Classic American West Coast Boxing

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They Don't Want To Talk About It

When a fighter goes into the tank he doesn't want to talk about it. It's something he has to do sometimes, unless he's Muhammad Ali or Ray Robinson,but he doesn't want to talk about it.Maybe he'll tell his wife but for the most part he doesn't want to talk about it.IIt's too shameful.If you ask him what happened he'll say he'll look at the floor and have some excuse prepared-I had a cold or my my arm was injured or my wife had left with the kids. But he'll never say he took a dive.LaMotta never admitted he went under on purpose against "Black Jack" Billy Fox. Pep never said he fought phony against Lulu Perez in Boston. It's like a woman admitting she peddled her hips to make a fast buck. They don't want to talk about it.

Usually the order comes down at the last minute.The fighter's manager gets the call from the wise guy and then has to pass the bad news along to his fighter. Sometimes the fighter puts up a beef,but he knows it'll fall on deaf ears.If he wants to continue fighting he goes along to get along. But they're the only two that know except the criminals.The less that know the less lose lips to sink the ships.

I was tellin' ya about how I worked with an old boy at the Weights and Measures Department in San Diego named Earl Anderson.He was close to "Irish" Bob Murphy and at one time was his sparring partner. When Murphy was putting away everyone that got in the ring with him they matched him with Joey Maxim back east for Joey's light heavy title. The odds were something like 9 to 5 in favor of Murphy. Well,Earl went to the fight and walked inside Murphy's dressing room before the fight to wish him good luck and there's The Irishman busting up all the furniture in the place and mad as hell.Well,Murphy didn't come back to San Diego with any title belt losing the fight going the full 15.

Two other fighters from San Diego,Charley Powell and James "The Heat" Kinchen were involved in a couple of stinkers. James was at the finish line of his career when he went up to Fargo,North Dakota to fight the hot prospect Virgil Hill in Virg's backyard. I don't need to do any explaining.I'll put up the replay when I'm done. James weighed in at 174 pounds,about i5 pounds over his fighting weight. I never brought that fight up to him.What would be the point?

Another San Diegan,Charley Powell flew over to Syracuse,New York to fight the connected Mike DeJohn,his hometown.Powell was being bounced around by then and the smart boys with DeJohn thought that Mike had a chance to be a champ.I'll post that one too A picture is worth a thousand words.

If a fighter is going to flop he's going to do it early.Why let the other guy bang you around for any length when you can get the whole thing over with in less than a round or two? But like I say there's nothing you can do about it.Go to the cops?That's rich.It's part of a dirty business that still goes on today. But like I said before a fighter doesn't want to talk about it.Why should he?


Mike DeJohn vs. Charley Powell


Virgil Hill vs. James Kinchen

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Taking On The World

The Quarry clan reminded me of one of those families you'd see in the movies that ,lived in the backwoods and stuck together through thick and thin even though they were always fighting each other. But when an outsider stepped in to make trouble then they all locked arms and stood up to give the intruder a good lickin'.

I remember when younger brother Mike came down to San Diego to fight the local Chicano idol Amado Vasquez. The fight was outdoors at the National City recreational park.Vasquez's house was a stone's throw away from everything.Vasquez had some promise so I went to see him pull the upset.Everyone in the crowd was there for the same purpose.Mike Quarry on paper was the better fighter but not by much. At that time the light heavyweight division was ruled by the legendary Bob Foster and everyone underneath were footnotes.

I attended the event with my pal Gary Young who had sparred with Vasquez to help get him get ready for the undefeated Mike. But those wins were against what California could put on the plate and it was mostly snack food. Bob Foster was trying to move up in weight but he never seemed to garnish enough strength to hang in there with a decent heavyweight. All the rest of the light heavyweights just wanted to get a chance to fight Bob.

Me and Gary were seated up in the bleachers and all you could see for the most part was a sea of dark heads. It looked like a rallying point for recruiting soldiers for Pancho Villa's army.But standing out in all that hairy milieu were a group of toe heads and their last names were all Quarry. Their leader was Ma Quarry followed by her pugnacious son Jerry. The girlfriends and the wives were there.Jack ,the old man, wouldn't have missed it for the world.

The Quarry's got there late.I think they did that on purpose. They swaggered through the throng that caused their blood to reach the boiling point. There certainly was no exchange of gifts. The Quarry bunch took no precautions about bumping into anyone and for a moment I thought there might be an unannounced prelim.

I don't think their brazen entry had anything to do with race.They just wanted everyone to know that they had little bro's back and they weren't going to take no crap from anyone and that if you were looking for trouble they were ready to hand it out.

It really wasn't much of a fight.I thought Vasquez was winning but then a cut above his eye opened up and the ref jumped in and stopped it. I think the smart money was on Mike anyway.However,when the ref jumped in I thought the Vasquez crowd would follow. Things were heating up and I thought Mike might want to take cover.But when the Quarry clan sensed what was developing they quickly banded together to protect their charge. There were some San Diego cops there but when they saw that the Quarry's wouldn't back down I think they wanted to deputize all of them.

If there ever was a metaphor for being Irish and tough(and now I'm going to quote Billy Conn after he wanted to slug it out with Joe Louis-"stupid"),the Quarry's filled the bill.


Jerry Quarry


National City recreational park

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When The Noise Died Away

Mike Quarry was never as popular as his big brother Jerry.When Jerry proved himself to be a contender he knew his big fights would come back east.Madison Square Garden still had "heavyweight" written all over it.The Olympic Auditorium in LA had "bantamweight" transcribed over the front door. Mike was a legitimate notch below his brother's weight categoiry. For light heavyweights,the "Lost Dvission",the big fights (if you could call them that) were wherever the dice were tossed.

Like I said yesterday California had their contingent but it was nothing to write home about let alone make the promoters salivate.Mike fought them all,often multiple times.He came out ahead on the cards.Mike didn't pack a lot of power with his punches like his brother Mike so most of the wins were the decision type.He beat our local charge in San Diego Ronnie Wilsom 3 out of 3 ,all going the distance,.He was undefeated when he finally got his chance to upset the great Bob Foster for the championship. Well,Bob had another left hook him like the one that landed on Dick Tiger's chin to win the belt and he saved it for Mike. Mike copied Dick and was out cold. For a time he looked seriously hurt. Jerry was in the main event against Muhammad Ali ,,who was coming out of retirement, and seeing his brother stretched out on the canvas didn't do his mental health any good.

Mike was up and down after that but when he lost twice to Mike Rossman it was time to stick the fork in him.By that time Jerry was finished.The Quarry clan ,who were so enthusiastic about their boys when the going was good, was now facing the aftermath of the sons absorbing too many shots. Forget the lost money and the divorces.The kids were sick and dying.When mom and pop were asked would they do the same thing all over again before you could finish asking the question the reply was a definite "No way."But by that time you couldn't fix anything.


