Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

Boyle Heights celebrates its ethnic diversity
In the 1940s, the Eastside neighborhood was often called one of the largest and earliest showcases for multicultural harmony in Los Angeles.

By Teresa Watanabe

February 22, 2010

When Margaret Fujioka was taken to a remote desert internment camp after Japan's 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Jesus and Carmen Garcia stepped up as faithful neighbors to guard her home. The immigrants from Mexico couldn't always fully communicate with Fujioka's parents from Japan, but their fast friendship transcended cultural differences.

And when the war ended and Fujioka returned, Jewish neighbor Jane Leighton offered her a house-cleaning job. Other Japanese Americans encountered deep hostility in other parts of the city as they tried to reassemble their shattered lives. But Jews like Leighton, Fujioka mused recently, seemed to feel empathy for their Japanese American neighbors and reached out to help.

What else would you expect? After all, this was Boyle Heights in the 1940s, a place often described as one of the largest and earliest showcases for multicultural harmony in Los Angeles.

The three ethnic groups that flourished in Boyle Heights in the first half of the 20th century, as racist housing covenants kept them out of other areas, have largely gone their separate ways. Boyle Heights residents today are almost entirely Latino, mostly of Mexican heritage.

But the yearning to rekindle those multicultural connections -- and offer lessons in getting along to the larger community -- has sparked a new initiative by the consulates of Israel, Japan and Mexico to share memories, celebrate culture and strengthen friendships in Boyle Heights.

"We want to revive this experience of togetherness, because this is a city of immigrants, and that is the power and strength of Los Angeles," said Jacob Dayan, consul general of Israel in Los Angeles.

The three groups unveiled their first event last week, featuring a symposium to explore their joint history and a shared culinary experience sampling Japanese fish cake stew, several yellowtail dishes and 10 varieties of sake. The event was hosted by Junichi Ihara, Japanese consul general in Los Angeles, who launched the idea for the initiative.

Ihara said he was inspired to act after U.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, (D-East Los Angeles), told him about the multicultural history of Boyle Heights in a conversation last year. In one of the neighborhood's most renowned acts, voters of various ethnic stripes rallied in 1949 to elect a Mexican American to integrate the all-white Los Angeles City Council. That man was Roybal-Allard's father: Edward R. Roybal.

Materials from the Japanese American National Museum's 2002 exhibit about Boyle Heights and the 1996 documentary "Meet Me at Brooklyn and Soto," about Jewish life in the area, helped Ihara gain a fuller understanding of the community and its history. He reached out to his counterparts from Mexico and Israel to brainstorm ways to resurrect the historic bonds.

"I was fascinated by the history as the first multiracial coalition to make a difference in Los Angeles," Ihara said.

The neighborhood began as a ranching community and blossomed into an urban enclave in the late 1800s, when bridges were built over the Los Angeles River to allow railway cars to carry workers from city jobs to Boyle Heights residences, according to George J. Sanchez, a USC professor of American studies and ethnicity and history. The area was named after Andrew Boyle, an Irish immigrant.

In the early 20th century, waves of immigrants began populating the area, including members of the Russian Molokans, a Protestant sect, fleeing persecution and military conscription; Jewish and Italian migrants fleeing World War I; and Japanese from Northern California looking for new opportunities after the 1906 earthquake flattened San Francisco. Mexicans, who had always been in the area, increased their numbers as migrants escaped the turmoil of revolution in their homeland.

Not everyone celebrated the diversity. In an era of racist housing covenants, the neighborhood was viewed with deep suspicion by the U.S. government. In a 1939 federal housing report, Boyle Heights was described as "hopelessly heterogeneous with diverse and subversive racial elements on almost every single block," Sanchez said.

Through the Great Depression, the Mexican Repatriation, the Japanese American internment and city projects that sliced the neighborhood with several freeways, the community hung together, neighbors say.

Today, remnants of the multiethnic past are visible to close observers, among them the stars of David on the Japanese American senior home on Boyle Avenue, where the 92-year-old Fujioka lives and where she is cared for by Connie Munoz, a Mexico-born nursing aide. Others include the bonsai trees in the yards of Mexican immigrants, the brick Breed Street Shul around the corner from street vendors selling churros, the Japanese churches and language school off 1st and Saratoga streets.

And the memories of a place and time that stir passion and nostalgia are in the stories that were shared at the symposium, which drew nearly 200 people.

Elizabeth Fine Ginsburg was editor of the Roosevelt High School newspaper in 1941 when one of her best friends, Susie Hattori, was taken to an internment camp. Ginsburg wrote a scathing editorial against the internment and visited Hattori at the temporary assembly center at the Santa Anita racetracks.

"It was shocking: They were in horse stalls," she recalled. "We felt it was a terrible injustice."

Japanese American businessman Jon Kaji described lighter moments: running around the neighborhood with Mexican American friends learning Spanish and eating icy raspado and sweet pan dulce.

