Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

Unfortunately I never got to see the great fights at the Olympic but an old timer told me that the big fights would be when a Mexican national would fight a Chicano

Hammer, for the most part that is true....

[THEHAMMER321]

Hey dagosd what you cooking tonight got any lasagna left over

[THEHAMMER321]

Anybody know if Jimmy Robertson and Hedgemon Robertson were brothers

[Rick Farris]

Mando Ramos & Raul Rojas, 1970 . . .

A bitterness had developed many years earlier. When Mando was young, Rojas would pound his stablemate brutally.
As Mando grew in size and ability, their gyms wars would equal bouts of a championship level.
They didn't like each other. In time, Raul Rojas would win the world featherweight title.
Ramos was a rising star, and shadowing the newly crowned world champ. The bitteness grew.

At 19, Ramos would challenge Teo Cruz for the lightweight title.
In a co-main event, Rojas would make his first featherweight title defense against Shozo Saijyo of Japan.
Jackie McCoy took both boxers to camp in Santa Ana, California.
At night, after McCoy had turned in, Rojas and Ramos would go out. It was margaritas and senioritas.
Ramos would lose in his first attempt to become the youngest lightweight champion in history.
Ramos would lose his featherweight title and take a whipping in the process. Raul's swollen, cut face was unrecognizable.

Mando regrouped and a few months later stopped Teo Cruz to win the title at age twenty.
More angry than ever, Rojas left the Jackie McCoy stable.

Fast forward nearly two years to 1970, and Ramos has lost the lightweight title to Ismael Laguna, a year after winning it.
He came back to engage Sugar Ramos in one of the best fights ever held at the Olympic, winning a unanimous decision.
Ramos was cut to ribbons and underwent surgery to remove the scartissue.

1970 wasn't good for Rojas. He lost to Sugar Ramos, Ruben Navarro and Yoshiaki Numata.
Rojas still had one big payday looming and that would be with his former stablemate Ramos.
It would be an equally profitable fight for Mando.
A win puts him back in line for a title shot and, most important, settle a score.

The bout was signed and the fighters started training. Mando had given up alcohol, and all drugs, "even weed", he boasted.
Rojas was talking tough in the papers, calling Ramos a coward, etc.

A few weeks before the match, Mando and Stella Ramos' little boy, Armando Jr. celebrated his first birthday.
Mando decided to throw a birthday party for his baby son, but said it was really for the adults, of course.
He hired one of the best Mexican bands to play at the party and invited Jackie & Shirley McCoy.
Mando knew if Jackie was there he would be on his best behavior.

The party was going along nicely and everybody having a good time when McCoy sees Raul Rojas step into the room.
The manager could see trouble and went to Mando, letting him know Rojas was in the house.

Mando told me approached Rojas and invited him to join the party, told him he was welcome.
Rojas told Mando he needed to speak with him, in private. Mando excused himself from the party and went outside with Rojas.

Mando said Raul got very emotional, told him he was just talking big in the papers to pump up the box office.
He told Ramos that this was going to be his last fight and wanted to cash out big.
He said he had not trained a day for the fight and planned on laying down after a few rounds.
He asked Mando if he would "take it easy" on him, before he laid down.

Mando put his arm around Rojas, told him he'd take it easy and not to worry about anything.
"I invited Raul to stick around and enjoy the party, but he said he was to embarrassed to stay, and he left right away."

Mando returned to the party and told a suspicious Jackie McCoy that "everything was OK."
Shortly afterwards, McCoy and his wife left. Mando told me the first thing he did was light up a joint.
Mando told me that he partied hard for more than a week. Booze, cocaine, weed, etc. He missed days at the gym.

One day he wanders into the gym and Jackie McCoy was livid.
"What in the hell are you doing? Rojas is working his ass off, reports say Raul is in the best shape in years!"
It suddenly occured to Mando he'd been had.
Ramos got himself together, as best possible, and somehow came into the fight in good condition.

At the opening bell, Rojas was out for blood. Ramos gave him a whipping.


-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

Hey dagosd what you cooking tonight got any lasagna left over

Hammer
My sisters made sausage and pepper sandwiches on fresh Italian bread.

BTW.just call me Rog or Roger. When I first got on the thread Frank called me Diego. Good grief.

