Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Randyman]

At about the same time he bought me the gloves, my father also bought a speed bag. I was pretty good with the bag, despite the "Bastid" swivel. It's been a while since I've hit one.

Randy

[kikibalt]

Here is my first real pair of boxing gloves and boxing shoes, my brother and I had many pair of kid boxing gloves as we grew up which we would go through regularly beating the hell out of each other and the neighborhood kids in the garage or driveway. These are 16oz. sparring gloves that I once lent them to Mike Nixon to spar with Emil Griffith at Newman's Gym in San Francisco. The shoes originally came with leather soles in which we always scraped with a can opener like Rick said they did, then rosin. I don't know about you guys but I always felt it was part of the warm up to step into the rosin box stroke your feet like a bull getting ready to attack. I finally had rubber soles added when the gym I was working out in had a vinyl mat instead of a canvas matt and it was slippery. I got the shoes when I was about 13 and the gloves for my 15th birthday after using the clubs gloves for years, I was on top of the world the first day I showed up at the gym with them. They are stored in my closet hanging from the laces on a hanger and my daughters never could understand why I still have them. They may just as well bury them with me when the time comes.
Bruce

[Bobbin & Weavin]

Hap,
Ray Lunny Jr. a featherweight from San Francisco had nearly half of his 39 fights at the Legion between 1938 and 1944 do you remember Ray Jr. if you do can you tell me a little about him. His son Ray the III was a rated Jr. Featherweight who had a title fight with Alfredo Escalera in 1976. Ray III has always said that his father was a much better fighter than he, I always took that as a respectful compliment from the son, how good was the father?
Thanks,
Bruce

[Dongee]

Sorry, Rick, but I have no input on the younger Lunny. The original was a fine technician who was unfairly matched with Willie Joyce, a fight in which he losst his state title. Ray, Sr. had been in the service for months and was illy trained for a bout with the underrated Joyce. Joey Fox mnaged one or moe of he Lunnys, I believe.

hap navarro

[Randyman]

[Rick Farris]

Happy 4th of July to all my American buddies on here.

Thanks, Rob.

[Rick Farris]

Here is my first real pair of boxing gloves and boxing shoes, my brother and I had many pair of kid boxing gloves as we grew up which we would go through regularly beating the hell out of each other and the neighborhood kids in the garage or driveway. These are 16oz. sparring gloves that I once lent them to Mike Nixon to spar with Emil Griffith at Newman's Gym in San Francisco. The shoes originally came with leather soles in which we always scraped with a can opener like Rick said they did, then rosin. I don't know about you guys but I always felt it was part of the warm up to step into the rosin box stroke your feet like a bull getting ready to attack. I finally had rubber soles added when the gym I was working out in had a vinyl mat instead of a canvas matt and it was slippery. I got the shoes when I was about 13 and the gloves for my 15th birthday after using the clubs gloves for years, I was on top of the world the first day I showed up at the gym with them. They are stored in my closet hanging from the laces on a hanger and my daughters never could understand why I still have them. They may just as well bury them with me when the time comes.
Bruce

"Ray Flores" boxing gloves from Northern Cal . . .

Bruce, I remember one of my trainers, Bobby Bell, had a pair of 16 oz. EVERLAST training gloves just like yours.
I liked those gloves, good leather and design. Most of my training gloves were from Mexico- MM, Casanova, Reyes, etc.

When Mel Epsteing began training me, he ordered a pair of 14oz. training gloves for me, from Ray Flores up in Northern Cal.
I liked the Ray Flores gloves, and so did Mando Ramos, who would request them when he fought in matches.
I'm sure you are more familiar with Flores gloves than I. I heard that Flores used to hand make the gloves in his shop at home?

I remember that the Flores gloves required some breaking in, horse hair padding.
I never let anybody else use my Flores gloves, because after wearing them in, they were molded to my fists, felt custom made.
The Ray Flores training gloves were about the same design as your Everlast pair in the photo.

Being from up north, any memories of Ray Flores?


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

More Gloves . . .

I'm thinking of all of the different brands of boxing gloves, equipment, etc. I've seen during the past 45 years.
Everlast, Spartan, G&S, Tuff-Wear, Ben-Lee, Lonsdale (Britain), Reyes, M-M, Casanova, Boxer, etc.
Some of those names dried up many years ago, some remain, a lot of new brands since I fought, stuff from Europe & Orient.

Boxing Gloves have been our toys and tools.

