Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

Tony Baltazar v Roger Mayweather

Frank, That was an excellent win for Tony, Roger Mayweather was a good fighter, looks like Tony has just nailed him with a left hook. Tony could bang with that left hook, Frank..

Paul, after Tony landed that hook in the second round; ol' Rog jumped on his bike and rode it as fast as he could, which; of course made for a bad fight to watch....but nonetheless, it was, like you say, a good win for Tony. Bad thing though was that he came out of the fight with a broken right hand...

[kikibalt]

Tony Smaldino

division featherweight

country United States
residence Los Angeles, California, United States

won 11 (KO 3) + lost 7 (KO 4) + drawn 1 = 19
rounds boxed 81 KO% 15.79


1950-12-29 129 Javier Gutierrez 126 13-5-3
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States L KO 2 6

1950-12-01 128½ Chuck Wilkerson 128 18-21-2
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States W UD 6 6

1950-10-13 127 Jimmy Dunn 128½ 20-15-3
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States L SD 6 6

1950-09-26 128¼ Chuck Wilkerson 126½ 17-20-2
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L UD 6 6

1950-08-25 125½ Fugi Rodriguez 128¾ 3-2-0
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States L TKO 5 6

1950-07-14 125¼ Bobby Garza 121¾ 20-14-10
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States W PTS 6 6

1950-06-20 126¾ Bobby Garza 121½ 18-13-10
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W UD 6 6

1950-06-06 128 Bobby Garza 125 18-13-9
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States D PTS 4 4

1950-05-02 127½ Dave Gallardo 126½ 25-6-4
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L UD 6 6
Smaldino was knocked down in the 1st round.

1950-04-11 127 Manuel Hernandez 126 19-20-13
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W TKO 2 6
referee: Jimmy Wilson
Hernandez was knocked down once for an eight-count in the 2nd round.

1950-04-04 127¼ Manuel Hernandez 128¼ 19-19-13
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W UD 6 6

1949-06-06 124¼ Roosevelt Bonner 126 20-19-8
Ocean Park Arena, Santa Monica, California, United States W UD 4 4

1949-04-11 131 Tony Espinosa 130¼
Ocean Park Arena, Santa Monica, California, United States L TKO 3 4
Reported as "Tony Sparro" in Los Angeles Times.

1949-04-05 125½ Benny Chavez 123½ 7-19-3
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W PTS 4 4

1949-03-28 128¾ Chivo Amador 131 3-2-0
Ocean Park Arena, Santa Monica, California, United States L TKO 4 4

1949-03-22 126¾ Manuel Hernandez 121½ 12-11-7
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W PTS 4 4

1949-03-21 128½ Eddie Duane 123¼
Ocean Park Arena, Santa Monica, California, United States W TKO 2 4

1949-03-14 126 Cadillac Clemmons 128¼ 5-16-1
Ocean Park Arena, Santa Monica, California, United States W PTS 4 4

1949-03-04 125 Joe Rodriguez 121 0-1-0
San Diego, California, United States W KO 1

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedail ... urned.html

Tony Smaldino was an outstanding Golden Gloves boxer in the Los Angeles area. Although he began a professional boxing career, he supported himself by working as a pressman. He had every intent to continue his boxing career, but he was tragically murdered in the worst mass murder in Los Angeles history. On April 4, 1957, Clyde Bates and Manual Chavez were ejected from the Club Mecca bar in Los Angeles for pawing one of the female customers. They drove to a gas station, purchased 5 gallons of gas in a bucket, returned to the bar where Bates threw the gasoline on the floor of the bar; Chavez immediately threw in a lighted book of matches.

Tony Smaldino, along with Gilbert Gonzalez (an apprentice chef at the prestigious Scandia Restaurant), Joe Maytorena (a retail supermarket checker), Jackie MacInnes (a waitress), Harry Robinson (retired), and Phil Crawshaw (a young man who had recently moved to LA from Seattle) were all murdered in the blaze that followed. To this day, the Club Mecca murder remains the worst mass murder in Los Angeles' history

boxRec.com

http

[kikibalt]

Connie called me a drama queen, here's why.

I went out to get the newspaper, I found the paper underneath one of the cars on the driveway. I had to get down on my hands and knees to get it and at 74 years of age that's not an easy task to do. I struggle getting up, and in doing so I ran out of breath. Connie seen me as I was trying to catch my breath as I walked inside the house.

"What wrong?" she asked me
I was still huffing and puffing as I told her how I had a hard time getting up after getting the paper from underneath the car.
"You're such a drama queen!" she said to me
Don't get no respect or sympathy from Connie that's for sure!....

[CNorkusJr]

Connie called me a drama queen, here's why.

I went out to get the newspaper, I found the paper underneath one of the cars on the driveway. I had to get down on my hands and knees to get it and at 74 years of age that's not an easy task to do. I struggle getting up, and in doing so I ran out of breath. Connie seen me as I was trying to catch my breath as I walked inside the house.

