarito made his presence felt during the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight weekend in Sin City. Margarito’s name will be forever linked with Cotto, since his subsequent destruction of the Puerto Rican warrior in their July 2008 battle.
The night before the big fight, we ran into the welterweight as we were attending the Grand Opening festivities at the Fight Museum LV in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. We first saw his co-manager Francisco Espinosa, who enthusiastically told us, “Tony’s here! You should be seeing him walk by soon.” The amiable Espinosa was wearing a “Tijuana Tornado” t-shirt under his jacket that said “Since 1978,” which is Antonio’s year of birth.
After the museum party, we rounded the corner and ran right into Margarito, his wife Michelle, and a couple of their friends. Tony has always been a friendly guy, and this time was no different. He was relaxed, smiling and it appears that the slugger has not stopped training since his suspension.
His group didn’t isolate him from the crowd, but they were also keeping low-key in a corner of the casino. Some small talk and some quick pics took place before we had to leave for another event. There wasn’t time for a long conversation, although there are so many questions that remain for the once-beloved boxer. But last Friday night, we shook his hand, said adios and went on our way.
Those same hands of his have been under intense scrutiny as the former WBA, IBF and WBO Champion went from being the most popular Mexican boxer of current times to a disgraced pariah of the sport.
Earlier in the day, Antonio was scheduled to make an appearance at a meet-and-greet event at a Mexican supermarket, so it seems like Team Margarito is testing his loyal fan base to see how the former hero will be accepted back into the boxing folds. And the card at the MGM Grand had many Margarito connections. Besides the obvious Cotto reference, there was also the Daniel Santos-Yuri Foreman bout. Daniel and Antonio fought each other twice in the past, resulting in a no contest and a loss for Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs). Another link on the undercard was the Alfonso Gomez vs. Jesus Soto-Karass fight. Antonio was a stablemate of Soto-Karass’, with both pugilists having been trained by Javier Capetillo (whose license was also revoked for a year).
After mentioning to some pals that the banned boxer was in town, a few jokingly said to check our hands to see if there was any concrete powder on them. While Roberto Duran (who was also in Vegas) is known as “Manos de Piedra” or “Hands of Stone,” any reference of this nickname toward Margarito takes on a whole different meaning with a much darker, sinister tone. And “MargaCheato” is just one other disparaging nickname that Tony has been given (earned?) by the blogging universe.
It has been nine months now since the Mexican brawler and his trainer, Capetillo, received their sentences at the California State Athletic Commission’s (CSAC) disciplinary hearing that went on for over five hours in front of a standing-room only crowd. After his January 2009 fight against Shane Mosley, Margarito’s hand wraps and knuckle pads were seized; it was later determined that an illegal Plaster of Paris-like substance was used.
After the testimony and a unanimous vote, the boxer and the trainer were both given a minimum one-year revocation of their licenses.
Now in just two months, the two can approach the commission in an attempt to reapply for their licenses.
In boxing circles, there have been whispers bubbling under the surface that many think Antonio WILL be given his license back. Many expect (or hope) he will be back in the ring next year. After all, the sweet science thrives on controversy. Controversy sells. Controversy helps put the fans in the seats. And boxing is a business, after all. But there are also those who also feel once a cheater, always a cheater.
Now in the wake of Pacman’s own destruction against the beleaguered and back-pedaling Cotto, rumors of a possible Margarito-Cotto rematch are also being bandied about. Since Bob Arum promotes both fighters, it isn’t out of the question if this were to take place. It has also been reported that Margarito’s manager Sergio Diaz Jr. would not rule out a Cotto rematch–if Antonio gets reinstated.
At 31 years old, Margarito could still have a very lucrative and long career ahead of him. But if he gets the nod from the commission, the mystery remains if the fans would really want to see him in the ring again.
But first things first: Should CSAC uphold his suspension?
“I think they have to give him his license back–I think everyone deserves a second chance,” his fellow fighter Ruben Castillo tells me. “He has a right to come back. Antonio got caught; he paid his dues. ‘You go to jail, you do your time.’”
Both Ruben and I were at the CSAC hearing back in February, and we listened intently to numerous testimonies about the infamous hand wrap incident.
Castillo, a former featherweight who fought for a world title four times, is a straight shooter, both inside and outside the ring. He’s never been one to hold back his opinions. “He’s a great fighter. This is his job,” he says of Margarito, whom he shares a mutual respect for. “But I still think he was aware of what was going on. He made a mistake, hell, we all make mistakes.
“BUT I still don’t know why they did it; that was totally illegal with those hand wraps. So there should be some sort of probation, some repercussions even if he comes back. He will always be under scrutiny, under a microscope, and I think he’ll have a tough time getting opponents.”
I ask Ruben if he thinks Margarito’s huge fan following will still be there, if he gets a license to return.
“It ruins it. I think he’ll lose a lot of drawing power,” Castillo replies. “How do you come back from this? I think he has lost a lot of fans because of this.”
The former contender then goes on to liken Antonio’s cheating to that of baseball’s Mark McGwire (alleged steroid user) and Manny Ramirez, who was recently suspended for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Castillo explains that the fans’ opinion of these superstars will always be tainted.
But he also adds, “People forgive and forget too.” Castillo, who himself has gone toe to toe against Alexis Arguello, Salvador Sanchez, Julio César Chavez and Juan La Porte, among many others, offers a much harsher assessment of trainer Capetillo.
“His trainer should be banned for life!” he exclaims. “He’s like Panama Lewis. Get rid of him!”
Castillo feels the boxer should be given a second chance, but not his coach. “Antonio needs to disassociate himself from Capetillo. Like my father always told me, ‘Get rid of the fleas…Get rid of the dog!’”
That reminds me of another saying, “Every dog has his day,” which boils down to everyone deserves their chance for success…a chance at revenge…one more chance eventually.
For Antonio Margarito, he will be asking for a second chance for success.
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
(deleted)
Last edited by Rick Farris on 18 Nov 2009, 19:38, edited 1 time in total.