[dagosd2000]

Anybody know if Jimmy Robertson and Hedgemon Robertson were brothers

Hammer ,if you're thinking Jimmy Robertson and Hedgemon Lewis I can tell you they definitely weren't related

[raylawpc]

Anybody know if Jimmy Robertson and Hedgemon Robertson were brothers

Hammer ,if you're thinking Jimmy Robertson and Hedgemon Lewis I can tell you they definitely weren't related

There was a welterweight from LA in the late 70s-early 80s named Hedgemon Robertson, but I think he was African-American too. I read about him in Ring Magazine but I don't remember much about him. He fought Mark Breland, I know, and Andy Price too, I think.

Frank will remember him, I bet.

[dagosd2000]

WAS KEN NORTON A BUM?

Yeah. That was the topic on another thread. I'm glad no one voted "yes" on that one.I'll put in my two cents right here. Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking to pose a question like that. The man gets in the ring with three heavyweight champions of the world. Fights the likes of Jerry Quarry,Gerry Cooney,Earnie Shavers,and Jimmy Young,and someone wants to ask if Norton was a bum.You can ask Ali and he'll wince at his name. Ali used to talk about Liston,Frazier,and Foreman as the guys that gave him his rep. Norton's three fights with Ali gave Kenny his place in boxing history. Ali never put Norton's name with the other three. He should. Maybe the reason he doesn't is that Ken embarrased him three times. Ali was supposed to go right through Norton. Ali was lucky to get the two wins he had over Norton.

I sparred with Norton three times. That's my claim to fame. Sure he'd only had a few fights. He was an unknown,but everytime I feel my busted nose...well who gets the nerve to think Kenny Norton was a bum?

[raylawpc]

...well who gets the nerve to think Kenny Norton was a bum?

His screen name starts with a G and rhymes with Strawberry.

[THEHAMMER321]

WAS KEN NORTON A BUM?

Yeah. That was the topic on another thread. I'm glad no one voted "yes" on that one.I'll put in my two cents right here. Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking to pose a question like that. The man gets in the ring with three heavyweight champions of the world. Fights the likes of Jerry Quarry,Gerry Cooney,Earnie Shavers,and Jimmy Young,and someone wants to ask if Norton was a bum.You can ask Ali and he'll wince at his name. Ali used to talk about Liston,Frazier,and Foreman as the guys that gave him his rep. Norton's three fights with Ali gave Kenny his place in boxing history. Ali never put Norton's name with the other three. He should. Maybe the reason he doesn't is that Ken embarrased him three times. Ali was supposed to go right through Norton. Ali was lucky to get the two wins he had over Norton.

I sparred with Norton three times. That's my claim to fame. Sure he'd only had a few fights. He was an unknown,but everytime I feel my busted nose...well who gets the nerve to think Kenny Norton was a bum?

I thought Kenny should have got the decision all three times,the only guys Kenny couldnt beat were the big hitters guys who were boxers he gave hell to

[kikibalt]

Anybody know if Jimmy Robertson and Hedgemon Robertson were brothers

Hammer ,if you're thinking Jimmy Robertson and Hedgemon Lewis I can tell you they definitely weren't related

There was a welterweight from LA in the late 70s-early 80s named Hedgemon Robertson, but I think he was African-American too. I read about him in Ring Magazine but I don't remember much about him. He fought Mark Breland, I know, and Andy Price too, I think.

Frank will remember him, I bet.

Robertson was black, saw him fight at the forum a few times...so-so fighter

[kikibalt]

Anybody know if Jimmy Robertson and Hedgemon Robertson were brothers

Hammer ,if you're thinking Jimmy Robertson and Hedgemon Lewis I can tell you they definitely weren't related

Thats a B&W movie...

[THEHAMMER321]

Anybody know if Jimmy Robertson and Hedgemon Robertson were brothers

Hammer ,if you're thinking Jimmy Robertson and Hedgemon Lewis I can tell you they definitely weren't related

Thats a B&W movie...

Is it on The classic movie channel

[dagosd2000]

I'm carefull about how I talk about fighters.Calling a fighter a bum is out of bounds with me. When I was much younger than the broken down body I have today,I'd go to the 32nd Naval Gym or the Coliseum and workout with the gloves. I got to know some of the fighters:Moyer,Wilson,Norton,DiFilippis,Hafey,Gilbert Baptist.Of course Archie Moore kept himself in the picture. I remember Charley Powell too.I'd go to Junior Robles's gym in National City. Burke Emery and Danny Rodriguez trained a lot of the boys in town. It was a time of a lot of fun. LA. ,Tijuana,and San Diego sandwiched in between made this area(in my opinion)the center of the boxing world in the 60's and 70's.

