Classic American West Coast Boxing
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Rick, I've seen pictures of Art jumping rope in a Hollywood mansion, on a patio adjoining a swimming pool..
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Rick Farris wrote:Jose Napoles vs. Alfredo Urbina-2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5oVr4jN ... re=related
Napoles looks the part here, I wonder how he would of went at lightweight against Carlos Ortiz. Did you see much of Napoles round LA Rick?
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
From The Sport Feb 1959,
Two days before his meeting with Basilio, a reporter called Aragon on the telephone at his camp at San Jacinto, in the Great American Desert.
"What are you going to do if you lose?" he asked the fighter.
"Sell pencils", Aragon said. He hesitated. "If I wasn't doing something out here", he went on, "I'd come in and show you the town. Listen, I got loads of telephone numbers. Here's one. Call her, say Aragon recommended you"....
Frank/Rick have you anymore photo's of the Basilio fight?....
Two days before his meeting with Basilio, a reporter called Aragon on the telephone at his camp at San Jacinto, in the Great American Desert.
"What are you going to do if you lose?" he asked the fighter.
"Sell pencils", Aragon said. He hesitated. "If I wasn't doing something out here", he went on, "I'd come in and show you the town. Listen, I got loads of telephone numbers. Here's one. Call her, say Aragon recommended you"....
Frank/Rick have you anymore photo's of the Basilio fight?....
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Paul, I've posted all the pics I have of said fight...Cholo wrote:From The Sport Feb 1959,
Two days before his meeting with Basilio, a reporter called Aragon on the telephone at his camp at San Jacinto, in the Great American Desert.
"What are you going to do if you lose?" he asked the fighter.
"Sell pencils", Aragon said. He hesitated. "If I wasn't doing something out here", he went on, "I'd come in and show you the town. Listen, I got loads of telephone numbers. Here's one. Call her, say Aragon recommended you"....
Frank/Rick have you anymore photo's of the Basilio fight?....
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
AlFrancis wrote:Rick Farris wrote:Jose Napoles vs. Alfredo Urbina-2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5oVr4jN ... re=related
Napoles looks the part here, I wonder how he would of went at lightweight against Carlos Ortiz. Did you see much of Napoles round LA Rick?
Alan, I saw Naploes many times in L.A. and very close.
When Napoles was training for his first fight with Hedgeman Lewis, I was an Olivares sparring partner and training at the same time.
Mantequilla was one one of the greatest fighters I have ever seen.
As for Ortiz (another of my favorites), his camp was not interested in fighting Napoles, so Mantequilla had to fight welters to get a long awaited title shot.
Urbina had defeated Napoles in their first fight. Urbina is much better than he looked in this video, but just an unsuccessful survivor fighting Napoles at his best.
Napoles was always better the second time around, and never lost a rematch.
Today Napoles is close to homeless, I would learn from a friend who met with him recently in Mexico.
In the long run, nobody makes it out of boxing with much more than memories.
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Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Paul, Frank is the guy to thank for all the photos, occasionally he'll post one for me as a favor.kikibalt wrote:Paul, I've posted all the pics I have of said fight...Cholo wrote:From The Sport Feb 1959,
Two days before his meeting with Basilio, a reporter called Aragon on the telephone at his camp at San Jacinto, in the Great American Desert.
"What are you going to do if you lose?" he asked the fighter.
"Sell pencils", Aragon said. He hesitated. "If I wasn't doing something out here", he went on, "I'd come in and show you the town. Listen, I got loads of telephone numbers. Here's one. Call her, say Aragon recommended you"....
Frank/Rick have you anymore photo's of the Basilio fight?....
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Frank, did you see the Aragon/Ruiz fight, Art won by KO in 2....kikibalt wrote:
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
No, I missed that one Paul...Cholo wrote: Frank, did you see the Aragon/Ruiz fight, Art won by KO in 2....
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Art Aragon
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Frank, Is Art wearing the Californian Lightweight Belt?...kikibalt wrote:
Art Aragon
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Yes he is Paul...Cholo wrote: Frank, Is Art wearing the Californian Lightweight Belt?...
