Classic American West Coast Boxing

THEHAMMER321
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by THEHAMMER321 »

Will do, thanks Tom. :TU:
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by THEHAMMER321 »

kikibalt wrote:
THEHAMMER321 wrote: I will gladly do anything to help, I will go down to UNLV first thing Thursday,when I get down there does anyone on here know much about how I could get this info to the people at boxrec, any ideas would be helpful, or you could call me at 702-408-4705
I'm going to call you at 4:00 AM tomorrow..... :OhYes: :lol:
Frank I don't mind feel free to call anytime, when I am sleeping I turn my phone off, besides I always thought Frank Sinatra had his song all wrong, Las Vegas is the city that never sleeps. :TU:
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by Randyman »

THEHAMMER321 wrote:
raylawpc wrote:
Rick Farris wrote: Attention Boxrec:

Randy, this needs to be corrected.
The fight took place. What do they need here?
There are Hall of Fame reps on this thread who are aware of the fight, and of the slight by Boxrec (although not deliberate).
In the best interest of historic accuracy and fairness I'd like to petition Boxrec to correct an inaccurate record for Randy De La O, my former stablemate under manager Mel Epstein.
I wonder if Rob could assist us in this effort, or Chuck Johnston?
I got involved in something with them dealing with an old timer. My understanding is that they need some kind of verification. Maybe HAMMER could help Randy out and get a clipping of the fight from the Las Vegas newspaper. That should suffice. The Library at UNLV has all the Las Vegas newspapers on microfilm.
I will gladly do anything to help, I will go down to UNLV first thing Thursday,when I get down there does anyone on here know much about how I could get this info to the people at boxrec, any ideas would be helpful, or you could call me at 702-408-4705
Guys, I appreciate all the efforts and concern.I really didn't mean to make anyone go through any trouble. Thanks a lot.

Paulie, appreciate you doing some leg work my friend! The guys here on "CAWCB" are all stand up guys! :TU:

Randy :bow:
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by kikibalt »

kikibalt wrote:
Rick Farris wrote:
kikibalt wrote: Small crowd at the GSBA meeting today, there was about 12 people, the usual suspects, nonetheless we had a good time. Next Tuesday the Xmas luncheon will be held at the Dunes, 11:00AM, a good size crowd is expect as the food will be on the GSBA...... :lol:
Wish I could be there, Frank. I may be able to work it out?
Will Tony still be in town?
Rick, It would be nice if you and Randy could be there next week, I know that it would be too much to expect people from out of town (SoCal) to be there, see what you can do, I hope if Randy read this that he too would try to be there, and of course the wives are welcome too.

Tony will be in town next week and he'll be there, same for Frankie. I'm trying to talk Connie into taking the day off from work so she can join us there.

Dunes Inn
5625 Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, Ca. 90028
:OhYes: :OhYes:
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by Rick Farris »

THEHAMMER321 wrote:Today my wife was cleaning the garage and she brought in my old boxing magazines, I used to wait with anticipation when the new magazines would come out, but I was looking at the dates and the last magazine I bought was in 2002, anyway I was reading this story about Ski Goldstein who changed his name so everybody would think he was Jewish and thus sell more tickets, I know he fought out of California at one time, anyone know much about him ?
Ski Goldstein . . .

Paul . . . Like Frank, I also saw Goldstein fight several times at the Olympic in the mid-to-late 60's, on TV.
I was surprised to see him walk into the Johnny Flores Gym one evening in 1968.
Johnny's gym was behind his house in the San Fernando Valley.
Johnny had invited Goldstein out for sparring with a couple heavyweights in his stable, including my friend Al "Kit" Boursse'.
He got some good boxing at our gym, and I remember him to be very soft spoken, a good natured guy.
He would box at our gym several times and then we never saw him again.
I specificly recall his training gloves. They were a classic pair of Everlast 16oz. sparring gloves, shiny black leather, well worn but like new. I remember him telling me he'd aquired the gloves in New York many years earlier. He said they had molded to his hands, a perfect fit. Those are my memories of Ski Goldstein. He was a good club fighter.
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by Randyman »

kikibalt wrote:
kikibalt wrote:
Rick Farris wrote: Wish I could be there, Frank. I may be able to work it out?
Will Tony still be in town?
Rick, It would be nice if you and Randy could be there next week, I know that it would be too much to expect people from out of town (SoCal) to be there, see what you can do, I hope if Randy read this that he too would try to be there, and of course the wives are welcome too.

