Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

A Different Breed Of Cat

You can't turn on a basenall game or a basketball game nowadays without them telling you about who's the latest player to go on the IR(Injured Reserve).But it's not like these guys have a broken leg.The wave of infirmities are all these what they call "soft tissue" injuries:strains,sprains,and automobiles. The pitcher started experiencing a "tightness" in his shoulder. The point guard has an upper "contusion" in his calf area. It's day by day whether these guys will dress.This seems to be the year that the therapists are either earning their money or they've missed something.

It's interesting that most of these casualties are of the upper pay scale ilk..In basketbal we have no shows like Hardin,Irving,Leonard,Durant,Davis,and LeBron. Turn on ESPN and the highlight is seeing one of these guys rolling around in agony on the hardwood.

With baseball it's a sinilar type of maladyThe pitchers seem to be the most afflicted. They don't want these guys going more than 5 or 6 innings because they're afraid of them getting hurt,but the throwers oblige anyway and suddenly leave the mound and they're in the training room getting an MRI.Something's gong on. I say they're shamming.

But now LeBron knows why there's been so much time away from the court. He said he predicted this(I never heard him say anything before)Lebron said he told the league that the players play too much.They need rest.Then I say pay them less money.

They're overpaid babies who know that no one in the organization will call their bluff.They make too much money for a minimum wage manager to tell them to tell them it's part of the game to play all season with some sort of pull,stretch,or bruise.

Brings me to boxing. There isn't a sport around where the athlete doesn't experience more pain than the the sport they sometimes misname the Sweet Science.You gonna' tell me that some pug who's had a hundred fights under his belt doesn't feel something when he wakes up in the morning? If he decides to put himself on boxing's Injured Reserve that means he doesn't get paid.In order to conyinue his career he has to live with pain. The other prima donnas stay at home or get some kid of therapy everyday and then go to the bank to cash their checks.

Fighters are a different breed of cat.All they want to do is fight.They want to be the champ.They want to make money. But they know to stay on that path is to stay off the IR.

Could you imagine Carmine Basilio going on the IR?

[goose 5]

Roger: was Joe Dimaggio revered by the Chicago Outfit guys ?

[dagosd2000]

Roger: was Joe Dimaggio revered by the Chicago Outfit guys ?

Goose
I wouldn't call it "revered",but he was a kind of a hero. Remember, DiMaggio was a Yankee and the Yankees weren't liked in Chicago..

.

[scartissue]

A Different Breed Of Cat

You can't turn on a basenall game or a basketball game nowadays without them telling you about who's the latest player to go on the IR(Injured Reserve).But it's not like these guys have a broken leg.The wave of infirmities are all these what they call "soft tissue" injuries:strains,sprains,and automobiles. The pitcher started experiencing a "tightness" in his shoulder. The point guard has an upper "contusion" in his calf area. It's day by day whether these guys will dress.This seems to be the year that the therapists are either earning their money or they've missed something.

It's interesting that most of these casualties are of the upper pay scale ilk..In basketbal we have no shows like Hardin,Irving,Leonard,Durant,Davis,and LeBron. Turn on ESPN and the highlight is seeing one of these guys rolling around in agony on the hardwood.

With baseball it's a sinilar type of maladyThe pitchers seem to be the most afflicted. They don't want these guys going more than 5 or 6 innings because they're afraid of them getting hurt,but the throwers oblige anyway and suddenly leave the mound and they're in the training room getting an MRI.Something's gong on. I say they're shamming.

But now LeBron knows why there's been so much time away from the court. He said he predicted this(I never heard him say anything before)Lebron said he told the league that the players play too much.They need rest.Then I say pay them less money.

They're overpaid babies who know that no one in the organization will call their bluff.They make too much money for a minimum wage manager to tell them to tell them it's part of the game to play all season with some sort of pull,stretch,or bruise.

Brings me to boxing. There isn't a sport around where the athlete doesn't experience more pain than the the sport they sometimes misname the Sweet Science.You gonna' tell me that some pug who's had a hundred fights under his belt doesn't feel something when he wakes up in the morning? If he decides to put himself on boxing's Injured Reserve that means he doesn't get paid.In order to conyinue his career he has to live with pain. The other prima donnas stay at home or get some kid of therapy everyday and then go to the bank to cash their checks.

Fighters are a different breed of cat.All they want to do is fight.They want to be the champ.They want to make money. But they know to stay on that path is to stay off the IR.

Could you imagine Carmine Basilio going on the IR?

Rog, I found your musings on the Injured Reserve quite poignant and your example of Carmen on the subject to be apt. Even boxing today is so different to the days when boxing was so necessary for the family and how one had to stay fit to make ends meet. I was looking at one fighter recently whom I remembered and just really perusing his record and found him to be appropriate enough to add as an example. His name was George (Panther) Purchase who fought out of the UK, although originally fought out of South Africa. Check out his link:

https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/36394?offset=0

An unimposing record by todays standards, but back in the '30s he was undoubtedly known as a solid pro. To examine his bio pic, one could see the heavy scar tissue around the eyes and the prominent cauliflower ear. Trophies that tell you that this man fought often. Indeed, if you examine his record, one could see that he went the 15 round route 23 times and even further, let's look at his 1937. Between the beginning of the year and April, he fought 8 times. His 5th bout in particular shows he was stopped on "a severe eye cut" by former world champ Jack (Kid) Berg. Anyone stopped today on a severe eye cut is going to be laid up for a few months, but Panther was back in the ring 11 days later, and of course, got stopped. After another bout that shows the power in the arena went dead, he was fighting that 8th bout in April and getting stopped on an eye cut. If I was one to bet on this I would say it was the same cut reopening every time. To these guys, letting the body heal was tantamount to letting the kids starve. They were putting food on the table and time away from the ring was time and money lost. What a different game it is today.

[Chuck1052]

A Different Breed Of Cat

You can't turn on a basenall game or a basketball game nowadays without them telling you about who's the latest player to go on the IR(Injured Reserve).But it's not like these guys have a broken leg.The wave of infirmities are all these what they call "soft tissue" injuries:strains,sprains,and automobiles. The pitcher started experiencing a "tightness" in his shoulder. The point guard has an upper "contusion" in his calf area. It's day by day whether these guys will dress.This seems to be the year that the therapists are either earning their money or they've missed something.

