Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

3 AND 10

I was talking to the school custodian about boxing the other day. Jorge the custodian is a big boxing fan. He's around my age,60 something. He grew up in Mexicali and saw a lot of the bouts in that town and the Imperial Valley. Said he once saw Marciano ref a fight in Mexicali at their auditorium.

Anyway,Jorge said that a fighter by the name of Victor Basilio was his neighbor. Rang a bell. Jorge asked Victor why he kept on fighting. At the time,Basilio said that the money he made from fighting helped pay the bills. Basilio said he liked boxing. Knew he'd never wear a belt,but it was enough money to supplement his income.

I remember Victor Basilio. I remember him coming in to work with Luis Rodriguez in San Diego before "El Feo's" fight with Rafa Gutierrez. Victor was about as basic as it went. Old black boxing shoes,a white tee shirt,his cup had "Basilio" written in white paint on the front. Victor gave Luis a good workout. He was in camp for three days and then ,I believe, fought on the under card of Luis's fight with Gutierrez.

I looked up Basilio's record. He won his first three and then lost ten in a row,and that was his career. I hope he's OK. Jorge said the last time he saw him he was doing fine. All fighters can't have winning records or win championships,but what the journeyman gives to boxing is as important a component as all the fighters who have their names engraved in the Hall Of Fame.

[THEHAMMER321]

Quarry settles the score for Flores stable . . .

In 1970, I was competeing in the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions which was held that year at the Las Vegas Convention Center. My team mate and friend, Kit Boursse', was matched with a big heavyweight from Colorado named Ron Lyle. Kit was doing well in the tournament until he ran into Lyle. Lyle would stop Kit in the third round, the only time he was ever stopped in his career. Lyle was being touted as the "next Sonny Liston".

A few years later, Lyle would have a big unbeaten streak and was pretty confident. He then signed to fight another Flores' heavyweight, who just happened to be Kit Boursse's stablemate, Jerry Quarry. I remember that Kit Boursse' and I watched this fight together, Jerry Quarry got revenge for Kit, easily out boxing Lyle, made him look like an amateur. I remember Kit said nothing, but I still remember the smile on his face when he saw Jerry's hand raised. One of Johnny Flores' heavyweights failed against Ron Lyle in the Golden Gloves, but for the big money Jerry Quarry came thru. I just loved when Jerry would do that.


-Rick Farris

Rick what was the deal with Jerry's dad I always heard that his dad as tough on the kids and also did his dad have anything to do with managing the careers of both Jerry and Mike

Hammer . . . The best way to answer this question is to refer you to a story I wrote about Jerry Quarry a few years ago.
It explains Jack Quarry's part in the management of Jerry. For the story, click on the link below:


http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/b ... htm#quarry

-Rick Farris

Nice piece on Quarry tragic though how he ended up it seems with people who have the talent they squander it and then don't realize it till it's to late.

[THEHAMMER321]

Frank how was that Menudo con pata yesterday,it cleared up over here today how bout California

[kikibalt]

(Photo by Theo Ehret)

Shozo Saijyo vs. Raul Rojas

WBA World Featherweight Championship

September 27, 1968 - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum



Saijyo earned his title shot with a ten round victory over the WBA champ in a non-title fight.

The rematch would be for the title, one half of a championship card that also featured lightweight champ Teo Cruz vs. Mando Ramos.

The Japanese challenger beat Rojas up, dropping him in the sixth round of a fifteen round fight that cost Raul his title.

At the end, Rojas' face was cut and swollen. This was the turning point in the career of the former two-time champ.

He'd win a few more low class bouts, but would then lose to Sugar Ramos, Ruben Navarro, Yoshiaki Numata and Mando Ramos in 1970.

Raul was one of the best featherweights of the era, I believe.

-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Frank how was that Menudo con pata yesterday,it cleared up over here today how bout California

Hammer...The menudo con pata was like aways, "great!", it too is clear here today....

[THEHAMMER321]

I was always curious about Sugar Ramos situation was he accepted by the Mexican people he being from Cuba.

