BoxRec

kikibalt wrote:

Randyman wrote:Frank, I'm glad you posted that article on John Molina. I'm also glad to hear that Molina did not get to easy of an opponent. I like this kid. He seems to be someone that has a real future, seems to have the right stuff. Tall, rangy and has a good jab, and with a 75% punch ratio, he can bang. He has yet to face any serious threat but that will be coming soon. Molina is from La Puente and until recently, was trained by Ben Lira. He is now being handled by the Goosen's. Molina seems to have his head screwed on right. I hope he stays that way. He has lots of potential.

From The Ring Blog:Posted Feb. 3, 2009 at 11:20pm
By Doug Fische

New Faces: John Molina
Vital Statistics:

Age: 26
Hometown: Covina, Calif.
Weight class: lightweight
Height / reach: 5-10½ / 72 inches
Amateur record: 22-2 (17 RSC)
Turned pro: 2006
Pro record: 14-0 (10 knockouts)
Trainer: Joe Goossen
Manager: John Molina Sr. and Ben Lira
Promoter: Goossen Tutor

Best night of pro career: Fourth-round stoppage of tough Jose Alfredo Lugo on May 23 of last year. Lugo absorbed Molina’s punches for three rounds before mounting a fierce attack at the start of the fourth. Molina took Lugo’s best shots and came back with a vicious salvo of his own that set up a brutal right-hand punch that knocked the rugged journeyman out cold. Lugo has since earned a draw with Mike Dallas Jr. (5-0) and gone the distance with hard-hitting amateur stars Danny Garcia (9-0) and Adrien Broner (5-0).

Worst night of pro career: Struggled to a close six-round decision over Carlos Madrid on March 28 of last year. The heavier journeyman matched Molina’s strength on the inside while applying constant pressure and crafty infighting.

Next fight: Faces Joshua Allotey (15-6, 13 KOs) Friday, Feb. 6, in a scheduled eight-round bout at The Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, Calif., in the Showtime-televised co-feature of “SHOBOX: The Next Generation” (11 p.m. ET/PT).

Why he’ll be a contender: Former high school wrestling standout is a natural athlete with tremendous physical strength, knockout power in both hands and the self-confidence that comes with such attributes and a Spartan work ethic. An affable personality outside of the ring, his aggressive style translates to fan-friendly fights that often end in spectacular knockouts.

Why he’s a pretender: Seek-and-destroy mentality sometimes leads to recklessness in the ring. The natural puncher often forgoes his jab and forgets technique while in pursuit of the knockout. Limited amateur background and average hand and foot speed contribute to his difficulty with quick boxers who utilize lateral movement.

Story lines: Although boxing was in his blood (both his father and grandfather were amateur fighters), Molina got a late start in the sport, instead focusing his teen years on high school athletics. The tall, rangy lightweight was a four-year varsity letterman in both wrestling and track and field at Charter Oak High School in Covina, Calif. Molina competed on the state level in wrestling, which he says helped foster the discipline that aided him during his brief amateur boxing career after high school. He compiled a 22-2 record en route to winning state Golden Gloves titles (’02 and ’03) and the national Blue & Gold tournament (’04). As an amateur, he was sponsored by Southern California Teamsters, whose members and families have given him loyal fan support during his pro career, often packing club venues to root for him. Says Dan Goossen: “My brother Joe and my son Craig told me John has star potential, and I saw what they were talking about the first time I watched him fight. He’s an all-action fighter. But I also signed him on his reputation for being a good but charismatic young man. He’s outgoing, witty and engaging. I think Ben Lira and his father gave him a good foundation as a fighter and a person.” Molina is not related to former junior lightweight titleholder John John Molina.

Fight-by-fight record

2006
March 31 Lestor Balmores KO 2
May 5 Ignacio Flores KO 1
July 14 Ramiro Torres KO 1
Sept. 14 Julio Chavez UD 4
Nov. 16 Odilon Rivera TKO 1

2007
Jan. 27 Rudy Paz TKO 1
June 22 Marcus Brashears UD 6
Aug. 18 Ron Boyd TKO1
Dec. 28 Eddie Brooks KO 2

2008
Feb. 15 Baladan Trevizo TKO 2
March 28 Carlos Madrid UD 6
May 23 Jose A. Lugo TKO 4
Sept. 5 Eddie Brooks UD 6
Nov. 11 Fernando Lizarraga RTD 5


http://www.ringtv.com/blog/289/new_faces_john_molina/

Randy, I have seen Molina fight 2-3 times and to be honest I have not been impressed with him, for a kid with 15-16 fights he still fights kind of wild, doesn't pick his shots, he just throws punches to the wind and leaves himself wide open for counters, I also don't think leaving Ben Lira for the Joe Goosen is the right move for him, but thats probably the only way that Dan Goosen would sign him up....

kikibalt wrote:The Most Avoided Man in Boxing: Antonio Margarito’s Rise and Fall
By Geno McGahee

I have been a big fan of Antonio Margarito for quite some time. When he headlined the first ever ESPN Pay Per View, his grit and determination were impressive as he chopped down the then undefeated Kermit Cintron. The term “most avoided man in boxing” was often associated with him and rightfully so. He was relentless, aggressive, and large for the welterweight division. Considering his size and similarities in style to Jose Luis Castillo, it was no wonder that Floyd Mayweather, JR., opted to find other challengers rather than risking his place in boxing against Margarito.