However when the arenas gave way to Cable TV and closed circuit,the big fights went to Atlantic City and Vegas. Everything in San Diego disappeared. The fellas I remembered either had passed away or went their seperate ways.Then I became a regular on the thread. I became friends with Frank and Rick and they were nice enough to introduce me to a gang of ex fighters in the LA. area. Mando Muniz,Gato Gonzalez,Little Red,Bobby Chacon,Frankie Baltazar and his dad to name a few. The CBHOF and WBHOF was like going back into my past. To see those fellas again. Who would have ever thought I'd get to know Gaspar Ortega?

Well I got involved somewhat with my art pertaining to boxing. I circulated a little. I always felt comfortable. Fighters,as a whole,are the nicest bunch around.

I remember Rick called me up about something once. In the middle of the conversation he said something I'll never forget.
"Rog,the fighters like you."
I didn't say anything. The conversation went on,but I'll never forget what Rick said to me.

Maybe if a fighter rubs me the wrong way,I might question his mother's ancestry,but a bum? When a man climbs through the ring ropes that name"bum" goes out the window.At least that's the way it will stay with me.

[dagosd2000]

WAS KEN NORTON A BUM?

Yeah. That was the topic on another thread. I'm glad no one voted "yes" on that one.I'll put in my two cents right here. Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking to pose a question like that. The man gets in the ring with three heavyweight champions of the world. Fights the likes of Jerry Quarry,Gerry Cooney,Earnie Shavers,and Jimmy Young,and someone wants to ask if Norton was a bum.You can ask Ali and he'll wince at his name. Ali used to talk about Liston,Frazier,and Foreman as the guys that gave him his rep. Norton's three fights with Ali gave Kenny his place in boxing history. Ali never put Norton's name with the other three. He should. Maybe the reason he doesn't is that Ken embarrased him three times. Ali was supposed to go right through Norton. Ali was lucky to get the two wins he had over Norton.

I sparred with Norton three times. That's my claim to fame. Sure he'd only had a few fights. He was an unknown,but everytime I feel my busted nose...well who gets the nerve to think Kenny Norton was a bum?

I thought Kenny should have got the decision all three times,the only guys Kenny couldnt beat were the big hitters guys who were boxers he gave hell to

Hammer
Saw Norton and Ali train everyday in one of the hotels in Mission Valley for their first fight. Ali spent more time walking around the ring with a microphone talking than sparring. Norton was serious. Trained after Ali was finished. The crowd would be gone then. I still didn't think Norton had a chance to beat Ali,but by that time Ali's reflexes were going on him. Norton caught him with a lot of hard shots. Norton told me later he didn't fear Ali's punch.

[THEHAMMER321]

I'm carefull about how I talk about fighters.Calling a fighter a bum is out of bounds with me. When I was much younger than the broken down body I have today,I'd go to the 32nd Naval Gym or the Coliseum and workout with the gloves. I got to know some of the fighters:Moyer,Wilson,Norton,DiFilippis,Hafey,Gilbert Baptist.Of course Archie Moore kept himself in the picture. I remember Charley Powell too.I'd go to Junior Robles's gym in National City. Burke Emery and Danny Rodriguez trained a lot of the boys in town. It was a time of a lot of fun. LA. ,Tijuana,and San Diego sandwiched in between made this area(in my opinion)the center of the boxing world in the 60's and 70's.

However when the arenas gave way to Cable TV and closed circuit,the big fights went to Atlantic City and Vegas. Everything in San Diego disappeared. The fellas I remembered either had passed away or went their seperate ways.Then I became a regular on the thread. I became friends with Frank and Rick and they were nice enough to introduce me to a gang of ex fighters in the LA. area. Mando Muniz,Gato Gonzalez,Little Red,Bobby Chacon,Frankie Baltazar and his dad to name a few. The CBHOF and WBHOF was like going back into my past. To see those fellas again. Who would have ever thought I'd get to know Gaspar Ortega?

Well I got involved somewhat with my art pertaining to boxing. I circulated a little. I always felt comfortable. Fighters,as a whole,are the nicest bunch around.

I remember Rick called me up about something once. In the middle of the conversation he said something I'll never forget.
"Rog,the fighters like you."
I didn't say anything. The conversation went on,but I'll never forget what Rick said to me.

Maybe if a fighter rubs me the wrong way,I might question his mother's ancestry,but a bum? When a man climbs through the ring ropes that name"bum" goes out the window.At least that's the way it will stay with me.

