Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Rick Farris]

A Stronger Fighter - Manuel Labor and Boxers . . .


When I was 19-years-old, my trainer Mel Epstein used to look at me and say-
"Your growing, but you need more strength, you need to do some hard work."
"I'm going to send you to work on a ranch in Montana for the summer. You'll comeback stronger!" Mel announced.

I told Mel he wasn't sending me anywhere.
I had a hot girlfriend and there was no way I was going to blow a perfect California summer with the perfect California blonde.
"I can work hard here, I can get a labor job and use the money, too."

So I went to work with a friend who was a Flores stablemate of mine years ago.
I installed irrigation pipes one day, then we picked them up the next day and took them somewhere else.
Then a buddy knew a guy who needed some laborers to dig into decomposed granite, picks and shovels for a ceptic tank at a mobile home park.
Then we picked up scrap at construction sites, carrying bags of concrete, etc.

Working at that made me much stronger, because unlike conventional weight training, you move into awkward postitions when you are swinging a pick, lifting a shovel, wrangling a bag of sand, or whatever.
In boxing you can get bent into a lot of strange positions, and this builds strength to deal with it.
You learn to lift properly, not a bar-bell, but something that creates a true working muscle.
When you are in close in the ring with mature pros, these guys are strong, and you can't let them bull you around.
You need to be able to pick the guy up and slam him to the ground, although that is something you would never do in a boxing match.
Still, if you are strong enough to do that, you'll be strong enough to over power, or prevent yourself from being over-powered.
Regardless of how slick you can box, you have to be strong when you need to be.

Mel was right, and had I gone to Montana I'd have come back stronger.
However, I'm glad I didn't go. That was one helluva summer!

Yep Rick. Your right about building strength.
Years ago I was a union construction laborer. Man I worked like a mule.Did everything. I liked it though and it did keep me in shape.
The only problem is, you gotta make sure your working with a good crew of guys who arent yahoos. I almost got killed a couple times. Once an insulation instaler dropped his knife about five stories and hit me in the neck. Thank God it hit on the handle side not the blade side or I would have been a shish kabob. Another time a guy was swinging an axe hitting a plaster wall to take it down on a demolition crew I was working on. The thing flew out of his hands.(the dude was missing a freakin thumb)and hit me right in the side.Again I caught the blunt side not the blade. Guys name was Sergio. I dont think I'll ever forget that guy.

I have been working as a manual labouror since sixteen ,shoeveruthing from shoveling out what the excavators cant reach ,wheelbarrowing out inzane amounts of clay etc, building stone walls by hand and laying down steel pipes, Imo its the best strenght training there is.As Rick states its functional strength, you work your whole body(and you get paid for working out.)

Ivemet a few ''yahoos'' as well , especially among the guys driving the machines, this one guy was pulling up a tree stubb while i was fixing a fence right next to it, one of the roots hit me in tthe arm so hard i couldent use it for a couple of daysif the root had hit me a few cm higher it woulda been a broken cranium at the least im sure, another time i was sitting in the excavators ''shoevel'' and he was lifting me up to secure a high power cable and the jackass made a sudden move and almost tipped me down into a ditch we were digging about 4 meters deep,that was the closest ive ever come to putting a beating on one of my co-workers

In the film industry, when you are a lighting technician, we have production crews that actually do the lighting on the sets, and we have rigging crews, that pre-rig stages and sets with heavy cable and equipment. I used to love the physical work of running cable. Our heaviest cable is 4/0 guage, and weighs roughly 100 pounds per 100' piece. A big rig wil have a few hundred pieces of 4/0 as well as other coils of cable, etc. When you are lifting the cable, walking with it, up hills, throwing it around, it gets you fit.

[Rick Farris]

Never a dull moment when Manny Lugo fought, I'm sure Rick and Randy have some stories on Manny...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You bet! Rodolfo Gonzalez and I were remembering Lugo awhile back.
El Gato had to smile when thinking back of working out with Lugo.
He was like a human windmill, non-stop action!
He used to sleep on the floor of an old shed behind the house of Jake Shagrue, right next door to the Hoover Street Gym.
A teenage Frankie Crawford, fresh in town from Cleveland in the early 60's, used to sleep in the cold shed, as well.

