Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Chuck1052]

Frank- There were people living in the Simons housing, but working as fruit pickers during 1940. I was wondering what street was your family home located during 1940? If I knew that, I would look again to see if your immediate family was included in the census that year.

- Chuck Johnston

[kikibalt]

Frank- There were people living in the Simons housing, but working as fruit pickers during 1940. I was wondering what street was your family home located during 1940? If I knew that, I would look again to see if your immediate family was included in the census that year.

- Chuck Johnston

55 Railroad St, Simons, Ca. was our address

[kikibalt]

Gil Cadilli & Ike Chestnut

[Cholo]

Gil Cadilli & Ike Chestnut

Frank, Gil was a excellent boxer, you saw Cadilli/Teran fight, two gifted fighters...

[kikibalt]

Gil Cadilli & Ike Chestnut
Frank, Gil was a excellent boxer, you saw Cadilli/Teran fight, two gifted fighters...

Remember that fight in 1951 real well!!

[kikibalt]

Lena Horn-Joe Louis-Johnnie Flores

The later Los Angeles boxing trainer, Johnnie “Mr. Golden Gloves” Flores once told me a story about how he met the beautiful Lena Horn. I was reminded of Johnnie’s story last night as I was watching Lena Horn in ‘Stormy Weather’

Johnnie’s story: soon after WWII ended Johnnie was in a fancy restaurant in New York City with Joe Louis, long time heavyweight champ. I don’t know if this was in the late 1940s or early 1950s. According to Johnnie, both he and Louis were broke. They were sitting there trying to figure out how to pay for dinner when in walked Lena Horn with a friend. Louis stood up to invite Horn and her friend to his and Johnnie’s table, and as he was doing so he told Johnnie to order anything he wanted.

They all had a fancy dinner with fancy drinks. After dinner Louis asked the waiter for the check, which he got, he then proceeded to check it out real good, making sure they were not over-charge, after making sure they were not, he handed the check to Lena Horn telling her “take care of this and don’t forget to add the tip to it”

[kikibalt]

Oscar "Shotgun" Albarado

[BoxBuzz]

Wow, blast from the past! I saw him before he "ascended" to the championship in L.A. Olympic Auditorium? Both times I think....winning fights both....first opponent was "El Cid?" can't quite remember...and a fella with a last name Monzon or Manzan.....damn...I'll have to look it up lol.

BUT!!!! He followed up those wins by traveling to Tokyo where he flat out KO'd Wachimi.....(I'm probably not telling you anything you don't know quite well, but it's a rush of memories lol.

Hey....this ALWAYS bothered me.....seems he KO'd Wachimi....then lost a close one....was it controversial? I never saw a video of the second fight. The thing that bothered me...was I don't think there was ever a rubber match. Why the hell not?

[kikibalt]

Wow, blast from the past! I saw him before he "ascended" to the championship in L.A. Olympic Auditorium? Both times I think....winning fights both....first opponent was "El Cid?" can't quite remember...and a fella with a last name Monzon or Manzan.....damn...I'll have to look it up lol.

BUT!!!! He followed up those wins by traveling to Tokyo where he flat out KO'd Wachimi.....(I'm probably not telling you anything you don't know quite well, but it's a rush of memories lol.

Hey....this ALWAYS bothered me.....seems he KO'd Wachimi....then lost a close one....was it controversial? I never saw a video of the second fight. The thing that bothered me...was I don't think there was ever a rubber match. Why the hell not?

Dino Del Cid stopped Oscar in the first round in their first fight....Don't know why there was no rubber match with Wajima

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

[kikibalt]

Lauro Salas
The Lion of Monterrey

Danny Garcia reminds me of Lauro Salas. Like Salas, the 1950s “Lion of Monterrey”, Garcia has minimal boxing skills, and like Salas he was still able to become a world champion nonetheless. Last night as I was watching Garcia dismember Khan, I was thinking ‘I seen Garcia fight in another life’. Than it came to me, “Lauro Salas”

Lauro Salas fought all the top featherweights of the early 1950s, winning some, losing some. He then got in a bar fight with Art Aragon when the Golden Boy called him a “fornicating Mexican”. There’re many different versions of that bar fight, as to who won and who lost, but that’s a story for another day.