Mike Quarry

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He Went Down With A Thud

I don't know how it is in your neck of the woods but out here in San Diego the Mormons like building one of their temples(I don't think they call them churches)across the street or in close proximity to the local high school.That way after school the Mormon kids can go somewhere to do their Mormon things instead of hanging out with the other kids.It sounds like a cult and if you read some of their doctrines and the life of Joe Smith and Brigham Young having all those wives you understand why they weren't liked and got kicked out of a lot of neighborhoods.I don't know if it's a cult and maybe some cults are good but I never had a problem with the Mormons. I went to school with a lot of Mormons and made friends easy enough and I even played on their softball team-LDS 11.

When it looked like Rex Layne,the pride and joy of the Latter Day Saints ,was on his way to wresting the heavyweight championship from either Joe Walcott or Ezzard Charles all he had to do to secure the match was get by Rocky Marciano in the title eliminator at boxing's Mecca,Madison Square Garden. No small chore.But back then not everyone was sold on Rocky unless you ate the big spaghetti dinner on Sunday.A lot of people, including some paisans,thought that La Starza should have gotten his hand raised in their fight. Layne had only lost once,a close decision to Dave Whitlock in Dave's burg of San Francisco.Rex returned the favor beating him in his stomping grounds of Salt Lake City.

Layne was the bigger man but Rocky seemed to never get a break on the height. Nor the reach.And often at the weigh in.(When Archie Moore the light heavyweight champ got together with Rocky they both tipped the scales at 188 pounds) Before the opening round Layne was the bettors favorite at almost 2 to 1.

Well, I wasn't there at the LDS 11 temple ,church,or whatever they called it, the night of the fight but I heard it told by the those guys on the softball team ,that wear that secret underwear of theirs, there was no way Layne was gonna' lose. Maybe the U.S. government wouldn't let them have a slew of wives but they were going see Rex Layne ,who had a "S" monogramed on his underwear, kick the crap out that Roman Catholic pasta eater..If you watch the fight Layne wants to lean on Marciano thinking because he's bigger he can tire him out.But when did Marciano ever get tired in a fight?He might have had a busted nose or was bleeding al over the place,but tired?Charley Goldman made sure Rocky was always in top condition.And then Rocky (and Ali) showed more guts at the heavyweight level than all the others.(OK Brown Bomber I'll let you in the club.And you too Evander.And Ezzard you rate also)

To hear those Mormons talk about it their faith in Layne was beginning to wane around the 4th round.Layne kept leaning and hammerin' and Rocky just took what he gave without batting an eye. In the 5th the momentum had Rocky all over it and then in the 6th he let go with his "Suzy Q" and Rex hit the canvas like he had a stroke. The thud registered an 8 on the Richter scale in Connecticut.

Well, to hear those Mormons lament about that disaster was worse than them getting the word that if Utah was to be let into the union you could only have one wife. I could never get it- being a state or having as many wives as you want.


Rocky Marciano

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Gene Fullmer The Second Time Around

Aside from maybe fighting in Utah or some handpicked spots west of the Mississippi I don't think Gene Fullmer ever had the crowd behind him.I see on the forum some people are taking some swings at him. The gist of it is that he's "overrated." A lot of that rational is based on his style of fighting. Yeah,he held and punched and he was awkward.He wasn't a Ray Robinson but with the exception of Sugar's left hook, that's still the talk of the boxing world, in the 5th round of the second fight,Robby was treading water with the Mormon in every frame of all their other fights. Fullmer was the predicted ,loser against Carmen Basilio before it was decided who would wear the middleweight crown but from the start it was Carmen who was fighting for his life. Benny Paret should have never been matched with Fullmer.Benny was too small and weak for Fullmer and his manager knew that Benny was having some terrible migraines after the Federico Thompson fight..Joey Giardello and Florentino Fernandez were just ticks away from winning decisions against Fullmer but both those fights were in Bozeman,Montana. Not many spaghetti restaurants nor Cuba Libres to be sampled in that burg. When they chose a place to put the International Boxing Hall Of Fame it was in Basilio's hometown of Canastota. Could you imagine that entity in West Jordan ,Utah?

Put together Fullmer's rougging tactics,his penchant for fighting fighters who had a following,and Gene's lack of charisma,and you have a fighter that doesn't get mentioned much except beinbg slighted, When he finally met his match with the solid as stone Dick Tiger, Fullmer's manager Marv Jensen told him to stop fighting and that he wouldn't handle him anymore.Fullmer obeyed. He got inducted ,not in the first round of the IBHOF,but he justly got picked later.

So where do I stand with Gene Fullmer? When he was fighting I always wanted him to lose.But today,looking back,I 've buried the hatchet. Back then ,yes,it was his caveman tactics I didn't like. I didn't like him because he was a Mormon. I didn't like him because he beat some of my idols. He didn't smile enough for me. He couldn't crack a joke. Who said youth is wasted on the young?He had something there.


Gene Fullmer

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His Shining Moment

When Muhammad Ali was in San Diego wrapping up his last two weeks of training to fight Ken Norton one thing that struck me was his gear. It was a time when he was battling his weight. Everyone said if he could only get down to his pre exile weight of 214 pounds you would know for sure that he was in shape again.Ali always came into the makeshift gym,, that was set up in one of the banquet rooms at the Town And Country Hotel in Mission Valley,wearing gray sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt.He'd arrive after doing some roadwork, that I don't think he put a lot of effort into wearing black army combat boots. Underneath his sweatshirt was a rubber sweat suit. He'd peel off the rubber suit and the perspiration ran off his upper body like Niagara Falls. When he sparred he'd put on 12 ounce black boxing gloves.His protective cup was black.Ali ran his mouth off like no other but you could tell there was a side to him that was old school.

He brought the wife and kids with him and they stayed at the far end of the hotel so not to distract him.He was still married to his second wife Belinda who adopted the Muslim way and didn't interfere with what he wanted to do.She took the kids to the zoo and Sea World while her husband did more exercise with his mouth bum rapping Ken Norton predicting how he was going to dispose of him.

The night of the fight Ali walked down the aisle wearing a beautiful lavender robe given to him by another king,Elvis Presley. It read on the back"The People's Champion."Though Norton was supposed to be the local product it was Ali who got everyone standing on their feet going ape.He was like a black Elvis.. Norton got a nice hand but but just his friends and relatives got up to show their appreciation.

It was one of the worst fights I ever saw. Not because Ali lost necessarily but because it moved so slow. All three of those fights were like two guys fighting chest high in a swimming pool.Well, when it ended(I thought the ref Frank Rustich mould stop during the last 30 seconds because Ali wasn't answering back) Ali sat there with with his puffy side of his face he turned his gift from Elvis inside out before putting it back on. He then walked back to the dressing room knowing that he stunk the place up.

That fight was the highlight of Norton's career. Oh,he fought better against Holmes and Quarry but then he was only the second man to beat The Greatest.