His grandfather, Kikuwo Tashiro, led an effort to build the city's first Japanese hospital in Boyle Heights and successfully sued the state when it would not grant them corporate status. The venture was a forerunner to Keiro Senior HealthCare, the nation's largest Japanese American healthcare provider, built on the site of the Jewish Home for the Aged on Boyle Avenue.

By the time writer Josefina Lopez arrived in Boyle Heights from Mexico as a girl in 1975, it was overwhelmingly Latino.

The area had a bleak reputation as a crime-ridden hot spot for gangs and drugs, a place from which ambitious Latinos like her aspired to escape with education and hard work, she said.

But she was drawn back to the neighborhood in 2000. Now, as founder and artistic director for the Casa 0101 Theater, Lopez said she hopes to write a play celebrating the neighborhood's ethnic bonds.

"I want to recapture that energy and the incredible tolerance for all races," she said.

As their next step, the consulates are discussing a possible film festival and family day featuring cultural activities.

And other collaborative projects are underway. The Jewish community has launched a $5-million fundraising campaign to renovate the Breed Street Shul, once the largest synagogue for Los Angeles Jews, as a center for tutoring, free legal services and other programs for the largely Latino community, Dayan said.

As she recalled her own childhood memories of visiting one ethnic community after another with her father, Roybal-Allard said at the symposium that the past offered powerful lessons at a time of deep political divisiveness.

"Boyle Heights is really an example of where we want to be today," Roybal-Allard said.

[email protected]

[Rick Farris]

Danny Valdez once said to a fighter, "Don't tell how many fights and wins you have, tell me who you fought and I'll tell you what kind of fighter you are"

I think the biggest example of a padded record belongs to Lamar Clark who holds a very phony record in my opinion of most kos in a row he got every single one of those kos were against opponents right out of the fridge

Consecutive KO artists . . .

Good point, Hammer. Lamar Clark's consecutive KO record was built on bartenders, truck drivers, out of work plumbers, copper miners, etc. What people don't realize, is that the consecutive KO record among world champions is held by our pal, Rodolfo "El Gato" Gonzalez. No world champ in the history of the sport scored as many concecutive KO's. El Gato turned pro three weeks before his fourteenth birthday and quickly rattled off thirty-five consecutive KO's. Before suffering his first loss, his record stood at 52-0 (50 KO's). These men weren't just "TJ cab drivers", names such as Kid Iripuato line the list. Second on that all-time KO list of world champs is Wilfredo Gomez, with 32 straight KO's. Archie Moore, whose career 140 KO's will never be equaled, never KOed more than a dozen consecutivly. Overall, only three boxers scored more consecutive KO's than Rodolfo Gonzalez, but none were champs and most of the losers were bums. This is a major accomplishment that none of the so called "boxing historians" and IBRO boys were aware of until Dan Hanley and I started rattling their cages. Our El Gato Gonzalez, a humble champion, was unaware of his accomplishment until I dug up the facts and made it public. Rodolfo is just one of us, a guy who drops in to post occasionally to visit with fans, but he is so much more and his legendary accomplishment may never ne equaled? Think of all the brilliant, all-time greats that held word titles during the past century. If they couldn't do it, what makes me believe that any of todays marginal lot could do so?


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Baby Arizmendi vs Henry Armstrong

Too bad HBO couldn't get this match, Armstrong vs. Arizmendi. Imagine, this same fight, only held in today's HBO ring, minus the usual HBO crew of Lampley, Merchant, Letterman, Buffer, etc.

From ringside Don Dunphy & Dick Enberg, and instead of the stale, "Let's get ready to rumble . . ." crap, we have a silver haired Jimmy Lennon Sr.'s, "All right fans, here we go . . .!"

Today's hi-def cams and inovative production techniques would show us so much more of how great these guys really were.

Only in my dreams . . .


-Rick Farris

Rick trying to catch up to you guys need another 900 pages to do so it is amazing everytime I read stuff you write it reminds me of the way I think one guy in particular who in my opinion from the first time I heard him back in the 1980s is a total phony is Michael Buffer to me he is so insincere as for Lampley they can keep him also,what I saw him say after Chris Arreola showed tremendous heart in losing to Klitchko shows me he has no class

Hammer . . . Every sunday, I spend two hours in the mornign training a motion picture wardrobe supervisor how to box. We have been doing this for years, and he pays me very well to teach and condition him. My friend, John Doyle, was Antonio Banderas's wardrobe guy on the movie, "Play it to the Bone". During the filming of that movie, Jim Lampley had a cameo role as the ring announcer. John handled Lampley's wardrobe needs and told me the guy was the biggest, self-centered, pain-in-the-ass he'd ever met. You can imagine that John has been doing this for more than two decades and those in the costume end of the business have to deal with a lot of big egos. In other words, he's used to the phony Hollywood A-Holes. However, John said Jim Lampley wins the all-time "Jack Ass" award.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Guys, meet my youngest son James

James looks like some athlete did he ever try boxing

Paulino…James was without a doubt the most gifted athlete of all our boys, he was an outstanding little leaguer, same in high school football and baseball.