Tony will be in town next week and he'll be there, same for Frankie. I'm trying to talk Connie into taking the day off from work so she can join us there.

Dunes Inn
5625 Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, Ca. 90028
:OhYes: :OhYes:
I'm still down from the flu. Jeri finally made me go to the doctor today. I've missed a few days so it might be tough taking off but I'll see what I can do. Sounds like it might be a real nice get together.

Randy :box:
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by Randyman »

Rick Farris wrote:
THEHAMMER321 wrote:Today my wife was cleaning the garage and she brought in my old boxing magazines, I used to wait with anticipation when the new magazines would come out, but I was looking at the dates and the last magazine I bought was in 2002, anyway I was reading this story about Ski Goldstein who changed his name so everybody would think he was Jewish and thus sell more tickets, I know he fought out of California at one time, anyone know much about him ?
Ski Goldstein . . .

Paul . . . Like Frank, I also saw Goldstein fight several times at the Olympic in the mid-to-late 60's, on TV.
I was surprised to see him walk into the Johnny Flores Gym one evening in 1968.
Johnny's gym was behind his house in the San Fernando Valley.
Johnny had invited Goldstein out for sparring with a couple heavyweights in his stable, including my friend Al "Kit" Boursse'.
He got some good boxing at our gym, and I remember him to be very soft spoken, a good natured guy.
He would box at our gym several times and then we never saw him again.
I specificly recall his training gloves. They were a classic pair of Everlast 16oz. sparring gloves, shiny black leather, well worn but like new. I remember him telling me he'd aquired the gloves in New York many years earlier. He said they had molded to his hands, a perfect fit. Those are my memories of Ski Goldstein. He was a good club fighter.
Those little stories are the essence of this thread. man, I love to hear stuff like that. Up close and personal. It doesn't get any better than that. Like Frank driving Joe Louis around. You won't find this kind of stuff in the Ring magazine. :bow:
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by Rick Farris »

Randyman wrote:
kikibalt wrote:
kikibalt wrote: Rick, It would be nice if you and Randy could be there next week, I know that it would be too much to expect people from out of town (SoCal) to be there, see what you can do, I hope if Randy read this that he too would try to be there, and of course the wives are welcome too.

Tony will be in town next week and he'll be there, same for Frankie. I'm trying to talk Connie into taking the day off from work so she can join us there.

Dunes Inn
5625 Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, Ca. 90028
:OhYes: :OhYes:
I'm still down from the flu. Jeri finally made me go to the doctor today. I've missed a few days so it might be tough taking off but I'll see what I can do. Sounds like it might be a real nice get together.

Randy :box:

Hope you feel better, Randy.
I understand how work gets in the way of attending events during mid-week.
I'm on a production that I best not miss a day, however, an odd turn of events might bring me in later that day, and if so, I'll attend.
At the moment, I can't say for sure.
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by THEHAMMER321 »

Randy on that fight card it was Duane Bobick vs Fred Houpe and Mike Quarry vs Tom Bethea, that seems like a short fight card, do you think or remember other fights that would be missing from that card besides yours ?
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by Rick Farris »

THEHAMMER321 wrote:Randy on that fight card it was Duane Bobick vs Fred Houpe and Mike Quarry vs Tom Bethea, that seems like a short fight card, do you think or remember other fights that would be missing from that card besides yours ?

Randy . . . Fred Houpe, as you know, was Redd Foxx's fighter, "Young Sanford".
Do you know if Foxx was in attendence that night?
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by Randyman »

THEHAMMER321 wrote:Randy on that fight card it was Duane Bobick vs Fred Houpe and Mike Quarry vs Tom Bethea, that seems like a short fight card, do you think or remember other fights that would be missing from that card besides yours ?
Paulie, as far as I can remember it was just the three fights.
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by Randyman »

Rick Farris wrote:
THEHAMMER321 wrote:Randy on that fight card it was Duane Bobick vs Fred Houpe and Mike Quarry vs Tom Bethea, that seems like a short fight card, do you think or remember other fights that would be missing from that card besides yours ?

Randy . . . Fred Houpe, as you know, was Redd Foxx's fighter, "Young Sanford".
Do you know if Foxx was in attendence that night?
He might have been Rick but I don't recall seeing him.
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by Rick Farris »

CAWCB Trivia . . .

