Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 12:24
Tells us Tom.....raylawpc wrote:Any guesses?raylawpc wrote:Trivia question: Anyone know when or where that photo was taken?kikibalt wrote:
Jim Jeffries & Sam Berger
BoxRec
Classic American West Coast Boxing
Page 401 of 1796
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 12:25
A river? Your rivers are shallow, Frankie.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 12:32
Cement-lined flood channel at the 4th Street bridge
Bennie, some pics. of the L.A River
Los Angeles River 2003 rain season Griffith Park
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 12:47
Anatomy of a Fight, Part One
by Peter Owen Nelson
Welterweight Oscar De La Hoya, left, fights Steve Forbes at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, on May 3. De La Hoya won by unanimous decision. Photograph by Tom Hogan.
This is the first essay in a series about boxer Oscar De La Hoya, his looming retirement and rebirth as a promoter, and the saga leading up to his upcoming bout against a five-foot-six-and-a-half-inch lightning bolt from the Philippines named Manny Pacquiao. The fight is expected to rake in at least $165 million, the most in boxing history. The bell sounds on December 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Critics make poor morticians, so with sorrow many have told us: boxing is dead. They said it in England in the 1820s, when the bare-knuckle fighters of the time were said to pale in comparison to a champion in the 1740s named Jack Broughton. They said it in 1951, when Joe Louis retired from the ring. They said it after Muhammad Ali. They say it today. What they remember is the Ali-Frazier “Fight of the Century” at Madison Square Garden, where Frank Sinatra snapped photos ringside for Life magazine; they remember the unparalleled agility of Sugar Ray Robinson; and they long for the heroism of bare-knuckle heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan, who knocked out Jake Kilrain after a scant 75 rounds. Boxing is a sport whose popularity always seems on the decline—until a major fight is on the horizon. “My event with Manny Pacquiao is going to be probably the biggest in the history of any fight game—so that’s an indication boxing is alive and well,” Oscar De La Hoya told me recently. He was unwittingly paraphrasing the poet Randall Jarrell who wrote, “The people who live in a Golden Age usually go around complaining how yellow everything looks.”
Front row from left, Golden Boy Promotions executives Richard Schaefer (C.E.O.), De La Hoya (President), and Raul Jaimes (Vice President). Photograph by Tom Hogan.
In a matter of hours, the fight’s tickets sold out, securing nearly $17 million at the gate, a fraction of the expected gross. Once De La Hoya retires as a fighter (he is 35 years old) and devotes himself fully to promotion, the challenge will be to sustain such revenues for the sport. Currently, this goal seems improbable short of the rumored Tyson-Holyfield III face-off in Dubai. (Karl Marx claimed major events happen twice—first as tragedy and then as farce—but he forgot to tell us about the third time, which apparently blends both and takes place in Dubai.)
De La Hoya’s story has elements similar to those of many bootstrap fighters: he was born into a poor Mexican-American family, at times surviving on food stamps, in East Los Angeles, where he was taken in by confidence men. Unlike most cauliflower-eared champions, De La Hoya was blessed with a teen heartthrob’s mug. The pairing of looks and power has made him a celebrity, which has enabled him to transition from the ring—where he has won an Olympic gold and 10 world titles—to a flourishing career as a promoter (and a Latin Grammy–nominated crooner). In 2007, his estimated earnings were $43 million. Sure, there have been colossal mishaps along the way: fights he could have won but lost; a reality show, The Next Great Champ, that tanked; and a bevy of lawsuits. The most notorious legal entanglement occurred last year, when a former stripper sold images of what appeared to be De La Hoya in drag to a gossip Web site, and then threatened a $25 million defamation suit (dropped nine months later) against him for asserting what digital-forensics experts would also conclude: the photos were fake. Despite such setbacks, De La Hoya’s family remains strong, and his wife supportive. His company, Golden Boy Promotions, continues to thrive. His business savvy has allowed his cachet as a fighter to grow even as a handful of losses have tarnished his once-perfect record (he is 39–5 in his career). Overall, De La Hoya’s life has seemed charmed ever since he was a young boy, when a towering man in a gray plastic workout suit showed up unannounced to the rundown Resurrection Gym in Los Angeles and taught him combinations. Though De La Hoya didn’t know it at the time, the man was Muhammad Ali.
Undoubtedly, De La Hoya is the draw of the fight on December 6, but many boxing buffs will watch for his opponent. Manny Pacquiao, 29, has yet to become a superstar in the United States, but boxing fans know the current lightweight champion as the best fighter in the world pound for pound. Like De La Hoya, Pacquiao grew up poor. (He ran away from home as a teenager when his dad ate his dog.) In his native Philippines, his face is perhaps better known than the president’s, and some believe Pacquiao lost a bid for political office there because voters prefer he represent them in the ring rather than in congress. With opening odds at 8 to 5 in favor of De La Hoya, bookies question whether Pacquiao’s speed and precision will be enough to offset De La Hoya’s raw power. Pacquiao is a southpaw, which would make the bout awkward enough, but De La Hoya compounds this by being naturally left-handed himself, having been forced as a boy to fight in the orthodox righty stance. (The result is a murderous left hook.) Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach says the fighter grew up idolizing De La Hoya. Yet Pacquiao has defeated so many Mexican contenders that he is nicknamed, to his distaste, “the Mexicutioner.” There is a tradition in boxing of reluctantly defeating your idol: Rocky Maricano did it to Joe Louis, and cried in his locker room afterward; Oscar De La Hoya did it to Julio César Chávez—twice. In these cases, the vanquished bowed out of the sport as the younger man took up the torch.
Like most abusive relationships, a boxer and his career usually do not part ways on the first try. After saying the Pacquiao fight would be his last, De La Hoya began backpedaling fast enough to qualify for the Tour de France. In addition to Muhammad Ali—who finally gave up the sport after it was too late—other notable recidivists include George Foreman, Evander Holyfield, and Sugar Ray Leonard. Yet De La Hoya insists he will soon hang up the gloves. Money for him is an enticement, but not a need. He says it’s about his health. “I don’t want to be like every other fighter and do it one more time. That’s obviously when it gets dangerous.”
