Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

Photo courtesy of my brother Mando, A.K.A. Waldo

Jackson Lake, near the town of Wrightwood in the Angeles National Forest

[kikibalt]

Frank, Don & Tom . . .

Hope all of you feel better soon!

[Rick Farris]

Photo courtesy of my brother Mando, A.K.A. Waldo

Jackson Lake, near the town of Wrightwood in the Angeles National Forest

When I was a kid I saw and played in the snow for the first time up in Wrightwood.
We also filmed one of the last episodes of "The Rockford Files" in Wrightwood in late 1979.
Never saw this lake. Beautiful!

[kikibalt]

When I was a kid I saw and played in the snow for the first time up in Wrightwood.
We also filmed one of the last episodes of "The Rockford Files" in Wrightwood in late 1979.
Never saw this lake. Beautiful!

Rick, my brother Mando lives in Wrightwood, he moved there in 2006 right after he retired from the L.A. Co. Sheriff Dept. Jackson Lake is about 5 miles N/W of Wrightwood...

[raylawpc]

Turns out I had blockage in one artery, and they cleared it with a stint. No damage to the heart, and I get out of the hospital tomorrow. Thanks for your kind thoughts and words.

[kikibalt]

Turns out I had blockage in one artery, and they cleared it with a stint. No damage to the heart, and I get out of the hospital tomorrow. Thanks for your kind thoughts and words.

Great news Tom. Take it easy when you get home...Come to think of it, it's just the right time to join the "Kept Men" club...

[Rick Farris]

When I was a kid I saw and played in the snow for the first time up in Wrightwood.
We also filmed one of the last episodes of "The Rockford Files" in Wrightwood in late 1979.
Never saw this lake. Beautiful!

Rick, my brother Mando lives in Wrightwood, he moved there in 2006 right after he retired from the L.A. Co. Sheriff Dept. Jackson Lake is about 5 miles N/W of Wrightwood...

Wrightwood . . .

I love it up there, but haven't been in 30 years. Maybe I'll take Monica up and get a cabin or something?
You know Wrightwood has long been considered a doomed town, one at risk of being buried if the San Andreas fault gives way.
I remember when we were filming up there, we had a scene where James Garner & Joanna Kerns were riding the ski lift.
As they got that shot, I had sit on the lift chair next to Garner, holding a small white card to reflect sunlight into his face.
Jim Garner was 53 at the time, I was 27. Jim had a variety of health issues at the time; bad knees, bad back, lip cancer.
I remember we had to ride that lift about a half dozen times in a row and Jim's back was getting stiff.
The director of that episode was actor Ivan Dixon, a former star of Hogan's Heros. Ivan was a good director but unusually slow on this day.
After we finished our fifth go-round on the lift, Garner says to the director, "I hope you got it that time Ivan cuz that's all I got in me!"
The surprised director realized that he best pick up the pace. With all Jim's bone issues, he wasn't a happy man in cold weather.
I remember my grandfather taking me to Wrightwood twenty years before I'd work there. I was about seven at the time.
I recall while we were there that people seemd to know my grandad. He'd done a film up there years earlier, and still had aquaintences.
Thanks for posting this photo. I need to take a trip up to Wrightwood.
Strange, time really goes by. Today I'm 59, Jim Garner is about 85, and sadly suffers from Alzeimers.

[Rick Farris]

Turns out I had blockage in one artery, and they cleared it with a stint. No damage to the heart, and I get out of the hospital tomorrow. Thanks for your kind thoughts and words.

California Athletic Commission suspends Tom Ray . . .

Tom, I hate to inform you but the California State Athletic Commission had suspended your license indefinitly.
They will not allow you to take on a "Manuel's Special" until cleared by Commision Physician Dr. Berhart S. Schwartz.
This was the order of former commission chief, Joey Olmos, who is now in his 90's
I told Olmos that Dr. Schwartz died years ago.
He just shook his head and said, "Tom Ray will not be cleared until Dr. Schwartz returns to work."
Sometimes bad news is good news.
Maybe we can get Remy to take another try?

[Rick Farris]

Turns out I had blockage in one artery, and they cleared it with a stint. No damage to the heart, and I get out of the hospital tomorrow. Thanks for your kind thoughts and words.

Great news Tom. Take it easy when you get home...Come to think of it, it's just the right time to join the "Kept Men" club...

[CNorkusJr]

Turns out I had blockage in one artery, and they cleared it with a stint. No damage to the heart, and I get out of the hospital tomorrow. Thanks for your kind thoughts and words.