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
The Knockout Jan 29 1949,Cholo wrote:Frank, did you see the Aragon/Ruiz fight, Art won by KO in 2....kikibalt wrote:
Art Aragon 10 rds.-135 Ibs. Chu Chu Ruiz
Aragon is one of the classiest Lightweights in the nation. Has a sweet left hand. Ruiz, a new mexican, has beaten some good ones and figures to make it an all-action battle. Pick Aragon on his sharper boxing.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Frank, The CBHOF do they have any memorabilia, Belts, worn fight gloves, robes?....kikibalt wrote:Yes he is Paul...Cholo wrote: Frank, Is Art wearing the Californian Lightweight Belt?...
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Any of you old-timers remember this guy? I remember he came to our grade school in San Pedro in 1963 and gave a show on the schoolyard grounds.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
No, we don't....Cholo wrote:Frank, The CBHOF do they have any memorabilia, Belts, worn fight gloves, robes?....kikibalt wrote:Yes he is Paul...Cholo wrote: Frank, Is Art wearing the Californian Lightweight Belt?...
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Montie Montana??Ric wrote:Any of you old-timers remember this guy? I remember he came to our grade school in San Pedro in 1963 and gave a show on the schoolyard grounds.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Frank/Rick, From The Sport Feb 1957,
Art rendered a typical Aragonese monologue in his dressing room after he had knocked out Ramon Tiscareno, a promising young welterweight from Juarez, Mexico, in the second round at Hollywood in February of 1956.
Aragon had been knocked down for an eight-count earlier in the round. "I got careless", he said later, "and he hit me square on the chin when i was coming in. I got mad and i said to myself, 'I'll knock him out for that.' So i did. You know Tiscareno actually thought he could beat me. That just goes to show fighters ain't got no brains....
As much for his ability to get into all sorts of trouble as for his punching power,
the Golden Boy has done a great job of reviving boxing on the west coast....
Art rendered a typical Aragonese monologue in his dressing room after he had knocked out Ramon Tiscareno, a promising young welterweight from Juarez, Mexico, in the second round at Hollywood in February of 1956.
Aragon had been knocked down for an eight-count earlier in the round. "I got careless", he said later, "and he hit me square on the chin when i was coming in. I got mad and i said to myself, 'I'll knock him out for that.' So i did. You know Tiscareno actually thought he could beat me. That just goes to show fighters ain't got no brains....
As much for his ability to get into all sorts of trouble as for his punching power,
the Golden Boy has done a great job of reviving boxing on the west coast....
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
That's him! Monte Montana, with "Spot" and F. W. Holland.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Montana was putting on show at schools when I was in grade school in the early '40's. He put on a show for us circa 1944 at Vail Elementary School, Simons Brickyard (Montebello, Ca.)Ric wrote:That's him! Monte Montana, with "Spot" and F. W. Holland.
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Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Ric wrote:Any of you old-timers remember this guy? I remember he came to our grade school in San Pedro in 1963 and gave a show on the schoolyard grounds.
Ric - I went to elementry school in Garden Grove in the late 50's, early 60's. Monty Montana would come and perform almost every year.
I remember seeing the horse trailers & trucks parked near the school field. He'd do his roping tricks, etc. Haven't thought of that in years.
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
A Mando Ramos memory
June, 2008
CBS Studio Center/ Stage-9 . . .
The cast and crew of A&E's new one hour drama series, "The Cleaner", had broken for lunch.
Actor Benjamin Bratt's wife has stopped in to eat with her husband, and the TV series' Executuve Producer/Creator, Warren Boyd.
in real life, Boyd is known as "The Cleaner", a guy who has literally kidnapped celebs and others and pushed them into rehab, forcing them to confront their demons.
Whitney Houston credits Warren for helping her stay clean and sober, and stopped by to visit her friend one day as we were filming.
Every tuesday evening at 9pm. A&E would broadcast "The Cleaner", and Ben Bratt would portray Boyd's real life charactor, but as William Banks.