We don't see many boxers with Cauliflower ears these days, however, our pal Armando Muniz has one.
Mando's cauliflower ear isn't the result of his boxing career, but as an inter-collegent wrestler, on scholarship for UCLA.
You know, Mando is one of the nicest men I've ever met, he's also one of the toughest. World class toughness!.
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by THEHAMMER321 »

kikibalt wrote:Floyd Mayweather charged with poking security guard in the eye

By Daily Mail Reporter

Jab to the eye: Boxer Floyd Mayweather has been charged with poking a private security guard in a dispute over two parking tickets

Jab to the eye: Boxer Floyd Mayweather has been charged with poking a private security guard in a dispute over two parking tickets

Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr has been charged with jabbing a finger in the face of a security guard after he placed two parking tickets on his vehicles.

The 33-year-old star allegedly attacked worker Shayne Smith outside his luxury home in Las Vegas last month.

Nine-times world champion Mayweather is accused of battery after poking the private security officer, according to U.S. reports.

Paperwork says he screamed at Smith that he had 'no f***ing business' touching his cars, celebrity website TMZ.com said.

Mayweather reportedly tore one of the tickets off his car and put it on the 21-year-old homeowner association guard's vehicle.

The paperwork says: 'While lambasting Smith, Mayweather was allegedly jabbing his finger into the left side of Smith's cheek just below his eye.

'This willful and unlawful use of force and violence upon Smith caused redness and discoloration to the area which was battered by Mayweather.'

The worker says in the documents he drove off following the incident on November 15 to 'de-esculate' the situation.

He then told his manager what had happened and took photos of the injury he had suffered.

When police officers arrived Mayweather allegedly refused to come out of his home to speak to them.

The boxer, who lives in South Highlands, Las Vegas, Nevada, has not yet commented on the charges.

The maximum punishment for a battery conviction is a six month jail sentence and a $1,000 (£640) fine.

He missed a court appearance on November 9 about an unrelated alleged attack on an ex-girlfriend in September.

He is due to appear before a judge on January 24 about that incident and could face up to 34 years in prison if convicted.

The undefeated boxer has 41 wins to his name and 25 knockouts and the 5ft 8in American is regarded by many as the best in the world.
Here is a prime example of a person getting ''to big for his britches'', I first encountered Floyd about 1998 at the Orleans casino, I had recognized him from the boxing magazines, he wasn't famous yet I think he only had about 8 fights at that time and he was just walking through the casino with who I believe was his girlfriend, when I passed him I said hello Floyd and he smiled and said hello, the next time I saw him was about 2003 in a restaurant in China town with about 5 friends ''hangers on'' guess who was paying the bill, but this time he had a cocky swagger, no longer was he the nice young man who I said hello to 5 years prior, he had become just another arrogant punk. :shame:
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by CNorkusJr »

Frank I don't mind feel free to call anytime, when I am sleeping I turn my phone off, besides I always thought Frank Sinatra had his song all wrong, Las Vegas is the city that never sleeps. :TU:
Ahem, I beg to differ Hammer. Now Las Vegas might join New York in keeping late hours, but the Chairman was never wrong. :OhYes:
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by CNorkusJr »

Rick Farris wrote:
THEHAMMER321 wrote:Today my wife was cleaning the garage and she brought in my old boxing magazines, I used to wait with anticipation when the new magazines would come out, but I was looking at the dates and the last magazine I bought was in 2002, anyway I was reading this story about Ski Goldstein who changed his name so everybody would think he was Jewish and thus sell more tickets, I know he fought out of California at one time, anyone know much about him ?
Ski Goldstein . . .

Paul . . . Like Frank, I also saw Goldstein fight several times at the Olympic in the mid-to-late 60's, on TV.
I was surprised to see him walk into the Johnny Flores Gym one evening in 1968.
Johnny's gym was behind his house in the San Fernando Valley.
Johnny had invited Goldstein out for sparring with a couple heavyweights in his stable, including my friend Al "Kit" Boursse'.
He got some good boxing at our gym, and I remember him to be very soft spoken, a good natured guy.
He would box at our gym several times and then we never saw him again.
I specificly recall his training gloves. They were a classic pair of Everlast 16oz. sparring gloves, shiny black leather, well worn but like new. I remember him telling me he'd aquired the gloves in New York many years earlier. He said they had molded to his hands, a perfect fit. Those are my memories of Ski Goldstein. He was a good club fighter.
Since before the beginning of time :roll: , The Everlast Co. made gloves in the Bronx,NYC. They supplied the NY State Boxing Comm and IBC with their stuff. To this day I have a couple of sets of gloves my dad used as well as speed bag and training gear. (We had alot more, but during the 60's & 70's-under dads teachings, my friends and I wore out many a pair until trashed). My father also used "Benlee" brand as well.
Some "Everlast" getting a good workout at The Garden. Norkus vs. "Hurricane" Jackson.


