Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pySuym3jTlQ

Las Coronelas

[dagosd2000]

WAITING FOR THAT DAY

"I'll tell you what it is. It's a culture that's still intact," said Diego.
This guy was full of himself. One of those guys who didn't listen to what you were saying,but I have to admit,the guy new a lot.
"That's why when my grand daughter can do this on her own I'm out of here",I said
"That boyfriend of Rocio's is an ass hole,"Diego went on.
Diego was ostrasized from San Diego's world of Flamenco which wasn't much anyway so he had nothing but negative things to say about it.Rocio was Amanda's teacher in San Diego.
"What do you think of his guitar playing?",he asked.
He's pretty good. He has a few CD's out."
"Yeah,but he had to pay for them."

Diego was bringing me down. I'd be glad when Amanda was on her own with this. In the last few months she'd taken off. They saw that it Spain four years ago when me and the wife took her there to study . Fortunately we found a great school. Amanda's teacher in San Diego was from Seville. Her sister recommended this school. I remember when Amanda phoned the number from the hotel in Seville. She was nine years old. She started to explain how old she was and where she was from in her best Spanish when Miguel Vargas on the other end said not to worry. Come down to the studio tomorrow at 2 o'clock. It's been a match made in heaven ever since.

"Miguel Vargas and his wife Esperanza have taken Amanda in as part of the family,"I told Diego.
"Watch out. Those people will talk," he said with his black eyes piercing me.
Diego was born in Spain. Lived in New york and Europe. New the world of guitar,accordian,Flamenco,and could discuss any topic,but didn't listen. Sometimes I'd tell him that he'd be nerve racking like the day he sat in the teacher's lounge and started with his mouth. He'd brought his guitar.
"Diego,shut up. Why don't you play the guitar for us. Something Flamenco."
He started to play. The other teachers had never listened to Flamenco guitar. After their embarrassment of what I'd said,the mood was replaced by a fixation by Diego's playing.I was satisfied. Listening to some beautifull music instead of trying to out do each other with their triviality of teacher lounge discussion.

"Yeah,Diego. A few more years. Amanda will be able to go to Europe with friends and study. It's waiting for her. Then I'll retire to my wife's hometown in Mexico."
"Their culture is still intact",he said.
Diego was repeating himself.
"Well Diego I've got to get back to my classroom. The kids have a test tomorrow and I know they won't study for it unless I push them."

[dagosd2000]

Amanda's Flamenco teacher in Seville. Miguel Vargas

[Bobbin & Weavin]

Rocker Mellencamp’s son wins Indiana Golden Gloves

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The 14-year-old son of rock singer John Mellencamp has won a division title in the Indiana Golden Gloves boxing tournament.

Hud Mellencamp, who boxes for the Indy Police Athletic League, earned a 4-1 decision over Cody Bennett of the Southpaw Boxing Club of Owensboro, Ky., in a 132-pound senior-division bout Thursday night.

Nine other open-division winners will represent Indiana in the national Golden Gloves tournament May 4-10 in Salt Lake City.

Mellencamp earned a trophy and a hug from his father, who attended the fight at Tyndall Armory.

Isn't 14 year old young to be going to the national's?, or am I misreading the article

Yeah, Frank. He must mean a Jr. designation. I believe 16 is the youngest in actual amateur competition.
Remember when it was 17 in Calif.?

Kid Rudy is up on all the amateur conditions, maybe he'll see this and respond.


-Rick

Rick,
That law changed just in time for me to fight in the 1972 GG in SF. I turned 16 Febuary 25 and the GGs were eight or nine days later. I was thrilled that I wouldn't have to wait one more year. Of course age was on top of my mind and I asked around a bit to see if there was anyone younger than me that year but to the best of my knowledge I was the youngest only being nine days past my 16th birthday. I first fought a 19 year old kid who spent a little too much time trying to do the Ali shuffle and dropping his hands to taunt me; I dropped him during one of those taunts in the first round and the crowd "went wild!" the second round didn't go well for him and they stopped the fight in my favor. In my second fight against an 18 year old I lost a split decision to the eventual winner of the best fighter of the tournament award. I loved every minute of it.
Bruce

[kikibalt]

Hey guys, my 16 year old is performing this weekend in Bye Bye Birdie in a local theater group production. In the poster Megan is top left with the white sweater and plays the part of Kim Macafee; the part Ann Margaret made famous in the movie. Megan has done a great job in the first two shows and I'm as proud of her as I could be. I was comparing her at 16 with me at 16; me fighting in the Golden Gloves and her getting this great roll in this play; for me that was where I peaked, hopefully she has a lot more to look forward to.
Bruce

[dagosd2000]

Floyd Mayweather Sr.