It's interesting that most of these casualties are of the upper pay scale ilk..In basketbal we have no shows like Hardin,Irving,Leonard,Durant,Davis,and LeBron. Turn on ESPN and the highlight is seeing one of these guys rolling around in agony on the hardwood.

With baseball it's a sinilar type of maladyThe pitchers seem to be the most afflicted. They don't want these guys going more than 5 or 6 innings because they're afraid of them getting hurt,but the throwers oblige anyway and suddenly leave the mound and they're in the training room getting an MRI.Something's gong on. I say they're shamming.

But now LeBron knows why there's been so much time away from the court. He said he predicted this(I never heard him say anything before)Lebron said he told the league that the players play too much.They need rest.Then I say pay them less money.

They're overpaid babies who know that no one in the organization will call their bluff.They make too much money for a minimum wage manager to tell them to tell them it's part of the game to play all season with some sort of pull,stretch,or bruise.

Brings me to boxing. There isn't a sport around where the athlete doesn't experience more pain than the the sport they sometimes misname the Sweet Science.You gonna' tell me that some pug who's had a hundred fights under his belt doesn't feel something when he wakes up in the morning? If he decides to put himself on boxing's Injured Reserve that means he doesn't get paid.In order to conyinue his career he has to live with pain. The other prima donnas stay at home or get some kid of therapy everyday and then go to the bank to cash their checks.

Fighters are a different breed of cat.All they want to do is fight.They want to be the champ.They want to make money. But they know to stay on that path is to stay off the IR.

Could you imagine Carmine Basilio going on the IR?

Rog, I found your musings on the Injured Reserve quite poignant and your example of Carmen on the subject to be apt. Even boxing today is so different to the days when boxing was so necessary for the family and how one had to stay fit to make ends meet. I was looking at one fighter recently whom I remembered and just really perusing his record and found him to be appropriate enough to add as an example. His name was George (Panther) Purchase who fought out of the UK, although originally fought out of South Africa. Check out his link:

https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/36394?offset=0

An unimposing record by todays standards, but back in the '30s he was undoubtedly known as a solid pro. To examine his bio pic, one could see the heavy scar tissue around the eyes and the prominent cauliflower ear. Trophies that tell you that this man fought often. Indeed, if you examine his record, one could see that he went the 15 round route 23 times and even further, let's look at his 1937. Between the beginning of the year and April, he fought 8 times. His 5th bout in particular shows he was stopped on "a severe eye cut" by former world champ Jack (Kid) Berg. Anyone stopped today on a severe eye cut is going to be laid up for a few months, but Panther was back in the ring 11 days later, and of course, got stopped. After another bout that shows the power in the arena went dead, he was fighting that 8th bout in April and getting stopped on an eye cut. If I was one to bet on this I would say it was the same cut reopening every time. To these guys, letting the body heal was tantamount to letting the kids starve. They were putting food on the table and time away from the ring was time and money lost. What a different game it is today.

George Purchase WAS a solid pro with quite a few bouts and faced some capable fighters, notably Jackie Berg, Bep Van Klavern and Ernie Roderick. There are a number of other British fighters with very interesting records. Take a look at the records of Len Wickwar and George "Tishy" Marsden. Wickwar had a total of 473 known bouts, more than any other professional fighter. Marsden, a stablemate of Wickwar, had "only" 341 known bouts. Both may have had even more bouts if not for World War II curtailing boxing activity in the United Kingdom. The manager of Wickwar and Marsden was George Biddles, who later managed the British heavyweight, Richard Dunn.

- Chuck Johnston

[dagosd2000]

It's Better Than Punching A Clock

Ronnie Wilson had close to 120 fights. Most of them took place in the Southland,Arizona, and Nevada. .When he'd get stopped (most of the times via a cut)the Cal State Commission would prevent him to fight in California for a month. So that's when he'd high tail it to one of the border states.The Silver Slipper Hotel was a welcome refuge for the California fighter that had to take a medical hiatus because he couldn't finish a fight..Back then you could make a cool 15 hundred and then go home and wait for the commission to reinstate your license.Wilson never let the grass grow under his feat.But neither did his manager Sid Flaherty. Both fellas wanted to make a fast buck and as long as Ronnie could curb the blood flow from his tissue paper skin around his eyes, you could read the local sports page and see his name appear on some card.

Wilson was what they call in the business a "promoters' fighter."That meant if a matchmaker found himself holding his dick in his hand before a fight because one of the fighters bailed, he'd grab the phone and give Sid a call. That happened when Ronnie flew across the pond to take on the Brit Chris Finnegan the EBU champ in 1972. Ronnie was beginning to go south by that time but he thought he still had enough left i his tank to beat Finnegan. Well, at at the end of Finnegan's rainbow the judges thought that the local had done enough to get the nod. Everybody left the arena in a jolly old mood except Sid and Ronnie.

There was a similar play in the Land Down Under when the duo took on the popular Aussie Tony Mundine. This time however Ronnie couldn't last till the end..

Ronnie Wilson was one of the most mishandled fighters in the business. Flaherty would have him fight some run of the mill fighter and Ronnie would win going away.(Wilson was a very good boxer.His two flaws were those tissue eyes and he lacked a pop in his punch).Then three weeks later Flaherty would have him fighting the same pug again ,and again Ronnie would walk all over him.He'd be spinning his wheels.

The big rivalry was him and Mike Quarry. Mike as a big fish in a small pond of light heavies in the state. But in three tries Ronnie couldn't beat him.Mike eventually got the title shot against one one the biggest fish to swim in the ocean,Bob Foster. Mike was in way over his head.I often think it would have been Ronnie lying unconscious on the mat instead of Quarry if he'd gotten the opportunity to fight Bob.

Mjke and his new pal Denny Moyer(Flaherty had sent for Moyer to keep an eye on him ) used to be part time tire busters at the Good Year store near the The Coliseum..One day I was to meet the two to go out and have a drink or two. When I got there after closing those two guys couldn't even stand up..They had gotten a head start on me.