Many believe that boxing gloves were designed to make the sport more "safe & civilized". Of course, the opposite is true.
Gloves were designed to "protect" a boxer's hands so he can continue to punch long after a point that would broken down bare fists.
The added weight of the gloves also contributes to the concussion of the blows, knockouts.

Boxing gloves are at the root of some very special memories in our lives.
I appreciate the memories that have been shared.


-Rick Farris

[raylawpc]

More Gloves . . .

I'm thinking of all of the different brands of boxing gloves, equipment, etc. I've seen during the past 45 years.
Everlast, Spartan, G&S, Tuff-Wear, Ben-Lee, Lonsdale (Britain), Reyes, M-M, Casanova, Boxer, etc.
Some of those names dried up many years ago, some remain, a lot of new brands since I fought, stuff from Europe & Orient.

Boxing Gloves have been our toys and tools.

Many believe that boxing gloves were designed to make the sport more "safe & civilized". Of course, the opposite is true.
Gloves were designed to "protect" a boxer's hands so he can continue to punch long after a point that would broken down bare fists.
The added weight of the gloves also contributes to the concussion of the blows, knockouts.

Boxing gloves are at the root of some very special memories in our lives.
I appreciate the memories that have been shared.


-Rick Farris

I always liked Tuf-Wear gloves. The favorite part of my workout was punching the speed bag. I hated jumping rope.

[Chuck1052]

In the early part of 1925, Jack Dempsey did break the ground during the ceremony on the site where the Olympic Auditorium was to be built. Dempsey had undergone an operation to his nose a short time before and I think that his wife, Estelle Taylor, was present at the ceremony.

By the way, it took much longer to complete the construction of the Olympic for one reason or another. Of course, there were some financial problems in connection with the Olympic before the Los Angeles Athletic Club took possession of it in early 1927. About the same time, Jack Doyle signed a lease with the Los Angeles Athletic Club and started staging boxing cards at the Olympic while shutting down his fairly new boxing arena in Vernon.

- Chuck Johnston

[kikibalt]

My choice of gloves were Flores, Frankie, Tony and Bobby used 14 oz. Flores gloves for sparring.

[raylawpc]

My choice of gloves were Flores, Frankie, Tony and Bobby used 14 oz. Flores gloves for sparring.

Our pros used Tuf-Wear 14 or 16 ounce. (I can't remember which.) Tuf-Wear headgear too. I was the first guy to get a Seyer headgear. I was the talk of the gym for about a week. I still have that Seyer headgear around somewhere. When one of my boys was little, he found my Seyer headgear and wore it around the house, pretending to be Darth Vader or something.

[Randyman]

Although not a very successful one, Mel Epstein became a West Coast distributor for Tuf-Wear in 1975 or 1976, so consequently everything we used was Tuf-Wear. It was good quality gear. Very durable.

I bought a pair of red Ortiz boxing gloves in 1975 from the luggage store below the Main Street Gym. I preferred sparring with the Ortiz gloves. They were similar in style to Reyes (at that time I think they were Seyers), as I remember them.

In 1980 I left the gloves with Larry Soto, while I took some time off to be with my father while he was sick. When I went back he said he had sold them to someone that really liked them. he never gave me the money either.

Mel bought me a real nice terry cloth robe before my fight with Nacho Cota at the Coliseum in San Diego but he ruined it by having "The Smasher" emblazoned on the back in big bold letters. It was too embarrassing to wear. Mel had a thing for nick names but I sure didn't like that one. Smasher belonged on some shaved and bald headed muscle bound wrestler in black Speedos.

When we got to the arena Mel says "Where's your robe?" "Oh, gee Mel, I forgot it" So I used a towel. I did the same thing in Las Vegas. He was pissed but he got over it. The "Smasher" was just too much. especially for a kid that had yet to smash anyone. That robe hung in my closet for years, unused. I'm not sure whatever happened to it.

Randy

[Randyman]

Check out this slugfest between George Chuvalo and Yvon Durelle from 1959, shades of Foreman vs Lyle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esi4H0Zo ... -fresh+div

Randy

[kikibalt]

Check out this slugfest between George Chuvalo and Yvon Durelle from 1959, shades of Foreman vs Lyle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esi4H0Zo ... -fresh+div

Randy

Durelle got a fast count.....

[raylawpc]

Although not a very successful one, Mel Epstein became a West Coast distributor for Tuf-Wear in 1975 or 1976, so consequently everything we used was Tuf-Wear. It was good quality gear. Very durable.

