BoxRec

Presidential cars then and now
Harry S Truman (1945-1953): 1945 Ford Super DeLuxe Tudor Sedan


The government halted passenger car production in 1942 so that assembly lines could focus on the war effort. The first civilian vehicle produced after the cessation rolled off the lines on July 3, 1945. It was a moonbeam-gray Super DeLuxe Tudor Sedan, and it was presented to President Harry Truman on August 29, 1945.

Presidential cars then and now
John F. Kennedy (1961-1963): 1961 Ford Thunderbird Convertible


This was the first year of the Thunderbird's much sleeker “Bullet Bird” styling. It held the dual honors that year -- it was the Indianapolis 500 pace car and 50 of the '61 T-Birds were driven in JFK's inaugural parade. (It probably helped that Ford executive Robert McNamara was named secretary of Defense.)

Presidential cars then and now
Richard Nixon (1969-1974): 1950 Oldsmobile 98


Then-Sen. Nixon mentioned his four-door sedan, similar to this one, in his “Checkers” speech at the 1952 Republican convention. "I own a 1950 Oldsmobile car," Nixon said in the speech rebuffing attacks that he accepted illegal campaign contributions to help secure his nomination as Eisenhower's running mate. "We have our furniture. We have no stocks and bonds of any type. We have no interest of any kind, direct or indirect, in any business."

Let's also not forget the Edsel convertible Nixon rode in on a trip to Peru when he was Vice President. That car's impact wasn't as positive -- he was pelted with eggs and tomatoes from demonstrators. "They were throwing eggs at the car, not me," Nixon said of the short-lived Ford Motor Company marquee.

Is Chavez Jr. legit
by Edgar Gonzalez


Kevin lole from yahoo sports wrote an interesting article, Over nearly a half-century of promoting fights, Bob Arum has managed at one time or another to make men of all sorts sound fearsome and dangerous.

Give him a guy with a 37-0-1 record and a Hall of Fame boxer for a father and Arum would usually have you running for the hills when the kid came into a room angry.

But on Wednesday, as a fuzzy-cheeked, 37-0-1, 22-year-old with the Hall of Fame father joked with a friend only a few feet away, Arum shrugged his shoulders.

Even the greatest promoter of them all is mystified by what may become of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Chavez, who meets Matt Vanda in a rematch Saturday in the headliner of an intriguing pay-per-view card at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, literally had no amateur career. His first fight was also his first pro fight.

So while long-time boxing observers were shocked that the son of one of the game’s greatest looked so raw and so unskilled in his early days, it was chalked up to the fact that he simply had never boxed until he was 17.

Put a 17-year-old who had never picked up a bat, a ball or a glove into pro baseball and he’d look pretty out of place, too.

Chavez, though, has had the best of everything as he’s advanced in his pro career. And as he’s preparing for his 39th professional bout, it’s hard to tell if he’s going to develop into a competent pro or if he’s going to continue to drift on his father’s name.

To be sure, Arum has done well with the younger Chavez. He’s headlined a number of smaller pay-per-view shows, which have sold between 50,000 and 90,000 subscriptions. It’s not a staggering number, but it makes a profit for the small shows with commensurate budgets.

He’s a huge attraction in his native Mexico and has been a consistent ticket seller in the U.S. in areas with large Hispanic populations.

But he hasn’t beaten anyone remotely close to a contender and has struggled at times with the weak opposition he’s been hand fed. Arum said he believes the talent is there, but said he’s not sure Chavez has the desire to be a fighter the way his father did.

“So many of these kids come from the streets and these hard upbringings, and they have to fight their way out of it, and boxing is a way for them to get a better life,” Arum said. “That’s a great motivation to a lot of them. Boxing’s a way for them to get some attention, some glory. There’s no other way. It’s a way for them to make some money. Really, there’s no other way for them.

“A kid like Julio, he’s an upper middle class kid. He doesn’t know what that’s like to want something and not be able to get it. He wanted something, he had it. He was always comfortable. He doesn’t know the struggle some many of these kids had to go through. So who the hell can really say if he has that fire? You see some glimpses of talent and feel like, ‘Hey, if you just get to him and get him to work his ass off and to commit himself to being a fighter, he could be pretty good.’ But is that in his blood? Honestly, the only one who knows that is Julio.”

Vanda, 30, unquestionably has the fire that Arum isn’t sure that Chavez has. Vanda definitely doesn’t have the talent and will never be a world champion.

But he’s a tough kid who had to overcome plenty of drug problems earlier in his life to get to a point where he said Wednesday, “I can sit here and have a conversation with you.”

Vanda, who lost a split decision to Chavez in Hermosillo, Mexico, on July 12, in a bout with wild scoring, knows he was brought in to lose, both the first time and on Saturday.

“He’s the guy with the name and I’m just some punk no one has heard of,” Vanda said.

