Question about Bonavena-Gorosito from 1975?

[osc1360]

Boxrec.com states that Bonavena last fought Gorosito on November 1, 1975.

The Ring from September 1976, article titled, "150,000 at Bonavena's Funeral in Buenos Aires" by Mario Gru, states that the fight was on January 11, 1975.

Can anyone solve this discrepancy?

Thanks in advance!

[John]

I'm not sure but it could be the old date problem, the Americans have a different way of writing dates to everyone else. They use Month, Day, Year ie they would read 1,11,1975 as January 11th not Nov 1st.

[Brutu]

It was announced in January 1975 that Bonavena was schedlued to fight George Foreman on the preliminary
of the Ali-Wepner fight March 1975,but Foreman pulled out of it,then it became Bonavena-Norton,the Bonavena pulled out
about 2 weeks before that scheduled fight,so Jerry Quarry agreed to fight Norton with only about 10 days to train for it.
My guess would be that the Bonavena fight in Italy was in November 1975.

[Brutu]

What I like to know is how much time did Bonavena spend in Reno Nevada before he was killed in May 1976.
Was he a long time customer of the Mustang Ranch for a few years before Joe and Sally Conforte became his managers
in early 1976?

[osc1360]

I'm not sure but it could be the old date problem, the Americans have a different way of writing dates to everyone else. They use Month, Day, Year ie they would read 1,11,1975 as January 11th not Nov 1st.

I bet that you're right. The writer has several inconsistencies like calling Oscar - Osvaldo and calling Alejandro Lunasse by his middle name Agustin.

Thanks for your reply. I am going to assume that the date was Nov. 1, 1975.

[osc1360]

What I like to know is how much time did Bonavena spend in Reno Nevada before he was killed in May 1976.
Was he a long time customer of the Mustang Ranch for a few years before Joe and Sally Conforte became his managers
in early 1976?

Oscar's fight with Gorosito was in Argentina, likely it was on Nov. 1, 1975. I think the writer Gru got the dates confused.

As for the time Bonavena was with the Confortes, I believe unofficially it was end of January/Early February 1976 but that he signed with the Confortes at the end of February 1976.

The Nevada Athletic Commission does not have Bonavena's contract on record.

[Brutu]

I think I remember reading in a newspaper article a few Days after Bonavena was killed,were it said that Joe Conforte had met
Bonavena in either Italy or Argentina sometime earlier,and invited him to come to Reno NV.
Anyway was Bernardo Mercado signed before Bonavena by the Conforte's?
I believe Bernardo Mercado(who became Bonavena's sparring partner) was still trained and managed by Willie Ketchum and Bo Belinsky at Los Angeles
in February 1976.

[Brutu]

Joe Conforte the owner and manager of the olde Mustang Ranch near Lockwood Nevada,had is autobiography
published just this week as an E-Book,entitled BREAKS,BRAINS & BALLS,perhaps some answers are in that book.

[Brutu]

As to why Bernardo Mercado seems to have drifted off to Reno and soon managed by Joe and Sally Conforte,
when apparently Mercado had only been managed and trained by Bo Belinsky and Willie Ketchum since 1975,
I had read were Mercado had been knocked out in a gym workout by Eddie"the Animal"Lopez.
The source didnt say when and were this happened,but I suspect it was in early 1976.

[osc1360]

I think I remember reading in a newspaper article a few Days after Bonavena was killed,were it said that Joe Conforte had met
Bonavena in either Italy or Argentina sometime earlier,and invited him to come to Reno NV.
Anyway was Bernardo Mercado signed before Bonavena by the Conforte's?
I believe Bernardo Mercado(who became Bonavena's sparring partner) was still trained and managed by Willie Ketchum and Bo Belinsky at Los Angeles
in February 1976.

Bruto, you ask two questions. One, when did Oscar meet the Confortes? And two, when did he sign with them?

I'm not sure about queston one. I believe in 1975 Joe and Sally saw Oscar spar in L.A. Through a friend named Jose Sulaimann they were able to contact Oscar and his manager Loren Cassina. They met with Loren in Reno, Oscar fought Billy Joiner Feb. 26 in Reno, and then he dropped Loren and signed with the Confortes, in that order.

Regarding Bernardo Mercado, Joe paid Belinsky/Ketchum $10K for Mercado to be a sparring partner with Oscar around the same time they signed Oscar. Berdardo was part of the package to reel Oscar into their boxing program.

Does that answer your question?

[osc1360]

Joe Conforte the owner and manager of the olde Mustang Ranch near Lockwood Nevada,had is autobiography
published just this week as an E-Book,entitled BREAKS,BRAINS & BALLS,perhaps some answers are in that book.

That book is total dribble. Thanks anyway.

[osc1360]

As to why Bernardo Mercado seems to have drifted off to Reno and soon managed by Joe and Sally Conforte,
when apparently Mercado had only been managed and trained by Bo Belinsky and Willie Ketchum since 1975,
I had read were Mercado had been knocked out in a gym workout by Eddie"the Animal"Lopez.
The source didnt say when and were this happened,but I suspect it was in early 1976.

