Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Rick Farris]

Frank, Thanks for posting the Norkus/Powell picture. Its a new one that I hadn't seen before. Regards Charlie Jr



End result in this one !

As a side note: A few days before the fight, Charley Norkus was interviewed by reporters while dining at Lefty ODoul's bar in San Fran.
A reporter asked what he thinks the outcome will be with the undefeated Powell. My father said that" Lefty ODoul would be wise to advertise on the bottom of Powells shoes". The fight was on National Television.

Great photo! Powell was one of the greatest American athletes, but he met his match in this one.

[kikibalt]

Frank, Thanks for posting the Norkus/Powell picture. Its a new one that I hadn't seen before. Regards Charlie Jr

Happy to do so, Charlie

[bennie]

Our own "Clown Jules". Londoner Julius Francis advertises the Daily Mirror on the soles of his boots against Mike Tyson. He was knocked down six times.

[Adamj1987]

Our own "Clown Jules". Londoner Julius Francis advertises the Daily Mirroron the soles of his boots against Mike Tyson. He was knockded down six times.

didnt they sell the sapce for £5000 or am i plucking the figure out of thin air?

[bennie]

Our own "Clown Jules". Londoner Julius Francis advertises the Daily Mirroron the soles of his boots against Mike Tyson. He was knockded down six times.

didnt they sell the sapce for £5000 or am i plucking the figure out of thin air?

I think it was that amount. Julius sold his sole. 8)

[Adamj1987]

Our own "Clown Jules". Londoner Julius Francis advertises the Daily Mirroron the soles of his boots against Mike Tyson. He was knockded down six times.

didnt they sell the sapce for £5000 or am i plucking the figure out of thin air?

I think it was that amount. Julius sold his sole. 8)

he did indeed shrewd bitof business there on mr warrens part i think

[CNorkusJr]

Our own "Clown Jules". Londoner Julius Francis advertises the Daily Mirroron the soles of his boots against Mike Tyson. He was knockded down six times.

didnt they sell the sapce for £5000 or am i plucking the figure out of thin air?

I think it was that amount. Julius sold his sole. 8)

Back in the day, If my father knew that he was getting $8,000 - $10,000 to advertise on the bottom of his shoes-he would have put the entire classified ads on the soles.

To give you a reference point : One of my fathers' biggest paydays was against Ezzard Charles (1955) He got gauranteed $10,000 contract, $3,000
more from the gate, and $5,000 TV money.
Expenses- 3% to cornermen,3% to cutman, 10% to mgr. Gyms fees were about $50 , Press people got a couple of Bills depending on the coverage.
Then the taxman. He came home with about $ 8,000 which was very good in the day.

[bennie]

didnt they sell the sapce for £5000 or am i plucking the figure out of thin air?

I think it was that amount. Julius sold his sole. 8)

Back in the day, If my father knew that he was getting $8,000 - $10,000 to advertise on the bottom of his shoes-he would have put the entire classified ads on the soles.

To give you a reference point : One of my fathers' biggest paydays was against Ezzard Charles (1955) He got gauranteed $10,000 contract, $3,000
more from the gate, and $5,000 TV money.
Expenses- 3% to cornermen,3% to cutman, 10% to mgr. Gyms fees were about $50 , Press people got a couple of Bills depending on the coverage.
Then the taxman. He came home with about $ 8,000 which was very good in the day.

I wonder what that $8,000 is worth today, 55 years later. It does sound like a nice purse.

[kikibalt]

Sept. 6, 1954: DeForrest “Moe” Most, 37, bottom, Art Kidder, 37, and Sandra Hollabaugh, 14, draw a crowd with their stunts at Santa Monica’s Muscle Beach on Labor Day weekend.

In this 2006 DeForrest “Moe” Most obituary, Los Angeles Times writer Valerie Nelson reported:

“The unofficial ringmaster of the impromptu shows at Santa Monica’s Muscle Beach from the 1930s through the 1950s was Deforrest ‘Moe’ Most, a gymnast who had a talent for persuading teenagers and tourists — and the occasional celebrity — that they too could join in.”

In the obituary, Jack LaLanne was quoted as saying, “Moe was one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever known. We did tricks that nobody else had ever done.”

Muscle Beach started in the 1930s just south of the Santa Monica Pier. Crowds became very large in the 1950s, leading to the closure of Muscle Beach in 1959.

In nearby Venice, a small bodybuilding location run by the city of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department became the new Muscle Beach.