De La Hoya extends the same concern to Golden Boy’s fighters, defying the stereotype of the profiteering promoter. While he has grown his hair out over the years, he bears little resemblance to Don King—or any other promoter, for that matter—when he sounds off with urgency about wanting “to make sure fighters have a pension plan, make sure that fighters have that retirement fund just to feel secure. It’s just amazing how it hasn’t been done. Where I’m going to set my legacy is unionizing boxing. That’s my goal. Can it be done? Absolutely.” This is a lofty ambition, indeed, given how diffused, byzantine, and treacherous the four major sanctioning bodies of boxing are—each with preferred promoters, venues, and completely disparate governing rules. (The fighters themselves prefer there be more belts to win.)
But De La Hoya has shown time and again that he’s not afraid of being the underdog. “Boxing was the biggest sport in its heyday, and we can bring it back,” he says. I hope he’s right. I hope he can. When I take my seat on fight night at the MGM Grand, I'll be searching for Sinatra among the photographers at ringside.
NEXT WEEK: Inside the camps; the trainers; how Jennifer Lopez once lost De La Hoya a fight; Chinese poker with Pacquiao; and the obstacles to giving up the game.
by Peter Owen Nelson
Welterweight Oscar De La Hoya, left, fights Steve Forbes at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, on May 3. De La Hoya won by unanimous decision. Photograph by Tom Hogan.
This is the first essay in a series about boxer Oscar De La Hoya, his looming retirement and rebirth as a promoter, and the saga leading up to his upcoming bout against a five-foot-six-and-a-half-inch lightning bolt from the Philippines named Manny Pacquiao. The fight is expected to rake in at least $165 million, the most in boxing history. The bell sounds on December 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Critics make poor morticians, so with sorrow many have told us: boxing is dead. They said it in England in the 1820s, when the bare-knuckle fighters of the time were said to pale in comparison to a champion in the 1740s named Jack Broughton. They said it in 1951, when Joe Louis retired from the ring. They said it after Muhammad Ali. They say it today. What they remember is the Ali-Frazier “Fight of the Century” at Madison Square Garden, where Frank Sinatra snapped photos ringside for Life magazine; they remember the unparalleled agility of Sugar Ray Robinson; and they long for the heroism of bare-knuckle heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan, who knocked out Jake Kilrain after a scant 75 rounds. Boxing is a sport whose popularity always seems on the decline—until a major fight is on the horizon. “My event with Manny Pacquiao is going to be probably the biggest in the history of any fight game—so that’s an indication boxing is alive and well,” Oscar De La Hoya told me recently. He was unwittingly paraphrasing the poet Randall Jarrell who wrote, “The people who live in a Golden Age usually go around complaining how yellow everything looks.”
Front row from left, Golden Boy Promotions executives Richard Schaefer (C.E.O.), De La Hoya (President), and Raul Jaimes (Vice President). Photograph by Tom Hogan.
In a matter of hours, the fight’s tickets sold out, securing nearly $17 million at the gate, a fraction of the expected gross. Once De La Hoya retires as a fighter (he is 35 years old) and devotes himself fully to promotion, the challenge will be to sustain such revenues for the sport. Currently, this goal seems improbable short of the rumored Tyson-Holyfield III face-off in Dubai. (Karl Marx claimed major events happen twice—first as tragedy and then as farce—but he forgot to tell us about the third time, which apparently blends both and takes place in Dubai.)
De La Hoya’s story has elements similar to those of many bootstrap fighters: he was born into a poor Mexican-American family, at times surviving on food stamps, in East Los Angeles, where he was taken in by confidence men. Unlike most cauliflower-eared champions, De La Hoya was blessed with a teen heartthrob’s mug. The pairing of looks and power has made him a celebrity, which has enabled him to transition from the ring—where he has won an Olympic gold and 10 world titles—to a flourishing career as a promoter (and a Latin Grammy–nominated crooner). In 2007, his estimated earnings were $43 million. Sure, there have been colossal mishaps along the way: fights he could have won but lost; a reality show, The Next Great Champ, that tanked; and a bevy of lawsuits. The most notorious legal entanglement occurred last year, when a former stripper sold images of what appeared to be De La Hoya in drag to a gossip Web site, and then threatened a $25 million defamation suit (dropped nine months later) against him for asserting what digital-forensics experts would also conclude: the photos were fake. Despite such setbacks, De La Hoya’s family remains strong, and his wife supportive. His company, Golden Boy Promotions, continues to thrive. His business savvy has allowed his cachet as a fighter to grow even as a handful of losses have tarnished his once-perfect record (he is 39–5 in his career). Overall, De La Hoya’s life has seemed charmed ever since he was a young boy, when a towering man in a gray plastic workout suit showed up unannounced to the rundown Resurrection Gym in Los Angeles and taught him combinations. Though De La Hoya didn’t know it at the time, the man was Muhammad Ali.
Undoubtedly, De La Hoya is the draw of the fight on December 6, but many boxing buffs will watch for his opponent. Manny Pacquiao, 29, has yet to become a superstar in the United States, but boxing fans know the current lightweight champion as the best fighter in the world pound for pound. Like De La Hoya, Pacquiao grew up poor. (He ran away from home as a teenager when his dad ate his dog.) In his native Philippines, his face is perhaps better known than the president’s, and some believe Pacquiao lost a bid for political office there because voters prefer he represent them in the ring rather than in congress. With opening odds at 8 to 5 in favor of De La Hoya, bookies question whether Pacquiao’s speed and precision will be enough to offset De La Hoya’s raw power. Pacquiao is a southpaw, which would make the bout awkward enough, but De La Hoya compounds this by being naturally left-handed himself, having been forced as a boy to fight in the orthodox righty stance. (The result is a murderous left hook.) Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach says the fighter grew up idolizing De La Hoya. Yet Pacquiao has defeated so many Mexican contenders that he is nicknamed, to his distaste, “the Mexicutioner.” There is a tradition in boxing of reluctantly defeating your idol: Rocky Maricano did it to Joe Louis, and cried in his locker room afterward; Oscar De La Hoya did it to Julio César Chávez—twice. In these cases, the vanquished bowed out of the sport as the younger man took up the torch.
Like most abusive relationships, a boxer and his career usually do not part ways on the first try. After saying the Pacquiao fight would be his last, De La Hoya began backpedaling fast enough to qualify for the Tour de France. In addition to Muhammad Ali—who finally gave up the sport after it was too late—other notable recidivists include George Foreman, Evander Holyfield, and Sugar Ray Leonard. Yet De La Hoya insists he will soon hang up the gloves. Money for him is an enticement, but not a need. He says it’s about his health. “I don’t want to be like every other fighter and do it one more time. That’s obviously when it gets dangerous.”
De La Hoya extends the same concern to Golden Boy’s fighters, defying the stereotype of the profiteering promoter. While he has grown his hair out over the years, he bears little resemblance to Don King—or any other promoter, for that matter—when he sounds off with urgency about wanting “to make sure fighters have a pension plan, make sure that fighters have that retirement fund just to feel secure. It’s just amazing how it hasn’t been done. Where I’m going to set my legacy is unionizing boxing. That’s my goal. Can it be done? Absolutely.” This is a lofty ambition, indeed, given how diffused, byzantine, and treacherous the four major sanctioning bodies of boxing are—each with preferred promoters, venues, and completely disparate governing rules. (The fighters themselves prefer there be more belts to win.)
But De La Hoya has shown time and again that he’s not afraid of being the underdog. “Boxing was the biggest sport in its heyday, and we can bring it back,” he says. I hope he’s right. I hope he can. When I take my seat on fight night at the MGM Grand, I'll be searching for Sinatra among the photographers at ringside.
NEXT WEEK: Inside the camps; the trainers; how Jennifer Lopez once lost De La Hoya a fight; Chinese poker with Pacquiao; and the obstacles to giving up the game.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 12:57
Okay, I believe Boston, March 1909 as Jeffries was starting his first vaudeville tour while deciding whether to come out of retirement to fight Johnson. (I don't have the photo, but I saw it three or four years ago in a newspaper and, if I recall correctly, it was Boston.)kikibalt wrote:Tells us Tom.....raylawpc wrote:Trivia question: Anyone know when or where that photo was taken?kikibalt wrote:
Jim Jeffries & Sam Berger
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 13:07
You believe?.... :surprised:raylawpc wrote:
Jim Jeffries & Sam Berger
Trivia question: Anyone know when or where that photo was taken?
Tells us Tom..... :box
Okay, I believe Boston, March 1909 as Jeffries was starting his first vaudeville tour while deciding whether to come out of retirement to fight Johnson. (I don't have the photo, but I saw it three or four years ago in a newspaper and, if I recall correctly, it was Boston.)
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 13:37
Olympics boxer Shawn Estrada is now a pro
Shawn Estrada, a U.S. Olympic boxer from East Los Angeles (sound familiar?), appeared in Ontario today to publicize his professional debut fight Nov. 29 on the HBO-televised card highlighted by the Paul Williams-Verno Phillips junior-middleweight world title fight at the new Citizens Business Bank Arena.
"I'm excited, especially that I get to have my own coaching staff, and not that Team USA situation," Estrada told The Times. "That was chaos."
We documented the trouble with USA boxing during the Summer Games in Beijing, and Estrada said it was awful being forced to train in Colorado Springs, away from his regular trainer and his ailing father, who died before the Olympics were over. "I was told, 'Everybody has problems,' " Estrada said.
But his smile had returned Wednesday as he anticipated a pro debut at middleweight for promoter Dan Goossen, an outing no later restrained by the odd scoring system of the Olympics.
"You're going to see a monster, man," Estrada said even though his opponent has yet to be named. "I can punch with both hands and just let loose. I can do anything. I'm a great boxer. You're talking to a future champion."
-- Lance Pugmire
Photo: Shawn Estrada is declared winner after defeating Argentina's Ezequiel Maderna during their bout at the Beijing Games. Credit: Jacques Demarthon / AFP / Getty Images
Shawn Estrada, a U.S. Olympic boxer from East Los Angeles (sound familiar?), appeared in Ontario today to publicize his professional debut fight Nov. 29 on the HBO-televised card highlighted by the Paul Williams-Verno Phillips junior-middleweight world title fight at the new Citizens Business Bank Arena.
"I'm excited, especially that I get to have my own coaching staff, and not that Team USA situation," Estrada told The Times. "That was chaos."
We documented the trouble with USA boxing during the Summer Games in Beijing, and Estrada said it was awful being forced to train in Colorado Springs, away from his regular trainer and his ailing father, who died before the Olympics were over. "I was told, 'Everybody has problems,' " Estrada said.
But his smile had returned Wednesday as he anticipated a pro debut at middleweight for promoter Dan Goossen, an outing no later restrained by the odd scoring system of the Olympics.
"You're going to see a monster, man," Estrada said even though his opponent has yet to be named. "I can punch with both hands and just let loose. I can do anything. I'm a great boxer. You're talking to a future champion."
-- Lance Pugmire
Photo: Shawn Estrada is declared winner after defeating Argentina's Ezequiel Maderna during their bout at the Beijing Games. Credit: Jacques Demarthon / AFP / Getty Images
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 16:29
Yeah, but I'm 95% certain.kikibalt wrote:You believe?.... :surprised:raylawpc wrote:
Jim Jeffries & Sam Berger
Trivia question: Anyone know when or where that photo was taken?
Tells us Tom..... :box
Okay, I believe Boston, March 1909 as Jeffries was starting his first vaudeville tour while deciding whether to come out of retirement to fight Johnson. (I don't have the photo, but I saw it three or four years ago in a newspaper and, if I recall correctly, it was Boston.)
I saw the photo in a newspaper, and I think it was a Boston newspaper. When Jeff was in Boston, they ran a big spread of photos of him in and around Boston.Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 16:32
raylawpc wrote:Yeah, but I'm 95% certain.kikibalt wrote:You believe?.... :surprised:raylawpc wrote:
Jim Jeffries & Sam Berger
Trivia question: Anyone know when or where that photo was taken?
Tells us Tom..... :box
Okay, I believe Boston, March 1909 as Jeffries was starting his first vaudeville tour while deciding whether to come out of retirement to fight Johnson. (I don't have the photo, but I saw it three or four years ago in a newspaper and, if I recall correctly, it was Boston.)
I been to Boston and that don't look like Boston to me...
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 16:36
Interview with Anotnio Margarito
by Felipe Leon
Ever since the biggest win of his storied fourteen year pro career over Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto this past July, WBA welterweight super champion Antonio Margarito (37-5, 27KO) has been logging in the frequent flyer miles as he has traveled all over the western hemisphere to various fight cards in Las Vegas, Puerto Rico and Mexico City and boxing events including the WBA annual convention in the Dominican Republic. Along the way he has met thousands of fans who he does not hesitate to attend with a smile, an autograph and a photo opportunity “the truth is the fans have treated me very well. Where ever I go the fans are happy to see me and that makes me happy. I am glad I am in the position that I am in, that I have demonstrated who I am and to keep showing the fans that I will be a champion for a long time.”
A week after his eleventh round stoppage of the former undefeated Cotto, Margarito was in Las Vegas to take in the championship bout for the IBF title he vacated between Zab Judah and Joshua Clottey. Clottey stopped Judah in the ninth and it was rumored that with the win, Clottey had set up a rematch with the only man that has beatedn him in the last seven years. The bout never materialized “what happened was that they offered me that fight but I told Top Rank that I would be ready until December. Since I have been traveling, I haven’t been training so I asked if we could do it in December but there wasn’t any TV dates. It wasn’t to be so now we have a date for the end of January, we don’t have an exact date but its for the end of January.”
In his last trip, Margarito traveled to the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic to receive his new belt and title of super champion from the World Boxing Association as part of their annual convention, a ceremony that brings a smile to his face when mentioned “I am very happy. Supposedly that belt was for Cotto, that is how they had it planned but I won the belt with my will and now I am the super champion.”
With all his promotional obligations squared away, Margarito now has to concentrate on that date at the end of January. The fighter at the top of the list, the thirty seven year old Shane Mosley “that is the fight that is being negotiated but we have to wait to see if it will be against Shane Mosley.”
Within his travels, Margarito sat ringside for Mosley’s KO of Ricardo Mayorga this past September, a performance that impressed the “Tijuana Tornado”, “Mosley demonstrated once again that he is a good fighter. I think he did great in that fight.”
While many boxing critics believed that Cotto’s speed and boxing skill would be too much for the Mexican warrior, Margarito proved the ringside pundits wrong as he was able to systematically slow down the Puerto Rican. A strategy that Margarito feels would work against his next possible opponent, “their styles are very similar. I think that Mosley is a little faster than Cotto but we will work hard and come up with a good strategy for Mosley.” But as always, Margarito does not take anything for granted and he does not believe that Mosley’s speed is the only variable he needs to be ready for, “no, I have to be ready for everything in the ring. We know that he is a fighter with a lot of experience but we will have a good strategy for whatever he brings.”
But just as Margarito prepares for everything inside the ring, he is also ready for everything outside of it, including the chance of meeting inside the squared circle his last opponent “they have mentioned the possibility that if a fight against Mosley couldn’t be made it would be the rematch against Cotto, I am willing to grant the rematch. I just have to wait and see what my promoter Top Rank says.”
But wouldn’t a fight in between a rematch with the tough Puerto Rican with much to prove be the most prudent step? “I am ready for anything, I am an employee of the company and if they want to do the rematch, we are ready.”
by Felipe Leon
Ever since the biggest win of his storied fourteen year pro career over Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto this past July, WBA welterweight super champion Antonio Margarito (37-5, 27KO) has been logging in the frequent flyer miles as he has traveled all over the western hemisphere to various fight cards in Las Vegas, Puerto Rico and Mexico City and boxing events including the WBA annual convention in the Dominican Republic. Along the way he has met thousands of fans who he does not hesitate to attend with a smile, an autograph and a photo opportunity “the truth is the fans have treated me very well. Where ever I go the fans are happy to see me and that makes me happy. I am glad I am in the position that I am in, that I have demonstrated who I am and to keep showing the fans that I will be a champion for a long time.”
A week after his eleventh round stoppage of the former undefeated Cotto, Margarito was in Las Vegas to take in the championship bout for the IBF title he vacated between Zab Judah and Joshua Clottey. Clottey stopped Judah in the ninth and it was rumored that with the win, Clottey had set up a rematch with the only man that has beatedn him in the last seven years. The bout never materialized “what happened was that they offered me that fight but I told Top Rank that I would be ready until December. Since I have been traveling, I haven’t been training so I asked if we could do it in December but there wasn’t any TV dates. It wasn’t to be so now we have a date for the end of January, we don’t have an exact date but its for the end of January.”
In his last trip, Margarito traveled to the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic to receive his new belt and title of super champion from the World Boxing Association as part of their annual convention, a ceremony that brings a smile to his face when mentioned “I am very happy. Supposedly that belt was for Cotto, that is how they had it planned but I won the belt with my will and now I am the super champion.”
With all his promotional obligations squared away, Margarito now has to concentrate on that date at the end of January. The fighter at the top of the list, the thirty seven year old Shane Mosley “that is the fight that is being negotiated but we have to wait to see if it will be against Shane Mosley.”
Within his travels, Margarito sat ringside for Mosley’s KO of Ricardo Mayorga this past September, a performance that impressed the “Tijuana Tornado”, “Mosley demonstrated once again that he is a good fighter. I think he did great in that fight.”