Boxing? He was good, but he suffer a brain injury in 1994 (20 years old) while sparring one time, a blood clot, he had surgery, while in surgery he suffer a stroke and the doctors didn't think he was going to make it, after the surgery the doctor told my wife and I that James had a 20% chance of surviving, he did survive and after spending a month in the hospital, with therapy and the good care of his doctors James has made about a 90% recovery, he got married, that didn’t last, but he did get two beautiful daughters out of the marriage, he has a good job that he been on for over ten years.

James lives with us, goes to work comes home, about twice a week plus the weekends he picks his girls up to spent time with’em, all in all he is a good son and father.

Frank . . .

You sired four of the best athletes to come out of Southern Cal during their era, not to mention a beautiful daughter.
You and Connie deserve a lot of credit for such an outstanding family. Good looking, smart, and exceptional human beings. This is a result of all the time you put toward their lives when children. You were always a part of their lives, which meant they had you as their role model. How lucky for them! (Not to mention guys like myself.) You weren't my coach, but you were an example to all of us L.A. kids that benefitted from your participation in the amateur boxing program of L.A.

[Rick Farris]

Speaking of a padded record.J.C.Chavez Jr. One of these days he thinks he's going to get in there with another "stiff" and the "stiif"is going to stiffen him.

Rog . . . During the summer of '2000, I was training boxers inPhoenix, starting to write about boxing, and basicly taking a long break from the film inductry. While in Az. Chavez was matched with world champ Kostya Tszyu. Chavez was long in the tooth, at 38, well beyond his effective years as a boxer, and a life-time away from his championship days, Chavez came to our central Phoenix gym to prepare for the prime Russian. I didn't see him at the gym, he was only there for a week, but the rumors were going around that Chavez was smoking crack, drinking, etc.

I covered the event for the Cyber Boxing Zone. I wrote about Chavez sad condition, and what happened in the fight. I tried to take my readers behind the scenes of a past prime champ attempting to fight "just for the money".

This was ten years ago. The thought of JCC attempting to lace on gloves again would be tragic.


-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

James looks like some athlete did he ever try boxing

Paulino…James was without a doubt the most gifted athlete of all our boys, he was an outstanding little leaguer, same in high school football and baseball.

Boxing? He was good, but he suffer a brain injury in 1994 (20 years old) while sparring one time, a blood clot, he had surgery, while in surgery he suffer a stroke and the doctors didn't think he was going to make it, after the surgery the doctor told my wife and I that James had a 20% chance of surviving, he did survive and after spending a month in the hospital, with therapy and the good care of his doctors James has made about a 90% recovery, he got married, that didn’t last, but he did get two beautiful daughters out of the marriage, he has a good job that he been on for over ten years.

James lives with us, goes to work comes home, about twice a week plus the weekends he picks his girls up to spent time with’em, all in all he is a good son and father.

Frank . . .

You sired four of the best athletes to come out of Southern Cal during their era, not to mention a beautiful daughter.
You and Connie deserve a lot of credit for such an outstanding family. Good looking, smart, and exceptional human beings. This is a result of all the time you put toward their lives when children. You were always a part of their lives, which meant they had you as their role model. How lucky for them! (Not to mention guys like myself.) You weren't my coach, but you were an example to all of us L.A. kids that benefitted from your participation in the amateur boxing program of L.A.

Rick....Don't know what to say, but thank you....

[Rick Farris]

(CBZ Journal - Sept. '2000)

The Lion in Winter
By Rick Farris


Boxing and controversy were holding hands long before the Marquis of Queensbury laid down the ground rules. Generally, controversy surfaces sometime after the opening bell. However, from the moment it was announced that WBC Jr. Welterweight Champ Kostya Tszyu would defend his title against 38-year-old Julio Cesar Chavez, controversy flourished. Even today, three days after the fight the controversy continues.

The Tszyu-Chavez title fight would be my first live coverage assignment and I had a special interest in it. I had been in the house the night Chavez made his Los Angeles debut at the Olympic Auditorium more than seventeen years ago, and again the following year, when he won his first world title. Now I would be present for what I expected to be the once great champion's final fight.

I had hoped to catch Chavez working out at the Madison Gym in Phoenix where today I train boxers. However, my schedule interfered with the chance of seeing Chavez during the week he conducted his final workouts in Phoenix. I didn't see the former champ until the friday afternoon weigh-in at the Airport Hilton Hotel in Phoenix.

When I arrived at the Hotel I saw a lot of old friends and familiar faces from my era in Los Angeles boxing. Marty Denkin, who was scheduled to judge the bout was sitting in the lobby with another L.A. based official, Chuck Hassett. A group of amateur boxers representing several Phoenix area gyms were standing by hoping to get a glimpse of Chavez when he entered the building. Arizona boxing commissioner John Montano was having a discussion in the corner with one of the promoters and Jimmy Lennon Jr. crossed the room on his way to the restaurant. Kostya Tszyu had quietly slipped into the media room where the weigh-in would be held and quickly checked his weight on the scale. After stepping off the scale he disappeared. About ten minutes later a commotion could be heard coming from the lobby and it marked the entrance of the greatest Mexican boxer ever, Julio Cesar Chavez. Chavez was quickly surrounded by the media. Anxious reporters and camera crews positioned themselves close to the former champion and began asking questions. Chavez sat down in the lobby and talked with the media but not with the strength that he once projected.