“I’m coming in there and I’m fighting Chavez and I’m fighting the judges and I’m fighting Bob Arum and the whole system. I know what it’s all about. They brought me in last time because I have a good record but they figured he’d be able to handle me and my name would look good on his record. But you got to fight the fights. You don’t just say, ‘Well, we’ll beat this guy,’ and they give you the win.

“I am going to go out and hit this little (expletive) in the mouth right at the start and let him know he’s in for it again. Basically, my plan is simple. I’m going to beat the (expletive) out of him for as long as it lasts. That’s about all.”

Chavez listens to Vanda’s words and reacts with a shrug. He’s been a target for years because of his father’s name, so he’s used to the threats. A win over Chavez Jr. is a highlight for many of these fighters, most of whom have fought on small shows and who have never been heard from before or since.

Vanda, who is 38-7 with 21 knockouts, is one of the more accomplished fighters Chavez has faced. One judge had Vanda winning the first bout 7-3 in rounds, while another had it 5-4-1 in favor of Chavez. The third, in a blatant display of homerism, had it 10-0 for Chavez.

That caused a riot to erupt as the Mexican fans littered the arena with garbage, feeling Vanda was treated unfairly.

“It was a wild scene,” Arum said. “Julio’s father was up in the stands fighting some people, and they’re throwing bottles and trash and people are booing and yelling. Usually, it happens when the hometown hero gets screwed, but this time, it was the other way around. I couldn’t believe it.”

Even Chavez concedes the 10-0 score was ludicrous. He said he was sick and feeling woozy with flu-like symptoms and said he felt the score should have been 7-3 or 6-4 in his favor.

But he plans to make a statement on Saturday now that he says he is 100 percent physically.

“He couldn’t beat me when I was so sick I could barely keep myself up,” Chavez said. “I want this fight badly to show the people. I am determined to not only win this fight, but to show everyone how much I have improved. I have worked very hard in the gym and you’re going to see in this fight what I have been doing.”

It’s getting to be about time that Chavez shows whether he’s a top-level fighter or just a hard-nosed rich kid.

Arum has had a nice little run and has made a tidy profit to this point, though ticket sales are weak for Saturday’s show, as they are for a card featuring a nifty main event between Cristian Mijares and Vic Darchinyan in Carson, Calif., on Saturday.

Arum had to get permission from the Nevada Athletic Commission on Monday to give more than the allowable number of complimentary tickets away, most of which went to military personnel at nearby Nellis Air Force Base.

He was somewhat shocked, given Chavez’ popularity in these parts and the quality of the card, but conceded it’s an impact of the economy.

And if he’s going to continue his run with Chavez, he has to find out what he has.

“I hope the kid can do it and I believe he can, but if he can’t, I’d be lying if I told you I’m shocked,” Arum said. “He’s a tough one to figure out. This fight will show us a little. If he comes back and makes a statement, that might show some pride and tell you how much he wants it. It’s going to be obvious soon enough.”

Two weeks from today gents.
You guys need anything from Chicago?
Maybe a case of OldStyle?
Some deep dish?
Ya think they will get pissed at me at the airport if I bring Beer and pizza through security?

The Muhammad Ali Center
Review by Michele Chong

Visiting the champ’s Louisville, KY showpiece

As a California native and a huge boxing fan, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to recently visit the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, KY–and yes, it really is “the greatest.”

Two of my favorite friends are flying from Los Angeles to Louisville tomorrow and I promised them this virtual review of my visit to the hometown hero’s facility. No real spoil alert here, but if you plan to visit the center and you want to be completely surprised by all of the sights–read this detailed description after your visit.

The Muhammad Ali Center is a visual dream–a state-of-the art paean to the “Louisville Lip.” It’s part museum, boxing exhibit, art gallery, gym, and film theater; each visitor can participate in interactive displays placed throughout three stories of the six-story building. It’s a massive amount of square footage and if you are a big Ali fan, you will be in pugilistic fan heaven. If you’re not a boxing fan, you will still find the center informative and historical, as thousands of others have since their doors first opened in November 2005.

Like the champ himself, the center is many things: bold, amusing, unique, relevant, poignant, riveting, thoughtful, audacious, and compelling. You’ll find recreations of pivotal chapters of Ali’s career– beginning with the famous stolen bicycle story. Everywhere you look, you’ll find something that will capture your attention in an interesting, whimsical, or entertaining way.
The center is defined by Ali’s six core values: Respect, Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, and Spirituality. Several of his infamous sayings and inspirational statements are painted on the walls of the building; and his past controversies are not glossed over–you will see and hear brushes with discrimination and his temporary fall from grace is recounted as well.

One of the coolest things is being able to view classic Ali fights in a fantastic “couch potato” setting. There are video display tables showing ticket stubs from the heavyweight’s battles in the ring. When you select a fight you want to see, you touch the ticket and voila–it airs on the TV console set in front of you. It’s so comfortable in the darkened area that you forget where you are; it’s the next best thing to being in your own living room. There are six stations you can camp out at, so you won’t have to slug it out with other visitors to mark your territory. You can watch snipets of a bout you’ve picked or you can watch entire rounds, all in their original format–it’s beyond awesome. If there’s an Ali bout you haven’t been able to see, you should be able to find it in this collection of 15 of his best fights. If they served popcorn here, I’d never leave the couch!