After the bar fight, which was played-up in the local press to epic portion, Aragon and Salas were sign by the Olympic Auditorium to a ten round fight. Salas lost a close decision. But Salas gave such a good account of himself that when the Olympic was looking for an opponent for lightweight champ Jimmy Carter they gave Salas the opportunity. Again Salas outdid himself; he gave Carter all he could handle in losing a close fifteen round decision. A rematch was in order, Carter and Salas fought the rematch and this time Salas was given the close decision. Salas was to lose the title back to Carter six months later

[Cholo]

Lauro Salas
The Lion of Monterrey

Danny Garcia reminds me of Lauro Salas. Like Salas, the 1950s “Lion of Monterrey”, Garcia has minimal boxing skills, and like Salas he was still able to become a world champion nonetheless. Last night as I was watching Garcia dismember Khan, I was thinking ‘I seen Garcia fight in another life’. Than it came to me, “Lauro Salas”

Lauro Salas fought all the top featherweights of the early 1950s, winning some, losing some. He then got in a bar fight with Art Aragon when the Golden Boy called him a “effing Mexican”. There’re many different versions of that bar fight, as to who won and who lost, but that’s a story for another day.

After the bar fight, which was played-up in the local press to epic portion, Aragon and Salas were sign by the Olympic Auditorium to a ten round fight. Salas lost a close decision. But Salas gave such a good account of himself that when the Olympic was looking for an opponent for lightweight champ Jimmy Carter they gave Salas the opportunity. Again Salas outdid himself; he gave Carter all he could handle in losing a close fifteen round decision. A rematch was in order, Carter and Salas fought the rematch and this time Salas was given the close decision. Salas was to lose the title back to Carter six months later

Frank, excellent piece on Salas...

[kikibalt]

Lauro Salas
The Lion of Monterrey

Danny Garcia reminds me of Lauro Salas. Like Salas, the 1950s “Lion of Monterrey”, Garcia has minimal boxing skills, and like Salas he was still able to become a world champion nonetheless. Last night as I was watching Garcia dismember Khan, I was thinking ‘I seen Garcia fight in another life’. Than it came to me, “Lauro Salas”

Lauro Salas fought all the top featherweights of the early 1950s, winning some, losing some. He then got in a bar fight with Art Aragon when the Golden Boy called him a “effing Mexican”. There’re many different versions of that bar fight, as to who won and who lost, but that’s a story for another day.

After the bar fight, which was played-up in the local press to epic portion, Aragon and Salas were sign by the Olympic Auditorium to a ten round fight. Salas lost a close decision. But Salas gave such a good account of himself that when the Olympic was looking for an opponent for lightweight champ Jimmy Carter they gave Salas the opportunity. Again Salas outdid himself; he gave Carter all he could handle in losing a close fifteen round decision. A rematch was in order, Carter and Salas fought the rematch and this time Salas was given the close decision. Salas was to lose the title back to Carter six months later

Frank, excellent piece on Salas...

Thanks Paul...

[raylawpc]

Wow, blast from the past! I saw him before he "ascended" to the championship in L.A. Olympic Auditorium? Both times I think....winning fights both....first opponent was "El Cid?" can't quite remember...and a fella with a last name Monzon or Manzan.....damn...I'll have to look it up lol.

BUT!!!! He followed up those wins by traveling to Tokyo where he flat out KO'd Wachimi.....(I'm probably not telling you anything you don't know quite well, but it's a rush of memories lol.

Hey....this ALWAYS bothered me.....seems he KO'd Wachimi....then lost a close one....was it controversial? I never saw a video of the second fight. The thing that bothered me...was I don't think there was ever a rubber match. Why the hell not?

It takes two to tango . . . Albarado retired after the loss. I don't remember why. He launched a comeback five years later.

[kikibalt]

A young Mike Quarry

[kikibalt]

Mike Nixon & Mel Epstein

[BoxBuzz]

Wow, blast from the past! I saw him before he "ascended" to the championship in L.A. Olympic Auditorium? Both times I think....winning fights both....first opponent was "El Cid?" can't quite remember...and a fella with a last name Monzon or Manzan.....damn...I'll have to look it up lol.

BUT!!!! He followed up those wins by traveling to Tokyo where he flat out KO'd Wachimi.....(I'm probably not telling you anything you don't know quite well, but it's a rush of memories lol.

Hey....this ALWAYS bothered me.....seems he KO'd Wachimi....then lost a close one....was it controversial? I never saw a video of the second fight. The thing that bothered me...was I don't think there was ever a rubber match. Why the hell not?

Dino Del Cid stopped Oscar in the first round in their first fight....Don't know why there was no rubber match with Wajima

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

....Actually I think I went to that fight with a club owner friend from El Monte, who told me to expect Dino to repeat the performance. As I recall he was a little disappointed...me having some Texas roots (via my dad) was fine with the outcome lol. Man I wish I still had my memory... It's slippin for sure.

