Classic American West Coast Boxing

[CNorkusJr]

Your right Rick, Playhouse 90 was the series. I was just a wee tot then,and I get some of them mixed up.

Thanks for posting those great pictures above.Its great to see the same exact hat that Gleason has on in the picture below is the same one that is on his head with my dad.
The picture was taken inside the lockeroom of St nicks.My father's fight with Joey Rowan that is out on DVD is from St Nicks.
Randy -Its a good movie with great acting. I wish half the movies I see on the screen were made like that. Today is explosions for the kids, and the "serious stuff" is left to actors with little personality. Cant beat the greats, John Wayne,James Stewart,Cagney,Bogart,Paul Newman etc etc.
They had that special something on and off the silver screen.

What an outstanding guy-Arnold Schwarzeggar is turning out to be.
Give me an old B/W anyday.
Though Johnny Depp has yet to fulfill his serious potential, I think he could be great and Tom Hanks was good in "Saving Pvt Ryan" and others.DeCaprio is good too.


The poster Quinn is front of probably says "Cassius Clay".
I think Rick mentioned earlier that Mountain wrestled "Haystacks Calhoun" at the end too.

[Rick Farris]

Your right Rick, Playhouse 90 was the series. I was just a wee tot then,and I get some of them mixed up.

Thanks for posting those great pictures above.Its great to see the same exact hat that Gleason has on in the picture below is the same one that is on his head with my dad.
The picture was taken inside the lockeroom of St nicks.My father's fight with Joey Rowan that is out on DVD is from St Nicks.
Randy -Its a good movie with great acting. I wish half the movies I see on the screen were made like that. Today is explosions for the kids, and the "serious stuff" is left to actors with little personality. Cant beat the greats, John Wayne,James Stewart,Cagney,Bogart,Paul Newman etc etc.
They had that special something on and off the silver screen.

What an outstanding guy-Arnold Schwarzeggar is turning out to be.
Give me an old B/W anyday.
Though Johnny Depp has yet to fulfill his serious potential, I think he could be great and Tom Hanks was good in "Saving Pvt Ryan" and others.DeCaprio is good too.


The poster Quinn is front of probably says "Cassius Clay".
I think Rick mentioned earlier that Mountain wrestled "Haystacks Calhoun" at the end too.

Charlie . . . Randy posted the photos above. I wanted to thank you for the info on how heavyweights of your dad's era were approached for wrestling careers.
It was also good to hear about the locations used for the movie.

[Rick Farris]

Rick, some day soon we would like you to become a member of the exclusive "kept Men" club...

Btw, Friday's is menudo con pata day...

In 5 more years I expect to become a card carrying member of the "Kept Men" club. Do I have to pay dues?

No, not when you become a kept man, that's because you're paying your dues right now...

And then some.

[Rick Farris]

Your right Rick, Playhouse 90 was the series. I was just a wee tot then,and I get some of them mixed up.

Thanks for posting those great pictures above.Its great to see the same exact hat that Gleason has on in the picture below is the same one that is on his head with my dad.
The picture was taken inside the lockeroom of St nicks.My father's fight with Joey Rowan that is out on DVD is from St Nicks.
Randy -Its a good movie with great acting. I wish half the movies I see on the screen were made like that. Today is explosions for the kids, and the "serious stuff" is left to actors with little personality. Cant beat the greats, John Wayne,James Stewart,Cagney,Bogart,Paul Newman etc etc.
They had that special something on and off the silver screen.

What an outstanding guy-Arnold Schwarzeggar is turning out to be.
Give me an old B/W anyday.
Though Johnny Depp has yet to fulfill his serious potential, I think he could be great and Tom Hanks was good in "Saving Pvt Ryan" and others.DeCaprio is good too.


The poster Quinn is front of probably says "Cassius Clay".
I think Rick mentioned earlier that Mountain wrestled "Haystacks Calhoun" at the end too.

I remember Haystacks Calhoun.
Arnold? There is a perfect example of why I don't believe actors should not hold public office.

[kikibalt]

Having my coffee late this morning

[Rick Farris]

Good morning, Frank.

