Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Rick Farris]

Willie "The Lion" Smith




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBICF6TGLcA

There's Gonna Be The Devil To Pay

Just beautiful!

[dagosd2000]

Roger...No call from Jr. R's daughter?

No reply. I've been to that gym three times in recent months and I must have bad karma. Everytime I go in there everything seems out of sync.

[dagosd2000]

MRS. O'BRIAN

You guys got me goin' thinking about wrestling. Mentioned little old ladies being strong for it.I remember when I was a kid in Chi town,the little old lady who owned the beauty parlor downstairs in our apartment building,Mrs. O'Brian, was a died hard fan. Yeah,she thought it was on the level. I remember she was really into Vern Gagne. Hell,I was just a little kid. I thought it was on the up and up also. You guys are right about guys like Gagne and Thesz knowing all the holds. There weren't all the bizarre costumes and these monsters ballooned up on steroids. Just the tights and lots of grappling.

I forget what night the wrestling matches came on the TV,but Mrs. O'Brian would close her shop and put on the tube when the action started. The early days of TV were comprised of a lot of wrestling and boxing matches.

Today, those sports have evolved into monstrous hypes. Too too much of everything. In the old days you got the sense of the put on with wrestling,but today it's gotten to the point where it's not funny nor entertaining. At least that's the way I feel about it. I bet if Mrs. O'Brian was still around,she'd feel the same way.

[dagosd2000]

Willie "The Lion" Smith




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBICF6TGLcA

There's Gonna Be The Devil To Pay

Just beautiful!

Thanks Rick
Guys like the Lion and Luckey Roberts were big influences on guys like Basie and Ellington. Waller,Smith,Roberts, were all "stride pianists." The great genius of them all was Art Tatum.

[kikibalt]

Roger...No call from Jr. R's daughter?

No reply. I've been to that gym three times in recent months and I must have bad karma. Everytime I go in there everything seems out of sync.

Oh well!!

[dagosd2000]

'A Great Day In Harlem' photo by Art Kane 1958. Taken at 125th Street. How many musicians can you recognize?

[kikibalt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DixIqe8UNwM
The Great Scott vs Baron Michele Leone

At the Olympic with Dan Toby

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFek-tSO--k

Joe Louis as a wrestler. Hard to put into words.

[Rick Farris]

More Classic West Coast photos to come.
The work of Theo Ehret . . .


A few years back, I met a true Classic American West Coast Boxing legend, in Olympic Auditorium "House Photographer", Theo Ehret.
Ehret photographed the best in the world, and not only were his photos brilliantly composed, but his processing techniques of the highest quality.
His work appeared monthly in Boxing World, International Boxing, and others.

When I met Theo, I was with Brad Little, the Canadian film maker who was shooting a docu on Art Hafey.
Theo and Brad had become friends, and I was introduced to the man for the first time.
Before I left, I had about two dozen of the greatest boxing photos, all from the era I was active.

I have El Gato-Navarro, Chacon-Pineda, Muniz-Griffith, Napoles-Griffith, Muniz-Palomino, Navarro-Crawford, Duran-Ayala, Ramos-Ramos, Ali-Norton-2, Ray Robinson, Andre "The Giant" with Joey Bishop, El Gato being presented "Fighter of the Year" trophy by Connie Stevens, Foreman, etc.

I'm going to share a couple each week. Theo Ehret will be put up for WBHOF "expanded catagory" consideration in 2010.

Theo Ehret is a true professional, who began his photo career in Germany, growing up in the photo lab, where le learned the art from his grandfather, a German photographic legend. When WW2 broke out, Theo was a young man who became General George Patton's driver. He and the General established a trusted friendship and after the war, Patton petitioned Congress to "hurry" the American citizenship process for Theo and his wife, as a favor to the General.

Theo settled in Los Angeles, buying six rental cottages in the Echo Park area of L.A., on a hillside below Dodger Stadium, right off of Sunset Blvd. Theo and his wife have lived there since. They live in one cottage, and another is Theo's studio/lab/office. They rent the other cottages out, long time residents that watchout for each other on the property.

What many don't know, is that there are books out featuring Theo's photography, and one of them features something that Theo did in the 50's and early 60's, it was an erotic art form, known as female apartment wrestling. Theo would go to an apartment, and photograph female wrestlers in strong holds, their clothing torn off, in part, during the "match". These B&W shots are now considered "classic photographic art". It is a form of photography that one does not see in the reserved personality of Theo Ehret. It was just a way to make a few bucks, and today he has a cult following that far exceeds the greater work he would do in boxing for several decades.

I'll share a few of Theo's photos from fights we all remember. They feature a few of our friends.
Maybe I'll dig up one of his "Apartment Wrestling" photos? I don't have any, but I'm sure they are out on the net.



-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

That picture I posted,"A Great Day In Harlem", Willie "The Lion" Smith was standing(fifth from the left) and had a fainting spell. He went to the side of the curb to sit down. The picture was taken without Willie.

BTW.This is a retake I took of Willie. I noticed that in the first picture I left out his thumb holding his cigar. You see,I'm not so bad a guy. I gave Willie a second chance unlike that morning in 1958

[Randyman]

I was watching a PBS cooking show earlier today and the cook was making Chicken Tomatillo. It looked good so I made a quick run to the market and made it myself. It was good. That roasted Jalapeno you see on the plate was really hot. I'm still perspiring but it was good.


Randy

[Randyman]

That picture I posted,"A Great Day In Harlem", Willie "The Lion" Smith was standing(fifth from the left) and had a fainting spell. He went to the side of the curb to sit down. The picture was taken without Willie.

BTW.This is a retake I took of Willie. I noticed that in the first picture I left out his thumb holding his cigar. You see,I'm not so bad a guy. I gave Willie a second chance unlike that morning in 1958

Thumbs are overrated unless you're hitch hiking.
Great job Rog!!

Randy

[dagosd2000]

Emiliano Zapata

This painting is in the library in Jiquilpan alongside murals of Jose Clemente Orozco.

[dagosd2000]

I was watching a PBS cooking show earlier today and the cook was making Chicken Tomatillo. It looked good so I made a quick run to the market and made it myself. It was good. That roasted Jalapeno you see on the plate was really hot. I'm still perspiring but it was good.


Randy

Randy
You're like me. If I see food that I want , I've got to have it. The thing is,I've never boiled water let alone cooked anything.

BTW. Your dish looks delicious

[dagosd2000]

delete

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13C3SP5N3Ns

The Fabulous Moolah

Guys,remember her?

[Rick Farris]

An "Irish" Frankie Crawford quote:

"Where I grew up in Cleveland, if you still had all your teeth by the age of fourteen, you were girl."



-Rick Farris

[mhagler91490]

I was just wondering what you guy's thoughts were on Jesse Benavides? I know he was pretty popular in Sacremento at one point but I was wondering how he was regarded throughout California. I was also wondering what your thoughts on his style are, I know he was criticsized for being a runner throughout his career but from what I have seen of him (his fights with Salud and Seabrooks) I don't really see it.

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmrpb8aQFQY

It's Easy To Remember

John Coltrane

[dagosd2000]

An "Irish" Frankie Crawford quote:

"Where I grew up in Cleveland, if you still had all your teeth by the age of fourteen, you were girl."



-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

IF THEY AIN"T GOIN' NEITHER AM I

Black fighters back when I was a growing up sure liked music. It went way beyond rhythm and blues. Jazz was their art. The music originated with Black folk. They had an ear for it.

In the 60's jazz started to come out of the ghetto. Became commercialized. Found its way into White clubs. I had mixed feelings about that. Those fellas were going to get paid well for performing at a swank hotel in front of a bunch of tourists,but I knew the music would become watered down.

