Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Rick Farris]

Look like some good guys Frank. As Archie and Edith Bunker would sing: "Those were the days".

Randy

I wonder what happen to the cousin?....

She probably got a job at the Follies!

She was 18 during the hole in wall days.
That would make her how old today?
Follies?

[THEHAMMER321]

MY UNBIASED LIST OF MY FAVORITE FIGHTERS

Heavyweight Rocky Marciano

Light Heavyweight Willie Pastrano

Middleweight Jake LaMotta

Welterweight Carmen Basilio

Lightweight Lou Ambers

Featherweight Willie Pep

Bantamweight Mario D'Agata

Flyweight Frankie Genaro

Lets see would any of these fighters ''happen to be'' Italian

[kikibalt]

I wonder what happen to the cousin?....

She probably got a job at the Follies!

She was 18 during the hole in wall days.
That would make her how old today?
Follies?

About 80....

[THEHAMMER321]

I miss ole rog on here for me it was more than just his art but also his stories.

[THEHAMMER321]

Frank how has your health been,with all those stories about the simons brickyard you seem to be in good spirits keep up the good work.

[kikibalt]

Frank how has your health been,with all those stories about the simons brickyard you seem to be in good spirits keep up the good work.

Paulino, my health is in the toilet, but what the hell, I'm not going to let it get me down...

[Ric]

I'm glad Lou pushed for Pete Sanstol's induction as he's a valid inductee. He had an amazing record and fought everybody. Reading of his bouts with the great Panama Al Brown provide a lot of insight to his talent. I appreciate your information regarding boxing in Norway.

-Rick Farris

Well im glad to contribute with something Heres the web page on him http://www.reocities.com/boxofdaylight/Home.htm
Its one of the best biographical websites ive seen

Hey, folks! I'm just now catching up with these posts, and I was tickled pink to see that Grandpa Pete has been mentioned and honored here in previous posts. Thanks a million! Yes, I attended the 2000 WBHOF induction weekend, and spent some time with Lou. I thanked him personally, and publicly when saying a few words as I accepted Pete's induction on behalf of his family, for campaigning for Pete's induction. And, Panzerfaust, thanks for the Reocities link! I did not know it existed, if you can believe that! This Web site used to be part of Yahoo Geocities--but they informed all personal Web site owners that these Geocities sites would be taken down and closed last October. So I saved all the info and never bothered to look back. I did not realize the site has continued as Reocities. Not all images are loading, probably because Reocities is merely a skeleton of the old Yahoo pages.

Anyway, thanks again, folks, for keeping the memory of ol' Pete alive. I miss him and Grandma Bessie terribly. They were two of the greatest people who ever walked this earth.

[kikibalt]

Tales From The Simons Brickyard
“The Rabbits”

Everybody in Simons had some kind of animals, cows, goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits, we had a goat, chickens and rabbits. My job was to get up early in the mornings and feed the critters. One Saturday my friend Beto’s brother, Kelly, got married, that night they had a big wedding party, Next morning, Sunday, I get up early to feed the critters, I fed the chickens, goat and when I got to the rabbits, the cages were empty, I went and woke Pops up,
“Pops, we don’t have rabbits anymore”
What happen mijo?”
“Don’t know Pops, but the cages are empty”
“I’ll find out” said Pops
He woke my older sister Rachel up.
“Rachel did you go to Kelly’s wedding party?”
‘Yes” said Rachel”
“Did they feed you?” ask Pops
“Yes” said Rachel again
“What did you eat?’ ask Pops
“Don’t know for sure, but it tasted like RABBIT” said Rachel

[Rick Farris]

Tales From The Simons Brickyard
“The Rabbits”

Everybody in Simons had some kind of animals, cows, goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits, we had a goat, chickens and rabbits. My job was to get up early in the mornings and feed the critters. One Saturday my friend Beto’s brother, Kelly, got married, that night they had a big wedding party, Next morning, Sunday, I get up early to feed the critters, I fed the chickens, goat and when I got to the rabbits, the cages were empty, I went and woke Pops up,
“Pops, we don’t have rabbits anymore”
What happen mijo?”
“Don’t know Pops, but the cages are empty”
“I’ll find out” said Pops
He woke my older sister Rachel up.
“Rachel did you go to Kelly’s wedding party?”
‘Yes” said Rachel”
“Did they feed you?” ask Pops
“Yes” said Rachel again
“What did you eat?’ ask Pops
“Don’t know for sure, but it tasted like RABBIT” said Rachel

[kikibalt]

The f*ckers stole our rabbits...