Tomorrow will be my last day of work until after July 4th.
Until then there will be nothing posted from me before the sun is shining.
I'm going to imagine myself a "kept man", and settle in to that life style.

Frank, I may have set myself up for true kept man status in the future.
A couple years ago, I bought Monica a sewing machine when she wasn't working. It sat unused for two years.
Then she had this idea. She took a few sewing lessons and I guess she is just a natural.
She always had a knack for fashion, and she started to design hand bags.
She goes downtown to the garment district, buys her material, and can make several in one day at her leisure, and women are ordering them faster than she can make them.
She's having to cut her hours at work to keep up with the demand. She is really good! I'm so proud of her.
A woman whom she was taking sewing classes from is amazed.
That sewing machine may be the best investment I've ever made.

The "Kept Man" thing is looking better everyday.

[Rick Farris]

Having my coffee late this morning

Me too, but not for long. While I'm off next month, I'd like to see if we can kick some energy into a couple of those GSA lunches on tuesdays.
I've got a few more interviews that Dan and I conducted. They brought in a pretty good crowd last time.
I have a few ideas I'll run past you, Don and the Montalvos. It would be a shame to let that group disappear.

[CNorkusJr]

Good to hear that your getting a well deserved rest from that crazy business.
But beware-once you have a taste of the "Kept man" lifestyle it is very hard to relinguish.
Very few men find their way back.

[Rick Farris]

Good to hear that your getting a well deserved rest from that crazy business.
But beware-once you have a taste of the "Kept man" lifestyle it is very hard to relinguish.
Very few men find their way back.

Reliquish?
"Once kept, always kept" - is the hallmark of the "Kept Man Society."
It's embossed in gold on the leather bound cover of the Kept Man manuel.

[Bobbin & Weavin]

Good morning, Frank.

Tomorrow will be my last day of work until after July 4th.
Until then there will be nothing posted from me before the sun is shining.
I'm going to imagine myself a "kept man", and settle in to that life style.

Frank, I may have set myself up for true kept man status in the future.
A couple years ago, I bought Monica a sewing machine when she wasn't working. It sat unused for two years.
Then she had this idea. She took a few sewing lessons and I guess she is just a natural.
She always had a knack for fashion, and she started to design hand bags.
She goes downtown to the garment district, buys her material, and can make several in one day at her leisure, and women are ordering them faster than she can make them.
She's having to cut her hours at work to keep up with the demand. She is really good! I'm so proud of her.
A woman whom she was taking sewing classes from is amazed.
That sewing machine may be the best investment I've ever made.

The "Kept Man" thing is looking better everyday.

Rick,
Please let me know what kind of sewing machine that is and where I can get one...
Bruce

[Rick Farris]

Good morning, Frank.

Tomorrow will be my last day of work until after July 4th.
Until then there will be nothing posted from me before the sun is shining.
I'm going to imagine myself a "kept man", and settle in to that life style.

Frank, I may have set myself up for true kept man status in the future.
A couple years ago, I bought Monica a sewing machine when she wasn't working. It sat unused for two years.
Then she had this idea. She took a few sewing lessons and I guess she is just a natural.
She always had a knack for fashion, and she started to design hand bags.
She goes downtown to the garment district, buys her material, and can make several in one day at her leisure, and women are ordering them faster than she can make them.
She's having to cut her hours at work to keep up with the demand. She is really good! I'm so proud of her.
A woman whom she was taking sewing classes from is amazed.
That sewing machine may be the best investment I've ever made.

The "Kept Man" thing is looking better everyday.

Rick,
Please let me know what kind of sewing machine that is and where I can get one...
Bruce

It's a Singer. Good luck, Bruce.

[CNorkusJr]

Good to hear that your getting a well deserved rest from that crazy business.
But beware-once you have a taste of the "Kept man" lifestyle it is very hard to relinguish.
Very few men find their way back.

Reliquish?
"Once kept, always kept" - is the hallmark of the "Kept Man Society."
It's embossed in gold on the leather bound cover of the Kept Man manuel.

[CNorkusJr]

Good morning, Frank.

Tomorrow will be my last day of work until after July 4th.
Until then there will be nothing posted from me before the sun is shining.
I'm going to imagine myself a "kept man", and settle in to that life style.