Both the actor and producer were boxing fans, and both knew of my background and involvment in boxing.
After lunch, as the crew returned to the set Warren approaches me and expresses an interest in writing a boxing oriented episode.
Naturally, it would involve a boxer suffering from sort of substance abuse problem, and asked if I might have anything to contribute, stories of boxer's I knew who suffered from the disease of addiction.
I told Warren of one of the biggest stars of my era who lost everything to his lifestyle, and that was Mando Ramos.
Ramos was the youngest lightweight champ in history, and he held the title twice before he was 22.
He listened and we discussed Mando for more than an hour. I asked, "Why don't you say hello to him? I can call him right now."
Ironically, Mando had called a couple days earlier, asking what I was working on and if he could visit the set?
He would do so on occasion, if I felt the cast and crew would know and appreciate him.
This one was perfect, at least a dozen guys on "The Cleaner" crew who had seen Mando fight, and they told the younger guys just how big Mando was.
Benjamin Bratt was too young to have seen Mando in action, so I showed he and Warren the Sugar Ramos fight in Warren's office.
Mando always got special treatment when he visited one of the sets I was working on.
He'd meet the actors, director, sometimes use his SAG card and be an extra, so long as he could sit down.
They would put him on camera, no lines, our craft service lady would make him sandwichs, bring him whatever he wanted to drink.
Mando Ramos, the youngest lightweight champ in history, loved the attention, and he'd earned it. He was the center of attention again.
Warren talked with Mando for ten minutes, and invited he and his wife Sylvia to join us at the studio for lunch, and to talk about a boxing episode.
I told Warren I thought it would be great if Mando could make a cameo, say a few words, he lives the recovery program, has 25 years clean.
Boyd loved the idea. I was pleased myself, a win-win situation for all, and I can help put it together.
Mando said he would be available on thursday of the next week, and I set it up for Rodlolfo "El Gato" Gonzalez to come also.
Warren Boyd was intrigued with El Gato, a former world champ who had scored more consecutive KO's than any other champ, ever.
On the following thursday, I get a phone call from Rodolfo Gonzalez. "Mando can't come, he's not feeling well," said the former WBC lightweight champion.
I knew Mando must really be sick because he thrived on the energy of the entertainment industry, something he was once a part of. Sports, movies, music, it's all the same.
I called to see how Mando was doing and Sylvia said he hadn't been feeling well and was sleeping. I told her I'd call back later.
Rodolfo Gonzalez came alone and had lunch with Warren Boyd and Benlamin Bratt that day. Boyd picked El Gato's brain for several hours and invited him back.
Everybody on the set enjoyed El Gato, and a boxing episode would be produced in the second season.
Rodolfo Gonzalez made a good connection, but it was Mando who had a connection with subject matter of the production.
Warren still wanted to meet Mando, whenever he felt better. The producer liked the idea and was going to make it happen.
A few days later I get a phone call from El Gato, his voice is down.
"Rick, did you hear the news yet? Mando Ramos passed away, a few hours ago."
That one hit me right on the chin.
Mando Ramos was gone. 59-years-old.
My partner, Dan Hanley, and I were the last to interview Mando Ramos on camera.
Mando laughed and fun telling his story that day. We had fun with Mando, he was the center of attention once again, nothing new.
That was less than six months before his death.
I miss talking with Mando, we both used to say what we thought, and we didn't always agree.
Everytime we spoke, he shared something. He would repeat himself often, and that was good for me because I didn't have to take notes.
I listened to Mando reardless if I knew what he was going to say, because he always spoke with passion and believed in what he was saying.
Sylvia Ramos was Mando's angel, she was the love of his life, his best friend, his partner, his savior. "We are connected at the hip!" he used to say with a smile.
When I returned to L.A. from Arizona a few years back, I spent some time with Mando and Sylvia. I got to know the former world champ better than ever.
I didn't really know Mando back in days we were fighting, but I had fought on the undercard of one of his big fights once, and he recognized me.
We had mutual friends, one being "Irish" Frankie Crawford, with whom Mando shared major history. Some of the greatest stories I have ever seen or heard.