Lopez doesn't come into the scene until after Oscar dies, which was May 22, 1976. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking 1977 when Lopez arrived. I could check my documents on this if you want?

Mercado sparred with Eddie Lopez, Stan Ward, Jimmy Ellis, Dean Brymer, and others. Again, I'd have to check my facts.

[Brutu]

Eddie Lopez first pro fight was in March 1976,
however before that he was a feared street fighter and ?amateur heavyweight before that in East Los Angles.
It wasn't uncommon for amateurs who were about to turn pro spar with professionals.

[Brutu]

Joe Conforte the owner and manager of the olde Mustang Ranch near Lockwood Nevada,had is autobiography
published just this week as an E-Book,entitled BREAKS,BRAINS & BALLS,perhaps some answers are in that book.

That book is total dribble. Thanks anyway.

.


There was another book published about 10 years ago that may shed more light on Ringo's death
I think it was written by the sheriff of Washoe County NV,or someone involved with Law enforcement
in either Lockwood or Reno.
I think it was locally published and not a lot of copies published.

[osc1360]

There was another book published about 10 years ago that may shed more light on Ringo's death
I think it was written by the sheriff of Washoe County NV,or someone involved with Law enforcement
in either Lockwood or Reno.
I think it was locally published and not a lot of copies published.

I have that book. I know more about Bonavena's death than anybody. However, I know little about his burial.

Do you or anyone have any information about Oscar's actual burial in Chacarita Cemetery?

[Brutu]

I think Mike DeLisa went and visited Argentina a few years ago.
Maybe he knows over at the cyberboxingzone.

[osc1360]

Thanks!

[Brutu]

There was another book published about 10 years ago that may shed more light on Ringo's death
I think it was written by the sheriff of Washoe County NV,or someone involved with Law enforcement
in either Lockwood or Reno.
I think it was locally published and not a lot of copies published.

I have that book. I know more about Bonavena's death than anybody. However, I know little about his burial.

Do you or anyone have any information about Oscar's actual burial in Chacarita Cemetery?

Hey osc1360,are you writing a book or something?
If you ever visit Argentina in South America,maybe you should also visit Colombia and try and locate Bernardo Mercado,
for a in-depth Playboy magazine type interview with him about his career.
From what I understand his English still isn't very good,so maybe you should bring along a translater.

[osc1360]

Hey osc1360,are you writing a book or something?
If you ever visit Argentina in South America,maybe you should also visit Colombia and try and locate Bernardo Mercado,
for a in-depth Playboy magazine type interview with him about his career.
From what I understand his English still isn't very good,so maybe you should bring along a translater.

A book? Yes. I've been researching for over eleven years. I have interviewed many people close to Joe and also those in law enforcement. I am in the process of revising my book which is titled, CONFORTE: Portrait of America's Biggest Criminal.

Regarding Mercado, my understanding is that he lives in Los Angeles and owns an apartment complex there, but I can't find him.

[Brutu]

What about the 2 posters over at the Boxers of the Past forum at this site?
Who claim to be Mercado's grown children?
They say he is living in Colombia and has diabetes.
(Mercado weighed 262 pounds when he boxed the exhibition with George Foreman at Fort Lewis WA back in November 1990.)

[Brutu]

Was it at the Main Street Gym in Los Angles in 1975 that the Confotes first met Bonavena?
If so ,maybe heavyweight contender Pedro Lovell may have some information he could share about Bonavena.
I believe he was training there too in 1975,
perhaps Eddie"the Animal"Lopez was too.
Maybe you can do some background research on Lopez,since so little is available on the inter-net anyway.

My feeling is,if you really want to find out information concerning any fighter,interview all their known sparring partners
over the years.
Because IMOP trainers and managers tend to be biased one way or another of their former charges
whenever their interviewed.

[Brutu]

Mercado's trainer Willie Ketchum and co-manager Bo Belinsky both passed away a few years ago.
However I believe Mercado's other co-manager was former Cy Young award winning baseball pitcher
Dean Chance,who is now 70 years old.Perhaps he can share some information,and know were Mercado is today.

here is a link

http://ibamensboxing.com/about.htm

[osc1360]

What about the 2 posters over at the Boxers of the Past forum at this site?
Who claim to be Mercado's grown children?
They say he is living in Colombia and has diabetes.

I saw Karla's post looking for the belt and have sent her a PM.

I did not know that Bernie was in Columbia. That would make it hard to interview him.

Thanks.

[Brutu]

I forgotten to also mention that Pedro Lovell is also originally from Buenos Aires,Argentina(born there in 1945).
He now lives in Los Angles but Im sure he goes back to Argentina to visit,
perhaps he could answer your questions about Oscar Bonavena better then anyone
else can.

Here is a link to his fan page(dont know if its really him of course)

http://www.myspace.com/334335736

[Brutu]

Another person whom you may perhaps want to locate is veteran cornerman/trainer
Manny Sciaca,Sr of Puerto Rico ,who was Mercado's manager in 1982,when Mercado left the Conforte's and went to fight for Don King.
Last time I had heard Sciaca was training John Ruiz a few years ago.