[Rick Farris]

If the rumour-mill is true and Amir Khan is about to dump a major world belt into the bin (shades of Lloyd Honeyghan, although he held two others), where does that leave the prodigious Bolton youngster? Apart from the bleedin' obvious, it leaves him dreaming of bigger things. Khan is planning to drop his WBA belt because he wants to "crack" America, he says - just as his friend Naseem Hamed wanted to crack America several years ago. This perennial British boxing 'need' usually always ends in disaster. We all remember Randolph Turpin, Ken Buchanan, Barry McGuigan...
As for Naz, the gifted, outrageous Sheffield puncher was simply and inexplicably unable to shine in the States. The image of his mouth hanging down in a look of shock and semi-desperation as Kevin Kelley chased him all round a Madison Square Garden ring lingers in the memory and proved Hamed's first taste of America, and it would soon look – and taste – so much worse. We only have to think of his 'fight' with Cesar Soto to know that, a man beaten years earlier by Duke McKenzie. Yes, the Prince overcame Kelly and Soto, and he toppled a goalkeeper by the name of Augie Sanchez in spectacular style – but only after Sanchez had tagged him too many times for comfort. Marco Antonio Barrera, already on his way to training camp in Big Bear Mountain, knew that Naseem's reflexes were going. He was Hamed's next US opponent.
In a stroke of genius by promoter F rank Warren and matchmaker Dean Powell, Barrera was brought over to redeem Khan last year in Manchester, and Andreas Kotelnik, the adept but light-hitting WBA light-welterweight champion, soon followed as a Khan victim. Now a major world champion, trained by Freddie Roach out of a top Los Angeles gym, strong and comfortable at 140 pounds, Khan looked a different animal from the one destroyed in 54 seconds by Colombia’s Breidis Prescott in Manchester in September 2008. He looked ready for another puncher, an Argentine puncher by the name of Marcos Maidana who had been outscored by Kotelnik. Of course, LA rats were now whispering, whispering that Khan had done it all himself, that he could make more money with them, that he didn't need a nobody like Maidana, that he should forsake the big belt.
Oscar De La Hoya, The Golden Boy, all through as a millionaire fighter, knew he could still line his pockets with a dedicated, lightning-fast, brilliant-boxing, 23-year-old like Khan, a new Golden Boy. Then came the announcement: Khan was relocating pemanently to the States with Golden Boy Promotions, contemplating a fight with Paulie Malignaggi, a flashy, talented New Yorker who cannot break an egg, and one with Ricky Hatton, a man who has already pounded Malignaggi but was coldcocked by Manny Pacquiao.
Khan had just broken up a winning team.
Roach remains on board but his glaring absence from the corner on the night Alex Arthur – a man he was training - was violated in five rounds by Michael Gomez in the Autumn of 2003 is impossible to forget. We all know Roach still has bigger fish to fry. We all know that Khan gives away the vital edge of home advantage to almost every fighter he faces in the future. We all know that Khan has yet even to make one appearance in the States.
To me, Maidana in Manchester is looking a far better option.

America will likely crack Amir Khan. He's been cracked before.
Jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire?

[dagosd2000]

I was always curious about Sugar Ramos situation was he accepted by the Mexican people he being from Cuba.

Hammer
Excuse me if I step in. I was a big fan Sugar and Jose Napoles. The Mexican fans embraced both of them with open arms. Ramos and Napoles fell in love with Mexico and married Mexican gals and raised families. They were big punchers and the Mexican fans loved that. When Napoles won the title from Curtis Cokes he told the Mexican people,"If they were to throw me in the middle of the ocean,I'd just listen for the mariachis and I'd find my way back to Mexico."

A very rare moment in Mexico's history. Back then only the President of Mexico could bestow citizenship on a foreigner. The President of Mexico did that to "Mantequilla." It was the first time something like that happened.

P.S. Hammer,I was at the Olympic when Mando Ramos won the decision over Sugar. A GREAT fight. However,even though Mando was from LA. the crowd was behind Sugar that night.

[dagosd2000]

Ultiminio"Sugar"Ramos

[Rick Farris]

Don't judge a book by it's cover,
or a boxer by what he wears in the gym . . .


In a post above, Rog mentions club fighter, Victor Basileo, wearing just the basic black shoes, cup and white T-shirt in the ring for his sparring sessions with former champ, Luis Rodriguez.

Rog's words brought to mind an experience I had at LA's Main Street Gym in 1969.
I was usually pretty observant when it comes to world class prizefighters back in the days when I fought.
I followed all the top fighters, especially the greats who came to L.A. from below the border, especially the bantams

With this in mind, it's hard to imagine that I would get caught off guard when it came to identifying a top 118 pounder
This is what happened. I was 17-years-old, and would workout at the Main St. Gym on weekends, and the Johnny Flores Gym during the week.
I had an amateur fight scheduled on the coming thursday evening at the Olympic, right before the pro card started.
I wasn't happy with the sparring available at Johnny's gym that week, so on monday I skipped school and trained at Main Street.
It would be my last chance to get some good boxing in before my fight a few days later.