Margarito represented the core of boxing, the fighter that would take two punches to deliver one, and came up the hard way. He fought untelevised for much of his career, slowly making his way up the ranks of marketable fighters, and getting knocked down a few times along the way, but never gave up and eventually found his big fight that would put him into the realm of pound for pound best in the game and made him a fighter that the casual boxing fans desperately wanted to see.

On July 26th, 2008, Miguel Angel Cotto would bring his WBA Welterweight Title to the ring, prepared to defend it against the man that most others had avoided. Prior to this bout, Margarito was on a mission of destruction, making short work of Golden Johnson and Kermit Cintron in a rematch. Cotto was a fighter known to break down his opposition, and Margarito had the reputation of a man that was immovable. The recipe was there for a good fight and it turned out to be a great bout, with both men having their moments and gave the crowd and the audience at home a lot of bang for their buck.

To the amazement of most, Margarito walked through Miguel Cotto’s punches, and he took some hellacious punches. As the rounds went on, the Margarito punches began to take their toll. Cotto just couldn’t take any more and crumbled in the corner in the eleventh round. He looked like he had been through a car accident without a seatbelt, completely broken and unable to go on. It was the first defeat on the record of Cotto and the biggest win to date for Margarito. After this fight, a PPV event, Margarito’s future was extremely bright. Most of boxing rejoiced that he had won. He was the common man that showed incredible spirit and resilience both in the ring and outside of it, coping with the promotional problems and lack of exposure to the public. He was now on top of the world and there were even rumors that he was set to face Oscar De La Hoya.

That fight never materialized, but another superstar agreed to step up to the challenge. Sugar Shane Mosley, a man going through a divorce as well as steroids accusations, seemed to bring more name value rather than a true challenge for Margarito. Mosley is a great fighter but his recent outings, he looked stale and lost to the same Miguel Cotto that Margarito had stopped. Also, the very limited Ricardo Mayorga fought evenly over 11 ½ rounds with Mosley before running into a left hook and losing via last second TKO. Margarito was a 4-1 favorite and rightfully so.

The Mosley fight was seen by most as a set up fight for something bigger and better. How Margarito performed would dictate exactly what direction Top Rank went with him. If he stopped Mosley, they would pursue the big fights and he would headline a PPV again. If he struggled and eked by, then maybe another course of action against a fighter less durable than Mosley would be in order. Margarito was a monster and Mosley wouldn’t stop him or so the majority of the “experts” believed…but there was more going on here…

Prior to the fight, Margarito’s trainer, Javier Capetillo, was observed doing something unusual with his fighter’s hand wraps. As a result, the wraps he was using were confiscated and he was forced to rewrap the hands while under close observation. Many thought of this as a ploy by team Mosley, as many times you will see management or promotional teams object to the wrappings of a fighter’s hands or the taping of the gloves. It is merely done to try to get the fighter’s focus to shift and perhaps give their man a slight mental edge going into the ring. Butch Lewis attempted this tactic when Mike Tyson fought his man, Michael Spinks, claiming that a lump underneath the wrist of Tyson could cause his man injury and therefore, they had to be redone. It was a bogus claim but he still had his gloves rewrapped and taped…it didn’t help Spinks though. Bernard Hopkins team also used this tactic with Felix Trinidad, which seemed to really jar him and gave “the Executioner” the edge he wanted. It got Tito’s head out of the fight. Unfortunately this situation wasn’t just a ploy. There was something very real and very sinister going on here.

The fight went on after the hands were wrapped to the satisfaction of all involved. Amazingly, this fight was a mismatch from the opening bell, with Mosley beating the living hell out of Margarito. He kept shoving the right hand down the pike and followed up with some tremendous bodywork. The Margarito that we were used to seeing wasn’t there. His punches didn’t have the effect that they have had on other opponents in the past and even when he landed full force on Mosley’s chin, he didn’t flinch.

After nine rounds, Margarito was in a heap, TKO’d and beaten soundly by a rejuvenated Mosley. Was Mosley back? Was Margarito overrated? What did we just see?

The decision by the California State Athletic Commission was swift. Both Margarito and Capetillo were suspended for one year, as the investigation went forth. Capetillo, under pressure from Arum, I’m sure, took all the blame, stating that he put illegal pads into the hand wraps, but it was an “accident.” Arum said some of the most disgusting things after the suspension, screaming that Margarito was being singled out because he was Mexican. It’s amazing how many people question the business practices of Don King, but fails to mention how Bob Arum does the same exact things.

Last week the announcement was made that the hand wraps were tainted, containing sulfur and calcium, two elements when mixed with oxygen creates Plaster of Paris. Had he went into the ring like that, the wraps would have hardened and he would have been throwing bricks at Mosley for twelve rounds. It’s no wonder that Cintron folded, Golden Johnson crumbled, and Cotto sustained that much damage. Boxing is a dangerous sport as it is, but when you add this element into it, it brings it to another level. It is reminiscent of the Luis Resto – Billy Collins, JR., bout from 1983.