You can bet I knew who Mando was, I'd followed him from his second pro fight, just days affter his 17th birthday.
In that one a skinny, boyish looking Mando flattened Berlin Roberts in just 18 seconds. The fight was televised from the Olympic. A star was born
I was around boxing in L.A. during Mando's years, and I'd later write my memories of Mando in one of my earliest stories.
Mando was on-line, and he read the story. I was contacted by my editor who told me Mando was trying to reach me. We soon hooked up, and I have to say it was interesting.
Sylvia told me she never heard two people use such foul language as Mando and I when we'd argue.
Mando could be arrogant, and once I had the feeling he was talking down to me, so I told him "Go F--- yourself!"
Mando looked at me as he'd do when he wanted to make a point, he'd raise his eye brows, open his eyes wide and lean in, "No, you go F--- yourself!"
We'd go back and forth for awhile, and he realized I wasn't afraid.
Mando Ramos could have kicked my ass thirty years earlier, but that was then and this is now. Mando walked with a cane, I still did a boxers workout.
Unless he cracked me over the head with his cane when I wasn't looking, he wasn't going to hurt me.
And besides, he knew he was wrong. We'd always end up laughing, and he'd say, "When are you going to write my book?"
That's the one thing I know he wanted, and he told me more than once, he wanted me to write his book.
At the moment I've got another story to complete, and then I shall focus on Mando.
-Rick Farris
June, 2008
CBS Studio Center/ Stage-9 . . .
The cast and crew of A&E's new one hour drama series, "The Cleaner", had broken for lunch.
Actor Benjamin Bratt's wife has stopped in to eat with her husband, and the TV series' Executuve Producer/Creator, Warren Boyd.
in real life, Boyd is known as "The Cleaner", a guy who has literally kidnapped celebs and others and pushed them into rehab, forcing them to confront their demons.
Whitney Houston credits Warren for helping her stay clean and sober, and stopped by to visit her friend one day as we were filming.
Every tuesday evening at 9pm. A&E would broadcast "The Cleaner", and Ben Bratt would portray Boyd's real life charactor, but as William Banks.
Both the actor and producer were boxing fans, and both knew of my background and involvment in boxing.
After lunch, as the crew returned to the set Warren approaches me and expresses an interest in writing a boxing oriented episode.
Naturally, it would involve a boxer suffering from sort of substance abuse problem, and asked if I might have anything to contribute, stories of boxer's I knew who suffered from the disease of addiction.
I told Warren of one of the biggest stars of my era who lost everything to his lifestyle, and that was Mando Ramos.
Ramos was the youngest lightweight champ in history, and he held the title twice before he was 22.
He listened and we discussed Mando for more than an hour. I asked, "Why don't you say hello to him? I can call him right now."
Ironically, Mando had called a couple days earlier, asking what I was working on and if he could visit the set?
He would do so on occasion, if I felt the cast and crew would know and appreciate him.
This one was perfect, at least a dozen guys on "The Cleaner" crew who had seen Mando fight, and they told the younger guys just how big Mando was.
Benjamin Bratt was too young to have seen Mando in action, so I showed he and Warren the Sugar Ramos fight in Warren's office.
Mando always got special treatment when he visited one of the sets I was working on.
He'd meet the actors, director, sometimes use his SAG card and be an extra, so long as he could sit down.
They would put him on camera, no lines, our craft service lady would make him sandwichs, bring him whatever he wanted to drink.
Mando Ramos, the youngest lightweight champ in history, loved the attention, and he'd earned it. He was the center of attention again.
Warren talked with Mando for ten minutes, and invited he and his wife Sylvia to join us at the studio for lunch, and to talk about a boxing episode.
I told Warren I thought it would be great if Mando could make a cameo, say a few words, he lives the recovery program, has 25 years clean.
Boyd loved the idea. I was pleased myself, a win-win situation for all, and I can help put it together.
Mando said he would be available on thursday of the next week, and I set it up for Rodlolfo "El Gato" Gonzalez to come also.