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
(deleted)
Last edited by Rick Farris on 18 Nov 2009, 19:40, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
I am sorry to learn that Harry Kabakoff, a longtime fixture in L.A. boxing and a one-of-a-kind character, has passed away. Jesus Pimentel may have been his best-known fighter, but I recall that he also managed Oscar "Shotgun" Albarado, Don Jordan (very early in his career before Jackie McCoy came into the picture) and Javier Muniz. Did he once manage and/or own a gym located on the same block as the Olympic Auditorium.
During the early 1980s, I once saw a Kabakoff-promoted boxing card staged at a very small Bakersfield boxing/wrestling venue (capacity about 1,000?) called the Strongbow Stadium (Strongbow Arena?). Harry must've lost his Hawaiian shirt on the promotion because there were only about three hundred fans in attendance. But I feel that the stadium was one of the best boxing venues that I have ever seen. It had a circular configuration and was built with boxing or wrestling in mind.
I remember that Harry Kabakoff made it known on a boxing telecast from the Olympic that Albarado was looking for a job. Harry added that he was in line to get 1/3 of Albarado's earnings. Jim Healy replied, "Get out of here, Harry!"
- Chuck Johnston
During the early 1980s, I once saw a Kabakoff-promoted boxing card staged at a very small Bakersfield boxing/wrestling venue (capacity about 1,000?) called the Strongbow Stadium (Strongbow Arena?). Harry must've lost his Hawaiian shirt on the promotion because there were only about three hundred fans in attendance. But I feel that the stadium was one of the best boxing venues that I have ever seen. It had a circular configuration and was built with boxing or wrestling in mind.
I remember that Harry Kabakoff made it known on a boxing telecast from the Olympic that Albarado was looking for a job. Harry added that he was in line to get 1/3 of Albarado's earnings. Jim Healy replied, "Get out of here, Harry!"
- Chuck Johnston
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Chuck...It true that Harry managed Shotgun Alabarado, don't know that he also mananged Javier Muniz. Harry took over Don Jordan from Jordan original manager, Felix Villareal, and when Harry left Jordan stranded in Mexico City without any money Jackie McCoy send Jordan some money to get back to L.A., thats how Jackie got Jordan.Chuck1052 wrote:I am sorry to learn that Harry Kabakoff, a longtime fixture in L.A. boxing and a one-of-a-kind character, has passed away. Jesus Pimentel may have been his best-known fighter, but I recall that he also managed Oscar "Shotgun" Albarado, Don Jordan (very early in his career before Jackie McCoy came into the picture) and Javier Muniz. Did he once manage and/or own a gym located on the same block as the Olympic Auditorium.
During the early 1980s, I once saw a Kabakoff-promoted boxing card staged at a very small Bakersfield boxing/wrestling venue (capacity about 1,000?) called the Strongbow Stadium (Strongbow Arena?). Harry must've lost his Hawaiian shirt on the promotion because there were only about three hundred fans in attendance. But I feel that the stadium was one of the best boxing venues that I have ever seen. It had a circular configuration and was built with boxing or wrestling in mind.
I remember that Harry Kabakoff made it known on a boxing telecast from the Olympic that Albarado was looking for a job. Harry added that he was in line to get 1/3 of Albarado's earnings. Jim Healy replied, "Get out of here, Harry!"
- Chuck Johnston
Don't know that Harry ever had a gym near the Olympic. Harry was always looking for a sugar daddy, he found one in Redd Foxx, later he found another in actor Mike Connors.
Yes, he did promote some fights in Bakersfield, though I never did go to his shows.
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
kikibalt wrote:Chuck...It true that Harry managed Shotgun Alabarado, don't know that he also mananged Javier Muniz. Harry took over Don Jordan from Jordan original manager, Felix Villareal, and when Harry left Jordan stranded in Mexico City without any money Jackie McCoy send Jordan some money to get back to L.A., thats how Jackie got Jordan.Chuck1052 wrote:I am sorry to learn that Harry Kabakoff, a longtime fixture in L.A. boxing and a one-of-a-kind character, has passed away. Jesus Pimentel may have been his best-known fighter, but I recall that he also managed Oscar "Shotgun" Albarado, Don Jordan (very early in his career before Jackie McCoy came into the picture) and Javier Muniz. Did he once manage and/or own a gym located on the same block as the Olympic Auditorium.
During the early 1980s, I once saw a Kabakoff-promoted boxing card staged at a very small Bakersfield boxing/wrestling venue (capacity about 1,000?) called the Strongbow Stadium (Strongbow Arena?). Harry must've lost his Hawaiian shirt on the promotion because there were only about three hundred fans in attendance. But I feel that the stadium was one of the best boxing venues that I have ever seen. It had a circular configuration and was built with boxing or wrestling in mind.
I remember that Harry Kabakoff made it known on a boxing telecast from the Olympic that Albarado was looking for a job. Harry added that he was in line to get 1/3 of Albarado's earnings. Jim Healy replied, "Get out of here, Harry!"
- Chuck Johnston
Don't know that Harry ever had a gym near the Olympic. Harry was always looking for a sugar daddy, he found one in Redd Foxx, later he found another in actor Mike Connors.
Yes, he did promote some fights in Bakersfield, though I never did go to his shows.
Interesting Kabakoff's association with actor Mike Connors (Mannix).
I didn't know that, Frank.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Yes, Rick, it true, Mike Connors was always at the Olympic back then, keeping an eye on his investment and on Harry....Rick Farris wrote:kikibalt wrote:Chuck...It true that Harry managed Shotgun Alabarado, don't know that he also mananged Javier Muniz. Harry took over Don Jordan from Jordan original manager, Felix Villareal, and when Harry left Jordan stranded in Mexico City without any money Jackie McCoy send Jordan some money to get back to L.A., thats how Jackie got Jordan.Chuck1052 wrote:I am sorry to learn that Harry Kabakoff, a longtime fixture in L.A. boxing and a one-of-a-kind character, has passed away. Jesus Pimentel may have been his best-known fighter, but I recall that he also managed Oscar "Shotgun" Albarado, Don Jordan (very early in his career before Jackie McCoy came into the picture) and Javier Muniz. Did he once manage and/or own a gym located on the same block as the Olympic Auditorium.