Luis Resto battled Billy Collins, JR., on ABC. It was a bout where Collins, JR., sustained horrible injuries and looked not so different from Miguel Cotto after his loss to Margarito. Collins, JR., had permanently blurred vision and it ended his boxing career and this was due to tampering with the gloves. Resto and his trainer, Panama Lewis, had removed padding from the gloves, basically beating Collins, JR., with taped fists over ten rounds. Thankfully, they were caught and punished, Lewis getting six years, and Resto getting three, but they probably should have gotten a whole lot more. Collins, JR., killed himself shortly after this bout, many contending that his inability to fight anymore had ruined his life and pushed him to suicide.

I have heard that Margarito might be allowed to fight in Mexico, but after these findings, I am hoping that they concur with the ban and keep him away from boxing. I’m sure that I’m not in the minority when I say that Antonio Margarito was somebody that represented what was right with the sport, the spirit of the game, and showed that hard work paid off…and I was a very big fan of his. After this incident, all of that has dissolved. Although Capetillo claims to be 100% responsible, I can’t see how Margarito would not know that this was happening to his hand wraps. Much like the steroid abusers in boxing, Margarito has joined the list of people that will do anything for money and could care less that you are potentially going to kill somebody in the ring. Boxing is a dirty sport and has been for years, but the boxing world has to take a stand and ban both Capetillo and Margarito permanently from the game, regardless of commercial appeal. As it has held its ground with fighters like Tommy Morrison and Joe Mesi, the boxing commissions MUST do the same here and remove this potential hazard from the sport.

The “Most Avoided Man in Boxing” is a title that should probably be attached to Margarito right now but it now has an entire different meaning. Boxing should avoid doing any business whatsoever with him or Capetillo. They are both menaces to the game and I eagerly await the “lifetime ban” that they are sure to place upon them both. I wonder how Bob Arum will defend Margarito this time.

Randyman wrote:

kikibalt wrote:

Randyman wrote:Frank, I'm glad you posted that article on John Molina. I'm also glad to hear that Molina did not get to easy of an opponent. I like this kid. He seems to be someone that has a real future, seems to have the right stuff. Tall, rangy and has a good jab, and with a 75% punch ratio, he can bang. He has yet to face any serious threat but that will be coming soon. Molina is from La Puente and until recently, was trained by Ben Lira. He is now being handled by the Goosen's. Molina seems to have his head screwed on right. I hope he stays that way. He has lots of potential.

From The Ring Blog:Posted Feb. 3, 2009 at 11:20pm
By Doug Fische

New Faces: John Molina
Vital Statistics:

Age: 26
Hometown: Covina, Calif.
Weight class: lightweight
Height / reach: 5-10½ / 72 inches
Amateur record: 22-2 (17 RSC)
Turned pro: 2006
Pro record: 14-0 (10 knockouts)
Trainer: Joe Goossen
Manager: John Molina Sr. and Ben Lira
Promoter: Goossen Tutor

Best night of pro career: Fourth-round stoppage of tough Jose Alfredo Lugo on May 23 of last year. Lugo absorbed Molina’s punches for three rounds before mounting a fierce attack at the start of the fourth. Molina took Lugo’s best shots and came back with a vicious salvo of his own that set up a brutal right-hand punch that knocked the rugged journeyman out cold. Lugo has since earned a draw with Mike Dallas Jr. (5-0) and gone the distance with hard-hitting amateur stars Danny Garcia (9-0) and Adrien Broner (5-0).

Worst night of pro career: Struggled to a close six-round decision over Carlos Madrid on March 28 of last year. The heavier journeyman matched Molina’s strength on the inside while applying constant pressure and crafty infighting.

Next fight: Faces Joshua Allotey (15-6, 13 KOs) Friday, Feb. 6, in a scheduled eight-round bout at The Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, Calif., in the Showtime-televised co-feature of “SHOBOX: The Next Generation” (11 p.m. ET/PT).

Why he’ll be a contender: Former high school wrestling standout is a natural athlete with tremendous physical strength, knockout power in both hands and the self-confidence that comes with such attributes and a Spartan work ethic. An affable personality outside of the ring, his aggressive style translates to fan-friendly fights that often end in spectacular knockouts.

Why he’s a pretender: Seek-and-destroy mentality sometimes leads to recklessness in the ring. The natural puncher often forgoes his jab and forgets technique while in pursuit of the knockout. Limited amateur background and average hand and foot speed contribute to his difficulty with quick boxers who utilize lateral movement.

Story lines: Although boxing was in his blood (both his father and grandfather were amateur fighters), Molina got a late start in the sport, instead focusing his teen years on high school athletics. The tall, rangy lightweight was a four-year varsity letterman in both wrestling and track and field at Charter Oak High School in Covina, Calif. Molina competed on the state level in wrestling, which he says helped foster the discipline that aided him during his brief amateur boxing career after high school. He compiled a 22-2 record en route to winning state Golden Gloves titles (’02 and ’03) and the national Blue & Gold tournament (’04). As an amateur, he was sponsored by Southern California Teamsters, whose members and families have given him loyal fan support during his pro career, often packing club venues to root for him. Says Dan Goossen: “My brother Joe and my son Craig told me John has star potential, and I saw what they were talking about the first time I watched him fight. He’s an all-action fighter. But I also signed him on his reputation for being a good but charismatic young man. He’s outgoing, witty and engaging. I think Ben Lira and his father gave him a good foundation as a fighter and a person.” Molina is not related to former junior lightweight titleholder John John Molina.