"What wrong?" she asked me
I was still huffing and puffing as I told her how I had a hard time getting up after getting the paper from underneath the car.
"You're such a drama queen!" she said to me
Don't get no respect or sympathy from Connie that's for sure!....

Frank, you and I have the same paper delivery person !!!!
Just about every morning I go out and one out of the two papers I get, is surely under the car. At 5 am here I will hear the notorious motor of the NY Daily News delivery guy come around the corner. Sometimes I hear a "thump" meaning, it hit the ground in plain sight and easy to get, other times I hear nothing meaning, he threw it low and it slides under my car in driveway. I now keep a broom in the front closet because it sometimes help in reaching it.

I would send Rosie out to get it,but it would still take her 2 hrs to get it and another 6 hrs complaining in my ear about it-by then its yesterdays news.
One week, I'm not going to send him his quarter tip !

[kikibalt]

Connie called me a drama queen, here's why.

I went out to get the newspaper, I found the paper underneath one of the cars on the driveway. I had to get down on my hands and knees to get it and at 74 years of age that's not an easy task to do. I struggle getting up, and in doing so I ran out of breath. Connie seen me as I was trying to catch my breath as I walked inside the house.

"What wrong?" she asked me
I was still huffing and puffing as I told her how I had a hard time getting up after getting the paper from underneath the car.
"You're such a drama queen!" she said to me
Don't get no respect or sympathy from Connie that's for sure!....

Frank, you and I have the same paper delivery person !!!!
Just about every morning I go out and one out of the two papers I get, is surely under the car. At 5 am here I will hear the notorious motor of the NY Daily News delivery guy come around the corner. Sometimes I hear a "thump" meaning, it hit the ground in plain sight and easy to get, other times I hear nothing meaning, he threw it low and it slides under my car in driveway. I now keep a broom in the front closet because it sometimes help in reaching it.

I would send Rosie out to get it,but it would still take her 2 hrs to get it and another 6 hrs complaining in my ear about it-by then its yesterdays news.
One week, I'm not going to send him his quarter tip !

At least Rosie don't call you a "drama queen"....

[telboy66]

Connie called me a drama queen, here's why.

I went out to get the newspaper, I found the paper underneath one of the cars on the driveway. I had to get down on my hands and knees to get it and at 74 years of age that's not an easy task to do. I struggle getting up, and in doing so I ran out of breath. Connie seen me as I was trying to catch my breath as I walked inside the house.

"What wrong?" she asked me
I was still huffing and puffing as I told her how I had a hard time getting up after getting the paper from underneath the car.
"You're such a drama queen!" she said to me
Don't get no respect or sympathy from Connie that's for sure!....

Frank, you and I have the same paper delivery person !!!!
Just about every morning I go out and one out of the two papers I get, is surely under the car. At 5 am here I will hear the notorious motor of the NY Daily News delivery guy come around the corner. Sometimes I hear a "thump" meaning, it hit the ground in plain sight and easy to get, other times I hear nothing meaning, he threw it low and it slides under my car in driveway. I now keep a broom in the front closet because it sometimes help in reaching it.

I would send Rosie out to get it,but it would still take her 2 hrs to get it and another 6 hrs complaining in my ear about it-by then its yesterdays news.
One week, I'm not going to send him his quarter tip !

Charlie forget the broom get your self a shotgun & give the paper boy a round of buck shot in the ass it might improve his throwing arm

[CNorkusJr]

Connie called me a drama queen, here's why.

I went out to get the newspaper, I found the paper underneath one of the cars on the driveway. I had to get down on my hands and knees to get it and at 74 years of age that's not an easy task to do. I struggle getting up, and in doing so I ran out of breath. Connie seen me as I was trying to catch my breath as I walked inside the house.

"What wrong?" she asked me
I was still huffing and puffing as I told her how I had a hard time getting up after getting the paper from underneath the car.
"You're such a drama queen!" she said to me
Don't get no respect or sympathy from Connie that's for sure!....

Frank, you and I have the same paper delivery person !!!!
Just about every morning I go out and one out of the two papers I get, is surely under the car. At 5 am here I will hear the notorious motor of the NY Daily News delivery guy come around the corner. Sometimes I hear a "thump" meaning, it hit the ground in plain sight and easy to get, other times I hear nothing meaning, he threw it low and it slides under my car in driveway. I now keep a broom in the front closet because it sometimes help in reaching it.

I would send Rosie out to get it,but it would still take her 2 hrs to get it and another 6 hrs complaining in my ear about it-by then its yesterdays news.
One week, I'm not going to send him his quarter tip !

Charlie forget the broom get your self a shotgun & give the paper boy a round of buck shot in the ass it might improve his throwing arm

Hmmmmm ? Sounds good, let me think about that one.

[CNorkusJr]

At least Rosie don't call you a "drama queen"....

No not that particular line, Rosie has her own little vocabulary for me , words that suit all occaisions- mostly "..you a...hole" fits the bill on most. D

She would last less than 10 minutes working for Hallmark greeting Cards.

[kikibalt]

At least Rosie don't call you a "drama queen"....