Image
Last edited by CNorkusJr on 09 Dec 2010, 16:53, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by Rick Farris »

CNorkusJr wrote:
Rick Farris wrote:
THEHAMMER321 wrote:Today my wife was cleaning the garage and she brought in my old boxing magazines, I used to wait with anticipation when the new magazines would come out, but I was looking at the dates and the last magazine I bought was in 2002, anyway I was reading this story about Ski Goldstein who changed his name so everybody would think he was Jewish and thus sell more tickets, I know he fought out of California at one time, anyone know much about him ?
Ski Goldstein . . .

Paul . . . Like Frank, I also saw Goldstein fight several times at the Olympic in the mid-to-late 60's, on TV.
I was surprised to see him walk into the Johnny Flores Gym one evening in 1968.
Johnny's gym was behind his house in the San Fernando Valley.
Johnny had invited Goldstein out for sparring with a couple heavyweights in his stable, including my friend Al "Kit" Boursse'.
He got some good boxing at our gym, and I remember him to be very soft spoken, a good natured guy.
He would box at our gym several times and then we never saw him again.
I specificly recall his training gloves. They were a classic pair of Everlast 16oz. sparring gloves, shiny black leather, well worn but like new. I remember him telling me he'd aquired the gloves in New York many years earlier. He said they had molded to his hands, a perfect fit. Those are my memories of Ski Goldstein. He was a good club fighter.
Since before the beginning of time :roll: , The Everlast Co. made gloves in the Bronx,NYC. They supplied the NY State Boxing Comm and IBC with their stuff. To this day I have a couple of sets of gloves my dad used as well as speed bag and training gear. (We had alot more, but during the 60's & 70's-under dads teachings, my friends and I wore out many a pair until trashed). My father also used "Benlee" brand as well.
Some "Everlast" getting a good workout at The Garden. Norkus vs. "Hurricane" Jackson.


Image
Patterson-Jackson-Norkus . . .

Charlie, in the mid-60's when I was in Jr. high school, I read Floyd Patterson's bio, "Victory Over Myself".
In Patterson's book, one of my favorites, he talks a lot of one of his opponents, Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson.
I recall that Jackson was a helluva fighter, but out of the ring had some personal challenges.
Patterson revealed a great deal of empathy toward Jackson.
Your dad fought in the Patterson era. Did he express any thoughts relating to the youngest champ prior to Tyson?
And can you share any of his memories of Hurricane Jackson?
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by bennie »

Wlad Klitschko has hurt his back (aaaah!) and his fight with Britain's Derek Chisora is off. It was a mismatch anyway so I am quite relieved.
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by kikibalt »

I started sneezing as Connie and I were sitting up in bed reading the newspaper this morning.
"Do you have to make so much noise!" said Connie
"Thank you" I said
"What?
"I said thank you, didn't you say, bless you?"
"Damn!, you never listen to what I say!" said Connie as she got up and walked away.... :lol:
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by bennie »

Watching the favourite Christmas songs on the box, and they have just made Mariah Carey's All I want for Christmas as No. 1, ahead of Fairytale of New York and Bing's White Christmas. Somebody is pulling my cracker.
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by THEHAMMER321 »

Frank what happened to the wake up call at 4 this morning ? :lol: just woke up, gonnna head over to UNLV in about a half hour, hopefully I get the desired results. :TU:
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by kikibalt »

THEHAMMER321 wrote:Frank what happened to the wake up call at 4 this morning ? :lol: just woke up, gonnna head over to UNLV in about a half hour, hopefully I get the desired results. :TU:
I over slept Paul, didn't wake up till 5:30.... :witzend:
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by kikibalt »

August 04, 1958
Right Is Might
Lightweight Champion Joe Brown retains crown despite leftish plot
Martin Kane

The prejudice against southpaws, held so firmly by prizefighters of orthodox right-handed style, is a sound indication that all is not rotten in boxing. Any boxer of strict upbringing follows a moral code handed down from Jim Figg and written on the tablets of Pierce Egan. The code commands that a jab be delivered with the left hand and a cross with the right. Thrown into the intimacy of the ring against a man who perversely jabs with his right and crosses with his left, who sticks his right foot forward when in all decency he should have his left out front, the proper boxer will feel unclean and hate himself in the morning.

