Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

Straight Answers And A second Thought

In that video I posted yesterday:Larry Merchant talking to Danny Lopez and Bobby Chacon back in 2001. Larry Merchant could get annoying at times."Pushing the Envelope" seemed to be his motto.He knew he had Bobby backed against the ropes with his dementia so Larry didn't pull any of his punches. The probes about Chacon's illness,his wife's suicide,then talking to Bobby's friends about his winding up homeless and surviving collecting bottles and cans. It was like Dempsey standing over Wilard in Toledo.Bobby had enough left in him to feel the hurt.That's what Larry was aiming for and he hit the bullseye.

Moving to Danny ,who was in a lot better state,that didn't stop Merchant from hitting below the belt.Referring to the fight between Danny and Bobby ,Larry tried to sneak in the sucker punch that was indirectly meant for Bobby.
(Sic)"In the long run do you think that you are the winner?"he casually asked Danny.
(Sic)"No.Bobby kicked my butt that night,"Danny said with a half smile.
Nice try Larry. You wanted to kick Bobby when he was already down again and Danny sluffed it off. You were dealing with an honest sort.You've always had that derringer hidden up your sleeve.This time it didn't go off.

When the interview took place Danny was working a construction job. Later, when he knew he was starting to forget things he said he gave up the job.
(Sic)"I didn't want to mess up and put anyone at risk of being hurt."
That's Danny.Thinking about the other guy first.

One thing though he didn't but do said he did in that interview was that he retired after the second Sanchez fight when he was 27. I'm surprised Merchant didn't call him out on that..At 40 years of age Danny tried a comeback. He got hammered in two rounds against a fighter with a 10-27-2 record.


Danny "LIttle Red" Lopez

Danny still makes all the boxing events around LA.His wife,Bonnie, keeps a close eye on him. We all do but we make sure we pull our punches.

[dagosd2000]

What Made Him Say It

I'm a little sketchy on this but I do remember Greg Page was fighting and Larry merchant was with someone announcing the fight. Page's opponent might have been Razor Ruddock and I'm guessing it was Jim Lampley doing the call.Th fight was in Las Vegas, and Larry Merchant seemed to be always around for a big fight on HBO.

Greg Page was not always in top shape when he entered the ring.The flab as noticeable that night. Well, Page climbs through the ropes and you can see he was carrying a lot of extra weight. Merchant just had to make a remark.
"Look at Page's breasts.He should be wearing a bra.He's a C cup."
I couldn't believe he said that. The guys beside him ignored it but Larry kept it up like he wanted recognition for his immature comment.He said it again and later on still thinking he was ...funny?

The guy is obnoxious.I've never cared for him. He's a troublemaker and when he interviewed fighters he always made sure to set off alarms.Him and cosell were a couple of beauts. You could tell those two never owned a jockstrap.Maybe because they had no balls.


Larry Merchant in character.Maybe he thought he was as important(or more) than the fighters.He obviously was more inteligent.All you had to do is ask him





Larry Merchant saying that he if was 50 years younger he'd kick Floyd Mayweather's ass.

[dagosd2000]

A Tear Is Worth A Thousand Words

When the news of the passing of Archie Moore hit the airwaves I had been bracing myself for awhile. The last couple of years of his life he had worn down to the point that it didn't come as a shock.It was sad of course, but for me it was like a passing of not only the man, but of the dimming of an the age he represented.It was becoming a time for the sons to step up to the plate and show if they could hit the ball.

I was watching again one of those fights on HBO when it was Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant holding the mics.Again ,I can't remember who was fighting. Before the bout Lampley announced sadly of Archie Moore's death. He then turned to Merchant. He looked subdued with his head down.Then he rose and he said that during the last year of Moore's life that he had been communicating with him through the internet.Merchant said that Moore would fill his head with stories of fistic lore always at the end tying them to some Mongoose wit.Merchant went on to say that he hoped the world appreciated what a great fighter and what a great man was Archie Moore He broke down,his voice trailing off.Then he wiped his eyes.

I'd never seen Larry Merchant as moved as he was that night.It left me speechless.

[dagosd2000]

As Mexican As You Can Get

When Kid Azteca died in 2002 Mexico paused to pay their respects to the fighter who most symbolized its character. He was never a champion;he fought everyone;fought longer than anyone;fought in every arena in every pueblo in the republic.HIs record shows over 200 fights.It's more likely over 400.Was he a gooid fighter?Yes.Let's keep it that way. He fought because he liked to fight and that's how he wanted to make his living.He had a fighter's face and the heart of a fighter.And how about some of those guys he fought?They're like pulled out of a dream.Damon Runyan couldn't make them up. El Conscripto,Little Palma,Baby Yucatan,Battling Ambrosio. He fought so many "Baby's" and Kid's" they could have put him in jail for child abuse.But he was a "Kid" too.Even when he got old he had the spirit of an adolescent.