No not that particular line, Rosie has her own little vocabulary for me , words that suit all occaisions- mostly "..you a...hole" fits the bill on most. D

She would last less than 10 minutes working for Hallmark greeting Cards.

[kikibalt]

RAFAEL HERRERA ; A FINE CHAMPION ENTERS THE WORLD BOXING HALL OF FAME

Author: JIM AMATO

He was born to humble beginnings on January 7, 1945 in Jalisco, Mexico. He would become a professional boxer at the age of eighteen. For years he fought fellow novices, losing some but winning more. He was making a name for himself though. In 1966 he climbed up the ladder with a win over rugged Memin Vega. Two fights later he drew with Geraldo Luna.

From the Luna bout Rafael's career took off. He reeled off sixteen straight wins. Herrera was then matched with future world champion Jesus " Chucho " Castillo. Herrera was overwhelmed by Castillo and lost in round three.

Rafael was no quitter He drew with Canada's Billy McGrandle but two fights later he lost to the highly regarded Raul Cruz. As 1970 rolled around Herrera was considered a top notch boxer but not championship material. That all changed when he decided that he was good enough to make it to the top. This time Herrera won a decision over Octavio Gomez. This led to a shot against undefeated Rodolfo Martinez for NABF bantamweight title. In a very close and exciting fight , Herrera got the verdict and the title.

That was the spring board for Rafael's career. Next he would halt the highly regarded Cesar Deciga. Two fights later he avenged an earlier loss by outscoring the talented Chucho Castillo. In March of 1972 Rafael challenged the legendary Ruben Olivares for the world's championship. The proud champion fought his heart out but Herrera was not to be denied and he won in round eight winning the WBA + WBC titles.

Four months later Herrera traveled to Panama to take on smooth boxing native Enrique Pinder who out slicked Rafael to take the title. The WBC then striped Pinder of the title for refusing to defend against Rodolfo Martinez. In the meantime Herrera and Olivares hooked up in a rematch with Rafael winning a majority ten round decision.

In January of 1973 Pinder was halted by hard punching Romeo Anaya to lose the WBA title. In April of 1973 Herrera and Martinez met for the vacant WBC title. In a wild affair Herrera stopped Martinez in round twelve to annex the crown. In August Anaya would again KO Pinder to retain the WBA title.

Herrera would finish 1973 with a close decision win over Thailand's Venice Borkhorsor. The Thai southpaw had once held the flyweight title. He gave Rafael fits early on as Herrera suffered cuts and swelling around the eyes. Herrera gamely battled his way back and after fifteen brutal rounds Rafael was awarded a controversial decision. In November of 1973 South African Arnold Taylor came from behind to bomb out Anaya to capture the WBA 's recognition.

In May of 1974 Herrera defended against ex-champ Anaya and stopped him in round six. Next up was a third fight with Rodolfo Martinez. This time Martinez turned the tables halting Herrera in the fourth round. Now title less Rafael dropped verdicts to Octavio Gomez and Jose Luis Soto. He then drew with Jose Cervantes and then he retired. He came back ten years later to win a four rounder against Alfredo Meneses then he retired for good. In 61 fights he posted a record of 49-9-3. He scored 19 knockouts and was stopped on two occasions. He was a solid champion who bridged the reigns of the legendary Ruben Olivares and Carlos Zarate

[Rick Farris]

Johnny Flores Jr. - Rest in Peace

[bennie]

Johnny Flores Jr. - Rest in Peace

R.I.P.

[kikibalt]

Johnny Flores Jr. - Rest in Peace

May you R.I.P., Johnny Flores Jr.....When Rick??

[kikibalt]

BILL DWYRE
Sergio Martinez is worthy of a spot in boxing's main event

Fans are eager for a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., a matchup that might never take place. Martinez would be a formidable opponent for either one — or even both.

By Bill Dwyre

September 30, 2011.

The premise that there are two boxers so good that they alone could set the rest of the sports world on its ear with the kind of match they would produce is only slightly flawed.

Mention the names Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to fight fans and the reaction is instant hyperventilating. To 50% of those fans, Pacquiao is the best now, maybe the best ever. To the other 50%, that describes Mayweather.

Boxing wants Pacquiao-Mayweather. It is its modern-day Foreman-Ali. Football can have its Super Bowl and baseball can have its World Series. Boxing wants Manny and Floyd. In the same ring, dancing and throwing. Stopping all the talk and the hype and the theories. Settling it, once and for all, with the gloves on and the bright lights turned up.

But there are problems, all well documented, and any straw poll taken on the subject these days will elicit plenty of theories on why the fight will never happen:

• Mayweather doesn't want to risk his unbeaten record.

• Pacquiao, a Philippine congressman with some need to retain a measure of dignity, is turned off by Mayweather's gangsta act and does not even want to be in the same room with the guy.

• Pacquiao got bigger by using steroids and will duck Mayweather's specific drug-testing demands because he fears the outcome.

• Mayweather might not be available, anyway, because he is facing a backlog of legal cases that could keep him in court, or even land him in jail.

• Pacquiao is afraid of Mayweather.

• Mayweather is afraid of Pacquiao.