[Rick Farris]

Pat Goossen

division light welterweight
country United States
won 2 (KO 1) + lost 2 (KO 0) + drawn 0 = 4
rounds boxed 18 KO% 25


1972-10-09 150½ Joe Baker 150 4-2-0
Valley Music Theatre, Woodland Hills, California, United States W PTS 4 4

1967-07-27 135½ Julian Tellez 134 6-1-0
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L PTS 6 6

1967-07-20 148½ Carlos Guzman 149½
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W KO 4 6

1967-05-04 148 Julian Tellez 145½ 2-0-0
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L PTS 4 4

Pat Goossen is the only Goossen brother to have fought in the ring (except for Pat's two sons P.J. & Eric).
Pat is the oldest brother, and regarded the "black sheep" of the Goossen family.
Pat is the only Goossen not involved in the family's boxing promotion company. Pat follows his own path.

[kikibalt]

You know, I think a ''real kept man'' doesn't need a book to tell him how to operate, I am sure Frank never read one, it's instinctive.

Paul . . . The "Kept Man" manuel is like a bible to a true kept man.
Frank has loaned me his so I can practice for the day that I reach KM status.

Rick, take good care of that manuel as I believe its out of print, it would be hard to find another....

[Rick Farris]

You know, I think a ''real kept man'' doesn't need a book to tell him how to operate, I am sure Frank never read one, it's instinctive.

Paul . . . The "Kept Man" manuel is like a bible to a true kept man.
Frank has loaned me his so I can practice for the day that I reach KM status.

Rick, take good care of that manuel as I believe its out of print, it would be hard to find another....

I've got it hidden under a stack of boxing books.
That way I know that Monica will never find it.

[kikibalt]

A Teamsters Boys Club boxer

Butch Contreras

division bantamweight

country United States
residence Los Angeles, California, United States

won 7 (KO 1) + lost 4 (KO 0) + drawn 1 = 12
rounds boxed 66 KO% 8.33



1971-04-01 122 Rafael Lopez 125 1-2-1
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W PTS 6 6

1970-10-03 124 Frankie Santillan 123 2-3-0
Valley Music Theatre, Woodland Hills, California, United States W PTS 6 6

1970-09-24 120 Mamoru Minami 121 6-4-1
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W KO 2 6

1970-05-21 122½ Mamoru Minami 122½ 4-3-1
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L PTS 5 5

1970-05-14 119 Enrique Flores 123 4-3-0
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W PTS 10 10

1967-04-20 124 Vic Jimenez 123
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L PTS 4 4

1966-07-28 119½ Raton Antonio Perez 120 12-7-1
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L PTS 6 6

1966-06-30 121 Manuel Chango Magallanes 118 18-27-1
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W PTS 5 5

1966-06-16 120 Pimi Amador 120 13-23-4
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States D PTS 6 6

1966-06-02 118 Luke Smith 116 11-3-0
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L UD 6 6

1966-04-30 Bobby Sandella 1-2-0
San Diego, California, United States W PTS 5 5

1966-04-21 125 Bobby Sandella 121 0-1-0
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W PTS 5 5

Butch Contreras . . .

Frank, Don Chargin matched me with Butch Contreras in my 5th pro fight (on the undercard of Navarro-Lomeli-2).
Louie J. came to the weigh-in and informed us that Butch had come down with the flu, so I fought his stablemate Gabe Gutierrez.
I remembered Butch from the amateurs, a real solid tough guy in the ring.
I also remember his brother Davey, a featherweight who was unbeaten until matched with Frankie Crawford in a ten rounder.
A couple weeks later, after I fought Gutierrez, Butch fought my friend (and former opponent) Frankie Santillian, and won.
I recall Butch's real name was "Victor".
Another name on Contreras' record is Enrique Flores, whom I was scheduled to fight in my pro debut, but he didn't show at the weigh-in.
Enrique Flores would soon fight Jesus Pimentel and go the distance, which shows that Johnny Flores wasn't interested in matching me with bums early on.

Rick, the Contreras brothers were good friends of mine back in the '60's, couple of years ago I heard from Dave's son and he told me that Dave had passed away....

[kikibalt]

Paul . . . The "Kept Man" manuel is like a bible to a true kept man.
Frank has loaned me his so I can practice for the day that I reach KM status.

Rick, take good care of that manuel as I believe its out of print, it would be hard to find another....

I've got it hidden under a stack of boxing books.
That way I know that Monica will never find it.

Good!!!

[kikibalt]

Dave Contreras

division featherweight

country United States
residence Los Angeles, California, United States
won 4 (KO 2) + lost 1 (KO 1) + drawn 0 = 5
rounds boxed 35 KO% 40


1966-09-15 123 Frankie Crawford 122½ 13-3-0
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L TKO 9 10
time: 2:37
Contreras was knocked down in the 8th and 9th round.