Another nice touch is the full-sized boxing ring “theater” that you view from the top floor. As you peer below, a film projection showcases clips of Ali on the canvas and also on columns throughout the museum–the technology is amazing. Be sure to also watch the film montage in the Orientation Theater upon your arrival.

There is so much to take in, so much to look at, so much to do while you’re there–so pace yourself as you wind through the modern architecture of the center. Call it a grand showcase of Ali’s life; it’s quite a collection. You will see replicas of Cassius Clay’s first contract, sketches drawn and poems written by the champ, descriptions of his childhood experiences, Deer Lake training camp memories, and tons of fun photo ops. It’s also a slice of American culture as it occurred through the decades–seen through the eyes of Ali. A quote from “The Greatest, “I’m bigger than boxing!” describes what you experience while walking through the maze of memorabilia.

For kids and fitness buffs, test your skills on the heavybag and speedbag, and try shadowboxing
with a silhouette of Ali as your daunting opponent in the mock workout area. As you enter the ring, watch the prizefighter’s daughter, Laila Ali on a screen with her teaching boxing techniques. For older folks and disabled visitors, there are elevators and wheelchair accessible ramps to assist you, and benches are placed throughout the center if you need to rest.

Connected to the Muhammad Ali Center are the Howard L. Bingham Photo Gallery and the LeRoy Neiman Art Gallery. Both are more than impressive; I could’ve spent hours at these two wings alone. If you’re a huge fight fan, you really do need several hours to explore and enjoy all the offerings that the center boasts. I inadvertently didn’t allow myself enough time (I first visited the Louisville Slugger baseball bat museum nearby) and literally had to be politely “kicked out” at closing time. I was heading back to California the next day, so I wanted to absorb all that I could while at the center.

From his humble beginnings to his iconic status of today, the Muhammad Ali Center encompasses his entire life through an abundance of photos, videos, documents, vintage ticket stubs, posters, wardrobe displays, and so much more. His childhood home is within a few blocks of the center; and this location is perfectly situated on a busy, central street–between the historic Main Street and River Road–and there are plenty of restaurants and shops you can also visit during your trip to downtown Louisville. This Southern California girl was absolutely thrilled to find a White Castle burger joint–home of the famous “sliders”–within walking distance. I also loved the sweet tea that is popular there–try it if you need an energy boost!

Take a moment to visit the outdoor patio where you get a nice panoramic view of the Ohio River. There’s also a gift shop and a cafe that is open during the weekdays for lunch.
During my visit, the Muhammad Ali Center had a special partnership with the baseball museum down the street, so I was given a discount with my Louisville Slugger ticket stub. In today’s economy, every dollar counts–so don’t forget to ask if they are still honoring this discount offer. Hey, if you save a couple of bucks, you can buy more White Castle burgers!

On a scale of ten “Golden Gloves,” with ten being the top score, I give the Muhammad Ali Center the best score possible, it’s definitely a ten–a pure knockout!
Muhammad Ali Center
Address: One Muhammad Ali Plaza
144 N. 6th Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: (502) 584-9254
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday
Cafe hours: Weekdays 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Admission: $9 adults and $4 children (6-12 years)/ Discounts for students, military, seniors
Closed on major holidays. Before visiting, contact the museum for any changes.
(The Muhammad Ali Center is a non-profit organization)
Photos courtesy of Michele Chong
Logo from http://www.alicenter.org

kikibalt wrote:Presidential cars then and now
John F. Kennedy (1961-1963): 1961 Ford Thunderbird Convertible


This was the first year of the Thunderbird's much sleeker “Bullet Bird” styling. It held the dual honors that year -- it was the Indianapolis 500 pace car and 50 of the '61 T-Birds were driven in JFK's inaugural parade. (It probably helped that Ford executive Robert McNamara was named secretary of Defense.)

THE STROKE
John Kennedy's old man pulled a lot of strings to get his son in the Oval Office. He got the union vote,including Jimmy Hoffa's Teamsters to vote Democratic. The Mob would get their usual pass with J. Edgar as head of the FBI. The oil companies would still keep 24% of their profits from being taxed by the government. Allen Dulles would be able to implement the Cuban refugee invasion of Cuba. The military would be sending more "advisors" to Vietnam. Lyndon Johnson would be the Vice Presidential running mate. All the above directed by "'Ol Joe Kennedy. The "Doc" Kearns of Presidential dads.

Then December,1961. Joe Kennedy has a stroke. He's virtually a vegetable. All the promises would now be broken. No more tax breaks for the oil companies. Allen Dulles would be fired as the chief of the CIA. Bobby Kennedy would go after the Mob and Jimmy Hoffa. Hoover was going to be replaced. Advisors would be pulled out of Nam. And last but not least,LBJ would be kicked off the ticket in '64. He,along with Bobby Baker,be charged with criminal acts. Yeah,John and Bobby wanted to do it their way now.