I saw an ad once that Dizzy Gillespie was going to do a set at the Catamarran Hotel out by the beach. I was playing football with the Ghetto Messangers at the time and so when I went to practice I was anxious to tell my teamates that Gillespie would be in town. The brothers already knew. They laughed when I told them.
"Man, don't you know he's going to play for those White folks so he won't be sayin' nothin',"one of the players said to me.

Well,I'd never seen Gillespie perform live,so I told whoever was within earshot that I was going anyway.
"Man,none of the brothers will be there,"said my friend Henry Brown.
I knew he was right. If a jazz artist performed at what was left of the Black clubs in San Diego or at Ocean View Park,I know I'd see Archie Moore,the Powells,the local musicians,the fans who had the ear for it. There would be no advertising,but those people would know. The music would be great because the musicians knew they couldn't get away with any B.S.

So I went anyway to see the great Dizzy Gillespie at the Catamarran Hotel. He had a lei around his neck. He ran through an uninspierd set for about a half hour. I didn't hear any shouting from the audience. Yeah,it was an audience. No cats in the seats. I guess they were satisfied. I remember Gillespie putting down his horn and looking across the room.
"Man,"he sighed."This salt air has gotten to me. I'm kind of sleepy. I think I'll turn in."
I thought of what my friend Henry Brown had told me. Dizzy Gillespie wouldn't have pulled that sh-t in the ghetto.

[bennie]

I was just wondering what you guy's thoughts were on Jesse Benavides? I know he was pretty popular in Sacremento at one point but I was wondering how he was regarded throughout California. I was also wondering what your thoughts on his style are, I know he was criticsized for being a runner throughout his career but from what I have seen of him (his fights with Salud and Seabrooks) I don't really see it.

He was a quality fighter and deserved to be major world champion when he licked Salud, who had just handed in his WBA belt rather than defend in unsettled Colombia. On a great run at the time, Jesse went on to win the WBO title, of course. He peaked around this time, showing good power along with his undoubted southpaw boxing kills. He lost his WBO title to our own Duke McKnezie on a close decision over here. An 'iffy' middle-round knockdown left Jesse with a bit too much to do, although there was never much between them.

[kikibalt]

(Photography- Theo Ehret)

Ruben Navarro vs. "Irish" Frankie Crawford
December 2, 1971 - Olympic Auditorium



Early in the first round, Navarro rocked Crawford with a looping right to the jaw.
Frankie's knees buckled, and he struggled to remain on his feet. That was the beginning of the end.
Navarro controlled the fight from that moment on, scoring a near shutout on all three scorecards.

I knew both personally. Ruben had been my stablemate until earlier in the year, and I'd worked with Crawford on-and-off in the gym. At the time, Frankie was going thru a personal crisis of sorts. He had issues involving his former manager, actor Robert Conrad.


-Rick Farris

[bennie]

It looks like Amir Khan has switched to Golden Boy promotions. The word is Khan takes on Paulie Malignaggi next in the States and then Ricky Hatton in an all-British extravaganza in Britain. Hatton recently announced his comeback but would never have fought under F rank Warren, Khan's ex-promoter.

[bennie]

(Photography- Theo Ehret)

Ruben Navarro vs. "Irish" Frankie Crawford
December 2, 1971 - Olympic Auditorium



Early in the first round, Navarro rocked Crawford with a looping right to the jaw.
Frankie's knees buckled, and he struggled to remain on his feet. That was the beginning of the end.
Navarro controlled the fight from that moment on, scoring a near shutout on all three scorecards.

I knew both personally. Ruben had been my stablemate until earlier in the year, and I'd worked with Crawford on-and-off in the gym. At the time, Frankie was going thru a personal crisis of sorts. He had issues involving his former manager, actor Robert Conrad.


-Rick Farris

Bizarrely, I'm watching Conrad right now on Columbo.