As I watched Chavez talk to the media I could see that this was not the same man I had watched win the W.B.C. Jr. Lightweight title sixteen years earlier. The Chavez I saw knockout Mario Martinez was 21 years old and had that hungry look in his eyes. The Chavez I saw in the lobby of the Hotel looked uncomfortable, almost irritated. The only confidence projected that afternoon came from a loyal group of young followers that somehow believed that there hero could pull off a miracle. "Vamos Rumbo A La Victoria" were the words emblazoned on the back of their T-Shirts. They had come to win.

Chavez's behavior in the days leading up to the fight indicated to me that he was in trouble. Last week he became upset when learning that Willy Wise, the welterweight who had defeated him last September, would be appearing on the undercard. Chavez demanded that the promoter drop Wise from the card or he would not fight. The request was honored. This is something that Chavez would have never done a few years ago. However, as I said, this was not the same Chavez.

A few minutes later Chavez stood and headed for the media room where the weigh-in was scheduled to take place in less than twenty minutes. Chavez and his handlers headed directly toward the scale to check his weight. Chavez stripped to his briefs and stepped onto the scale. After finding his weight to be exactly 140 lbs. Chavez nodded seriously and slipped into a robe provided by one of his team members. Every move the great Mexican made after entering the room was followed by loud cheering from the spectators. It was obvious they had come to see Chavez.

In a matter of seconds the room was packed wall-to-wall. Former World Champ Danny Romero shook hands and posed for pictures with many of the young fans who had come to watch the festivities. Hector Camacho Jr. smiled and flexed his muscles as photographers snapped pictures. It wasn't long before the official weigh-in would take place and after weighing the other boxers on the card Commissioner John Montano called Chavez to the scale. "Julio Cesar Chavez . . .140 pounds", Montano announced. The spectators cheered. A minute later Montano called for the champion to be weighed. "Kostya Tszyu . . .139 1/2 pounds". The crowd booed but Tszyu just smiled and confidently flexed his muscles for the media before stepping down. The champion was about as popular with the predominantly Mexican crowd as Lee Harvey Oswald was with the American public on November 22, 1963.

Chavez never smiled, aside from a weak effort after his weight was announced. He was obviously upset over the events leading up to the fight. In addition to the Wise incident, Chavez was angry that Senator John McCain had attempted to stop the fight from taking place. Fearing that Chavez could be seriously hurt by Tszyu, McCain had petitioned Arizona Governor Jane Hull to step in. However, the fight would go on and Chavez considered the Senator's efforts an insult. Adding to the insult was the fact that Las Vegas was refusing to take action on the bout, citing that Chavez was anywhere from a 40 to 100-to-1 underdog. Chavez trained hard and vowed to prove them wrong. After the weigh-in, Tszyu told the press he would stop Chavez in two rounds while Chavez said he would knockout Tszyu within eight. I looked closely into the dark gamecock eyes of Chavez as he made the prediction and nothing gave me the impression that he believed what he was saying.

Early the next evening I arrived at Phoenix's Veteran's Memorial Coliseum a couple of hours before the title fight was to start. It had been 112 degrees
that day and those who had bought tickets parked their cars and hurried across the parking lot to escape the heat. "Thank God for air conditioning" was all I could think about upon entering the cool Coliseum. I had arrived about halfway thru a prelim featuring former World Champ Robert Garcia. As Garcia pounded his opponent I wanted to get with the boxing people. Thanks to my press credentials and familiar face among the boxing crowd I was able to go just about anywhere I wanted.

After locating my seat I went directly to the dressing room area located behind giant curtains shielding that part of the arena from the crowd. I passed by the Showtime crew who were running a sound check on Bobby Czyz as he and Steve Albert prepared themselves for their ringside commentator roles later on. As I passed by the security reps guarding the dressing room area, I saw my friend Richard Rodriguez, owner of the Madison Gym where Chavez had finished his training for this fight. I asked Rodriguez how Chavez had looked in the gym during the previous week and he answered, "He looked good. He's in good shape". That's all Rodriguez could offer. I then spot America Presents promoter Dan Goossen who was standing in the back outside the dressing room area with Jimmy Lennon Jr. I knew that Goossen would be too busy to talk about the fight so I just said hello and asked him if his brother Joe was around. "Joe couldn't make it", Dan said, "He usually does all the work but I guess it will be just me tonight" he said smiling. Goossen had good reason to be happy, the event was a near sellout.