Frank, I may have set myself up for true kept man status in the future.
A couple years ago, I bought Monica a sewing machine when she wasn't working. It sat unused for two years.
Then she had this idea. She took a few sewing lessons and I guess she is just a natural.
She always had a knack for fashion, and she started to design hand bags.
She goes downtown to the garment district, buys her material, and can make several in one day at her leisure, and women are ordering them faster than she can make them.
She's having to cut her hours at work to keep up with the demand. She is really good! I'm so proud of her.
A woman whom she was taking sewing classes from is amazed.
That sewing machine may be the best investment I've ever made.

The "Kept Man" thing is looking better everyday.

Rick,
Please let me know what kind of sewing machine that is and where I can get one...
Bruce

It's a Singer. Good luck, Bruce.

Sewing Machine ???? If my wife saw this she will be complaing about how the other wives live. She once got a copy of a "Sears" catalog- it took me months to explain to her that half the stuff in in doesn't work correctly and she would get very disappointed.
She does very well sewing by hand.The cuffs on my pants are perfect.

[Rick Farris]

Rick,
Please let me know what kind of sewing machine that is and where I can get one...
Bruce

It's a Singer. Good luck, Bruce.

Sewing Machine ???? If my wife saw this she will be complaing about how the other wives live. She once got a copy of a "Sears" catalog- it took me months to explain to her that half the stuff in in doesn't work correctly and she would get very disappointed.
She does very well sewing by hand.The cuffs on my pants are perfect.

Charlie, it sounds to me like you have already stepped one foot into the life of a kept man.
In the future, I'll have to guide Monica away from appliances that require an electric plug.
Randy is making headway in that department, has Jeri making his coffee in an old school coffee pot.
However, I'm not going to suggest she turn in her sewing machine. That could be a fatal mistake.
Chapter-6 of the "Kept Man Manuel" warns not to interfere with the wife's cash flow.

[Rick Farris]

Frank, it's 6:15am . . . You up?

[Cholo]

Frank, I have a newspaper clipping from 1949, it says
Could it be that Art Aragon is, as his backers claim, the hardest hitting lightweight ever developed in California? I doubt very much that Aragon punches as hard as Aurelio Herrera did, but i do not recall ever seeing a lightweight hit harder then Art did, in stopping Tony Chavez in the first at the Hollywood Stadium.
Aragon was out for one of his early KO wins and when he got the opening, his action was like the spring of a trap. A short uppercut to the the chin caused Chavez to sag. A left hook dropped him in a heap. Tony regained his feet at count of 9 and backed away, but Aragon was not to be denied. Swift, murderous punches again sent Chavez crashing t the canvas, but the San Jose boxer is tough and he rose again before the fatel count.
Aragon moved in fast and knocked his groggy opponent into the ropes with a series of devastating blows, at which point Referee Mushy Callahan wisely intervened. Aragon weighed 138, Chavez 137.
This was Aragon's 22nd knockout in 43 starts.(Incidentally, Aurelio Herrera scored 34 KO's in his first 43 bouts.)
Do you remember Aurelio Herrera frank?....

[kikibalt]

Frank, I have a newspaper clipping from 1949, it says
Could it be that Art Aragon is, as his backers claim, the hardest hitting lightweight ever developed in California? I doubt very much that Aragon punches as hard as Aurelio Herrera did, but i do not recall ever seeing a lightweight hit harder then Art did, in stopping Tony Chavez in the first at the Hollywood Stadium.
Aragon was out for one of his early KO wins and when he got the opening, his action was like the spring of a trap. A short uppercut to the the chin caused Chavez to sag. A left hook dropped him in a heap. Tony regained his feet at count of 9 and backed away, but Aragon was not to be denied. Swift, murderous punches again sent Chavez crashing t the canvas, but the San Jose boxer is tough and he rose again before the fatel count.
Aragon moved in fast and knocked his groggy opponent into the ropes with a series of devastating blows, at which point Referee Mushy Callahan wisely intervened. Aragon weighed 138, Chavez 137.
This was Aragon's 22nd knockout in 43 starts.(Incidentally, Aurelio Herrera scored 34 KO's in his first 43 bouts.)
Do you remember Aurelio Herrera frank?....