I bought a pair of red Ortiz boxing gloves in 1975 from the luggage store below the Main Street Gym. I preferred sparring with the Ortiz gloves. They were similar in style to Reyes (at that time I think they were Seyers), as I remember them.

In 1980 I left the gloves with Larry Soto, while I took some time off to be with my father while he was sick. When I went back he said he had sold them to someone that really liked them. he never gave me the money either.

Mel bought me a real nice terry cloth robe before my fight with Nacho Cota at the Coliseum in San Diego but he ruined it by having "The Smasher" emblazoned on the back in big bold letters. It was too embarrassing to wear. Mel had a thing for nick names but I sure didn't like that one. Smasher belonged on some shaved and bald headed muscle bound wrestler in black Speedos.

When we got to the arena Mel says "Where's your robe?" "Oh, gee Mel, I forgot it" So I used a towel. I did the same thing in Las Vegas. He was pissed but he got over it. The "Smasher" was just too much. especially for a kid that had yet to smash anyone. That robe hung in my closet for years, unused. I'm not sure whatever happened to it.

Randy

Now that you write that, Randy, I think O'Grady may have had some kind of deal with Tuf-Wear because that's all he sold to the fighters. We used Tuf-Wear gloves for all the pro fights. It was good equipment - especially the gloves. "Tuf-Wear" was an apt description for that equipment.

But I wonder if Tuf-Wear sold bag gloves, because we all had Everlast bag gloves, sold to us by Pat O'Grady . . .

I also had an old pair of Seyer 5 or 6 ounces gloves that I used as my bag gloves. They were old Seyers - black leather and not those cool looking white and red gloves you guys in LA fought in. I really liked those old Seyer gloves.

My robe was an Everlast white terry cloth. It was one of those short robes, you might remember, that came down just north of the hem of your trunks. I got it because Jerry Quarry wore a short robe, and I thought he looked cool. I had "O.C.U. - Kappa Alpha Order" on the back. (My frat brothers forbid me from losing any fights if I wore that robe - but I did anyway . . . )

My nickname was, naturally, "Sugar Ray," but that nickname is where any similarity between my boxing ability and Robinson's both began and ended.

Gosh, I'd give just about anything to go back in time and spend a Spring afternoon working out with my friends at our gym on North May Avenue in Oklahoma City!!

[Expug]

Speaking of robes and gear , an ex welterweight from here in Chicago who Ive known a long time recently told me a funny story.
Hes now a respected referee but his pro career was cut short by a detached retina . This was back in the late seventies.
When he retired, as a token of appreciation to his manager, he gave the manager his robe. It was a nice purple with the fighters name on the back.
A couple years go by and the former welter decides to go to a local fight card one night.
Hes sitting in the crowd with his girlfriend when lo and behold here comes another fighter down the aisle to the ring with the ex welters robe on.
Seems his former manager gave a nice gift to his new fighter. A nice purple robe with the lettering changed on the back to match his new tiger.
Thats boxing for ya.

[Randyman]

Although not a very successful one, Mel Epstein became a West Coast distributor for Tuf-Wear in 1975 or 1976, so consequently everything we used was Tuf-Wear. It was good quality gear. Very durable.

I bought a pair of red Ortiz boxing gloves in 1975 from the luggage store below the Main Street Gym. I preferred sparring with the Ortiz gloves. They were similar in style to Reyes (at that time I think they were Seyers), as I remember them.

In 1980 I left the gloves with Larry Soto, while I took some time off to be with my father while he was sick. When I went back he said he had sold them to someone that really liked them. he never gave me the money either.

Mel bought me a real nice terry cloth robe before my fight with Nacho Cota at the Coliseum in San Diego but he ruined it by having "The Smasher" emblazoned on the back in big bold letters. It was too embarrassing to wear. Mel had a thing for nick names but I sure didn't like that one. Smasher belonged on some shaved and bald headed muscle bound wrestler in black Speedos.

When we got to the arena Mel says "Where's your robe?" "Oh, gee Mel, I forgot it" So I used a towel. I did the same thing in Las Vegas. He was pissed but he got over it. The "Smasher" was just too much. especially for a kid that had yet to smash anyone. That robe hung in my closet for years, unused. I'm not sure whatever happened to it.

Randy

Now that you write that, Randy, I think O'Grady may have had some kind of deal with Tuf-Wear because that's all he sold to the fighters. We used Tuf-Wear gloves for all the pro fights. It was good equipment - especially the gloves. "Tuf-Wear" was an apt description for that equipment.

But I wonder if Tuf-Wear sold bag gloves, because we all had Everlast bag gloves, sold to us by Pat O'Grady . . .