And so it goes, leaving some to wonder if the year-after-year talk and anticipation will eventually turn so many people off that the thrill will be gone by the time they finally fight. That's especially true if they are both pushing 40.

All of which makes the presence of one Sergio Martinez that much more intriguing.

Martinez, not Pacquiao or Mayweather, was the Boxing Writers Assn. of America's fighter of the year last year. Martinez, not Pacquiao or Mayweather, threw the punch that got the most attention in 2010.

And yes, although most of his fights have been at middleweight, 160 pounds, he says he can easily get down to around the 150 pounds where Pacquiao and Mayweather do most of their fighting.

In the most recent Ring magazine pound-for-pound ratings, the order of the best in the world is Pacquiao, Mayweather and Martinez, 1-2-3.

Martinez has made a lot of his noise while fans were looking elsewhere. He is a 36-year-old Argentine who did not start to fight until he was 20. He has a 47-2-2 record as well as movie-star looks and a smile that can light up a room.

He has lived in Oxnard for the last four years and trains at a gym called World Crown Sports in nearby Port Hueneme. He is left-handed, lightning fast and is as impressive hitting the tethered speed bag as he is dancing around it and slipping his head to the right and left of it.

As long ago as 2000, he was trying to climb the boxing ladder in big-time company. In his 18th fight, just five years after he first laced on the gloves, he took on Antonio Margarito in Las Vegas and got in a few good shots until the fight was stopped in the seventh round before Margarito did further damage.

Later in Margarito's career, he would suffer a stunning upset at the Home Depot Center at the hands of a tall, little-known fighter by the name of Paul Williams. Williams, 6 feet 3, hit like a linebacker and became, much to promoter Dan Goosen's chagrin, so good that other fighters and their connections steered well clear of him.

In December 2009, Martinez took on the challenge and lost a close decision to Williams in Atlantic City, N.J. Four months later, he opened more eyes by beating Kelly Pavlik, once projected to be a middleweight superstar. That got Martinez a November 2010 rematch with Williams. A minute into the second round, he put Williams down and out with a heavy left hand. Williams fell like a chopped redwood, and now the boxing world was paying much closer attention to one Sergio Martinez.

"It was not my best punch ever," Martinez says, "but it was my most important."

Martinez has fought and won once since, and Saturday night he will take on unbeaten 160-pounder Darren Barker of England, again in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall. If the fight goes as most assume it will, Martinez will join the trio in a game of who's got next. Mayweather already has dispensed with Victor Ortiz, and Pacquiao is expected to do the same with Juan Manual Marquez in November.

Fans in general, and boxing fans in particular, want Pacquiao-Mayweather. Martinez, of course, wants either, or eventually both.

Adam Flores, one of the gym owners and part of Martinez's entourage, says Martinez joked one time that he would fight both on the same night.

"Let me start with Pacquiao," Flores says Martinez said, "and then have an intermission before they bring out Mayweather."

Martinez does not speak English, which may be one drawback in getting the mega-fight he wants. He was asked through an interpreter about the Pacquiao-intermission-Mayweather scenario and laughed at his own absurdity.

But his presence as a viable, quality opponent while the Pacquiao-versus-Mayweather plot continues to thicken is far from absurd.

[email protected]

[kikibalt]

ROBERT MORALES on BOXING: De La Hoya says fans 'cheated' by Mayweather-Ortiz

By Robert Morales, boxing columnist
sgvt.com


Oscar De La Hoya isn't letting it go. The promoter for Victor Ortiz on Monday played host to a conference call and spoke in demanding tones about an Ortiz-Floyd Mayweather Jr. rematch.

Two weeks ago today in Las Vegas, Mayweather knocked out Ortiz in the fourth round when Ortiz didn't put up his dukes after their welterweight title fight had been waved back on following Ortiz's point deduction for an intentional head-butt.

Mayweather didn't break the rules, but De La Hoya still wants his fighter to get some relief.

"Call it legal, call it illegal, it was bad sportsmanship, plain and simple," De La Hoya said. "That is not the way to take someone's championship. If Mayweather Jr. has any sort of honor, and I'm sure he does, he'll give Victor Ortiz the rematch."

De La Hoya fought several so-called dirty fighters during his 45-fight career. He was asked how many of them would have taken advantage of the situation the way Mayweather did.

"Zero, none of them," De La Hoya said. "Not even Ricardo Mayorga would have done that."

Yeah, all Mayorga did was trash-talk De La Hoya and his wife, Millie, before being knocked out in the sixth round by De La Hoya in 2006.

De La Hoya's most hated rival wouldn't have done that either, he said.

"Not even a Fernando Vargas," he said. "And that tells you a lot. This fight was barely warming up. We were cheated, everyone was cheated - especially Victor Ortiz - from a great fight happening."

Vargas
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came into his fight with De La Hoya in 2002 on steroids. Vargas started strongly but ultimately was stopped in the 11 th round.

Even fellow promoter Bob Arum told this newspaper that of all the hundreds of fighters he's known and promoted, he didn't know one that would have done what Mayweather did.