Paul, I don't know any more about Herrera than you, the guy was way, way before my time, hell he was before my dad's time.

Aragon punching power?, yes Aragon was a good puncher, but I would say my son Tony was a bigger puncher than Art. Yes, Art had lots of knockouts, but you have to remember that back in Aragon's day, they used to use 6 oz. gloves, not sure how many ko's he would have had if he would have fought all his career with 8 oz. as Tony and others did...just saying....

[kikibalt]

Good morning, Frank.

Tomorrow will be my last day of work until after July 4th.
Until then there will be nothing posted from me before the sun is shining.
I'm going to imagine myself a "kept man", and settle in to that life style.

Frank, I may have set myself up for true kept man status in the future.
A couple years ago, I bought Monica a sewing machine when she wasn't working. It sat unused for two years.
Then she had this idea. She took a few sewing lessons and I guess she is just a natural.
She always had a knack for fashion, and she started to design hand bags.
She goes downtown to the garment district, buys her material, and can make several in one day at her leisure, and women are ordering them faster than she can make them.
She's having to cut her hours at work to keep up with the demand. She is really good! I'm so proud of her.
A woman whom she was taking sewing classes from is amazed.
That sewing machine may be the best investment I've ever made.

The "Kept Man" thing is looking better everyday.

It won't be long before you are a member of the "Kept Men" club Rick. Btw, that was one hell of an investment you did when you bought Monica that sewing machine. sell them on Ebay....

[kikibalt]

Frank, it's 6:15am . . . You up?

I was up at 2:00 AM., Having a hard time lately....

[Cholo]

Frank, I have a newspaper clipping from 1949, it says
Could it be that Art Aragon is, as his backers claim, the hardest hitting lightweight ever developed in California? I doubt very much that Aragon punches as hard as Aurelio Herrera did, but i do not recall ever seeing a lightweight hit harder then Art did, in stopping Tony Chavez in the first at the Hollywood Stadium.
Aragon was out for one of his early KO wins and when he got the opening, his action was like the spring of a trap. A short uppercut to the the chin caused Chavez to sag. A left hook dropped him in a heap. Tony regained his feet at count of 9 and backed away, but Aragon was not to be denied. Swift, murderous punches again sent Chavez crashing t the canvas, but the San Jose boxer is tough and he rose again before the fatel count.
Aragon moved in fast and knocked his groggy opponent into the ropes with a series of devastating blows, at which point Referee Mushy Callahan wisely intervened. Aragon weighed 138, Chavez 137.
This was Aragon's 22nd knockout in 43 starts.(Incidentally, Aurelio Herrera scored 34 KO's in his first 43 bouts.)
Do you remember Aurelio Herrera frank?....

Paul, I don't know any more about Herrera than you, the guy was way, way before my time, hell he was before my dad's time.

Aragon punching power?, yes Aragon was a good puncher, but I would say my son Tony was a bigger puncher than Art. Yes, Art had lots of knockouts, but you have to remember that back in Aragon's day, they used to use 6 oz. gloves, not sure how many ko's he would have had if he would have fought all his career with 8 oz. as Tony and others did...just saying....

Frank, Thanks for your reply, i've watched some of the old fight films that Art fought in and yes the gloves looked small, if you were a puncher like Tony those gloves would have been a big help, Herrera i looked up his record, man he was way back...

[kikibalt]

http://framework.latimes.com/2011/05/27 ... ghts-jail/

The Lincoln Height Jail that later became a boxing gym run by our late friend Johnnie Flores

[Rick Farris]

http://framework.latimes.com/2011/05/27 ... ghts-jail/

The Lincoln Height Jail that later became a boxing gym run by our late friend Johnnie Flores

Los Angeles City Jail, Lincoln Heights . . .