If Old Man Kennedy wouldn't have had the stroke,his son wouldn't have been shot to death in Dallas. Oh,that shooting. The lone nut. Is there anyone out there that would like to buy prime real estate property on the moon from me?

Tom- Earlier this year, I became a big fan of Merle Haggard after listening to many of his recordings found on Rhapsody. Believe me, Haggard had many recordings which were far, far better than "Okie of Muskogee." Of course, I am also a fan of George Jones, Lefty Frizzell, Faron Young and Hank Williams Sr.

- Chuck Johnston

Im a big Merle Haggard fan myself.
Also like Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Hank jr, Johnny Cash etc.
Love that classic country.

Expug wrote:Two weeks from today gents.
You guys need anything from Chicago?
Maybe a case of OldStyle?
Some deep dish?
Ya think they will get pissed at me at the airport if I bring Beer and pizza through security?

Hey Pug
I know this is out of reach,but I'd sure like to be nine years old again living back in Chicago. A time when my parents were giants. All my aunts and uncles and cousins. The big Italian Sunday dinner at my grand mother's. Going to the Field Museum ,the Brookfield Zoo.Me and my cousins taking in Riverview Amusement Park. Getting sick on the "Bobs". Watching the Cubbies at Wrigley Field. Who'll finish last? The Cubs or the Phillies. And of course my Big Bad Monsters Of The Midway. George Halas and his Bears. Red Grange would do the highlight show. Taking the train into Chcago with my mother and sisters and going to Marshall Fields during Christmas time and seeing the big Christmas tree in the middle of the store. Watching Two Ton Baker on TV while eating my lunch. Tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. My favorite television programs. Superman,the Tom Duggan Show which was a local show. And my favorite,My Little Margie. I was in love with Gale Storm.

Pug,if you can bring that with you,it would be much appreciated. Rog

Darchinyan hits the bull's-eye in win

Armenian boxer stops Mexico's Mijares in the ninth round to add WBC, WBA 115-pound titles to his IBF belt.
By Bill Dwyre
November 2, 2008

It's hard to be a raging bull when you weigh only 115 pounds, but Vic Darchinyan lived up to the nickname Saturday night.

A 32-year-old Armenian boxer who lives in Australia, Darchinyan took a 30-1-1 record into a fight at the Home Depot Center in Carson that he was supposed to lose to Mexico's Cristian Mijares (36-3-2).

On most cards, Darchinyan didn't even lose a round.

After he had hit Mijares, 27, with about 200 hard lefts, including one that knocked him down in the first round, Darchinyan chased Mijares across the ring as the ninth round of the scheduled 12 was about to end. As Mijares ran backward, Darchinyan chased and caught him with yet another solid left. Mijares went down, flat on his back. Referee Lou Moret started to count, then saw Mijares wasn't stirring much and waved the fight to an end.

The victory unified three alphabet-soup sanctioning divisions -- IBF, WBC, WBA -- the latter two of which had Mijares as champ. So it's reasonable to consider Darchinyan the best super flyweight in the world.

"From the first round, I promised I would fight smart, would destroy him with the left," he said. "I just thank God it wasn't like Burgos, because he took a lot of lefts, too."

In the same ring on March 3, 2007, Darchinyan beat Victor Burgos, a bout stopped in the final round. Soon, Burgos was taken to the hospital with brain injuries, and he is still in therapy trying to recover from that.

Mijares made it to the news conference afterward, cuts under both eyes, and said, "No excuses. He's a great champion."

If Darchinyan's wild attacks weren't enough for the 3,076 fans who showed up on a rainy night and left the bulk of the seats in the Home Depot Center tennis stadium empty, then the semi-main event was.

In that one, 25-year-old Olympian Andre Dirrell, a bronze medalist in Athens in 2004 with a 16-0 pro record and a great future, ran into another raging bull, a 167-pound Russian named Victor Oganov. Oganov is 32, entered with a record of 28-1, all 28 wins by knockout, and fought in a style best described as a bull in a China closet.

Oganov only moved forward. He took shot after shot and kept coming forward. In the first round, Dirrell got him up against the ropes and threw at least 25 uninterrupted hard punches. The flurry ended mostly because Dirrell's arms started to go limp. Oganov, more like a brick building than a person, shrugged and started coming forward again.

Finally, in the sixth round, with Dirrell having won the previous five on all three judges' cards, Dirrell got Oganov against the ropes and staggered him slightly. That was enough for referee Ray Corona, who stopped the fight.

Oganov, battered and bloody and still wanting more, mouthed a curse word to Corona several times and the crowd, upholding boxing's standards for blood thirst, booed the referee.

Corona said later he had seen Oganov punished enough.

Dwyre is a Times staff writer.