"I really don't know any," Arum said via telephone.

But another promoter, Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions in Sherman Oaks, already is tired of hearing people criticize Mayweather. He said he has closely scrutinized the events of that night at MGM Grand.

"Especially after watching the replay, there were a few things that really came out that I believe people have missed the point on all this. First of all, how many times can you hug and kiss?" Goossen said, referring to the embraces Ortiz seemed to initiate with Mayweather after Ortiz's head-butt. After their final hug, Mayweather hit Ortiz twice.

"I'm tired of seeing that, the hand-slapping and all that. We have two warriors out there. I don't mind congratulating someone after a good, hard fight, but not during the fight. I think that presents problems in a lot of various situations.

"Obviously, this is one of them."

When referee Joe Cortez waved the fighters back together, it was time to fight, Goossen said. It's Ortiz's fault for not realizing that. The notion that Cortez was looking at the timekeeper instead of the fighters when Mayweather first hit Ortiz is of no consequence.

"I'm a firm believer of not only protecting yourself at all times, but when the referee says, 'Let's go,' in spite of the fact he wasn't looking at anyone inside the ring, 'let's go' means 'let's go,' and Ortiz had the duty to fight," Goossen said. "When he's saying 'let's go,' you're not thinking he's saying, 'Let's hug again.'

"What he's saying is 'Let's get back to fighting,' and that's what Floyd did. You can't sit there and say you gotta show good sportsmanship. Cortez had them in the center of the ring, brought his hands together. Floyd was being a good sportsman by allowing Ortiz to hug him again."

Ortiz, meanwhile, still doesn't seem to get the idea that even if he didn't have his guard up for the first punch, he should have put it up as soon as that first punch landed. He was asked Monday why he didn't.

"I didn't think I needed to, because Cortez was there," he said.

Well, Cortez didn't do a very good job that night, but it's not his fault Ortiz left his guard down.

Mayweather has said he'd give Ortiz a rematch, but he most likely is going to wait until the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight Nov. 12 before doing anything. A Pacquiao win could prompt a round of negotiations for Pacquiao-Mayweather.

"We want him to do the right thing, not just for us but for his legacy and his fans," Rolando Arellano, Ortiz's manager, said of Mayweather. "Give the guy his fair shot. If you're the best of the best, then beat us like the best of the best."

De La Hoya this week tweeted that if Mayweather gives Ortiz a rematch, he (meaning De La Hoya) might give Mayweather another shot at him.

De La Hoya must have forgotten that Mayweather already beat him in 2007. He doesn't need another shot at De La Hoya.

Besides, De La Hoya, 38, is washed up as a fighter.
Kirkland looks to recapture the past

Fighting for powerful Golden Boy Promotions has its advantages, and James Kirkland is the most recent beneficiary of that.

Kirkland recently spent about 18 months in prison for a parole violation. That alone could have ruined his career, but Golden Boy stuck by him. When he was released a year ago it announced plans to get Kirkland back in the ring as soon as possible.

The former top junior middleweight contender knocked out a couple of stiffs and then was stopped in the first round by light-hitting Nobuhiro Ishida in April.

It appeared Kirkland might be done, but he came back and stopped a couple of more club fighters and that somehow earned him a date on HBO. On Nov. 5, he will take on contender Alfredo Angulo in Cancun, Mexico.

"This is a fight that fans have been looking forward to for years and now we are finally going to see Angulo vs. Kirkland, and the word 'explosive' won't do it justice," said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.

"There's no mystery as to what either fighter wants to do on November 5 th. James and Alfredo are both going to be looking for the knockout and I can't wait to see it."

If Kirkland (29-1, 26 KOs) is back to the fighter he was before going back to prison, this could be a very hard-hitting, fan-pleasing fight. But no one will know that until he gets into the ring with Mexicali's Angulo (20-1, 17 KOs), whose only loss is to former welterweight champion Kermit Cintron.

"Angulo has been on my radar for a long time and I'm happy that we're finally going to get a chance to fight each other," Kirkland said. "He's a good fighter, I like his style and I know we're going to make for a great fight."

Angulo can't wait.

"This is the kind of fight boxing needs and I respect James Kirkland for stepping up and taking it," he said. "We're not going to dance or hug in there on November 5; we're going to fight."
ETC.

Former middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KOs) of Argentina will take on Darren Barker (23-0, 14 KOs) of London in tonight's main event at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City (on HBO). Martinez once held two titles but was stripped by the respective governing bodies. ... Brandon Rios (28-0-1, 21 KOs), the lightweight champion from Oxnard, will defend his title on the undercard of the Dec. 3 rematch between junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito at Madison Square Garden in New York City (on HBO pay-per-view). Rios' opponent is to be determined. ... Speaking of Cotto-Margarito, promoter Bob Arum told this newspaper this week the controversy that materialized from their first match, won by Margarito via 11 th-round TKO, will make the return engagement even more of a hot commodity. "Of course, of course," Arum said. "That is how our society is." Six months after they first fought in July 2008, Margarito was busted with illegal hand wraps prior to his welterweight title fight with "Sugar" Shane Mosley. At that point Cotto wondered if perhaps Margarito also had loaded wraps when they fought. ... Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KOs) will defend his light heavyweight title against former champion Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KOs) on Oct. 15 at Staples Center (on HBO pay-per-view).