[kikibalt]

Wow, blast from the past! I saw him before he "ascended" to the championship in L.A. Olympic Auditorium? Both times I think....winning fights both....first opponent was "El Cid?" can't quite remember...and a fella with a last name Monzon or Manzan.....damn...I'll have to look it up lol.

BUT!!!! He followed up those wins by traveling to Tokyo where he flat out KO'd Wachimi.....(I'm probably not telling you anything you don't know quite well, but it's a rush of memories lol.

Hey....this ALWAYS bothered me.....seems he KO'd Wachimi....then lost a close one....was it controversial? I never saw a video of the second fight. The thing that bothered me...was I don't think there was ever a rubber match. Why the hell not?

Dino Del Cid stopped Oscar in the first round in their first fight....Don't know why there was no rubber match with Wajima

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

....Actually I think I went to that fight with a club owner friend from El Monte, who told me to expect Dino to repeat the performance. As I recall he was a little disappointed...me having some Texas roots (via my dad) was fine with the outcome lol. Man I wish I still had my memory... It's slippin for sure.

You lose your memory when you lose your youth....

[kikibalt]

Chente (far right) doing time in San Quentin, 1940's. He manages the boxer standing next to him, in a prison sponsored boxing match.

[kikibalt]

Ken Norton v Muhammad Ali

[kikibalt]

Tony Baltazar v Roger Mayeather

[kikibalt]

[BoxBuzz]

That Ali Norton pic, captures their whole theme I think. It clearly looks like both are frustrated and neither man is enjoying his day at work. lol.

[BoxBuzz]

Wow, blast from the past! I saw him before he "ascended" to the championship in L.A. Olympic Auditorium? Both times I think....winning fights both....first opponent was "El Cid?" can't quite remember...and a fella with a last name Monzon or Manzan.....damn...I'll have to look it up lol.

BUT!!!! He followed up those wins by traveling to Tokyo where he flat out KO'd Wachimi.....(I'm probably not telling you anything you don't know quite well, but it's a rush of memories lol.

Hey....this ALWAYS bothered me.....seems he KO'd Wachimi....then lost a close one....was it controversial? I never saw a video of the second fight. The thing that bothered me...was I don't think there was ever a rubber match. Why the hell not?

It takes two to tango . . . Albarado retired after the loss. I don't remember why. He launched a comeback five years later.

Speaking of blast from the past.....I suspect you and I may have both had our respective butts in the seats of a certain famous venue in late June of 1975. I was performing a three week gig at the Ritz Carlton in Manhattan......and had MONDAY night off....and the planets must have been aligned because I managed a ticket (from a lawyer friend of mine) to see a legendary fighter, who had never fought before, (nor would he ever again) in front of an American audience. As I look back, all I can figure is that I should have played the lottery...(not sure any existed though) because the odds of landing that ticket were astronomical....can't remember for sure, but I'm guessing it had to be sold out....and I didn't pay a penny for it.

I believe you have referred to that fight here on the forum.

Any guesses as to the fight I am speaking of? Were you there?

[BoxBuzz]

Wow, blast from the past! I saw him before he "ascended" to the championship in L.A. Olympic Auditorium? Both times I think....winning fights both....first opponent was "El Cid?" can't quite remember...and a fella with a last name Monzon or Manzan.....damn...I'll have to look it up lol.

BUT!!!! He followed up those wins by traveling to Tokyo where he flat out KO'd Wachimi.....(I'm probably not telling you anything you don't know quite well, but it's a rush of memories lol.

Hey....this ALWAYS bothered me.....seems he KO'd Wachimi....then lost a close one....was it controversial? I never saw a video of the second fight. The thing that bothered me...was I don't think there was ever a rubber match. Why the hell not?

It takes two to tango . . . Albarado retired after the loss. I don't remember why. He launched a comeback five years later.

Speaking of blast from the past.....I suspect you and I may have both had our respective butts in the seats of a certain famous venue in late June of 1975. I was performing a two week gig at the Ritz Carlton in Manhattan......and had MONDAY night off....and the planets must have been aligned because I managed a ticket (from a lawyer friend of mine) to see a legendary fighter, who had never fought before, (nor would he ever again) in front of an american audience. As I look back, all I can figure is that I should have played the lottery...(not sure any existed though) because the odds of landing that ticket were astronomical....can't remember for sure, but I'm guessing it had to be sold out....and I didn't pay a penny for it.

I believe you have referred to that fight here on the forum.

[kikibalt]

Mando Muniz v Carlos Palomino

Jan. 22, 1977-Olympic Auditorium