Ronnie once told me ,when it was time to stick the fork in him, that he stayed with boxing because he couldn't stand the routine of punching a timeclock.A 9 to 5 job wasn't in his genetic scheme. I've been through some of his personal life and it runs parallel with his fighting career. If there's anyway possible to get him into one of the California boxing Halls it would be worth it to him.

One time many years ago his son PM'd me and said he didn't like the way I was writing about his father.In a sense he was right.I apologized and I told him I'd stay stay away.But I keep on doing it.I just try not to be so smug.He left his mark in this town.But as time goes by it's getting harder to see.

[dagosd2000]

https://beyondhello.org/2016/10/13/sayi ... -a-legend/

This was originally written in 2014 and Dan Hanley passed it on to me. The above has been embellished when Ronnie Wilson passed away in 2016. I read it and still can't come up with the right words.




Ronnie Wilson when things were a lot better

[goose 5]

Roger: did Wilson own a bar near San Diego ?

[dagosd2000]

Roger: did Wilson own a bar near San Diego ?

Not that I know of.

[scartissue]

A Different Breed Of Cat

You can't turn on a basenall game or a basketball game nowadays without them telling you about who's the latest player to go on the IR(Injured Reserve).But it's not like these guys have a broken leg.The wave of infirmities are all these what they call "soft tissue" injuries:strains,sprains,and automobiles. The pitcher started experiencing a "tightness" in his shoulder. The point guard has an upper "contusion" in his calf area. It's day by day whether these guys will dress.This seems to be the year that the therapists are either earning their money or they've missed something.

It's interesting that most of these casualties are of the upper pay scale ilk..In basketbal we have no shows like Hardin,Irving,Leonard,Durant,Davis,and LeBron. Turn on ESPN and the highlight is seeing one of these guys rolling around in agony on the hardwood.

With baseball it's a sinilar type of maladyThe pitchers seem to be the most afflicted. They don't want these guys going more than 5 or 6 innings because they're afraid of them getting hurt,but the throwers oblige anyway and suddenly leave the mound and they're in the training room getting an MRI.Something's gong on. I say they're shamming.

But now LeBron knows why there's been so much time away from the court. He said he predicted this(I never heard him say anything before)Lebron said he told the league that the players play too much.They need rest.Then I say pay them less money.

They're overpaid babies who know that no one in the organization will call their bluff.They make too much money for a minimum wage manager to tell them to tell them it's part of the game to play all season with some sort of pull,stretch,or bruise.

Brings me to boxing. There isn't a sport around where the athlete doesn't experience more pain than the the sport they sometimes misname the Sweet Science.You gonna' tell me that some pug who's had a hundred fights under his belt doesn't feel something when he wakes up in the morning? If he decides to put himself on boxing's Injured Reserve that means he doesn't get paid.In order to conyinue his career he has to live with pain. The other prima donnas stay at home or get some kid of therapy everyday and then go to the bank to cash their checks.

Fighters are a different breed of cat.All they want to do is fight.They want to be the champ.They want to make money. But they know to stay on that path is to stay off the IR.

Could you imagine Carmine Basilio going on the IR?

Rog, I found your musings on the Injured Reserve quite poignant and your example of Carmen on the subject to be apt. Even boxing today is so different to the days when boxing was so necessary for the family and how one had to stay fit to make ends meet. I was looking at one fighter recently whom I remembered and just really perusing his record and found him to be appropriate enough to add as an example. His name was George (Panther) Purchase who fought out of the UK, although originally fought out of South Africa. Check out his link:

https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/36394?offset=0

An unimposing record by todays standards, but back in the '30s he was undoubtedly known as a solid pro. To examine his bio pic, one could see the heavy scar tissue around the eyes and the prominent cauliflower ear. Trophies that tell you that this man fought often. Indeed, if you examine his record, one could see that he went the 15 round route 23 times and even further, let's look at his 1937. Between the beginning of the year and April, he fought 8 times. His 5th bout in particular shows he was stopped on "a severe eye cut" by former world champ Jack (Kid) Berg. Anyone stopped today on a severe eye cut is going to be laid up for a few months, but Panther was back in the ring 11 days later, and of course, got stopped. After another bout that shows the power in the arena went dead, he was fighting that 8th bout in April and getting stopped on an eye cut. If I was one to bet on this I would say it was the same cut reopening every time. To these guys, letting the body heal was tantamount to letting the kids starve. They were putting food on the table and time away from the ring was time and money lost. What a different game it is today.

George Purchase WAS a solid pro with quite a few bouts and faced some capable fighters, notably Jackie Berg, Bep Van Klavern and Ernie Roderick. There are a number of other British fighters with very interesting records. Take a look at the records of Len Wickwar and George "Tishy" Marsden. Wickwar had a total of 473 known bouts, more than any other professional fighter. Marsden, a stablemate of Wickwar, had "only" 341 known bouts. Both may have had even more bouts if not for World War II curtailing boxing activity in the United Kingdom. The manager of Wickwar and Marsden was George Biddles, who later managed the British heavyweight, Richard Dunn.

- Chuck Johnston

Chuck, another great old Brit to check out was Billy Bird. I once read that amongst his massive stats that he fought 3 times in one day. Miles Templeton checked into that for me but couldn't find it. And I no longer have the magazine it appeared in, so can only reference it from memory. Suffice to say, how long would it take today's featherweight Gary Russell to fight 3 times? The answer is, 3 years. Again, how times have changed.

[dagosd2000]

Keeeed

Looking back on it now,when television took off like a rocket in the early 50's and landed in families' living rooms there emerged a new wave of household names:Uncle Miltie,Ed Sullivan.Lucy,and Kid Gavilan.At the start of the decade boxing was the big sport to watch on the tube. Baseball was mostly aired in New York.Football came later.Basketball didn't even have two leagues yet.