[dagosd2000]

Hey guys, my 16 year old is performing this weekend in Bye Bye Birdie in a local theater group production. In the poster Megan is top left with the white sweater and plays the part of Kim Macafee; the part Ann Margaret made famous in the movie. Megan has done a great job in the first two shows and I'm as proud of her as I could be. I was comparing her at 16 with me at 16; me fighting in the Golden Gloves and her getting this great roll in this play; for me that was where I peaked, hopefully she has a lot more to look forward to.
Bruce

Bruce
It doesn't get any better than that! Rog

[Rick Farris]

Rick...Went to buy a couple of sandwichs for connie and I, and who do I run into? but Rudy "Porky" Acuna at the sandwich shop, we talk for a bit, he sends his best wishs to you.

Frank . . . I have great memories of amateur days that he was a part of. I remember when he joined the Marines.
I see by his record he fought a couple guys in the pros that I fought in the juniors. Cordova and Durden.
Ironic we both lost to Cordova and both beat Durden.

[Rick Farris]

Rocker Mellencamp’s son wins Indiana Golden Gloves

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The 14-year-old son of rock singer John Mellencamp has won a division title in the Indiana Golden Gloves boxing tournament.

Hud Mellencamp, who boxes for the Indy Police Athletic League, earned a 4-1 decision over Cody Bennett of the Southpaw Boxing Club of Owensboro, Ky., in a 132-pound senior-division bout Thursday night.

Nine other open-division winners will represent Indiana in the national Golden Gloves tournament May 4-10 in Salt Lake City.

Mellencamp earned a trophy and a hug from his father, who attended the fight at Tyndall Armory.

Isn't 14 year old young to be going to the national's?, or am I misreading the article

Yeah, Frank. He must mean a Jr. designation. I believe 16 is the youngest in actual amateur competition.
Remember when it was 17 in Calif.?

Kid Rudy is up on all the amateur conditions, maybe he'll see this and respond.


-Rick

Rick,
That law changed just in time for me to fight in the 1972 GG in SF. I turned 16 Febuary 25 and the GGs were eight or nine days later. I was thrilled that I wouldn't have to wait one more year. Of course age was on top of my mind and I asked around a bit to see if there was anyone younger than me that year but to the best of my knowledge I was the youngest only being nine days past my 16th birthday. I first fought a 19 year old kid who spent a little too much time trying to do the Ali shuffle and dropping his hands to taunt me; I dropped him during one of those taunts in the first round and the crowd "went wild!" the second round didn't go well for him and they stopped the fight in my favor. In my second fight against an 18 year old I lost a split decision to the eventual winner of the best fighter of the tournament award. I loved every minute of it.
Bruce

That was a great story, Bruce. Thanks for the info.

[dagosd2000]

"Terrible" Terry McGovern

[Rick Farris]

Meeeting another boxer, David Rivello . . .

Yesterday I had to get away for awhile. I drove down to the Marina Penninsula to visit my long time friend, Ralph, a film producer I've known since we broke into the business together in the mid 70's. Ralph has a production company with actress, Khandi Alexander, who plays "Alex" the attractive medical examiner on CSI-Miami.

While we are having our breakfast at the Cabo Cantina, Ralph gets a phone call from Khandi. Khandi says she has a new personal trainer who used to be a boxer. Khandi and I have been friends for several years and she wanted me to meet David Rivello, her new trainer. Ralph hands me the phone and Khandi says that she is with David and would stop by and introduce us. "He beat Freddie Roach," Khandi tells me. I tell her I look forward to meeting her friend (who I handn't heard of) and hang up.

I want to verify who David Rivello was and who he fought, but I didn't have access to Boxrec at the time so I call my partner, Dan Hanley.
I ask Dan if he'd heard of a David Rivello. "The name sounds familiar," Dan says. "I'll look him up and get back with you".