1966-08-04 124½ Wayman Gray 126 18-4-1
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W UD 10 10
referee: Dick Young 6-4 | judge: John Thomas 6-3 | judge: Larry Rozadilla 6-2

1966-06-16 120 Luke Smith 116 12-3-0
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W KO 6 6

1966-06-03 123 Frankie Sedillo 127 3-12-1
Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, United States W TKO 5 6
time: 1:57 | referee: Dick Young

1966-04-21 125 Bosco Basilio 127
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W PTS 5 5

[THEHAMMER321]

Paul . . . The "Kept Man" manuel is like a bible to a true kept man.
Frank has loaned me his so I can practice for the day that I reach KM status.

Rick, take good care of that manuel as I believe its out of print, it would be hard to find another....

I've got it hidden under a stack of boxing books.
That way I know that Monica will never find it.

Rick be careful, I lost most of my 1980s boxing magazines in a fire about 18 years ago, if Monica finds the manual, I think your magazines might suffer the same fate as mine did.

[THEHAMMER321]

On AMC right now somebody up there likes me is playing, started at 11:15

[kikibalt]

Rick, take good care of that manuel as I believe its out of print, it would be hard to find another....

I've got it hidden under a stack of boxing books.
That way I know that Monica will never find it.

Rick be careful, I lost most of my 1980s boxing magazines in a fire about 18 years ago, if Monica finds the manual, I think your magazines might suffer the same fate as mine did.

Connie was asking me yesterday about the kept man manuel.
"What the hell is this about a Kept Man Manuel?" she asked
"What manuel baby?"
"I read it on your computer when you went to take a piss"
"Oh, that!, that's a comic book baby, we found a comic book on Ebay and we are passing it among us, you know among the guys on the thread"....

She didn't believe me.....

[Rick Farris]

Rick, take good care of that manuel as I believe its out of print, it would be hard to find another....

I've got it hidden under a stack of boxing books.
That way I know that Monica will never find it.

Rick be careful, I lost most of my 1980s boxing magazines in a fire about 18 years ago, if Monica finds the manual, I think your magazines might suffer the same fate as mine did.

Knowing your Opponent (Chapter-2, KM Manuel) . . .

Thanks for the warning Paul, however, as a veteran of multiple marriages, I learned the reality of an angry wife and boxing magazines years ago.
One took out her rath on my trunk of boxing memorabelia. I had several posters with my name on them.
Most were from amateur promotions at the El Monte Legion and the Olympic, however, I had two pro posters, one from a fight I had in National City, another from Woodland Hills that Don Fraser promoted.
I was on location in Miami, we had seperated beforehand. When I returned to our home, there was no furniture, all that was left was a pile of my clothes on the floor, along with remains of my posters, magazines given me by George Parnassus, and a photo of me with Bo Derek. The photo was shredded.
We were seperated with divorce papers signed, and I was dating Bo's sister, Kerry Collins, at the time. This was like throwing gas on her fire.
I learned that it's best to take what's yours when you leave, even if you think you might be getting back together.
In this case, Monica avoids one closet like the plague. It's MY closet. Stacked boxes, just crap from the past.
In one large plastic tub, I have lots of stuff that needs to be posted here, and one day I'll get it out.
This is where I hide the Kep Man manuel.

[kikibalt]

I've got it hidden under a stack of boxing books.
That way I know that Monica will never find it.

Rick be careful, I lost most of my 1980s boxing magazines in a fire about 18 years ago, if Monica finds the manual, I think your magazines might suffer the same fate as mine did.

Knowing your Opponent (Chapter-2, KM Manuel) . . .

Thanks for the warning Paul, however, as a veteran of multiple marriages, I learned the reality of an angry wife and boxing magazines years ago.
One took out her rath on my trunk of boxing memorabelia. I had several posters with my name on them.
Most were from amateur promotions at the El Monte Legion and the Olympic, however, I had two pro posters, one from a fight I had in National City, another from Woodland Hills that Don Fraser promoted.
I was on location in Miami, we had seperated beforehand. When I returned to our home, there was no furniture, all that was left was a pile of my clothes on the floor, along with remains of my posters, magazines given me by George Parnassus, and a photo of me with Bo Derek. The photo was shredded.
We were seperated, and I was dating Bo's sister, Keri Collins, at the time. This was like throwing gas on her fire.
I learned that it's best to take what's yours when you leave, even if you think you might be getting back together.
In this case, Monica avoids one closet like the plague. It's MY closet. Stacked boxes, just crap from the past.
In one large plastic tub, I have lots of stuff that needs to be posted here, and one day I'll get it out.
This is where I hide the Kep Man manuel.