Ken Norton

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The Left Glove Of God

If I had a C Note for every time Muhammad Ali held Joe Frazier behind his neck with his left glove I'd tell Bill Gates that if he sees me walking down the street he better cross to the other side and know his place. I was just watching the replay of the second fight between Frazier and Ali in the same place as their first encounter,,Madison Square Garden,and except for the knockdown scored by Joe in the 15th round of the first fight, the second fight was a carbon copy. Ali would dance a little and then start to back step to the ropes slapping away trying to catch Joe with something, but then when he couldn't retreat any farther out would come the left glove and like a magnet clasp Frazier around the back of his neck.What the hell was referee Tony Perez thinking?The one time Ali did hurt Frazier was ten seconds before the bell ended the 2nd round and then Perez mistakenly thought the ten second bell was the final bell and halted the action. Aside from that faux pas it was Frazier bobbing and weaving throwing hard shots to the body and the head putting Ali against the ropes and grabbing behind the neck with the left glove.

Ali would show a shuffle without any intentions except to impress with a dash of flash.He flicked the jab but that didn't stop Frazier from moving inside. Ali was slappy happy with his punches having a bolo ilk to them. After the bell ending each round Ali would slowly walk back to his corner ,looking more and more exhausted and defeated.Was he going to taste defeat by the same Joe and Eddie combination like the first time four years ago?Frazier looked like he hadn't changed much.But neither had Muhammad..He still hadn't found that Fountain Of Youth.But what he knew now was that the public had sided with him. They were living their lives through each of his fights. Eddie Futch must have been a very frustrated trainer working with Ali's banes named Joe Frazier and Ken Norton.But unless those two could stop Ali from wanting to continue fighting in a match the eyes of the world saw Muhammad Ali as doing no wrong.

Ali got the unanimous decision in that second go. He didn't look too happy about it. I think he thought that Frazier would get his hand raised again.But Ali knew he had the finger of the public and the officials touching him.Going back and looking at it all over again it kind of makes me sick. It wasn't right.It wasn't right that Tony Perez ,and later Carlos Padilla in Manila,let Aii get away with all that holding..But what gets me to thinking is what else did we look at back then the wrong way?

Joe Frazier

[goose 5]

The original robe that Elvis gifted to Ali was rejected by Angelo Dundee because it was so heavy-Dundee thought it would weigh Ali down on his way to the ring. So, Elvis had another one made with much lighter decorative stones and Dundee approved it. Shades of Wilder's excuse in the Fury rematch.

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It's Who You Know

I was on the phone with Rodolfo Gonzalez the other day.We touched upon the usual.Nothing really new.Covid has put a lot of things on the back burner.I asked him how his brother was doing who lives in the house Gato bought for his mother after he won the WBC title from Chango Carmona.It's located in Colonia Hipodromo by the racetrack,an upscale neighborhood.
"He rents out all the rooms so he can make ends meet,"says Gato.
He regrets turning the deed over to him but that's all in the past.His brother comes up to visit Gato in Oceanside but Gato never goes to Tijuana.In fact Gato can't remember the last time he crossed the border.
"It's who you know,"he says referring to Mexico.
He has family in Guadalajara where he was born but I'm sure if he went down there to visit after the hysteria wore off the hands would stretch out.I told him about the house that me and the wife had built in her hometown Jiquilpan,Michoacan. Gato fought there in the bullring a few times starting out as a pro. I told him if he went down there he could stay in our house..He reminisces a lot but he's never taken me up on the offer.

Gaspar Ortega was born in Mexicali ,a town that's in the middle of the Mojave desert. Because he's steeped in Apache blood they gave him the nickname,"Indio."Most of his fighting career he lived in Colonia Morelos in Tijuana. I saw him there at the park after he lost to Emile Griffith for the welterweight title. He was driving a lemon colored convertible with a gringa blonde by his side and he pulled over a bought all the kids ice cream.I used to see him at the World Boxing Hall Of Fame nventions. He told me he doesn't go to Mexico anymore.The last time he went was when they invited him to Tijuana to christen the boxing gym thy built in Benito Juarez Park near the U.S. border.That was around twenty years ago. I told him the drug addicts had broken into the place and turned it into a shooting gallery and the city had to shut the place down including the whole park.He smiled and shook his head looking down at the floor.He know lives in New York City.His son,Mike, is a prominent fight referee in the area.

But you can understand why so many Mexicans want to come to the U.S Even if they're illegals the system of government here has their backs more than what Mexico has to protect them.Go to East LA,the original Mecca for the Mexican population in California and ask them about Mexico. They''ll just about all tell you the same.
"It's who you know."


Gaspar enjoying lunch and my wife at the Carl's Junior near the WBHOF convention.

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An Unusual Entrance

There's three kinds of cops in Mexico-the federales,the state police,and the the city cops.Also there is the army.In tijuana when there's a fight the city cops for the most part secure the premises.The city cops don't get much respect at the boxing matches.Here's a good one.

I remember one time when Julio Cesar Chavez was to fight Danilo Cabrera at the racetrack.Like usual the promoters had things screwed up. I had talked a pal into going down there with me and I hadn't purchased a ticket beforehand.When we arrived there was only one ticket booth open.There must have been a lot of guys like us who hadn't bought a ticket because the line to that ticket booth must have been a quarter of a mile long stretching across the parking lot.It was moving at a snail's pace and I figured by the time we got to the window the fight would be over.My friend wanted to go home.
"Naw.Listen to me.I got a plan,"I said with a Chesire grin.
"WHat's that?"
"Look.This is Mexico and if you got the money you can make things happen."
"I only got a little money to spend,"said my buddy.
"Look.They got cops at all the entrances and exits.In the back is where they keep the greyhounds.Now there's a gate there and where's a gate there's cops .Just follow me."

Well,we walked around to the back where they kept the greyhounds and sure enough there were two cops at the gate.I put on a sorrowful face and made my approach.
"Buenos noches amigos,"I said smiling at them."You know that line at the ticket window is very long.Can my friend and I just pay you so we can go inside instead of waiting in the line?"I pled.The cps looked at each other.
"SI",one of them replied.
Then what surprised me was that they didn't shake us down and raise the price.
"I'll just give you the money then,"I said.
"No don't give me the money.You see we are city police.The state police are here to and if they see you giving us money we will have to give them half.That's why we're here to take bribes but we don't want the state police to see."
"So what shall I do?"[
"Put the money over there in the weeds,"the cop said pointing.

So I put the money in the weeds and he opened the gate.Then it was time to let my friend in on plan number two.
"We'll go up to the bleachers.Just before the main event they turn off the lights. Then we'll run down and sit in the front row.There only a few people sitting ringside."
"Won't the cops do something?"
"Hell no.Everybody will be behind us doing the same thing and those cops aren't going to mess with a mob."

Well,when the lights dimmed before the start of the Chavez fight me and my friend and about a hundred others bullrushed down to ringside while the cops quickly got out of our way.Worked like a charm.


The old Caliente Racetrack in Tijuana

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Taking Advantage Of A Bad System

They used to call the Tijuana Jail "Calle Ocho" because it was located on 8th Street a block west of Revolution Street.The Tijuana Jail was helped made infamous by that song The Kingston Trio sang back in 1959 called "The Tijuana Jail."They threw everybody in there that was misbehaving either in downtown or in the colonias. What I mean by misbehaving is if the cops thought they could shake you down they just slapped the cuffs on you.But most of the time you could just pay them off right on the street.The only offense I saw that you couldn't get away with from going to jail was pissing on the street.They thought that pissing on the street showed disrespect so they took you to jail.That happened to me once.I had to pay the fine at the jail.