While many boxing critics believed that Cotto’s speed and boxing skill would be too much for the Mexican warrior, Margarito proved the ringside pundits wrong as he was able to systematically slow down the Puerto Rican. A strategy that Margarito feels would work against his next possible opponent, “their styles are very similar. I think that Mosley is a little faster than Cotto but we will work hard and come up with a good strategy for Mosley.” But as always, Margarito does not take anything for granted and he does not believe that Mosley’s speed is the only variable he needs to be ready for, “no, I have to be ready for everything in the ring. We know that he is a fighter with a lot of experience but we will have a good strategy for whatever he brings.”
But just as Margarito prepares for everything inside the ring, he is also ready for everything outside of it, including the chance of meeting inside the squared circle his last opponent “they have mentioned the possibility that if a fight against Mosley couldn’t be made it would be the rematch against Cotto, I am willing to grant the rematch. I just have to wait and see what my promoter Top Rank says.”
But wouldn’t a fight in between a rematch with the tough Puerto Rican with much to prove be the most prudent step? “I am ready for anything, I am an employee of the company and if they want to do the rematch, we are ready.”
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 16:41
Daniel Aguillon died in Mexico City
by Edgar Gonzalez
The World Boxing Council will provide financial support for the family of a Mexican fighter who died Monday after a five-day coma induced by a knockout punch.
Daniel Aguillon, 24, died in a Mexico City hospital.
Last Wednesday, he was knocked out by fellow Mexican Alejandro Sanabria in the 12th round of a super-featherweight bout for the Central American title, sanctioned by the WBC.
“Daniel’s death was totally an accident,” WBC general secretary Mauricio Sulaiman said Tuesday.
“The fight was supported by the WBC and therefore our priority is to help the family so they do not go through financial trouble. The WBC, the promoters and all the people around boxing are committed to donate money to Aguillon’s widow and children.”
Aguillon (16-4-2, 9 KOs) was punched in the jaw in the last minute, fell unconscious and never recovered.
The WBC has been harshly criticized for clearing Aguillon for the 12-round bout, even though he’d never fought past 10 rounds.
But Sulaiman said Aguillon passed all necessary medical tests and nearly won the fight before the knockout blow.
by Edgar Gonzalez
The World Boxing Council will provide financial support for the family of a Mexican fighter who died Monday after a five-day coma induced by a knockout punch.
Daniel Aguillon, 24, died in a Mexico City hospital.
Last Wednesday, he was knocked out by fellow Mexican Alejandro Sanabria in the 12th round of a super-featherweight bout for the Central American title, sanctioned by the WBC.
“Daniel’s death was totally an accident,” WBC general secretary Mauricio Sulaiman said Tuesday.
“The fight was supported by the WBC and therefore our priority is to help the family so they do not go through financial trouble. The WBC, the promoters and all the people around boxing are committed to donate money to Aguillon’s widow and children.”
Aguillon (16-4-2, 9 KOs) was punched in the jaw in the last minute, fell unconscious and never recovered.
The WBC has been harshly criticized for clearing Aguillon for the 12-round bout, even though he’d never fought past 10 rounds.
But Sulaiman said Aguillon passed all necessary medical tests and nearly won the fight before the knockout blow.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 16:46
Burgos honored in Tijuana
by Felipe Leon
In what turned out to be a huge success, an eight bout fight card was presented at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Tijuana in benefit for former IBF light flyweight champ Victor Burgos. Burgos, whose career ended in March ‘07 after suffering a brain injury in his fight versus current IBF super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, finished up his pro run with a 39-15-3, 23KO ledger while collecting the aforementioned IBF title and earning his spot as one of the top fighters to call the border city home. All fighters fought for free while all the proceeds from the attending gate went towards Burgos and his family as he continues to recuperate from the coma that he suffered immediately after his last bout. Among the 500+ in attendance were former champions Alejandro “Terra” Garcia and Manuel “Mantecas” Medina, local prospects Juan Carlos Burgos, Pavel Miranda and Emilio Bojorquez and current WBA welterweight super champion Antonio Margarito.
In the main event, junior welterweight Alvaro Aguilar of Tijuana defeated Jorge Juarez of Culiacan, MX in an eight round affair. Aguilar, who last fought back in ‘05 and in whose biggest fight he drew against Emanuel Augustus in early 2004, began the bout with a brisk pace landing quick jabs and sporadically coupling them with right hands while Juarez tried to counter with single pot shots. By the second round, Aguilar began to put together combinations to the body and head of his rival. Midway thru the round, Aguilar landed a straight right that stopped Juarez in his tracks as he tried to get in the inside in hopes of landing to the body. Aguilar turned up the heat even more in the third as he began to land his jab even more consistently as Juarez began to slow down and lean against the ropes.
In the fourth round Aguilar decided to land his right hand more often which he did and in the process Juarez developed a mouse under his right eye. The fifth round brought a little more aggression from Juarez for the first time in the bout. Juarez was able to get on the inside with more success in the round and land to the body while Aguilar displayed his quick hands as he continued to tag his opponent with stiff jabs. By the sixth, the pace of the contest began to slow but Aguilar still took the round as he landed three unanswered left hooks to the head that made Juarez take a step back.
Aguilar brought back the action in the seventh as he went back to putting together combinations but this time beginning with the head with a jab/right hand and ending with a left hook to the body. Juarez had no answer but to circle around the ring and throw one punch at at time trying to discourage Aguilar from going in for the kill. Juarez was able to continue the strategy thru the eighth as he added some light holding to survive the contest.
After the scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 were read, Aguilar was awarded the unanimous decision. With the win, Aguilar sees his ledger go to 19-2-1, 16KO after a three year hiatus while Jorge Juarez sees his go down to 7-10-2, 2KO.
Super flyweight David Gaspar (7-0-1, 5KO) of Los Angeles, CA, only needed thirty six seconds of the second round to annihilate Nogales, MX’s southpaw Rogelio Armenta (0-3) with a quick flurry punctuated with a left hook in the semi main event scheduled for six.The taller Gaspar dropped his cautious opponent near the end of the first stanza with a quick right. Armenta was able to beat the count and just in time to hear the bell that ended the round and return to his corner on wobbly legs. At the onset of the second, Gaspar attacked from the opening bell and landed a four punch combination in the middle of the ring that sent the clearly over matched Armenta down to the canvas for the count.
I think the guy on the left has been eating to many TACOS
In a rare showing of Mexican heavyweights, local hometown favorite Antonio Mendivil (14-2-3, 8KO) ruined the pro debut of Nueva Italia, MX’s Esteban Sosa (0-1). The first was feel out round as neither fighter wanted to over commit but the newcomer was the busier of the two as he landed the slightly more precise punches and finished the stanza with burst of punches. Although Sosa was not as skilled as Mendivil, in what he lacked in ability he made up in spirit as he attacked his opponent with unhinged abandon making the boxing match seem like a playground tussle. Mendivil sped up the pace somewhat in the second half of the bout but the action was still very sporadic as the local favorite went after the body of Sosa as he inched his way on the inside. After four rounds, Mendivil was awarded a unanimous decision with scores of 39-37 twice and 40-36.In a super featherweight four round barn burner, David Dousten of Agua Prieta, MX, controlled most of the action including closing the left eye of Culiacan, MX’s Raul Gomez with precise jabs and left hooks. Although Gomez seemed to get the worst of it, he shockingly was awarded a split decision with scores of 39-37 twice while one judge saw it for Dousten 39-37.
Francisco Navarro of Tijuana stopped Agua Prieta, MX’s Wilber Ortiz in the second round of a scheduled super flyweight four. After being stunned in the first, Navarro settled down in the second and dropped the game Ortiz with a quick overhand right. After Ortiz beat the count, Navarro scored with effective upper cuts from either fists which prompted official Juan Morales Lee to stop the action at the 2:45 mark of the second stanza.
Super bantamweight Fernando Vargas of Tijuana was awarded a four round unanimous decision over Mexicali’s switch hitter Israel Barron. Official scores were 40-36 three times.
Local welterweight pro debuter Ocramh Sainz made his first fight a good one as he dropped Agua Prieta, MX’s Eduardo Urrea with a stiff over hand right at the 1:55 minute of the second round of a scheduled four.
After four competitive lightweight rounds, Alain Hernandez was awarded a unanimous decision over journey man Juan Pablo Bojorquez, both of Tijuana, with all three judges seeing it 40-36
by Felipe Leon
In what turned out to be a huge success, an eight bout fight card was presented at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Tijuana in benefit for former IBF light flyweight champ Victor Burgos. Burgos, whose career ended in March ‘07 after suffering a brain injury in his fight versus current IBF super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, finished up his pro run with a 39-15-3, 23KO ledger while collecting the aforementioned IBF title and earning his spot as one of the top fighters to call the border city home. All fighters fought for free while all the proceeds from the attending gate went towards Burgos and his family as he continues to recuperate from the coma that he suffered immediately after his last bout. Among the 500+ in attendance were former champions Alejandro “Terra” Garcia and Manuel “Mantecas” Medina, local prospects Juan Carlos Burgos, Pavel Miranda and Emilio Bojorquez and current WBA welterweight super champion Antonio Margarito.
In the main event, junior welterweight Alvaro Aguilar of Tijuana defeated Jorge Juarez of Culiacan, MX in an eight round affair. Aguilar, who last fought back in ‘05 and in whose biggest fight he drew against Emanuel Augustus in early 2004, began the bout with a brisk pace landing quick jabs and sporadically coupling them with right hands while Juarez tried to counter with single pot shots. By the second round, Aguilar began to put together combinations to the body and head of his rival. Midway thru the round, Aguilar landed a straight right that stopped Juarez in his tracks as he tried to get in the inside in hopes of landing to the body. Aguilar turned up the heat even more in the third as he began to land his jab even more consistently as Juarez began to slow down and lean against the ropes.
In the fourth round Aguilar decided to land his right hand more often which he did and in the process Juarez developed a mouse under his right eye. The fifth round brought a little more aggression from Juarez for the first time in the bout. Juarez was able to get on the inside with more success in the round and land to the body while Aguilar displayed his quick hands as he continued to tag his opponent with stiff jabs. By the sixth, the pace of the contest began to slow but Aguilar still took the round as he landed three unanswered left hooks to the head that made Juarez take a step back.
Aguilar brought back the action in the seventh as he went back to putting together combinations but this time beginning with the head with a jab/right hand and ending with a left hook to the body. Juarez had no answer but to circle around the ring and throw one punch at at time trying to discourage Aguilar from going in for the kill. Juarez was able to continue the strategy thru the eighth as he added some light holding to survive the contest.
After the scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 were read, Aguilar was awarded the unanimous decision. With the win, Aguilar sees his ledger go to 19-2-1, 16KO after a three year hiatus while Jorge Juarez sees his go down to 7-10-2, 2KO.
Super flyweight David Gaspar (7-0-1, 5KO) of Los Angeles, CA, only needed thirty six seconds of the second round to annihilate Nogales, MX’s southpaw Rogelio Armenta (0-3) with a quick flurry punctuated with a left hook in the semi main event scheduled for six.The taller Gaspar dropped his cautious opponent near the end of the first stanza with a quick right. Armenta was able to beat the count and just in time to hear the bell that ended the round and return to his corner on wobbly legs. At the onset of the second, Gaspar attacked from the opening bell and landed a four punch combination in the middle of the ring that sent the clearly over matched Armenta down to the canvas for the count.
I think the guy on the left has been eating to many TACOS
In a rare showing of Mexican heavyweights, local hometown favorite Antonio Mendivil (14-2-3, 8KO) ruined the pro debut of Nueva Italia, MX’s Esteban Sosa (0-1). The first was feel out round as neither fighter wanted to over commit but the newcomer was the busier of the two as he landed the slightly more precise punches and finished the stanza with burst of punches. Although Sosa was not as skilled as Mendivil, in what he lacked in ability he made up in spirit as he attacked his opponent with unhinged abandon making the boxing match seem like a playground tussle. Mendivil sped up the pace somewhat in the second half of the bout but the action was still very sporadic as the local favorite went after the body of Sosa as he inched his way on the inside. After four rounds, Mendivil was awarded a unanimous decision with scores of 39-37 twice and 40-36.In a super featherweight four round barn burner, David Dousten of Agua Prieta, MX, controlled most of the action including closing the left eye of Culiacan, MX’s Raul Gomez with precise jabs and left hooks. Although Gomez seemed to get the worst of it, he shockingly was awarded a split decision with scores of 39-37 twice while one judge saw it for Dousten 39-37.