During the early 1980s, I once saw a Kabakoff-promoted boxing card staged at a very small Bakersfield boxing/wrestling venue (capacity about 1,000?) called the Strongbow Stadium (Strongbow Arena?). Harry must've lost his Hawaiian shirt on the promotion because there were only about three hundred fans in attendance. But I feel that the stadium was one of the best boxing venues that I have ever seen. It had a circular configuration and was built with boxing or wrestling in mind.
I remember that Harry Kabakoff made it known on a boxing telecast from the Olympic that Albarado was looking for a job. Harry added that he was in line to get 1/3 of Albarado's earnings. Jim Healy replied, "Get out of here, Harry!"
- Chuck Johnston
Don't know that Harry ever had a gym near the Olympic. Harry was always looking for a sugar daddy, he found one in Redd Foxx, later he found another in actor Mike Connors.
Yes, he did promote some fights in Bakersfield, though I never did go to his shows.
Interesting Kabakoff's association with actor Mike Connors (Mannix).
I didn't know that, Frank.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Jesus Pimentel & Harry Kabakoff
"The Dynamic Duo"
"The Dynamic Duo"
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Frank . . . That's the photo. 
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Yeah!, Rick, it is, I had it for a while now, I just had to fine it.Rick Farris wrote:Frank . . . That's the photo.
-
dagosd2000
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 8638
- Joined: 01 Sep 2007, 03:31
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
kikibalt wrote:Antonio Margarito Surfaces in Las Vegas!
November 17, 2009 by Michele Chong
A “Tijuana Tornado” sighting
After being banned from boxing for a minimum of one year, Antonio Margarito made his presence felt during the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight weekend in Sin City. Margarito’s name will be forever linked with Cotto, since his subsequent destruction of the Puerto Rican warrior in their July 2008 battle.
The night before the big fight, we ran into the welterweight as we were attending the Grand Opening festivities at the Fight Museum LV in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. We first saw his co-manager Francisco Espinosa, who enthusiastically told us, “Tony’s here! You should be seeing him walk by soon.” The amiable Espinosa was wearing a “Tijuana Tornado” t-shirt under his jacket that said “Since 1978,” which is Antonio’s year of birth.
After the museum party, we rounded the corner and ran right into Margarito, his wife Michelle, and a couple of their friends. Tony has always been a friendly guy, and this time was no different. He was relaxed, smiling and it appears that the slugger has not stopped training since his suspension.
His group didn’t isolate him from the crowd, but they were also keeping low-key in a corner of the casino. Some small talk and some quick pics took place before we had to leave for another event. There wasn’t time for a long conversation, although there are so many questions that remain for the once-beloved boxer. But last Friday night, we shook his hand, said adios and went on our way.
Those same hands of his have been under intense scrutiny as the former WBA, IBF and WBO Champion went from being the most popular Mexican boxer of current times to a disgraced pariah of the sport.
Earlier in the day, Antonio was scheduled to make an appearance at a meet-and-greet event at a Mexican supermarket, so it seems like Team Margarito is testing his loyal fan base to see how the former hero will be accepted back into the boxing folds. And the card at the MGM Grand had many Margarito connections. Besides the obvious Cotto reference, there was also the Daniel Santos-Yuri Foreman bout. Daniel and Antonio fought each other twice in the past, resulting in a no contest and a loss for Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs). Another link on the undercard was the Alfonso Gomez vs. Jesus Soto-Karass fight. Antonio was a stablemate of Soto-Karass’, with both pugilists having been trained by Javier Capetillo (whose license was also revoked for a year).
After mentioning to some pals that the banned boxer was in town, a few jokingly said to check our hands to see if there was any concrete powder on them. While Roberto Duran (who was also in Vegas) is known as “Manos de Piedra” or “Hands of Stone,” any reference of this nickname toward Margarito takes on a whole different meaning with a much darker, sinister tone. And “MargaCheato” is just one other disparaging nickname that Tony has been given (earned?) by the blogging universe.
It has been nine months now since the Mexican brawler and his trainer, Capetillo, received their sentences at the California State Athletic Commission’s (CSAC) disciplinary hearing that went on for over five hours in front of a standing-room only crowd. After his January 2009 fight against Shane Mosley, Margarito’s hand wraps and knuckle pads were seized; it was later determined that an illegal Plaster of Paris-like substance was used.
After the testimony and a unanimous vote, the boxer and the trainer were both given a minimum one-year revocation of their licenses.
Now in just two months, the two can approach the commission in an attempt to reapply for their licenses.
In boxing circles, there have been whispers bubbling under the surface that many think Antonio WILL be given his license back. Many expect (or hope) he will be back in the ring next year. After all, the sweet science thrives on controversy. Controversy sells. Controversy helps put the fans in the seats. And boxing is a business, after all. But there are also those who also feel once a cheater, always a cheater.
Now in the wake of Pacman’s own destruction against the beleaguered and back-pedaling Cotto, rumors of a possible Margarito-Cotto rematch are also being bandied about. Since Bob Arum promotes both fighters, it isn’t out of the question if this were to take place. It has also been reported that Margarito’s manager Sergio Diaz Jr. would not rule out a Cotto rematch–if Antonio gets reinstated.
At 31 years old, Margarito could still have a very lucrative and long career ahead of him. But if he gets the nod from the commission, the mystery remains if the fans would really want to see him in the ring again.
But first things first: Should CSAC uphold his suspension?
“I think they have to give him his license back–I think everyone deserves a second chance,” his fellow fighter Ruben Castillo tells me. “He has a right to come back. Antonio got caught; he paid his dues. ‘You go to jail, you do your time.’”
Both Ruben and I were at the CSAC hearing back in February, and we listened intently to numerous testimonies about the infamous hand wrap incident.
Castillo, a former featherweight who fought for a world title four times, is a straight shooter, both inside and outside the ring. He’s never been one to hold back his opinions. “He’s a great fighter. This is his job,” he says of Margarito, whom he shares a mutual respect for. “But I still think he was aware of what was going on. He made a mistake, hell, we all make mistakes.