[email protected].

Nice win for the Aussie, who has come back brilliantly from one or two hiccups.

kikibalt wrote:Is Chavez Jr. legit
by Edgar Gonzalez


Kevin lole from yahoo sports wrote an interesting article, Over nearly a half-century of promoting fights, Bob Arum has managed at one time or another to make men of all sorts sound fearsome and dangerous.

Give him a guy with a 37-0-1 record and a Hall of Fame boxer for a father and Arum would usually have you running for the hills when the kid came into a room angry.

But on Wednesday, as a fuzzy-cheeked, 37-0-1, 22-year-old with the Hall of Fame father joked with a friend only a few feet away, Arum shrugged his shoulders.

Even the greatest promoter of them all is mystified by what may become of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Chavez, who meets Matt Vanda in a rematch Saturday in the headliner of an intriguing pay-per-view card at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, literally had no amateur career. His first fight was also his first pro fight.

So while long-time boxing observers were shocked that the son of one of the game’s greatest looked so raw and so unskilled in his early days, it was chalked up to the fact that he simply had never boxed until he was 17.

Put a 17-year-old who had never picked up a bat, a ball or a glove into pro baseball and he’d look pretty out of place, too.

Chavez, though, has had the best of everything as he’s advanced in his pro career. And as he’s preparing for his 39th professional bout, it’s hard to tell if he’s going to develop into a competent pro or if he’s going to continue to drift on his father’s name.

To be sure, Arum has done well with the younger Chavez. He’s headlined a number of smaller pay-per-view shows, which have sold between 50,000 and 90,000 subscriptions. It’s not a staggering number, but it makes a profit for the small shows with commensurate budgets.

He’s a huge attraction in his native Mexico and has been a consistent ticket seller in the U.S. in areas with large Hispanic populations.

But he hasn’t beaten anyone remotely close to a contender and has struggled at times with the weak opposition he’s been hand fed. Arum said he believes the talent is there, but said he’s not sure Chavez has the desire to be a fighter the way his father did.

“So many of these kids come from the streets and these hard upbringings, and they have to fight their way out of it, and boxing is a way for them to get a better life,” Arum said. “That’s a great motivation to a lot of them. Boxing’s a way for them to get some attention, some glory. There’s no other way. It’s a way for them to make some money. Really, there’s no other way for them.

“A kid like Julio, he’s an upper middle class kid. He doesn’t know what that’s like to want something and not be able to get it. He wanted something, he had it. He was always comfortable. He doesn’t know the struggle some many of these kids had to go through. So who the hell can really say if he has that fire? You see some glimpses of talent and feel like, ‘Hey, if you just get to him and get him to work his ass off and to commit himself to being a fighter, he could be pretty good.’ But is that in his blood? Honestly, the only one who knows that is Julio.”

Vanda, 30, unquestionably has the fire that Arum isn’t sure that Chavez has. Vanda definitely doesn’t have the talent and will never be a world champion.

But he’s a tough kid who had to overcome plenty of drug problems earlier in his life to get to a point where he said Wednesday, “I can sit here and have a conversation with you.”

Vanda, who lost a split decision to Chavez in Hermosillo, Mexico, on July 12, in a bout with wild scoring, knows he was brought in to lose, both the first time and on Saturday.

“He’s the guy with the name and I’m just some punk no one has heard of,” Vanda said.

“I’m coming in there and I’m fighting Chavez and I’m fighting the judges and I’m fighting Bob Arum and the whole system. I know what it’s all about. They brought me in last time because I have a good record but they figured he’d be able to handle me and my name would look good on his record. But you got to fight the fights. You don’t just say, ‘Well, we’ll beat this guy,’ and they give you the win.

“I am going to go out and hit this little (expletive) in the mouth right at the start and let him know he’s in for it again. Basically, my plan is simple. I’m going to beat the (expletive) out of him for as long as it lasts. That’s about all.”

Chavez listens to Vanda’s words and reacts with a shrug. He’s been a target for years because of his father’s name, so he’s used to the threats. A win over Chavez Jr. is a highlight for many of these fighters, most of whom have fought on small shows and who have never been heard from before or since.

Vanda, who is 38-7 with 21 knockouts, is one of the more accomplished fighters Chavez has faced. One judge had Vanda winning the first bout 7-3 in rounds, while another had it 5-4-1 in favor of Chavez. The third, in a blatant display of homerism, had it 10-0 for Chavez.

That caused a riot to erupt as the Mexican fans littered the arena with garbage, feeling Vanda was treated unfairly.

“It was a wild scene,” Arum said. “Julio’s father was up in the stands fighting some people, and they’re throwing bottles and trash and people are booing and yelling. Usually, it happens when the hometown hero gets screwed, but this time, it was the other way around. I couldn’t believe it.”

Even Chavez concedes the 10-0 score was ludicrous. He said he was sick and feeling woozy with flu-like symptoms and said he felt the score should have been 7-3 or 6-4 in his favor.