Warren Boyd was intrigued with El Gato, a former world champ who had scored more consecutive KO's than any other champ, ever.
On the following thursday, I get a phone call from Rodolfo Gonzalez. "Mando can't come, he's not feeling well," said the former WBC lightweight champion.
I knew Mando must really be sick because he thrived on the energy of the entertainment industry, something he was once a part of. Sports, movies, music, it's all the same.
I called to see how Mando was doing and Sylvia said he hadn't been feeling well and was sleeping. I told her I'd call back later.
Rodolfo Gonzalez came alone and had lunch with Warren Boyd and Benlamin Bratt that day. Boyd picked El Gato's brain for several hours and invited him back.
Everybody on the set enjoyed El Gato, and a boxing episode would be produced in the second season.
Rodolfo Gonzalez made a good connection, but it was Mando who had a connection with subject matter of the production.
Warren still wanted to meet Mando, whenever he felt better. The producer liked the idea and was going to make it happen.
A few days later I get a phone call from El Gato, his voice is down.
"Rick, did you hear the news yet? Mando Ramos passed away, a few hours ago."
That one hit me right on the chin.
Mando Ramos was gone. 59-years-old.
My partner, Dan Hanley, and I were the last to interview Mando Ramos on camera.
Mando laughed and fun telling his story that day. We had fun with Mando, he was the center of attention once again, nothing new.
That was less than six months before his death.
I miss talking with Mando, we both used to say what we thought, and we didn't always agree.
Everytime we spoke, he shared something. He would repeat himself often, and that was good for me because I didn't have to take notes.
I listened to Mando reardless if I knew what he was going to say, because he always spoke with passion and believed in what he was saying.
Sylvia Ramos was Mando's angel, she was the love of his life, his best friend, his partner, his savior. "We are connected at the hip!" he used to say with a smile.
When I returned to L.A. from Arizona a few years back, I spent some time with Mando and Sylvia. I got to know the former world champ better than ever.
I didn't really know Mando back in days we were fighting, but I had fought on the undercard of one of his big fights once, and he recognized me.
We had mutual friends, one being "Irish" Frankie Crawford, with whom Mando shared major history. Some of the greatest stories I have ever seen or heard.
You can bet I knew who Mando was, I'd followed him from his second pro fight, just days affter his 17th birthday.
In that one a skinny, boyish looking Mando flattened Berlin Roberts in just 18 seconds. The fight was televised from the Olympic. A star was born
I was around boxing in L.A. during Mando's years, and I'd later write my memories of Mando in one of my earliest stories.
Mando was on-line, and he read the story. I was contacted by my editor who told me Mando was trying to reach me. We soon hooked up, and I have to say it was interesting.
Sylvia told me she never heard two people use such foul language as Mando and I when we'd argue.
Mando could be arrogant, and once I had the feeling he was talking down to me, so I told him "Go F--- yourself!"
Mando looked at me as he'd do when he wanted to make a point, he'd raise his eye brows, open his eyes wide and lean in, "No, you go F--- yourself!"
We'd go back and forth for awhile, and he realized I wasn't afraid.
Mando Ramos could have kicked my ass thirty years earlier, but that was then and this is now. Mando walked with a cane, I still did a boxers workout.
Unless he cracked me over the head with his cane when I wasn't looking, he wasn't going to hurt me.
And besides, he knew he was wrong. We'd always end up laughing, and he'd say, "When are you going to write my book?"
That's the one thing I know he wanted, and he told me more than once, he wanted me to write his book.
At the moment I've got another story to complete, and then I shall focus on Mando.
-Rick Farris
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Lopez looks in shape for once.kikibalt wrote:Memories Rick, memories!!!Rick Farris wrote:Yes, the Catacombs!!!!!kikibalt wrote:
Norm Lockwood, Eddie "Animal" Lopez and John Liecthy inside the Olympic "Catacombs"
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Frank, I'd like to purchase the Gil Cadilli Story dvd. Is there anyway for me of contacting Cadilli jr?, was it a dvd release?, or a private documentary...