I'm glad they found it when they did Tom. Here's to a quick recovery.
I blame it all on those huge air-miles you logged in the past year or so.

I think that "Manuel's Special " fight be best left to the youngins' !
And I certainly hope you make the trip next year.

[CNorkusJr]

Another American hero! . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=civOdWxd4Kc

Antoine might just have the answer for our country's debt ceiling and relief.
Can't be as bad as what's happening in Washington.
When this first hit the airwaves awhile ago- I told Rose to go hide and don't come out till they find the crazed lunatic of Lincoln Park.

[raylawpc]

Turns out I had blockage in one artery, and they cleared it with a stint. No damage to the heart, and I get out of the hospital tomorrow. Thanks for your kind thoughts and words.

California Athletic Commission suspends Tom Ray . . .

Tom, I hate to inform you but the California State Athletic Commission had suspended your license indefinitly.
They will not allow you to take on a "Manuel's Special" until cleared by Commision Physician Dr. Berhart S. Schwartz.
This was the order of former commission chief, Joey Olmos, who is now in his 90's
I told Olmos that Dr. Schwartz died years ago.
He just shook his head and said, "Tom Ray will not be cleared until Dr. Schwartz returns to work."
Sometimes bad news is good news.
Maybe we can get Remy to take another try?

In all seriousness, I talked to my rehab RN about the Manuel challenge. After first asking me if I was joking (and hearing that I was serious about it), she said, "Well, if you lose weight, get your blood sugar under control, and otherwise keep your cholesterol in acceptable ranges, you can do something like that every now and then."

So, as far as I'm concerned, the Manuel challenge is still on!!

[kikibalt]

Turns out I had blockage in one artery, and they cleared it with a stint. No damage to the heart, and I get out of the hospital tomorrow. Thanks for your kind thoughts and words.

California Athletic Commission suspends Tom Ray . . .

Tom, I hate to inform you but the California State Athletic Commission had suspended your license indefinitly.
They will not allow you to take on a "Manuel's Special" until cleared by Commision Physician Dr. Berhart S. Schwartz.
This was the order of former commission chief, Joey Olmos, who is now in his 90's
I told Olmos that Dr. Schwartz died years ago.
He just shook his head and said, "Tom Ray will not be cleared until Dr. Schwartz returns to work."
Sometimes bad news is good news.
Maybe we can get Remy to take another try?

[Chuck1052]

Tom, hope that it goes well for you.

- Chuck Johnston

[bennie]

Turns out I had blockage in one artery, and they cleared it with a stint. No damage to the heart, and I get out of the hospital tomorrow. Thanks for your kind thoughts and words.

I missed all this, Tom, and I'm relieved that you are OK.

[kikibalt]

Alvarez to defend title at Staples Center

Mexico's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will defend his world super-welterweight belt Sept. 17 at Staples Center against former "The Contender" reality-TV fighter Alfonso Gomez, boxing officials said.

Alvarez (37-0-1, 27 KOs) claimed the belt at Anaheim's Honda Center in March, then defended it with a 12th-round technical knockout of Ryan Rhodes in June. The fight against Gomez (23-4-2) will be the main event of the Staples card, and be televised as part of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Victor Ortiz pay-per-view card from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Golden Boy Promotions also said former world champion Erik Morales will fight Anthony Crolla in Las Vegas that night.

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When the hell is Alvarez going to fight somebody that is not a human punching bag??.... Gomez is nothing more than a class B fighter, always has been, and always will be....

[Rick Farris]

Alvarez to defend title at Staples Center

Mexico's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will defend his world super-welterweight belt Sept. 17 at Staples Center against former "The Contender" reality-TV fighter Alfonso Gomez, boxing officials said.

Alvarez (37-0-1, 27 KOs) claimed the belt at Anaheim's Honda Center in March, then defended it with a 12th-round technical knockout of Ryan Rhodes in June. The fight against Gomez (23-4-2) will be the main event of the Staples card, and be televised as part of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Victor Ortiz pay-per-view card from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Golden Boy Promotions also said former world champion Erik Morales will fight Anthony Crolla in Las Vegas that night.

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When the hell is Alvarez going to fight somebody that is not a human punching bag??.... Gomez is nothing more than a class B fighter, always has been, and always will be....

This is irritating. They are treating this fighter like he is a baby, some boy wonder?
Mando Ramos was a "Boy Wonder", at 20 Mando was a legitimate world champion, and fighting the best lightweights of a tough era.
Wilfredo Benitez was just 17 when he won the Jr. Welterweight world title. He fought great fighters.

