Classic American West Coast Boxing

[raylawpc]

Tom are you familiar with heavyweight ''Big Bob Albright from the 1950s, if so is he still alive

No, not really. I know his name shows up on Ezzard Charles' and Archie Moore's records. I think Cleveland Williams fought him too.

[raylawpc]

Actress and fight manager Joi Lansing talks things over at the Main Street Gym with heavyweight boxer Bob Albright, in whom she recently purchased a 25 per cent interest. 1961.

I remember her from The Beverly Hillbillies. She played Lester Flatt's wife. She was funny in that role.

[raylawpc]

Yeah!, but she wanted it...

What are friends for

Did any of you guys ever spend any time around Oscar Bonavena? He came to Oklahoma City and trained a couple of days before a fight there in 1973 against Terry Sorrell. (I worked Sorrell's corner.) I watched Bonavena work out (if you want to call it that) one day. That was one weird guy! If I make it out to the CBHOF dinner this year, I'll tell you guys about it. It's impossible to put in writing and adeqautely describe it.

[kikibalt]

What are friends for

Did any of you guys ever spend any time around Oscar Bonavena? He came to Oklahoma City and trained a couple of days before a fight there in 1973 against Terry Sorrell. (I worked Sorrell's corner.) I watched Bonavena work out (if you want to call it that) one day. That was one weird guy! If I make it out to the CBHOF dinner this year, I'll tell you guys about it. It's impossible to put in writing and adeqautely describe it.

Never met OB Tom. Can't wait to hear your story on him....

[THEHAMMER321]

Speaking of strange fighters I have been around, Bruce Curry is the one that I think of, was around him before he shot at Jessie Reid, I would be in the gym and he would come up to me said ''be careful they might get you'' and then he would laugh, Don't have a degree in psychology but I assure you anybody who was around him could tell he wasn't playing with a full deck, always had the feeling with him though like a lot of crazy people you were gonna have to fight him to the death, he wasn't gonna pull a ''no mas'' .

[Rick Farris]

Speaking of strange fighters I have been around, Bruce Curry is the one that I think of, was around him before he shot at Jessie Reid, I would be in the gym and he would come up to me said ''be careful they might get you'' and then he would laugh, Don't have a degree in psychology but I assure you anybody who was around him could tell he wasn't playing with a full deck, always had the feeling with him though like a lot of crazy people you were gonna have to fight him to the death, he wasn't gonna pull a ''no mas'' .

Paul . . . I was at the Olympic the night Bruce Curry flattened Monroe Brooks with a beautiful left hook. I also remember hearing about Curry and Reid's confrontation one day at the gym. I heard that the fighter pulled a gun on his trainer, who quickly took it away from him and kicked his ass. I likely don't have all the facts straight, but if it's anywhere close to true, you really gotta hand it to Jessie Reid. I remember him as being a rough fighter in the ring during his short career. Kicking his fighter's ass like he did impressed the hell outta me.

[Rick Farris]

Did any of you guys ever spend any time around Oscar Bonavena? He came to Oklahoma City and trained a couple of days before a fight there in 1973 against Terry Sorrell. (I worked Sorrell's corner.) I watched Bonavena work out (if you want to call it that) one day. That was one weird guy! If I make it out to the CBHOF dinner this year, I'll tell you guys about it. It's impossible to put in writing and adeqautely describe it.

Never met OB Tom. Can't wait to hear your story on him....

Tom . . . I also want to hear the story. Man I hope you can make it out for the CBHOF lunch. Besides your boy Sean getting inducted, a lot of us look forward to meeting you face-to-face. Your sponsored a table last year in the name of Jeffries, and that's where I sat. There is a seat with your name on it at my table this year, if you can make it out. Now I don't know what's going on with Rog, but if we haven't heard from him by then, we'll just have to send a posse down and kidnap him for the event.
I hope Sean O'Grady makes it. He is a great voice for boxing, one I consider second to none behind the mike at ringside.

[raylawpc]

Did any of you guys ever spend any time around Oscar Bonavena? He came to Oklahoma City and trained a couple of days before a fight there in 1973 against Terry Sorrell. (I worked Sorrell's corner.) I watched Bonavena work out (if you want to call it that) one day. That was one weird guy! If I make it out to the CBHOF dinner this year, I'll tell you guys about it. It's impossible to put in writing and adeqautely describe it.

Never met OB Tom. Can't wait to hear your story on him....