When I arrive at the gym it was late afternoon, and a few pro were starting to take the floor for their evening workout.

I met my trainer, Julio Flores, and he said he'd find somebody for me to box with.
Across the gym floor, Memo Soto is tying on a pair of gloves for a dark-skinned Mexican bantamweight. I didn't recognize the fighter.

Julio walks over to Memo and sets up a sparring session for me and the boxer. I figured he was an amateur, he didn't even have a pair of boxing shoes? Julio returns and tells me to get ready. A few minutes later we are both up in the ring, warming up. Our eyes meet and we both smile and nod at each other.

We are given water, move to the center of the ring and the bell rings. I move right to the boxer and go to work. He moves pretty good, but isn't offering much offense. I can see he has skills but I want to pick up the pace. I start to press the boxer, land a few clean shots and feel myself breathing a bit after working hard from the opening bell. At ringside I hear Memo Soto yell, "Thirty seconds . . .". A moment later I catch a punch so hard I can still feel it today. I stay on my feet but my legs are a little shakey. I try to fight back and suddenly another one whacks me. The fighter moves back, smiles, and waits for me to attack again. The bell rings.

I walk to the side of the ring and Julio gives me some water. ""How you feeling? You took a good shot."
"I'm OK." We continued to box four rounds that day. At the end of each round the guy would rattle me with a devistating punch. I stayed on my feet, fought back, but really was not in control of the action.

When the workout ended I stepped out of the ring and Julio removed my head gear and gloves.
"I mentioned to Julio, "That guy reall can bang for an amateur, good boxer too."
Julio looked at me like I was crazy. "Amateur? Who's an amateur? That was Rafael Herrera, he fights Lennie Brice next week."

I had no idea that I was in the ring with a top ten bantamweight, one who would eventually KO Ruben Olivares for the title.
It was the damn outfit he was wearing.
From that day on, I never judged a boxer by what he was wearing.


-Rick Farris

[raylawpc]

It was amazing to me that the cautious guy I saw against Lou Bailey became a lion against George Foreman.

The problem with Lyle in the Bailey fight was that his confidence was completely shot by his loss to Quarry. I remember Bobby Lewis begging him between rounds to "open up and get this guy out of here." Not counting the two or three times Bailey went down from getting hit in the balls, Bailey was down five or six times legitimately, but Lyle couldn't (or wouldn't) follow up. In a way, it was surreal to watch.

And the plan wasn't to carry Bailey. Lyle's management asked Pat O'Grady to specifically match him with Bailey, whom they expected Lyle to easily and quickly knockout. They hoped a quick KO would help restore his confidence. Uhhhh. What was it Steinbeck wrote about the best laid plans of mice and men . . . .?

I'll never forget the fans booing Lyle when the decision was annoounced for his uninspired performance and deliberate fouls.

That was interesting, Tom. Thank you.

Is this Lou "Hot Dog" Bailey. I think he fought Mike Spinks in Mike's debut. I remember Spinks being quite complimentary afterwards, almost like Bailey had spooked him a little.

Different guy. The Lou Bailey I knew retired in 1974 after suffering a detached retina. He fought all the top names in the 60s and 70s, but never beat anybody of note. Simply "an opponent" who generally gave a pretty good show.

[raylawpc]

You guys remember Dick Mastro's early '80s monthly publication?

I remember the Boxing Record. I think he started publishing it about 1972 or 1973. O'Grady used to get it and I'd read it at O'Grady's office. Another great publication in the 1970s came out of New York - Flash Gordon's "Tonight's Boxing Program." Did any of you California guys get that one? It was maybe the best boxing publication in the 1970s, although it definitely had a East Coast slant.

Tom, not only do I remember Flash Gordon's publication, I subscribed to it in the '80s. Man, he was verbose and uncaring who he would offend and that was his magic. Anyone who never saw it, let me give you a smattering of it's content. Picture all of us sitting around downing a bottle of suds talking boxing. Of course there would be no holds barred on our language or opinions and that was what was in Flash Gordon's paper. He would refer to a promoter or a referee or a fighter as a j**off or an a**hole if it flew in the face of what he thought was just. Nobody knows what happened to old Flash, but something tells me he's flipping someone the bird right about now.