They absolutely do not see the value in allowing a fighter to be challenged. Keep in mind Canelo is not all that young.
He matured young physically, and has been fighting pro a full five years with nearly 40 pro fights under his belt.
He is already in the "veteran catagory".

They are ruining a potentially good fighter. He will never grow, just as 90% of today's boxers do not grow once they show some potemtial of box office appeal. His opposition will keep him on a lower level, and I believe he has already peaked ability wise. From here on he stops learning, that is what young, educated cable TV execs do when they call the shots in boxing.
Everything today must be a fairy tale.

Here is one to think about . . . Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Art "The Golden Boy" Aragon.
Imagine that Art Aragon was a great boxer who just wasn't good enough to win a world title in his era.
Then you have a guy like Canelo parading around with a world championship?
What do you think Aragon woud do with Canelo?

[Rick Farris]

Aragon hated fighting "Hams" . . .

When Art Aragon was the age of Canelo Alvarez, he to had been fighting pro five years.
Art was fighting the likes of Fabela Chavez, John L.Davis, etc. Good fighters, but not yet top rated.

About this time Aragon talks with Hap Navarro, who at the time was doing Publicity for the Hollywood Legion Stadium.
Art complained that he was tired of KOing hams, that he wanted a real fight that would take him to the next level.
Hap consoled young Aragon, and told him he knew that he was being under matched, but there was a process to developing a boxer.
In due course, Aragon would fight the best in the world, and when he did he was ready. The top guys back then were all monsters.
When Art finally got his title shot at Jimmy Carter, he was ready. He had "earned" his title shot.

What is happening today with Canelo is that he is also fighting "hams", the difference being there is a world title on the line.
What crap! As a world champion, his name at 147 pounds must be considered with Robinson, Armstrong, Napoles, Griffith, McLarnin, Leonard, Hearns, Duran, Benitez, etc. NOT!

[Rick Farris]

Kahn vs. Judah . . .

Two weak-chinned boys in a contest to see who can remain on their feet the longest.
I'll pick Kahn to win. Both are dogs but I believe that Zab has a few more fleas at this stage?

[CNorkusJr]

Todays New York Daily News (to paraphrase):

The Klitschko Brothers were in town (NYC) today where they visited the Daily News and HBO Studios. Vitali also in town to promote upcoming (Sept 10) fight with Adamek in Poland.
He said that the arena that they are fighting in is near completion and that 33,000 seats are sold already for the event. He went on to say that Adamek fight will NOT be a repeat of the Haye-Vlad Klits fight because Adamek comes to fight-always. He's hungry. Vitali said that Adamek pretty much dismisses the height difference and though Vitali was off for 4 years, he feels in top shape with no back or knee pain that he once suffered from.

Vitali continued " That the boxing public will never see the two brothers get in the ring to face each other". that "their mother would be very upset over that, and there is no reason to upset Mom".
He cited age as being a deciding factor soon on hanging up the gloves,but nothing on a retirement date.

On another note: A new Arena is in the process of being built in Brooklyn,NY. The Barclay Center (Barclay Bank)is located in downtown Bklyn and easily acessible by Long Island Trains, NYC subway and bus from all other boroughs.It will be the next home to formerly The New Jersey Nets (NBA) basketball team starting in Fall 2012.

Golden Boy Productions have announced they have signed a contract with the arena to hold fights on a monthly basis there for a 3 year time period starting after its completion in 2012.
De La Hoya also stated that it is not an exclusive contract and when asked stated " that other productions and promoters are free to come in and use the arena as well".

Personal note: The new arena sounds like a great deal with boxing. Right now some small venues of capacity of 3,000 people are drawing upwards of about 800-1500 persons for local shows being held every couple months or so. Golden Boy Prod. just might see a rise in larger crowds with diverse talent coming in to shake up the NYC market. It still remains to be seen where this goes but a long term (3 yr) commitment will help.The new arena will be in direct competition with Mad Sq Garden and Newark New Jersey's Prudential Center (present home of Thomas Adamek,when not in Poland).

[CNorkusJr]

Aragon hated fighting "Hams" . . .

When Art Aragon was the age of Canelo Alvarez, he to had been fighting pro five years.
Art was fighting the likes of Fabela Chavez, John L.Davis, etc. Good fighters, but not yet top rated.

About this time Aragon talks with Hap Navarro, who at the time was doing Publicity for the Hollywood Legion Stadium.
Art complained that he was tired of KOing hams, that he wanted a real fight that would take him to the next level.
Hap consoled young Aragon, and told him he knew that he was being under matched, but there was a process to developing a boxer.
In due course, Aragon would fight the best in the world, and when he did he was ready. The top guys back then were all monsters.
When Art finally got his title shot at Jimmy Carter, he was ready. He had "earned" his title shot.