Boxing was an after dinner mint three nights a week.,Mondays,Wednesdays,and Fridays."What'll You Have?Pabst Blue Ribbon" could have made the top 40 charts.The Gillette Blue Blade Song was played by the band at every high school dance when a fight broke out.Again,looking behind me I have to say that the most high profile fighter was Kid Gavilan,the welterweight champ and perennial top contender.He was on a card somewhere just about every week. During a month's time you could bet he'd be fighting at least every other week. He had that flashy name.Kid(His fellow Latinos pronounced it their way, "Keeed").He had that "bolo" punch that was flashy.His style was typically Caribbean,"Flashy".They could have called him "Flash" but Elorde already had dibs on it.

Gavilan fought everybody in boxing that had a pulse. He was influenced by the Carbos and the Palermos under the auspices of The International Boxing Club whose membership would later hold numbers stretched across their chests.But to say he got diced up in the meat grinder wasn't quite on the mark. Fighting 150 times was what he wanted to do to earn a buck and it took its toll.But by the late 50's he was washed up. Here was a guy who was never knocked out and became one of boxing's trivia questions by posing "Who was the only fighter to put him on the seat of his pants?"(Who was it?)

He knew that Castro wasn't for him so he remained in The States bouncing around from job to job. He died in Miami amongst his ex patriots who still consider him the best fighter to ever come off that island.

I remember when Gavilan was the 147 pound champ and they matched him up with the Michigan State college grad and former NCAA boxing champ the super clean Chuck Davey .Davey was undefeated and made Rocky Graziano look bad in his last fight.The bout was in The Chicsgo Stadium and the talk was that Chuck was gonna' chuck the Kid to the dogs. Talk about Davey getting schooled by an old pro. Davey was way in over his head and couldn't finish the fight let alone stand up. When they asked Gavilan what he thought of the college boy he answered."I have too much experience for heeem."Si.Si. Senor.


Kid Gavilan

[Chuck1052]

Keeeed

Looking back on it now,when television took off like a rocket in the early 50's and landed in families' living rooms there emerged a new wave of household names:Uncle Miltie,Ed Sullivan.Lucy,and Kid Gavilan.At the start of the decade boxing was the big sport to watch on the tube. Baseball was mostly aired in New York.Football came later.Basketball didn't even have two leagues yet.

Boxing was an after dinner mint three nights a week.,Mondays,Wednesdays,and Fridays."What'll You Have?Pabst Blue Ribbon" could have made the top 40 charts.The Gillette Blue Blade Song was played by the band at every high school dance when a fight broke out.Again,looking behind me I have to say that the most high profile fighter was Kid Gavilan,the welterweight champ and perennial top contender.He was on a card somewhere just about every week. During a month's time you could bet he'd be fighting at least every other week. He had that flashy name.Kid(His fellow Latinos pronounced it their way, "Keeed").He had that "bolo" punch that was flashy.His style was typically Caribbean,"Flashy".They could have called him "Flash" but Elorde already had dibs on it.

Gavilan fought everybody in boxing that had a pulse. He was influenced by the Carbos and the Palermos under the auspices of The International Boxing Club whose membership would later hold numbers stretched across their chests.But to say he got diced up in the meat grinder wasn't quite on the mark. Fighting 150 times was what he wanted to do to earn a buck and it took its toll.But by the late 50's he was washed up. Here was a guy who was never knocked out and became one of boxing's trivia questions by posing "Who was the only fighter to put him on the seat of his pants?"(Who was it?)

He knew that Castro wasn't for him so he remained in The States bouncing around from job to job. He died in Miami amongst his ex patriots who still consider him the best fighter to ever come off that island.

I remember when Gavilan was the 147 pound champ and they matched him up with the Michigan State college grad and former NCAA boxing champ the super clean Chuck Davey .Davey was undefeated and made Rocky Graziano look bad in his last fight.The bout was in The Chicsgo Stadium and the talk was that Chuck was gonna' chuck the Kid to the dogs. Talk about Davey getting schooled by an old pro. Davey was way in over his head and couldn't finish the fight let alone stand up. When they asked Gavilan what he thought of the college boy he answered."I have too much experience for heeem."Si.Si. Senor.


Kid Gavilan

I have seen a tape of Kid Gavilan fighting Gil Turner. Keed had boxing savvy and skills in abundance.

- Chuck Johnston

[dagosd2000]

You're Not The Hero Until You Make The Winning Shot

I'm watching this basketball game between the Nets and the Bucks last night.The serious is tied 3/3.The winner advances.The loser gets to watch the team they lost to in the next round.The Nets went out and got these three big name stars for this year. ,Irving,Harden,and Durant; thinking if these guys play up to their ;potential they're a lock to at least get to the finals.

Well,as I mentioned earlier these three guys were always hurt for most of the season and only played a handful of games together.It's the same ol' epidemic you've been seeing lately-contusion this,sprain that,a pulled whatever. All these "soft" tissue injuries that don't show up on the x-ray machine.These three guys make more money than Rockefeller so what can they do?Send them to the minors?(There is no minors).Cut them from the team? Give them a good tongue lashing?I could just see that.A coach that makes a tenth of what these guys make bawling out these multi millionaires in front of the rest of the fellas'. Next year they can look and see if another team wants to take a chance with these guys,but what was on the line last night was who was going to advance and who was going to watch the next game at home.

Well,with everything on the line,Irving sat out on the sidelines because of some boo boo wearing his Black Lives Matter shirt.Harden just came back after missing most of the serious.He was so out of synch that he looked like he was on another planet. That left Durant to try to make up for the absences.Well, let me tell ya',this Durant was making everything he threw up at the basket. He was a one man wrecking crew.

With the Nets behind in the 4th quarter by two points with just seconds left on the clock they gave the ball to Old Faithful and he sinks a shot to tie the game.Overtime.

Ok.This is where I've got a question. The game is tied up with a minute thirty on the clock.Of course everyone in the arena knows who the Nets want to continue to carry the load.This is Durant's resume for the last minute thirty. He missed two very makeable shots and turned the ball over.IF HE MAKES THOSE TWO SHOTS AND DOESN'T TURN THE BALL OVER THE NETS WIN THE GAME.Instead they get to watch the Bucks play somebody I think next Tuesday-If they really want to )

But you read the papers today and they write it up that Durant was the star of the game instead of the goat(And I don't mean the GOAT).I looked at his face when it was finally over I you don't have to have ESP to know what he was thinking.He blew it.