Fight-by-fight record

2006
March 31 Lestor Balmores KO 2
May 5 Ignacio Flores KO 1
July 14 Ramiro Torres KO 1
Sept. 14 Julio Chavez UD 4
Nov. 16 Odilon Rivera TKO 1

2007
Jan. 27 Rudy Paz TKO 1
June 22 Marcus Brashears UD 6
Aug. 18 Ron Boyd TKO1
Dec. 28 Eddie Brooks KO 2

2008
Feb. 15 Baladan Trevizo TKO 2
March 28 Carlos Madrid UD 6
May 23 Jose A. Lugo TKO 4
Sept. 5 Eddie Brooks UD 6
Nov. 11 Fernando Lizarraga RTD 5


http://www.ringtv.com/blog/289/new_faces_john_molina/

Randy, I have seen Molina fight 2-3 times and to be honest I have not been impressed with him, for a kid with 15-16 fights he still fights kind of wild, doesn't pick his shots, he just throws punches to the wind and leaves himself wide open for counters, I also don't think leaving Ben Lira for the Joe Goosen is the right move for him, but thats probably the only way that Dan Goosen would sign him up....

Frank, mu understanding is that Lira decided to give up training fighters after his wife passed away recently but I might be mistaken.

I agree that Molina needs more work but I like the kid. Time will tell one way or the other..

Randy

Rick Farris wrote:

kikibalt wrote:The Most Avoided Man in Boxing: Antonio Margarito’s Rise and Fall
By Geno McGahee

I have been a big fan of Antonio Margarito for quite some time. When he headlined the first ever ESPN Pay Per View, his grit and determination were impressive as he chopped down the then undefeated Kermit Cintron. The term “most avoided man in boxing” was often associated with him and rightfully so. He was relentless, aggressive, and large for the welterweight division. Considering his size and similarities in style to Jose Luis Castillo, it was no wonder that Floyd Mayweather, JR., opted to find other challengers rather than risking his place in boxing against Margarito.

Margarito represented the core of boxing, the fighter that would take two punches to deliver one, and came up the hard way. He fought untelevised for much of his career, slowly making his way up the ranks of marketable fighters, and getting knocked down a few times along the way, but never gave up and eventually found his big fight that would put him into the realm of pound for pound best in the game and made him a fighter that the casual boxing fans desperately wanted to see.

On July 26th, 2008, Miguel Angel Cotto would bring his WBA Welterweight Title to the ring, prepared to defend it against the man that most others had avoided. Prior to this bout, Margarito was on a mission of destruction, making short work of Golden Johnson and Kermit Cintron in a rematch. Cotto was a fighter known to break down his opposition, and Margarito had the reputation of a man that was immovable. The recipe was there for a good fight and it turned out to be a great bout, with both men having their moments and gave the crowd and the audience at home a lot of bang for their buck.

To the amazement of most, Margarito walked through Miguel Cotto’s punches, and he took some hellacious punches. As the rounds went on, the Margarito punches began to take their toll. Cotto just couldn’t take any more and crumbled in the corner in the eleventh round. He looked like he had been through a car accident without a seatbelt, completely broken and unable to go on. It was the first defeat on the record of Cotto and the biggest win to date for Margarito. After this fight, a PPV event, Margarito’s future was extremely bright. Most of boxing rejoiced that he had won. He was the common man that showed incredible spirit and resilience both in the ring and outside of it, coping with the promotional problems and lack of exposure to the public. He was now on top of the world and there were even rumors that he was set to face Oscar De La Hoya.

That fight never materialized, but another superstar agreed to step up to the challenge. Sugar Shane Mosley, a man going through a divorce as well as steroids accusations, seemed to bring more name value rather than a true challenge for Margarito. Mosley is a great fighter but his recent outings, he looked stale and lost to the same Miguel Cotto that Margarito had stopped. Also, the very limited Ricardo Mayorga fought evenly over 11 ½ rounds with Mosley before running into a left hook and losing via last second TKO. Margarito was a 4-1 favorite and rightfully so.