I neglected to mention in my story that Beto and Kelly were our backyard neighbors.

[Rick Farris]

Frank . . . In the early 70's I lived in Monterey Park. Montebello was on the other side of the 60 Fwy. Could you tell me the borders of the Simons area? When I think of Montebello today, I picture the Quiet Cannon Golf Course area. I lived between Garfield and Atlantic, on El Repetto. Just trying to visualize the area where all these adventures took place. Frank, these stories would make a great screen play.


-Rick

[kikibalt]

Frank . . . In the early 70's I lived in Monterey Park. Montebello was on the other side of the 60 Fwy. Could you tell me the borders of the Simons area? When I think of Montebello today, I picture the Quiet Cannon Golf Course area. I lived between Garfield and Atlantic, on El Repetto. Just trying to visualize the area where all these adventures took place. Frank, these stories would make a great screen play.


-Rick

C'mon Rick, a screen play?

Simon was, East of Garfield, West of Montebello Bl, South of Washington Bl. North of Sycamore St.

Actually Garfield and Washington were the main Blvd, and Ave, but on the north it would be Date St. and on the east it would be Vail st.

[Rick Farris]

Frank . . . In the early 70's I lived in Monterey Park. Montebello was on the other side of the 60 Fwy. Could you tell me the borders of the Simons area? When I think of Montebello today, I picture the Quiet Cannon Golf Course area. I lived between Garfield and Atlantic, on El Repetto. Just trying to visualize the area where all these adventures took place. Frank, these stories would make a great screen play.


-Rick

C'mon Rick, a screen play?

Simon was, East of Garfield, West of Montebello Bl, South of Washington Bl. North of Sycamore St.

Thanks, Frank. Yes, a screen play, which is a script. Just a short, remember the short serials they would play between movies in theatres. I believe that major cable networks like HBO should create 10-15 short films that can run between major movies as a "time filler". Something funny that people can look forward to. Each film could be one of these experiences. You could literally do a series of low budget adventures. Of course, tey could no longer be filmed in Montebello as it's built up. However, a movie ranch or undeveloped property could be used to recreate the Simons barrio (Often they use property just north of the San Fernando Valley. Set designers and construction crew could recreate Simons. Of course, everything would depend upon the scripts, and the young actors choces to portray charactors such as yourself, Beto, Lunga, etc. All would be based around these charactors and things you did.

I'm just dreaming, but it's adefinite possibility. Of course, trying to sell good projects is difficult today because most of the studios target a specific demograffic and that is usually young people. Your stories would not target the "young group" as all they want is special effects and raunch. Your tales would entertain baby boomers and over. People who appreciate "human" entertainment.

Just an idea.


-Rick

[Rick Farris]

Frank . . . In the early 70's I lived in Monterey Park. Montebello was on the other side of the 60 Fwy. Could you tell me the borders of the Simons area? When I think of Montebello today, I picture the Quiet Cannon Golf Course area. I lived between Garfield and Atlantic, on El Repetto. Just trying to visualize the area where all these adventures took place. Frank, these stories would make a great screen play.


-Rick

C'mon Rick, a screen play?

Simon was, East of Garfield, West of Montebello Bl, South of Washington Bl. North of Sycamore St.

Thanks, Frank. Yes, a screen play, which is a script. Just a short, remember the short serials they would play between movies in theatres. I believe that major cable networks like HBO should create 10-15 short films that can run between major movies as a "time filler". Something funny that people can look forward to. Each film could be one of these experiences. You could literally do a series of low budget adventures. Of course, tey could no longer be filmed in Montebello as it's built up. However, a movie ranch or undeveloped property could be used to recreate the Simons barrio (Often they use property just north of the San Fernando Valley. Set designers and construction crew could recreate Simons. Of course, everything would depend upon the scripts, and the young actors choces to portray charactors such as yourself, Beto, Lunga, etc. All would be based around these charactors and things you did.

I'm just dreaming, but it's adefinite possibility. Of course, trying to sell good projects is difficult today because most of the studios target a specific demograffic and that is usually young people. Your stories would not target the "young group" as all they want is special effects and raunch. Your tales would entertain baby boomers and over. People who appreciate "human" entertainment.

Just an idea.


-Rick

The sad thing about screeplays is that if a producer likes it, he will buy it and then own the project. If they decide to make the film, they will take the story, and tweek it using their own dialogue, and try to make it "better". By the time it hits the screen, it will be nothing like the story that was so good. It will be somebody's so called "improved version", and they will f_ck it up by adding things that didn't happen, that really don't fit with the original idea. The great film makers are long dead. We still have entertaining movies occasionally, but most is crap. Just my opinion. It's just like today's boxing vs. what we know.