Rog I am with you all the way on that subject,but what are we eating

[dagosd2000]

I'm carefull about how I talk about fighters.Calling a fighter a bum is out of bounds with me. When I was much younger than the broken down body I have today,I'd go to the 32nd Naval Gym or the Coliseum and workout with the gloves. I got to know some of the fighters:Moyer,Wilson,Norton,DiFilippis,Hafey,Gilbert Baptist.Of course Archie Moore kept himself in the picture. I remember Charley Powell too.I'd go to Junior Robles's gym in National City. Burke Emery and Danny Rodriguez trained a lot of the boys in town. It was a time of a lot of fun. LA. ,Tijuana,and San Diego sandwiched in between made this area(in my opinion)the center of the boxing world in the 60's and 70's.

However when the arenas gave way to Cable TV and closed circuit,the big fights went to Atlantic City and Vegas. Everything in San Diego disappeared. The fellas I remembered either had passed away or went their seperate ways.Then I became a regular on the thread. I became friends with Frank and Rick and they were nice enough to introduce me to a gang of ex fighters in the LA. area. Mando Muniz,Gato Gonzalez,Little Red,Bobby Chacon,Frankie Baltazar and his dad to name a few. The CBHOF and WBHOF was like going back into my past. To see those fellas again. Who would have ever thought I'd get to know Gaspar Ortega?

Well I got involved somewhat with my art pertaining to boxing. I circulated a little. I always felt comfortable. Fighters,as a whole,are the nicest bunch around.

I remember Rick called me up about something once. In the middle of the conversation he said something I'll never forget.
"Rog,the fighters like you."
I didn't say anything. The conversation went on,but I'll never forget what Rick said to me.

Maybe if a fighter rubs me the wrong way,I might question his mother's ancestry,but a bum? When a man climbs through the ring ropes that name"bum" goes out the window.At least that's the way it will stay with me.

Rog I am with you all the way on that subject,but what are we eating

Sausage and peppers on fresh Italian bread.Pardon me while I reach for the Brioschi

[THEHAMMER321]

I'm carefull about how I talk about fighters.Calling a fighter a bum is out of bounds with me. When I was much younger than the broken down body I have today,I'd go to the 32nd Naval Gym or the Coliseum and workout with the gloves. I got to know some of the fighters:Moyer,Wilson,Norton,DiFilippis,Hafey,Gilbert Baptist.Of course Archie Moore kept himself in the picture. I remember Charley Powell too.I'd go to Junior Robles's gym in National City. Burke Emery and Danny Rodriguez trained a lot of the boys in town. It was a time of a lot of fun. LA. ,Tijuana,and San Diego sandwiched in between made this area(in my opinion)the center of the boxing world in the 60's and 70's.

However when the arenas gave way to Cable TV and closed circuit,the big fights went to Atlantic City and Vegas. Everything in San Diego disappeared. The fellas I remembered either had passed away or went their seperate ways.Then I became a regular on the thread. I became friends with Frank and Rick and they were nice enough to introduce me to a gang of ex fighters in the LA. area. Mando Muniz,Gato Gonzalez,Little Red,Bobby Chacon,Frankie Baltazar and his dad to name a few. The CBHOF and WBHOF was like going back into my past. To see those fellas again. Who would have ever thought I'd get to know Gaspar Ortega?

Well I got involved somewhat with my art pertaining to boxing. I circulated a little. I always felt comfortable. Fighters,as a whole,are the nicest bunch around.

I remember Rick called me up about something once. In the middle of the conversation he said something I'll never forget.
"Rog,the fighters like you."
I didn't say anything. The conversation went on,but I'll never forget what Rick said to me.

Maybe if a fighter rubs me the wrong way,I might question his mother's ancestry,but a bum? When a man climbs through the ring ropes that name"bum" goes out the window.At least that's the way it will stay with me.

Rog I am with you all the way on that subject,but what are we eating

Sausage and peppers on fresh Italian bread.Pardon me while I reach for the Brioschi

now that's Italian

[kikibalt]

Hammer, when ever a mexican National and Chicano fought, you had to be ready for extra fist cuffing, one night at the Olympic Frankie is fighting a Mexican National, Miguel Meza, Meza had all his drunken friends there to root him on, Frankie had all the home boys from La Puente there, Frankie ko Meza in the fourth round, we were the main so we were the last fight on the card, after Frankie taking a shower, we walked out to the parking lot and into the middle of a fight between Meza's friends and Frankie friends, I got Frankie out of there fast....