But he plans to make a statement on Saturday now that he says he is 100 percent physically.

“He couldn’t beat me when I was so sick I could barely keep myself up,” Chavez said. “I want this fight badly to show the people. I am determined to not only win this fight, but to show everyone how much I have improved. I have worked very hard in the gym and you’re going to see in this fight what I have been doing.”

It’s getting to be about time that Chavez shows whether he’s a top-level fighter or just a hard-nosed rich kid.

Arum has had a nice little run and has made a tidy profit to this point, though ticket sales are weak for Saturday’s show, as they are for a card featuring a nifty main event between Cristian Mijares and Vic Darchinyan in Carson, Calif., on Saturday.

Arum had to get permission from the Nevada Athletic Commission on Monday to give more than the allowable number of complimentary tickets away, most of which went to military personnel at nearby Nellis Air Force Base.

He was somewhat shocked, given Chavez’ popularity in these parts and the quality of the card, but conceded it’s an impact of the economy.

And if he’s going to continue his run with Chavez, he has to find out what he has.

“I hope the kid can do it and I believe he can, but if he can’t, I’d be lying if I told you I’m shocked,” Arum said. “He’s a tough one to figure out. This fight will show us a little. If he comes back and makes a statement, that might show some pride and tell you how much he wants it. It’s going to be obvious soon enough.”

I had the misfortune to share a few words with Arum once. Fair dues to him, he stopped, turned round and did utter a few sentences, but it all left me feeling a bit cold.

kikibalt wrote:

Basilio was once presented with a rifle at a boxing 'do' (he liked hunting) and, the story goes, pointed it at Syracuse boxing promoter Norm Rothchild and said, "Let's discuss the percentage for my next fight."
Funny.

bennie wrote:Nice win for the Aussie, who has come back brilliantly from one or two hiccups.

He looked good,Bennie, and thats saying alot for him, because of his style, he never looks good, to me anyway.

For my friends from the U.K

In England, ruing the decision to put money in Iceland banks


Olivier Morin / AFP/Getty Images
WITHDRAWAL: A customer gets money last month from an ATM in Reykjavik, capital of Iceland. The government took over many banks as they sank with stunning swiftness.
Dozens of local authorities parked nearly $1.5 billion in Icelandic accounts, which were promoted in Britain as high-yielding, but safe. Now the money may be gone. Individuals suffer too.

By Henry Chu
November 2, 2008

Reporting from Saffron Walden, England -- Since medieval times, this quaint market town has been a wellspring of financial acumen.

Merchants grew rich trading saffron crocuses, the flower whose stigma yielded deep yellow dyes for the textile industry and gave the town its name. Brewers prospered from the rising demand for beer. In the 19th century, an eminent local family helped establish one of the behemoths of British finance, Barclays Bank.

So some public embarrassment is understandable as officials here find themselves staring at a black hole where about $3.5 million of taxpayer money used to be.

The sum was invested in an Icelandic bank, in an attempt by the local government, the Uttlesford District Council, to secure a toehold in the high-return world of international financial markets.

But last month, barely a week before the deposit was due to mature with a healthy chunk of interest, the Icelandic government took over the bank as the entire country teetered on the brink of bankruptcy because of the worldwide financial meltdown. Uttlesford abruptly found itself unable to get its cash back.

"It was a move away from our normal practice," John Mitchell, the council's chief executive, said of the offshore venture, adding ruefully: "It all went painfully wrong."

The council's plight is a demonstration of the far-reaching and unforeseen effects of the global financial crisis. Because of the increasing interconnectedness of the world's economy, events in Reykjavik, Iceland's capital, are suddenly being felt in as tucked-away a corner as this pretty patch of eastern England.

Uttlesford is just one of dozens of local authorities in Britain that have parked money, nearly $1.5 billion in total, in Icelandic bank accounts, which were aggressively promoted in this country as high-yielding, but safe, investments.

Well-known charities, nonprofit groups and institutions such as Oxford University and a cancer hospital in northern England put their funds in Icelandic banks. So did millions of individual Britons, who opened their accounts over the Internet and happily watched their balances grow, at least online. The British government's own watchdog agency for public spending confessed to having $16 million tied up in Iceland, whose banking industry was so heavily leveraged that some called the country one giant Viking hedge fund.

When those banks started sinking with stunning swiftness around the beginning of October, Reykjavik was forced to intervene and, essentially, nationalize Iceland's largest financial institutions. Investors here in Britain panicked as their money was now frozen by the Icelandic government as it tried to sort out the banking mess. The British government's pledge to back up individual investors' deposits up to $80,000 failed to calm nerves, and also did not apply to bodies such as local governments and charities.

Instead, the banking debacle sparked a nasty diplomatic row. Prime Minister Gordon Brown invoked a clause in Britain's anti-terrorism law and froze all Icelandic bank assets in this country. For their part, Icelanders bristled at being labeled a nation of extremists.