[kikibalt]

Frank . . . In the early 70's I lived in Monterey Park. Montebello was on the other side of the 60 Fwy. Could you tell me the borders of the Simons area? When I think of Montebello today, I picture the Quiet Cannon Golf Course area. I lived between Garfield and Atlantic, on El Repetto. Just trying to visualize the area where all these adventures took place. Frank, these stories would make a great screen play.


-Rick

C'mon Rick, a screen play?

Simon was, East of Garfield, West of Montebello Bl, South of Washington Bl. North of Sycamore St.

Thanks, Frank. Yes, a screen play, which is a script. Just a short, remember the short serials they would play between movies in theatres. I believe that major cable networks like HBO should create 10-15 short films that can run between major movies as a "time filler". Something funny that people can look forward to. Each film could be one of these experiences. You could literally do a series of low budget adventures. Of course, tey could no longer be filmed in Montebello as it's built up. However, a movie ranch or undeveloped property could be used to recreate the Simons barrio (Often they use property just north of the San Fernando Valley. Set designers and construction crew could recreate Simons. Of course, everything would depend upon the scripts, and the young actors choces to portray charactors such as yourself, Beto, Lunga, etc. All would be based around these charactors and things you did.

I'm just dreaming, but it's adefinite possibility. Of course, trying to sell good projects is difficult today because most of the studios target a specific demograffic and that is usually young people. Your stories would not target the "young group" as all they want is special effects and raunch. Your tales would entertain baby boomers and over. People who appreciate "human" entertainment.

Just an idea.


-Rick

Well, you would be the one to know.....

[Rick Farris]

Mid-20th Century ELA . . .

Frank & Randy know the East side of L.A.
One of my favorite movies ever is "The Ring".
It was a low budget film that was released the year I was born.
Thanks to Frank, I now have a copy of that film.
For some reason, I am fascinated by Los Angeles, as it was between the 1920's and mid 50's.
I feel as if I once was a part of it, although I was not.
Maybe becasue of all the time I spent downtown while boxing, and the places boxing took me in this town.

I have learned so much thankls to Frank's postings during the past two years.
He took what I imagined and has told it how it really was.
I visually his stories, like training in the sam gym as Keeny Teran.
The story of the Teran-Cadilli fight is a classic.
Two main eventers dropping down to fight a six rounder on the Bolanos-Chavez undercard at the Legion.
Info on Teran's drug use, and what an amazing talent he was.
I also have enjoyed Gil Cadilli Jr.s documentary on his father. Very well done.


-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Tales From The Simons Brickyard
“Pops Goat”

Pops had a goat that I would have to take out to pasture on the small hills and open land that we had in Simons. I would let the goat run loose to eat, after two hours or so I would go get the goat and bring it back home, one day I couldn’t find the goat, I went home and told Pops.
“Pops, I can’t find the goat, its lost”.
“Don’t worry mijo, we’ll find it” said Pops.
Next day one of Pops drinking buddies knocked on the door.
“Chicano, come and have birria and beer with us”
Pops was called Chicano by his buddies and birria is Mexican BBQ cooked in a hole on the ground.
Pops went with his buddy and ate birria and drank beer, when he came back home he told my Mom.
“I just ate my goat”
“Pops, they stole your goat?!” I was mad.
“ Yes Mijo, But at least they invited me for some birria” Pops tells me

[Rick Farris]

Tales From The Simons Brickyard
“Pops Goat”

Pops had a goat that I would have to take out to pasture on the small hills and open land that we had in Simons. I would let the goat run loose to eat, after two hours or so I would go get the goat and bring it back home, one day I couldn’t find the goat, I went home and told Pops.
“Pops, I can’t find the goat, its lost”.
“Don’t worry mijo, we’ll find it” said Pops.
Next day one of Pops drinking buddies knocked on the door.
“Chicano, come and have birria and beer with us”
Pops was called Chicano by his buddies and birria is Mexican BBQ cooked in a hole on the ground.
Pops went with his buddy and ate birria and drank beer, when he came back home he told my Mom.
“I just ate my goat”
“Pops, they stole your goat?!” I was mad.
“ Yes Mijo, But at least they invited me for some birria” Pops tells me

[Chuck1052]

The Simons Brickyard housing for the workers reminds me of the housing built for agricultural workers in the countryside of Ventura County during the first half of the Twentieth Century. Such housing was very basic at best with much of it being torn down later on.

- Chuck Johnston

[Rick Farris]

Oxnard's La Colonia . . .