Scartissue

It was the best boxing publication I ever read. I don't remember what day of the week it arrived at O'Grady's office, but I'd always rush over there that day after classes to read it. I didn't subscribe to it because I was a poor college student and couldn't afford it, but Pat knew I liked it and he's always let me read it as soon as he got it.

As I understand it, Flash just got burned out on boxing, and quit publishing it in the mid-80s. He still lives in Brooklyn, from what I understand, but has no connection or interest in the game.

BTW, its a little remembered fact, but Flash is the guy who blew the whistle on the Ring Magazine-ABC-U.S. Boxing tournament scandal in the late 1970s.

[dagosd2000]

Don't judge a book by it's cover,
or a boxer by what he wears in the gym . . .


In a post above, Rog mentions club fighter, Victor Basileo, wearing just the basic black shoes, cup and white T-shirt in the ring for his sparring sessions with former champ, Luis Rodriguez.

Rog's words brought to mind an experience I had at LA's Main Street Gym in 1969.
I was usually pretty observant when it comes to world class prizefighters back in the days when I fought.
I followed all the top fighters, especially the greats who came to L.A. from below the border, especially the bantams

With this in mind, it's hard to imagine that I would get caught off guard when it came to identifying a top 118 pounder
This is what happened. I was 17-years-old, and would workout at the Main St. Gym on weekends, and the Johnny Flores Gym during the week.
I had an amateur fight scheduled on the coming thursday evening at the Olympic, right before the pro card started.
I wasn't happy with the sparring available at Johnny's gym that week, so on monday I skipped school and trained at Main Street.
It would be my last chance to get some good boxing in before my fight a few days later.

When I arrive at the gym it was late afternoon, and a few pro were starting to take the floor for their evening workout.

I met my trainer, Julio Flores, and he said he'd find somebody for me to box with.
Across the gym floor, Memo Soto is tying on a pair of gloves for a dark-skinned Mexican bantamweight. I didn't recognize the fighter.

Julio walks over to Memo and sets up a sparring session for me and the boxer. I figured he was an amateur, he didn't even have a pair of boxing shoes? Julio returns and tells me to get ready. A few minutes later we are both up in the ring, warming up. Our eyes meet and we both smile and nod at each other.

We are given water, move to the center of the ring and the bell rings. I move right to the boxer and go to work. He moves pretty good, but isn't offering much offense. I can see he has skills but I want to pick up the pace. I start to press the boxer, land a few clean shots and feel myself breathing a bit after working hard from the opening bell. At ringside I hear Memo Soto yell, "Thirty seconds . . .". A moment later I catch a punch so hard I can still feel it today. I stay on my feet but my legs are a little shakey. I try to fight back and suddenly another one whacks me. The fighter moves back, smiles, and waits for me to attack again. The bell rings.

I walk to the side of the ring and Julio gives me some water. ""How you feeling? You took a good shot."
"I'm OK." We continued to box four rounds that day. At the end of each round the guy would rattle me with a devistating punch. I stayed on my feet, fought back, but really was not in control of the action.

When the workout ended I stepped out of the ring and Julio removed my head gear and gloves.
"I mentioned to Julio, "That guy reall can bang for an amateur, good boxer too."
Julio looked at me like I was crazy. "Amateur? Who's an amateur? That was Rafael Herrera, he fights Lennie Brice next week."

I had no idea that I was in the ring with a top ten bantamweight, one who would eventually KO Ruben Olivares for the title.
It was the damn outfit he was wearing.
From that day on, I never judged a boxer by what he was wearing.


-Rick Farris

great story Rick

[Rick Farris]

Don't judge a book by it's cover,
or a boxer by what he wears in the gym . . .


In a post above, Rog mentions club fighter, Victor Basileo, wearing just the basic black shoes, cup and white T-shirt in the ring for his sparring sessions with former champ, Luis Rodriguez.