I also had an old pair of Seyer 5 or 6 ounces gloves that I used as my bag gloves. They were old Seyers - black leather and not those cool looking white and red gloves you guys in LA fought in. I really liked those old Seyer gloves.

My robe was an Everlast white terry cloth. It was one of those short robes, you might remember, that came down just north of the hem of your trunks. I got it because Jerry Quarry wore a short robe, and I thought he looked cool. I had "O.C.U. - Kappa Alpha Order" on the back. (My frat brothers forbid me from losing any fights if I wore that robe - but I did anyway . . . )

My nickname was, naturally, "Sugar Ray," but that nickname is where any similarity between my boxing ability and Robinson's both began and ended.

Gosh, I'd give just about anything to go back in time and spend a Spring afternoon working out with my friends at our gym on North May Avenue in Oklahoma City!!

Tom, Tuf-Wear did make bag gloves, and good ones too. I had a pair. Come to think of it, I think Larry Soto sold those too!

Randy

[Randyman]

Speaking of robes and gear , an ex welterweight from here in Chicago who Ive known a long time recently told me a funny story.
Hes now a respected referee but his pro career was cut short by a detached retina . This was back in the late seventies.
When he retired, as a token of appreciation to his manager, he gave the manager his robe. It was a nice purple with the fighters name on the back.
A couple years go by and the former welter decides to go to a local fight card one night.
Hes sitting in the crowd with his girlfriend when lo and behold here comes another fighter down the aisle to the ring with the ex welters robe on.
Seems his former manager gave a nice gift to his new fighter. A nice purple robe with the lettering changed on the back to match his new tiger.
Thats boxing for ya.

Just part of boxing's character.

Randy

[Rick Farris]

A Tuf-Wear memory . . .

Tom, your mention of Tuf-Wear headgear brought back a Jerry Quarry memory.
You might remember that Tuf-Wear manufactured a special headgear that was referred to as a "Birdcage".

The "Birdcage" had a metal bar that went down the front from the forehead, to a padded cross piece that was located infront of the mouth.
It looked kind of like a padded football helmet and was designed to protect the face from any contact with punches.
This design was effective in protecting a boxers face, allowing them to continue sparring while a broken nose or cut was healing.

Protecting a tender area was a good thing, but there were draw backs.
The bar running down the face really hampered a boxer's sight. All headgear cuts down on a boxers peripheral vision, but the birdcage more so.
Such equipment is good if nursing a broken nose, etc. but in general practice I discourage their use because it can make a boxer lazy.
With the headgear protecting the face, a boxer has less reason to concentrate on defense, which will cost him in a match.

However, what I saw at the Main Street Gym one saturday morning was enough to prevent me from wearing one unless absolutley necessary.
Jerry Quarry had a sparring partner that was a ten round club fighter here in L.A. His name was Dave Centi.
Centi was a big, tough, good natured Italian-American that proved a reliable sparring partner for the hard hitiing heavyweight contender.
Centi was with Jerry for several years, got busted up on a number of occasions. Broken nose, cracked ribs, the usual stuff.
Jerry was tough on the hired help. Dave Centi never complained.

A couple weeks after Jerry breaks Centi's nose in a sparring session, Dave returns to workout with Jerry wearing a Tuf-Wear "Birdcage".
I had just come out of the dressing room after finishing my workout. I took my place next to the ring to watch Jerry box with Centi.
I ask Johnny Flores about the strange looking headgear, which made the wearer's face look like a housefly.
Johnny explained what it was for and the sparring began.

After a couple rounds I notice Jerry is really teeing off on Centi's head with those short, chopping right-crosses he threw.
One of the rights catch Centi square on the bar running down the front of the mask.
The impact dislodged the bar from where it was attached to the mask, literally ramming it thru the forehead padding and into Centi's face.
The end of the bar impaled Centi right in the forehead. I heard the fighter grown as he turned away and grabbed his head.
Jerry stepped in to throw another shot, but saw that something was wrong and stepped back.
When Dave raised his head and turned to face us, blood was pouring down his face from under the headgear.

Teddy Bentham flew thru the ropes and pulled the headgear off the boxer, who had a nasty gash on his forehead right above his nose.
Centi was taken to the emergency room for stitches and the bloody, disfuntional headgear tossed into the spit bucket.
A couple years later I'd wear one myself breifly, after suffering a broken nose, but I was always careful not to get lazy and take unnecessary punches.

Generally speaking, a Tuf-Wear "Birdcage" was usually tough enough.
However, Dave Centi might have a different opinion.


-Rick Farris

[Expug]

Damn, Centi must have been tough.
I remember boxing in the gym with guys who wore something similar.
Protection that came around the jaw.I remember sparring alot with Louis Mateo who wore something like that.
He was tough enough to deal with withe regular headgear let alone extra padding.He fought Pipino Cuevas and Randy Shields.
I hated that damn thing. My headgear was freakin archaic. Might as well have gone without.

[kikibalt]

A Tuf-Wear memory . . .

Tom, your mention of Tuf-Wear headgear brought back a Jerry Quarry memory.
You might remember that Tuf-Wear manufactured a special headgear that was referred to as a "Birdcage".

The "Birdcage" had a metal bar that went down the front from the forehead, to a padded cross piece that was located infront of the mouth.
It looked kind of like a padded football helmet and was designed to protect the face from any contact with punches.
This design was effective in protecting a boxers face, allowing them to continue sparring while a broken nose or cut was healing.

Protecting a tender area was a good thing, but there were draw backs.
The bar running down the face really hampered a boxer's sight. All headgear cuts down on a boxers peripheral vision, but the birdcage more so.
Such equipment is good if nursing a broken nose, etc. but in general practice I discourage their use because it can make a boxer lazy.
With the headgear protecting the face, a boxer has less reason to concentrate on defense, which will cost him in a match.

However, what I saw at the Main Street Gym one saturday morning was enough to prevent me from wearing one unless absolutley necessary.
Jerry Quarry had a sparring partner that was a ten round club fighter here in L.A. His name was Dave Centi.
Centi was a big, tough, good natured Italian-American that proved a reliable sparring partner for the hard hitiing heavyweight contender.
Centi was with Jerry for several years, got busted up on a number of occasions. Broken nose, cracked ribs, the usual stuff.
Jerry was tough on the hired help. Dave Centi never complained.

A couple weeks after Jerry breaks Centi's nose in a sparring session, Dave returns to workout with Jerry wearing a Tuf-Wear "Birdcage".
I had just come out of the dressing room after finishing my workout. I took my place next to the ring to watch Jerry box with Centi.
I ask Johnny Flores about the strange looking headgear, which made the wearer's face look like a housefly.
Johnny explained what it was for and the sparring began.

After a couple rounds I notice Jerry is really teeing off on Centi's head with those short, chopping right-crosses he threw.
One of the rights catch Centi square on the bar running down the front of the mask.
The impact dislodged the bar from where it was attached to the mask, literally ramming it thru the forehead padding and into Centi's face.
The end of the bar impaled Centi right in the forehead. I heard the fighter grown as he turned away and grabbed his head.
Jerry stepped in to throw another shot, but saw that something was wrong and stepped back.
When Dave raised his head and turned to face us, blood was pouring down his face from under the headgear.

Teddy Bentham flew thru the ropes and pulled the headgear off the boxer, who had a nasty gash on his forehead right above his nose.
Centi was taken to the emergency room for stitches and the bloody, disfuntional headgear tossed into the spit bucket.
A couple years later I'd wear one myself breifly, after suffering a broken nose, but I was always careful not to get lazy and take unnecessary punches.

Generally speaking, a Tuf-Wear "Birdcage" was usually tough enough.
However, Dave Centi might have a different opinion.


-Rick Farris

Rick...I would never allow my boxers to boxs anybody wearing a "Birdcage", I wouldn't have them hitting a iron/metal bar with their fists, it was a no, no with me.

[kikibalt]

Damn, Centi must have been tough.
I remember boxing in the gym with guys who wore something similar.
Protection that came around the jaw.I remember sparring alot with Louis Mateo who wore something like that.
He was tough enough to deal with withe regular headgear let alone extra padding.He fought Pipino Cuevas and Randy Shields.
I hated that damn thing. My headgear was freakin archaic. Might as well have gone without.

I remember Dave Centi real well, not much of a fighter but, yes he was a tough dude, had to be, after all he was Italian.

[Rick Farris]

Although not a very successful one, Mel Epstein became a West Coast distributor for Tuf-Wear in 1975 or 1976, so consequently everything we used was Tuf-Wear. It was good quality gear. Very durable.

I bought a pair of red Ortiz boxing gloves in 1975 from the luggage store below the Main Street Gym. I preferred sparring with the Ortiz gloves. They were similar in style to Reyes (at that time I think they were Seyers), as I remember them.