[THEHAMMER321]

I always wonder about slang in America, and how it changes through the years, if you watch old movies from the 1940s for money they use ''loot'' or dough'' fast forward to the late 1960s money was called ''bread'' or ''scratch'',other late sixties terms were groovy, far out, solid, cool,you dig, and in the late 1980s to the present people use''chill out'', I think with all the free time I have I might create some new ones.

[kikibalt]

I always wonder about slang in America, and how it changes through the years, if you watch old movies from the 1940s for money they use ''loot'' or dough'' fast forward to the late 1960s money was called ''bread'' or ''scratch'',other late sixties terms were groovy, far out, solid, cool, and in the late 1980s to the present people use''chill out'', I think with all the free time I have I might create some new ones.

Free time??. Are you a kept man too??...you don't work I take it...didn't know you were a club member...good to meet a fellow club member.....

[kikibalt]

For Bennie..British Boxing History

http://nipperpatdaly.co.uk/britishboxinghistory.html

[kikibalt]

[Rick Farris]

Rick, the Contreras brothers were good friends of mine back in the '60's, couple of years ago I heard from Dave's son and he told me that Dave had passed away....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry to hear it. Davey was a little heavier than Butch, more of a boxer if I remember right.
When he fought Crawford, both were up & comers, but Frankie had more experience and stopped him late in the fight.
That was it for Davey Contreras. I thought he had promise, and Butch was a tough guy.
I really wanted to fight Butch when I was 18. He was a lot older, had been around longer, but I knew he came to fight, and that was good for me.
I thought Davey Contreras was a good boxer, but he knew that boxing wasn't for him, I guess. Smart guy.
May he rest in peace.

[Rick Farris]

I've got it hidden under a stack of boxing books.
That way I know that Monica will never find it.

Rick be careful, I lost most of my 1980s boxing magazines in a fire about 18 years ago, if Monica finds the manual, I think your magazines might suffer the same fate as mine did.

Connie was asking me yesterday about the kept man manuel.
"What the hell is this about a Kept Man Manuel?" she asked
"What manuel baby?"
"I read it on your computer when you went to take a piss"
"Oh, that!, that's a comic book baby, we found a comic book on Ebay and we are passing it among us, you know among the guys on the thread"....

She didn't believe me.....

Frank, since I have your copy I checked to see how one should handle such questions.
Chapter-8 says that "A kept man must stay calm and be able to improvise when facing unexpected questions."
It appears you did just that. It also mentions that it is of no importance whether they believe you or not.
They say in extreme cases it's recommended one feign illness and/or injury to get an edge.
Another good grade for you Frank, that's just what you did to avoid the plumbing.
Frank is a natural, the Joe Louis of "Kept Men."
If Monica should accidentally find it, I'm going to tell her it is a screeplay I've been asked to read.

[kikibalt]

Rick, the Contreras brothers were good friends of mine back in the '60's, couple of years ago I heard from Dave's son and he told me that Dave had passed away....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry to hear it. Davey was a little heavier than Butch, more of a boxer if I remember right.
When he fought Crawford, both were up & comers, but Frankie had more experience and stopped him late in the fight.
That was it for Davey Contreras. I thought he had promise, and Butch was a tough guy.
I really wanted to fight Butch when I was 18. He was a lot older, had been around longer, but I knew he came to fight, and that was good for me.
I thought Davey Contreras was a good boxer, but he knew that boxing wasn't for him, I guess. Smart guy.
May he rest in peace.

Dave was a boxer type fighter, where Butch was a always coming forward kind of fighter. Both were LA GG champions, I don't remember if either went to the nationals. Dave was married to an older woman at the time he turn pro and she was against him fighting, after he lost to Crawford I guess she talked him into retiring from the game. Butch I have no idea why he gave it up.