As I made my way toward the dressing rooms I saw Sugar Ray Leonard enter surrounded by several security guards who would usher him to his ringside seat. A few minutes later Johnny Tapia walked in holding hands with his wife. Tapia had a mischievous smile on his face and clowned with a few friends he'd met. I have to give Johnny credit, he sure knows how to work a crowd. Throughout the evening I saw Tapia shaking hands and posing for pictures with fans. I doubt he ever sat down. And as usual there were many other boxing celebs on hand such as Fernando Vargas, Danny Romero and Zab Judah, who had come to check out Kostya Tszyu, a man whom he will face in the ring one day. When Don King emerged from the dressing room area with four giant body guards the crowd greeted him with boos.

After Garcia had won a ten round decision, Vassily Jirov the IBF Cruiserweight Champ took on a cagey Phoenix veteran named Earl Butler. Butler was not expected to last long but it was Jirov who was lucky to finish the first round on his feet. About halfway thru the opening round Butler discovered that Jirov could be hit with right cross and caught the champ flush on the chin with one. Jirov staggered and struggled to remain on his feet. Before the round ended he'd caught several more and wobbled to his corner after the bell. However, in the second round Jirov went to work and and knocked out Butler.

After the Jirov fight I wondered back to the dressing room area where Hector Camacho Jr. was being boosted up onto a large wooden horse on wheels. Camacho had intended to make his ring entrance riding a real horse down the aisle but the Phoenix Fire Dept. said "No way". Instead, Camacho would make his entrance on the back of the wooden horse pulled down the aisle by an assistant. As Camacho awaited the cue for his entrance, he sat patiently on the wooden horse with his pretty young wife standing just below him carrying their baby in her arms. I spoke briefly with Ted Morton, Camacho's American representative whom I had met several years back. Needless to say, Morton was very excited about his unbeaten young fighter. After watching Camacho stop Phillip Holiday in a less than exciting bout I returned to the dressing area where I was able to casually slip inside the dressing room of Chavez. I just acted like I belonged there and quietly stood to the side watching the Mexican legend as he warmed up shadow boxing. He broke a sweat but didn't appear ready to me for action to me. An official prompted Team Chavez that it was about time for the once brilliant champion to head down to the ring. A second tied Chavez robe while another rubbed his shoulders. About this time a group of about a dozen young members of Team Chavez along with his handlers surrounded Julio and began to chant a pre-fight cheer, something to raise the fighters spirit before the match. When they finished, Cristobal Rosas, the great Mexican trainer who had once worked with the late Salvador Sanchez, gave Chavez a hug and kissed him on the forehead. Rosas had once trained Chavez and was Julio's special guest for the fight. They exchanged a few words in Spanish and then Julio headed out. Before reaching the curtain leading to the arena Chavez, surrounded by the most loyal entourage I have ever seen, stood waiting for the final cue to walk down the aisle. Gathered before Chavez was a large Mariachi band that would play as he entered the ring. A moment later Don King and his escorts appeared and King hugged Chavez. King, never one to miss an opportunity to be seen, stood behind Chavez with his hands on the former champion's shoulders. King would accompany Chavez for his last walk down the aisle. I looked closely into the face of Chavez and didn't see the look of a man who had held world titles for more than twelve years during his brilliant career. I saw a man who knew his great pride was about to suffer.

A Showtime official gave the Chavez delegation the signal, in Spanish, that it was time. "Tiempo" he shouted. Long before Chavez walked thru the curtain and began his walk down the aisle the crowd exploded. "CHAVEZ, CHAVEZ, CHAVEZ!", they chanted. As Chavez slowly made his way to the ring the flashes from cameras created a strobe light effect around the Coliseum and the sound of Mariachi music was drowned out by the thunderous ovation from the audience. I have seen a lot of title fights and dozens of great champions over the years but nothing compared to the excitement that took place when Chavez entered the ring Saturday night. You would think that Chavez was the champion and Tszyu was an unpopular challenger. When Tszyu entered the ring a few minutes later he was greeted with boos.

Chavez did his best but had little to offer. On a couple of occasions he was able to land solid blows but they had no effect on the talented Russian. In the sixth round the great Julio Cesar Chavez hit the canvas for only the second time in his career. He made it to his feet and desperately tried to fight back but within seconds referee Bobby Ferrara had no choice but to stop the fight.

Too many years have separated Chavez from the skills that made him great, however, the legend will never die. When the disappointment of Chavez's fans turned to anger, the beer started to fly. Growing up in Los Angeles I know how Mexican fans react when their favorite loses. Long before Jimmy Lennon announced the winner of the fight I was safely tucked away in the press room waiting for the post fight press conference.

Chavez announced his retirement after the fight and I hope he was serious. Even so, the controversy continued when he refused to take the drug test following the fight. Many would assume that this suggests Chavez had taken an illegal substance prior to the match. However, nothing I saw in the eyes or behavior of the great Chavez indicated he had. I think the greatest Mexican boxer in history had been insulted enough and just wanted to get out of the place. Chavez has earned his place in boxing history, what could a bit more controversy hurt.

[dagosd2000]

Frank
Family is about the most important thing a man has. You have a great one.

[dagosd2000]

Frank having a good time with Connie and Frankie. I believe the lady is Tony Cerda's wife. CBHOF 2009

[Rick Farris]

The Cerda's . . .