[Rick Farris]

WAS KEN NORTON A BUM?

Yeah. That was the topic on another thread. I'm glad no one voted "yes" on that one.I'll put in my two cents right here. Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking to pose a question like that. The man gets in the ring with three heavyweight champions of the world. Fights the likes of Jerry Quarry,Gerry Cooney,Earnie Shavers,and Jimmy Young,and someone wants to ask if Norton was a bum.You can ask Ali and he'll wince at his name. Ali used to talk about Liston,Frazier,and Foreman as the guys that gave him his rep. Norton's three fights with Ali gave Kenny his place in boxing history. Ali never put Norton's name with the other three. He should. Maybe the reason he doesn't is that Ken embarrased him three times. Ali was supposed to go right through Norton. Ali was lucky to get the two wins he had over Norton.

I sparred with Norton three times. That's my claim to fame. Sure he'd only had a few fights. He was an unknown,but everytime I feel my busted nose...well who gets the nerve to think Kenny Norton was a bum?

I don't believe Ali considers Kenny a bum, or Larry Holmes? Quarry and a few others would never co-sign that notion.
Of course, what do boxers know about boxing? We have real experts blowing wind on internet boxing sites.

[THEHAMMER321]

Did you guys have trouble posting in the last hour I know I did

[THEHAMMER321]

Mando Ramos & Raul Rojas, 1970 . . .

A bitterness had developed many years earlier. When Mando was young, Rojas would pound his stablemate brutally.
As Mando grew in size and ability, their gyms wars would equal bouts of a championship level.
They didn't like each other. In time, Raul Rojas would win the world featherweight title.
Ramos was a rising star, and shadowing the newly crowned world champ. The bitteness grew.

At 19, Ramos would challenge Teo Cruz for the lightweight title.
In a co-main event, Rojas would make his first featherweight title defense against Shozo Saijyo of Japan.
Jackie McCoy took both boxers to camp in Santa Ana, California.
At night, after McCoy had turned in, Rojas and Ramos would go out. It was margaritas and senioritas.
Ramos would lose in his first attempt to become the youngest lightweight champion in history.
Ramos would lose his featherweight title and take a whipping in the process. Raul's swollen, cut face was unrecognizable.

Mando regrouped and a few months later stopped Teo Cruz to win the title at age twenty.
More angry than ever, Rojas left the Jackie McCoy stable.

Fast forward nearly two years to 1970, and Ramos has lost the lightweight title to Ismael Laguna, a year after winning it.
He came back to engage Sugar Ramos in one of the best fights ever held at the Olympic, winning a unanimous decision.
Ramos was cut to ribbons and underwent surgery to remove the scartissue.

1970 wasn't good for Rojas. He lost to Sugar Ramos, Ruben Navarro and Yoshiaki Numata.
Rojas still had one big payday looming and that would be with his former stablemate Ramos.
It would be an equally profitable fight for Mando.
A win puts him back in line for a title shot and, most important, settle a score.

The bout was signed and the fighters started training. Mando had given up alcohol, and all drugs, "even weed", he boasted.
Rojas was talking tough in the papers, calling Ramos a coward, etc.

A few weeks before the match, Mando and Stella Ramos' little boy, Armando Jr. celebrated his first birthday.
Mando decided to throw a birthday party for his baby son, but said it was really for the adults, of course.
He hired one of the best Mexican bands to play at the party and invited Jackie & Shirley McCoy.
Mando knew if Jackie was there he would be on his best behavior.

The party was going along nicely and everybody having a good time when McCoy sees Raul Rojas step into the room.
The manager could see trouble and went to Mando, letting him know Rojas was in the house.

Mando told me approached Rojas and invited him to join the party, told him he was welcome.
Rojas told Mando he needed to speak with him, in private. Mando excused himself from the party and went outside with Rojas.

Mando said Raul got very emotional, told him he was just talking big in the papers to pump up the box office.
He told Ramos that this was going to be his last fight and wanted to cash out big.
He said he had not trained a day for the fight and planned on laying down after a few rounds.
He asked Mando if he would "take it easy" on him, before he laid down.

Mando put his arm around Rojas, told him he'd take it easy and not to worry about anything.
"I invited Raul to stick around and enjoy the party, but he said he was to embarrassed to stay, and he left right away."