Thus we have the judgment of Lightweight Champion Joe Brown, a fellow of good instincts, who says: "They should take all southpaws and drop them in the river."

Joe took a vow the other night after engaging southpaw Kenny Lane in a title defense witnessed by 11,500 sporting sinners, 10,994 of whom paid $69,203.50 in sordid cash to lick their lips at a spectacle that, in all truth, was exciting. The gate was a record sum for Houston, which segregates the toilets of white and colored but ignores the southpaw problem.

Joe's vow was brief and sincere. "No more southpaws for me," he said, holding up his left glove in forgivable confusion.

It is believed here that his regeneration is now solidly established and that never again will Joe Brown consent to enter the ring against a southpaw, especially Kenny Lane, unless the price makes it morally right. Lane clunked him good in a very close fight and furthermore withstood some of Brown's finer punches with saucy indifference, whamming him back with right hooks and left crosses until you would have thought the forces of righteousness would surely be defeated at this prelude to Armageddon.

The experience must have left a bad taste in Brown's mouth because he began immediately to talk of taking on welterweights in his next crusade. As for Lane, he howled that he had been robbed. His part-time manager, Jack Kearns, did not quite make this claim, holding only that he had given the fighter the bad advice to coast through the 15th round and thus cost his boy the fight. Later he confessed under torture that it is better for a manager to take the blame for a lost fight than let his fighter's reputation suffer.

A couple of nights later at Los Angeles, the Rademacher- Zora Folley fight was not so inspiring as the Brown-Lane affair, although again good style and good punching came through. Zora Folley had the style. The Veep was tense, awkward and feckless.

He was either trying to counter-punch a counterpuncher or he was remembering those seven knockdowns at Seattle and scheming to avoid a repetition by changing his style—an awkward word in this connotation. Folley promptly turned stalker, which is against his nature, and knocked Rademacher down four times in four rounds. Rademacher now has an EKA (earned knockdown average) of 5.5 in two fights, and the International Boxing Club is asking waivers on him.

There are a couple of television fights coming up which will be worth watching for essentially the same reason. They will present promising newcomers against old hands on the TV screen. At Chicago Stadium on August 6 (a Wednesday) Sonny Liston, whose maiden TV appearance last May resulted in a knockout of Julio Mederos, as anticipated, will take on the much-tougher Wayne Bethea, who this year has won over Young Jack Johnson and lost to Nino Valdes. A couple of nights later (Friday, August 8) unbeaten but nationally invisible Gene Armstrong will fight none other than Rory Calhoun, an enormous step up in class for Armstrong, even though his 14-fight streak includes victories over Charley Joseph, Rudy Sawyer and Randy Sandy. Boxer Armstrong has only one TKO victory on his record and will be up against one of the heavier punchers so that it seems sensible to pick Calhoun. Glancing at the other side of the coin, we will choose newcomer Liston over veteran Bethea.
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by CNorkusJr »

Image
Rick Farris wrote:Patterson-Jackson-Norkus . . .