Tony Cerda is another good guy, and a great coach of world champions.
His son, Tony Jr. was one of the junior glovers fighting back in my day, the days of the Baltazar's, Davila's, Sandoval's. etc.
Tony Jr. went on to fight competitivly with the best in the world. Today, he has a great job with the L.A. County Probation office.
THis past CBHOF banquet provided me with a chance to see young Tony Jr. for the first time in decades (and his dad.)
What special people the Cerda's are. Tony senior was inducted into the CBHOF last year, Tony Jr. will go in this year.


-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Frank
Family is about the most important thing a man has. You have a great one.

Thanks Roger...

[kikibalt]

Frank having a good time with Connie and Frankie. I believe the lady is Tony Cerda's wife. CBHOF 2009

Yes, thats Tony Cerda's wife, neither Connie or I can remember her name, great lady though...

[kikibalt]

Mighty Mouse



Mighty Mouse is an animation superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox.

History
The character was created by story man Izzy Klein as a super-powered housefly named "Superfly." Studio head Paul Terry changed the character into a cartoon mouse instead. Originally created as a parody of Superman, he first appeared in 1942 in a theatrical animated short entitled The Mouse of Tomorrow. The original name of the character was Super Mouse, but it was soon changed to Mighty Mouse when Paul Terry learned that another character with the same name was being published in comic books. Super Mouse appeared briefly in the Marvel comic book interpretation of the character, and was nicknamed "Terry the First", as he was the first version of the character.


First appearance of Mighty MouseMighty Mouse originally had a blue costume with a red cape, like Superman, but over time this outfit changed to a yellow costume with a red cape.[1] As with other imitations of Superman, Mighty Mouse's super powers allow him to fly, to be incredibly strong, in short, to be invulnerable. He has demonstrated the use of "X-ray vision" in at least one episode, while during several cartoons he used a form of telekinesis that allowed him to command inanimate objects and turn back time (as in the cartoons The Johnstown Flood and Krakatoa). Other cartoons have him leaving a red contrail during flight which he can manipulate like a band of solid flexible matter at will.

The initial formula consisted of an extended setup of a crisis which needs extraordinary help to resolve; Mighty Mouse appears to save the day.

Mighty Mouse was originally voiced by Roy Halee, Sr.; later Tom Morrison provided the character's voice in some cartoons.

The early operatic Mighty Mouse cartoons often portrayed Mighty Mouse as a ruthless fighter. He would dole out a considerable amount of punishment, subduing opponent cats to the point of giving up their evil plan and running away. Mighty Mouse would then chase down the escaping cats, and continue beating them mercilessly, usually hurling or punching them miles away to finish the fight. A favorite move is to suddenly fly up to just under a much larger opponent's chin and throw a blinding flurry of punches that leaves the enemy reeling.

Mighty Mouse had two mouse girlfriends named Pearl Pureheart (in the cartoons) and Mitzi (in the comics during the 50s and 60s), and his arch-enemy is an evil villain cat named Oil Can Harry (who originated as a human from earlier Terrytoons as the enemy of Fanny Zilch). These characters were created for a series of Mighty Mouse cartoons that spoofed the old cliffhanger serials of the days of silent film; the cartoons [beginning with "A Fight To the Finish" (1947)] usually began with Mighty Mouse and Pearl Pureheart already in a desperate situation, as if they were the next chapter of the serial. The characters often sang mock opera songs during these cartoons {Pearl: "Oil Can Harry, you're a villain!"/Oil Can: "I know it, but it's a lot of fun..."}. Mighty Mouse was also known for singing "Here I come to save the day!" when flying into action. Mighty Mouse's home town is Mouseville, populated mostly by anthropomorphic toon mice.

Mighty Mouse fought other villains, though most of them appeared in only one or two cartoons. In at least two cartoons from 1949 and 1950, he faced a huge, dim-witted but super-strong cat named Julius Pinhead "Schlabotka" (this cat's name was only spoken and never spelled out), whose strength rivaled Mighty Mouse's own. In another cartoon, titled The Green Line (1944), the cats live on one side of the main street of a town and the mice on the other; a green line down the middle of the street serves as the dividing line. They agree to keep the peace as long as no one crosses it. An evil entity, a Satan cat, comes and starts the cats and mice fighting. Mighty Mouse appears and the evil spirit materializes tridents to attack him. This maneuver fails, and the devil cat disappears in a puff of smoke, like an air plane crashing to the ground. At the end, Mighty Mouse is cheered by mice and cats alike.

In the episode "Krakatoa" (1945), Mighty Mouse lassoes the super-volcano Krakatoa, saving the island's inhabitants from the pyroclastic flow. Most memorably, a love-interest for Mighty Mouse makes her appearance, Krakatoa Katie. One line of her theme song is "Krakatoa Katie, she ain't no lady".