Despite the faceoff, officials from both sides are working toward a solution for British investors, which is all that Michael Davis, a retired landscape architect, cares about.

"I was in a terrible state. I was actually physically shaking," said Davis, describing his reaction to news that the $125,000 he had deposited in the popular Icesave bank -- nearly all his retirement savings -- was now in danger of being wiped out.

Davis, who lives in a village in the county of Gloucestershire in western England, had been attracted by Icesave's offer of 6.5% interest and impressed by repeated endorsements from financial websites, credit-rating firms and other credible sources that Icelandic banks were sound. He got his fiancee and his daughter to sign up as well.

"I recommended it to my brother, and he's a qualified chartered accountant," said Davis, 62.

Now all Davis has are printouts from the Internet as proof that he ever had money in Icesave, which is owned by Landsbanki, Iceland's second-biggest financial institution.

"You can't go to a branch to get your money back. Where is the money? What happened to it? Who's got it?" he said.

Here in Saffron Walden, about an hour's train journey from London, the Uttlesford District Council also relied on expert advice for its decision last year to put $3.5 million in Landsbanki.

The council, which provides services such as garbage collection out of a total budget of about $14 million, was counting on more than $200,000 in interest until Reykjavik announced Oct. 7 that it would seize control of the bank.

Almost as appalling as the potential loss of revenue was the loss of face from being one of three local authorities designated by the central government as urgent cases requiring immediate attention.

"There's a sort of stigma associated with that, but there's an opportunity . . . insofar that we're in front of the queue if any money gets dished out," said Mitchell, the council's chief executive. "As a council we've been through a great deal of trouble and we were on our way out when this happened, and it's rather taken the wind out of our sails."

In Worcestershire, the Wyre Forest District Council, another of the three local bodies identified as most at risk, has nearly $14.5 million of public funds socked away in Icelandic banks, or about $145 for every resident. The council's chief executive predicted a "devastating impact" on local services if the situation was not resolved quickly.

"The time that our community most needs us is the time we've got one hand tied behind our back," said John-Paul Campion, the council leader.

London has dispatched an expert to assist the council in examining its finances and exploring its options, but that, Campion said, is not the issue.

"We don't need someone to come help us manage our budget. We need someone to help us get our money back."

Chu is a Times staff writer.

[email protected]

dagosd2000 wrote:

Expug wrote:Two weeks from today gents.
You guys need anything from Chicago?
Maybe a case of OldStyle?
Some deep dish?
Ya think they will get pissed at me at the airport if I bring Beer and pizza through security?

Hey Pug
I know this is out of reach,but I'd sure like to be nine years old again living back in Chicago. A time when my parents were giants. All my aunts and uncles and cousins. The big Italian Sunday dinner at my grand mother's. Going to the Field Museum ,the Brookfield Zoo.Me and my cousins taking in Riverview Amusement Park. Getting sick on the "Bobs". Watching the Cubbies at Wrigley Field. Who'll finish last? The Cubs or the Phillies. And of course my Big Bad Monsters Of The Midway. George Halas and his Bears. Red Grange would do the highlight show. Taking the train into Chcago with my mother and sisters and going to Marshall Fields during Christmas time and seeing the big Christmas tree in the middle of the store. Watching Two Ton Baker on TV while eating my lunch. Tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. My favorite television programs. Superman,the Tom Duggan Show which was a local show. And my favorite,My Little Margie. I was in love with Gale Storm.

Pug,if you can bring that with you,it would be much appreciated. Rog

I'd like to be able to do that Rog.I would if I could.
Some of those things are the same . Some arent .Of course Riverview is long gone, and so now is Marshal fields.Its Macys I think. Or some other outfit out of New York.
You wouldnt like the atmosphere at Wrigley Field anymore either Rog.
Drunken loud mouth obnoxious fans.I wont even take my kids to a game there.
Chicago unfortunately isnt what it used to be Rog.
Right now, we are also the murder capital of the country.
Daley, the mayor doesnt want to hire any more police, he is laying off city workers, and he is jacking up 8 million a year in taxes , which he said he wouldnt do, for a ridiculous Millenium park tourist trap.

Expug wrote:

dagosd2000 wrote:

Expug wrote:Two weeks from today gents.
You guys need anything from Chicago?
Maybe a case of OldStyle?
Some deep dish?
Ya think they will get pissed at me at the airport if I bring Beer and pizza through security?

Hey Pug
I know this is out of reach,but I'd sure like to be nine years old again living back in Chicago. A time when my parents were giants. All my aunts and uncles and cousins. The big Italian Sunday dinner at my grand mother's. Going to the Field Museum ,the Brookfield Zoo.Me and my cousins taking in Riverview Amusement Park. Getting sick on the "Bobs". Watching the Cubbies at Wrigley Field. Who'll finish last? The Cubs or the Phillies. And of course my Big Bad Monsters Of The Midway. George Halas and his Bears. Red Grange would do the highlight show. Taking the train into Chcago with my mother and sisters and going to Marshall Fields during Christmas time and seeing the big Christmas tree in the middle of the store. Watching Two Ton Baker on TV while eating my lunch. Tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. My favorite television programs. Superman,the Tom Duggan Show which was a local show. And my favorite,My Little Margie. I was in love with Gale Storm.