Chuck, when I was living in Westlake Village, I'd occasionally drive to Oxnard and visit the La Colonia Boxing Gym.
In those days, Fernando Vargas and Robert Garcia were little boys, years before putting the gym on the map by becoming world champs.
You are more familiar with Ventura County history than I am, however, getting to know the guys in this little barrio let me in on the history of the area.
As you know, La Colonia is an area that's literally located "on the other side of the tracks" from downtown Oxnard.
It was where many migrant field workers would live who worked the fields picking strawberries and other crops in the area.
An old man told me that more than once, migrant labor activist Cesar Chavez would stay in his home when in the area, fighting for better conditions for the workers. Chavez would sleep on the couch.

La Colonia is just several square blocks, and the gym was put up by Eddie Garcia to give kids an alternative to gang activity.
The gym is located on the right side of the road leading into La Colonia, after crossing the rail road tracks.
When I would visit, it was very make-shift, not much equipment but enough to teach kids to box.
They had an old ring, a couple of bags and a some dedicated men who would give of themselves to the youth of the barrio, just as Johnny Flores, Frank Baltazar and others did for us in L.A.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Congarts to Sergio Martinez for making Kelly Pavlik look like a bum in the park.
I only watched the first half of the fight. If Pavlik did anything better in the later rounds, it wasn't enough to retain his title.

[Rick Farris]

Police: Boxer Valero Suspected of Killing Wife


CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Suspended WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero was detained on suspicion of killing his wife on Sunday, police said.

Venezuelan Federal Police Chief Wilmer Flores said Valero was arrested after police found the body of his wife in a hotel in the city of Valencia.

Flores said Valero left the hotel room around dawn on Sunday and allegedly told the hotel's security personnel that he had killed Viera.

Valero's lawyer, Milda Mora, did not immediately answer telephone calls seeking comment.

The 28-year-old boxer has been in trouble with the law before.

Last month, Valero was brought up on charges of harassing his wife and threatening medical personnel who treated her at a hospital in the western city of Merida.

Police arrested the Valero following an argument with a doctor and nurse at the hospital, where his wife was being treated for a series of injuries, including a punctured lung and broken ribs.

Valero entered a Venezuelan rehabilitation center under on March 28 for treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, Mora said at the time. The boxer's attorney said Viera was injured when she fell down a flight of stairs at the couple's home while checking a water tank located on the roof.

Valero, with a record of 27-0 as a boxer, was suspended as WBC lightweight champion in February.

[kikibalt]

Police: Boxer Valero Suspected of Killing Wife


CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Suspended WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero was detained on suspicion of killing his wife on Sunday, police said.

Venezuelan Federal Police Chief Wilmer Flores said Valero was arrested after police found the body of his wife in a hotel in the city of Valencia.

Flores said Valero left the hotel room around dawn on Sunday and allegedly told the hotel's security personnel that he had killed Viera.

Valero's lawyer, Milda Mora, did not immediately answer telephone calls seeking comment.

The 28-year-old boxer has been in trouble with the law before.

Last month, Valero was brought up on charges of harassing his wife and threatening medical personnel who treated her at a hospital in the western city of Merida.

Police arrested the Valero following an argument with a doctor and nurse at the hospital, where his wife was being treated for a series of injuries, including a punctured lung and broken ribs.

Valero entered a Venezuelan rehabilitation center under on March 28 for treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, Mora said at the time. The boxer's attorney said Viera was injured when she fell down a flight of stairs at the couple's home while checking a water tank located on the roof.

Valero, with a record of 27-0 as a boxer, was suspended as WBC lightweight champion in February.

Some of these guys are just plain nuts.....

[Rick Farris]

Police: Boxer Valero Suspected of Killing Wife


CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Suspended WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero was detained on suspicion of killing his wife on Sunday, police said.

Venezuelan Federal Police Chief Wilmer Flores said Valero was arrested after police found the body of his wife in a hotel in the city of Valencia.

Flores said Valero left the hotel room around dawn on Sunday and allegedly told the hotel's security personnel that he had killed Viera.

Valero's lawyer, Milda Mora, did not immediately answer telephone calls seeking comment.

The 28-year-old boxer has been in trouble with the law before.

Last month, Valero was brought up on charges of harassing his wife and threatening medical personnel who treated her at a hospital in the western city of Merida.

Police arrested the Valero following an argument with a doctor and nurse at the hospital, where his wife was being treated for a series of injuries, including a punctured lung and broken ribs.