The Mosley fight was seen by most as a set up fight for something bigger and better. How Margarito performed would dictate exactly what direction Top Rank went with him. If he stopped Mosley, they would pursue the big fights and he would headline a PPV again. If he struggled and eked by, then maybe another course of action against a fighter less durable than Mosley would be in order. Margarito was a monster and Mosley wouldn’t stop him or so the majority of the “experts” believed…but there was more going on here…

Prior to the fight, Margarito’s trainer, Javier Capetillo, was observed doing something unusual with his fighter’s hand wraps. As a result, the wraps he was using were confiscated and he was forced to rewrap the hands while under close observation. Many thought of this as a ploy by team Mosley, as many times you will see management or promotional teams object to the wrappings of a fighter’s hands or the taping of the gloves. It is merely done to try to get the fighter’s focus to shift and perhaps give their man a slight mental edge going into the ring. Butch Lewis attempted this tactic when Mike Tyson fought his man, Michael Spinks, claiming that a lump underneath the wrist of Tyson could cause his man injury and therefore, they had to be redone. It was a bogus claim but he still had his gloves rewrapped and taped…it didn’t help Spinks though. Bernard Hopkins team also used this tactic with Felix Trinidad, which seemed to really jar him and gave “the Executioner” the edge he wanted. It got Tito’s head out of the fight. Unfortunately this situation wasn’t just a ploy. There was something very real and very sinister going on here.

The fight went on after the hands were wrapped to the satisfaction of all involved. Amazingly, this fight was a mismatch from the opening bell, with Mosley beating the living hell out of Margarito. He kept shoving the right hand down the pike and followed up with some tremendous bodywork. The Margarito that we were used to seeing wasn’t there. His punches didn’t have the effect that they have had on other opponents in the past and even when he landed full force on Mosley’s chin, he didn’t flinch.

After nine rounds, Margarito was in a heap, TKO’d and beaten soundly by a rejuvenated Mosley. Was Mosley back? Was Margarito overrated? What did we just see?

The decision by the California State Athletic Commission was swift. Both Margarito and Capetillo were suspended for one year, as the investigation went forth. Capetillo, under pressure from Arum, I’m sure, took all the blame, stating that he put illegal pads into the hand wraps, but it was an “accident.” Arum said some of the most disgusting things after the suspension, screaming that Margarito was being singled out because he was Mexican. It’s amazing how many people question the business practices of Don King, but fails to mention how Bob Arum does the same exact things.

Last week the announcement was made that the hand wraps were tainted, containing sulfur and calcium, two elements when mixed with oxygen creates Plaster of Paris. Had he went into the ring like that, the wraps would have hardened and he would have been throwing bricks at Mosley for twelve rounds. It’s no wonder that Cintron folded, Golden Johnson crumbled, and Cotto sustained that much damage. Boxing is a dangerous sport as it is, but when you add this element into it, it brings it to another level. It is reminiscent of the Luis Resto – Billy Collins, JR., bout from 1983.

Luis Resto battled Billy Collins, JR., on ABC. It was a bout where Collins, JR., sustained horrible injuries and looked not so different from Miguel Cotto after his loss to Margarito. Collins, JR., had permanently blurred vision and it ended his boxing career and this was due to tampering with the gloves. Resto and his trainer, Panama Lewis, had removed padding from the gloves, basically beating Collins, JR., with taped fists over ten rounds. Thankfully, they were caught and punished, Lewis getting six years, and Resto getting three, but they probably should have gotten a whole lot more. Collins, JR., killed himself shortly after this bout, many contending that his inability to fight anymore had ruined his life and pushed him to suicide.

I have heard that Margarito might be allowed to fight in Mexico, but after these findings, I am hoping that they concur with the ban and keep him away from boxing. I’m sure that I’m not in the minority when I say that Antonio Margarito was somebody that represented what was right with the sport, the spirit of the game, and showed that hard work paid off…and I was a very big fan of his. After this incident, all of that has dissolved. Although Capetillo claims to be 100% responsible, I can’t see how Margarito would not know that this was happening to his hand wraps. Much like the steroid abusers in boxing, Margarito has joined the list of people that will do anything for money and could care less that you are potentially going to kill somebody in the ring. Boxing is a dirty sport and has been for years, but the boxing world has to take a stand and ban both Capetillo and Margarito permanently from the game, regardless of commercial appeal. As it has held its ground with fighters like Tommy Morrison and Joe Mesi, the boxing commissions MUST do the same here and remove this potential hazard from the sport.

The “Most Avoided Man in Boxing” is a title that should probably be attached to Margarito right now but it now has an entire different meaning. Boxing should avoid doing any business whatsoever with him or Capetillo. They are both menaces to the game and I eagerly await the “lifetime ban” that they are sure to place upon them both. I wonder how Bob Arum will defend Margarito this time.

Having an "Edge" . . .

I'm really big on edges. I learned as a kid boxing that the slighest edge can prove a good thing. You must take what you can get, because in most cases there ain't much out there. A pound here, a round there. Most boxers don't fully understand the work that a manager will put into a small detail, when they succeed in a fight they believe it was fate, or the result of their actions only.

I don't remember having any "edges" when I turned pro, which reflects the immaturity of a guy who had the "edge" of starting his career under the guidence of a man who not only called the shots for a number of top ten fighters, but controlled the first true "White Heavyweight" since Marciano. Johnnie Flores in your corner was an edge. I won't mince words with my friends here, Johnnie Flores had balls! You either do or don't. Johnnie did.

Just for the record, this is important to a fighter. It's good that every part of a boxer's corner be "strong". When Frank Baltazar Sr. took Frankie Jr. into the Olympic ring, it wasn't a father/son show, it was the pop with Flores, or the "great" Jackie mcCoy. You can talk the great trainers, the Blackburn's, the Arcel's, the Futch's, Bimstein's, Foster's, Forbes, etc. but none is better than Jackie McCoy. That's what Frank did when his boy's career's were at stake. He put them with the original coach and the best support team in the world. Jackie McCoy and Johnnie Flores were the best in L.A. and that meant the best in the world back in the day of the Baltazar brothers.