[Rick Farris]

Johnny Flores Jr. - Rest in Peace

May you R.I.P., Johnny Flores Jr.....When Rick??

Johnny's grandaughter and I stay in touch thru e-mail.
Her mother, Nancy, called her yesterday to let her know her uncle passed yesterday, he was alone.
There was no more information, but she will forward me information on services when they are available.
Johnny Jr. brings up a lot of special memories in my life.
I grew up in the Johnny Flores Gym, and we'd see John Jr. now and then, he and Johnny would build boxing rings together.
Today Johnny Jr. is well known for the fine boxing rings and equipment he builds.
Last I saw John Jr. was when we were filming Letal Weapon-4 at Warner Brothers. The production had rented one of Flores rings for a boxing scene in the film. Lots of memories, too many to discuss right now. Suddenly I open my eyes and realize that nearly half a century has passed.
Rest in Peace, John.

[Rick Farris]

Jerry Quarry, his last days and the World Boxing Hall of Fame . . .

http://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch

[Randyman]

Johnny Flores Jr. - Rest in Peace

R.I.P... How old was he Rick?

[Randyman]

ROBERT MORALES on BOXING: De La Hoya says fans 'cheated' by Mayweather-Ortiz

By Robert Morales, boxing columnist
sgvt.com


Oscar De La Hoya isn't letting it go. The promoter for Victor Ortiz on Monday played host to a conference call and spoke in demanding tones about an Ortiz-Floyd Mayweather Jr. rematch.

Two weeks ago today in Las Vegas, Mayweather knocked out Ortiz in the fourth round when Ortiz didn't put up his dukes after their welterweight title fight had been waved back on following Ortiz's point deduction for an intentional head-butt.

Mayweather didn't break the rules, but De La Hoya still wants his fighter to get some relief.

"Call it legal, call it illegal, it was bad sportsmanship, plain and simple," De La Hoya said. "That is not the way to take someone's championship. If Mayweather Jr. has any sort of honor, and I'm sure he does, he'll give Victor Ortiz the rematch."

De La Hoya fought several so-called dirty fighters during his 45-fight career. He was asked how many of them would have taken advantage of the situation the way Mayweather did.

"Zero, none of them," De La Hoya said. "Not even Ricardo Mayorga would have done that."

Yeah, all Mayorga did was trash-talk De La Hoya and his wife, Millie, before being knocked out in the sixth round by De La Hoya in 2006.

De La Hoya's most hated rival wouldn't have done that either, he said.

"Not even a Fernando Vargas," he said. "And that tells you a lot. This fight was barely warming up. We were cheated, everyone was cheated - especially Victor Ortiz - from a great fight happening."

Vargas
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came into his fight with De La Hoya in 2002 on steroids. Vargas started strongly but ultimately was stopped in the 11 th round.

Even fellow promoter Bob Arum told this newspaper that of all the hundreds of fighters he's known and promoted, he didn't know one that would have done what Mayweather did.

"I really don't know any," Arum said via telephone.

But another promoter, Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions in Sherman Oaks, already is tired of hearing people criticize Mayweather. He said he has closely scrutinized the events of that night at MGM Grand.

"Especially after watching the replay, there were a few things that really came out that I believe people have missed the point on all this. First of all, how many times can you hug and kiss?" Goossen said, referring to the embraces Ortiz seemed to initiate with Mayweather after Ortiz's head-butt. After their final hug, Mayweather hit Ortiz twice.

"I'm tired of seeing that, the hand-slapping and all that. We have two warriors out there. I don't mind congratulating someone after a good, hard fight, but not during the fight. I think that presents problems in a lot of various situations.

"Obviously, this is one of them."

When referee Joe Cortez waved the fighters back together, it was time to fight, Goossen said. It's Ortiz's fault for not realizing that. The notion that Cortez was looking at the timekeeper instead of the fighters when Mayweather first hit Ortiz is of no consequence.

"I'm a firm believer of not only protecting yourself at all times, but when the referee says, 'Let's go,' in spite of the fact he wasn't looking at anyone inside the ring, 'let's go' means 'let's go,' and Ortiz had the duty to fight," Goossen said. "When he's saying 'let's go,' you're not thinking he's saying, 'Let's hug again.'

"What he's saying is 'Let's get back to fighting,' and that's what Floyd did. You can't sit there and say you gotta show good sportsmanship. Cortez had them in the center of the ring, brought his hands together. Floyd was being a good sportsman by allowing Ortiz to hug him again."

Ortiz, meanwhile, still doesn't seem to get the idea that even if he didn't have his guard up for the first punch, he should have put it up as soon as that first punch landed. He was asked Monday why he didn't.

"I didn't think I needed to, because Cortez was there," he said.

Well, Cortez didn't do a very good job that night, but it's not his fault Ortiz left his guard down.