[Rick Farris]

Rick, the Contreras brothers were good friends of mine back in the '60's, couple of years ago I heard from Dave's son and he told me that Dave had passed away....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry to hear it. Davey was a little heavier than Butch, more of a boxer if I remember right.
When he fought Crawford, both were up & comers, but Frankie had more experience and stopped him late in the fight.
That was it for Davey Contreras. I thought he had promise, and Butch was a tough guy.
I really wanted to fight Butch when I was 18. He was a lot older, had been around longer, but I knew he came to fight, and that was good for me.
I thought Davey Contreras was a good boxer, but he knew that boxing wasn't for him, I guess. Smart guy.
May he rest in peace.

Dave was a boxer type fighter, where Butch was a always coming forward kind of fighter. Both were LA GG champions, I don't remember if either went to the nationals. Dave was married to an older woman at the time he turn pro and she was against him fighting, after he lost to Crawford I guess she talked him into retiring from the game. Butch I have no idea why he gave it up.

I remember when I started boxing, both were still amateurs, and I saw them on TV and in the GG's finals.
They both turned pro after the Golden Gloves, but Butch didn't stay active. He reappeared for awhile about the time I turned pro

[kikibalt]

Rick be careful, I lost most of my 1980s boxing magazines in a fire about 18 years ago, if Monica finds the manual, I think your magazines might suffer the same fate as mine did.

Connie was asking me yesterday about the kept man manuel.
"What the hell is this about a Kept Man Manuel?" she asked
"What manuel baby?"
"I read it on your computer when you went to take a piss"
"Oh, that!, that's a comic book baby, we found a comic book on Ebay and we are passing it among us, you know among the guys on the thread"....

She didn't believe me.....

Frank, since I have your copy I checked to see how one should handle such questions.
Chapter-8 says that "A kept man must stay calm and be able to improvise when facing unexpected questions."
It appears you did just that. It also mentions that it is of no importance whether they believe you or not.
They say in extreme cases it's recommended one feign illness and/or injury to get an edge.
Another good grade for you Frank, that's just what you did to avoid the plumbing.
Frank is a natural, the Joe Louis of "Kept Men."
If Monica should accidentally find it, I'm going to tell her it is a screeplay I've been asked to read.

A fu*king screenplay??....

[kikibalt]

Rick, the Contreras brothers were good friends of mine back in the '60's, couple of years ago I heard from Dave's son and he told me that Dave had passed away....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry to hear it. Davey was a little heavier than Butch, more of a boxer if I remember right.
When he fought Crawford, both were up & comers, but Frankie had more experience and stopped him late in the fight.
That was it for Davey Contreras. I thought he had promise, and Butch was a tough guy.
I really wanted to fight Butch when I was 18. He was a lot older, had been around longer, but I knew he came to fight, and that was good for me.
I thought Davey Contreras was a good boxer, but he knew that boxing wasn't for him, I guess. Smart guy.
May he rest in peace.

Dave was a boxer type fighter, where Butch was a always coming forward kind of fighter. Both were LA GG champions, I don't remember if either went to the nationals. Dave was married to an older woman at the time he turn pro and she was against him fighting, after he lost to Crawford I guess she talked him into retiring from the game. Butch I have no idea why he gave it up.

I remember when I started boxing, both were still amateurs, and I saw them on TV and in the GG's finals.
They both turned pro after the Golden Gloves, but Butch didn't stay active. He reappeared for awhile about the time I turned pro

Looking at their records it seem that they both turned pro in '66. Dave just fought in that year, Butch fought off and on till '71.

[Rick Farris]

Connie was asking me yesterday about the kept man manuel.
"What the hell is this about a Kept Man Manuel?" she asked
"What manuel baby?"
"I read it on your computer when you went to take a piss"
"Oh, that!, that's a comic book baby, we found a comic book on Ebay and we are passing it among us, you know among the guys on the thread"....

She didn't believe me.....

Frank, since I have your copy I checked to see how one should handle such questions.
Chapter-8 says that "A kept man must stay calm and be able to improvise when facing unexpected questions."
It appears you did just that. It also mentions that it is of no importance whether they believe you or not.
They say in extreme cases it's recommended one feign illness and/or injury to get an edge.
Another good grade for you Frank, that's just what you did to avoid the plumbing.
Frank is a natural, the Joe Louis of "Kept Men."
If Monica should accidentally find it, I'm going to tell her it is a screeplay I've been asked to read.

A fu*king screenplay??....

Don't laugh. I have scripts that date back quite awhile.
If she asks, "What in the Hell is this 'Kept Man Manuel?"
I answer, "It's was an original screenplay from the early 60's. It starred Rock Hudson & Doris Day".

[kikibalt]

Going to watch the big game on ESPN....