“BUT I still don’t know why they did it; that was totally illegal with those hand wraps. So there should be some sort of probation, some repercussions even if he comes back. He will always be under scrutiny, under a microscope, and I think he’ll have a tough time getting opponents.”
I ask Ruben if he thinks Margarito’s huge fan following will still be there, if he gets a license to return.
“It ruins it. I think he’ll lose a lot of drawing power,” Castillo replies. “How do you come back from this? I think he has lost a lot of fans because of this.”
The former contender then goes on to liken Antonio’s cheating to that of baseball’s Mark McGwire (alleged steroid user) and Manny Ramirez, who was recently suspended for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Castillo explains that the fans’ opinion of these superstars will always be tainted.
But he also adds, “People forgive and forget too.” Castillo, who himself has gone toe to toe against Alexis Arguello, Salvador Sanchez, Julio César Chavez and Juan La Porte, among many others, offers a much harsher assessment of trainer Capetillo.
“His trainer should be banned for life!” he exclaims. “He’s like Panama Lewis. Get rid of him!”
Castillo feels the boxer should be given a second chance, but not his coach. “Antonio needs to disassociate himself from Capetillo. Like my father always told me, ‘Get rid of the fleas…Get rid of the dog!’”
That reminds me of another saying, “Every dog has his day,” which boils down to everyone deserves their chance for success…a chance at revenge…one more chance eventually.
For Antonio Margarito, he will be asking for a second chance for success.
LOST IN TJ
I was curious to know where Margarito had landed in TJ. After the loaded gloves incident I figured he'd return there. No press. No questions. Out of sight out of mind. No one would make a fuss about him one way or another.
I was getting some of my art framed one afternoon down there and as I was leaving the parking lot,I asked the kid at the booth if he knew were Margarito was hanging out. To my surprise the kid's face lit up.
"He works out at the Hard Rock Gym on Multimismo Street between Ist and 2nd Streets."
On a gamble I drove over there.
Now that area isn't what I'd call high end. With the dough Margarito had made fighting,I'd figured he'd be working out at the best spot in TJ. The Hard Rock Gym is weights only. It's upstairs.The block is old and the businesses look like they're operating on their last legs,including the Hard Rock Gym. The place is small. The equipment below standard.When I walked upstairs there was this big guy behind the counter. Me and the big guy were the only ones inside.I asked about Margarito.
"Oh yeah.He trains here. He comes in around 10 in the morning."
It was 9 thirty. I went outside for a walk.
Adjusting my watch to Mexican time I returned around 10 thirty. Margarito hadn't arrived. The big guy knew nothing. He told me Margarito had opened up a little boxing gym in Colonia Francisco Villa.
The colonia is on the west end of town right above Canon Jhonson where I used to live. I waited inside the Hard Rock another half hour and then drove to La Villa.
The Colonia Villa is not very big. It's kind of out of the way from the city and pretty clean. I'd say what's left of the middle class.
I parked my car in the center of the colonia by the church and the plaza. I asked some people if they could give me directions to Margarito's gym. No one knew from nothing.It was a gamble I didn't really think I'd win.
I went back to the plaza and bought a shaved ice. I sat on the bench and watched the people. I wasn't going to struggle to find Margarito or his gym. I figured the guy just wants to be left alone anyway.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
In regards to the attendance of the mentioned Kabakoff promotion in my previous post, I don't remember the exact figure, but it was very, very low.
- Chuck Johnston
- Chuck Johnston
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Trying to get ahead in the slow lane
In the organized chaos of the San Ysidro border crossing, Deciderio Mauricio Cantera is a specialist. He is el churrero, the churro seller. But in changing times, even the best hawkers are struggling.
Deciderio Mauricio Cantera squeezes through lanes of idling cars inching toward the San Ysidro Port of Entry, wearing a stack of sombreros and holding a basket of churros. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
By Richard Marosi
November 19, 2009
Reporting from Tijuana - El Churrero -- the Churro Man -- sidesteps tamale carts, squeezes between bumpers and beggars, working 24 lanes of idling vehicles.
He walks through shimmering exhaust clouds, hawking sombreros teetering atop his head and sweets held aloft in a blue basket. His churros are warm and moist. "Churros here," he yells. "If they're not hot, you don't pay."
Deciderio Mauricio Cantera first waded into the sea of traffic at the gateway to California in 1968 and set eyes on the bored and the hungry as they waited, fidgeted and honked, inching toward the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
This isn't a traffic jam, thought Mauricio. This is a swap meet on wheels.
Over the years, Mauricio has peddled Popsicles and pumpkin piñatas, checkered blankets and flowery ceramic vases, Tweety dolls and Little Mermaids. In the 1960s, plaster busts of John F. Kennedy were big sellers; in the 1990s, Michael Jordan piggy banks.
To American border crossers, the ragtag knots of vendors have long evoked wonder, pity and annoyance -- symbols of disorder and desperation at the shabby entrance to the developing world.
Mauricio and the others are actually regulated by a vendors union formed decades ago to impose order, and to guarantee the safety and cleanliness of the food sold. He wears the vendors' light brown uniform, faded, but clean.
He is one of 500 vendors assigned to different areas along the network of roads, overpasses and bridges leading to the border. Few ever stray out of their assigned territory. Mauricio can sell only along the 300-meter stretch from the international boundary to the Libertad Bridge.
His union badge displays his name, picture and product. "Churros," it reads.
"It's a dignified job. We all earn an honest living here," Mauricio said in Spanish.
Walking the lanes from 8 a.m. to midnight six days a week in earlier years, Mauricio stuffed his pockets with crumpled dollars and pesos. He bought a hillside lot and built a one-bedroom cottage. Later, he built a larger house. He sent three of his four daughters to college and trade schools in Tijuana. In his spare time, he ran through the pitted hills and finished several marathons, including the one in Los Angeles.
These days, the region's weak economy and crime and the heightened security at the border have eroded sales. As a result, Mauricio works fewer hours each day but he is not discouraged. He knows that patience pays off.
Mauricio, 59, still runs every morning -- the exercise, he says, purges his lungs of the carbon monoxide he breathes -- and then returns to the border for another mini-marathon of peddling.