Valero entered a Venezuelan rehabilitation center under on March 28 for treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, Mora said at the time. The boxer's attorney said Viera was injured when she fell down a flight of stairs at the couple's home while checking a water tank located on the roof.

Valero, with a record of 27-0 as a boxer, was suspended as WBC lightweight champion in February.

Some of these guys are just plain nuts.....

Yeah Frank, what in the hell is wrong with these guys. I guess he has some major drug problems and has assaulted both of his parents, as well. John Bardelli sent me this news clip. Amazing how a guy can grow up with nothing, achieve success that could make his life comfortable, and then go crazy. When drugs and alcohol are involved, the result is always a bad one.

[kikibalt]

Edwin Valero, MURDER SUSPECT: Wife Killed In Venezuela
JORGE RUEDA | 04/18/10

CARACAS, Venezuela — Former lightweight champion Edwin Valero was detained Sunday on suspicion of killing his wife, the gravest in a string of problems that have threatened to derail his career.

Venezuelan Federal Police Chief Wilmer Flores said Valero was arrested after police found the body of his 20-year-old wife in a hotel in Valencia. Valero left the hotel room around dawn on Sunday and allegedly told security that he had killed Jennifer Viera, Flores said.

Flores told state television that police found three stab wounds on Viera's body. He said Valero was transferred a local police precinct, "where we are headed to take samples needed for the investigation of the case" and to question the boxer.

Valero's lawyer, Milda Mora, did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment.

The 28-year-old fighter is a household name in Venezuela and he has a huge image of President Hugo Chavez tattooed on his chest, along with the country's yellow, blue and red flag.

His all-action style and 27-0 record – all by knockouts – earned him a reputation as a tough, explosive crowd-pleaser. Venezuelans call him "Inca," alluding to an Indian warrior, while elsewhere he has been called "Dinamita," or dynamite.

His promoter, Top Rank, had just learned about the incident Sunday and said Valero was not scheduled to fight any time soon. He had been having difficulty obtaining a visa to fight in the United States, basically ruling him out of the most lucrative opportunities.

"He is not scheduled for Top Rank in any fight," spokesman Lee Samuels said. "He couldn't come to the U.S. He did fight in Mexico his last fight."

The former WBA super featherweight and WBC lightweight champion has been in trouble with the law before.

Last month, Valero was brought up on charges of harassing his wife and threatening medical personnel who treated her at a hospital in the western city of Merida. Police arrested Valero following an argument with a doctor and nurse at the hospital, where his wife was being treated for a series of injuries, including a punctured lung and broken ribs.

Valero entered a Venezuelan rehab center March 28 for treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, Mora said at the time. The boxer's attorney said Viera was injured when she fell down a flight of stairs at the couple's home while checking a water tank on the roof.

The Venezuela daily El Universal also reported that Valero had been arrested recently after a neighbor called authorities and claimed the boxer struck his mother and a sister.

"I've never hit my little sister and much less my mother," Valero responded at the time, in comments published by Venezuelan television station RCTV's Web site.

Valero shot to fame when he won his first 18 fights by first-round knockout, setting a record that has since been eclipsed by Tyrone Brunson. Valero last fought in February, stopping Antonio DeMarco in an entertaining fight in Monterrey, Mexico.

He was replaced as WBC lightweight champion in February after he expressed a desire to campaign in a higher weight division, WBC president Jose Sulaiman said.

"He's a boy who is extraordinarily talented in boxing," Sulaiman said by phone from Mexico City. "It's a shame what is happening."

It's hardly surprising to those who have followed his career, though.

Valero was involved in a motorcycle accident in 2001 that resulted in a cerebral hemorrhage, and because most jurisdictions refused to license a fighter who sustained a brain injury, he was unable to fight in the United States. The boxer wound up fighting mainly in Japan and Latin America, where he won his first title in 2006.

While Valero had little trouble in the ring, outside of it was another matter.

Along with accusations of domestic violence in Venezuela, Valero was charged with drunken driving in Texas, which is the primary reason he was denied a U.S. visa.

He accused the U.S. government of discrimination, saying he had completed all the necessary paperwork for the visa but his application wasn't approved because of his sympathy for Chavez, a fierce critic of the U.S. government.

Valero had the image of the president tattooed on his chest after he was barred from entering the ring in one match with shorts that bore a pro-Chavez slogan.

He has appeared as a special guest at televised events hosted by Chavez, and has been lionized by Chavez supporters as a national hero, while some critics have accused him of avoiding punishment for past problems due to close links to the government.

___

AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in New York and Associated Press Writer John Rice in Mexico City contributed to this report.