Francisco Navarro of Tijuana stopped Agua Prieta, MX’s Wilber Ortiz in the second round of a scheduled super flyweight four. After being stunned in the first, Navarro settled down in the second and dropped the game Ortiz with a quick overhand right. After Ortiz beat the count, Navarro scored with effective upper cuts from either fists which prompted official Juan Morales Lee to stop the action at the 2:45 mark of the second stanza.
Super bantamweight Fernando Vargas of Tijuana was awarded a four round unanimous decision over Mexicali’s switch hitter Israel Barron. Official scores were 40-36 three times.
Local welterweight pro debuter Ocramh Sainz made his first fight a good one as he dropped Agua Prieta, MX’s Eduardo Urrea with a stiff over hand right at the 1:55 minute of the second round of a scheduled four.
After four competitive lightweight rounds, Alain Hernandez was awarded a unanimous decision over journey man Juan Pablo Bojorquez, both of Tijuana, with all three judges seeing it 40-36
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 20:39
Frankkikibalt wrote:
Cement-lined flood channel at the 4th Street bridge
Bennie, some pics. of the L.A River
Los Angeles River 2003 rain season Griffith Park
Those L.A flood control channels made some wonderfull back drops for movies in L.A. "Them" with Jim Arness fighting the giant ants. Taking the train from the Santa Fe Station down here to Union Station winding through the flood control channels. Then walking to Olvera Street. Maybe Chavez Ravine to watch the Dodgers. Did you as a kid drag race cars in those channels? I went with my cousin one time to watch kids drag race in the flood control channels.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 21:54
No, but we used to ride our bikes on the river, and some times ride horses.dagosd2000 wrote:Frankkikibalt wrote:
Cement-lined flood channel at the 4th Street bridge
Bennie, some pics. of the L.A River
Los Angeles River 2003 rain season Griffith Park
Those L.A flood control channels made some wonderfull back drops for movies in L.A. "Them" with Jim Arness fighting the giant ants. Taking the train from the Santa Fe Station down here to Union Station winding through the flood control channels. Then walking to Olvera Street. Maybe Chavez Ravine to watch the Dodgers. Did you as a kid drag race cars in those channels? I went with my cousin one time to watch kids drag race in the flood control channels.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 23 Oct 2008, 23:14
You weren't there in 1909.kikibalt wrote:raylawpc wrote:Yeah, but I'm 95% certain.kikibalt wrote:
Jim Jeffries & Sam Berger
Trivia question: Anyone know when or where that photo was taken?
Tells us Tom..... :box
Okay, I believe Boston, March 1909 as Jeffries was starting his first vaudeville tour while deciding whether to come out of retirement to fight Johnson. (I don't have the photo, but I saw it three or four years ago in a newspaper and, if I recall correctly, it was Boston.)
You believe?.... :surprised:
I been to Boston and that don't look like Boston to me...
Re:
Posted: 24 Oct 2008, 00:14
An awesome man. In 1969, his little brother Danny came to L.A. and stayed with his older brother and wife. Danny began training under Howie Steindler that year, he was 17, my age. Ernie introduced us, Howie suggested we train together, and from that day on, Danny and I boxed at the Main St. Gym, on and off up to his winning the title. Ernie was a favorite of mine and my dad's. What a great fighter he was. He came up during the era of the great Mantequilla Napoles, and guys like Griffith, Pruitt, Hedge Lewis. "Indian Red" was everybody's kind of fighter, nobody had a problem watching Ernie Lopez in action, his fights defined the era and his place in both L.A. and world boxing history. And Danny? Man, what more can one say about a true fighter? I truly believe that a guy like Danny Lopez would have been world class in any era. He had the heart, the punch ,the instincts and toughness to stand in with anybody, and be the last one standing when it's all over.Collins2000 wrote:That is an awesome photo!kikibalt wrote:
Ernie "Red' Lopez
-Rick Farris
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 24 Oct 2008, 00:28
kikibalt wrote:No, but we used to ride our bikes on the river, and some times ride horses.dagosd2000 wrote:Frankkikibalt wrote:
Cement-lined flood channel at the 4th Street bridge
Bennie, some pics. of the L.A River
Los Angeles River 2003 rain season Griffith Park
Those L.A flood control channels made some wonderfull back drops for movies in L.A. "Them" with Jim Arness fighting the giant ants. Taking the train from the Santa Fe Station down here to Union Station winding through the flood control channels. Then walking to Olvera Street. Maybe Chavez Ravine to watch the Dodgers. Did you as a kid drag race cars in those channels? I went with my cousin one time to watch kids drag race in the flood control channels.
Guys, your missing the most important part of this photo. From a boxing stand point, look to the green structure toward the upper right of the railroad tracks. The five story building is the long closed Lincoln Heights Jail. The jail was closed shortly after the Watts riots, and a few years later, my former manager Johnny Flores turned the top floor into the best equipped boxing gym in L.A. The city and Johnny had struck a deal, and the City paid for the equipment, etc. and Johnny was in charge. Lots of great pros began to train at Lincoln Heights with Johnny in charge. However, after more than 20 years of service at the gym, Flores died in a "fall" into the buildings elevator shaft. Flores had enemies, and had been the subject of a failed contract hit in the early 1970's. Today, only the spirit of Johnny Flores knows what happened in that elevator shaft late in 1994. This is the kinda of story you'd expect to find in "L.A. Confidential". If only the walls of that old jail building could speak. I mean those from long before the place was a boxing facility, the pain, death. You know . . . L.A.
-Rick Farris
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 24 Oct 2008, 00:35
kikibalt wrote:400 pages!!.....
The numbers are big. Huge.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 24 Oct 2008, 01:50
Took in the card at the 4 points Sheraton. Good to see fights in San Diego again. Bobby Difilippis put together a nice show. The fight crowd is always the best of all the sports fans.. The dining room was just right.Good seating to see all the action. Some celebs(I'll send what I have to Frank).Looking forward to the next card.kikibalt wrote:FURY IN THE RING
by Felipe Leon
On Thursday night, Bobby D. Presents returns to the San Diego boxing scene with an explosive five bout card billed as “Fury in the Ring”. In a cold war main event, local favorite Denis Grachev (4-0, 2KO) of Siberia, Russia by way of San Diego puts on his undefeated record on the line as he takes on his biggest challenge to date in the all action Thomas “The Hurricane” Haines (4-5, 2KO) of Vallejo, CA. Grachev is coming off an impressive 2nd round KO of Caleb Caldwell in his last bout this past July. The light heavyweight contest is scheduled for six rounds or less.
In the semi main event, Chula Vista’s welterweight Israel Ornelas (7-2-1, 4KO) makes his return to the squared circle after a year hiatus as he takes on the always dangerous TBA in a six rounder.
Former NABA bantamweight champion Arturo Valenzuela (20-12-1, 17KO) of Tijuana will test Glendale, CA’s Gabriel Tolmajyan (3-1) in a featherweight six round bout.
Another fighter who is scheduled to take on the feared TBA is light middleweight amateur standout Abraham Han. the hard hitting Han of El Paso, TX, holds a record of 2-0 with both wins within the distance.
In a middleweight four rounder, pro debuter Chris Chantman of San Diego, CA, goes after his first win when he faces the slightly more experienced Mike Alexander (1-2-2) of Antioch, CA.
After two successful shows this year in two separate locations, Bobby DePhilippis has found a permanent home for his upcoming shows, the Four Points Sheraton Hotel. Centrally located between the I-15, 805 and 163 freeways, the new venue is only 5 miles from downtown San Diego at 8110 Aero Drive, San Diego, CA 92123. Doors open at 6:30PM with the first punch thrown at 7:00pm. Food and drinks will be served and the venue is all ages. Tickets starting at $30 and they are going fast. Please visit http://www.SDFights.com for more info or call 619.420.8866.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 24 Oct 2008, 08:10
Rick, I knew what it was, I didn't want to say anything because I spent two days there before it was close....Rick Farris wrote:kikibalt wrote:Guys, your missing the most important part of this photo. From a boxing stand point, look to the green structure toward the upper right of the railroad tracks. The five story building is the long closed Lincoln Heights Jail. The jail was closed shortly after the Watts riots, and a few years later, my former manager Johnny Flores turned the top floor into the best equipped boxing gym in L.A. The city and Johnny had struck a deal, and the City paid for the equipment, etc. and Johnny was in charge. Lots of great pros began to train at Lincoln Heights with Johnny in charge. However, after more than 20 years of service at the gym, Flores died in a "fall" into the buildings elevator shaft. Flores had enemies, and had been the subject of a failed contract hit in the early 1970's. Today, only the spirit of Johnny Flores knows what happened in that elevator shaft late in 1994. This is the kinda of story you'd expect to find in "L.A. Confidential". If only the walls of that old jail building could speak. I mean those from long before the place was a boxing facility, the pain, death. You know . . . L.A.kikibalt wrote:
Cement-lined flood channel at the 4th Street bridge
Bennie, some pics. of the L.A River
Los Angeles River 2003 rain season Griffith Park
-Rick Farris
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 24 Oct 2008, 08:18
Good answer, Frankie. 8)
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 24 Oct 2008, 08:20
Well, Bennie, it is what it is.....bennie wrote:Good answer, Frankie. 8)
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 24 Oct 2008, 08:32
Are you allowed to walk down those flood channels, Frankie?
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 24 Oct 2008, 08:53
Don't know if you are allowed, but my friends and I did as kids, we used to play in the river, ride bikes, horses, never drove a car in the river though.bennie wrote:Are you allowed to walk down those flood channels, Frankie?
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 24 Oct 2008, 09:58
Guys, your missing the most important part of this photo. From a boxing stand point, look to the green structure toward the upper right of the railroad tracks. The five story building is the long closed Lincoln Heights Jail. The jail was closed shortly after the Watts riots, and a few years later, my former manager Johnny Flores turned the top floor into the best equipped boxing gym in L.A. The city and Johnny had struck a deal, and the City paid for the equipment, etc. and Johnny was in charge. Lots of great pros began to train at Lincoln Heights with Johnny in charge. However, after more than 20 years of service at the gym, Flores died in a "fall" into the buildings elevator shaft. Flores had enemies, and had been the subject of a failed contract hit in the early 1970's. Today, only the spirit of Johnny Flores knows what happened in that elevator shaft late in 1994. This is the kinda of story you'd expect to find in "L.A. Confidential". If only the walls of that old jail building could speak. I mean those from long before the place was a boxing facility, the pain, death. You know . . . L.A.
-Rick Farris[/quote][/quote]
Rick, I knew what it was, I didn't want to say anything because I spent two days there before it was close....[/quote]
LOL! I was too young to know the Lincoln Heights building as a Jail, but I can feel the ghosts when I ride up that creeky old elevator knowing that my friend had died in the pit (or where the body was found with it's head cracked open). Those walls are cold, of course, so are the walls of L.A. County, and I do have first hand experience of that place. No mas.
-Ricardo
-Rick Farris[/quote][/quote]
Rick, I knew what it was, I didn't want to say anything because I spent two days there before it was close....
[/quote]LOL! I was too young to know the Lincoln Heights building as a Jail, but I can feel the ghosts when I ride up that creeky old elevator knowing that my friend had died in the pit (or where the body was found with it's head cracked open). Those walls are cold, of course, so are the walls of L.A. County, and I do have first hand experience of that place. No mas.
-Ricardo