And just for the record, Frankie Jr. & Tony Baltazar didn't need plaster in their wraps to win. They just did it naturally, with a little help from Pop & company.


-Rick Farris

Chuck1052 wrote:Tom, it is hard to believe that the individual or individuals who wrote the Mann Act legislation had someone like Jack Johnson in mind. It didn't appear that Johnson was a pimp who had a financial interest in the interstate white slave trade. While Johnson may have violated the said law in a technical sense, I wonder if he would have been prosecuted if he was a popular white heavyweight champion. As a result, I am very much in favor of a posthumous pardon for Johnson.

- Chuck Johnston

kikibalt wrote:

Rick Farris wrote:

kikibalt wrote:The Most Avoided Man in Boxing: Antonio Margarito’s Rise and Fall
By Geno McGahee

I have been a big fan of Antonio Margarito for quite some time. When he headlined the first ever ESPN Pay Per View, his grit and determination were impressive as he chopped down the then undefeated Kermit Cintron. The term “most avoided man in boxing” was often associated with him and rightfully so. He was relentless, aggressive, and large for the welterweight division. Considering his size and similarities in style to Jose Luis Castillo, it was no wonder that Floyd Mayweather, JR., opted to find other challengers rather than risking his place in boxing against Margarito.

Margarito represented the core of boxing, the fighter that would take two punches to deliver one, and came up the hard way. He fought untelevised for much of his career, slowly making his way up the ranks of marketable fighters, and getting knocked down a few times along the way, but never gave up and eventually found his big fight that would put him into the realm of pound for pound best in the game and made him a fighter that the casual boxing fans desperately wanted to see.

On July 26th, 2008, Miguel Angel Cotto would bring his WBA Welterweight Title to the ring, prepared to defend it against the man that most others had avoided. Prior to this bout, Margarito was on a mission of destruction, making short work of Golden Johnson and Kermit Cintron in a rematch. Cotto was a fighter known to break down his opposition, and Margarito had the reputation of a man that was immovable. The recipe was there for a good fight and it turned out to be a great bout, with both men having their moments and gave the crowd and the audience at home a lot of bang for their buck.

To the amazement of most, Margarito walked through Miguel Cotto’s punches, and he took some hellacious punches. As the rounds went on, the Margarito punches began to take their toll. Cotto just couldn’t take any more and crumbled in the corner in the eleventh round. He looked like he had been through a car accident without a seatbelt, completely broken and unable to go on. It was the first defeat on the record of Cotto and the biggest win to date for Margarito. After this fight, a PPV event, Margarito’s future was extremely bright. Most of boxing rejoiced that he had won. He was the common man that showed incredible spirit and resilience both in the ring and outside of it, coping with the promotional problems and lack of exposure to the public. He was now on top of the world and there were even rumors that he was set to face Oscar De La Hoya.

That fight never materialized, but another superstar agreed to step up to the challenge. Sugar Shane Mosley, a man going through a divorce as well as steroids accusations, seemed to bring more name value rather than a true challenge for Margarito. Mosley is a great fighter but his recent outings, he looked stale and lost to the same Miguel Cotto that Margarito had stopped. Also, the very limited Ricardo Mayorga fought evenly over 11 ½ rounds with Mosley before running into a left hook and losing via last second TKO. Margarito was a 4-1 favorite and rightfully so.

The Mosley fight was seen by most as a set up fight for something bigger and better. How Margarito performed would dictate exactly what direction Top Rank went with him. If he stopped Mosley, they would pursue the big fights and he would headline a PPV again. If he struggled and eked by, then maybe another course of action against a fighter less durable than Mosley would be in order. Margarito was a monster and Mosley wouldn’t stop him or so the majority of the “experts” believed…but there was more going on here…

Prior to the fight, Margarito’s trainer, Javier Capetillo, was observed doing something unusual with his fighter’s hand wraps. As a result, the wraps he was using were confiscated and he was forced to rewrap the hands while under close observation. Many thought of this as a ploy by team Mosley, as many times you will see management or promotional teams object to the wrappings of a fighter’s hands or the taping of the gloves. It is merely done to try to get the fighter’s focus to shift and perhaps give their man a slight mental edge going into the ring. Butch Lewis attempted this tactic when Mike Tyson fought his man, Michael Spinks, claiming that a lump underneath the wrist of Tyson could cause his man injury and therefore, they had to be redone. It was a bogus claim but he still had his gloves rewrapped and taped…it didn’t help Spinks though. Bernard Hopkins team also used this tactic with Felix Trinidad, which seemed to really jar him and gave “the Executioner” the edge he wanted. It got Tito’s head out of the fight. Unfortunately this situation wasn’t just a ploy. There was something very real and very sinister going on here.