Rog's words brought to mind an experience I had at LA's Main Street Gym in 1969.
I was usually pretty observant when it comes to world class prizefighters back in the days when I fought.
I followed all the top fighters, especially the greats who came to L.A. from below the border, especially the bantams

With this in mind, it's hard to imagine that I would get caught off guard when it came to identifying a top 118 pounder
This is what happened. I was 17-years-old, and would workout at the Main St. Gym on weekends, and the Johnny Flores Gym during the week.
I had an amateur fight scheduled on the coming thursday evening at the Olympic, right before the pro card started.
I wasn't happy with the sparring available at Johnny's gym that week, so on monday I skipped school and trained at Main Street.
It would be my last chance to get some good boxing in before my fight a few days later.

When I arrive at the gym it was late afternoon, and a few pro were starting to take the floor for their evening workout.

I met my trainer, Julio Flores, and he said he'd find somebody for me to box with.
Across the gym floor, Memo Soto is tying on a pair of gloves for a dark-skinned Mexican bantamweight. I didn't recognize the fighter.

Julio walks over to Memo and sets up a sparring session for me and the boxer. I figured he was an amateur, he didn't even have a pair of boxing shoes? Julio returns and tells me to get ready. A few minutes later we are both up in the ring, warming up. Our eyes meet and we both smile and nod at each other.

We are given water, move to the center of the ring and the bell rings. I move right to the boxer and go to work. He moves pretty good, but isn't offering much offense. I can see he has skills but I want to pick up the pace. I start to press the boxer, land a few clean shots and feel myself breathing a bit after working hard from the opening bell. At ringside I hear Memo Soto yell, "Thirty seconds . . .". A moment later I catch a punch so hard I can still feel it today. I stay on my feet but my legs are a little shakey. I try to fight back and suddenly another one whacks me. The fighter moves back, smiles, and waits for me to attack again. The bell rings.

I walk to the side of the ring and Julio gives me some water. ""How you feeling? You took a good shot."
"I'm OK." We continued to box four rounds that day. At the end of each round the guy would rattle me with a devistating punch. I stayed on my feet, fought back, but really was not in control of the action.

When the workout ended I stepped out of the ring and Julio removed my head gear and gloves.
"I mentioned to Julio, "That guy reall can bang for an amateur, good boxer too."
Julio looked at me like I was crazy. "Amateur? Who's an amateur? That was Rafael Herrera, he fights Lennie Brice next week."

I had no idea that I was in the ring with a top ten bantamweight, one who would eventually KO Ruben Olivares for the title.
It was the damn outfit he was wearing.
From that day on, I never judged a boxer by what he was wearing.


-Rick Farris

great story Rick

Power & Prejudice . . .

Roger, I'll tell you (and the world) something here. I mentioned I never forgot the power of Rafael Herrera.
He hurt me, and more than once that day.
Two years later, I'm a pro and working as a sparring partner for Olivares.
Rafael Herrera is also training for a fight on the same card. He hires amateur Bobby Chacon as a sparring partner.
Chacon is nearly twenty (same as me) but still not yet a pro. Bobby beats the crap out of Rafael Herrera in the gym.
Herrera is embarrassed and fires Chacon. Chacon goes to work with us in the Olivares camp.
Bobby then beats up Olivares in the gym. Bobby suddenly gets a lot of attention and soon makes his pro debut.
Of course, later Ruben Olivares would school Bobby Chacon and flatten him, handing him his first loss in the process.

When I watched Bobby out punch Rafael Herrera, I smiled inside.
Bobby really looked great that day, a lot of maturity in the ring for a young boxer.
I didn't care for Herrera. This year, we inducted Rafael into the WBHOF.
I voted for him, but had there been somebody more deserving on the ballot, I'd have happily not voted for him.
That's how much "power" can influence "prejudice."
Herrera got my vote, but you won't see me in any pics with him.


-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

Bobby Chacon

[Rick Farris]

Roger . . . I think Bobby looks better in that photo than any other in years. He likes his portrait, that's obvious.

[dagosd2000]

Roger . . . I think Bobby looks better in that photo than any other in years. He likes his portrait, that's obvious.

Thank you very much Rick. After your post on Bobby and Rafa I was browsing through the pics at the WBHOF. That photo struck me the same way. Bobby looks like he's back down to earth again. Maybe the painting did that to him. At least I hope it did.