Five minutes later Dan calls back and tells me everything about David Rivello, except for maybe his blood-type. "Yeah, he fought Freddie Roach, in Freddie's last pro fight. He took a majority decision from Freddie in his 10th pro fight. He was 14-0 (4 KO's) before being stopped in the 10th round of his 15th fight. After that he would have one last fight, losing a close split decision to Mickey Ward in 1989."

I thanked Dan and was impressed by his record. His loss to Ward was a close one, one of the officials had him ahead by a point. After the Ward fight he called it quits. Yeah, this guy was a real fighter, not some phony Hollywood trainer trying to impress his client.

About twenty minutes later we see Khandi's Mercedes pull into the parking lot and a moment later they were at our table. I have to say that David Rivello is one of the nicest guys you could want to meet and he and I hit it off immediatly. He was a guy from New England and he knew a lot of the same people I did from that area, such as former light-heavy contender, "Ice Man" John Scully. He was also friends with Ted Lowry, the only guy to last the distance twice with the great Marciano. He was trained thruout his pro career by Angelo Dundee and shared a lot of great Dundee stories.

I asked why he left after just sixteen fights with a winning record. "In my first loss, my arm was broken in the fifth round. By the tenth round I could no longer lift it and the fight was stopped." He showed me a long scar left from the surgery he had to repair his left arm prior to his last fight with Mickey Ward. The scoring on the Ward fight had been close, with one official scoring the fight for Rivello. However, the arm was no longer effective, so David decided to call it a career. He'd been fighting since he was thirteen and was finished,

I have to say it was nice talking with Rivello, we were both the same size, both had the classic boxer's flattened noses, both still in great shape and this guy was very smart, and apparently a very good personal trainer. He's like the guys who post here, one of us.

Khandi Alexander left the successful CSI-Miami production after six seasons to star in an upcoming HBO series. She returns to New Orleans this week where she has just finished the pilot for her new HBO series which will debut this fall. I forget the title, but in it she plays the lead role as a barkeeper in post-Katrina New Orleans.

David will accompany her as a personal trainer. I told him about our little "Classic American West Coast Boxing" club and he plans to join us at this years's upcoming WBHOF banquet. If available, Khandi would like to join us at our table, and you guys will love her as well. Before beginning her acting career on ER, she was also a dancer and choeographer for Whitney Houston for several years.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Hey guys, my 16 year old is performing this weekend in Bye Bye Birdie in a local theater group production. In the poster Megan is top left with the white sweater and plays the part of Kim Macafee; the part Ann Margaret made famous in the movie. Megan has done a great job in the first two shows and I'm as proud of her as I could be. I was comparing her at 16 with me at 16; me fighting in the Golden Gloves and her getting this great roll in this play; for me that was where I peaked, hopefully she has a lot more to look forward to.
Bruce

Bruce
It doesn't get any better than that! Rog

That's great, Bruce. I can see that you also have a beautiful family. Seems to be a given for this group, beautiful children and grandchildren. By the way, I turned in your name and info to the WBHOF, along with the others from this thread. I just wrote the mini-bios for the nominees, they go to the printer tomorrow for the ballots, then back to us and we'll send them out to the voting membership. Glad you will be carrying on for your father in this capacity, somebody who truly knows and understands boxing.

-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

My 40'th pro fight in Jakarta Indonesia 1985 Just before I came back and got married A great time at Bali...after this fight we partied at beautiful island of Bali for a week.

Herman Montes

[dagosd2000]

THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH HAS NO WATER

One of my recent posts was an analogy of Alfred Hitchcock's genius with the wizardry of Sugar Ray Robinsin's boxing skills. Sometimes making comparisions are a good way of getting the point across.

Well here I go again. We all watch movies from time to time,so I'll stick to the flicks when I try to paint a picture of how fighters look who are getting long in the tooth. First I'll make my cinematic observation.

I was watching on TCM one of Frd Astaire's last dance movies,Silk Stockings. Made in 1957. Fred had to be in his mid 50's. Fans of Astaire often point out that their favorite hoofer was still making dance movies into the 1950's. Mikel Barishnikov,the world renown ballet dancer for the New York City Ballet ,said that Fred Astaire was the greatest dancer of all time. I have to agree. But that evidence is gathered from watching his movies made in the 30's and 40's. Oh,i guess you can throw in Royal Wedding too,released in 1950.