Now I know this is a world where you have to be euphemistic so you have to be nice when describing how Durant flopped at the end.

"Kevin Durant played the game of his life last night.No one could stop him.He was the whole team."

Well,he stopped himself and that cost them the game.You can say that they needed Irving out on the court and that Harden needed about ten cups of coffee to clear the cobwebs,but that didn't happen.What happened was that Durant missed two makeable shots and turned the ball over with a minute and a half left in the game.Now this logically brings me to boxing

Remember when Jake LaMotta was getting cuffed around by Laurent Dauthuille in that title fight.?Going into the last round all Larry had to do was stay on his feet. But Jake "played possum' with thirty seconds left to go and in thirty seconds was still the champ.Do they say that Frenchy was the the star or deserved to win?No. LaMotta fought his best in the last thirty seconds and KO'd the guy who wanted to get even for Cerdan.But on the other hand Larry sucked at the end.

I bet Larry would have swapped Jake the previous 14 rounds including the last two and a half minutes even though he was way ahead on the cards.And I bet Kevin Durant would have gone scoreless during the entire game plus the OT to only make those two shots and not to have turned the ball over.


Jake LaMotta

[dagosd2000]

d

[dagosd2000]

https://www.insider.com/video-kevin-dur ... ime-2021-6

Makes you want to cry.Brother They should be talking it up about Holiday ,the smaller guy,who got in Durant's face and made the greatest defensive play in the game.

[dagosd2000]

The Way In

Sometimes I'd go to the weigh ins before the fights in San Diego. You see these extravaganzas at these big fights with the press corps all there and the hard bodies donning their string bikinis and their plastic smiles. Then the promoter steps out (Don King was a trip)barking to the audience that the fight will be the greatest test since the Normandy invasion.He's usually standing the middle of the two combatants whose blood pressures and pulse rates have just been recorded making the needle jump off the seismograph.Then the two fighters, stripped down to their briefs, get on the scale and tip the bar just making weight. And of course the final thing is they have to get nose to nose and inhale each others' halitosis and stare each other down while the promoter is still in his shout.All of this is embellished by copious amounts of strobe lights and heavy metal music.This style of dog and pony show is typical for the big fights.The average everyday fight at the local shanty arena is enough to induce a short nap.

The everyday run of the mill weigh in is really nothing to write home about.All the fighters gather in a room with their managers and go through the motions. The doc takes a blood pressure and if there's a pulse the show will go on.But I often wonder how some of these fighters pass the physical. If I go to the doc and my blood pressure is a tick over the average they want to put me on all these medictnes. I know some of these guys are not right.How many are HIV positive? Have concussions hiding blood clots?A blood pressure and a pulse check doesn't reveal that much.

I think back to the good ol' days when Joe Gans was in the 40th round with Battling Nelson and The Old Master had to excuse himself and stick his head through the ropes so he could vomit blood from his lungs that were being eaten away by TB.Or Sam Langford fighting the last half of his career blind in one eye caused by the towering Fred Fulton slamming down a punch on top of Sam's head.Then there's that picture of the brave Billy Miske lying on the canvas in the fetal position ,a wreck to behold, from Jack Dempsey's mighty fists. Jack gave him a shot so Billy could pay his medical bills because he was in the throes of kidney disease. He'd get the ten count three months later.

But that was back then and this is now.But tell me,how could they have let Muhammad Ali into the ring with Larry Holmes after the lay off ,and then watching Ali pant when climbing into the ring prior to the fight to do some light sparring? He told his financial guy ,Gene Kilroy, to call off his 50 grand bet he put on The Greatest. because "Something is wrong."Money is the root of all evil.

"Something Is Wrong."That ought to be boxing's theme song.


Joe Gans

[goose 5]

Reminds me of the medical examination scene from the great Steve McQueen movie, Papillion- it's so cursory McQueen asks the doctor,"How do you fail a test like this?"

[dagosd2000]

Reminds me of the medical examination scene from the great Steve McQueen movie, Papillion- it's so cursory McQueen asks the doctor,"How do you fail a test like this?"

I played football and baseball at a small college here in San Diego called Cal Western. The school went bankrupt in 1970. The physical consisted of jumping up and down 10 times and then the doctor put the stethoscope on your heart. Of course each player had to have insurance in order to play. If you played baseball it was a dollar. If it was football it was two dollars.I played both so it cost me three bucks. I tore my knee up playing football and they operated on my knee with no cost coming out of my pocket.How times have changed.

[dagosd2000]

A Match Made In Hell

So the referee sees Joe Gans stick his head between the ropes vomiting blood in his fight with Battling Nelson and he decides to call time out and have the ring doc take a look.The doc takes a look at Gans and tells the ref that everything is OK.
"All he's got is TB and he could die any minute but you can let the fight continue."
Gans' corner isn't pleading any case to stop the fight and Gans(who originated the saying "Bringing home the bacon")wants to be sure that his clan has plenty of biscuits and gravy smothered with chittlins for tomorrow's breakfast. That makes sense. Besides if Joe would have died in the ring I don't think anyone would even have pointed a finger.

When I look at the film of Dempsey hovering over the fallen Jess and then clubbing him back to the canvas after the big plowboy is struggling to get on his feet,I say to my self.
"Boy,that's really chicken s--t."

But then Tyson tried to bite off Evander's ear.If that would have happened back in 1910 I wonder if he would have even gotten a warning. Fight fans are the most sadistic bunch of spectators to fill an arena. Put them together with the promoters and they're not that much evolved from what went on inside the Roman Coliseum.

There's a guy in Tijuana named Jorge Hank. He was once the mayor of the town. He ran for governor of the state of Baja California last month and lost.Think of everything illegal and evil and he probably has a hand in it.One of the local papers called Zeta had a reporter named "Gato" Felix who was writing articles that were accusing Hank of being the next thing to a Mexican version of Pablo Escobar. When I was coaching American football in Tijuana I was at the home of the principal having coffee.All of a sudden we heard gunshots outside..Turned out that some dudes in two pick up trucks blocked the road when "Gato" Felix was on his way to the office, You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what happened, and you don't have to be Perry Mason to know who was behind it.