[dagosd2000]

SUGAR IN THE EVENING SUGAR IN THE MORNING

My dad would surprise once in a while when I would be with him. He would spot someone famous ,then go up ,put his arm around the guy,and break out into a laugh and a conversation. Back in Chicago I remember this happening when my Dad spotted the great Sugar Ray Robinson standing on a street corner. I remember it was very cold.
"Hey there's Sugar Ray Robinson,"said my Dad pointing to the Sugar Man.
I knew who Sugar Ray Robinson was. He was the guy that had womped on all those dago fighters. I never could get over the fact that LaMotta had lost four times to Robinson. To hear the spaghetti eaters tell it on the southwest side it was Jake that finally got that pound of flesh for the fall of Rome. Hell,don't ever bring it up that Jake ever lost to Robinson.So here's my Dad walking up to Ray Robinson ,and Ray sees him and gives my Dad that Sugar Ray Robinson smile.
"Joe"says Robby still smiling."How you doing?"
"Sugar,I want you to meet my son."
Ray Robinson bends down a little ,head cocked to the side,and extends his hand. Not a earth shaking grip. Naw,that wasn't Ray Robinson. A polite firm shake. Ray Robinson. Even when he shook your hand he had style. Walking down a flight of stairs.Opening up the newspaper. I guess you're born with it. You don't rehearse that kind of stuff.
"Sugar.Remember when you were standing in front of Meadowmoor dairy when they gunned down Mo Greenburg?"exclaimed my Dad.
"Joe,I thought they wanted to shoot me!"
To see those two giants laugh out loud at that one!

My Dad and Sugar Ray Robinson on a cold street corner in Chicago. I guess you don't rehearse that kind of stuff.

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAe38PQywuQ

Ask The Lonely

the Four Tops

[dagosd2000]

Jake LaMotta

[kikibalt]

It was the best boxing publication I ever read. I don't remember what day of the week it arrived at O'Grady's office, but I'd always rush over there that day after classes to read it. I didn't subscribe to it because I was a poor college student and couldn't afford it, but Pat knew I liked it and he's always let me read it as soon as he got it.

As I understand it, Flash just got burned out on boxing, and quit publishing it in the mid-80s. He still lives in Brooklyn, from what I understand, but has no connection or interest in the game.

BTW, its a little remembered fact, but Flash is the guy who blew the whistle on the Ring Magazine-ABC-U.S. Boxing tournament scandal in the late 1970s.

Frankie had one fight vs Francisco Villegas on that Ring Magazine/ABC tournament, it was on the weekend the scandal broke, Miami Beach, Florida

[Rick Farris]

SUGAR IN THE EVENING SUGAR IN THE MORNING

My dad would surprise once in a while when I would be with him. He would spot someone famous ,then go up ,put his arm around the guy,and break out into a laugh and a conversation. Back in Chicago I remember this happening when my Dad spotted the great Sugar Ray Robinson standing on a street corner. I remember it was very cold.
"Hey there's Sugar Ray Robinson,"said my Dad pointing to the Sugar Man.
I knew who Sugar Ray Robinson was. He was the guy that had womped on all those dago fighters. I never could get over the fact that LaMotta had lost four times to Robinson. To hear the spaghetti eaters tell it on the southwest side it was Jake that finally got that pound of flesh for the fall of Rome. Hell,don't ever bring it up that Jake ever lost to Robinson.So here's my Dad walking up to Ray Robinson ,and Ray sees him and gives my Dad that Sugar Ray Robinson smile.
"Joe"says Robby still smiling."How you doing?"
"Sugar,I want you to meet my son."
Ray Robinson bends down a little ,head cocked to the side,and extends his hand. Not a earth shaking grip. Naw,that wasn't Ray Robinson. A polite firm shake. Ray Robinson. Even when he shook your hand he had style. Walking down a flight of stairs.Opening up the newspaper. I guess you're born with it. You don't rehearse that kind of stuff.
"Sugar.Remember when you were standing in front of Meadowmoor dairy when they gunned down Mo Greenburg?"exclaimed my Dad.
"Joe,I thought they wanted to shoot me!"
To see those two giants laugh out loud at that one!

My Dad and Sugar Ray Robinson on a cold street corner in Chicago. I guess you don't rehearse that kind of stuff.

And how amazing that memory?
Rog, that's a slice of history. Boxing history, your history.
Priceless.

[Expug]

Indeed a priceless memory Rog.

[kikibalt]

This kid Steve Luevano fighting tonight on HBO is from La Puente, my home town, and no body knows the guy, and he hold some kind of title, he can be walking down the street and no body recognizes him, the poor guy, don't get no local press, no tv interviews, he needs a good pr man....

[dagosd2000]

Ray Robinson in front of his nightclub in Harlem