Pug,if you can bring that with you,it would be much appreciated. Rog

I'd like to be able to do that Rog.I would if I could.
Some of those things are the same . Some arent .Of course Riverview is long gone, and so now is Marshal fields.Its Macys I think. Or some other outfit out of New York.
You wouldnt like the atmosphere at Wrigley Field anymore either Rog.
Drunken loud mouth obnoxious fans.I wont even take my kids to a game there.
Chicago unfortunately isnt what it used to be Rog.
Right now, we are also the murder capital of the country.
Daley, the mayor doesnt want to hire any more police, he is laying off city workers, and he is jacking up 8 million a year in taxes , which he said he wouldnt do, for a ridiculous Millenium park tourist trap.

Pug
That's why the wife and me have the house in jiquilpan. By the the time the contamination reaches there,they'll be going to the cemetary on Dia De Los Muertos and putting a bottle of Jose Cuervo at my grave.

kikibalt wrote:

bennie wrote:Nice win for the Aussie, who has come back brilliantly from one or two hiccups.

He looked good,Bennie, and thats saying alot for him, because of his style, he never looks good, to me anyway.

I feel the same Frank. He did look good, tough, overwhelming, determined, strong. Smart? Smart enough to dominate many today, but not a true boxer, one who can hit. I'm not a dream match guy, because I don't see anybody today, except maybe Manny Pac, who could fit into my idea of a dream match. Sometimes, for fun, I let my mind go and wish I could see a guy like Vic D. toe-to-toe with an Alacran Torres, Jesus Pimentel or a few of the L.A. guys who labored for peanuts at the Olympic. I like Vic, I laugh at the faces he makes, the talk of "destroying" his opponent. If fight fans truly understood boxers, and their lack of hate for an opponent, and how it's just a days work bringing ones self up to a fighting mentality. The idea is to win, to dominate, to break one's spirit and, ideally, knock a man unconcious. Regretably, boxer's occasionally die from massive injuries, but such a result was not a matter of "hate", it's just what happenes sometimes when we do what we do.

Frank, think of all the tournaments you were a part of as both a boxer, or the father/coach of boxers. How many times did the whole team you shuttled out of town to a tournament end up all packed into a single room together, kids and a couple adults. We in boxing are all the same. How can you truly hate your opponent. That kind of emotion doesn't help a boxer, it clouds his thinking. Occasionally, two boxers really don't like one another and that may inspire a little more emotion, but how many of Tony's brutal KO victims were guys that he "hated"? I guess the audience does not understand, they need to hate somebody to incapacitate them in a conflict, boxers just do it. When I hear a guy like Vic telling the world how he will destroy an opponent, why make so much noise about his feelings? It actually makes him look weak to me. Like a guy who needs scare tactics to enhance his ring performance. Only a coward is affected by a guy who talks too much. Boxing is of no use in the hands a coward.

OK, one dream match at 115-118 pounds for the Aussie from Armenia . . . Vs. Dwight Hawkins in the late 50's, when the "Hawk" was only 17 and had about a dozen pro bouts under his belt. Dwight Hawkins was still basicaly inexperienced, so matching him with a undisputed 32-year-old world champ, with a 31-1-1 (25 KO's) would seem a like quite a challenge. Hawkins had already lost in his young career. He may not have the best record, and perhaps that is why he was chosen as a good "opponent" for the best bantam Mexico had fighting at 118 lbs. at the time, future world champ, Jose Beccera. The account of this fight can be seen in earlier posts on this thread. The quiet Hawkins, with his massive upper body and skinny, crippled legs was a force to deal with. He was a rib breaker, literally. They call Vic D. A "Raging Bull?", a "Bulldozer"? I would bet my life that after a few rounds of head-on-conflict with Dwight Hawkins, if Vic D. was still on his feet, he would not be going forward. Long before the final bell would have an opportunity to ring, Vic D. would have found comfort on the canvas. But I'll say this, he is exciting, and he's a man, and I appreciate the kind of action he puts forth for his fans. In a world of "lets play tag" boxing, Vic D. reminds us that boxing IS about fighting.

-Rick

Expug wrote:Two weeks from today gents.
You guys need anything from Chicago?
Maybe a case of OldStyle?
Some deep dish?
Ya think they will get pissed at me at the airport if I bring Beer and pizza through security?

Here's how you do it, Pug. Have "Uncle John", run interference for you. Make sure he's behind you in line. When they see him, they'll look right past you and you're home free. When they frsik U.J., all they will find is a little change, lint, an Irish Lottery ticket in his pockets. Then on to the banquet. Really looking forward to meeting you, Brian!!

-Rick