Today there are two Muscle Beaches. In 1987, the city of Los Angeles dedicated Muscle Beach Venice. In 1989, the city of Santa Monica rededicated the original Muscle Beach.

[Bobbin & Weavin]

Frank, Thanks for posting the Norkus/Powell picture. Its a new one that I hadn't seen before. Regards Charlie Jr



End result in this one !

As a side note: A few days before the fight, Charley Norkus was interviewed by reporters while dining at Lefty ODoul's bar in San Fran.
A reporter asked what he thinks the outcome will be with the undefeated Powell. My father said that" Lefty ODoul would be wise to advertise on the bottom of Powells shoes". The fight was on National Television.

Great photo! Powell was one of the greatest American athletes, but he met his match in this one.

Last night while watching the pre-season football game between the 49ers and the Chargers the broadcasters said that Charlie Powell was the youngest man to ever start a football game for the 49ers...he was twenty!
Bruce

[CNorkusJr]

I love the picture and history of Muscle Beach, CA. How many times have we all seen movies or TV shows showing Muscle Beach as a Back drop in the scene. What I didnt know was that there were two Muscle Beach locations. Frank, I am a East Coaster- How far apart are the two locations from each other ? It sounds like there is a bit of a rivalry going on since the two had Official Dedications. Is one more active than the other, or does Californians consider one more the official location ?

I saw your question above about the $8,000 purse. A few years ago I questioned myself on that- in 1955, A NYC Fireman or Policeman was making $5,000 a YEAR. No overtime.
A nice house on Long Island was about $11,000.Though my father did not buy one at that time. My parents rented a house then.
My estimate on todays dollars, it would be about 90,000- 110,000 dollars.

[bennie]

I love the picture and history of Muscle Beach, CA. How many times have we all seen movies or TV shows showing Muscle Beach as a Back drop in the scene. What I didnt know was that there were two Muscle Beach locations. Frank, I am a East Coaster- How far apart are the two locations from each other ? It sounds like there is a bit of a rivalry going on since the two had Official Dedications. Is one more active than the other, or does Californians consider one more the official location ?

I saw your question above about the $8,000 purse. A few years ago I questioned myself on that- in 1955, A NYC Fireman or Policeman was making $5,000 a YEAR. No overtime.
A nice house on Long Island was about $11,000.Though my father did not buy one at that time. My parents rented a house then.
My estimate on todays dollars, it would be about 90,000- 110,000 dollars.

Thanks Charley.

[bennie]

Britain's Maurice Hope stands up to Rocky Mattioli on the way to the WBC light-middleweight title in Italy in 1979.

[CNorkusJr]

Bruce, Charlie Powell was one of the NFL's great players and a legend in San Francisco. My father fought him twice. Both winning one. I have 3 scrapbooks on my fathers career and the Norkus/Powell fights are both prominantly archived.
Every article on Powell raves about his fantastic football career. They printed pictures of Charlie Powell in his football uniform and stance alongside his boxing stance with boxing trunks on in most articles.I can tell you that unlike many of the football player-turned boxers that we have seen, Charlie had real skills and a very talented and well conditioned fighter. A proposed opponent early on to Rocky Marciano- but the fight never came off. My records show he was managed by Suey Welch, and trained by Gorilla Jones when he fought my father in 1954.

I believe the California Boxing HOF honored Mr Powell for his great career just a few years ago. I defer to the outstanding writers here in this forum if they wish to elaborate on his career further.

[Rick Farris]

I love the picture and history of Muscle Beach, CA. How many times have we all seen movies or TV shows showing Muscle Beach as a Back drop in the scene. What I didnt know was that there were two Muscle Beach locations. Frank, I am a East Coaster- How far apart are the two locations from each other ? It sounds like there is a bit of a rivalry going on since the two had Official Dedications. Is one more active than the other, or does Californians consider one more the official location ?

I saw your question above about the $8,000 purse. A few years ago I questioned myself on that- in 1955, A NYC Fireman or Policeman was making $5,000 a YEAR. No overtime.
A nice house on Long Island was about $11,000.Though my father did not buy one at that time. My parents rented a house then.
My estimate on todays dollars, it would be about 90,000- 110,000 dollars.

Charlie, I lived in the Santa Monica/Venice for awhile and spend time there frequently.
I know that the article refers to "two muscle beaches", but the small one in Venice is the only one that exists today.
The original is marked with a plaque, but there is no other reference or evidence of it.