Charlie, in the mid-60's when I was in Jr. high school, I read Floyd Patterson's bio, "Victory Over Myself".
In Patterson's book, one of my favorites, he talks a lot of one of his opponents, Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson.
I recall that Jackson was a helluva fighter, but out of the ring had some personal challenges.
Patterson revealed a great deal of empathy toward Jackson.
Your dad fought in the Patterson era. Did he express any thoughts relating to the youngest champ prior to Tyson?
And can you share any of his memories of Hurricane Jackson?
My father was very good friends with Floyd Patterson and their friendship lasted from 1950 till my dad passed in 1996.
My father was already a pro in 1950 boxing out of Jersey City,NJ.
Occasionally, my father would go back home to his moms house in Queens, NY to see his sisters and mom. He would go to NYC and visit Stillman's Gym and Gramercy Park Gym. He wanted to see what new opponents or managers were doing in the business.
When he went to Gramercy Gym he ran into an old friend Cus D'amato who got this kid named Floyd Ptterson. There friendship started right off. Floyd asked my father about his opponents and along with Cus, Floyd would see if he could get scheduled fights with some during his career. This went on for awhile. My father and Floyd had 7 common opponents during their careers. In no order, Roy Harris,C.Powell,J.Walls,Archie Moore,T. Harrison,Lalu Sabotin,Tommy Jackson. My father also knew about Archie McBride former NJ Boxing Champ who Floyd fought but not my father. In May 1959, Inge Johannson came to New York to fight Floyd.
Inge picked out my father to be one of his sparmates in upstate NY. They had a falling out in which my father knocked down Inge in training and got fired, but Johansson's people always thought my dad was a feeler out for Patterson. My father was not he told me. Just very good friends with Floyd. In fact, my father said, it was just the opposite, Inge wanted to know how Floyd was in the ring, but my father never sparred with Floyd and told him little.
In 1975 my father received his pro Boxing Referees License with the NY Athletic Comm. Floyd would join the Comm around 1977 as a Dep. Comm.
This was news to my fathers ears. Since that point- my dad would get plum ref jobs from the Commissioners and mostly the Heavyweights on the cards.
Jose Torres and Floyd were both Comm. as diff times. My father sparred with Jose Torres many years at Stillmans.Floyd made Comm in 1995 but my dad was already sick with cancer and not reffing anymore.Because of his friendships with both men, Jose & Floyd, I never heard a negative item about both men. And rightly so. They were very dear to my dad.
Last edited by CNorkusJr on 09 Dec 2010, 16:53, edited 6 times in total.
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Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing

Post by Rick Farris »

CNorkusJr wrote:Image
Patterson-Jackson-Norkus . . .

Charlie, in the mid-60's when I was in Jr. high school, I read Floyd Patterson's bio, "Victory Over Myself".
In Patterson's book, one of my favorites, he talks a lot of one of his opponents, Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson.
I recall that Jackson was a helluva fighter, but out of the ring had some personal challenges.
Patterson revealed a great deal of empathy toward Jackson.
Your dad fought in the Patterson era. Did he express any thoughts relating to the youngest champ prior to Tyson?
And can you share any of his memories of Hurricane Jackson?[/quote]

My father was very good friends with Floyd Patterson and their friendship lasted from 1950 till my dad passed in 1996.
My father was already a pro in 1950 boxing out of Jersey City,NJ.
Occasionally, my father would go back home to his moms house in Queens, NY to see his sisters and mom. He would go to NYC and visit Stillman's Gym and Gramercy Park Gym. He wanted to see what new opponents or managers were doing in the business.
When he went to Gramercy Gym he ran into an old friend Cus D'amato who got this kid named Floyd Ptterson. There friendship started right off. Floyd asked my father about his opponents and along with Cus, Floyd would see if he could get scheduled fights with some during his career. This went on for awhile. My father and Floyd had 7 common opponents during their careers. In no order, Roy Harris,C.Powell,J.Walls,Archie Moore,T. Harrison,Lalu Sabotin,Tommy Jackson. My father also knew about Archie McBride former NJ Boxing Champ who Floyd fought but not my father. In May 1959, Inge Johannson came to New York to fight Floyd.
Inge picked out my father to be one of his sparmates in upstate NY. They had a falling out in which my father knocked down Inge in training and got fired, but Johansson's people always thought my dad was a feeler out for Patterson. My father was not he told me. Just very good friends with Floyd. In fact, my father said, it was just the opposite, Inge wanted to know how Floyd was in the ring, but my father never sparred with Floyd and told him little.
In 1975 my father received his pro Boxing Referees License with the NY Athletic Comm. Floyd would join the Comm around 1977 as a Dep. Comm.
This was news to my fathers ears. Since that point- my dad would get plum ref jobs from the Commissioners and mostly the Heavyweights on the cards.
Jose Torres and Floyd were both Comm. as diff times. My father sparred with Jose Torres many years at Stillmans.Floyd made Comm in 1995 but my dad was already sick with cancer and not reffing anymore.Because of his friendships with both men, Jose & Floyd, I never heard a negative item about both men. And rightly so. They were very dear to my dad.[/quote]
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Charlie . . . Thanks for sharing this with us. I'm happy to know that my opinion of Patterson, outside the ring, is right on.
When I was a kid, I found the Patterson book in my school library and read and re-read it many times. Eventually, I told the librarian I'd lost the book and paid for it. To this day the book is a part of my boxing library. Fighters were a different breed back in those days, they had a certain class that is pretty much abscent in today's world of boxing. I am thoroughly enjoying your posts.
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