They even put little kids in there.And what I mean by little kids were the street urchins who did anything legal or not to make buck.Most of the time it was stealing. They were in a cell right by the entrance and when they'd see you they'd thrust their hands through the bars wanting money.

Mexico's constitution is very similar to the U.S's except for one very big difference-they have Napoleonic Law. That means if you get arrested they don't have to read you your rights or even say what your being charged with.Forget bail and all that ten amendments crap.You see, when you get arrested YOU'RE GUILTY.You have to prove your innocence.Since going to trial is just about impossible you pay the "mordida" and then you can go home.Kill someone and if you have enough money you can go home.

In a way it sometimes works out.The night after going to the racetrack and watching Julio Cesar Chavez fight Danilo Cabrera me and my friend went into town and we got stinking drunk kicking up our heels.After getting laid in one of the houses of ill repute we started driving towards the border to cross into the U.S. My friend who was driving was going the wrong way on a one way street. This cop is standing on the corner and walked out to stop us.My friend gunned the motor and almost hit this dude.Well,a cop in a car saw this and chased us to the border It was a Saturday night and the line was backed up.We had to stop.Well, the cop in the car ,who was big SOB, pulled alongside and gets out and starts bashing away with his stick on the windshield.
"I saw what happened," he shouted."You come here and get drunk and almost kill someone and you try to get away."
My friend was totally flabbergasted so I tried my lick.
"But sir we didn't know it was a one way street and we didn't see the policeman and we didn't know you were following us."
"I don't care ,he yelled."You go to jail."
"But sir ,"I pled."Can't we just settle this here?"asked the big cop looking over his shoulder.
"Well,how much money do you have?"
I looked at my friend behind slumping behind the wheel.
"I'm tapped,"he groaned.
"Well I have 20 dollars."
"Open your wallet."the big cop said poking his head inside the driver's side window."I want to see."
I got out my wallet and showed him.Two sawbucks was all I had left.
"Well,give me the money and don't ever do this again.Undersatnd?"
"Oh yes sir.We learned out lesson."

Afterr it was all said and done I thought about it.If that would have happened in San Diego it would have been a DUI charge.Get a lawyer and pay him 10 grand. Lose my insurance. My license for a year. And forfeit my teaching credential. And to think for 20 bucks none of that happened.

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Fire Escape

They tore down the Tijuana Jail years ago. It's been so long ago I can't remember when.They also tore down the fire station that was next to it.The area now is a little park.

I'll never forget the time when I was living in Tijuana in Canon Jhonson for awhile until I got my feet on the ground when one afternoon a fire broke out on the hillside.People aren't supposed to burn their trash in Tijuana because things like brush fires start and they can get out of control real fast. But people do it anyway because there's not a lot of areas in the city where they have a municipal trash pick up.(Most of the time it's some guy in a truck who pulls up in front of your place and will haul your trash for a few pesos)

Well,people stared scrambling up the hill with mats and blankets to try to put the fire out. I jumped in my car and began to drive down to the fire station that was next to the Tijuana Jail.It wasn't far away. There's a road in Canon Jhonson that if you follow leading out will end up taking you a block from the fire station. I was hauling ass thinking that maybe by now they didn't have things in Canon Jhonson under control.I was aware that some people had terlephones in Canon Jhonson but often trying to get a connection was a problem.I thought I could get to the fire station ahead of a telephone call.

When I arrived at the station there wee a ton of cars parked in the street out front.They were double and triple parked and I couldn't understand what was going on.I finally pulled alongside one of the parked cars and got out and ran to the fire station.There was a fireman standing outside.
"What's going on ?"I asked him.
"Mantequilla Napoles is working out in the gym."
I knew the fire station had a gym between the the jail and the station located upstairs. I'd been thee a few tines but it was always empty.
"Well,I've got something more important to tell you,"I said to the fireman."There's a brush fire in Canon Jhonson.You better get a truck to go in there and put it out before it gets out of control."
The fireman sounded the alarm and said he would follow me to where the fire was.I jumped in my car and saw the firemen manning the firetruck. I pulled my car in front of the firetruck and looked in the rearview mirror.They gave me the thumbs up.I raced onto the road going into Canon Jhonson and constantly checked the rearview mirror to see if they were keeping up.I was about halfway there when I checked the mirror again and didn't see the truck.I stopped the car and turned around.About a couple a hundred feet back there was the firetruck dead in the water at the side of the road.The firemen were standing alongside the truck.
"What happened?"I asked
"We ran out of gas,"said one of the firemen.


All I could do was go back to Canon Jhonson to see how the fire was doing.When I got back,fortunately,the neighbors had put out the fire.I then thought that maybe things turned out for the better.I could go back to the gym and watch my favorite fighter workout .I hadn't thought about it much while my mind was on the fire and getting to the fire station.But now my adrenalin was rushing.I had caught a lucky break.The fire was out and in the process I discovered that Jose Napoes was just down the road working out in the gym.

I put my car in gear to head back down the road and before I made it a hundred feet I heard a loud noise.My right front tire had blown out.Well,there is no AAA in TJ and even if there was by the time I got things fixed Jose Napoles would have been dressed and left the building.

The Tijuana Jail

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Never Give A Great Fighter An Even Break

Even the past great ones get nit picked by the nit pickers.They like to play "Gotcha" and no matter how revered the legends are there's always a few that can come up with a reason that these guys aren't so legendary.I'll run theough a quick list with the standard gripes.

1.I'll start with Jack Johnson.He fought a bunch of puny guys like Ketchel and Burns in fights that shouldn't have been made.The fight with Jeff was a farce.The ol' alfalfa farmer should have stayed in the barn and baled hay instead of bailing out in Reno.

2.The Manassa Mauler. He ducked the best guy out there Wills,fought a sick man in Gibbons,a light heavy with a suspect chin,and only defended his title 5 times in 7 years.By the way.He should have been DQ'd against Firpo when Louie sent him through the ropes and the scribes pushed Jack back into the ring.

3.Joe Louis.He made his way to the championship battering on the bodies of slipping ex champs like Baer,Carnea,Sharkey,and Schmeling. Then there was the "Bum Of The Month Club" ,and maybe those guys WERE in their primes but they were bums so that doesn't count for much.

4.Rocky Marciano.Similar to Louis.Fought a bunch of old ex champs to gain his rep-Walcott,Charles,and Moore.Some say he stayed away from Valdes.

5.I'll end this with a more contemporary fighter-Floyd Mayweather.Though he never lost if he'd been around in the 50's and 60's he would would have dropped a few because back then the talent was deeper and better.

So no one was really that great .The Greatest ,Ali,and the guy he called the "The Greatest",Sugar Ray Robinson, can all be picked apart by the nit pickers.It seems to be their mission in life.If you ever go out to breakfast with one of them they'll surely try to piss in your bowl of corn flakes.