[Rick Farris]

Bruce, Charlie Powell was one of the NFL's great players and a legend in San Francisco. My father fought him twice. Both winning one. I have 3 scrapbooks on my fathers career and the Norkus/Powell fights are both prominantly archived.
Every article on Powell raves about his fantastic football career. They printed pictures of Charlie Powell in his football uniform and stance alongside his boxing stance with boxing trunks on in most articles.I can tell you that unlike many of the football player-turned boxers that we have seen, Charlie had real skills and a very talented and well conditioned fighter. A proposed opponent early on to Rocky Marciano- but the fight never came off. My records show he was managed by Suey Welch, and trained by Gorilla Jones when he fought my father in 1954.

I believe the California Boxing HOF honored Mr Powell for his great career just a few years ago. I defer to the outstanding writers here in this forum if they wish to elaborate on his career further.

Don Fraser & Frank Baltazar inducted Charlie Powell into the CBHOF in 2009.

[CNorkusJr]

Charley Norkus and Charlie Powell are separated by Rocky Marciano at San Francisco airport as Norkus arrives for their 1954 fight.

Rocky was on hand to scout out Powell for a fight. It was rumored that he was going to ref the Norkus/Powell slate but better heads thought otherwise. Rocky did however ref one of the pre-lim fights.

[CNorkusJr]

Thank You Rick, for the "Muscle Beach" clarification. You see somethings like that in New York alot too. For instance, you do not know how many people think that the Bobby "Gleason's Gym" in Brooklyn is the original site. The original was on Westchester Ave in the Bronx (LaMotta,Belloise Brothers,Valdez etc etc), then made a quick stopover in midtown Manhattan for a few years (Roberto Duran trained there when he was in town along with many other greats); then ended up in Brooklyn(Tyson(later years),Briggs,Judah etc etc) where it is today.

[CNorkusJr]

Coincidence if you believe in these sort of things. The picture of Moe at Muscle Beach was taken just one month before the Norkus/Powell fight we are talking about. A good days ride down Pacific Coast Hwy.

[telboy66]

Thank You Rick, for the "Muscle Beach" clarification. You see somethings like that in New York alot too. For instance, you do not know how many people think that the Bobby "Gleason's Gym" in Brooklyn is the original site. The original was on Westchester Ave in the Bronx (LaMotta,Belloise Brothers,Valdez etc etc), then made a quick stopover in midtown Manhattan for a few years (Roberto Duran trained there when he was in town along with many other greats); then ended up in Brooklyn(Tyson(later years),Briggs,Judah etc etc) where it is today.

Thanks for the information on Gleason's Charlie, I have visited there a few times when in New York & the present owner Bruce Silverglade has always made my wife & me most welcome, I had no idea that it was not the original Gym

[raylawpc]

I think it was that amount. Julius sold his sole. 8)

Back in the day, If my father knew that he was getting $8,000 - $10,000 to advertise on the bottom of his shoes-he would have put the entire classified ads on the soles.

To give you a reference point : One of my fathers' biggest paydays was against Ezzard Charles (1955) He got gauranteed $10,000 contract, $3,000
more from the gate, and $5,000 TV money.
Expenses- 3% to cornermen,3% to cutman, 10% to mgr. Gyms fees were about $50 , Press people got a couple of Bills depending on the coverage.
Then the taxman. He came home with about $ 8,000 which was very good in the day.

I wonder what that $8,000 is worth today, 55 years later. It does sound like a nice purse.

Hi Bennie:

Doing an adjustment purely for inflation, it is about $64,000. If you do the equivalent calculation for the salary of an unskilled wage earner it is about $86,000.

This website does the calculation: http://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare/

[CNorkusJr]

Thanks Bennie, duly noted. $90,000 was a number I came up with using the firefighter numbers then ($5,000) and now (about $72,000 top grade base pay). Fairly close.The same home prices I referred to now on Long Island (in this recession ) remain average $325,000 to $400,00.

[raylawpc]

Thanks Bennie, duly noted. $90,000 was a number I came up with using the firefighter numbers then ($5,000) and now (about $72,000 top grade base pay). Fairly close.The same home prices I referred to now on Long Island (in this recession ) remain average $325,000 to $400,00.

I would say you are welcome, but I'll let Bennie do it.

[bennie]

You are welcome.

[bennie]

Bob Foster finishes the brave Chris Finnegan in the 14th round in 1972.