Rick Farris wrote:Baby Cassius (Eric Thomas) . . .
Johnny Flores had this guy as an amateur and then he went with Canto Robledo's Crown City Boxing Stable in Pasadena. This guy was a lightweight Cassius Clay look alike! He had Ali's face, hair, build, same white trunks and shoes, and the hands down Ali style. He was really pretty good and had his way with a lot of prelim boys, but the ten round guys made him pay for holding his hands low. So did Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles.
The great welter champ hired Eric as a sparring partner in 1971, for his first defense against Hedgeman Lewis. I was working with Ruben Olivares at the time, and would see Baby Cassius box with Napoles beforehand. It wasn't a pretty sight. Cassius really took a beating, but hung in, got off the canvas and still tried to box.
One day, as I dressed for my workout with Olivares, Eric was taking off his hand wraps after working with the champ. His eyes were both swollen, his black skin turned reddish under the swelling. "All I wanna do is earn a little Xmas money. But this man is killing me", he moaned.
I could relate.
-Rick Farris
Baby Cassuis/Eric Thomas came up on the Jrs in the early 1960's
Baby Cassius
Alias Eric Thomas
Country USA
Global Id 33545
Division Lightweight
Career Record ©
www.boxrec.com
Date Opponent Location Result
1974-03-01 Miguel Mayan San Diego, USA L KO 10
1974-02-06 Javier Ayala San Francisco, USA W PTS 10
1973-12-11 Ray Lunny III San Francisco, USA L UD 10
1973-05-24 Jimmy Robertson Los Angeles, USA L TD 3
1973-01-15 Miguel Mayan Phoenix, USA W PTS 10
1972-05-17 Gerardo Ferrat Guaymas, Mexico L KO 6
1971-09-25 Victor Tshabalala Jabulani, Johannesburg, S L PTS 10
1971-05-24 Leo Young Melbourne, Australia W PTS 10
1971-05-14 Toro George Brisbane, Australia L PTS 10
1970-09-21 Jose Angel Herrera San Francisco, USA L PTS 10
1970-08-07 Angel Mayoral San Diego, USA L PTS 10
1970-06-20 Anthony Morodi Soweto, South Africa L PTS 10
1970-04-28 Rudy Tolongari Honolulu, USA D PTS 10
1969-10-14 Hubert Kang Honolulu, USA W PTS 10
1969-06-26 Jimmy Robertson Los Angeles, USA L TKO 2
1969-05-19 Gerardo Ferrat Mexicali, Mexico L PTS 10
1969-04-24 Bobby Rodriguez Los Angeles, USA W UD 10
1969-02-09 Ignacio Pina Mexicali, Mexico L PTS 10
1968-12-15 Gerardo Ferrat Mexicali, Mexico D PTS 10
1968-11-24 Ignacio Pina Mexicali, Mexico W PTS 10
1968-10-10 Fernando Sotelo Los Angeles, USA L TKO 9
1968-09-26 Luis Ramirez Los Angeles, USA L UD 10
1968-08-23 Memo Morales San Bernardino, USA W KO 7
1968-07-26 Felix Jasso San Bernardino, USA W KO 9
1968-04-25 Hidemori Tsujimoto Japan L KO 7
1967-10-23 Len Kesey Las Vegas, USA L PTS 10
1967-10-05 Rene Macias Los Angeles, USA D PTS 10
1967-09-18 Dave Simonini Las Vegas, USA W KO 3
1967-08-03 Rodrigo Contreras Los Angeles, USA W TKO 1
1967-07-27 Jose Garcia Los Angeles, USA W PTS 6
1967-05-25 Tony Alvarado Los Angeles, USA L PTS 8
1967-04-27 Rodrigo Contreras Los Angeles, USA W PTS 6
1967-03-16 Tony Porter Los Angeles, USA W KO 5
1967-03-02 Ruben Navarro Los Angeles, USA L PTS 6
1966-12-01 Tony Alvarado Los Angeles, USA L PTS 6
1966-11-24 Memo Guerrero Los Angeles, USA W PTS 4
1966-10-26 Jeff Phillip Magnan Oakland, USA W SD 5
1966-10-13 Jimmy Curiel Los Angeles, USA W PTS 4
Record to Date
Won 16 (KOs 5) Lost 19 Drawn 3 Total 38
Actually, I would like to talk to him in due course. We would cross paths on occasion and we always acknowledged each other. His brother Thurman was one of Johnnie Flores favorite fighters. I thought Thurman was going to be a contender. He won a Nat'l GG title in '67, same year as Clay Hodges and Paul Bad Horse. L.A. had three NAt'll GG's champs that year. When Claude took a solid shot, I saw his legs start to go and he did a funny little dance before he went down. I'd have to say that was my biggest Jr. GG's win, and it came early. When Frankie Jr. stopped Claude in the pros, did Durden do that little dance before he kissed the canvas?