Tom . . . I also want to hear the story. Man I hope you can make it out for the CBHOF lunch. Besides your boy Sean getting inducted, a lot of us look forward to meeting you face-to-face. Your sponsored a table last year in the name of Jeffries, and that's where I sat. There is a seat with your name on it at my table this year, if you can make it out. Now I don't know what's going on with Rog, but if we haven't heard from him by then, we'll just have to send a posse down and kidnap him for the event.
I hope Sean O'Grady makes it. He is a great voice for boxing, one I consider second to none behind the mike at ringside.

I'm trying to make it out!

[Bobbin & Weavin]

Bruce - Thanks for info on The San Francisco Aud. exhibit. It wasnt a whole hell of alot but it was worth the trip. The old boxing photos from the SF scene and Art Aragon posters and stories were great. There were some old gloves and equipment on display and the history of SF Boxing via newspaper articles were great. I hope you guys recover it and find a nice space for it.

I got a Streisand story for you. I was a NYC fireman for 20 years. All 20 years were in midtown Manhattan(Times Sq & Theater District). Every now and then, our guys would hoist a few ales with the Riggers,Stagehands ,electricians after the shows. On one particular occasion, Streisand just got done finishing 2 or 3 shows at Radio City Musical Hall, I think. This was 10-15 years ago. Every union guy bitched about her and her attitude and uppity-ness. On the first night, she did a sound check,and placed her marks for the microphone and spotlights. She left and the crew began to tape everything down and finalize everything. A hour before show time-she comes in and decides she wants to move everything over 6 inches. 6 inches mind you. No obvious reasons to the workers.
They ripped everything up and when they finally repositioned, the show was 45 minutes late. Afterwards she called the union workers the lamest she ever dealt with.
After the last show, I guess its customary to by the star a gift.(I guess to Thank her for putting them to work).
Well, the unions handed her a small wrapped box. She opened it. Inside, A One way ticket back to LA. and they walked off.
Each guy loved the look on her face. She just walked out.
Now, I'll drink to that.

Great story, i have heard similar stories about her, I real jewell.
Thanks,
Bruce

[Rick Farris]

Joe Goossen . . .


Yesterday, I was able to do something that gives me a great deal of satisfaction.
As Chairman of the WBHOF Selection Committee, I get to notify some of the pending inductees of their WBHOF Induction.
Sometimes, I have the opportunity to notify a friend, somebody I've known and respected for decades.
That's what I got to do yesterday.

A little after 11am, I pulled into the small parking lot behind Joe Goossen's "Ten Goose Boxing Gym", located right next to the Van Nuys City Hall, on Friar St.
I wasn't alone, I brought a friend, actress Cristina Sasso. Cristina works out with me, we do a cross-training boxing workout a couple times a week.
Cristina needs a boxing gym for a scene she plans to tape for a video she's producing. This might be a good day for her to ask Joe if she could use his gym?
After all, I was going to inform the man that he was about to become a World Boxing Hall of Famer.

We were met at the back door by Joe's assistant trainer, Ricky Funez.
"Joe will be here any minute." Cristina and I entered the back door of Goossen's gym.

The place was packed, about a dozen pros were shadow boxing, stretching, warming up. All anticipating the arrival of their trainer.
I was surprised when Cris asked me, "Is that John Molina? I saw him fight on TV awhile back."
Molina had just won last week, a second round KO.
The boxer approached us, extended his hand and introduced himself. Nice kid.

A moment later I see Joe enter thru the back door. Immediatly people surround him, all have questions or news.
A moment later, he steps onto the gym floor and see's me. "Ricky, how are you?"
We shake hands. I cut right to the chase, "Hey Joe, remember last year I told you I was with the WBHOF?"
Goossen remembered. "Your name was on the ballot this year in the trainer catagory, and you were voted in.
You'll be inducted into the WBHOF on November 19th, at the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas."

I could see the news had caught him off guard. "Is this the California Hall of Fame?"
I told him "No, you're already in the CBHOF. This is the WBHOF." When he understood, he was truly honored.

We visited for a minute. We discussed Cristina's project with him briefly and he welcomed her to use the gym for her video.
Cris and I hung around for a bit, watched Joe's heavyweight Malik Scott box several hard rounds with a small heavyweight.
We watched a couple prelim kids mix it up, as well. The gym was in session, and it felt good to be there.

I got Joe's contact info, he has mine again. Joe walked us out, thanked me. He was headed for a press conference.
We left the gym. Cristina and I both had accomplished our goals. A win-win situation for everybody involved.


-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Here comes Bow & Arrow.....

[Randyman]

Speaking of strange fighters I have been around, Bruce Curry is the one that I think of, was around him before he shot at Jessie Reid, I would be in the gym and he would come up to me said ''be careful they might get you'' and then he would laugh, Don't have a degree in psychology but I assure you anybody who was around him could tell he wasn't playing with a full deck, always had the feeling with him though like a lot of crazy people you were gonna have to fight him to the death, he wasn't gonna pull a ''no mas'' .