You know something.I've seen it many times .When a Mexican finally gets tired of putting on airs,playing a game that he can not win because he's what he is,So he finds himself again in what he is:a Mexican.He dreams about his roots. Living in that rincon of cielo way down below away from the United States ,eating his abuelita's handmade flour tortillas at her rancho.listening to the charros sing of their patria chica,the colors of the Indian corn,the snorting of the cattle grazing in the fields.and maybe the sight of Kid Azteca climbing through the ropes in the town's bullring. He will do that forever.Kid Azteca.You can't make a person like that up.


KId Azteca


Mexico's greatest fighter with its greatest legend


What Mexican dreams are made of.

[dagosd2000]

A Gift From God

They say there's an expression in Tepito that if you're a fighter and born in Tepito it's a gift from God. I had a sister in law who lived in Tepito with her six kids.She was born on that ranchita on top of that mountain in that little town ,Pardones in the state of Michoacan ,along with my wife and the other siblings ., She was my wife's sister.She died a few yeas ago in Tepito I bet money she never heard that saying about fighters that were born in Tepito were a gift from God..Life is tough in Tepito..Only survivors survive.Tepito can break you down pretty quick. If you're a male you know what fighting is about as soon as you can walk.

I forgot to mention yesterday that Kid Aztcca was born in Tepito.I bet my sister in law didn't know that. She believed in God,and so did Kid Azteca.I bet they never crossed paths.

When my sister in law was alive I used to go to her place with my wife to visit. Her four girls lived in one room ,their beds separated by a rope with a sheet hung over it. Her sons ,lived downstairs.Sometimes I'd go out with them and go drinking. My wife didn't say anything.My sister in law was used to it.Me and her sons would all come back drunk.

I figure Kid Azteca got out of Tepito by being a fighter.I wouldn't say he was lucky because you have to break a good sweat to be a fighter,but I'm sure he'd return once in awhile to visit family and friends.

Every time I went to Mexico City either to Tepito to visit my sister in law,or to that high end colonia named Zaragoza where my other sister in law lived with her mucky muck husband and kids,I'd go to the Arena Coliseo to take in the fights.My brother in law who lived in Zaragoza,who had graduated from UNAM and ran his mother's uniform factory and fancied himself a poiitico, had never been to the Arena Coliseo. I pressed him to go with me, and he said it was in a dangerous part of town and he had doubts.But he went anyway and after it was over he was very happy and he told me all about Kid Azteca having fought at the Arena Coliseo many times.

When I went to visit my sister in law's place in Tepito I'd ask my nephews if they wanted to go to the fights at the Arena Coliseo.They never wanted to go.They would rather go out and get drunk down the street.I never heard them talk about Kid Azteca.They probably didn't even know who he was.

A typical street in Tepito



Pardones.Where my wife's family was from.

[dagosd2000]

I Have A Dream

Cassius Clay was captivated about what The Nation Of Islam had to say about what position blacks should take in a society that was changing fast.At the time Clay was beginning to buy to what The Nation Of Islam was preaching. He lent his ear to the cult's fast rising and most influential orator,Malcolm X.

It wasn't so much that they put Allah ahead of Jesus in the prophet rankings, let alone that Jesus wasn't God's sonny boy.It was the nation Of Islam's position to separate themselves physically, from white society. It wasn't even a thing of them wanting equality.No.The black man was better and he wanted to break the "chains" so to speak.In order to break those "chains' only an axe could do the job. "By any means necessary",shouted Malcolm X.

Now Martin Luther King on the other hand didn't carry an axe.One should use a key.But he didn't have one of those either.In short,Malcolm X thought if you hit me I'll hit you back.Isn't that what fathers' tell their sons? But Martin Luther King advocated Jesus' take:"He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword."That's something mothers would want their boys to do.

So Cassius Clay palled around with Malcolm X.He became a Muslim.He changed his name.He shocked the world again. Now what if Cassius Clay would have followed the path of Martin Luther King?(What a thread that would make ).He still would have beaten Sonny Liston. But there was one big obstacle in his way:The Draft. And he knew that was down the road.Uncle Sam didn't care what your faith was.If you came up One A you got to ride the Greyhound Bus free to the induction center.

Don't think the now Ali didn't have that on his mind.If he had stayed a Christian he would have had to become a minister of sorts to get a passThat meant going to theology school and studying,He didn't have time for that.He was the heavyweight champion and besides,Uncle Sam wasn't going to wait around for him pass his exams.He wasn't what you'd call a Rhodes Scholar anyway.

But to be blessed by The Nation Of Islam as a mon of the cloth he could cut all the red tape,especially now that he was the champ and poster child,and come out out wearing his Muslim garb and proclaiming to be an Imam

But as you all know Ali would have another fight on his hands,and it wasn't inside a boxing ring. It would be in the courts.However,in the meantime there was a chain reaction to not give him a license to fight anywhere.Inactive for three years,Ali made speeches instead of throwing punches.His pal Malcolm X had fallen out of The Nation Of Islam because its leader Elijah Muhammad was dipping his wick into his young secretaries and fathering children with them.It's not to say that Martin Luther King wasn't doin' similar.But he was following safe sex and wasn't a daddy. In addition he had some white babes in his little black book.

While all this was going on Malcolm X got whacked.Ali had turned his back on his pal because The Nation Of islam told him to or HE would be the one getting ventilated by shotgun blasts. (more than likely the Nation Of Islam and the New York cops planned the hit on X)

.When Ali finally returned he had " lost his legs " and was never the same fighter again.When you make all these comparisons and mythical fights the questions are always couched with "The prime Ali."

If Cassius clay would have sided with Martin Luther King he would have still been drafted but he would have been like Joe Louis never leaving the country and fighting exhibitions and defending his title.We would have still seen Clay in his prime.

But all that is just water under the bridge.It's just a dream ,or something o post on the forum.


Happy birthday Doc

[dagosd2000]

Reminds me when I used to go to The Helping Hand Of God Church.


The Reverend James Kinchin

[dagosd2000]

No Nice Way To Make A Graceful Exit

I was watching Tom Brady last night in that playoff game. It came out like I expected.The Buccaneers lost and their offense didn't show up.. You could blame a lot of that on Tom Brady.

Tom Brady is through as a top quarterback. He misses connections with his receivers.He can't throw the ball downfield with any zip.All he can do is dump the ball off.Let's face it. He's 45.He's too old.RIght now he's one of the worst quarterbacks around.

The press tries to sugarcoat it.His receivers aren't that good.His offensive line isn't consistent. The team has a new head coach They just don't want to come out and say the guy is shot and he ain't gonna' get any better and he's shouldn't be out there-at least not a starter.

So that's how arguably the greatest quarterback ends his career:he starts throwing more interceptions.

I remember watching Willie Mays after the Giants traded him to the Mets.The Say Hey Kid couldn't get around on the fastball anymore.

Then there was Wilt The Stilt who averaged 50 points a game one year.Every year he'd lead the league in scoring. At the end when he played for the LA Lakers he wasn't even even the highest scorer on the team nor he beast player.He was lucky if he could score 12 points a game.

So if you get long in the tooth with being a baseball,football,or basketball player it's not so hard to watch like it is to see a once great fighter at the end of his road.

Just about al the great athletes don't know when to quit.Now if you're a bum the team let's you go and no one picks up your contract.With the great ones they hang around longer because people remember them in their primes and believe they can catch lightning in a bottle. But eventually the teams have to make a break with them.

Boxing is different.One,it's an individual sport.And two,it's riddled with unscrupulous promoters and managers. There's always some maggot who's got the nerve to squeeze one more fight out of a washed up once great fighter to make a buck. In the course of this the fighter each time he steps through the ropes he's putting his health on the line,if not his life."Punchy"becomes synonymous.

Muhammad Ali should have never been given the greenlight to fight Larry Holmes,but The Mayo Clinic said he was OK to get into the ring.(And we listen to what they have to say about how it's important it is to get your Covid shots)What spin doctor promoter got their hooks(money)at the doctors who made that call on Ali?

OK .I mentioned Ali as a guy who had no business fighting that fight.But HE FOUGHT AGAIN AFTER THAT! You can start a thread about all the washed up former greats who never should have fought after the fork was stuck in them. Now who's ready to get writer's cramp?


Roy Jones.A fighter who fought too long,and that tarnished his legend.

[chrisjs1985]

For Chris And The Aficianados

This clip is for my pal Chris James and the sentimental who are enamored with Mexican boxing.This tribute was in honor for those Mexican fighters who fought to the hilt during the Epoca De Oro in Mexico's boxing history. The film is part of a documentary featuring the past fighters, who at the time, the aficianados never forget. Those fighters and those fans are no ,longer with us. It's not important if you don't speak Spanish. The aura transcends language. You'll recognize the names. THe youth of the country have lost their roots.Hopefully this snapshot will stir the blood.It did mine.

Fantastic clip Roger. Thanks for sharing. An era which I am fascinated by is that era of Mexicans, especially up to when Jose Medel lost his national title. Many forgotten with the passing of time and sadly, not a great deal of footage.

[dagosd2000]

For Chris And The Aficianados

This clip is for my pal Chris James and the sentimental who are enamored with Mexican boxing.This tribute was in honor for those Mexican fighters who fought to the hilt during the Epoca De Oro in Mexico's boxing history. The film is part of a documentary featuring the past fighters, who at the time, the aficianados never forget. Those fighters and those fans are no ,longer with us. It's not important if you don't speak Spanish. The aura transcends language. You'll recognize the names. THe youth of the country have lost their roots.Hopefully this snapshot will stir the blood.It did mine.

Fantastic clip Roger. Thanks for sharing. An era which I am fascinated by is that era of Mexicans, especially up to when Jose Medel lost his national title. Many forgotten with the passing of time and sadly, not a great deal of footage.

Chris I'd say that feel continued into the 80's,but only in Mexico. At that time there were no more fights at the Olympic.PPV and Vegas was featuring the big time Mexican fighters.That old time electricity had been essentially turned off.However fights in Mexico still had that crazy taste. You can find it today in the arenas in the pueblos but the quality of the Mexican fighter is lacking. What's left of the top Mexican fighters you can witness mostly on the U.S. side.

Back in the day I'd go to the fights in Tijuana just to breathe in the atmosphere:the ring announcer in that broad big voice,the crazies setting off firecrackers,throwing the dead snake around the ringside,followed by the extra large size woman's panties with the blood stained crotch.I haven't seen that kind of depravity in years.

I saw a clip about Pavaratti and how his voice cracked trying to reach a high C at La Scala in Milan. The opera aficianados in the balcony threw tomatoes at him. He was shamed. Now he had to get back on the right track,but in his homeland..He didn't want to go back to La Scala right away so he chose to make his comeback in Naples.
"The people really know opera there,"he said.
On his way to the opera house in the taxi he was rehearsing one of his lines. He was fumbling.The cab drive heard him.
"No.Your phrasing is wrong. Here.I'll sing it for you."
Pavarotti listened and then smiled.
"Yes!That's how it should be sung."And thanked the cab driver.

The same with those old fights in Mexico.Those people knew what was good and what was not.They didn't need an ESPN sportscaster to tell them. Now,Canelo fights at Caesar's Palace against some non entity and it's 500 bucks to sit in the nosebleed seats. Gimme' Joe Medel going toe to toe in the local bullring with some guy who's not afraid of him. I wouldn't even know where to find a tomato.


Pavarotti



The Voice Immortal


And an encore

[dagosd2000]

Home Alone

In the Southland,and that includes Tijuana,you don't have any local talent;what they call a hometown boy who will bring the fans to the arena.The way boxing has evolved caused that I guess.Today,you've got these hybrid gyms that are comprised of MMA and boxing.But the boxing end of it leaves a lot to be desired. The trainers are a bunch of kids who never boxed yet they'll show you something and you'll think that Charley Goldman was talking to you.The problem is:Who is Charley Goldman?

When I was going to the matches before the new century, Los Angeles had a thick crop of those hometown boys.Now that's not to say they were all born in LA,but they fought in LA and lived there so the city adopted them. Mando Ramos,Bobby Chacon.the Lopez brothers,the quarry's,Frankie Crawford,Ruben Navarro,Hedgemon Lewis-the list goes on.

Dow here in San Diego it was Ken Norton,Art Hafey,Ronnie Wilson,and Amado Vasquez who we went to see on a regular basis.

Tijuana had Jibaro Perez ,Erik Morales,Dinamita Estrada,and Tony Margariro to get written up in the local sports pages.

There was plenty of competition arriving to fight these fellas'.However, between the advent of PPV and relocating to Las Vegas for the big extravaganzas, local boxing went by the wayside. Sure,that clique of promoters like King and Arum cleaned up, but they also cleaned house on local boxing.

LA has Ryan Garcia.San Diego has no one. Tijuana has Jaime Munguia to shout about,but the local talent is getting thinner as time marches on.No more Olympic Auditorium.It's now a Korean church. The San Diego Coliseum has been remolded into a trendy bar in what they call now The East Village which is a Mecca for the homeless.Tijuana still has the Auditorio but now it's mostly booked for youth sports and the wrestling matches.

Today,if a fan wants to see a big fight he can stream it on the tube instead of paying his electric bill. If he wants to reminisce he can bring some firecrackers,a dead snake,and a pair of bloodstained woman's panties and throw them at the picture screen.


The former Olympic Auditorium,now a Korean Church. Makes me think about being an atheist.

[dagosd2000]

The Laugh's On Me

Got to thinkin' about what I posted yesterday about how there's less and less of the old boxing arenas around and how I finished off my post with that picture of the former Olympic auditorium now a Korean church. Then to put a cherry on top I said,"Makes me think of being an atheist."