And Hank became the mayor.Well,this Hank has got more money than he can count.He owns the racetrack,the soccer team,and who knows what he's into with organized crime. If you see him in the street he's always got 5 or 10 bodyguards with him with more firepower than a Navy Seal team.He's got 19 kids from 13 different women and considers females as the world's most "exotic animal." Hell,he can't be all bad.

As a sideline he has this zoo(not the "petting" kind) on his property of "exotic" animals and I'm not talking about your typical girl next door. No.He's got these bears and wolves and lions and tigers and other assorted beasts; and puts on these feral fights.For example: a bear against 4 or 5 pit bulls.Or a lion against a pack of wolves.How about a gorilla in there with a couple of hyenas?He charges money to see these absurdities and has them standing in line to get in.And this guy was the mayor.I wonder what would have happened if he had wound up in the governor's mansion?Can you imagine Canelo fighting a kangaroo?


"Canelo" Alvarez

[dagosd2000]

The Open Door

Once a month I'd take "Sarge" to the clinic to get his check up. i was coaching at the school and "Sarge" was the equipment manager.He couldn't drive any more because of his diabetes.He couldn't pass the eye exam and they'd cut off his right leg at the knee.He was in Nam and earned a slew of medals but he never told anyone about his medals and if you knew about them you heard it from somebody else. One of those medals was The Congessional Medal Of Honor. "Sarge's" real name was Jimmie Howard but he was a gunnery sergeant in the war over there and led a platoon of Marines on a scouting mission to find a Viet Cong radar station.You could say they found him first because the platoon got trapped in an ambush. A battalion of North Vietnamese soldiers ambushed the platoon and for a day and a half Jimmie and his "Indians"(that's what he called them ) held them off until they could get helicopters to get everone out of there.During the battle the platoon ran out of ammunition.When asked what to do next Jimmie yelled,"Throw rocks!"That's where Jimmie earned his medal. It was also the most decorated unit during the Vietnam War.
I felt good that I could take him to the doc's every month and made sure people knew about it..

When Jimmie left the Corps he liked to go down to the Coliseum and watch the amateurs fight.He was especially close to the young Marines who were trying their hands at boxing. He offered his services to the Marine team but he mostly was a helper like he was with the high school football team..Jimmie always told me that he wished he knew more about fighting so he could be a trainer some day.He loved working with young men.But I didn't want to tell him about the sordid side of the sport.I was smart enough to keep that from him.I couldn't disillusion him.

I parked the car in the handicapped space as Jimmie got out and hobbled over to the doc's office wearing his walking cast.As he went in I waited for him inside the waiting room. There was just me and this other guy inside.I didn't know whether he was a patient waiting to be called in or waiting for someone like me.He was an older guy like Jimmie and I could see that his clothes were disheveled and threadbare. He was in need of a shave and I could hear him talking to himself.I couldn't make out what he was saying but it was like there was another person inside him and he was carrying on a conversation.I said to myself that I was glad I wasn't him.

As time passed I was thinking about how I had seen through all the people that were trying to manipulate me for their ulterior motives.You had to be pretty sharp to see through people.I think it's instilled in you.It's a gift from God. Half the stuff people tell you is a bunch of lies or they're hiding things. No.I was too smart for them and they knew it.I had gotten to a point in life where I wasn't making mistakes anymore.I had learned the hard way and now I knew my lessons. But if I had to pull a fast one to protect myself or to get what i wanted I had that mastered.But you must understand if I had to use trickery it was justified.Yes.I was at a point in life where I had my ducks were in order.I wouldn't wind up like that other guy in the room mumbling to himself. He must have given in.Wasn't tough enough.But then I was wise enough to feel for a person like that.He tried but just couldn't take it.He didn't have the savvy.If I had to I could take him under my wing.Things were looking up.I was walking good again after my hip surgeries.I was happy. I could get back to my old self.


Just then this old lady came in from the back. She was using a walker and moving very slowly.I began feeling empathy for her.Poor thing.To wind up in the autumn years being unable to walk alone.I was glad that I wasn't that way. She got to the door and began working the handle trying to open it. Poor thing.I understood.

Suddenly the old guy in the room popped out of his chair and briskly limped to the door and then opened it holding it open for the old lady.She passed through and smiled at him.
"God bless you,"she said to the man.
He then walked back to where he was sitting and began talking to himself again.

I sat there wishing that Sarge would hurry up. There began a pain in my hip and I felt awful.


Jimmie Howard getting the Congressional Medal Of Honor from President Johnson.

[dagosd2000]

The Mental Part

I think I mentioned him before,Fran Healy.He has by far the best sports interview show on the TV today.The show is called "Focused."Healy,I remember played ball with the KC Royals.He was behind the plate.What I like about his style is that he lets his guests be the star.He doesn't step on their lines.He doesn't try to get one up on them.And there's no soapbox for any social,political,or racial agendas.That's probobly been agreed on beforehand. Healy has a voice as smooth as honey and every question comes with a pleasant smile. He gets the big name guys,past and present,and what I like is that they all feel comfortable. They easily open up with some very interesting anecdotes and insights.One thing that caught my eye is that Healy sits a little below his guest.Like he puts them up on a pedestal.The guest feels like he's getting the royal treatment from the ex Royal.

The other day I was watching the show and Healy had invited Bruce Silverglade the owner of Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn.Silverglade has been a part of the gym since the late 40's. Of course every fighter that the fan can come up with has trained one time or another at Gleason's.

But the glory days of Gleason's is behind us and I doubt if it will ever regain its status.But that doesn't mean that it's not worth its salt. But you can say the same for all those gyms that had that rep-Freddie Roach's WildCard,Detroit's Kronk,and Gleason's.It's a lot different now. Women train in these sweat boxes. and some of these gals have more star quality than the men.

Siverglade ,when asked about the ones that stood out in his mind in the old waterfront establishment, came up with the usual-Ali,ForemanLeonard,and his favorite Roberto Duran.Sure there were a lot more.137 champions of some sort have set foot in the place.