Paul . . . I was at the Olympic the night Bruce Curry flattened Monroe Brooks with a beautiful left hook. I also remember hearing about Curry and Reid's confrontation one day at the gym. I heard that the fighter pulled a gun on his trainer, who quickly took it away from him and kicked his ass. I likely don't have all the facts straight, but if it's anywhere close to true, you really gotta hand it to Jessie Reid. I remember him as being a rough fighter in the ring during his short career. Kicking his fighter's ass like he did impressed the hell outta me.

I remember Monroe Brookes well. We formed a friendship during the filming of Rocky in 1976. I thought he was a hell of a fighter but he fell just short of being an elite A list fighter. Still he always gave a good fight. I thought he was going to beat Curry but he got caught. It was a tough loss. He also fought Roberto Duran and gave a good account of himself there too. he was stopped in the eighth round by Duran. Last I heard Brookes was training fighters somewhere in L.A. I always liked Monroe. I hope he is doing well.

Brookes vs Curry: This is the part 1. You can get the the rest of the fight from the yutube page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJoQcc8_OkM

Brookes vs Duran: The video strts at the sixth round.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG5rzlDLyxg

Randy

[Randyman]

Never met OB Tom. Can't wait to hear your story on him....

Tom . . . I also want to hear the story. Man I hope you can make it out for the CBHOF lunch. Besides your boy Sean getting inducted, a lot of us look forward to meeting you face-to-face. Your sponsored a table last year in the name of Jeffries, and that's where I sat. There is a seat with your name on it at my table this year, if you can make it out. Now I don't know what's going on with Rog, but if we haven't heard from him by then, we'll just have to send a posse down and kidnap him for the event.
I hope Sean O'Grady makes it. He is a great voice for boxing, one I consider second to none behind the mike at ringside.

I'm trying to make it out!

Bruce, good to see you back on the thread.

Randy

[Randyman]

Well, guys, wish me luck: I get a nuclear stress test on my heart today.

You can't drink coffee for 24-hours before this test, and so I haven't had a cup of coffee for 21 hours and 58 minutes. I'm about to go nuclear without the test!

Tom, glad to hear that everything turned out good!!

Randy

[Randyman]

Here's a couple of pics from last week at my daughters home. It was my mother's 81st birthday.


My mother with her granddaughters and great granddaughters.


My brother Dennis and I with our mother.

[kikibalt]

Speaking of strange fighters I have been around, Bruce Curry is the one that I think of, was around him before he shot at Jessie Reid, I would be in the gym and he would come up to me said ''be careful they might get you'' and then he would laugh, Don't have a degree in psychology but I assure you anybody who was around him could tell he wasn't playing with a full deck, always had the feeling with him though like a lot of crazy people you were gonna have to fight him to the death, he wasn't gonna pull a ''no mas'' .

Paul . . . I was at the Olympic the night Bruce Curry flattened Monroe Brooks with a beautiful left hook. I also remember hearing about Curry and Reid's confrontation one day at the gym. I heard that the fighter pulled a gun on his trainer, who quickly took it away from him and kicked his ass. I likely don't have all the facts straight, but if it's anywhere close to true, you really gotta hand it to Jessie Reid. I remember him as being a rough fighter in the ring during his short career. Kicking his fighter's ass like he did impressed the hell outta me.

I remember Monroe Brookes well. We formed a friendship during the filming of Rocky in 1976. I thought he was a hell of a fighter but he fell just short of being an elite A list fighter. Still he always gave a good fight. I thought he was going to beat Curry but he got caught. It was a tough loss. He also fought Roberto Duran and gave a good account of himself there too. he was stopped in the eighth round by Duran. Last I heard Brookes was training fighters somewhere in L.A. I always liked Monroe. I hope he is doing well.

Brookes vs Curry: This is the part 1. You can get the the rest of the fight from the yutube page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJoQcc8_OkM

Brookes vs Duran: The video strts at the sixth round.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG5rzlDLyxg

Randy

Brookes head corner man was Henry Davis, top 10 lightweight in the late '40's-early'50's, seen him fight live a few times.

[kikibalt]

Here's a couple of pics from last week at my daughters home. It was my mother's 81st birthday.


My mother with her granddaughters and great granddaughters.


My brother Dennis and I with our mother.

[CNorkusJr]

Hey Charley:

I did a little research and I was able to find out what happened to the mural. Apparently, it wasn't painted onto the wall, but was on canvas.