Again ,trying to draw attention to myself.As usual my MO is wanting to make a "funny."Well,like I opened up with,I thought it over and if you got a laugh out of my remark it should have come back on me.

The building is now a place of worship.What was it before? A place where men beat their brains out in a boxing ring.How many of those pugs wound up with scrambled eggs for brains? Even the "winners" wound up with maladies that brought unhappiness to their loved ones and cut their lives short. There were even some that had to be carried out on a stretcher.Some died as they exited.Kiko Bejines and Johnny Owen come to mind. You've heard of the expression "The crowd cheering for blood."Well, I don't think the congregation inside that Korean church has any of those thoughts in mind.

I'm sure there were many God fearing fans that went to those fights at the Olympic Auditorium.I wonder if they made the sign of the cross when they saw Johnny Owen being carried out of the ring on a stretcher.I know one of the stretcher bearers got his pocket picked in the process. Nothing funny about that.Amen.


Johnny Owen

[dagosd2000]

The Problem With Harry

Harry Wills was for me a tough guy to figure. He was built like The Rock Of Gibraltar Mandingo. I guess you could say he was for a time part of that Black Murderers Row of the Jack Johnson Era. By the time Johnson lost his title to Jess Willard all those black heavyweights that hoped that Johnson would give then a chance to win boxing's biggest prize lost hope.Willard drew the color line and wouldn't budge.

By 1917 Sam Langford was not in the hunt anymore. Fred Fulton had whacked him on top of the head damaging the optic nerve of Sam's left eye causing it to go blind, Joe Jeanette and Sam McVey Were long gone.All these fellas' could do prior to Willard winning the title was fight each other for The "Colored" version of the heavyweight championship,the spin doctors thinking that would pacify them.

When Dempsey beat Jess in Toledo Jack had a Jack Of Spades up his sleeve with him in Doc Kearns. Doc didn't have his Dempsey in the ring much while he was wearing the belt. You could see Dempsey at the local theaters acting in the silents or on the Broadway stage reciting his lines. There were some weak defenses in the meantime. Bill Brennan was beating Dempsey until Jack caught him with a Sunday punch in the 12th round. Billy Miske was dying of Bright's Disease when Dempsey knocked him out, and the passing away three months later.The light heavyweight champ George Carpantier was called on but he was puny compared to Dempsey and to top it off had a fragile jaw. But Doc Kearns and Tex Rickard combined to put together the first million dollar gate for that mismatch.And let's not forget Tommy Gibbons who put up one of the most lackluster efforts in a prize ring,and then Doc escaping with every last nickel in the Shelby Montana banks.Luis Firpo should have won the championship when he knocked Dempsey into the first row of seats at the Polo Grounds but the scribes pushed Jack back into the ring and big Louie couldn't follow up.

So in 1926 the fans wanted to see Dempsey in there with the best contender, and that was Harry Wills.The New York Commission had clout back then and told Dempsey to make the deal.They sat down and signed the papers but Dempsey then pulled out saying that he got stiffed out of his guarantee up front. Kearns was no longer in Dempsey's corner and Tex Rickard would have no part in an interracial fight for the title.So next in line for Dempsey was Gene Tunney.

Wills was still the top contender and was matched with Jack Sharkey. For thirteen rounds Wills looked like he was drugged and was finally DQ'd for inactivity. His next fight he was stopped by Floyd Johnson, and afterwards rifted of into the sunset.

Harry Wills had a little known secret about his training regimen.He'd once a year fast for 30 days. He claimed fasting rid the body of impurities and gave him energy.

I guess you could say that Jack Johnson didn't help Harry Will's case to get a world championship fight.But Wills was no Jack Johnson,at least in the oratory department. That cockiness wasn't in his nature.Besides,lynching blacks in some parts still wasn't a crime at the time.How Jack Johnson never got invited to a necktie party was a miracle.


Harry Wills

[dagosd2000]

A Big Deal Out Of KInda' Nothing

Aileen Eaton wanted to make a big deal out of the upcoming heavyweight fight between Jerry Quarry and Joey Orbillo,and succeeded.The winner would claim bragging rights as the top heavyweight in the Southland.

Prior to the bout Mrs. Eaton had built up Orbillo's rep by noting that he could claim Tony Doyle and Manual Ramos in his win column.Both Quarry and Orbillo had similar records going into the fight only losing once,and that was to the same man,the veteran Eddie Machen by decision.

Orbillo learned his trade at the Hoover Street Gym run buy Jack Shugrue. Shugrue thought he had a live one with Orbillo and became his manager.

Both boys were familiar in LA. Joey had done all his fighting at The Olympic and and that's where the battle would take place.It should also be noted that both Joey and Jerry were frequent sparring partners.It not clear who was prepping who for greater glory since both were running neck and neck for recognition. But for those who witnessed those sparring sessions it was clear that Jerry Quarry was a better fighter.