Mighty Mouse was not extraordinarily popular in theatrical cartoons, but was still Terrytoons' most popular character. What made him a cultural icon was television. Paul Terry sold the Terrytoon company to CBS television in 1955. The network began running Mighty Mouse Playhouse in December 1955; it remained on the air for nearly twelve years (and featured The Mighty Heroes during the final season). Mighty Mouse cartoons became a staple of children's TV programming for a period of over thirty years, from the 1950s through the 1980s.

Despite the character's popularity on TV, Terrytoons produced only three further "Mighty Mouse" theatrical cartoons in the 1959-61 time frame; the company evidently believed that the existing library of "Mighty Mouse" episodes were enough to keep youngsters tuning in to CBS every Saturday morning.

Mighty Mouse was also featured on Tom Scholz's Les Paul guitar.

Some early vinyl credits the original theme song to The Terrytooners, Mitch Miller and Orchestra, but recent publishing has generally credited The Sandpipers.[2]

[Randyman]

Guys, meet my youngest son James

James looks like some athlete did he ever try boxing

Paulino…James was without a doubt the most gifted athlete of all our boys, he was an outstanding little leaguer, same in high school football and baseball.

Boxing? He was good, but he suffer a brain injury in 1994 (20 years old) while sparring one time, a blood clot, he had surgery, while in surgery he suffer a stroke and the doctors didn't think he was going to make it, after the surgery the doctor told my wife and I that James had a 20% chance of surviving, he did survive and after spending a month in the hospital, with therapy and the good care of his doctors James has made about a 90% recovery, he got married, that didn’t last, but he did get two beautiful daughters out of the marriage, he has a good job that he been on for over ten years.

James lives with us, goes to work comes home, about twice a week plus the weekends he picks his girls up to spent time with’em, all in all he is a good son and father.

Frank, I'm sorry to hear about everything James went through. God was watching over your son. Just like his brothers, James found himself against the ropes in the fight of his life and like his brothers, he fought his way out and scored a knockout.

In all sincerity Frank, I think the Baltazar family are special people, the "salt of the earth". I challenge anyone to say otherwise.

Randy

[Randyman]

Frank
Family is about the most important thing a man has. You have a great one.

Thanks Roger...

Ain't that the truth!

[Randyman]

I used to collect comics when I was a kid. I had Superman number 2 and several other Golden Age comics that would have financed an early retirement for me. My mother threw them out when I was in the Navy. I never told here what she did. Even at that time they were worth a small fortune. I still had large collection left and rebuilt it. When I was laid off in the early 80's those comics supported me and my family. I had a couple of Joe Palooka comics in my collection. (sigh)
Randy

[Randyman]

The Cerda's . . .

Tony Cerda is another good guy, and a great coach of world champions.
His son, Tony Jr. was one of the junior glovers fighting back in my day, the days of the Baltazar's, Davila's, Sandoval's. etc.
Tony Jr. went on to fight competitivly with the best in the world. Today, he has a great job with the L.A. County Probation office.
THis past CBHOF banquet provided me with a chance to see young Tony Jr. for the first time in decades (and his dad.)
What special people the Cerda's are. Tony senior was inducted into the CBHOF last year, Tony Jr. will go in this year.


-Rick Farris

Tony Cerda Sr at the 2009 California Boxing Hall of Fame

[THEHAMMER321]

I think all boxing fans have there favorite fighters these guys are my favorites Alvaro Yaqui Lopez and Earnie Shavers and I think why is because I always felt bad for these two they came so close but fell just short also I never felt any arrogance from these two which is always refreshing to see and even though they had there flaws as fighters Shavers not so solid chin and stamina issues and Yaqui who would get cut as the ref was giving instructions

[dagosd2000]

FIGHTING IN THE DESERT

Inflated records sometimes can't be helped. Many Mexican fighters have emerged into the spotlight with an enormous amount of wins and KO's without a digit in the loss column.This is because amateur boxing is almost non existent in Mexico,not to mention it doesn't earn a fighter any pesos. So fighters in Mexico hone their skills as they fight as a pro.Their first professional fight is often their first fight.

Gato Gonzalez told me that when he was 15 years old he was fighting men in their 20's with many more fights on their records than Rodolfo. It is a time where you play "make it or break it." If you "make it"the promoters on the U.S. side catch wind of all those wins by KO's and no defeats.Then the prospect will get his shot in the big time. It used to be the Olympic or maybe the Forum. Maybe a fight outside in the ballpark.

Some of these kids break through and prove that all the guys they went through in those dusty towns in Mexico with the equally dusty arenas was no fluke.

Zarate,Olivares,and Chavez come to mind. When they arrived in LA. they showed that were worth the investment. They stepped up and proved themselves to be living legends.

But there are some fighters from Mexico who stumbled. "Pajarito" Moreno and Battling Torres couldn't continue those knockout strings. Jaime Garza in more recent memory went like that. Inflated records? Maybe there was no other way to fight in Mexico. They could have gone out early to another young lion and they would have blown away in the desert wind.