What a history this building has. You can feel the pain and desperation within it's walls, just walking into the building.
It closed as a Jail in 1964, was reopened briefly in '65 to provide extra jail space during the Watt's riots.
Johnny Flores brought life to the structure for the first time in it's half-century of existence. Flores brought boxing
With Flores in charge, the gym was packed with L.A.'s best pros and amateurs, not to mention kids starting out.
It became competitve with L.A.'s mor established boxing gyms, such as the Main street Gym and Hoover Street Gym.
When Johnny died, so did the spirit of boxing that flourished under Johnny's guidance.

Until recently, I would work out there and use the facility to teach or train others.
I did that until a couple years ago, when the management of the gym changed, and things Johnny instituted evaporated.
It's now closed, having occupied the top 5th floor for nearly forty years.
As Frank mentioned, our pal Johnny Flores opened it around 1972.
In 1994, Flores was killed when he fell down the building's elevator shaft. He was 78-years-old.
I've also worked on many films that were shot there, such as Con Air.
The place is haunted, most noteably the third floor.

[Rick Farris]

Frank, it's 6:15am . . . You up?

I was up at 2:00 AM., Having a hard time lately....

Hope you feel better, Frank.

[Rick Farris]

GSBA Lunch . . .

Hey Frank, now that I'll be off work for awhile, I'd like to arrange to preview Alan Swyer's "Boxeo" at a Tuesday event.
Swyer contacted me, and offered the opportunity for me to preview the documentary to our friends, so long as not posted on the internet.
It's a way for some who were interviewed to get a first look.
It will pack the house, I know a lot of people who will attend for the first time. Many who were interviewed. They'll need more than one server that day.
I mentioned this to Don Fraser a few weeks back, and will run the idea past the Montalvo's.
It will be released later this year on HBO, so the GSBA event will preview the documentary prior to it's release date.
A nice gesture by Academy Award winner, Alan Swyer, to the boxing community that helped him create this film.
Alan will be sitting at the Fritzie Zivic table at the CBHOF event.

[kikibalt]

BOXING / EARL GUSTKEY : At 74, Flores Remains Guiding Light of Amateur Division in Southland

April 13, 1991|EARL GUSTKEY

Before World War II, there lived in Los Angeles a promising amateur featherweight named Johnny Flores.

Couldn't miss, folks said. He had already won some amateur tournaments when war came. Flores wound up as an Army infantryman, landing at Salerno, Italy.

Early one morning in 1944, Flores and five comrades sought refuge from German artillery fire in a small, abandoned farmhouse. But as the Germans began targeting the house, the six soldiers prepared to flee.

As they ran from the house, a round exploded directly above them. Five died instantly. By the time they got Flores to a field hospital, he was bleeding profusely from 33 shrapnel holes in his body.

But Johnny Flores survived. They gave him the purple heart, silver star and bronze star. He spent years recovering from his wounds, and never was able to resume boxing.

Instead, he turned to coaching young boxers, directing troubled kids into boxing gyms, organizing amateur boxing shows. Today, at 74, he still carries little chunks of steel in his body.

And in L.A., he is Mr. Amateur Boxing.

This week, he has been the major domo at something like his 750th amateur boxing tournament at the Lincoln Park Recreation Center gym. Tonight the finals of the 1991 Los Angeles Golden Gloves tournament will be fought.

Flores has no idea how many events he has run, or how many kids stayed out of trouble because he kept them in boxing gyms. So let's call it hundreds, in both cases.

Over the years, he has trained noteworthy pros, among them Jerry Quarry, Dwight Hawkins and Ruben Navarro. He has also seen countless promising prospects wash out along the way.

One boxer he has watched closely in this week's tournament is novice super-heavyweight David Luster, a 6-foot-4, 228-pound former linebacker at San Diego State. At 27, Luster began the tournament with only five amateur bouts.

Luster won Wednesday night, and will seek the L.A. Golden Gloves title tonight. If he wins, he will be on the L.A. team challenging the San Diego winners April 20. The North-South California Championships are April 27. Both the L.A.-San Diego and North-South events are at Lincoln Park.

Those winners will advance to the national Golden Gloves championships in Des Moines, Iowa, May 6-12.

Luster figures he is making up for a lack of experience by having picked Mercer Smith as his trainer. It was Smith who found Henry Tillman in a California Youth Authority boxing class and took him to a gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics.