Chatas a good looking dog.
Bulldogs are alot of fun.
I had one years ago. His name was Jake.He lived to be 12 years old.
He was a good boy. But.... MAN DID HE SNORE!.
Classic American West Coast Boxing
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Yeah, I'd like to get a bulldog. I'd name him "Jeffries." But my wife doesn't like the breed or the name, so I guess I'll remain dogless for a while longer.
Last edited by raylawpc on 02 Jul 2009, 16:24, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Chata snores and farts like you wouldn't believe....Expug wrote:Chatas a good looking dog.
Bulldogs are alot of fun.
I had one years ago. His name was Jake.He lived to be 12 years old.
He was a good boy. But.... MAN DID HE SNORE!.
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Speaking of Dogs . . .
Hey Frank, Chata looks cool in the Bruin cap, but what about Charley?
Since his stint in the slammer, has he readjusted to life on the outside?
I'd hate for his PO to violate him.
-Rick Farris
Hey Frank, Chata looks cool in the Bruin cap, but what about Charley?
Since his stint in the slammer, has he readjusted to life on the outside?
I'd hate for his PO to violate him.
-Rick Farris
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
No, not really, if he doesn't get his shit togather, he is going be back in the slammer, he wants to pay for everything with cigarettes....Rick Farris wrote:Speaking of Dogs . . .
Hey Frank, Chata looks cool in the Bruin cap, but what about Charley?
Since his stint in the slammer, has he readjusted to life on the outside?
I'd hate for his PO to violate him.
-Rick Farris
Btw, Chata is a Bruin fan and Charley is a USC fan.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
A Country Mourns
Courtesy of Randy De La O
Photos and Notations Courtesy of Yahoo
In this Saturday, June 27, 2009 photo, former lightweight boxing world champion Alexis Arguello, of Nicaragua, is pictured during an inauguration of a public boxing gymnasium named after Arguello, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Arguello, who was also the current mayor of the Nicaraguan capital Managua, was found dead in his Managua home on Wednesday, July 1. (AP Photo/Anthony Luna)
A woman wipes away tears while mourning the death of Managua's mayor Alexis Arguello in Managua July 1, 2009. Arguello, the three-times world boxing champion who was elected mayor of Nicaragua's capital last year, was found dead on Wednesday in an apparent suicide, local media reported. REUTERS/Oscar Navarrete/La Prensa (NICARAGUA OBITUARY POLITICS SPORT BOXING)
People on foot and in vehicles accompany the hearse carrying the body of Alexis Arguello, former world boxing great and Managua Mayor, in Managua, Wednesday, July 1, 2009. Arguello was found dead at his home Wednesday, prompting three days of official mourning for a rising star of the Sandinista party who once bitterly opposed the leftist movement. (AP Photo/Miguel Alvarez)
People wave Sandinista flags while riding in front of the hearse carrying the body of Managua's mayor Alexis Arguello in Managua July 1, 2009. Arguello, the three-times world boxing champion who was elected mayor of Nicaragua's capital last year, was found dead on Wednesday in an apparent suicide, local media reported. REUTERS/Oscar Navarrete/La Prensa
Courtesy of Randy De La O
Photos and Notations Courtesy of Yahoo
In this Saturday, June 27, 2009 photo, former lightweight boxing world champion Alexis Arguello, of Nicaragua, is pictured during an inauguration of a public boxing gymnasium named after Arguello, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Arguello, who was also the current mayor of the Nicaraguan capital Managua, was found dead in his Managua home on Wednesday, July 1. (AP Photo/Anthony Luna)
A woman wipes away tears while mourning the death of Managua's mayor Alexis Arguello in Managua July 1, 2009. Arguello, the three-times world boxing champion who was elected mayor of Nicaragua's capital last year, was found dead on Wednesday in an apparent suicide, local media reported. REUTERS/Oscar Navarrete/La Prensa (NICARAGUA OBITUARY POLITICS SPORT BOXING)
People on foot and in vehicles accompany the hearse carrying the body of Alexis Arguello, former world boxing great and Managua Mayor, in Managua, Wednesday, July 1, 2009. Arguello was found dead at his home Wednesday, prompting three days of official mourning for a rising star of the Sandinista party who once bitterly opposed the leftist movement. (AP Photo/Miguel Alvarez)
People wave Sandinista flags while riding in front of the hearse carrying the body of Managua's mayor Alexis Arguello in Managua July 1, 2009. Arguello, the three-times world boxing champion who was elected mayor of Nicaragua's capital last year, was found dead on Wednesday in an apparent suicide, local media reported. REUTERS/Oscar Navarrete/La Prensa
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Charley and I are on the same pagekikibalt wrote:No, not really, if he doesn't get his poop togather, he is going be back in the slammer, he wants to pay for everything with cigarettes....Rick Farris wrote:Speaking of Dogs . . .
Hey Frank, Chata looks cool in the Bruin cap, but what about Charley?
Since his stint in the slammer, has he readjusted to life on the outside?
I'd hate for his PO to violate him.
-Rick Farris
Btw, Chata is a Bruin fan and Charley is a USC fan.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Adams follows his own path
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
LAS VEGAS – Ken Adams attacks a question with the ferocity a great white shark would a wounded sea creature.
He’s nearly 69, but there has been no discernible softening of the man who nearly lost his chance to coach the 1988 U.S. Olympic boxing team because of an altercation with the U.S. Amateur Boxing Federation.
Adams is blunt, direct, demanding and, oh yeah, probably boxing’s finest trainer. He’s not a household name, even though he has trained 18 world champions and led the 1988 U.S. Olympic team to three gold (which would have been four had Roy Jones Jr. not been cheated), three silver and two bronze medals.
“He’s right up there as one of the best trainers we have,” said former light heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, now one of the top trainers himself. “He’s a disciplinarian and he forces the guys to work hard and work correctly. He won’t accept second-best. He instills discipline and pride in his fighters and some guys don’t like having someone who is so disciplined and so demanding. He demands excellence each and every time he’s in the gym.”
Adams has never been Trainer of the Year. Nobody has mentioned him as a candidate for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. And you won’t see him on television doing ringside analysis.
He’s as likely to decline the opportunity to train a boxer as he is to guide one to the world championship. And he’ll quickly walk away from one he does train if he believes the fighter isn’t listening to him.
“Absolutely,” says Adams, the one-time U.S. Army master sergeant. “Not only would I do it, I have done it and just did it recently.”
The latest to get the “Adams Axe” is unbeaten World Boxing Council lightweight champion Edwin Valero, a guy with otherworldly power and great charisma who is exactly the type who could become a star.
Becoming a star means making money, and that would make him attractive to just about every trainer in the business.
Valero, though, was not without plenty of faults. His boxing skills were primitive at best and he fights as if he’s never heard of a jab or of defense.
Adams, in a very short stint, made great progress in correcting many of those flaws and Valero was a much better technical fighter by the time they had decided to part ways. Had Adams continued to work with Valero, he certainly could have developed into one of the finest fighters in the world.
Valero, though, is an independent sort who has his own thoughts on how things should be done. Those thoughts didn’t mesh with the hard-nosed Adams, who walked away when he determined Valero wasn’t going to do things his way.
“I will not sell my soul for the sake of training a fighter,” Adams said. “With Valero, I would come to the gym and tell him, ‘We need to work on this.’ I’ve been around a long time and I knew what he needed. It was obvious. But he would say to me, ‘No, I want to work on this.’ He wanted to do things his way. I wanted him to do things my way, the right way.”
And so he left, thereby saying goodbye to the potentially lucrative paydays he could have earned while working with Valero.
Despite the split, there’s no hard feelings on Valero’s end. Valero still calls Adams to speak with him about boxing and he praised his skills. “Edwin is very grateful to Kenny for what he’s done for him and it was an amicable split,” Jose Castillo, Valero’s manager, said. “Also, Edwin wanted to move and work in California (and Adams is based in Las Vegas). His family is used to California and they feel comfortable there. “The other thing is that Edwin felt he needed a trainer who could keep up with his pace. Kenny is a little older and Edwin felt he wasn’t doing 100 percent of the way he liked to train, because Kenny couldn’t keep up that pace. But Edwin has great respect for him and feels he did a lot to help him.” Adams laughs softly as he’s asked how much he estimates he has lost over the years as a result of cutting ties with recalcitrant fighters or refusing to take them on in the first place.
“It’s got to be in the millions,” he says. “Millions. My wife tells me all the time that I don’t need to be so hard on them. What you see in boxing today is that too many guys want to hire a yes man. I’m no yes man.
“Maybe I’ve been a little harder than I’ve needed to be, but you can’t mess around in this sport. This is serious business. I’m not going to deal with all the [expletive] that these fighters want you to deal with. Maybe it’s my drill sergeant days coming out.”
He proudly says he hasn’t compromised and he never will. He spent 30 years in the Army and has a good pension and medical benefits. He won’t go hungry if he never trains another fighter.
And so they’ll do it his way or he’ll walk.
The result is that those who work with him become beautiful technicians, capable of mastery in the ring. Those who don’t usually wind up far less than they could have been. He suspects he’ll never be Trainer of the Year – “Too outspoken,” I guess – and he accepts the fact there isn’t a strong possibility that he’ll find his way into the Hall of Fame.
He’ll be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame later this year, an honor that he says “is really what I wanted most anyway.”
He was born in Springfield, but was raised in Cape Girardeau, the same town that produced conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
He’s a Missourian to the core, demanding that fighters “show me” they want to do it. He trains Jorge Linares, the classy World Boxing Association super featherweight champion, and up-and-coming lightweight Sharif Bogere. He also works with a few young Japanese fighters, whom he adores because of their willingness to heed each of his very direct and precisely chosen words.
He’s never been a man who has suffered fools and he’s not going to start as he’s closing in on 70.
“I’ve had 18 world champions and I had five champions at one time,” Adams said. “I’ve had my success. I’m satisfied with what I’ve done. And I walk with my head held high, because I have done things my way, the right way, and I haven’t compromised my values for a paycheck.
“I love to train and work with fighters, but they have to want to do it and want to learn. They have to be committed to getting into the best possible shape they can. If they do those things, I’ll give everything of myself to these kids. If they don’t, you know what, I don’t need the aggravation, no matter how good someone thinks they may be.”
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
LAS VEGAS – Ken Adams attacks a question with the ferocity a great white shark would a wounded sea creature.
He’s nearly 69, but there has been no discernible softening of the man who nearly lost his chance to coach the 1988 U.S. Olympic boxing team because of an altercation with the U.S. Amateur Boxing Federation.
Adams is blunt, direct, demanding and, oh yeah, probably boxing’s finest trainer. He’s not a household name, even though he has trained 18 world champions and led the 1988 U.S. Olympic team to three gold (which would have been four had Roy Jones Jr. not been cheated), three silver and two bronze medals.
“He’s right up there as one of the best trainers we have,” said former light heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, now one of the top trainers himself. “He’s a disciplinarian and he forces the guys to work hard and work correctly. He won’t accept second-best. He instills discipline and pride in his fighters and some guys don’t like having someone who is so disciplined and so demanding. He demands excellence each and every time he’s in the gym.”
Adams has never been Trainer of the Year. Nobody has mentioned him as a candidate for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. And you won’t see him on television doing ringside analysis.
He’s as likely to decline the opportunity to train a boxer as he is to guide one to the world championship. And he’ll quickly walk away from one he does train if he believes the fighter isn’t listening to him.
“Absolutely,” says Adams, the one-time U.S. Army master sergeant. “Not only would I do it, I have done it and just did it recently.”
The latest to get the “Adams Axe” is unbeaten World Boxing Council lightweight champion Edwin Valero, a guy with otherworldly power and great charisma who is exactly the type who could become a star.
Becoming a star means making money, and that would make him attractive to just about every trainer in the business.
Valero, though, was not without plenty of faults. His boxing skills were primitive at best and he fights as if he’s never heard of a jab or of defense.
Adams, in a very short stint, made great progress in correcting many of those flaws and Valero was a much better technical fighter by the time they had decided to part ways. Had Adams continued to work with Valero, he certainly could have developed into one of the finest fighters in the world.
Valero, though, is an independent sort who has his own thoughts on how things should be done. Those thoughts didn’t mesh with the hard-nosed Adams, who walked away when he determined Valero wasn’t going to do things his way.
“I will not sell my soul for the sake of training a fighter,” Adams said. “With Valero, I would come to the gym and tell him, ‘We need to work on this.’ I’ve been around a long time and I knew what he needed. It was obvious. But he would say to me, ‘No, I want to work on this.’ He wanted to do things his way. I wanted him to do things my way, the right way.”
And so he left, thereby saying goodbye to the potentially lucrative paydays he could have earned while working with Valero.
Despite the split, there’s no hard feelings on Valero’s end. Valero still calls Adams to speak with him about boxing and he praised his skills. “Edwin is very grateful to Kenny for what he’s done for him and it was an amicable split,” Jose Castillo, Valero’s manager, said. “Also, Edwin wanted to move and work in California (and Adams is based in Las Vegas). His family is used to California and they feel comfortable there. “The other thing is that Edwin felt he needed a trainer who could keep up with his pace. Kenny is a little older and Edwin felt he wasn’t doing 100 percent of the way he liked to train, because Kenny couldn’t keep up that pace. But Edwin has great respect for him and feels he did a lot to help him.” Adams laughs softly as he’s asked how much he estimates he has lost over the years as a result of cutting ties with recalcitrant fighters or refusing to take them on in the first place.
“It’s got to be in the millions,” he says. “Millions. My wife tells me all the time that I don’t need to be so hard on them. What you see in boxing today is that too many guys want to hire a yes man. I’m no yes man.
“Maybe I’ve been a little harder than I’ve needed to be, but you can’t mess around in this sport. This is serious business. I’m not going to deal with all the [expletive] that these fighters want you to deal with. Maybe it’s my drill sergeant days coming out.”
He proudly says he hasn’t compromised and he never will. He spent 30 years in the Army and has a good pension and medical benefits. He won’t go hungry if he never trains another fighter.
And so they’ll do it his way or he’ll walk.
The result is that those who work with him become beautiful technicians, capable of mastery in the ring. Those who don’t usually wind up far less than they could have been. He suspects he’ll never be Trainer of the Year – “Too outspoken,” I guess – and he accepts the fact there isn’t a strong possibility that he’ll find his way into the Hall of Fame.
He’ll be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame later this year, an honor that he says “is really what I wanted most anyway.”
He was born in Springfield, but was raised in Cape Girardeau, the same town that produced conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
He’s a Missourian to the core, demanding that fighters “show me” they want to do it. He trains Jorge Linares, the classy World Boxing Association super featherweight champion, and up-and-coming lightweight Sharif Bogere. He also works with a few young Japanese fighters, whom he adores because of their willingness to heed each of his very direct and precisely chosen words.
He’s never been a man who has suffered fools and he’s not going to start as he’s closing in on 70.
“I’ve had 18 world champions and I had five champions at one time,” Adams said. “I’ve had my success. I’m satisfied with what I’ve done. And I walk with my head held high, because I have done things my way, the right way, and I haven’t compromised my values for a paycheck.
“I love to train and work with fighters, but they have to want to do it and want to learn. They have to be committed to getting into the best possible shape they can. If they do those things, I’ll give everything of myself to these kids. If they don’t, you know what, I don’t need the aggravation, no matter how good someone thinks they may be.”
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
kikibalt wrote:A great write-up on a great champion by a great writer. Thanks RandyRandyman wrote:Alexis Arguello
1952-2009
Alexis Arguello vs Aaron Pryor
Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
November 12, 1982
"See, I respect boxing because it has given me so much and that’s why I will never allow anyone to mistreat the sport of boxing if I can help it."
- Alexis Arguello
In an era that produced such stellar fighters as; Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Wilfredo benitz, Wilfredo Gomez, Salvador Sanchez, Bobby Chacon, Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Ruben Olivares , and in a sport where even the contenders held the mantel of greatness with aplomb and grace, Alexis Arguello stood as tall as any of them. In an era where great fighters fought each other for the right to be called the best, Alexis Arguello fought the best.
Arguello fought his first fight forty one years ago, August 1, 1968 in Managua, Nicaragua against someone named Cachorro Amaya, getting stopped in the first round of a scheduled four round fight. He fought his last fight on January 21, 1995 in Las Vegas, Nevada, losing a ten round decision to Scott Walker. In between those years Arguello won titles in three weight classes; Featherweight, Super Featherweight, and Lightweight. He lifted the WBA Featherweight crown from Mexican great "Rockabye" Ruben Olivares on November 23, 1974 stopping Olivares in the 13th round of their 15 round fight. He successfully defended his title several times before moving up in weight to challenge Alfredo Escalera for the WBC Super Featherweight title. The fight took place on January 1, 1978 in Escalera's home turf of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Arguello won a hard fought and exciting fight by stopping Escalera in the 13th round. On June 20, 1981 Arguello once again moved up to challenge the respected WBC Lightweight champion from the United Kingdom, Jim Watt. The fight, which took place at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London, went the distance. Arguello won the fight with a 15 round unanimous decision. It was Watt's last fight and Alexis Arguello's third title.
Arguello defended his titles against the likes of Bobby Chacon, Ruben Castillo, Cornelius Boza Edwards, Jose Luis Ramirez, Rafael "Bazooka" Limon, Andy Ganigan, Ray Mancini and so many more. He never gave anything but his best when he stepped into the ring. He was a champion in the truest sense of the world. He was also a champion with compassion. Who can forget his fight with Ray Mancini, who fighting valiantly, as much for his father as for himself, was finally stopped in the 14th round of their fight. Arguello, as much a gentleman as he was a champion, put his arm around Mancini and reminded him, that he too failed in his first bid for a world title, a 15 round decision to Ernesto Marcel of Panama. He encouraged Mancini and let him know that his day would come. That act of mercy and compassion would become his signature, his trademark.
Arguello was already an all time great when he moved up once again to
challenge the great Aaron Pryor for Pryor's WBA Junior welterweight title, for an unprecedented fourth title. On November 12, 1982, Alexis Arguello and Aaron Pryor fought their way into boxing immortality, in one of the great fights of the 1980's, a fight that would stand out in any era.
On this night it would be Aaron Pryor that would have his arms raised in victory. In the 14th round, after a grueling, exhausting and exciting fight, Alexis Arguello was knocked out, and in a sickening manner. It was painful. Up to that point it was still anyone's fight. Arguello had landed right hands that would have knocked out middleweights but Pryor was at the top of his game that night. There would be no fourth title for Arguello.
Arguello had two more fights before once again challenging Aaron Pryor for the title. His first fight after his loss to Pryor was against Vilomar Fernandez of the Bronx, New York, by way of the Dominican Republic, winning a 10 round decision and avenging an 1978 loss to Fernandez. Next up was former WBALightweight Champ Claude Noel. Noel was knocked out in the 3rd round. The second Arguello-Pryor fight ended with a 10th round KO of Arguello. Arguello retired but came back two years later to fight Pat Jefferson, knocking him out in the 5th round. His next fight was with former WBC Lightweight Champion Billy Costello. The durable Costello was stopped in the fourth round.
Arguello has been a favorite of mine from the very beginning. He was the epitome of coolness in the ring and the master of patience. He was a master counter puncher and a consumate professional. It's not enough to say that he was a great Latin fighter, he was a great fighter, a great champion. He will be missed by his fans.
I met Alexis Arguello in 1976 while training at the Main Street Gym in Los Angeles. He was training for a fight. I can't remember who his opponent was but looking at his record the only fight that shows in that time frame is a fight with Salvador Torres at the Forum in Inglewood, a fight he won by a 3rd round knockout. Arguello was only there a week or so but I had the chance to meet him, talk with and shake his hand. He was very humble, reserved and quiet.
Alexis Arguello died earlier today, the victim of a self inflicted gun shot wound. A suicide. I cannot imagine what demons drove him to such an act. Alexis was born on April 19, 1952. He was 57 at the time of his death. It is a great loss to his family and friends, his countrymen and the sport of boxing. He will always be remembered as a class act. A good guy. A man who gave his all to his sport. Even in losing, he lost like a champion, going out on his shield. He will always be a champion. He belongs to history now.
My condolences to the family of Alexis Arguello. Rest in peace Champ! You will be missed.
I nicked your portrait of Pryor-Arguello and posted it on the British forum, Randy. Hope you don't mind.
For me Pryor-Arguello was the greatest fight of the 1980s.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
We're having a heatwave out here (I hate it) and one stupid copper left two German Shepherds in the back of his police van too long and the dogs roasted to death.
Sorry to lower the tone.
Sorry to lower the tone.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Big payday could help Mayweather fend off IRS
By OSKAR GARCIA
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Floyd Mayweather Jr. has said rumblings about his financial troubles are nothing more than rumors, but public records obtained by The Associated Press show the boxer nicknamed "Money" owes about $6.4 million to the Internal Revenue Service and others.
The IRS hit the former pound-for-pound boxing king with a lien in October for $6.17 million in unpaid taxes from 2007, according to the Clark County Recorder in Las Vegas. A New Jersey Superior Court judgment from the same year shows he owes $193,000 in state taxes there.
Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's manager, disputed the documents and said he believed they were inaccurate.
"Floyd Mayweather does not have a problem with the IRS," Ellerbe told the AP on Thursday. "He doesn't owe the IRS $6.1 million ... I don't (care) what a lien says."
"When you have a problem with them, you ain't hard to find — ask Wesley Snipes," Ellerbe said. "You go to jail, they come take your (stuff). He doesn't have a problem."
Snipes, the actor, is currently appealing convictions of willfully failing to file his income taxes and his three-year prison sentence.
"(Mayweather) is free to move and do anything and everything he wants to do with no problems at all. None whatsoever," Ellerbe said.
Besides taxes, county records in Las Vegas show the former five-division champ has unresolved debts worth $9,400 to three homeowners associations. Other liens filed with the county say the boxer did not pay nearly $3,900 to a contractor that programmed electronics at one of his homes and $320.10 to his trash collector.
Mayweather, who is returning to the ring after retiring a year ago, has said his scheduled September fight against Juan Manuel Marquez isn't all about a big payday, but a lucrative purse couldn't hurt in his ongoing battle to keep up on his bills.
The IRS and others use liens to secure payments by placing a claim on the property of individuals who owe them money. Liens damage a person's credit rating and remain on credit reports longer than other negative information, such as late payments. Once unpaid taxes are satisfied, the IRS files lien releases saying so with the county recorder.
Raphael Tulino, an IRS spokesman, said Thursday that the agency does not comment specifically on individual tax situations. The IRS said in the October lien itself that it has demanded payment, but the 2007 taxes remained unpaid.
A clerk in New Jersey Superior Court said Thursday that the $193,000 judgment there had not been satisfied.
Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) has been socked with liens in the past and paid them off, according to recorder records in Clark County. The IRS filed liens totaling nearly $6.3 million for unpaid taxes from 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006, and three homeowners associations also filed claims against the boxer that were later resolved, county records show.
Asked about the liens that had been resolved, Ellerbe said: "We're talking about what's going on right now. I'm sure you might have been two days late paying your rent two, five years ago."
The former Olympic bronze medalist made more than $50 million inside the ring during his final 18 months of boxing before he abruptly retired last year and turned his attention to show business.
Mayweather has proved to be a bankable celebrity outside the ring.
He has appeared on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" in 2007 and is featured in a current AT&T television commercial. He has said that he made $8 million last year without fighting.
He also cashed in his "Pretty Boy" nickname for "Money."
"America is built on two things — controversy and money," Mayweather told HBO before he defeated Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007. "It's not a black thing, it's not a white thing, it's a green thing."
The cable network documented both fighters leading up to their match for its "24/7" reality series. The same episode showed Mayweather hand-counting $10,000 stacks of $100 bills and bragging about winning $34,000 after betting on an NBA basketball game.
"I ain't gotta carry no black card, I like carrying mine in cash — get the job done better," Mayweather said, cracking a grin.
Mayweather received a reported $20 million to wrestle on WWE's "WrestleMania XXIV" in 2008, part of his efforts to increase his entertainment profile. At a promotional event for that appearance in Los Angeles, Mayweather incited a couple hundred fans by whipping out a money roll and repeatedly tossing $100, $50 and $20 bills into the crowd.
The boxer likes to be seen with a wad of cash, large entourages and expensive jewelry.
"You see me — 250 on the wrist, $300,000 on the pinky, $600,000 on the neck," Mayweather said on another "24/7" episode filmed before his fight with Ricky Hatton in December 2007.
YouTube videos show Mayweather tossing $100 bills into crowds at night clubs — known as "making it rain" for the way the bills look when they fall.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal labeled him the "reigning king of flash and cash" in 2007 for regularly showering patrons and his entourage with cash and expensive Cristal champagne. The newspaper said that Mayweather and his entourage travel in a three-car fleet made up of a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Maybach and a Mercedes McLaren SLR.
"I've seen him make it rain at least 20 times in the last couple years," Branden Powers of Poetry nightclub told the newspaper. "Pound for pound, he's the best tipper."
Ellerbe said Mayweather's comments about money were made just to promote fights.
"Him saying he got a bunch of money, that's an image, that's an image. It has nothing to do with his business," Ellerbe said. "And he can say anything he wants to, but I'm giving you what the facts are. And the facts are Floyd Mayweather does not have a problem with the IRS, or anybody else, for that matter."
Mayweather's comeback fight, delayed until Sept. 19 after Mayweather damaged rib cartilage while training, had been scheduled for July 18 at the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas.
Mayweather and Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs) are expected to fight at a catch-weight of about 143 pounds, eight more than Marquez has ever fought and the lightest Mayweather has been since 2005.
Associated Press writers Adam Goldman in New York and Eli Segall in Trenton, N.J. contributed to this report.
By OSKAR GARCIA
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Floyd Mayweather Jr. has said rumblings about his financial troubles are nothing more than rumors, but public records obtained by The Associated Press show the boxer nicknamed "Money" owes about $6.4 million to the Internal Revenue Service and others.
The IRS hit the former pound-for-pound boxing king with a lien in October for $6.17 million in unpaid taxes from 2007, according to the Clark County Recorder in Las Vegas. A New Jersey Superior Court judgment from the same year shows he owes $193,000 in state taxes there.
Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's manager, disputed the documents and said he believed they were inaccurate.
"Floyd Mayweather does not have a problem with the IRS," Ellerbe told the AP on Thursday. "He doesn't owe the IRS $6.1 million ... I don't (care) what a lien says."
"When you have a problem with them, you ain't hard to find — ask Wesley Snipes," Ellerbe said. "You go to jail, they come take your (stuff). He doesn't have a problem."
Snipes, the actor, is currently appealing convictions of willfully failing to file his income taxes and his three-year prison sentence.
"(Mayweather) is free to move and do anything and everything he wants to do with no problems at all. None whatsoever," Ellerbe said.
Besides taxes, county records in Las Vegas show the former five-division champ has unresolved debts worth $9,400 to three homeowners associations. Other liens filed with the county say the boxer did not pay nearly $3,900 to a contractor that programmed electronics at one of his homes and $320.10 to his trash collector.
Mayweather, who is returning to the ring after retiring a year ago, has said his scheduled September fight against Juan Manuel Marquez isn't all about a big payday, but a lucrative purse couldn't hurt in his ongoing battle to keep up on his bills.
The IRS and others use liens to secure payments by placing a claim on the property of individuals who owe them money. Liens damage a person's credit rating and remain on credit reports longer than other negative information, such as late payments. Once unpaid taxes are satisfied, the IRS files lien releases saying so with the county recorder.
Raphael Tulino, an IRS spokesman, said Thursday that the agency does not comment specifically on individual tax situations. The IRS said in the October lien itself that it has demanded payment, but the 2007 taxes remained unpaid.
A clerk in New Jersey Superior Court said Thursday that the $193,000 judgment there had not been satisfied.
Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) has been socked with liens in the past and paid them off, according to recorder records in Clark County. The IRS filed liens totaling nearly $6.3 million for unpaid taxes from 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006, and three homeowners associations also filed claims against the boxer that were later resolved, county records show.
Asked about the liens that had been resolved, Ellerbe said: "We're talking about what's going on right now. I'm sure you might have been two days late paying your rent two, five years ago."
The former Olympic bronze medalist made more than $50 million inside the ring during his final 18 months of boxing before he abruptly retired last year and turned his attention to show business.
Mayweather has proved to be a bankable celebrity outside the ring.
He has appeared on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" in 2007 and is featured in a current AT&T television commercial. He has said that he made $8 million last year without fighting.
He also cashed in his "Pretty Boy" nickname for "Money."
"America is built on two things — controversy and money," Mayweather told HBO before he defeated Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007. "It's not a black thing, it's not a white thing, it's a green thing."
The cable network documented both fighters leading up to their match for its "24/7" reality series. The same episode showed Mayweather hand-counting $10,000 stacks of $100 bills and bragging about winning $34,000 after betting on an NBA basketball game.
"I ain't gotta carry no black card, I like carrying mine in cash — get the job done better," Mayweather said, cracking a grin.
Mayweather received a reported $20 million to wrestle on WWE's "WrestleMania XXIV" in 2008, part of his efforts to increase his entertainment profile. At a promotional event for that appearance in Los Angeles, Mayweather incited a couple hundred fans by whipping out a money roll and repeatedly tossing $100, $50 and $20 bills into the crowd.
The boxer likes to be seen with a wad of cash, large entourages and expensive jewelry.
"You see me — 250 on the wrist, $300,000 on the pinky, $600,000 on the neck," Mayweather said on another "24/7" episode filmed before his fight with Ricky Hatton in December 2007.
YouTube videos show Mayweather tossing $100 bills into crowds at night clubs — known as "making it rain" for the way the bills look when they fall.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal labeled him the "reigning king of flash and cash" in 2007 for regularly showering patrons and his entourage with cash and expensive Cristal champagne. The newspaper said that Mayweather and his entourage travel in a three-car fleet made up of a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Maybach and a Mercedes McLaren SLR.
"I've seen him make it rain at least 20 times in the last couple years," Branden Powers of Poetry nightclub told the newspaper. "Pound for pound, he's the best tipper."
Ellerbe said Mayweather's comments about money were made just to promote fights.
"Him saying he got a bunch of money, that's an image, that's an image. It has nothing to do with his business," Ellerbe said. "And he can say anything he wants to, but I'm giving you what the facts are. And the facts are Floyd Mayweather does not have a problem with the IRS, or anybody else, for that matter."
Mayweather's comeback fight, delayed until Sept. 19 after Mayweather damaged rib cartilage while training, had been scheduled for July 18 at the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas.
Mayweather and Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs) are expected to fight at a catch-weight of about 143 pounds, eight more than Marquez has ever fought and the lightest Mayweather has been since 2005.
Associated Press writers Adam Goldman in New York and Eli Segall in Trenton, N.J. contributed to this report.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
It does appear that a large percentage of boxers end up broke and without any marketable skills to make a decent living. At the same time, a large percentage of athletes in other sports don't have such problems.
- Chuck Johnston
- Chuck Johnston
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
A Tribute to Alexis Arguello
By Michele Chong
Reactions from fellow fighters and friends!
Boxing has lost another great legend: Three-time World Champion Alexis Arguello passed away yesterday at the age of 57 in his native Nicaragua.
It was reported that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. One more shockingly painful, tragic story in the sport we love.
The 5′10″ featherweight, nicknamed “The Explosive Thin Man,” was born on April 19, 1952 in Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. In 2008, the Hall-of-Fame boxer was chosen to carry his country’s national flag in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Since January of this year, Arguello ruled as Mayor of Managua, representing the Sandinista organization, the same group he had previously battled decades before. Just a few days ago, Arguello was seen placing flowers on the grave of baseball legend Roberto Clemente to honor the Pittsburgh Pirates star, who himself died tragically in 1972 while flying to Managua to deliver earthquake relief items.
Arguello had a stellar amateur career and was just 16 when he turned pro. During his reign, the popular fighter was an WBA Featherweight Champion, WBC Super Featherweight Champion, WBC Lightweight Champion, and the Ring Lightweight Champion. He retired in 1995 but not before amassing an impressive fight record of 82-8 and 65 KOs. Notable foes included Aaron Pryor, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Bobby Chacon, Rafael “Bazooka” Limon, Ruben Castillo, Jim Watt, and Cornelius Boza Edwards. He ranks #20 on Ring magazine’s list of “100 Greatest Punchers of All Time.”
As the sad news traveled through phone and Internet, I had the honor of listening to personal anecdotes, and hearing the thoughts and feelings about the death of a boxing legend. He certainly had a historic career and his passing will leave a large void in the hearts and minds of many.
Amidst speculation and innuendo on how and why the boxer-turned-politician died–allegedly at his own hands–he details and reasons may not be known for a while, if ever.
In a tribute to the fighter, friends and associates in the boxing community opened up, sharing their recollections and favorite memories about Arguello.
He was a warrior in the ring, a gentleman out of the ring.
First and foremost is the reaction of Aaron Pryor. In recent years, whenever Alexis Arguello’s name came up, “The Hawk’s” name was almost always mentioned in the same breath.
In their epic war in ‘82 , the two survived unbelievable toe-to-toe action until Arguello was defeated by a TKO in the 14th round. There was a well-documented Panama Lewis controversy in the bout, and the two boxers met again the following year. Pryor won this match by a KO in the tenth round. After their classic brawls, the fighters remained on friendly terms.
I spoke with Pryor’s wife, Frankie, yesterday afternoon; the couple and their family still reside in Ohio. Frankie told me that her husband is understandably “overwhelmed and inconsolable” about the untimely passing of his past nemesis in the ring.
Frankie then read me a heartfelt statement from Aaron, “Alexis and I shared a bond that began with our historic fight on November 12, 1982 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. That bond will never be broken. I had the honor to help my friend campaign when he was seeking political office and I always enjoyed our many vists and phone conversations throughout the years. I am deeply saddened by his passing and boxing has lost one of the greatest champions to ever step in the ring!”
I chatted with Pryor’s gracious wife for a couple of minutes before her other phone began ringing off the hook. When I asked how “The Hawk” has been doing lately, she replied that Aaron is enjoying his retirement from the ring, but also helping out with his two sons who are both boxers.
News of the legendary fighter’s death has left the boxing world stunned, shocked and saddened. Some people had only met him briefly, others knew him very well, but all admired the man and the fighter. From his fellow champions, shock and disbelief set in; from his friends in boxing circles, sadness consumed them.
This morning I had the opportunity to speak with two of Alexis’ closest pals and compadres, fighters Carlos Palomino and Ruben Castillo, both in disbelief over the passing.
Former WBC Welterweight Champion Palomino knew Arguello well and even filmed a movie with the champ. He is still rocked by the news, “It’s unbelievable. He loved life, he was looking forward to a lot of things. It doesn’t fit his frame of mind to commit suicide…It doesn’t make any sense.” Palomino also wants everybody to know how charitable his friend was, “Alexis was always raising money, donating to charities and kids. When he was in L.A. the last time, he was raising money for a gym back home. That was him–always trying to help.”
Another of his buddies, Ruben Castillo, became very emotional throughout our interview. At times, his voice cracked and he choked back tears but wanted to still pay tribute to his beloved boxing brother, “We were close; Alexis called me ‘Flaco.’ I’m heartbroken,” said the former lightweight.
Castillo gets caught up in the emotion, voice quivering, “I cannot believed this happened. They say it was suicide; I refuse to believe it! He couldn’t, he wouldn’t. There are so many things that anger me about this. We all have issues, but I still refuse to believe he did this.”
Composing himself, he continues, “I wish everyone knew his story; the good he did. When he was in L.A., he wanted to raise money to help kids in the Nicaraguan community. Alexis told me the kids were so poor that they got an orange, bit into it and used the peels for mouthpieces! He was great and whenever I think of him, I see that smile and moustache.”
Switching gears, Castillo chuckles as he tells me, “I fought Alexis in 1980–he kicked my ass–he kicked everyone’s ass! I was 46 and 0 and he was my first defeat. But we became very good friends. Fighters–we’re different–there’s a camaraderie, even when we beat the crap out of each other. But we’re all tied to Alexis because he kicked all of our asses!”
One more opponent of Arguello’s, Bobby “Schoolboy” Chacon, former two-time World Champ, retells of his own fight against the Nicaraguan in 1979, “They stopped the fight in the seventh round because of a cut. He was a great fighter; I have great respect for him. I am saddened by the news, he was still so young. I loved him dearly; he had even invited me to Nicaragua. I can’t believe he’s gone.”
No one wants to imagine they will never see their friend again.
“It’s hard to believe he’s gone,” Genaro Hernandez said in a conversation Wednesday. The former WBC Junior Lightweight Champion is shocked by the tragedy. He tells me, “I idolized him! He was a great fighter, even when he got hurt. He was never afraid to fight nobody, he’d fight anyone! But he was also a gentleman, and he was always smiling.”
Then “Chicanito” reminisces about his brother, Rudy, getting in the ring with Arguello, “When Rudy was an amateur, he sparred with Alexis. And Alexis thought highly of my brother!”
An amigo and fellow fighter Mando Muñiz said the news has left him devastated. “I admired Alexis and had known him a number of years. He was a friend first, and a boxer second,” the former Olympian relayed to me. “We had a mutual respect for each other. I always ran into him at L.A. fights, in Cancun and even at the airport on the way to Hawaii. We socialized in Mexico together, and Arguello was always on the dance floor–he was a great dancer!”
“Alexis was Nicaraguan in his heart and soul,” explains Muñiz, about the conflict his friend had. “When the Sandinistas took his home and property, it must have been difficult. But he never talked a lot about politics to me. He was just a great human being, very straightforward. I don’t recall anyone ever saying anything negative about Alexis, ever! He was a kind man who helped others. And he never bragged about who he was. He didn’t have to–the fight fans were in awe when they met him.”
Paul Banke, former WBC Super Bantamweight Champion, “We’re all brothers through boxing. He fought my good friend, Ray Mancini (in Atlantic City). I remember the fight, Ray kept banging but Alexis just had his number.” (Arguello defeated Mancini by a TKO in the 14th round.) He must have been in a lot of pressure, it’s a tough country.”
Another boxer also touches on news reports of the shooting.
“To end his own life, it’s so, so sad,” says Rodolfo “El Gato” Gonzalez. The former WBC Lightweight Champion continues, “I saw him at boxing banquets and when I spoke to him, he was always very nice. And he was a good all-around fighter, well-disciplined, in shape and he had a lot of guts. May God rest his soul.”
For others in the boxing world, Arguello touched the souls of many.
Say what you will about boxing, but when a fighter goes down everyone rallies around each other.
From Jill Diamond, World Boxing Council’s (WBC) and NABF Chair, “I know from his compatriots living in the States how amazingly proud they were of him. I can’t believe this beautiful man, this champion, this hero killed himself. I can only wish him peace.” (Dr. José Suliamán and The World Boxing Council declared July 1 a day of world mourning “due to the tragic passing away of our former champion and International Ambassador, Alexis Arguello.”)
“Michele, I am deeply saddened by the death of one of my ring idols, “El Flaco Explosivo” Alexis Arguello,” expressed HBO’s “Unofficial” Ringside Scorer Harold Lederman. The veteran judge was very familiar with the Latin icon. “A huge figure, friendly, outgoing and always had the time to talk to fans, take a picture or sign an autograph. I saw him fight many times, and I was the judge when he knocked out Kevin Rooney in two rounds at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City,” Lederman recalls. “Arguello had a terrific straight right hand to go with a great left jab and huge left hook. He was skinny, yet he possessed the power to knock you out with one punch. His two fights with Aaron Pryor were legendary. But I guess what I remember most of all about Alexis was his friendly demeanor, the way he would never turn away from anyone who wanted to talk to him about boxing or his Hall of Fame career. He will be missed by everyone who loves boxing. Rest in Peace, Alexis. We will always love you.”
Photographer Carlos Baeza befriended Arguello at the revered Main Street Gym in L.A. His black-and-white photos of Alexis from that bygone era are special mementos the lensman cherishes. The evocative pictures were taken right before the Arguello vs. Pryor fight, “It was a great experience and the images I captured make a statement and represent how he actually was. To this day, I cannot watch the Pryor fight. It breaks my heart and I will never watch it again. Arguello was one of my greatest heroes, an icon in boxing.”
Baeza elaborates, “And he was always dressed to a ‘T’ in fine, fine suits! But when he took them off and went into the ring, he became something else. He was a dear friend to me, my idol who was kind enough to give me his friendship.”
“I have known Alexis Arguello since before he fought Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini in 1981,” says world-renowned boxing manager and promoter Jackie Kallen. “Although he started out in 1971 as a featherweight, he was fighting at 135 when I first met him. What a great guy! Handsome, gentlemanly, and very humble, I called him ‘Señor’ and he called me ‘Señora Jackie’ with his adorable accent.”
Kallen remembers the historic battles, “His fight with Ray was exciting, and he handed Ray his first defeat (via 14th round KO). And no one in boxing will ever forget his two WBA wars with Aaron Pryor, the first at the Orange Bowl in Florida and the second a year later in Vegas at Caesars. Alexis lost them both by KO. But what battles they were! One of the judges had him ahead in the first fight, but it didn’t matter since he was stopped in the 14th (they had 15 round title fights in 1982.) There are still rumors about what Panama Lewis put in Pryor’s water bottle that night. Alexis got stopped in ten rounds the following year and I remember him saying at the press conference that he was ‘through with boxing.’ Like many guys who retire, though, he ended up coming back and fought four more times before finally hanging them up at the age of 42. The last time I saw Alexis was at the Boxing Writers dinner last year. He looked as handsome as ever and we laughed together about how ‘old’ we were both getting. He was proud of his age (56 at the time) and we both agreed we felt pretty good for ‘old-timers.’ I will miss him.”
I, myself, was fortunate to have met the fallen warrior in recent years. While at the 2008 De La Hoya-Forbes fight in Carson, California, our group crossed paths with the Nicaraguan puncher and we stopped to say hello. Just like everyone else has previously echoed above, Arguello, ever the gentleman, was classy and dignified as he took time to talk with us. Decked out in a formal tuxedo, the champ brought an air of elegance and refinement to the fight game. His legacy in the sport will be remembered for years to come.
He was a gentleman out of the ring, a warrior in the ring.
Condolences to Alexis’ children and family in Managua.
May you rest in peace, Campeón!
By Michele Chong
Reactions from fellow fighters and friends!
Boxing has lost another great legend: Three-time World Champion Alexis Arguello passed away yesterday at the age of 57 in his native Nicaragua.
It was reported that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. One more shockingly painful, tragic story in the sport we love.
The 5′10″ featherweight, nicknamed “The Explosive Thin Man,” was born on April 19, 1952 in Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. In 2008, the Hall-of-Fame boxer was chosen to carry his country’s national flag in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Since January of this year, Arguello ruled as Mayor of Managua, representing the Sandinista organization, the same group he had previously battled decades before. Just a few days ago, Arguello was seen placing flowers on the grave of baseball legend Roberto Clemente to honor the Pittsburgh Pirates star, who himself died tragically in 1972 while flying to Managua to deliver earthquake relief items.
Arguello had a stellar amateur career and was just 16 when he turned pro. During his reign, the popular fighter was an WBA Featherweight Champion, WBC Super Featherweight Champion, WBC Lightweight Champion, and the Ring Lightweight Champion. He retired in 1995 but not before amassing an impressive fight record of 82-8 and 65 KOs. Notable foes included Aaron Pryor, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Bobby Chacon, Rafael “Bazooka” Limon, Ruben Castillo, Jim Watt, and Cornelius Boza Edwards. He ranks #20 on Ring magazine’s list of “100 Greatest Punchers of All Time.”
As the sad news traveled through phone and Internet, I had the honor of listening to personal anecdotes, and hearing the thoughts and feelings about the death of a boxing legend. He certainly had a historic career and his passing will leave a large void in the hearts and minds of many.
Amidst speculation and innuendo on how and why the boxer-turned-politician died–allegedly at his own hands–he details and reasons may not be known for a while, if ever.
In a tribute to the fighter, friends and associates in the boxing community opened up, sharing their recollections and favorite memories about Arguello.
He was a warrior in the ring, a gentleman out of the ring.
First and foremost is the reaction of Aaron Pryor. In recent years, whenever Alexis Arguello’s name came up, “The Hawk’s” name was almost always mentioned in the same breath.
In their epic war in ‘82 , the two survived unbelievable toe-to-toe action until Arguello was defeated by a TKO in the 14th round. There was a well-documented Panama Lewis controversy in the bout, and the two boxers met again the following year. Pryor won this match by a KO in the tenth round. After their classic brawls, the fighters remained on friendly terms.
I spoke with Pryor’s wife, Frankie, yesterday afternoon; the couple and their family still reside in Ohio. Frankie told me that her husband is understandably “overwhelmed and inconsolable” about the untimely passing of his past nemesis in the ring.
Frankie then read me a heartfelt statement from Aaron, “Alexis and I shared a bond that began with our historic fight on November 12, 1982 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. That bond will never be broken. I had the honor to help my friend campaign when he was seeking political office and I always enjoyed our many vists and phone conversations throughout the years. I am deeply saddened by his passing and boxing has lost one of the greatest champions to ever step in the ring!”
I chatted with Pryor’s gracious wife for a couple of minutes before her other phone began ringing off the hook. When I asked how “The Hawk” has been doing lately, she replied that Aaron is enjoying his retirement from the ring, but also helping out with his two sons who are both boxers.
News of the legendary fighter’s death has left the boxing world stunned, shocked and saddened. Some people had only met him briefly, others knew him very well, but all admired the man and the fighter. From his fellow champions, shock and disbelief set in; from his friends in boxing circles, sadness consumed them.
This morning I had the opportunity to speak with two of Alexis’ closest pals and compadres, fighters Carlos Palomino and Ruben Castillo, both in disbelief over the passing.
Former WBC Welterweight Champion Palomino knew Arguello well and even filmed a movie with the champ. He is still rocked by the news, “It’s unbelievable. He loved life, he was looking forward to a lot of things. It doesn’t fit his frame of mind to commit suicide…It doesn’t make any sense.” Palomino also wants everybody to know how charitable his friend was, “Alexis was always raising money, donating to charities and kids. When he was in L.A. the last time, he was raising money for a gym back home. That was him–always trying to help.”
Another of his buddies, Ruben Castillo, became very emotional throughout our interview. At times, his voice cracked and he choked back tears but wanted to still pay tribute to his beloved boxing brother, “We were close; Alexis called me ‘Flaco.’ I’m heartbroken,” said the former lightweight.
Castillo gets caught up in the emotion, voice quivering, “I cannot believed this happened. They say it was suicide; I refuse to believe it! He couldn’t, he wouldn’t. There are so many things that anger me about this. We all have issues, but I still refuse to believe he did this.”
Composing himself, he continues, “I wish everyone knew his story; the good he did. When he was in L.A., he wanted to raise money to help kids in the Nicaraguan community. Alexis told me the kids were so poor that they got an orange, bit into it and used the peels for mouthpieces! He was great and whenever I think of him, I see that smile and moustache.”
Switching gears, Castillo chuckles as he tells me, “I fought Alexis in 1980–he kicked my ass–he kicked everyone’s ass! I was 46 and 0 and he was my first defeat. But we became very good friends. Fighters–we’re different–there’s a camaraderie, even when we beat the crap out of each other. But we’re all tied to Alexis because he kicked all of our asses!”
One more opponent of Arguello’s, Bobby “Schoolboy” Chacon, former two-time World Champ, retells of his own fight against the Nicaraguan in 1979, “They stopped the fight in the seventh round because of a cut. He was a great fighter; I have great respect for him. I am saddened by the news, he was still so young. I loved him dearly; he had even invited me to Nicaragua. I can’t believe he’s gone.”
No one wants to imagine they will never see their friend again.
“It’s hard to believe he’s gone,” Genaro Hernandez said in a conversation Wednesday. The former WBC Junior Lightweight Champion is shocked by the tragedy. He tells me, “I idolized him! He was a great fighter, even when he got hurt. He was never afraid to fight nobody, he’d fight anyone! But he was also a gentleman, and he was always smiling.”
Then “Chicanito” reminisces about his brother, Rudy, getting in the ring with Arguello, “When Rudy was an amateur, he sparred with Alexis. And Alexis thought highly of my brother!”
An amigo and fellow fighter Mando Muñiz said the news has left him devastated. “I admired Alexis and had known him a number of years. He was a friend first, and a boxer second,” the former Olympian relayed to me. “We had a mutual respect for each other. I always ran into him at L.A. fights, in Cancun and even at the airport on the way to Hawaii. We socialized in Mexico together, and Arguello was always on the dance floor–he was a great dancer!”
“Alexis was Nicaraguan in his heart and soul,” explains Muñiz, about the conflict his friend had. “When the Sandinistas took his home and property, it must have been difficult. But he never talked a lot about politics to me. He was just a great human being, very straightforward. I don’t recall anyone ever saying anything negative about Alexis, ever! He was a kind man who helped others. And he never bragged about who he was. He didn’t have to–the fight fans were in awe when they met him.”
Paul Banke, former WBC Super Bantamweight Champion, “We’re all brothers through boxing. He fought my good friend, Ray Mancini (in Atlantic City). I remember the fight, Ray kept banging but Alexis just had his number.” (Arguello defeated Mancini by a TKO in the 14th round.) He must have been in a lot of pressure, it’s a tough country.”
Another boxer also touches on news reports of the shooting.
“To end his own life, it’s so, so sad,” says Rodolfo “El Gato” Gonzalez. The former WBC Lightweight Champion continues, “I saw him at boxing banquets and when I spoke to him, he was always very nice. And he was a good all-around fighter, well-disciplined, in shape and he had a lot of guts. May God rest his soul.”
For others in the boxing world, Arguello touched the souls of many.
Say what you will about boxing, but when a fighter goes down everyone rallies around each other.
From Jill Diamond, World Boxing Council’s (WBC) and NABF Chair, “I know from his compatriots living in the States how amazingly proud they were of him. I can’t believe this beautiful man, this champion, this hero killed himself. I can only wish him peace.” (Dr. José Suliamán and The World Boxing Council declared July 1 a day of world mourning “due to the tragic passing away of our former champion and International Ambassador, Alexis Arguello.”)
“Michele, I am deeply saddened by the death of one of my ring idols, “El Flaco Explosivo” Alexis Arguello,” expressed HBO’s “Unofficial” Ringside Scorer Harold Lederman. The veteran judge was very familiar with the Latin icon. “A huge figure, friendly, outgoing and always had the time to talk to fans, take a picture or sign an autograph. I saw him fight many times, and I was the judge when he knocked out Kevin Rooney in two rounds at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City,” Lederman recalls. “Arguello had a terrific straight right hand to go with a great left jab and huge left hook. He was skinny, yet he possessed the power to knock you out with one punch. His two fights with Aaron Pryor were legendary. But I guess what I remember most of all about Alexis was his friendly demeanor, the way he would never turn away from anyone who wanted to talk to him about boxing or his Hall of Fame career. He will be missed by everyone who loves boxing. Rest in Peace, Alexis. We will always love you.”
Photographer Carlos Baeza befriended Arguello at the revered Main Street Gym in L.A. His black-and-white photos of Alexis from that bygone era are special mementos the lensman cherishes. The evocative pictures were taken right before the Arguello vs. Pryor fight, “It was a great experience and the images I captured make a statement and represent how he actually was. To this day, I cannot watch the Pryor fight. It breaks my heart and I will never watch it again. Arguello was one of my greatest heroes, an icon in boxing.”
Baeza elaborates, “And he was always dressed to a ‘T’ in fine, fine suits! But when he took them off and went into the ring, he became something else. He was a dear friend to me, my idol who was kind enough to give me his friendship.”
“I have known Alexis Arguello since before he fought Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini in 1981,” says world-renowned boxing manager and promoter Jackie Kallen. “Although he started out in 1971 as a featherweight, he was fighting at 135 when I first met him. What a great guy! Handsome, gentlemanly, and very humble, I called him ‘Señor’ and he called me ‘Señora Jackie’ with his adorable accent.”
Kallen remembers the historic battles, “His fight with Ray was exciting, and he handed Ray his first defeat (via 14th round KO). And no one in boxing will ever forget his two WBA wars with Aaron Pryor, the first at the Orange Bowl in Florida and the second a year later in Vegas at Caesars. Alexis lost them both by KO. But what battles they were! One of the judges had him ahead in the first fight, but it didn’t matter since he was stopped in the 14th (they had 15 round title fights in 1982.) There are still rumors about what Panama Lewis put in Pryor’s water bottle that night. Alexis got stopped in ten rounds the following year and I remember him saying at the press conference that he was ‘through with boxing.’ Like many guys who retire, though, he ended up coming back and fought four more times before finally hanging them up at the age of 42. The last time I saw Alexis was at the Boxing Writers dinner last year. He looked as handsome as ever and we laughed together about how ‘old’ we were both getting. He was proud of his age (56 at the time) and we both agreed we felt pretty good for ‘old-timers.’ I will miss him.”
I, myself, was fortunate to have met the fallen warrior in recent years. While at the 2008 De La Hoya-Forbes fight in Carson, California, our group crossed paths with the Nicaraguan puncher and we stopped to say hello. Just like everyone else has previously echoed above, Arguello, ever the gentleman, was classy and dignified as he took time to talk with us. Decked out in a formal tuxedo, the champ brought an air of elegance and refinement to the fight game. His legacy in the sport will be remembered for years to come.
He was a gentleman out of the ring, a warrior in the ring.
Condolences to Alexis’ children and family in Managua.
May you rest in peace, Campeón!
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
A fine piece of writing by Michele. Thank you!kikibalt wrote:A Tribute to Alexis Arguello
By Michele Chong
Reactions from fellow fighters and friends!
Boxing has lost another great legend: Three-time World Champion Alexis Arguello passed away yesterday at the age of 57 in his native Nicaragua.
It was reported that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. One more shockingly painful, tragic story in the sport we love.
The 5′10″ featherweight, nicknamed “The Explosive Thin Man,” was born on April 19, 1952 in Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. In 2008, the Hall-of-Fame boxer was chosen to carry his country’s national flag in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Since January of this year, Arguello ruled as Mayor of Managua, representing the Sandinista organization, the same group he had previously battled decades before. Just a few days ago, Arguello was seen placing flowers on the grave of baseball legend Roberto Clemente to honor the Pittsburgh Pirates star, who himself died tragically in 1972 while flying to Managua to deliver earthquake relief items.
Arguello had a stellar amateur career and was just 16 when he turned pro. During his reign, the popular fighter was an WBA Featherweight Champion, WBC Super Featherweight Champion, WBC Lightweight Champion, and the Ring Lightweight Champion. He retired in 1995 but not before amassing an impressive fight record of 82-8 and 65 KOs. Notable foes included Aaron Pryor, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Bobby Chacon, Rafael “Bazooka” Limon, Ruben Castillo, Jim Watt, and Cornelius Boza Edwards. He ranks #20 on Ring magazine’s list of “100 Greatest Punchers of All Time.”
As the sad news traveled through phone and Internet, I had the honor of listening to personal anecdotes, and hearing the thoughts and feelings about the death of a boxing legend. He certainly had a historic career and his passing will leave a large void in the hearts and minds of many.
Amidst speculation and innuendo on how and why the boxer-turned-politician died–allegedly at his own hands–he details and reasons may not be known for a while, if ever.
In a tribute to the fighter, friends and associates in the boxing community opened up, sharing their recollections and favorite memories about Arguello.
He was a warrior in the ring, a gentleman out of the ring.
First and foremost is the reaction of Aaron Pryor. In recent years, whenever Alexis Arguello’s name came up, “The Hawk’s” name was almost always mentioned in the same breath.
In their epic war in ‘82 , the two survived unbelievable toe-to-toe action until Arguello was defeated by a TKO in the 14th round. There was a well-documented Panama Lewis controversy in the bout, and the two boxers met again the following year. Pryor won this match by a KO in the tenth round. After their classic brawls, the fighters remained on friendly terms.
I spoke with Pryor’s wife, Frankie, yesterday afternoon; the couple and their family still reside in Ohio. Frankie told me that her husband is understandably “overwhelmed and inconsolable” about the untimely passing of his past nemesis in the ring.
Frankie then read me a heartfelt statement from Aaron, “Alexis and I shared a bond that began with our historic fight on November 12, 1982 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. That bond will never be broken. I had the honor to help my friend campaign when he was seeking political office and I always enjoyed our many vists and phone conversations throughout the years. I am deeply saddened by his passing and boxing has lost one of the greatest champions to ever step in the ring!”
I chatted with Pryor’s gracious wife for a couple of minutes before her other phone began ringing off the hook. When I asked how “The Hawk” has been doing lately, she replied that Aaron is enjoying his retirement from the ring, but also helping out with his two sons who are both boxers.
News of the legendary fighter’s death has left the boxing world stunned, shocked and saddened. Some people had only met him briefly, others knew him very well, but all admired the man and the fighter. From his fellow champions, shock and disbelief set in; from his friends in boxing circles, sadness consumed them.
This morning I had the opportunity to speak with two of Alexis’ closest pals and compadres, fighters Carlos Palomino and Ruben Castillo, both in disbelief over the passing.
Former WBC Welterweight Champion Palomino knew Arguello well and even filmed a movie with the champ. He is still rocked by the news, “It’s unbelievable. He loved life, he was looking forward to a lot of things. It doesn’t fit his frame of mind to commit suicide…It doesn’t make any sense.” Palomino also wants everybody to know how charitable his friend was, “Alexis was always raising money, donating to charities and kids. When he was in L.A. the last time, he was raising money for a gym back home. That was him–always trying to help.”
Another of his buddies, Ruben Castillo, became very emotional throughout our interview. At times, his voice cracked and he choked back tears but wanted to still pay tribute to his beloved boxing brother, “We were close; Alexis called me ‘Flaco.’ I’m heartbroken,” said the former lightweight.
Castillo gets caught up in the emotion, voice quivering, “I cannot believed this happened. They say it was suicide; I refuse to believe it! He couldn’t, he wouldn’t. There are so many things that anger me about this. We all have issues, but I still refuse to believe he did this.”
Composing himself, he continues, “I wish everyone knew his story; the good he did. When he was in L.A., he wanted to raise money to help kids in the Nicaraguan community. Alexis told me the kids were so poor that they got an orange, bit into it and used the peels for mouthpieces! He was great and whenever I think of him, I see that smile and moustache.”
Switching gears, Castillo chuckles as he tells me, “I fought Alexis in 1980–he kicked my ass–he kicked everyone’s ass! I was 46 and 0 and he was my first defeat. But we became very good friends. Fighters–we’re different–there’s a camaraderie, even when we beat the crap out of each other. But we’re all tied to Alexis because he kicked all of our asses!”
One more opponent of Arguello’s, Bobby “Schoolboy” Chacon, former two-time World Champ, retells of his own fight against the Nicaraguan in 1979, “They stopped the fight in the seventh round because of a cut. He was a great fighter; I have great respect for him. I am saddened by the news, he was still so young. I loved him dearly; he had even invited me to Nicaragua. I can’t believe he’s gone.”
No one wants to imagine they will never see their friend again.
“It’s hard to believe he’s gone,” Genaro Hernandez said in a conversation Wednesday. The former WBC Junior Lightweight Champion is shocked by the tragedy. He tells me, “I idolized him! He was a great fighter, even when he got hurt. He was never afraid to fight nobody, he’d fight anyone! But he was also a gentleman, and he was always smiling.”
Then “Chicanito” reminisces about his brother, Rudy, getting in the ring with Arguello, “When Rudy was an amateur, he sparred with Alexis. And Alexis thought highly of my brother!”
An amigo and fellow fighter Mando Muñiz said the news has left him devastated. “I admired Alexis and had known him a number of years. He was a friend first, and a boxer second,” the former Olympian relayed to me. “We had a mutual respect for each other. I always ran into him at L.A. fights, in Cancun and even at the airport on the way to Hawaii. We socialized in Mexico together, and Arguello was always on the dance floor–he was a great dancer!”
“Alexis was Nicaraguan in his heart and soul,” explains Muñiz, about the conflict his friend had. “When the Sandinistas took his home and property, it must have been difficult. But he never talked a lot about politics to me. He was just a great human being, very straightforward. I don’t recall anyone ever saying anything negative about Alexis, ever! He was a kind man who helped others. And he never bragged about who he was. He didn’t have to–the fight fans were in awe when they met him.”
Paul Banke, former WBC Super Bantamweight Champion, “We’re all brothers through boxing. He fought my good friend, Ray Mancini (in Atlantic City). I remember the fight, Ray kept banging but Alexis just had his number.” (Arguello defeated Mancini by a TKO in the 14th round.) He must have been in a lot of pressure, it’s a tough country.”
Another boxer also touches on news reports of the shooting.
“To end his own life, it’s so, so sad,” says Rodolfo “El Gato” Gonzalez. The former WBC Lightweight Champion continues, “I saw him at boxing banquets and when I spoke to him, he was always very nice. And he was a good all-around fighter, well-disciplined, in shape and he had a lot of guts. May God rest his soul.”
For others in the boxing world, Arguello touched the souls of many.
Say what you will about boxing, but when a fighter goes down everyone rallies around each other.
From Jill Diamond, World Boxing Council’s (WBC) and NABF Chair, “I know from his compatriots living in the States how amazingly proud they were of him. I can’t believe this beautiful man, this champion, this hero killed himself. I can only wish him peace.” (Dr. José Suliamán and The World Boxing Council declared July 1 a day of world mourning “due to the tragic passing away of our former champion and International Ambassador, Alexis Arguello.”)
“Michele, I am deeply saddened by the death of one of my ring idols, “El Flaco Explosivo” Alexis Arguello,” expressed HBO’s “Unofficial” Ringside Scorer Harold Lederman. The veteran judge was very familiar with the Latin icon. “A huge figure, friendly, outgoing and always had the time to talk to fans, take a picture or sign an autograph. I saw him fight many times, and I was the judge when he knocked out Kevin Rooney in two rounds at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City,” Lederman recalls. “Arguello had a terrific straight right hand to go with a great left jab and huge left hook. He was skinny, yet he possessed the power to knock you out with one punch. His two fights with Aaron Pryor were legendary. But I guess what I remember most of all about Alexis was his friendly demeanor, the way he would never turn away from anyone who wanted to talk to him about boxing or his Hall of Fame career. He will be missed by everyone who loves boxing. Rest in Peace, Alexis. We will always love you.”
Photographer Carlos Baeza befriended Arguello at the revered Main Street Gym in L.A. His black-and-white photos of Alexis from that bygone era are special mementos the lensman cherishes. The evocative pictures were taken right before the Arguello vs. Pryor fight, “It was a great experience and the images I captured make a statement and represent how he actually was. To this day, I cannot watch the Pryor fight. It breaks my heart and I will never watch it again. Arguello was one of my greatest heroes, an icon in boxing.”
Baeza elaborates, “And he was always dressed to a ‘T’ in fine, fine suits! But when he took them off and went into the ring, he became something else. He was a dear friend to me, my idol who was kind enough to give me his friendship.”
“I have known Alexis Arguello since before he fought Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini in 1981,” says world-renowned boxing manager and promoter Jackie Kallen. “Although he started out in 1971 as a featherweight, he was fighting at 135 when I first met him. What a great guy! Handsome, gentlemanly, and very humble, I called him ‘Señor’ and he called me ‘Señora Jackie’ with his adorable accent.”
Kallen remembers the historic battles, “His fight with Ray was exciting, and he handed Ray his first defeat (via 14th round KO). And no one in boxing will ever forget his two WBA wars with Aaron Pryor, the first at the Orange Bowl in Florida and the second a year later in Vegas at Caesars. Alexis lost them both by KO. But what battles they were! One of the judges had him ahead in the first fight, but it didn’t matter since he was stopped in the 14th (they had 15 round title fights in 1982.) There are still rumors about what Panama Lewis put in Pryor’s water bottle that night. Alexis got stopped in ten rounds the following year and I remember him saying at the press conference that he was ‘through with boxing.’ Like many guys who retire, though, he ended up coming back and fought four more times before finally hanging them up at the age of 42. The last time I saw Alexis was at the Boxing Writers dinner last year. He looked as handsome as ever and we laughed together about how ‘old’ we were both getting. He was proud of his age (56 at the time) and we both agreed we felt pretty good for ‘old-timers.’ I will miss him.”
I, myself, was fortunate to have met the fallen warrior in recent years. While at the 2008 De La Hoya-Forbes fight in Carson, California, our group crossed paths with the Nicaraguan puncher and we stopped to say hello. Just like everyone else has previously echoed above, Arguello, ever the gentleman, was classy and dignified as he took time to talk with us. Decked out in a formal tuxedo, the champ brought an air of elegance and refinement to the fight game. His legacy in the sport will be remembered for years to come.
He was a gentleman out of the ring, a warrior in the ring.
Condolences to Alexis’ children and family in Managua.
May you rest in peace, Campeón!
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
What I found today . . .
While running errands today I passed by a thrift shop.
As I glance in the window, I notice a pair of boxing gloves hanging on the wall inside.
They were an old pair of Wilson "Golden Gloves" 10oz Gloves.
They were the original horse-hair, official AAU golves exactly like the brown gloves we used to use in amateur and jr. amateur bouts in L.A.
The same model gloves we wore when Frank was putting together amateur and junior matches in the 60's.
I have always preferred the sleek red "Reyes" gloves with the tight foam, however, these old leather gloves were like new.
They appeared to have never, or rarely, been worn. The leather soft & smooth, clean cotton lining inside, clean original laces.
The color had faded slightly giving them a "classic" look without affecting the quality of the leather.
I had to buy them, just to hang on the wall in my office.
Ten bucks, what a deal for a nice memory of some great moments.
-Rick Farris
While running errands today I passed by a thrift shop.
As I glance in the window, I notice a pair of boxing gloves hanging on the wall inside.
They were an old pair of Wilson "Golden Gloves" 10oz Gloves.
They were the original horse-hair, official AAU golves exactly like the brown gloves we used to use in amateur and jr. amateur bouts in L.A.
The same model gloves we wore when Frank was putting together amateur and junior matches in the 60's.
I have always preferred the sleek red "Reyes" gloves with the tight foam, however, these old leather gloves were like new.
They appeared to have never, or rarely, been worn. The leather soft & smooth, clean cotton lining inside, clean original laces.
The color had faded slightly giving them a "classic" look without affecting the quality of the leather.
I had to buy them, just to hang on the wall in my office.
Ten bucks, what a deal for a nice memory of some great moments.
-Rick Farris
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Great fine!, Rick.Rick Farris wrote:What I found today . . .
While running errands today I passed by a thrift shop.
As I glance in the window, I notice a pair of boxing gloves hanging on the wall inside.
They were an old pair of Wilson "Golden Gloves" 10oz Gloves.
They were the original horse-hair, official AAU golves exactly like the brown gloves we used to use in amateur and jr. amateur bouts in L.A.
The same model gloves we wore when Frank was putting together amateur and junior matches in the 60's.
I have always preferred the sleek red "Reyes" gloves with the tight foam, however, these old leather gloves were like new.
They appeared to have never, or rarely, been worn. The leather soft & smooth, clean cotton lining inside, clean original laces.
The color had faded slightly giving them a "classic" look without affecting the quality of the leather.
I had to buy them, just to hang on the wall in my office.
Ten bucks, what a deal for a nice memory of some great moments.
-Rick Farris
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Don King -Michael Jackson tribute
By Edgar Gonzalez
Photo: Don King Promotions
Promoter Don King announced today that he will pay tribute to Michael Jackson at a world championship boxing event King has slated for July 11 at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. King plans to give Jackson boxing’s traditional ringside 10 bell count honoring those who have passed and to play Jackson’s music and videos at King’s previously announced fight card highlighted by an International Boxing Federation bantamweight championship between titleholder Joseph King Kong Agbeko and world champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan, who is moving up in weight to face Agbeko. This match will be televised live on SHOWTIME beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
King promoted the historic Jacksons Victory Tour in 1984 that reunited the Jackson 5, and he brokered a colossal endorsement deal between Michael Jackson and Pepsi.
“I was shocked and saddened when I learned of Michael’s passing, and I shared the pain of Joseph and Katherine Jackson—without whom there never would have been a Michael Jackson—and their sons and daughters,” King said.
“One never knows how they will react to something like this, and I found it hard to do media interviews or even issue a statement. Like so many other people around the world, I have been trying to find a way to remember this musical genius, who I loved and was a good friend of mine. My next boxing event is on July 11, so I have decided to pay tribute to him there in any way we can think of.”
King is searching through his photo and film archives and has found some rare, behind-the-scenes video clips of him with Michael Jackson and the Jackson family from the time in which they worked together. King plans to play these clips at his boxing event in tribute to Michael Jackson.
“The Jackson 5 was black America’s first family when they arrived on the scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s,” King said. “Then everyone in America came to embrace them as their own. They were groundbreaking in that regard. America’s first family today, the Obama family, is part of a transformation in America that began with the Jackson family. Family is the most important thing of all and something black people were stripped of when our country was ruled by that peculiar institution. That’s why we say, REMEMBER IOWA where the baby was born: hope, change, freedom
By Edgar Gonzalez
Photo: Don King Promotions
Promoter Don King announced today that he will pay tribute to Michael Jackson at a world championship boxing event King has slated for July 11 at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. King plans to give Jackson boxing’s traditional ringside 10 bell count honoring those who have passed and to play Jackson’s music and videos at King’s previously announced fight card highlighted by an International Boxing Federation bantamweight championship between titleholder Joseph King Kong Agbeko and world champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan, who is moving up in weight to face Agbeko. This match will be televised live on SHOWTIME beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
King promoted the historic Jacksons Victory Tour in 1984 that reunited the Jackson 5, and he brokered a colossal endorsement deal between Michael Jackson and Pepsi.
“I was shocked and saddened when I learned of Michael’s passing, and I shared the pain of Joseph and Katherine Jackson—without whom there never would have been a Michael Jackson—and their sons and daughters,” King said.