From the F.Y.I. in the NyTimes in 2000:

. . . And Still Champion

Q.: In the 1940's, the boxer Jack Dempsey had a restaurant on Broadway between West 49th and West 50th Streets. Behind the bar was a large mural of Dempsey's third-round knockout of Jess Willard on July 4, 1919. What happened to the painting?

A.: When Jack Dempsey's Restaurant closed its doors in 1974, the former champion and his wife donated the mural to the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington. According to Fred Voss, a senior historian at the Smithsonian, the 6-by-18-foot oil has dominated the first-floor gallery devoted to sports figures ever since.

''When it came to us it was very brown,'' Mr. Voss said. ''I suppose it was from the cigar and cigarette smoke.''

The painting, commissioned by Mr. Dempsey himself, was unveiled in 1944, 25 years after the famous knockout in Toledo, Ohio, gained him the heavyweight crown. It was painted by James Montgomery Flagg, who was known for the scowling, finger-pointing Uncle Sam in his Army recruiting posters during World War I. In addition to the fighters, Mr. Flagg -- who worked from photographs taken at the bout -- painted some famous public figures among the onlookers, including Rube Goldberg, Damon Runyon and Max Baer. Mr. Dempsey paid him $12,500.

Jack Dempsey's Restaurant, which closed after the owners lost a legal dispute over the terms of the lease, was among the last of the old celebrity haunts on Broadway. During its waning years, Mr. Dempsey was a fixture in the corner booth, where he usually sat with his back to the window, greeting customers. He died in 1983 at 87.

One correction. He didn't sit with his back to the window. His seat was perpendicular to the window, so you could see his profile from the street.

I also found a photo of it:

Beautiful Find, Tom, I was in midtown yesterday when the mayor honored the guys from my firehouse for being the first firetrucks there at the terrorists car bomb threat. On my way out I stopped by the record store and took a look around. The front and the wall that the painting was on was all glass windows now. Incidental now, but thanks for the history post and picture. If you didnt find it, I'm sure my boys in the FDNY could have done a little careful wall inspection to see if it was hidden. Bottom line- it looks great right where it is and cleaned up too.

[Rick Farris]

Hey Charley:

I did a little research and I was able to find out what happened to the mural. Apparently, it wasn't painted onto the wall, but was on canvas.

From the F.Y.I. in the NyTimes in 2000:

. . . And Still Champion

Q.: In the 1940's, the boxer Jack Dempsey had a restaurant on Broadway between West 49th and West 50th Streets. Behind the bar was a large mural of Dempsey's third-round knockout of Jess Willard on July 4, 1919. What happened to the painting?

A.: When Jack Dempsey's Restaurant closed its doors in 1974, the former champion and his wife donated the mural to the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington. According to Fred Voss, a senior historian at the Smithsonian, the 6-by-18-foot oil has dominated the first-floor gallery devoted to sports figures ever since.

''When it came to us it was very brown,'' Mr. Voss said. ''I suppose it was from the cigar and cigarette smoke.''

The painting, commissioned by Mr. Dempsey himself, was unveiled in 1944, 25 years after the famous knockout in Toledo, Ohio, gained him the heavyweight crown. It was painted by James Montgomery Flagg, who was known for the scowling, finger-pointing Uncle Sam in his Army recruiting posters during World War I. In addition to the fighters, Mr. Flagg -- who worked from photographs taken at the bout -- painted some famous public figures among the onlookers, including Rube Goldberg, Damon Runyon and Max Baer. Mr. Dempsey paid him $12,500.

Jack Dempsey's Restaurant, which closed after the owners lost a legal dispute over the terms of the lease, was among the last of the old celebrity haunts on Broadway. During its waning years, Mr. Dempsey was a fixture in the corner booth, where he usually sat with his back to the window, greeting customers. He died in 1983 at 87.

One correction. He didn't sit with his back to the window. His seat was perpendicular to the window, so you could see his profile from the street.

I also found a photo of it:

Beautiful Find, Tom, I was in midtown yesterday when the mayor honored the guys from my firehouse for being the first firetrucks there at the terrorists car bomb threat. On my way out I stopped by the record store and took a look around. The front and the wall that the painting was on was all glass windows now. Incidental now, but thanks for the history post and picture. If you didnt find it, I'm sure my boys in the FDNY could have done a little careful wall inspection to see if it was hidden. Bottom line- it looks great right where it is and cleaned up too.

I agree. Great find, Tom. Nice to know something from that legendary site has been salvaged.