Mayweather has said he'd give Ortiz a rematch, but he most likely is going to wait until the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight Nov. 12 before doing anything. A Pacquiao win could prompt a round of negotiations for Pacquiao-Mayweather.

"We want him to do the right thing, not just for us but for his legacy and his fans," Rolando Arellano, Ortiz's manager, said of Mayweather. "Give the guy his fair shot. If you're the best of the best, then beat us like the best of the best."

De La Hoya this week tweeted that if Mayweather gives Ortiz a rematch, he (meaning De La Hoya) might give Mayweather another shot at him.

De La Hoya must have forgotten that Mayweather already beat him in 2007. He doesn't need another shot at De La Hoya.

Besides, De La Hoya, 38, is washed up as a fighter.
Kirkland looks to recapture the past

Fighting for powerful Golden Boy Promotions has its advantages, and James Kirkland is the most recent beneficiary of that.

Kirkland recently spent about 18 months in prison for a parole violation. That alone could have ruined his career, but Golden Boy stuck by him. When he was released a year ago it announced plans to get Kirkland back in the ring as soon as possible.

The former top junior middleweight contender knocked out a couple of stiffs and then was stopped in the first round by light-hitting Nobuhiro Ishida in April.

It appeared Kirkland might be done, but he came back and stopped a couple of more club fighters and that somehow earned him a date on HBO. On Nov. 5, he will take on contender Alfredo Angulo in Cancun, Mexico.

"This is a fight that fans have been looking forward to for years and now we are finally going to see Angulo vs. Kirkland, and the word 'explosive' won't do it justice," said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.

"There's no mystery as to what either fighter wants to do on November 5 th. James and Alfredo are both going to be looking for the knockout and I can't wait to see it."

If Kirkland (29-1, 26 KOs) is back to the fighter he was before going back to prison, this could be a very hard-hitting, fan-pleasing fight. But no one will know that until he gets into the ring with Mexicali's Angulo (20-1, 17 KOs), whose only loss is to former welterweight champion Kermit Cintron.

"Angulo has been on my radar for a long time and I'm happy that we're finally going to get a chance to fight each other," Kirkland said. "He's a good fighter, I like his style and I know we're going to make for a great fight."

Angulo can't wait.

"This is the kind of fight boxing needs and I respect James Kirkland for stepping up and taking it," he said. "We're not going to dance or hug in there on November 5; we're going to fight."
ETC.

Former middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KOs) of Argentina will take on Darren Barker (23-0, 14 KOs) of London in tonight's main event at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City (on HBO). Martinez once held two titles but was stripped by the respective governing bodies. ... Brandon Rios (28-0-1, 21 KOs), the lightweight champion from Oxnard, will defend his title on the undercard of the Dec. 3 rematch between junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito at Madison Square Garden in New York City (on HBO pay-per-view). Rios' opponent is to be determined. ... Speaking of Cotto-Margarito, promoter Bob Arum told this newspaper this week the controversy that materialized from their first match, won by Margarito via 11 th-round TKO, will make the return engagement even more of a hot commodity. "Of course, of course," Arum said. "That is how our society is." Six months after they first fought in July 2008, Margarito was busted with illegal hand wraps prior to his welterweight title fight with "Sugar" Shane Mosley. At that point Cotto wondered if perhaps Margarito also had loaded wraps when they fought. ... Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KOs) will defend his light heavyweight title against former champion Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KOs) on Oct. 15 at Staples Center (on HBO pay-per-view).

The only one that cheated the fans was Ortiz.

[kikibalt]

Chicano style breakfast...bacon & eggs, tortillas & home cook potatoes

That salsa was the bomb!!

[Rick Farris]

Johnny Flores Jr. - Rest in Peace

R.I.P... How old was he Rick?

Late 60's , not sure?

[coach greg v]

Chicano style breakfast...bacon & eggs, tortillas & home cook potatoes

That salsa was the bomb!!

oh god that looks so good. Well with gastritis now along with other thinbgs thats out. All I can do is just watch u eat that and I would cry. That really looks good!!!!

[Randyman]

Remembering the Whittier Earthquake: October 1, 1987


The parking structure for the old May Company and Hinshaw's Department stores.

Twenty-four years ago today, Southern California was hit by what has come to be known as "The Whittier Earthquake". The earthquake, a 5.9 on the Richter scale struck at 7:42 am. Three days later, on October 4, Whittier was hit by a 5.2 aftershock.

I was at work that day, at McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach. As luck would have it, I was in the head at the time the earthquake struck. I worked in a large hanger, Building 13, at that time. the restrooms were attached to the side of the buildings with an entrance from the inside of the building but more or less, a separate structure. Probably the safest place to be. Right outside the building was a railroad yard.