“One never knows how they will react to something like this, and I found it hard to do media interviews or even issue a statement. Like so many other people around the world, I have been trying to find a way to remember this musical genius, who I loved and was a good friend of mine. My next boxing event is on July 11, so I have decided to pay tribute to him there in any way we can think of.”
King is searching through his photo and film archives and has found some rare, behind-the-scenes video clips of him with Michael Jackson and the Jackson family from the time in which they worked together. King plans to play these clips at his boxing event in tribute to Michael Jackson.
“The Jackson 5 was black America’s first family when they arrived on the scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s,” King said. “Then everyone in America came to embrace them as their own. They were groundbreaking in that regard. America’s first family today, the Obama family, is part of a transformation in America that began with the Jackson family. Family is the most important thing of all and something black people were stripped of when our country was ruled by that peculiar institution. That’s why we say, REMEMBER IOWA where the baby was born: hope, change, freedom
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Our thread . . .
Sometime before the end of this Independence Day weekend, we are likely to have 800 Pages & 20,000 posts.
Just a reminder to the regulars. Disc copies of the first year of "Classic American West Coast Boxing" have been made.
They are in the final stages of reproduction and when complete you'll all receive one in the mail.
John Bardelli is doing all the work, and I told him there is no hurry. Great to know we will never lose our stories to a virus, etc.
Hundreds of pages and thousands of posts saved.
-Rick Farris
Sometime before the end of this Independence Day weekend, we are likely to have 800 Pages & 20,000 posts.
Just a reminder to the regulars. Disc copies of the first year of "Classic American West Coast Boxing" have been made.
They are in the final stages of reproduction and when complete you'll all receive one in the mail.
John Bardelli is doing all the work, and I told him there is no hurry. Great to know we will never lose our stories to a virus, etc.
Hundreds of pages and thousands of posts saved.
-Rick Farris
Last edited by Rick Farris on 03 Jul 2009, 20:51, edited 1 time in total.
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Randyman wrote:Adams follows his own path
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
LAS VEGAS – Ken Adams attacks a question with the ferocity a great white shark would a wounded sea creature.
He’s nearly 69, but there has been no discernible softening of the man who nearly lost his chance to coach the 1988 U.S. Olympic boxing team because of an altercation with the U.S. Amateur Boxing Federation.
Adams is blunt, direct, demanding and, oh yeah, probably boxing’s finest trainer. He’s not a household name, even though he has trained 18 world champions and led the 1988 U.S. Olympic team to three gold (which would have been four had Roy Jones Jr. not been cheated), three silver and two bronze medals.
“He’s right up there as one of the best trainers we have,” said former light heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, now one of the top trainers himself. “He’s a disciplinarian and he forces the guys to work hard and work correctly. He won’t accept second-best. He instills discipline and pride in his fighters and some guys don’t like having someone who is so disciplined and so demanding. He demands excellence each and every time he’s in the gym.”
Adams has never been Trainer of the Year. Nobody has mentioned him as a candidate for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. And you won’t see him on television doing ringside analysis.
He’s as likely to decline the opportunity to train a boxer as he is to guide one to the world championship. And he’ll quickly walk away from one he does train if he believes the fighter isn’t listening to him.
“Absolutely,” says Adams, the one-time U.S. Army master sergeant. “Not only would I do it, I have done it and just did it recently.”
The latest to get the “Adams Axe” is unbeaten World Boxing Council lightweight champion Edwin Valero, a guy with otherworldly power and great charisma who is exactly the type who could become a star.
Becoming a star means making money, and that would make him attractive to just about every trainer in the business.
Valero, though, was not without plenty of faults. His boxing skills were primitive at best and he fights as if he’s never heard of a jab or of defense.
Adams, in a very short stint, made great progress in correcting many of those flaws and Valero was a much better technical fighter by the time they had decided to part ways. Had Adams continued to work with Valero, he certainly could have developed into one of the finest fighters in the world.
Valero, though, is an independent sort who has his own thoughts on how things should be done. Those thoughts didn’t mesh with the hard-nosed Adams, who walked away when he determined Valero wasn’t going to do things his way.
“I will not sell my soul for the sake of training a fighter,” Adams said. “With Valero, I would come to the gym and tell him, ‘We need to work on this.’ I’ve been around a long time and I knew what he needed. It was obvious. But he would say to me, ‘No, I want to work on this.’ He wanted to do things his way. I wanted him to do things my way, the right way.”
And so he left, thereby saying goodbye to the potentially lucrative paydays he could have earned while working with Valero.
Despite the split, there’s no hard feelings on Valero’s end. Valero still calls Adams to speak with him about boxing and he praised his skills. “Edwin is very grateful to Kenny for what he’s done for him and it was an amicable split,” Jose Castillo, Valero’s manager, said. “Also, Edwin wanted to move and work in California (and Adams is based in Las Vegas). His family is used to California and they feel comfortable there. “The other thing is that Edwin felt he needed a trainer who could keep up with his pace. Kenny is a little older and Edwin felt he wasn’t doing 100 percent of the way he liked to train, because Kenny couldn’t keep up that pace. But Edwin has great respect for him and feels he did a lot to help him.” Adams laughs softly as he’s asked how much he estimates he has lost over the years as a result of cutting ties with recalcitrant fighters or refusing to take them on in the first place.
“It’s got to be in the millions,” he says. “Millions. My wife tells me all the time that I don’t need to be so hard on them. What you see in boxing today is that too many guys want to hire a yes man. I’m no yes man.
“Maybe I’ve been a little harder than I’ve needed to be, but you can’t mess around in this sport. This is serious business. I’m not going to deal with all the [expletive] that these fighters want you to deal with. Maybe it’s my drill sergeant days coming out.”
He proudly says he hasn’t compromised and he never will. He spent 30 years in the Army and has a good pension and medical benefits. He won’t go hungry if he never trains another fighter.
And so they’ll do it his way or he’ll walk.
The result is that those who work with him become beautiful technicians, capable of mastery in the ring. Those who don’t usually wind up far less than they could have been. He suspects he’ll never be Trainer of the Year – “Too outspoken,” I guess – and he accepts the fact there isn’t a strong possibility that he’ll find his way into the Hall of Fame.
He’ll be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame later this year, an honor that he says “is really what I wanted most anyway.”
He was born in Springfield, but was raised in Cape Girardeau, the same town that produced conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
He’s a Missourian to the core, demanding that fighters “show me” they want to do it. He trains Jorge Linares, the classy World Boxing Association super featherweight champion, and up-and-coming lightweight Sharif Bogere. He also works with a few young Japanese fighters, whom he adores because of their willingness to heed each of his very direct and precisely chosen words.
He’s never been a man who has suffered fools and he’s not going to start as he’s closing in on 70.
“I’ve had 18 world champions and I had five champions at one time,” Adams said. “I’ve had my success. I’m satisfied with what I’ve done. And I walk with my head held high, because I have done things my way, the right way, and I haven’t compromised my values for a paycheck.
“I love to train and work with fighters, but they have to want to do it and want to learn. They have to be committed to getting into the best possible shape they can. If they do those things, I’ll give everything of myself to these kids. If they don’t, you know what, I don’t need the aggravation, no matter how good someone thinks they may be.”
That last paragraph said it all. Why waste time with those who won't commit?
100% commitment is rarely enough, anything less is never enough.
-Rick Farris
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
There is a new photo in the world trivia thread that you LA guys might like.
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Jack Dempsey and Jack Root - opening night at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on August 5, 1925. Root was the first managere (matchmaker and promoter) at Auditorium.
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Thanks Frank. Classic shot. I love this photo!kikibalt wrote:
Jack Dempsey and Jack Root - opening night at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on August 5, 1925. Root was the first managere (matchmaker and promoter) at Auditorium.
The Olympic, Dempsey.
That does it for me.
Very interesting to me is how people dressed when attending boxing of the day.
Look up to the balcony, suits, coats & ties.
Hap, during your reign at the Hollywood Legion, 40's-to-50's, how did the average ringsiders dress?
At your club, a high profile celeb crowd was common.
--Rick Farris
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Rick:
Ringside was home to the elite in those days at both Hollywood and the Olympic. Our gallery did not consist of regular chairs but a continuous benchlike structure that curved at the south side of the building. The older folks seated in the gallery were usually well dressed; the younger set usually attended the shows in casual wear, espcially in the warmer months.
One of the most unusual sights at Hollywood in those days was the gallery fans starting to line up very early, sometimes as early as 6:30 for a show that would not start until 8 or 8:30. This was because we only had capacity for 2,000 in the gallery.
hap navarro
Ringside was home to the elite in those days at both Hollywood and the Olympic. Our gallery did not consist of regular chairs but a continuous benchlike structure that curved at the south side of the building. The older folks seated in the gallery were usually well dressed; the younger set usually attended the shows in casual wear, espcially in the warmer months.
One of the most unusual sights at Hollywood in those days was the gallery fans starting to line up very early, sometimes as early as 6:30 for a show that would not start until 8 or 8:30. This was because we only had capacity for 2,000 in the gallery.
hap navarro
-
Rick Farris
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 7200
- Joined: 15 Feb 2008, 16:04
Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
The Legion . . .Dongee wrote:Rick:
Ringside was home to the elite in those days at both Hollywood and the Olympic. Our gallery did not consist of regular chairs but a continuous benchlike structure that curved at the south side of the building. The older folks seated in the gallery were usually well dressed; the younger set usually attended the shows in casual wear, espcially in the warmer months.
One of the most unusual sights at Hollywood in those days was the gallery fans starting to line up very early, sometimes as early as 6:30 for a show that would not start until 8 or 8:30. This was because we only had capacity for 2,000 in the gallery.
hap navarro
Lining up to get a ticket. How great boxing was in this town thanks to men such as yourself, Hap.
How I wish I could stand in that line today, along with Frank, Randy, Roger, Dan, Brian, Bennie, Bruce and John Bardelli. We'd be regulars.
Frank saw it up close & personal. OK, yeah I'm a little envious.
However, you and Frank bring Bolanos, Williams, Teran, Cadilli, Chavez, Ortiz, etc. to life.
I know it's not the same as being there, but you guys take us back to a better place in boxing history! Muchas gracias.
-Rick Farris