What is happening today with Canelo is that he is also fighting "hams", the difference being there is a world title on the line.
What crap! As a world champion, his name at 147 pounds must be considered with Robinson, Armstrong, Napoles, Griffith, McLarnin, Leonard, Hearns, Duran, Benitez, etc. NOT!

One of the "sticking in his craw" items that Teddy Atlas talked about during his visit to Ring 8 is : with less and less boxing clubs and less and less boxers today as compared with the yesteryears, the ABC orgs have created so many weight classes that the boxing wt classes cannot support the amount of talent in those classes. They are each about 5 boxing contenders deep if that in most.By going back to 8 wt classes maybe 9 because of the higher weights that are boxing now- you will see tightly contending matches, but the ABC orgs are not going for it because of its promotions of "title "holders such as Canelo. They feel if a guy has a belt on his neck or worse yet-multiple belts around his neck that prople are being duped into seeing a "great" champion of yore.
Bring in the arguement that some orgs will not recognize other orgs belts and you got mish-mash bull crap.He continued to blast the ABC orgs for other items too but said its ALL money driven-of course. Teddy got a round of applause on that thought alone.

[Rick Farris]

Alvarez to defend title at Staples Center

Mexico's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will defend his world super-welterweight belt Sept. 17 at Staples Center against former "The Contender" reality-TV fighter Alfonso Gomez, boxing officials said.

Alvarez (37-0-1, 27 KOs) claimed the belt at Anaheim's Honda Center in March, then defended it with a 12th-round technical knockout of Ryan Rhodes in June. The fight against Gomez (23-4-2) will be the main event of the Staples card, and be televised as part of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Victor Ortiz pay-per-view card from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Golden Boy Promotions also said former world champion Erik Morales will fight Anthony Crolla in Las Vegas that night.

----------------------------------

When the hell is Alvarez going to fight somebody that is not a human punching bag??.... Gomez is nothing more than a class B fighter, always has been, and always will be....

And they make sure that nobody standing in front of him can punch.
We saw Canelo shaken up when drilled with a shot. So they want to take that possibility out of the picture.

[Rick Farris]

Trailer for "The Amazing Spider Man" (Release date 7/3/2012) . . .

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/ ... &gt1=42010

We filmed this Dec. 2010 - May 2011

[Cholo]

Alvarez to defend title at Staples Center

Mexico's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will defend his world super-welterweight belt Sept. 17 at Staples Center against former "The Contender" reality-TV fighter Alfonso Gomez, boxing officials said.

Alvarez (37-0-1, 27 KOs) claimed the belt at Anaheim's Honda Center in March, then defended it with a 12th-round technical knockout of Ryan Rhodes in June. The fight against Gomez (23-4-2) will be the main event of the Staples card, and be televised as part of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Victor Ortiz pay-per-view card from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Golden Boy Promotions also said former world champion Erik Morales will fight Anthony Crolla in Las Vegas that night.

----------------------------------

When the hell is Alvarez going to fight somebody that is not a human punching bag??.... Gomez is nothing more than a class B fighter, always has been, and always will be....

This is irritating. They are treating this fighter like he is a baby, some boy wonder?
Mando Ramos was a "Boy Wonder", at 20 Mando was a legitimate world champion, and fighting the best lightweights of a tough era.
Wilfredo Benitez was just 17 when he won the Jr. Welterweight world title. He fought great fighters.

They absolutely do not see the value in allowing a fighter to be challenged. Keep in mind Canelo is not all that young.
He matured young physically, and has been fighting pro a full five years with nearly 40 pro fights under his belt.
He is already in the "veteran catagory".

They are ruining a potentially good fighter. He will never grow, just as 90% of today's boxers do not grow once they show some potemtial of box office appeal. His opposition will keep him on a lower level, and I believe he has already peaked ability wise. From here on he stops learning, that is what young, educated cable TV execs do when they call the shots in boxing.
Everything today must be a fairy tale.

Here is one to think about . . . Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Art "The Golden Boy" Aragon.
Imagine that Art Aragon was a great boxer who just wasn't good enough to win a world title in his era.
Then you have a guy like Canelo parading around with a world championship?
What do you think Aragon woud do with Canelo?

Rick, "Golden Boy" Aragon would have had too much for these so called champions today..

[kikibalt]

I know there is a championship fight on Saturday, but I can't remember who's fighting....