My first warning was a loud rumbling noise. It got my attention immediately. It became deafeningly loud. I didn't know what to think yet, there wasn't any shaking yet. My first thought was that a train had jumped the track and was heading straight for the building. it was so loud I figured it was going to come through the wall in a second or two. I honest to God figured that was my last day on Earth. Then the rocking and rolling began and then it hit me, it was an earthquake. The shaking was violent, like nothing I felt before, and I've been through quite a few earthquakes. I heard some screaming from the stalls next to me, doors slamming and lots of confusion. I decided to sit this one out (literally). I stayed put. It seemed to go on forever. My only immediate worry, once I realized it was an earthquake was the over hanging fluorescent lights. Somehow they held on.

I could hear screaming and a lot of other noise coming from inside Building 13. as soon as the quake stopped I went back inside the building and it was total chaos. Parts were thrown everywhere, women were crying, everyone was walking around confused. I went back to my job site on the upper fuselage in Department 509. From there we were being directed outside the building.

All I could think about was my family. At the time I was car pooling with Jack Nicholson (no, not that Jack Nicholson) and it was his week to drive, so I couldn't just leave. A few minutes later I found him and we decided we should go home. The drive home was eerie. There were reports on the radio of fallen overpasses on the 605 freeway (that turned out to be false0. We took some side roads home. Everywhere we went, people were standing outside their homes. No one wanted to go back inside the houses. Their was a strange silence in the air.

As we got to Whittier it was more of the same, people everywhere. Some homes were knocked off their foundations. I didn't know what to expect. I was afraid of what I might find at home. There were no cell phones in those days and all the phone lines were down. Jeri was eight months pregnant with Savannah at the time, and Meranda and Andrew would have been getting ready for school. We were living on Newlin Ave at the time of the earthquake. I found out a day or two later that Newlin Ave sits directly over the Whittier fault line.


When I got home I found everyone outside, sitting on the front lawn. The kids came running up to me and Jeri looked relieved to see me. Everyone was okay! I went inside the house and it was a mess. Cupboards and drawers open, broken dishes and glass everywhere. pots and pans scattered throughout the kitchen. There were cracks in the wall but no major structural damage. Our personal damage was minimal but it wasn't that way for everyone. Further down Newlin Avenue, several house were severely damaged and eventually had to be torn down and rebuilt. it was like that throughout Uptown Whittier. Uptown Whittier is an historical town with many old homes, some well over a hundred years old, so it goes without saying that they were not built to stand up to an earthquake.


Greenleaf Ave in Uptown Whittier.

The major damage though was in the business district, the "Village" section of Uptown Whittier. I don't know what the exact extent of the damage was but some estimates have been as high as $360, 000, 000. What ever the damage was financially, the physical damage was devastating, lives were lost, and other lives were turned upside down. Many of Whittier's historical buildings were lost, including the old Whittier Theater on the corner of Hadley Street and Whittier Blvd. I remember taking a walk to the Village with my cousin, David Robles, it was like a war zone with helicopters over head, police and firemen all around and many of the buildings in ruin. It would take years to recover. My uncle Henry De La O's upholstery shop, on Greenleaf Ave, was destroyed but was reopened a year or so later on Philadelphia Street.


The old Whittier Theater on the corner of Whittier blvd and Hadley Strret.

A few days later we celebrated Jeri's birthday on the 3rd and the following morning, somewhere about 4:00am, we were hit with a 5.1 aftershock. If I remember correctly there were quite a few aftershocks but this was the worse. There was some humor to that morning. I grabbed a pair of Levi's and tried my damnedest to put them on. I was squirming like crazy but they just would not get past my knees. Jeri turned on the light and just started laughing. They were her Levi's I was trying to get into It seemed like almost immediately, there was a knock on the door. It was our friends, Sergio and Denise Billings and their kids. Their home took a harder hit than ours, they wanted to get out quick. We made breakfast and talked about the earthquakes. It was starting to feel like it was never going to end.

It eventually did end and is now a long ago memory. Twenty-four years ago today.

[Randyman]

Chicano style breakfast...bacon & eggs, tortillas & home cook potatoes

That salsa was the bomb!!

A meal after me own heart!! As my father, the late, great Andy De La O, used to say "It's the only way to eat". He was right!

[Rick Farris]

Chicano style breakfast...bacon & eggs, tortillas & home cook potatoes

That salsa was the bomb!!

A meal after me own heart!! As my father, the late, great Andy De La O, used to say "It's the only way to eat". He was right!

You have had more than your share of that type food. I eat the crap as well, but not often.
Randy, let's not kid each other, our parents meant well but didn't know shit about nutrition.
You and I have a dream about one day opening an old school boxing gym.
I'd really like to do it, but I won't do it alone. I'm best as part of a team, won't do it for myself.
If you are old, fat, have a weak "ticker", etc. you won't enjoy it as much as if you are pro-active.
Eat healthy, workout regardless of hours employed. I'm currently working 7 days a week, 12-14 hours. I get up 30 min. early, stretch out, warm-up, sit-ups, push-ups, shadow box, light work with 2-3lb dumbells. When I step on a set, I'm wide awake, loose, ready to go. You need to get up 30 min. early, have Jeri fix you oatmeal, some toast on whole grain bread, a banana, coffee and O.J. With your breakfast you take a vitamin-mineral-amino acid supplement.