"Fatigue? It doesn't exist. It's only in your head," he said.
In the mid-1960s, Mauricio's impoverished parents from the Mexican state of Querétaro moved the family to Baja California, following an uncle who was selling baby chairs at La Linea La Linea -- the international boundary.
Mauricio's friends encouraged him to keep going north to California, where the economy was booming. He refused. "It was easy to cross in those days," he said. "But I wanted to feel free, not the stress of being illegal."
Mauricio had only two years of schooling and could barely read or write, but he knew numbers and he had a creative side. He worked non-stop for a few years manufacturing trinkets and figurines for his uncle and other vendors. He saved his money. At 18, he paid $1,500 for his own vendor license and headed into the traffic.
Tijuana in the '60s was entering its golden age of tourism. People flocked to the bullfights and bars, the horse races and the red light district. American tourists, Mauricio quickly found, had an insatiable appetite for cheap Mexican crafts and all things kitschy.
He sold piggy banks of all sizes, shapes, colors and themes. He imported ceramic from Guadalajara and blankets from Querétaro. He got up at 4 a.m. to paint flowers on clay pots and whiskers on plaster Santa Clauses with brushes he made from hair he snipped off stray cats.
"The back hair is the best," Mauricio said. "Perfect for painting fine lines."
He kept a pulse on American pop culture, dreaming up products that reflected the times or season. At one point, he employed eight people who manufactured plastic figures of popular icons. "Michael Jordan made me a lot of money," Mauricio recalled.
He sold to children, surfers, hippies and retirees. Items that cost him $1 he sold for $5 ($3 for hard bargainers). Some days he earned as much as $200. His steadiest customers were the sailors and Marines from San Diego-area bases. They'd wobble back to the border after long nights in the raucous tequila bars, Mauricio said. "It looked like the march of the penguins. They'd go home drunk, hugging my piggy banks."
Mauricio opens the creaky metal gate to his house in Tijuana's El Soler neighborhood, 10 miles from the border. The cracked driveway is flanked by two stucco cottages. In the back, past the rows of multi-colored clotheslines, sits a two-story brick home with fading paint and a peeling front door.
In the early 1980s, when the peso suffered a devaluation, Mauricio emptied his savings account of dollars and traveled to Querétaro, where he bought as many factory-made blankets as he could and shipped them to Baja California.
Hundreds of sales later, Mauricio counted out a small fortune: $20,000. He had tripled his money and earned enough to build a larger home for his growing family. The house lacks heat, but Mauricio says the bricks keep it well insulated. In the living room, there's an old television set, a first-place running trophy on a shelf, and a picture of Mauricio's first wife hanging on a wall. She died of leukemia in 2003.
"There's nothing like a first wife," said Mauricio, who remarried and has since divorced.
The home remains a work in progress. The staircase lacks rails, and he never finished the upstairs bathroom. Mauricio would like to replace the frayed carpets and clean out the piles of scraps from the rear yard, but money ran short, he said, when the border started changing.
The once mighty iron river of cars that funneled through the San Ysidro Port of Entry has receded sharply. America went to war in the Middle East in the 1990s, suffered a terrorist attack a few years later and grew uneasy with rising levels of illegal immigration. Another war came. With each passing year, security at the border has grown tighter.
More rigorous inspection procedures increased wait times, discouraging Southern Californians from taking short trips to Mexico. Military restrictions curbed visits by sailors and Marines. Then came the drug war and the swine flu. The crowds of American tourists thinned. At the same time, fewer Mexicans were going into San Diego to work or shop.
The number of people crossing from Tijuana into San Diego dropped from 47.4 million in 2003 to 34.7 million last year, according to Customs and Border Protection. Vehicle crossings declined from 17.5 million to 14.2 million.
The customers that sustained Mauricio for decades were dwindling.
Mauricio arrives at his friend's churro stand every morning by 10. Shielded from the sun by a canopy, it sits on the median strip dividing the 24 lanes of traffic, a perfectly-situated home base.
Mauricio turns the jury-rigged steering wheel, and the attached metal rod spins, pushing the dough through a tube. Out drop the sticks of dough into a boiling pot of oil. Mauricio fishes them out, sprinkles on cinnamon-sugar and bags them.
He sets out into the crush of traffic.
His fellow vendors peddle products that fit every taste. Food carts are gorged with lollipops, sodas, peanuts, candied apples and potato chips. There are newspaper hawkers, flower girls, window wipers and a man who sells calling cards and car insurance.
Mauricio makes change for a young man who sells coffee, yells to a frozen yogurt runner that he's got a customer, and greets his paralyzed friend, Antonio, who tucks his disabled legs on a scooter, a box of Chiclets in his lap. Eliseo Hernandez, a mango ice cream vendor, said he's worked with Mauricio since the 1970s, when the then-asphalt roadway left shoes ragged after two weeks. "Mauricio has never lost his focus," said Hernandez, 59.
Many vendors, Mauricio included, don't offer much in the way of souvenirs anymore. Everyday goods are what sell these days to primarily Mexican customers. The sombreros atop Mauricio's head are for the gardeners and others who work outdoors. He sells sleeves to women so their arms, resting on windowsills, don't get sunburned while they wait in traffic. But churros are his main product.
"Churros calientitos" -- hot churros -- yells Mauricio, as he walks through the cars jockeying for position. The air is foul. Spanish-language talk radio, Ranchera music, hip-hop and hard rock filter out from the vehicles. Mauricio keeps an ear on the grunts and starts of vehicle engines behind him. "You have to be like the bullfighter; ready to move away."
It's 2 p.m., three hours since he started walking. Mauricio hasn't made a single sale.
He keeps walking. A friend sees him: "Hola, Churrero."
An hour later, a woman honks. Mauricio hustles over. She gives him $2. Mauricio notices two children sitting in the van. Instead of giving 50 cents change, he gives her another bag. "You're lucky. There's a sale today," Mauricio says.
Hour after hour, Mauricio keeps walking, up one lane and down the next. Up another and down again. He ascends a winding overpass, and descends a ramp. He passes by several vendors resting under palm trees. They are the sons and grandsons of original union members, men as well as boys half his age. They look exhausted.