Mando returned to the party and told a suspicious Jackie McCoy that "everything was OK."
Shortly afterwards, McCoy and his wife left. Mando told me the first thing he did was light up a joint.
Mando told me that he partied hard for more than a week. Booze, cocaine, weed, etc. He missed days at the gym.

One day he wanders into the gym and Jackie McCoy was livid.
"What in the hell are you doing? Rojas is working his ass off, reports say Raul is in the best shape in years!"
It suddenly occured to Mando he'd been had.
Ramos got himself together, as best possible, and somehow came into the fight in good condition.

At the opening bell, Rojas was out for blood. Ramos gave him a whipping.


-Rick Farris

Good story Rick I never tire of good boxing stories

[Rick Farris]

Did you guys have trouble posting in the last hour I know I did

We are just a few pages from a thousand.
I hope nothing unexpected happens when we flip to four digit posts?

[telboy66]

WAS KEN NORTON A BUM?

Yeah. That was the topic on another thread. I'm glad no one voted "yes" on that one.I'll put in my two cents right here. Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking to pose a question like that. The man gets in the ring with three heavyweight champions of the world. Fights the likes of Jerry Quarry,Gerry Cooney,Earnie Shavers,and Jimmy Young,and someone wants to ask if Norton was a bum.You can ask Ali and he'll wince at his name. Ali used to talk about Liston,Frazier,and Foreman as the guys that gave him his rep. Norton's three fights with Ali gave Kenny his place in boxing history. Ali never put Norton's name with the other three. He should. Maybe the reason he doesn't is that Ken embarrased him three times. Ali was supposed to go right through Norton. Ali was lucky to get the two wins he had over Norton.

I sparred with Norton three times. That's my claim to fame. Sure he'd only had a few fights. He was an unknown,but everytime I feel my busted nose...well who gets the nerve to think Kenny Norton was a bum?

How anyone could even think that Ken Norton was a bum is beyond me the era he fought in was probably the most prolific for heavyweight boxing he fought & beat some of the top draw boxers of the time to beat Ken you had to be on top of your game.

Most of these "bum" comments come from guys with very little or no knowledge of boxing & boxers they have never faced a man across a ring knowing the next three minutes could change their whole life, No man who goes one on one is a bum even if he finishes with stats of 0/20

[scartissue]

I'm carefull about how I talk about fighters.Calling a fighter a bum is out of bounds with me. When I was much younger than the broken down body I have today,I'd go to the 32nd Naval Gym or the Coliseum and workout with the gloves. I got to know some of the fighters:Moyer,Wilson,Norton,DiFilippis,Hafey,Gilbert Baptist.Of course Archie Moore kept himself in the picture. I remember Charley Powell too.I'd go to Junior Robles's gym in National City. Burke Emery and Danny Rodriguez trained a lot of the boys in town. It was a time of a lot of fun. LA. ,Tijuana,and San Diego sandwiched in between made this area(in my opinion)the center of the boxing world in the 60's and 70's.

However when the arenas gave way to Cable TV and closed circuit,the big fights went to Atlantic City and Vegas. Everything in San Diego disappeared. The fellas I remembered either had passed away or went their seperate ways.Then I became a regular on the thread. I became friends with Frank and Rick and they were nice enough to introduce me to a gang of ex fighters in the LA. area. Mando Muniz,Gato Gonzalez,Little Red,Bobby Chacon,Frankie Baltazar and his dad to name a few. The CBHOF and WBHOF was like going back into my past. To see those fellas again. Who would have ever thought I'd get to know Gaspar Ortega?

Well I got involved somewhat with my art pertaining to boxing. I circulated a little. I always felt comfortable. Fighters,as a whole,are the nicest bunch around.

I remember Rick called me up about something once. In the middle of the conversation he said something I'll never forget.
"Rog,the fighters like you."
I didn't say anything. The conversation went on,but I'll never forget what Rick said to me.

Maybe if a fighter rubs me the wrong way,I might question his mother's ancestry,but a bum? When a man climbs through the ring ropes that name"bum" goes out the window.At least that's the way it will stay with me.

Rog, your mentioning of Gaspar Ortega had me thinking of something I saw in his record recently. Sometime back in the '50s Gaspar fought either Charley Scott or Charley Cotton (can't remember this instance but I think he actually fought them both at one time or other), anyway, he fights one of them and rematches with him 3 weeks later. At first glance one might say, wow, he fought pretty often. Until I looked closer and saw that before the rematch he fought two more times in between. Now that's a fighter.

Scartissue