Trying to explain Astaire's moves have already been explained. You watch those old movies and you know. Ginger Rogers was always taken aback because everyone was watching Fred instead of her in those black and whites.

Some critics say Astaire's best dance partner in the movies was Cyd Charisse who starred with him in Silk Stockings. i don't agree. By 1957 Fred Astaire was a shell of himself on the dance stage. The choreographies were pared down because of his age and because he just couldn't pull off the stuff he'd been accustomed to doing 20 years earlier. I think the reason some critics opt for Charisse is because for the first time ,your attention is one the female partner. Fred,by that time,had lost the dynamitcism. That's why I always said Rogers was Fred's best partner on the screen. She could keep up with him! In 1957,it wasn't that hard to do anymore.

Fighters? Louis's jab against Baer's chin at the Garden. He was snapping Happy Maxie's head back like he'd been hit with a ram rod. That jab 20 years later against the Rock? A pitter patter punch against the Rock of Gibralter. That's why I shudder when I hear the word "comeback" in fighting. Even if you're a genius in the ring,old age will make your IQ drop 50 points.

[kikibalt]

Earlier today Connie and I went for a Sunday drive, Stopped at Resurrection Cemetery and left some flowers at my mom and pop's gravesite, then we went cruisin' down Whittier Blvd. seen some old cars at Montebello City Park, stopped and shot some pictures which I'll post here in a bit, hope you like'em.

[Rick Farris]

deleted

[kikibalt]

1936 Chevy



Seeing this car brought back memories from the late 1940's, because it was a car like this one that my late uncle (by marriage) Tony Ramos owned when he would take me to the Olympic and Hollywood Legion to watch the fights, I was a happy kid riding in that car going see my heros fight







Interior shots

[kikibalt]

1937 Packard



Connie standing next to this beautiful '37 Packard

[dagosd2000]

1937 Packard



Connie standing next to this beautiful '37 Packard

Frank
thanks for sharing that.

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh1STdjCS0M

Whittier Boulevard

Thee Midniters

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k787YPVJFc

The Town I Live In

Thee Midniters

[kikibalt]

Rog...There were some nice ol' cars, I have a few more pics to post.

[kikibalt]

1947 Chevy

[kikibalt]

1947 Pontiac

[dagosd2000]

SOUTHEAST IS SOUTHEAST AND THE BEACH IS THE BEACH AND NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET

When I was younger I had some pretty good times in Southeast San Diego. It was before the Bloods and the Crips and all the wars fought over drugs and the colors blue and red. The Mexicans and the blacks lived in the same neighborhood,and though it wasn't a bed of roses all the time,matters were settled with your fists. Not an AK 47.To put it in a nutshell,we had fun. Football at Ocean View Park. I played for the Ghetto Messangers.Only honky on the team. I'd played college ball with some of those guys,so they invited me to join along. Pretty good team too. Neal Petties had played for the Johnny U Colts. Humphrey Covington who threw the blocks for OJ at USC. We were a force all right.

There was the Lucky Lady Club at the end of Island Street. A few blocks away from the Coliseum. After the fights we'd stumble in there and drink and dance with the ladies. After a few belts...well that's how The Lucky Lady Club got her name.

Barrio Logan was in the mix. I remember Poli Chavez and his Coronados would play Nortena music on the weekends at Carpenters Hall on upper Broadway. They'd get to playin' and within a half hour there'd be a fight. No guns or knives. Probably over a girl,but that's when the SDPD would close it down.

Archie Moore's Boys Club came around later. Arch had the big brownstone off I 15 with the swimming pool shaped like a boxer's glove. Sports was big with the kids. Teams in that area dominated. Football at Lincoln High was a force to be reckoned with. A few names. Eric Allen,Ahmad Rashaad,Terrel Davis,and Marcus Allen. Davis and Allen stuck in the neighborhood and went to Lincoln,but the other two jumped the fence and played elsewhere. But after practice when the bus went to take them home,their stop was in Logan Heights.

Yes,it was fun. Lowriders in Chicano Park along with the Mariachis. Bar B Q and Carne Asada.It was a community. The Baptist Church and the Catholic Church a few blocks from each other. Pride. Not a rich neighborhood. Never was. But a lot of pride. Old folks could walk down the street at night. Women and kids didn't feel threatened. A community. A community rich in culture and tradition.It had its trademarks.

Today,somehow that feeling is gone.Lost now in a dream.