Joe Louis

[dagosd2000]

Bashing Your Head Against A Blog Site

You'd think with this Covid turning the world inside out people would come down to earth and see things more sensibly or at least not make a mountain out of a mole hill.One thing that people are learning is that you can't make everyone see it your way. It will never happen.Life is too short.It's not worth it.If you're obsessed with making the world see it your way then it's time for self examination. or a trip to the shrink.

Sometimes I read the posts on other threads and it amazes me how some people won't let things drop. OK.You se it your way and the other guy sees it his way.Instead of letting it go at that,it starts down a path of something psychotic. How dare you disagree with me?Then instead of reexplaining you reasons and then going on to something else here come the personal attacks. You're a fag(that's the most common used one.Attack one's manhood) or a clown and sometimes it crosses into the area of taking a shot at your family.All over a difference of opinion about something to do with boxing.

If the attacker senses he has a victim who is oversensitive he really ramps up the slurs.Then come the hyenas who now see the wounded prey and and they jump on the pile.All the time these sickos think that they are in the majority and everybody agrees with them.

No wonder the number of views has dropped off dramatically.No one wants to get caught up with this.The secret is not getting into these pissing contests and if yo do get called a name don't respond.They'll find someone else to call a fag.There are still some that go postal if you don't see it their way.They've driven away a lot of good posters.

[dagosd2000]

End Of An Era

Just got back from Tijuana watching Manny Pacquiao lose to Yordenis Ugas. I guess you could say Father Time had a hand in it but I got to give Ugas credit.The fight reminded me a little of Manny's loss to Jeff Horn. He has problems with a taller guy.I picked Manny to beat Spence but the torn retina kept him out of it.Maybe Manny let down mentally for Ugas but if that had anything to do with the loss it's no excuse.

Thanks Pac Man.You gave us a lot of thrills. Please don't continue fightng anymore. You're shot.Go back to the Philippines and run for president. That's a hell of a lot more important than fighting.You've got your marbles and a wife and kids that you can spend more time with. You'll be in the IBHOF in 5 years. Best of luck.

[dagosd2000]

The Underground

I kind of forced myself to go down to Tijuana to watch the fight with Ugas and Paquiao.If Spence had been OK with his eye it would have made my decision much easier. In Tijuana(and I think in the rest of the country)it's like here in the U.S. -all the television is cable. Down there I think the company is called "Sky". You pay something like 20 bucks a month (400 pesos) and you get the channels.How many I don't know.

The big fights are always free. Let's face it most Mexicans don't have the money to pay 60 to a hundred bucks to pay for it on PayPerView.The profit margin isn't as steep but in the end the cable company comes out all right.But there's a small catch. The fight (like last night)is delayed a half hour so it's not really live unless you go to a bar or ,like what I did,go to one of the Caliente Sports books. There's a slew of then around the city. I usually go to the one in the Coahuila which is in the Zona Norte. That's where all the bars are and the place is usually pretty lively. It's located on the north end of Tijuana and they have it there because they want to keep all that drinking and whoring away from the colonias.They don't have bars and cat houses in the colonias.They feel if a man wants to indulge in that kind of stuff he can go somewhere where it's away from the wife and kids. Before I get gong on this I want to share something.For the life of me I don't think there is a building in Tijuana that has a back door or a fire escape. The buildings all abut each other.If there's a fire you have to get out by way of the front door.

Anyway ,back to last night.I hadn't been to the Coahuila since Mayweather fought his last real fight against Berto.(They call the red light district The Coahuila because that's the name of the street that runs down the middle of all those bars.Coahuila is a state in Northern Mexico).Last night I opted to watch the fight at the Caliente Sports Book. It's upstairs and of all the betting parlors you could say it's the most seedy.Mostly Americans frequent the place.They're your typical gambling degenerates.I hear them talking and most of them live in Tijuana in the Zona Norte. They're living off their pensions,Social Security,some kind of disability,or selling a little drugs. They';re there everyday betting on anything that's offered. They all seem to know each other and hey can find a flophouse for 40 bucks a week nearby with running water and electricity and call it home. They eat at the little stands in the street.

Last night they were betting mostly on the dogs at the racetrack in TJ.They like the dog races because they run every 20 minutes .There's TV's spread all along the walls. There weren't many people watching the fight. I assumes there wasn't much action on it with Pacquiao being the heavy favorite. So it was the dogs and the nags running somewhere in South America that occupied their time. They made the floor a mess like usual strewing newspapers and racing forms on the floor.There's a stand where you can by old hot dogs,chips,stale nachos,and beer and soda. You can bet all that debris winds up on the floor.They won't let you smoke in there anymore so the walk downstairs if they want a smoke.

When the fight started me and a couple of others were watching it but like I said since no one had any money riding ion it it was put on the pay no mind list.

You can also watch the fights at some of the bars and clubs that having the girls working in them.When I watched the Mayweather fight with Berto I went to the Hong Kong Bar that's across the street from the sports book.There are three cantinas that are considered upscale in the Coahuila-the Chavela,the Adelita Bar,and the Hong Kong.The Hong Kong has two floors and the action runs heavy upstairs and down. The girls that work in those places are young and pretty.The owners don't want any fat or old gals hustling inside. That's the draw-the girls are young and pretty. But whether the whores are old or young the scenario is the same.The girls come up from the south and have no husbands.They either died or ran off and left them with a kid(or kids).The girls leave the kids with their mothers and send money down to support the cause.Around November and December the girls go back to where they came from to celebrate the holidays with their families.When they're working in TJ they live wherever in the city. They come to work wearing normal clothes and then when they arrive at the clubs they change into their sexy outfits.Then at dawn,when it's time to go home,they switch back to normal dress,hail a cab and go home.They sometimes have a woman who helps out especially if the girl has her kid living with her.

Carlos Santana used to play in the clubs in TJ back in the early 60's.I'd see him down there.Of course he was a nobody then.He was part of the band that played in the clubs and then later found his way to LA and Woodstock. He came to San Diego once to play a concert and visit family in Tijuana.He talked about how as a little kid he'd walk with his father and uncles holding his guitar and they'd stroll in and out of the bars playing for money.He talked about playing for the girls in the cantinas who would walk onto the stage and strip off their clothes. to the music.When the sun would begin to rise they would all go out to eat breakfast. He said those girls had to do what they had to do to support their families. He also said that most of them had more class than the Queen Of England.I guess you have to see that to understand what he was saying.

The Hong Kong Bar

The Caliente Sports Book right across the street from The Hong Kong Bar in the Coahuila

[dagosd2000]

Whistle While You work

When Jose Napoles lost his championship to Billy Backus in Syracuse,Nrw York he swore he'd never fight there again.The fight was in Billy's backyard but Jose thought that he could brush aside the kid and get out of Dodge still wearing the crown. But Backus found a way to reopen the cut above Jose's eye,the one that the veteran trial horse L.C. Morgan administered to him in the dusty way off border town of Reynosa,Mexico.That cut would be a bane to Napoles' career for the duration.