Healy asked Siverglade what does it take to be ,let's say,just a respectable fighter.Silverglade's response was interesting.
"Fighting is 50 percent mental,40 percent conditioning,and 10 percent talent.If a fighter's got that he'll succeed."

Now you've all heard that "mental" part from some boxing guru. It's usually something(and this goes for just about all sports 50/50.Half mental.Half ability)But Siverglade's view is that the mental part is the biggest percentage. Talent is the lowest.

Maybe he's right. Today, a fighter can make huge amounts of money(And that goes for any athlete) if he shows he's got it all. But then once he gets to the top the hard part is staying there,at least for a time.That's when the mental part has to be at its strongest. The tragedy is when that fighter, who's reached the pinnacle, begins to drop a notch,then another step,and finally makes you wonder how he ever reached such rarified air in the first place.

But the real joke is when they keep guaranteeing these guys the money when they ain't worth it anymore.But that's when the hype comes in.And fight promoters and the scribes can sell the public just about anything.Now it's gotten to the point that they can make millions with ex champs who haven't fought in decades and are into their 50's.They try to make it sound real and the fabs think they're going to see a 50 plus Mike Tyson look like the fighter that bounced Larry Holmes around the ring. It's a new angle and they're getting and with it.

And now all the pressure is off.Now that these fighters aren't legit anymore there's no pressure on them to perform at top level. It was that pressure when they were on top that spelled their downfall. All that money put too much mental strain on them.It's the money that today's athletes can't live up to.So you see all these "injuries".-muscle pulls,muscle sprains,muscle tightness.It's an easy way out and still get paid.The fans don't seem to mind if they don't live up to their salaries. But like I said before fighters can't call time out and go to the locker room because they have a twitch. They have to fight to make money.But I can't see these old pugs getting paid top dollar for an exhibition.

Maybe that's why Bruce Silverglade can't come up with any names when he's talking about who's going to be the next champ to come out of Gleason's Gym.


Gleason's Gym

[dagosd2000]

No Disguise Needed

When Floyd Patterson stopped Brian London in of all places the Indianapolis Fairgrounds in 1959 that's when I wanted someone,anyone,to kick Floyd's ass.The fight was on TV and it was about as one sided as a match could be. London was slow,was a bleeder,and had a somewhat solid smack but he was so out of position most of the time he couldn't land it convincingly.

Patterson on the other hand had fast hands,that peekaboo posture,and was light on his feet. But everyone was waiting for him to fight either Machen,Foley,or Liston,but instead you got Brian London the lanterned jawed fighter from Lancashire.

In the end it seemed like a waste of time.It was about as dramatic a contest as Floyd's three previous defenses-Roy "Cut And Shoot" Harris,Pete Rademacher,and Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson.

Today,you see championship fights that aren't warranted because the challenger isn't wprthy enough but they get away with it. Back then Floyd Patterson and his mentor Cus D'Amato were killing off the heavyweight division and in the process were taking the other weight categories along for the descent.

But thinking back on it you can't say that Brian London didn't give it every ounce of his mettle when he stepped into the ring.He fought mostly because he needed the money. He knew he wasn't in the category of top contender. After failing against Patterson he couldn't get by Nino Valdes,Johanssen,Quarry,Ali,Cooper,and Joe Bugner. He was fighting to pay the rent and put food on the table. But at least Brian London wasn't ducking anybody.Couldn't say that for Floyd Patterson.

Patterson was always getting asked if Cus was calling the shots to line up his title defenses.Patterson insisted that he was his own boss.He said that he told Cus that it was time he got into the ring with Sonny Lliston.But what makes me wonder is why would Patterson bring a disguise(a fake mustache and beard)to both fights he had with Sonny?.After Floyd got evaporated by The Bear he passed the heavyweight albatross to another guy who seemed to have his own moody way of casting a shadow on the division.

Brian London wore his heart on his gloves every time he fought.You can bet there were no disguises tucked away in his locker.

Floyd Patterson

[dagosd2000]

Ingo's Bingo

Talking about the Patterson era yesterday really broke the mold with my parents' generation. It was a tough act to follow after Louis and Marciano.After 18 years of having those two guys on the throne,it was quite an adjustment if you wanted to get used to Floyd Patterson.After the war the door was held wide open for black fighters to step up and make their marks. Baseball staggered and so did football and basketball with any racial integration. But as far as boxing was concerned it was every man for himself.Besides, white fighters were becoming a dwindling commodity.Today they are an archeologist's dream.

When Rocky Marciano got tired of smelling the smelly gym and becoming aware of Al Weill's hand in his pocket he retired to do who knows what.The IBC then decided that Archie Moore and Floyd Patterson would fight for the vacant title.Moore made sense,.Patterson was hard to figure.The only name fighter he had had combat with and had a name was old Joey Maxim who gave him a boxing lesson. But Cus D'Amato was behind Floyd and in with the IBC and it was like a den of thieves.the fight was held in the Outfit's clubhouse,The Chicago Stadium. The odds favored Archie but he fought like a dog, and now the world wanted to see what was next on the agenda. Well,if anyone wanted to kill off the division it was Patterson who was being told what to do and who he would fight. He'd deny anything that whiffed of hanky panky while he defended his title against fighters who couldn't hold Louis; or Marciano's jockey straps.In the meantime Sonny Liston.Zora Folley,and Eddie Machen were beginning to resemble Sam Langford,Harry Wills,and Joe Jeanette when their "brother" Jack Johnson turned his back on them,.

By the time Patterson inked the contract with some guy from Sweden called Ingermar Johnson the public was ready to throw in the towel with Patterson along with boxing. But Ingo had not only the prettiest girlfriend in the sport but a straight right that almost tore Eddie Machen's head off.That fight was in Sweden so the Yanks didn't get to see it,but it didn't make any difference.This Ingo was having his girlfriend stay with him in training camp and cooking his meals.They wanted Roy "Cut And Shoot" Harris back.