Mauricio walks right by. "In this life, you have to keep moving. . . . How are you going to sell if you don't work?"
Now, on a good day, Mauricio earns $15. (He sells each bag for $1.50: His profit is $1; his partner who helps make the churros gets 50 cents.) Today it is unlikely he will make that much. After five hours, he has sold only three bags.
Worrying is pointless, Mauricio says. "There are hungry people out there. I just have to find them."
The Churro Man plunges into the traffic again. There are 12 more lanes before him, and the cars keep coming. "You have to go round and round and round," Mauricio says. "That's life."
[email protected]
In the organized chaos of the San Ysidro border crossing, Deciderio Mauricio Cantera is a specialist. He is el churrero, the churro seller. But in changing times, even the best hawkers are struggling.
Deciderio Mauricio Cantera squeezes through lanes of idling cars inching toward the San Ysidro Port of Entry, wearing a stack of sombreros and holding a basket of churros. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
By Richard Marosi
November 19, 2009
Reporting from Tijuana - El Churrero -- the Churro Man -- sidesteps tamale carts, squeezes between bumpers and beggars, working 24 lanes of idling vehicles.
He walks through shimmering exhaust clouds, hawking sombreros teetering atop his head and sweets held aloft in a blue basket. His churros are warm and moist. "Churros here," he yells. "If they're not hot, you don't pay."
Deciderio Mauricio Cantera first waded into the sea of traffic at the gateway to California in 1968 and set eyes on the bored and the hungry as they waited, fidgeted and honked, inching toward the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
This isn't a traffic jam, thought Mauricio. This is a swap meet on wheels.
Over the years, Mauricio has peddled Popsicles and pumpkin piñatas, checkered blankets and flowery ceramic vases, Tweety dolls and Little Mermaids. In the 1960s, plaster busts of John F. Kennedy were big sellers; in the 1990s, Michael Jordan piggy banks.
To American border crossers, the ragtag knots of vendors have long evoked wonder, pity and annoyance -- symbols of disorder and desperation at the shabby entrance to the developing world.
Mauricio and the others are actually regulated by a vendors union formed decades ago to impose order, and to guarantee the safety and cleanliness of the food sold. He wears the vendors' light brown uniform, faded, but clean.
He is one of 500 vendors assigned to different areas along the network of roads, overpasses and bridges leading to the border. Few ever stray out of their assigned territory. Mauricio can sell only along the 300-meter stretch from the international boundary to the Libertad Bridge.
His union badge displays his name, picture and product. "Churros," it reads.
"It's a dignified job. We all earn an honest living here," Mauricio said in Spanish.
Walking the lanes from 8 a.m. to midnight six days a week in earlier years, Mauricio stuffed his pockets with crumpled dollars and pesos. He bought a hillside lot and built a one-bedroom cottage. Later, he built a larger house. He sent three of his four daughters to college and trade schools in Tijuana. In his spare time, he ran through the pitted hills and finished several marathons, including the one in Los Angeles.
These days, the region's weak economy and crime and the heightened security at the border have eroded sales. As a result, Mauricio works fewer hours each day but he is not discouraged. He knows that patience pays off.
Mauricio, 59, still runs every morning -- the exercise, he says, purges his lungs of the carbon monoxide he breathes -- and then returns to the border for another mini-marathon of peddling.
"Fatigue? It doesn't exist. It's only in your head," he said.
In the mid-1960s, Mauricio's impoverished parents from the Mexican state of Querétaro moved the family to Baja California, following an uncle who was selling baby chairs at La Linea La Linea -- the international boundary.
Mauricio's friends encouraged him to keep going north to California, where the economy was booming. He refused. "It was easy to cross in those days," he said. "But I wanted to feel free, not the stress of being illegal."
Mauricio had only two years of schooling and could barely read or write, but he knew numbers and he had a creative side. He worked non-stop for a few years manufacturing trinkets and figurines for his uncle and other vendors. He saved his money. At 18, he paid $1,500 for his own vendor license and headed into the traffic.
Tijuana in the '60s was entering its golden age of tourism. People flocked to the bullfights and bars, the horse races and the red light district. American tourists, Mauricio quickly found, had an insatiable appetite for cheap Mexican crafts and all things kitschy.
He sold piggy banks of all sizes, shapes, colors and themes. He imported ceramic from Guadalajara and blankets from Querétaro. He got up at 4 a.m. to paint flowers on clay pots and whiskers on plaster Santa Clauses with brushes he made from hair he snipped off stray cats.
"The back hair is the best," Mauricio said. "Perfect for painting fine lines."
He kept a pulse on American pop culture, dreaming up products that reflected the times or season. At one point, he employed eight people who manufactured plastic figures of popular icons. "Michael Jordan made me a lot of money," Mauricio recalled.
He sold to children, surfers, hippies and retirees. Items that cost him $1 he sold for $5 ($3 for hard bargainers). Some days he earned as much as $200. His steadiest customers were the sailors and Marines from San Diego-area bases. They'd wobble back to the border after long nights in the raucous tequila bars, Mauricio said. "It looked like the march of the penguins. They'd go home drunk, hugging my piggy banks."
Mauricio opens the creaky metal gate to his house in Tijuana's El Soler neighborhood, 10 miles from the border. The cracked driveway is flanked by two stucco cottages. In the back, past the rows of multi-colored clotheslines, sits a two-story brick home with fading paint and a peeling front door.
In the early 1980s, when the peso suffered a devaluation, Mauricio emptied his savings account of dollars and traveled to Querétaro, where he bought as many factory-made blankets as he could and shipped them to Baja California.
Hundreds of sales later, Mauricio counted out a small fortune: $20,000. He had tripled his money and earned enough to build a larger home for his growing family. The house lacks heat, but Mauricio says the bricks keep it well insulated. In the living room, there's an old television set, a first-place running trophy on a shelf, and a picture of Mauricio's first wife hanging on a wall. She died of leukemia in 2003.
"There's nothing like a first wife," said Mauricio, who remarried and has since divorced.