For all the guys in he know they realized that Joey and Jerry had become pals over time. This became the key element in their fight.There was plenty of excitement from the sold out Olympic before the opening bell. Jerry let Joey get off to a fast start but after the 3rd frame it was all The Irishman.In the 4th round Jerry put Joey to the canvas. I think it validated Jerry's stance on who was the boss.Joey took a 9 count and it looked like Jerry was going to put him away for good.But instead of ramping it up,Jerry took his foot off the gas. The fight morphed into one their old sparring sessions.

Those in the know quickly sized up what was happening. Jerry would carry Joey through to the end.

Uncle Sam had given Joey notice so he went into the Army. He was discharged after spending a week in Nam because of two broken ear drums,a result of his fight with Jerry.He finished his tour of duty in The States.After his hitch was up he made a comeback fighting. Joey went on to fight journeymen fighters losing his last bout to a sub par journeyman,Robie Harris, by a TKO.

In 1972 Joey joined the LAPD.Well, for Jerry things didn't turn out so good..I think if Joey could have done it he would have somehow carried Jerry through to the end.



Joey Orbillo

[dagosd2000]

A MIxed Bag

Aside from Ken Norton and Jerry Quarry the composition of Southland heavyweights was a mixed bag of journeymen. Yesterday I wrote a little about Joey Orbillo. He'd have to be put in that sack.He didn't have any boxing trait that really stood out except he had guts. In fact the names that I'll briefly mention all shared that courage.

There was a pretty slick fella' by the name of Chuck Leslie who could box with the best of them. I sparred with him once at The Coliseum. Though he could hit me at will pretty much his blows were like a light breeze. If this guy had a better wallop he might have been a contender.

Manuel Ramos,who had the nickname Pulgarcito(Little Flea),was a rare Mexican heavyweight. There weren't many of them.I think that's why because any Mexican that big. doesn't need to know how to fight,at least inside a boxing ring. Not many other Mexicans are going to mess with him. Ramos was on a roll beating Eddie Machen and Ernie Terrell when Joe Frazier gave him a shot at the title.The fight was held in MSG and no one gave the big hombre much of a chance. Mexico held it's breath and in the 2nd round the Little Flea nailed Joe with a left hook that buckled his knees. That woke him up. He squashed the Flea before the round ended.

Jack O'Halloran made some noise,especially in San Diego. He was becoming a big hometown favorite. He was matched with Kenny Norton for bragging rights at The Coliseum .Inside the arena that night you could have thought you were at the Mardi Gras in New Orleans,the crowd behind Big Jack.But Norton was too much for him,knockng him down in the 7th to seal the decision.

Irish Tony Doyle showed his face a few times.Though there was another Irishman by the name of Jerry Quarry who would reach higher heights Doyle managed to fight him to a draw at The Olympic auditorium. When Muhammad Ali was in town to fight Ken Norton he employed Doyle as one of his sparring partners.Ali would make jokes about Tony saying he's so Irish that everything he wears is green including his "jockey strap" Ali should have concentrated on making less jokes and broke more of a sweat while he finished up his training.Norton got the last laugh.

Dave Centi,a Washingtonian,did a lot of fighting in Southern California.A tall rangy guy he also, like Chuck Leslie, didn't hit hard. and he was slow on the draw.He lost more than he won.

Sam Wyatt was a big slow poke.His record shows a 7 and 7 with 1 KO.. I saw him lose a boring decision to Ken Norton in Norton's second pro going.

Wayne Kindred tried his hand for awhile, but he was overmatched early and became a more useful sparring partner than a regular fighter.After losing his last five in a row,all by KO, he hung up his gloves.

There was a big lug named Ski Goldstein that made San Diego his base of operations. He was a Pole,his last name Stepniewski, but thought if he switched it something "Jewish" he get a bigger following. He had a steady crew that came to all his fights but they weren't wearing yamulkes. Goldstein I don't think ever took fighting seriously,like he did drinking beer and having a goodtime. I'd see him at the beach all the time. doing his version of roadwork chasing the hard bodies on the shoreline in their bikinis.

Well, that's a short list. I left out Charley Powell.He came along earlier.

I don't think if I went down the street and asked anyone if they remembered those above mentioned I'd get one recollection.You need to have remembered them first.


Inside the ol' San Diego Coliseum

[goose 5]

Hi Roger,

Did you know Jack O'Halloran ? He claims to be Albert Anastasia's son.

[dagosd2000]

Hi Roger,

Did you know Jack O'Halloran ? He claims to be Albert Anastasia's son.