When the cut reopened in Syracuse Billy sensed that if he could hang in there and the local officiators would soon step in and declare Napoles unfit to continue.Jose was well aware of the situation and was fighting desperately to get to Backus and put an end to him.But though Jose was ahead it was early in the fight and the blood was flowing out of his orb like the Rio Grande.To make matters worse his other eye was aping the cut one.So now both lamps were dimming rapidly. During the 4th frame everyone on Billy's side of the ledger who had the clout to stop the fight were hovering over Napoles' pan. The ring doc said he could see Jose's scull through the opening.No more championship for Napoles.

Napoles immediately exercised the return clause and the rematch was now to be in his patria chica away from home,The Forum in LA.But Jose felt he needed a tune up fight before the big showdown.He booked a match at the Arena Coliseo in Mexico City.The old place was like a cousin to the U.S.'s Madison Square Garden in New York.But the luster of the Arena Coliseo was beginning to fade in recent years.The halcyon days of Henry Armstrong,the two babies Casanova and Arizmendi,and Kid Azteca were something to be tossed around by the old aficianados over a bottle of Presidente.Today most of the events there are rock concerts and the lucha libre.

Jose made a smart move. He needed to get back on track again and choosing the Arena Coliseo would be bringing back some of the lost tradition.I watched the fight live on the Mexican channel in Tijuana.Every Saturday night they'd mostly show the fights from there. When my sister in law was living in Mexico City my wife nd I would sometimes make side trip to visit her when we were in Michoacan .I'd often take in the fights at the old arena. To tell the truth I never got my money's worth,. The fights were lousy and so were the fighters.So now Jose wanted to bring back some of the spark.

He chose for his opponent the veteran workhorse Manuel Gonzalez.He'd been in there with a lot of good ones and had their number from time to time-Curtis Cokes,Gaspar Ortega,Denny Moyer,and Emile Griffith.He lost to Griffith in MSG in an effort to get his welter crown.That was also the night they gave Ray Robinson his retirement send off.

Jose Napoles was always a fast starter.He wanted to show his opponent who was the boss from the get go.But that night he looked like he was stuck in first gear.He came out looking like Mantequilla but in slow motion.Had the Backus fight made the Mantequilla turn rancid?It went on like that round after round.Gonzalez never was in trouble and though he was behind it looked like he'd be the one who would come out the moral victor.

Then something happened that I had never seen before. The crowd was whistling the Mexican "chifles" at Napoles.That's a whistle that's a sarcastic barb.It's like booing.It's nasty in tone.That was something new to his ears.

In the 6th round Jose put Manny on the ropes.Then he uncorked a left to the side.Gonzalez hung in the air and the dropped to the mat like a ton of bricks.Fight over.

When it was all said and done Napoles wanted to get some work in before the rematch.What would have been the point to KO Gonzalez in a minute and 30 seconds?

I tried to find an example of those "chifles" during a Mexican fight on YouTube but struck out.It's a sound you'd never want to make at a Mexican girl unless you want to get your face slapped.


The Arena Coliseo

[Alguiffer]

Whistle While You work

When Jose Napoles lost his championship to Billy Backus in Syracuse,Nrw York he swore he'd never fight there again.The fight was in Billy's backyard but Jose thought that he could brush aside the kid and get out of Dodge still wearing the crown. But Backus found a way to reopen the cut above Jose's eye,the one that the veteran trial horse L.C. Morgan administered to him in the dusty way off border town of Reynosa,Mexico.That cut would be a bane to Napoles' career for the duration.

When the cut reopened in Syracuse Billy sensed that if he could hang in there and the local officiators would soon step in and declare Napoles unfit to continue.Jose was well aware of the situation and was fighting desperately to get to Backus and put an end to him.But though Jose was ahead it was early in the fight and the blood was flowing out of his orb like the Rio Grande.To make matters worse his other eye was aping the cut one.So now both lamps were dimming rapidly. During the 4th frame everyone on Billy's side of the ledger who had the clout to stop the fight were hovering over Napoles' pan. The ring doc said he could see Jose's scull through the opening.No more championship for Napoles.

Napoles immediately exercised the return clause and the rematch was now to be in his patria chica away from home,The Forum in LA.But Jose felt he needed a tune up fight before the big showdown.He booked a match at the Arena Coliseo in Mexico City.The old place was like a cousin to the U.S.'s Madison Square Garden in New York.But the luster of the Arena Coliseo was beginning to fade in recent years.The halcyon days of Henry Armstrong,the two babies Casanova and Arizmendi,and Kid Azteca were something to be tossed around by the old aficianados over a bottle of Presidente.Today most of the events there are rock concerts and the lucha libre.

Jose made a smart move. He needed to get back on track again and choosing the Arena Coliseo would be bringing back some of the lost tradition.I watched the fight live on the Mexican channel in Tijuana.Every Saturday night they'd mostly show the fights from there. When my sister in law was living in Mexico City my wife nd I would sometimes make side trip to visit her when we were in Michoacan .I'd often take in the fights at the old arena. To tell the truth I never got my money's worth,. The fights were lousy and so were the fighters.So now Jose wanted to bring back some of the spark.

He chose for his opponent the veteran workhorse Manuel Gonzalez.He'd been in there with a lot of good ones and had their number from time to time-Curtis Cokes,Gaspar Ortega,Denny Moyer,and Emile Griffith.He lost to Griffith in MSG in an effort to get his welter crown.That was also the night they gave Ray Robinson his retirement send off.

Jose Napoles was always a fast starter.He wanted to show his opponent who was the boss from the get go.But that night he looked like he was stuck in first gear.He came out looking like Mantequilla but in slow motion.Had the Backus fight made the Mantequilla turn rancid?It went on like that round after round.Gonzalez never was in trouble and though he was behind it looked like he'd be the one who would come out the moral victor.

Then something happened that I had never seen before. The crowd was whistling the Mexican "chifles" at Napoles.That's a whistle that's a sarcastic barb.It's like booing.It's nasty in tone.That was something new to his ears.

In the 6th round Jose put Manny on the ropes.Then he uncorked a left to the side.Gonzalez hung in the air and the dropped to the mat like a ton of bricks.Fight over.

When it was all said and done Napoles wanted to get some work in before the rematch.What would have been the point to KO Gonzalez in a minute and 30 seconds?

I tried to find an example of those "chifles" during a Mexican fight on YouTube but struck out.It's a sound you'd never want to make at a Mexican girl unless you want to get your face slapped.


The Arena Coliseo

Very interesting, I was about 5th row ringside for Backus vs Napoles and yes the blood was indeed flowing. When the bout was stopped and the main arena lights came on many people in the crowd had no idea what had just happened - for a second or two there was a very weird silence. I never knew the specifics about the backstory (L. C. Morgan; Reynosa Mexico) on the previous cut to Napoles - reading about this information is to me like finding a golden nugget of boxing information - many thanks for sharing this information.

[dagosd2000]

Whistle While You work

When Jose Napoles lost his championship to Billy Backus in Syracuse,Nrw York he swore he'd never fight there again.The fight was in Billy's backyard but Jose thought that he could brush aside the kid and get out of Dodge still wearing the crown. But Backus found a way to reopen the cut above Jose's eye,the one that the veteran trial horse L.C. Morgan administered to him in the dusty way off border town of Reynosa,Mexico.That cut would be a bane to Napoles' career for the duration.