There's not much discussion about Johansson on the forum.When they ask about "Who had the best right hand?" his name isn't mentioned.He's kind of forgotten. After Floyd tasted rosin 7 times in their first fight,he came back and became the first ex heavyweight champ to be king of the mountain again. The rubber match was probably the best Floyd looked in the ring if you don't count that dubious encounter he had with Moore.

Then came Sonny and the disguises and in two fights that accumulated less than 4 minutes of action.Johansson went back to Sweden with his girlfriend and won 5 straight and then marred the gal and disappeared from the sports page. He bought a hotel in Florida and signed autographs

I think he's one of the most underrated fighters who ever laced on the gloves.And as far as right hands go he had one of the best.


Ingemar Johansson



Ingemar's cook,Brigit

[dagosd2000]

When All Is Said And Done

Thinking of all the fighters that had once thought of being a champion and making all kinds of money very few have landed on their feet.Ali,Joe Louis,Sugar Ray Robinson,Henry Armstrong,Benny Leonard (to name a few) have either wound up broke (Leonard lost his kick in the stock market crash) and/or the dementia got through the door

The Nation Of Islam made sure Ali could pay his bills but he took too many shots because he had a huge heart, thus he wouldn't cave in, and wound up a very old man too soon.

Joe Louis was broke and sick at the end.And when I say "sick" it was mostly from the fighting.

Ray Robinson was always borrowing money after he retired and then couldn't escape from the cognitive degeneration.

Henry Armstrong turned to religion to salvage what was left of his health and bank account.

Benny Leonard could still talk but buying stock on margin made him return to the ring.

One guy I figured would wind up a pugilistic train wreck was George Foreman.He borrowed the Sonny Liston approach of scaring his opponent half to death before they even entered the rig. Most of the time it worked.He was surly and morbid and had sense of humor like a Brinks Truck. I heard him say once that he wanted to kill a man in the ring.He never explained why ,and I'm sure he didn't have any logical reason except again to scare the s--t out the other guy. I thought he might kill Joe "King" Roman,and so did Joe. George Chuvalo also came close to making Forman's dream come to.

He knew sooner or later Ali would face him and George was thinking the standard 2 rounds and Muhammad would be suspended between heaven and earth..That was really dumb on Foreman's part and also with his two handlers .Dick Saddler and the Ol' Mongoose.

When Ali studied the film of Foreman with Greg Peralta it was obvious that Foreman's gas tank was connected to his heart.When they met in Zaire, Ali threw 14 "Anchor Punches" (ala what he poked at Liston but George didn't have any quit in him like Sonny).You can see Ali huffing and puffing standing up after round 1 thinking I got to get this guy flagged somehow. Well,Big Goerge chased him around the ring and swung like every punch would be the coup de gras but all he got was shortness of breath.In the 8th frame Ali saw what he had set him up for.George's muscles couldn't lift his muscles anymore. Ali started to pepper the big lug's puss. George eventually did his meltdown to the canvas while Ali surveyed the swoon.He could have done a Marciano follow up like what Rocky did after he landed his Suzy Q on Walcott but that would have been a little desperate. Ali was not in imminent danger by that time

After Ali had beaten the bully out of him George had to buy a smaller jockey strap. Instead of people cringing at the sight of him he started hearing laughter.He took on 5 fighters in one night to show the world that he was still the Man Mountain. But then the pudgy light hitting Jimmy Young copied Ali's plan of battle and by the last round George was looking to check into an Easy 8 Motel. George was so demoralized that he was thinking of committing the mortal sin of doing away with himself.

Well,George instead of jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge transformed himself into a completely healed individual. He even looked different.He erased the menacing look for one of a friendly grandpa.He won the heavyweight from from moody Michael Moorer and sold his barbeques that became a household word. He displayed his grin to grin round face with the skin on top.He laughed like a Falstaff and would be the guy that you'd trust your kids with at an overnight campout..

Foreman doesn't get on any soapboxes and doesn't shake his fist at anyone.As awkward as he used to make his opponents on the night of the fight he has an approach to people like a big Teddy Bear.

George has his money,his health,and his family. Pretty far up from a fighter who once wanted to kill a guy in the ring.


The "old" George Foreman

[dagosd2000]

Uncle George

Getting back to George Foreman. My grandson Adam was taking boxing lessons at a gym near his house. Tiger Smalls was running the boxing program end of it. Across the street is one of these Target stores. I guess you have them in your neck of the woods.If not,it's one of these big "warehouse" marts that puts the little guy out of business.You can buy everything there from cars(on line) to cartons of toilet paper.

One afternoon I was watching my grandson Adam go through his paces when some guy walks in and informs the place that George Foreman is across the street at Targets hawking his George Foreman grills. I figured I could watch Adam anytime.

Now George Foreman isn't exactly an engineer by any sorts.The guy who designed the grill is some dude from Batavia,Illinois who wanted to come up with a grill that was small and you could use in the house and not stink up the place with smoke.It also catches the grease and heats the meat on both sides without having to do any flipping.The fella' uses George's name to promote the grill.

Well, like I said before if this dude had used the "old" George Foreman to shill his cooker he would have been better off selling switchblade knives.But after boxing George turned into what I call the "religious/domestic."

I walked across the street and there George was donned in this big ol' white chef's outfit topped off by a big ol' chef's hat,and a red apron tied around his middle. He struck quite a pose. They couldn't have cloned a more apropos man for the job.

Well, you think he'd have a slew of crusty fight fans surrounding his table but instead there were all these family types that were a cross between the Joads and the Cleavers. They sure didn't look like fight fans to me. All George would talk about was how the grill could cook up any kind of animal muscle on the planet and leave a taste in your mouth that you could write poems about. He especially had all the old ladies on their tippy toes.They thought that he was the kind of man you'd want to have around the house including of course the kitchen.

On the table in front of him he had platters of steaks,chops ,ribs,chicken,burgers and sausages.The cooking emitted an aroma of carnal rapture. On the ground were stacked boxed grills piled high and they were selling like hot links at Mardi Gras time.

I've got to tell ya'.I didn't hear Foreman mention boxing once.It seemed like everyone standing round just knew Big George from his g commercials on the TV.And I sure wasn't going to let the cat out of the bag about how he once said he wanted to kill a an in the ring.