I used to coach a kid on the football team named Carlos Armenta. He told me his dad fought Carlos Zarate when Zarate was ringing up his KO streak. The kid's dad was one of those victums. He fought the great Zarate in the the desert town of Villa Hermosa,a typical proving ground for the Mexican fighter. Win in Villa Hermosa and you go up to Ciudad Juarez. Win there and it's off to Guadalajara. Win enough like that and maybe someone like Bob Arum will put you on the undercard of a title go. Win there and maybe you get the title shot,but you've got to keep winning especially if your a 15 year old kid like a Gato Gonzalez fighting a 22 year old veteran in a bullring in Jiquilpan,Michoacan.

If you're good enough,you might become a champion. If you can't win at a higher level,there is nothing to hang your about.At least we got to see you.

[dagosd2000]

I used to collect comics when I was a kid. I had Superman number 2 and several other Golden Age comics that would have financed an early retirement for me. My mother threw them out when I was in the Navy. I never told here what she did. Even at that time they were worth a small fortune. I still had large collection left and rebuilt it. When I was laid off in the early 80's those comics supported me and my family. I had a couple of Joe Palooka comics in my collection. (sigh)
Randy

Randy
You're like thousands of guys out there whose moms threw away their stuff. Me?It was probably ten thousand dollars worth af baseball and football cards that in those days were worth less than the bubblegum inside the packets. But I do have a Joe Palooka comic. Bought it on EBAY for 20 dollars.

[kikibalt]

James looks like some athlete did he ever try boxing

Paulino…James was without a doubt the most gifted athlete of all our boys, he was an outstanding little leaguer, same in high school football and baseball.

Boxing? He was good, but he suffer a brain injury in 1994 (20 years old) while sparring one time, a blood clot, he had surgery, while in surgery he suffer a stroke and the doctors didn't think he was going to make it, after the surgery the doctor told my wife and I that James had a 20% chance of surviving, he did survive and after spending a month in the hospital, with therapy and the good care of his doctors James has made about a 90% recovery, he got married, that didn’t last, but he did get two beautiful daughters out of the marriage, he has a good job that he been on for over ten years.

James lives with us, goes to work comes home, about twice a week plus the weekends he picks his girls up to spent time with’em, all in all he is a good son and father.

Frank, I'm sorry to hear about everything James went through. God was watching over your son. Just like his brothers, James found himself against the ropes in the fight of his life and like his brothers, he fought his way out and scored a knockout.

In all sincerity Frank, I think the Baltazar family are special people, the "salt of the earth". I challenge anyone to say otherwise.

Randy

I'm not ashamed to say that I cried like a baby at the time James was going through some hard and trying times, Randy, you're right that God was watching over James and I would like to think that he was watching over the whole Baltazar family, he answered our prays because we never lost faith in him, I would like to think that....

Thank you Randy for your kind words...

[dagosd2000]

I'm probably at fault the most on this. I try to control everything. I know it's impossible,but I keep on doing it. Then when I'm on the verge of breaking ,I turn it over to a higher power than myself.

I wish I could remember that when a catastrophe happens. About 20 years ago my wife woke up in the middle of the night screaming in pain. I rushed her to emergency. The doctors said they were going to open her stomach up. I waited alone in the hospital chapel. I couldn't find the switch. It was pitch black in there. I cried like a baby too. I was totally at God's mercy.

About 3 hours later the doctor came in. He said my wife had a benign tumor on her ovary and it was removed. She'd be ok. At that moment I didn't need to find the switch.I could see the light.

[Rick Farris]

Message from El Gato . . .

He's having computor problems. Would really like to add his comments to this subject, but at the mercy of Cyber Demons.
Too bad he can't settle the problem in the ring. One gancho to the cyber demon's gut would likely solve the problem.

Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Yaqui Lopez for Paul . . .



Hammer . . . At the WBHOF 2007 Banquet of Champions, Dan Hanley and myself conducted video interviews with a number of legends, including Yaqui Lopez. Dan had Yaqui in tears as he described his early days. The photo above shows Dan asking Lopez a question about his trilogy with Mathew Saad Muhammad. Our production crew is small, but professional. For this interview Lance was on sound, Greg behind the camera, I did the lighting and directed production, plus interviews myself.

Dan and I will often both interview a subject seperatly, such as Mando Ramos. I had a close relationshio with Mando & others, and would go into the behind scenes memories, while Dan will pull them right back into the ring and rekindle moments that made the great, Hall of Famers. We do a good job of "two-timing" our interviewees. However, some subjects are best left to me, and others to Dan.

Yaqui Lopez was Dan's guy. The previous year, we shoved our camera right into the faces of both Lopez and his nemisis/friend, Mathew Saad Muhammad. Dan asked them about their three fights and the two seemed to lose track over who had won which fight? They had a friendly disagreement, and watching them bicker on tape, yet still maintaining their composure proved humerous and warm. Dan did a good job on that one, in fact, on all of them.

These tapes will one day be our contribution to the boxing legends we have watched from day one.
WE own the very last taped interview that Mando Ramos ever did, and it was a good one! Same with Vince Delgado.

Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Rog wrote:
I'm probably at fault the most on this. I try to control everything. I know it's impossible,but I keep on doing it.
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You would not believe just how much I understand.