[Rick Farris]

Sonny Liston memories . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXSJIxIe ... ature=fvwp

[bennie]

Speaking of strange fighters I have been around, Bruce Curry is the one that I think of, was around him before he shot at Jessie Reid, I would be in the gym and he would come up to me said ''be careful they might get you'' and then he would laugh, Don't have a degree in psychology but I assure you anybody who was around him could tell he wasn't playing with a full deck, always had the feeling with him though like a lot of crazy people you were gonna have to fight him to the death, he wasn't gonna pull a ''no mas'' .

Paul . . . I was at the Olympic the night Bruce Curry flattened Monroe Brooks with a beautiful left hook. I also remember hearing about Curry and Reid's confrontation one day at the gym. I heard that the fighter pulled a gun on his trainer, who quickly took it away from him and kicked his ass. I likely don't have all the facts straight, but if it's anywhere close to true, you really gotta hand it to Jessie Reid. I remember him as being a rough fighter in the ring during his short career. Kicking his fighter's ass like he did impressed the hell outta me.

I remember Monroe Brookes well. We formed a friendship during the filming of Rocky in 1976. I thought he was a hell of a fighter but he fell just short of being an elite A list fighter. Still he always gave a good fight. I thought he was going to beat Curry but he got caught. It was a tough loss. He also fought Roberto Duran and gave a good account of himself there too. he was stopped in the eighth round by Duran. Last I heard Brookes was training fighters somewhere in L.A. I always liked Monroe. I hope he is doing well.

Brookes vs Curry: This is the part 1. You can get the the rest of the fight from the yutube page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJoQcc8_OkM

Brookes vs Duran: The video strts at the sixth round.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG5rzlDLyxg

Randy

Brookes was fighting a welterweight Duran (bang on 147 pounds to Monroe's 143). I remember squinting at Duran's weight when the fight happened. It was obvious his lightweight days were well and truly behind him.

[kikibalt]

Henry Davis vs Art Aragon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMq8Vlkcoso

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCei3YP0H3o

You can see the other two parts on the Youtube page

[Rick Farris]

Here's a couple of pics from last week at my daughters home. It was my mother's 81st birthday.


My mother with her granddaughters and great granddaughters.


My brother Dennis and I with our mother.

Randy . . . Your mom looks great! She does not look her age. My mom will turn 80 next year and, like yours, she does not look her age either. Your daughters & grandaughters are beautiful, too. Good genes, amigo! Great people.

[raylawpc]

Hey Charley:

I did a little research and I was able to find out what happened to the mural. Apparently, it wasn't painted onto the wall, but was on canvas.

From the F.Y.I. in the NyTimes in 2000:

. . . And Still Champion

Q.: In the 1940's, the boxer Jack Dempsey had a restaurant on Broadway between West 49th and West 50th Streets. Behind the bar was a large mural of Dempsey's third-round knockout of Jess Willard on July 4, 1919. What happened to the painting?

A.: When Jack Dempsey's Restaurant closed its doors in 1974, the former champion and his wife donated the mural to the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington. According to Fred Voss, a senior historian at the Smithsonian, the 6-by-18-foot oil has dominated the first-floor gallery devoted to sports figures ever since.

''When it came to us it was very brown,'' Mr. Voss said. ''I suppose it was from the cigar and cigarette smoke.''

The painting, commissioned by Mr. Dempsey himself, was unveiled in 1944, 25 years after the famous knockout in Toledo, Ohio, gained him the heavyweight crown. It was painted by James Montgomery Flagg, who was known for the scowling, finger-pointing Uncle Sam in his Army recruiting posters during World War I. In addition to the fighters, Mr. Flagg -- who worked from photographs taken at the bout -- painted some famous public figures among the onlookers, including Rube Goldberg, Damon Runyon and Max Baer. Mr. Dempsey paid him $12,500.

Jack Dempsey's Restaurant, which closed after the owners lost a legal dispute over the terms of the lease, was among the last of the old celebrity haunts on Broadway. During its waning years, Mr. Dempsey was a fixture in the corner booth, where he usually sat with his back to the window, greeting customers. He died in 1983 at 87.

One correction. He didn't sit with his back to the window. His seat was perpendicular to the window, so you could see his profile from the street.

I also found a photo of it:

Beautiful Find, Tom, I was in midtown yesterday when the mayor honored the guys from my firehouse for being the first firetrucks there at the terrorists car bomb threat. On my way out I stopped by the record store and took a look around. The front and the wall that the painting was on was all glass windows now. Incidental now, but thanks for the history post and picture. If you didnt find it, I'm sure my boys in the FDNY could have done a little careful wall inspection to see if it was hidden. Bottom line- it looks great right where it is and cleaned up too.

Charley, is this the record store where Dempsey's Restaurant was located?

[kikibalt]