When the cut reopened in Syracuse Billy sensed that if he could hang in there and the local officiators would soon step in and declare Napoles unfit to continue.Jose was well aware of the situation and was fighting desperately to get to Backus and put an end to him.But though Jose was ahead it was early in the fight and the blood was flowing out of his orb like the Rio Grande.To make matters worse his other eye was aping the cut one.So now both lamps were dimming rapidly. During the 4th frame everyone on Billy's side of the ledger who had the clout to stop the fight were hovering over Napoles' pan. The ring doc said he could see Jose's scull through the opening.No more championship for Napoles.

Napoles immediately exercised the return clause and the rematch was now to be in his patria chica away from home,The Forum in LA.But Jose felt he needed a tune up fight before the big showdown.He booked a match at the Arena Coliseo in Mexico City.The old place was like a cousin to the U.S.'s Madison Square Garden in New York.But the luster of the Arena Coliseo was beginning to fade in recent years.The halcyon days of Henry Armstrong,the two babies Casanova and Arizmendi,and Kid Azteca were something to be tossed around by the old aficianados over a bottle of Presidente.Today most of the events there are rock concerts and the lucha libre.

Jose made a smart move. He needed to get back on track again and choosing the Arena Coliseo would be bringing back some of the lost tradition.I watched the fight live on the Mexican channel in Tijuana.Every Saturday night they'd mostly show the fights from there. When my sister in law was living in Mexico City my wife nd I would sometimes make side trip to visit her when we were in Michoacan .I'd often take in the fights at the old arena. To tell the truth I never got my money's worth,. The fights were lousy and so were the fighters.So now Jose wanted to bring back some of the spark.

He chose for his opponent the veteran workhorse Manuel Gonzalez.He'd been in there with a lot of good ones and had their number from time to time-Curtis Cokes,Gaspar Ortega,Denny Moyer,and Emile Griffith.He lost to Griffith in MSG in an effort to get his welter crown.That was also the night they gave Ray Robinson his retirement send off.

Jose Napoles was always a fast starter.He wanted to show his opponent who was the boss from the get go.But that night he looked like he was stuck in first gear.He came out looking like Mantequilla but in slow motion.Had the Backus fight made the Mantequilla turn rancid?It went on like that round after round.Gonzalez never was in trouble and though he was behind it looked like he'd be the one who would come out the moral victor.

Then something happened that I had never seen before. The crowd was whistling the Mexican "chifles" at Napoles.That's a whistle that's a sarcastic barb.It's like booing.It's nasty in tone.That was something new to his ears.

In the 6th round Jose put Manny on the ropes.Then he uncorked a left to the side.Gonzalez hung in the air and the dropped to the mat like a ton of bricks.Fight over.

When it was all said and done Napoles wanted to get some work in before the rematch.What would have been the point to KO Gonzalez in a minute and 30 seconds?

I tried to find an example of those "chifles" during a Mexican fight on YouTube but struck out.It's a sound you'd never want to make at a Mexican girl unless you want to get your face slapped.


The Arena Coliseo

Very interesting, I was about 5th row ringside for Backus vs Napoles and yes the blood was indeed flowing. When the bout was stopped and the main arena lights came on many people in the crowd had no idea what had just happened - for a second or two there was a very weird silence. I never knew the specifics about the backstory (L. C. Morgan; Reynosa Mexico) on the previous cut to Napoles - reading about this information is to me like finding a golden nugget of boxing information - many thanks for sharing this information.

Thank you.If you remember the rematch at The Forum in LA:Just as the bell rang for round 1 both boys came together and somehow Napoles' cut reopened again. He paused,put his glove up to his eye,then looked at his glove like no big deal (yeah it's blood all right)keeping that Tom Cat stoic look on his face and getting down to work..A real cool customer that Napoles was.

[dagosd2000]

The Big Swim

Jose Napoles started out fighting as a little kid in the streets of Santiago De Cuba along the docks engaging opposition that his uncles had set up for him.I heard Napoles say once that sometimes he'd fight 10,12 fights a day.Of course the purpose of Joselito's "tios" having him test his mettle on a daily basis was simple-they bet on the kid instead of having to punch a clock.

Jose must have won more than he lost because he never said no to having been put up to the test so many times.Hell, he must have fought a ton.Do the math:10 times a day times 365 for how many years?Instead of going to school proper he learned in streets in that nefarious institution called the school of hard knocks.When he began shaving he fought in the amateurs and won something like over a hundred losing only once.That's what they say.

When Napoles finally escaped Castro's crackpot Cuba ,selecting Mexico has a his debarking spot, he was already a professional fighter.He had 21 featherweight fights under his belt losing once to Hilton Smith.

But Napoles didn't exactly jump in with both feet and begin to test what Mexico had to offer. He trained rigorously in the gym making himself stronger and gaining weight to explore the lightweight division.He knew Mexican fighters may not have had that "Cuban Flash" but they were a bunch of tough guys and you had to be tough to hang in there with them.

Mexican fighters were trained to attack the body and Jose wanted to be ready for the onslaught .No fighter likes to get hit downstairs but Napoles,as great as he was,had more trouble with body punchers than the boxers.Three fights into his Mexican trek Tony Perez worked Jose low and earned the decision.Two fights later Al Urbina copied what Tony had done. Jose was at a crossroads.

But then followed an incredible win streak, including getting revenge against Perez and Urbina, and amassing victories over the best talent in the lightweight and junior welterweights in the world.But the champions in those weight classes were avoiding him likea case of Moctezuma's revenge.. Carlos Ortiz wouldn't sit down and sign. Ismael Laguna told Jose that they were "like cousins" and shouldn't fight each other(Brother!).And that Italian ,Lallapalooza,who was cherry picking his opponents had never heard of Jose Napoles.

It was George Parnassus who saved Napoles from self destructing. Jose was letting himself go drinking and feeling sorry for himself but Parnassus knew what he had in store.With the Mexican boxing world getting moved to the Southland Georgie knew he had a cash cow with Jose. When the match with Curtis cokes was made Jose prayed to God that nothing bad would happen to the champ like getting struck by lightning or run over by a bus.

When Napoles made mince meat of Cokes at The Forum is when the president of Mexico ,Diaz Ordaz, stepped in to expedite Jose's Mexican citizenship application.That was something no other president had ever done. After the fight was stopped ,with Cokes sitting in his corner like maybe he had been run over by a bus,Jose wearing a big sombrero amid the mariachis,was asked about how he felt about Mexico
"They can throw me in the middle of the ocean and all I do is listen for the mariachis and I know where to swim back to.".


George Parnassus

[dagosd2000]

Of all the Cuban fighters of his era that got off that tragic island Jose Napoles felt the most at home in Mexico.Sugar Ramos also liked Mexico but he wasn't the number one featherweight in the country.Vicente Saldivar beat him in a sensational fight outside in the bullring in Mexico City.. The ones that favored the U.S. congregated mostly around Miami. Jose Legra ,with the help of Kid Tunero ,opted for Spain.