The home remains a work in progress. The staircase lacks rails, and he never finished the upstairs bathroom. Mauricio would like to replace the frayed carpets and clean out the piles of scraps from the rear yard, but money ran short, he said, when the border started changing.
The once mighty iron river of cars that funneled through the San Ysidro Port of Entry has receded sharply. America went to war in the Middle East in the 1990s, suffered a terrorist attack a few years later and grew uneasy with rising levels of illegal immigration. Another war came. With each passing year, security at the border has grown tighter.
More rigorous inspection procedures increased wait times, discouraging Southern Californians from taking short trips to Mexico. Military restrictions curbed visits by sailors and Marines. Then came the drug war and the swine flu. The crowds of American tourists thinned. At the same time, fewer Mexicans were going into San Diego to work or shop.
The number of people crossing from Tijuana into San Diego dropped from 47.4 million in 2003 to 34.7 million last year, according to Customs and Border Protection. Vehicle crossings declined from 17.5 million to 14.2 million.
The customers that sustained Mauricio for decades were dwindling.
Mauricio arrives at his friend's churro stand every morning by 10. Shielded from the sun by a canopy, it sits on the median strip dividing the 24 lanes of traffic, a perfectly-situated home base.
Mauricio turns the jury-rigged steering wheel, and the attached metal rod spins, pushing the dough through a tube. Out drop the sticks of dough into a boiling pot of oil. Mauricio fishes them out, sprinkles on cinnamon-sugar and bags them.
He sets out into the crush of traffic.
His fellow vendors peddle products that fit every taste. Food carts are gorged with lollipops, sodas, peanuts, candied apples and potato chips. There are newspaper hawkers, flower girls, window wipers and a man who sells calling cards and car insurance.
Mauricio makes change for a young man who sells coffee, yells to a frozen yogurt runner that he's got a customer, and greets his paralyzed friend, Antonio, who tucks his disabled legs on a scooter, a box of Chiclets in his lap. Eliseo Hernandez, a mango ice cream vendor, said he's worked with Mauricio since the 1970s, when the then-asphalt roadway left shoes ragged after two weeks. "Mauricio has never lost his focus," said Hernandez, 59.
Many vendors, Mauricio included, don't offer much in the way of souvenirs anymore. Everyday goods are what sell these days to primarily Mexican customers. The sombreros atop Mauricio's head are for the gardeners and others who work outdoors. He sells sleeves to women so their arms, resting on windowsills, don't get sunburned while they wait in traffic. But churros are his main product.
"Churros calientitos" -- hot churros -- yells Mauricio, as he walks through the cars jockeying for position. The air is foul. Spanish-language talk radio, Ranchera music, hip-hop and hard rock filter out from the vehicles. Mauricio keeps an ear on the grunts and starts of vehicle engines behind him. "You have to be like the bullfighter; ready to move away."
It's 2 p.m., three hours since he started walking. Mauricio hasn't made a single sale.
He keeps walking. A friend sees him: "Hola, Churrero."
An hour later, a woman honks. Mauricio hustles over. She gives him $2. Mauricio notices two children sitting in the van. Instead of giving 50 cents change, he gives her another bag. "You're lucky. There's a sale today," Mauricio says.
Hour after hour, Mauricio keeps walking, up one lane and down the next. Up another and down again. He ascends a winding overpass, and descends a ramp. He passes by several vendors resting under palm trees. They are the sons and grandsons of original union members, men as well as boys half his age. They look exhausted.
Mauricio walks right by. "In this life, you have to keep moving. . . . How are you going to sell if you don't work?"
Now, on a good day, Mauricio earns $15. (He sells each bag for $1.50: His profit is $1; his partner who helps make the churros gets 50 cents.) Today it is unlikely he will make that much. After five hours, he has sold only three bags.
Worrying is pointless, Mauricio says. "There are hungry people out there. I just have to find them."
The Churro Man plunges into the traffic again. There are 12 more lanes before him, and the cars keep coming. "You have to go round and round and round," Mauricio says. "That's life."
[email protected]
-
dagosd2000
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 8638
- Joined: 01 Sep 2007, 03:31
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Frank
I ain't kidding. The churros they sell in line when you drive back into the U.S. are the best in all of Mexico. The guys have these carts with the kettles boiling the manteca and then they turn out the dough into strips with this steering wheel device and then dump the strips into the boiling grease and let them cook. Then they roll the churros in unrefined sugar.Eat them hot.Crisp on the outside. Soft on the inside. The manteca soaks through the bag! I'm getting hungry already.
I ain't kidding. The churros they sell in line when you drive back into the U.S. are the best in all of Mexico. The guys have these carts with the kettles boiling the manteca and then they turn out the dough into strips with this steering wheel device and then dump the strips into the boiling grease and let them cook. Then they roll the churros in unrefined sugar.Eat them hot.Crisp on the outside. Soft on the inside. The manteca soaks through the bag! I'm getting hungry already.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Roger...I don't know what a churro is or what they're made off, I know it sounds stupid, but!....dagosd2000 wrote:Frank
I ain't kidding. The churros they sell in line when you drive back into the U.S. are the best in all of Mexico. The guys have these carts with the kettles boiling the manteca and then they turn out the dough into strips with this steering wheel device and then dump the strips into the boiling grease and let them cook. Then they roll the churros in unrefined sugar.Eat them hot.Crisp on the outside. Soft on the inside. The manteca soaks through the bag! I'm getting hungry already.
-
dagosd2000
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 8638
- Joined: 01 Sep 2007, 03:31
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Frankkikibalt wrote:Roger...I don't know what a churro is or what they're made off, I know it sounds stupid, but!....dagosd2000 wrote:Frank
I ain't kidding. The churros they sell in line when you drive back into the U.S. are the best in all of Mexico. The guys have these carts with the kettles boiling the manteca and then they turn out the dough into strips with this steering wheel device and then dump the strips into the boiling grease and let them cook. Then they roll the churros in unrefined sugar.Eat them hot.Crisp on the outside. Soft on the inside. The manteca soaks through the bag! I'm getting hungry already.