I saw him work out in the gym a few times that's all. I've read that about him being Albert Anastasia's son because his mother "knew" Anastasia and the Mob. He also said that Ali got a hold of him and told him to beat up his brother when they fought because Ali didn't want his brother fighting anymore.

O'Halloran,in my opinion,is full of it,but harmless. He says he knows who killed Jimmy Hoffa and why And who killed JFK and why And the reason Marilyn Monroe died and how it happened When he fought Ken Norton he said the referee prevented him from KO'ing Norton by stepping in between and halting the action I saw the fight.That didn't happen.

He's written books about his life with all these tales in it.The guy wants to-a cult figure.He gleans stuff from other sources and puts it into his life.He was kidnapped once and a short while later they let him go.That really happened.What the kidnappers wanted with him is anyone's guess.He had a bit part in The Superman movie.Superman wasn't real either.


Superman.O'Halloran probably knows who shot him and why.There's plenty of room for him on the forum

[goose 5]

Very interesting info ! He also claims he was going to beat up Christopher Reeve. It seems Reeve was talking about him.

[dagosd2000]

Very interesting info ! He also claims he was going to beat up Christopher Reeve. It seems Reeve was talking about him.

O'Halloran could have beaten everybody up.Just ask him.

[dagosd2000]

Tall Tales

Can you imagine Muhammad Ali telling a white fighter like Jack O'Halloran to beat up his brother because "he is embarrassing me?" Who's going to swallow that? I saw O'Halloean fight Ali's brother,Rahman, at The Coliseum. O'Halloran stopped him but that didn't prove much.Yeah,he beat him fair and square but Rahman Ali wasn't much of a fighter especially if you're going to compare him with his brother.

I always wondered why Rahman Ali had nothing close to his brother in ability.He looked like his father while Muhammad took after his mother,at least in facial appearance. The brothers were always together. Rahman probably was more important to Muhammad as a sparring partner.

When O'Halloran beat Rahman Ali it would be Rahman's last pro fight. He didn't fight that much,only 18 fights in a 7 year stretch.He never fought a top ten guy.Once in awhile he would fight on the undercard of his brother.

Today,he gets by living of his brother's name, and why not? He wrote a book,a bio about his bro,"Muhammad Ali,The Definitive Biography." I've never read it.I should. Prior, he penned a book about himself,"That's Muhammad Ali's Brother,My Life On The Undercard." I've never read that one either.I don't think many have. I assume the biography is a bigger seller than reading about Rahman's life story.The bio has been printed in eight different languages.

I think of all the people who were close to Muhammad Ali:family,wives,kids,managers,trainers,business associates,just plain friends,the groupies young and old.Most of them still spin their lives around Muhammad Ali.

I can figure a guy like Jack O'Halloran would fit in that mold.If you want to get attention what a better name to drop at a party than Muhammad Ali?Maybe you could write a book about him and get it printed in eight different languages.


Muhammad Ali

[dagosd2000]

Taped in 1966,Rocky Marciano's take on fighters wanting to make a comeback including his own temptations.Makes a lot of sense.

[goose 5]

Roger: was Eddie Futch working with Leslie when you sparred him ?

[dagosd2000]

Roger: was Eddie Futch working with Leslie when you sparred him ?

Goose
I'm glad you're asking because I screwed up when I posted earlier that I had sparred with Chuck Leslie. It wasn't Chuck Leslie,but Chuck Haynes. I don't know if Lesiie was being handled by Eddie Futch because I never saw Leslie in San Diego working out or fighting.

[dagosd2000]

Timing Out

Listening to Marciano talk about how a fighter loses his timing if he stays away from the game too long stirs a lot of memories.

Denny Moyer, who was coming to the end of a career with well over a hundred fights, would say that if he was absent from the gym for more than two weeks he'd "lose" his timing. And though Moyer was a shell of himself by that time I'd see him in the gym most every day.He could make things work for a few rounds like the good ol' days, but then after that he'd begin to wilt. You could attribute that to too much beer and not enough roadwork. If you look at his effort against the mighty Monzon , Denny for the first few rounds was out boxing Carlos. Then Carlos caught him with a shot in the 5th that put Moyer against the ropes.The referee rushed in like it was a 5 alarm fire and stopped it.

I saw Ray Leonard interviewed once talking about his fight with Marvin Hagler. Ray said that after being out of the ring for almost three years he was surmising if he had made the right decision by signing to fight Hagler.
"It took me almost six months before I could get my timing back."
And still it ain't the same quality as before. Marvin was sowing signs of wear, and then his corner told him to go out fighting "orthodox" for the first two rounds practically giving those frames away.Macho Camacho finally made Ray see the light.

The Lopez brothers,Danny and big bro Ernie, tried the comeback after a lengthy layoff. Both were stopped by fighters they could have wupped with one hand tied behind their backs when the brothers were on top of their games.