When I found Napoles in 2014 out in front of his house in Ciudad Juarez smoking a Cuban stogie he told me that he had just got back from visiting his mother in Cuba.What the hell.I wasn't going to pin him down on anything after that. I joked with him.He was good with that.I asked him if he could still get it up and enjoy the women. He was waving at everyone across the street that was walking along the sidewalk but they didn't notice him. He said his wife was at the store and she'd cook us dinner .when she got home but I could see her when I looked through the window walking around I told him that I was going to the California Boxing Hall Of Fame banquet in the fall. He asked if he could go with me. Jose Sulaiman was paying his rent. I gave him 20 bucks and told him it was for more cigars..I gave him my painting of him in his boxing pose.He smiled and didn't say anything.When I left he called me "Campeon.".When I got in the cab to go back to the border I looked back and I could see him waving at the people across the street.They still didn't notice him.


Jose Napoles and the cab driver who drove me around.He told me that Napoles was a pretty good pool shooter.He had shot pool with him when he had his bar. But he didn't know much about any of his fights.

[dagosd2000]

Hold My Hand

I've heard a lot of fighters give praise to their managers when I think that these guys screwed their fighters over big time. I always like it when the public says this fighter is going to fight that fighter like the fighters make these decisions.Most of the time they're kept in the dark.They have no idea who is negotiating.Their managers are often in cahoots with the promoter and when the money is divvied up in the end the fighter thinks he got his fair share out of the deal.

When Buster Douglas was asked what he cleared fighting Mike Tyson he answered 6oo bucks. He thought he got a square deal. Well,that's not in Don King's nature. Douglas said that everyone wanted their share and when the dust settled he wound up with 6oo bucks. He wasn't bitter.He thought that that's how it worked.

Most fighters all they knew was to fight.They fought in the back alleys, and n the middle of the streets growing up as kids,Wherever someone got on their nerves things needed to be settled right away with their fists.The smarter guys went to the gym and figured they could make some money about how they liked to let off steam. Most of them washed out though because professional fighting takes a lot of discipline and hard work and of course it's nice to have some talent.

But then like everything else all good things must come to an end.So what's left? The mangers and promoters didn't take any shots. When their guys are washed up they move on to another batch of hopefuls who need their hands held.I know you can give me a list of exceptions but that piece of paper could fit into a napkin holder.You read about how managers deal off their charges' contracts to others like it's game of Monopoly.

When you see former athletes being inducted into their respective hall of fames like Baseball and football they get to the dais and make these long speeches thanking all the people who had their backs along the way.It was more than just a support group.It was a family.

Boxing is different.I've been to enough of these hall of fame ceremonies and you see some of these guys get up to the microphone and they seem in a fog.Oh,some of them act very happy but there's a sarcastic tint in their tone.If they have a wife and kids left they're lucky. But then these people are now more or less caregivers.I saw Jerry Quarry after he had sunk into the abyss get up and try to say something at one was these boxing ceremonies.The room stilled as he mumbled on about who knows what.Finally when he thought it was time to stop some guy in the back of the room shouting in a gravel voice yelled,"We love ya' Jerry!"

Yeah.We all do.

Jerry Quarry

[dagosd2000]

Fat Chance

Here we go again fight fans.We will get to see Oscar De La Hoya fight a former UFC champion(that's what the promo reads)named Victor Belfort.This is supposed to be a "real" fight:,not an exhibition like what Tyson and Mayweather bored us with a few months ago.This "real" fight will be on September 11th (Nice touch to hype it up and the rounds will be two minutes apiece for eight frames).Gee I can't wait

I saw Oscar on the tube hyping this thing up like it's one of the most significant encounters of all time. It ranks right up there with Ali/Frazier 1 and Leonard/Duran in Montreal. Oh,Oscar is a good talker alright,and he's a good yarn spinner. I remember when he gave Trinidad the last two rounds away thinking that he was so far ahead all he had to do was "outbox" Trini.Instead he was afraid to take him on when the fight was very close and that's when he let go of the rope regarding his fistic career. De La Hoya never won another big fight after that.Mayweather,Hopkins,and Manny trimmed him fair and square (yet there are still some Oscar faithful that think their idol got robbed against Floyd).Every time there was a new challenge Oscar would say that this time he had his s--t together along with a new trainer.Then he'd answer the bell and crap in his pants.I remember him saying that all the different trainers was like enjoying a tossed salad with all these different garnishes(the trainers).I never was a big salad eater.

To hear Oscar talk this one up at 48 years of age is like listening to an Andy Kaufman monologue.Is he trying to be funny?I mean he's so damn serious.

They showed some clips of Oscar working out shadow boxing trying to stay up on his toes.He couldn't maintain much of a pace and when his heals hit the canvas you could hear the thuds. He kept his shirt on but you could still see the love handles and his titties bouncing up and down as he was moving around the ring.I guess he couldn't put a shirt over his face to hide the jowls.He's a 48 year old bloated boxer whose system has been through the mill with cocaine and alcohol.He's gone from a Fred Astaire to a beginning student at the old folks home learning how to dance from a former instructor at Arthur Murray's..


Well why not Oscar?You saw what Tyson and Mayweather raked in with their exhibitions. I mean this is going to be a "real" fight.Oscar,I just hope you don't get a coronary.

Oscar De La Hoya

[dagosd2000]

Jammin' The Blues

When Joe Louis would travel via the train from city to city he'd rent a coach for his party and have his favorite music pumped throughout.Here's an example.

[dagosd2000]

Watch Your Mouth

When Al Silvani was on the set of the movie Raging Bull acting the part of one of Jake LaMotta's trainers(In real life he was)Silvani asked Martin Scoesese ,the director,why there was so much cussing in the dialogue.Silvani told Scorcese that all that foul language never came across in the lives of those characters back then.(I think Raging Bull still holds the record for the most times using the word "f--k" in a movie's dialogue).Scorsese countered that it was part of "poetic license."

I remember living in the Italian neighborhood back in Chicago and tried to put together a parallel between what was spoken in Raging Bull and what was uttered by the guys on the corner of Polk and Oakley Boulevards in the Windy City. Boxing doesn't have a unique play in it.Cussing is a way to emphasis the way a man talked,and sometimes a woman.The only time you had to watch your mouth was in front of your mother,or someone elses,or maybe a nun.

A lot of it has to do with a dago's hot tempered blood.Yet I've known a few Italians that don't swear but that doesn't mean that they hide for cover when one of their goombas is letting loose with the four letter words.

I remember watching Louie Prima in Las Vegas(This was after his gig with Keely Smith and he then married an Italian gal).He was up on the stage and he brought out his kids.They must have been under ten years of age-two boys.Louie told the audience that his kids wanted to share some jokes that he had taught them.Well,the two kids got rolling and before you know it out came the cuss words.I don't think they knew what they meant,but the crowd got a kick out of it.I thougt it was funny too.

Italians like to use their hands when they talk to add emphasis.They also like to cuss to add accent.

What the f--k.I guess that comes with being Italian.


Louie Prima