One of these days you and Connie and me and Maria(Randy and Rick and Jeri and Moni too)should go down to Tj and eat off the carts. Tacos,tortas,gordas,mulas,churros,menudo con pata. You'd be surprised how many people come to TJ just to eat off the carts.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Roger, One of these days we'll do that, and also go to the Boom Boom Club....dagosd2000 wrote:Frankkikibalt wrote:Roger...I don't know what a churro is or what they're made off, I know it sounds stupid, but!....dagosd2000 wrote:Frank
I ain't kidding. The churros they sell in line when you drive back into the U.S. are the best in all of Mexico. The guys have these carts with the kettles boiling the manteca and then they turn out the dough into strips with this steering wheel device and then dump the strips into the boiling grease and let them cook. Then they roll the churros in unrefined sugar.Eat them hot.Crisp on the outside. Soft on the inside. The manteca soaks through the bag! I'm getting hungry already.
One of these days you and Connie and me and Maria(Randy and Rick and Jeri and Moni too)should go down to Tj and eat off the carts. Tacos,tortas,gordas,mulas,churros,menudo con pata. You'd be surprised how many people come to TJ just to eat off the carts.
But for now, tonight, I start a 48 hour funeral marathon....
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
dagosd2000 wrote:Frankkikibalt wrote:Roger...I don't know what a churro is or what they're made off, I know it sounds stupid, but!....dagosd2000 wrote:Frank
I ain't kidding. The churros they sell in line when you drive back into the U.S. are the best in all of Mexico. The guys have these carts with the kettles boiling the manteca and then they turn out the dough into strips with this steering wheel device and then dump the strips into the boiling grease and let them cook. Then they roll the churros in unrefined sugar.Eat them hot.Crisp on the outside. Soft on the inside. The manteca soaks through the bag! I'm getting hungry already.
One of these days you and Connie and me and Maria(Randy and Rick and Jeri and Moni too)should go down to Tj and eat off the carts. Tacos,tortas,gordas,mulas,churros,menudo con pata. You'd be surprised how many people come to TJ just to eat off the carts.
Count Monica & I in. That sounds like a fun day!
-Rick
-
dagosd2000
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 8638
- Joined: 01 Sep 2007, 03:31
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Tacos El Gordo.Between 9th and 10th Streets on Avenida Constitution,Tijuana. Best Mexican food on the planet
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Floyd Mayweather Jr. will negotiate Manny Pacquiao fight with Top Rank
November 19, 2009
Floyd Mayweather Jr., taking an important step to help create an anticipated super-fight against Manny Pacquiao next year, will open dialogue with Top Rank promotions, Mayweather's lead advisor told The Times on Thursday night.
"Team Mayweather/Mayweather Promotions have been discussing our options and when we're finished, we'll let (co-promoter) Richard Schaefer express our position to Top Rank," Mayweather's advisor, Leonard Ellerbe, told The Times in a telephone interview.
That marks a thawing in what has been an extremely icy relationship between Mayweather and Bob Arum, Top Rank's chairman. Mayweather left Top Rank a few years ago after feeling long overshadowed by the promoter's former star attraction, Oscar De La Hoya.
Mayweather (40-0) proceeded to help generate the richest event in boxing history ($155 million) vs. De La Hoya in 2007, then drew more than 1.9 million buys against Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez.
"It's no secret the camps don't see eye to eye, but this is bigger than boxing," Ellerbe said. "We understand the magnitude of this."
Ellerbe declined to discuss what kind of purse split Mayweather is seeking. "But it's no secret who's the biggest star and draw in boxing," he said.
On Friday, HBO is prepared to announce that Pacquiao's 12th-round TKO of Miguel Cotto generated more pay-per-view buys than Mayweather-Marquez or any other live event this year. Ellerbe notes that Mayweather sold more PPVs in common fights against Hatton, De La Hoya and Marquez.
"The numbers don't lie, people do," Ellerbe said. "(Pacquiao) had good numbers, God bless him, but he had a dance partner this time."
Ellerbe said he'll instruct Schaefer to negotiate with Arum "as soon as possible," but noted, "If the fight can't be made, we'll fight Shane Mosley if he can get past (Andre) Berto (on Jan. 30)."
-- Lance Pugmire
November 19, 2009
Floyd Mayweather Jr., taking an important step to help create an anticipated super-fight against Manny Pacquiao next year, will open dialogue with Top Rank promotions, Mayweather's lead advisor told The Times on Thursday night.
"Team Mayweather/Mayweather Promotions have been discussing our options and when we're finished, we'll let (co-promoter) Richard Schaefer express our position to Top Rank," Mayweather's advisor, Leonard Ellerbe, told The Times in a telephone interview.
That marks a thawing in what has been an extremely icy relationship between Mayweather and Bob Arum, Top Rank's chairman. Mayweather left Top Rank a few years ago after feeling long overshadowed by the promoter's former star attraction, Oscar De La Hoya.
Mayweather (40-0) proceeded to help generate the richest event in boxing history ($155 million) vs. De La Hoya in 2007, then drew more than 1.9 million buys against Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez.
"It's no secret the camps don't see eye to eye, but this is bigger than boxing," Ellerbe said. "We understand the magnitude of this."
Ellerbe declined to discuss what kind of purse split Mayweather is seeking. "But it's no secret who's the biggest star and draw in boxing," he said.
On Friday, HBO is prepared to announce that Pacquiao's 12th-round TKO of Miguel Cotto generated more pay-per-view buys than Mayweather-Marquez or any other live event this year. Ellerbe notes that Mayweather sold more PPVs in common fights against Hatton, De La Hoya and Marquez.
"The numbers don't lie, people do," Ellerbe said. "(Pacquiao) had good numbers, God bless him, but he had a dance partner this time."
Ellerbe said he'll instruct Schaefer to negotiate with Arum "as soon as possible," but noted, "If the fight can't be made, we'll fight Shane Mosley if he can get past (Andre) Berto (on Jan. 30)."
-- Lance Pugmire
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
My kind of dog....
-
dagosd2000
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 8638
- Joined: 01 Sep 2007, 03:31