The fight went on after the hands were wrapped to the satisfaction of all involved. Amazingly, this fight was a mismatch from the opening bell, with Mosley beating the living hell out of Margarito. He kept shoving the right hand down the pike and followed up with some tremendous bodywork. The Margarito that we were used to seeing wasn’t there. His punches didn’t have the effect that they have had on other opponents in the past and even when he landed full force on Mosley’s chin, he didn’t flinch.

After nine rounds, Margarito was in a heap, TKO’d and beaten soundly by a rejuvenated Mosley. Was Mosley back? Was Margarito overrated? What did we just see?

The decision by the California State Athletic Commission was swift. Both Margarito and Capetillo were suspended for one year, as the investigation went forth. Capetillo, under pressure from Arum, I’m sure, took all the blame, stating that he put illegal pads into the hand wraps, but it was an “accident.” Arum said some of the most disgusting things after the suspension, screaming that Margarito was being singled out because he was Mexican. It’s amazing how many people question the business practices of Don King, but fails to mention how Bob Arum does the same exact things.

Last week the announcement was made that the hand wraps were tainted, containing sulfur and calcium, two elements when mixed with oxygen creates Plaster of Paris. Had he went into the ring like that, the wraps would have hardened and he would have been throwing bricks at Mosley for twelve rounds. It’s no wonder that Cintron folded, Golden Johnson crumbled, and Cotto sustained that much damage. Boxing is a dangerous sport as it is, but when you add this element into it, it brings it to another level. It is reminiscent of the Luis Resto – Billy Collins, JR., bout from 1983.

Luis Resto battled Billy Collins, JR., on ABC. It was a bout where Collins, JR., sustained horrible injuries and looked not so different from Miguel Cotto after his loss to Margarito. Collins, JR., had permanently blurred vision and it ended his boxing career and this was due to tampering with the gloves. Resto and his trainer, Panama Lewis, had removed padding from the gloves, basically beating Collins, JR., with taped fists over ten rounds. Thankfully, they were caught and punished, Lewis getting six years, and Resto getting three, but they probably should have gotten a whole lot more. Collins, JR., killed himself shortly after this bout, many contending that his inability to fight anymore had ruined his life and pushed him to suicide.

I have heard that Margarito might be allowed to fight in Mexico, but after these findings, I am hoping that they concur with the ban and keep him away from boxing. I’m sure that I’m not in the minority when I say that Antonio Margarito was somebody that represented what was right with the sport, the spirit of the game, and showed that hard work paid off…and I was a very big fan of his. After this incident, all of that has dissolved. Although Capetillo claims to be 100% responsible, I can’t see how Margarito would not know that this was happening to his hand wraps. Much like the steroid abusers in boxing, Margarito has joined the list of people that will do anything for money and could care less that you are potentially going to kill somebody in the ring. Boxing is a dirty sport and has been for years, but the boxing world has to take a stand and ban both Capetillo and Margarito permanently from the game, regardless of commercial appeal. As it has held its ground with fighters like Tommy Morrison and Joe Mesi, the boxing commissions MUST do the same here and remove this potential hazard from the sport.

The “Most Avoided Man in Boxing” is a title that should probably be attached to Margarito right now but it now has an entire different meaning. Boxing should avoid doing any business whatsoever with him or Capetillo. They are both menaces to the game and I eagerly await the “lifetime ban” that they are sure to place upon them both. I wonder how Bob Arum will defend Margarito this time.

Having an "Edge" . . .

I'm really big on edges. I learned as a kid boxing that the slighest edge can prove a good thing. You must take what you can get, because in most cases there ain't much out there. A pound here, a round there. Most boxers don't fully understand the work that a manager will put into a small detail, when they succeed in a fight they believe it was fate, or the result of their actions only.

I don't remember having any "edges" when I turned pro, which reflects the immaturity of a guy who had the "edge" of starting his career under the guidence of a man who not only called the shots for a number of top ten fighters, but controlled the first true "White Heavyweight" since Marciano. Johnnie Flores in your corner was an edge. I won't mince words with my friends here, Johnnie Flores had balls! You either do or don't. Johnnie did.

Just for the record, this is important to a fighter. It's good that every part of a boxer's corner be "strong". When Frank Baltazar Sr. took Frankie Jr. into the Olympic ring, it wasn't a father/son show, it was the pop with Flores, or the "great" Jackie mcCoy. You can talk the great trainers, the Blackburn's, the Arcel's, the Futch's, Bimstein's, Foster's, Forbes, etc. but none is better than Jackie McCoy. That's what Frank did when his boy's career's were at stake. He put them with the original coach and the best support team in the world. Jackie McCoy and Johnnie Flores were the best in L.A. and that meant the best in the world back in the day of the Baltazar brothers.

And just for the record, Frankie Jr. & Tony Baltazar didn't need plaster in their wraps to win. They just did it naturally, with a little help from Pop & company.


-Rick Farris

Rick...When my boys were ready to turn pro, I knew that I needed people with more experience then what I had at the time to work the corner, I also knew that it was not about me, it was about the boys and what was in their best interest, and their best interest was that we had an experince corner and if I had to stay in the backgound to do so, so be it, the one thing I did without anybody else was to make the fight, accept the purse, I also did most of the training, fite nite came, I hire the best I could fine to work the corner with me.