Turning back the clock,the once invincible Benny Leonard took his pants off again when he went belly up in the stock market crash. Jimmy McLarnin made easy work of the once great Leonard..

And then there was old Joe Louis who was feeling the heat from the IRS after losing to Ezzrard Charles.He was fighting Charles because he was broke.You could see he'd "lost" that timing by then. But that fight didn't earn him enough scratch to keep the Feds from knocking on his door. so he fought for a big chunk of change against Marciano and got this time got knocked out by Rocky's left and then a right. Yu could see Joe wanting to throw the old one two but the signals from hid brain to his hands were shorting out.

When Ali was in town to take on Kenny Norton it was suppose to be a workout for Ali ,and then he'd meet Foreman for the real deal. Watching Ali spar you could tell he had lost a step(maybe two steps).His legs were gone. He'd lean against the ropes for the most part letting his sparring partners hit him a will.Ali would cover up but he didn't have enough co- ordination to mount much offensively. He'd snap his jab out thinking that if he was quicker on the draw that would be enough,at least to beat a no name like Norton.

I'll put this to rest with Sugar Ray Robinson. I remember watching his fight on TV with Tiger Jones as a kid with my dad. Ray, after more than two years trying his song and dance act on the stage,was making his move again. Jones was on five fight losing skid.Well, Jones that night was using Robby as a punching bag. The announcer,Ted Husing.was flabbergasted..
"I've never seen Robinson take these many punches before."
Can you spell T-I-M-I-N-G ?

It's the same for every fighter, even the greats. Doesn't matter if it's a Sugar Ray Robinson ,a Joe Louis,or a Muhamad Ali. Once they walk away they should stay away. If they're broke it's on them.They made enough dough.So they didn't pay their taxes or spent their money on bad investments or gave it away to their friends or bought the world a round of drinks.Or in Ali's case he still wanted to be the enter of attraction. They all find out that that fountain Of Youth they were trying to find had been pissed in


Joe Louis

[dagosd2000]

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

A couple of years ago when Chris James had his "Meet And Greet" bash in honor of the fighters in the Arts District section of downtown LA on the eve of the West Coast Boxing Hall OF Fame ceremony, I sat and talked awhile with Carlos Zarate.He was there with a couple of younger fellas'.I don't know if they were family related or just friends but I wanted to engage Zarate with something besides fielding him with boxing inquiries so I told him that my sister in law was his neighbor in a ways because she lived in the nearby colonia of Mexico City called Metropolitania. Carlos, reared in Tepito, was a stone's throw away.That bit of information seemed to grab his attention.

Mexico City is believed to have a population today of over 20 million.It's the largest city people wise in the Western Hemisphere. I was there last August. I don't know how often Zarate goes back to Tepito but he made it sound that he could take you on a cook's tour of the place in a heartbeat. My sister in law's burg is similar in makeup.(BTW:my sister in law passed away a few years back but she has a couple of sons that still live there)

It's sort of a badge of honor,a rite of passage, to say that you were born in Tepito. It's like saying a hundred years ago boasting that you were a product of Dodge city or Tombstone. You didn't live in Tepito as much as being a survivor. Tepito ,like the neighborhoods that border it,is run down, or you could say it pays the price, if you want to be nice.You could opine that it's dangerous, or again if you want to soften your take, you can say it's a rough place to live.

A lot of Mexico's legendary fighters were from Tepito:Ruben Oliveres,Rodolfo Martinez,Kid Azteca,and Raton Macias.The famous Arena Coliseo, which is another stone's throw toss,is where those boys got their baptisms of fire inside the boxing ring.

There's a certain pride about people who can say that "Yeah ,I was born in Tepito." But that's comin' from the natives who can call somewhere else their home now. Ever watch some of these documentaries on TV about famous people who were born in places (I'll give an example) like The South Bronx and they'll talk about the good ol' days growing up there?.But they don't live there anymore.Sure,they still wear that certain tattoo on their chest but they'll also tell you the neighborhood has gone to hell.

I lived as a kid on the Southwest Side of Chicago.If you ever saw that movie,"A Bronx Tale" it's a carbon copy-an Italian version of the Little Rascals.The last time I went back to pay a visit I didn't want to get out of my car and walk around.I didn't feel like giving up my car nor my life.

Tepito,the Southwest Side;they make for a good yarn or two;make it even sound kind of romantic like maybe you'd like to live there someday. But reality is, to put it mildly, a lot more than a punch in the nose.Those dead guys you hear about in the news didn't wind up that way by getting socked in the face. And when Mr. Roberts starts belting out his song about, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" he ain't singing standing on a corner in either Tepito or where I used to run around with my little goombas.


Carlos Zarate