Chuck1052 wrote:In regards to trainers, I am not saying that Freddie Roach is the greatest, but I have noticed that Manny Pacquiao's boxing skills have improved since his first bout with Marco Antonio Barrera.

- Chuck Johnston

Rick Farris wrote:

Chuck1052 wrote:In regards to trainers, I am not saying that Freddie Roach is the greatest, but I have noticed that Manny Pacquiao's boxing skills have improved since his first bout with Marco Antonio Barrera.

- Chuck Johnston

Chuck . . . In my opinion, Freddie is the best out there. I've watched him and talked to him. I'm not saying he's as good as a Jackie McCoy, but he's cut from the same cloth. Like Jackie, Freddie's dad was a fighter. He isn't a big talker, he's been fighting since he was a kid and went on to fight some of the best in the world. He understudied a brilliant trainer, he's worked with the kids and he's worked with the best of today. I like his style, as it reminds of the "closest thing" to a Jackie McCoy out there.


-Rick Farris

kikibalt wrote:

Rick Farris wrote:

Chuck1052 wrote:In regards to trainers, I am not saying that Freddie Roach is the greatest, but I have noticed that Manny Pacquiao's boxing skills have improved since his first bout with Marco Antonio Barrera.

- Chuck Johnston

Chuck . . . In my opinion, Freddie is the best out there. I've watched him and talked to him. I'm not saying he's as good as a Jackie McCoy, but he's cut from the same cloth. Like Jackie, Freddie's dad was a fighter. He isn't a big talker, he's been fighting since he was a kid and went on to fight some of the best in the world. He understudied a brilliant trainer, he's worked with the kids and he's worked with the best of today. I like his style, as it reminds of the "closest thing" to a Jackie McCoy out there.


-Rick Farris

Freddie has paid his dues, unlike most of todays trainers

Dongee wrote:Kiki:

That Valero lightweight you posted must be some banger. I just checked his record and he has an almost incredible string of one-round kayoes. It takes a stunning puncher to take a guy out in less than three minutes, time after time after time.....he must be something.

hap navarro

Dongee wrote:Kiki:

That Valero lightweight you posted must be some banger. I just checked his record and he has an almost incredible string of one-round kayoes. It takes a stunning puncher to take a guy out in less than three minutes, time after time after time.....he must be something.

hap navarro

kikibalt wrote:Mexico Lindo!
March 31, 2009 by Felipe Leon

I am Mexican. Well, not exactly. My parents were born in Sonora, Mexico, and I in Chula Vista, a suburb of San Diego, CA. In our home, my siblings and I were raised Mexican.

Mexican food, Mexican values and Mexican music.

As I have mentioned before, it is not ethical for a boxing journalist to sit ringside and cheer for his favorite fighter although all of us have them. This past Saturday night at the Plaza de Toros Monumental in Tijuana, MX, I didn’t really want to cheer for the Mexican fighters but more so for the Mexican people, especially the people of Tijuana.



Not that there wasn’t a reason to cheer for the Mexicans on that night. With Fernando Montiel capturing his third title in three weight classes via spectacular KO of Diego Silva of Argentina, Humberto Soto defending his WBC super featherweight title with a devastating showing over Antonio Davis of Atlanta, stopping him in the fourth round and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. showing his mettle by defeating a tough Argentinean in Luciano Cuello to capture the WBC Latino super welterweight title, there was enough to join the over 20,000 fight fans yelling at the top of their lungs that filled the bull ring that night.

After enduring one of the most difficult years this city has ever known in my lifetime, all nearly 900 murders that have been committed in roughly the last year where forgotten for at least an afternoon and evening as the gathered mass of Tijuanenses enjoyed a night of boxing without incident.

Not one fight in the stands, not one beer bottle thrown, not one shirt set on fire and heaved on innocent bystanders.

I’m not kidding, I’ve seen it.

But not on Saturday night.

There were many great moments that day. From Antonio Margarito’s brother in law winning his pro debut in the first round and doing a back flip to Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. joining the fans in the cheap seats for a beer to the lovely ringside girls just being there.

But a different moment stayed on my mind since that night and will probably stay as my fondest moment of “Tijuana Thunder”.

As the pomp and circumstance that involves a main event commenced with master of ceremonies Jimmy Lennon Jr. leading the way, a young boy dressed in a tuxedo was given the microphone to give his rendition of the Mexican national anthem.

As the Tecate girls stood behind him to give the beer sponsor maximum exposure in front of the television cameras, the boy began to sing the song.

But as I stood about twenty yards away and near the speakers, I could barely hear him. All I heard was twenty thousand passionate Mexicans sing along intently to every word, to every stanza of the melody.

As I began to feel overwhelmed with the spirit of the moment, I noticed that even the Tecate girls standing behind the singer where joining in. For the thirty seconds to a minute that the excerpt of the anthem lasted, those girls forgot that their job was only to look gorgeous (which they did, oh God, did they…) and to make sure that they represented the beer company correctly in front of the cameras. For that short time, those women forgot about the small top and the high skirt they were wearing and they remembered that there are more important things than beer, make up or even sex.

Photo by Chris Cozzone