In 1980 I left the gloves with Larry Soto, while I took some time off to be with my father while he was sick. When I went back he said he had sold them to someone that really liked them. he never gave me the money either.

Mel bought me a real nice terry cloth robe before my fight with Nacho Cota at the Coliseum in San Diego but he ruined it by having "The Smasher" emblazoned on the back in big bold letters. It was too embarrassing to wear. Mel had a thing for nick names but I sure didn't like that one. Smasher belonged on some shaved and bald headed muscle bound wrestler in black Speedos.

When we got to the arena Mel says "Where's your robe?" "Oh, gee Mel, I forgot it" So I used a towel. I did the same thing in Las Vegas. He was pissed but he got over it. The "Smasher" was just too much. especially for a kid that had yet to smash anyone. That robe hung in my closet for years, unused. I'm not sure whatever happened to it.

Randy

Randy . . . When I read of Mel thru your eyes I can see him thru my own. Some of his ideas, like "The Smasher", were a bit over the top.
However, your conveniently "forgetting" the robe understandable.
And yeah, I can see him shaking his head and bitching all night and into the next week over something like that.
Of course, winning the fight would change his attitude.

It reminds me of when I had won a very, very close fight at the Forum. The fight should have been a draw, but I got the decision.
After six rounds, we were both pretty busted up. I had a broken nose, cut, one eye swollen, etc. Opponent looked the same.
The fans loved the action bout and showered the ring with coins.

The following Monday I get a call from promoter, Don Fraser.
Fraser requests I show up at the Forum that evening to be introduced in the ring, on TV.
I'm excited and call Mel and ask if he cares to join my girlfriend and I at the fights. We pick him up and drive to the Forum
I know better than to tell Mel that Fraser intends to have me introduced in the ring. I told Karla not to say a word.
Before the fights get started, Fraser approaches us and asks me to follow him upstairs to his office.
As I leave with Don, Mel is wondering what in the Hell is going on (I could see it in his face, "what's he doing with my fighter?).
Don takes me upstairs to his office and pulls out a case from the top drawer of his desk. He hands it to me, it's a nice Seiko watch.
Don tells me that my fight the previous week was one of the best prelims he'd seen all year and the watch is a reward for a good showing.
When I return to the ring and show Mel and Karla the watch, Mel is furious.

"What in the Hell is that for? You looked like crap in that last fight, you were lucky to win. You didn't train hard and this bastid is rewarding you?"
He had a fit, then when Fraser waves me over to be introduced in the ring, Mel really explodes. "You get in that ring and we are finished", he tells me.
I climbed into the ring to be introduced to the crowd before the main event, along with Frankie Crawford and Windmill White.

When I returned after the introductions, Mel was sitting looking straight forward, arms folded, steam coming from his ears.
Karla and I ignored his tantrum and enjoyed a good fight.
When it ended and time to leave, I ask Mel, "Since we're finished, do you still want me to drive you home?"
"What do you think I'm going to do walk? He then turns to the empty seat next to him and begins talking to an invisible friend."

On the ride home, Karla is in the front with me, Mel in the back seat.
We hear Mel talking to himself, "The guy skips training, looks like a bum, and they give him a watch. The world is no good . . ."

Ironically, I spoke with Don Fraser earlier in the week and mentioned the incident.
He didn't remember giving me the watch, or the fight, but he remembered how Mel Epstein could be. We're not alone.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Although not a very successful one, Mel Epstein became a West Coast distributor for Tuf-Wear in 1975 or 1976, so consequently everything we used was Tuf-Wear. It was good quality gear. Very durable.

I bought a pair of red Ortiz boxing gloves in 1975 from the luggage store below the Main Street Gym. I preferred sparring with the Ortiz gloves. They were similar in style to Reyes (at that time I think they were Seyers), as I remember them.

In 1980 I left the gloves with Larry Soto, while I took some time off to be with my father while he was sick. When I went back he said he had sold them to someone that really liked them. he never gave me the money either.

Mel bought me a real nice terry cloth robe before my fight with Nacho Cota at the Coliseum in San Diego but he ruined it by having "The Smasher" emblazoned on the back in big bold letters. It was too embarrassing to wear. Mel had a thing for nick names but I sure didn't like that one. Smasher belonged on some shaved and bald headed muscle bound wrestler in black Speedos.

When we got to the arena Mel says "Where's your robe?" "Oh, gee Mel, I forgot it" So I used a towel. I did the same thing in Las Vegas. He was pissed but he got over it. The "Smasher" was just too much. especially for a kid that had yet to smash anyone. That robe hung in my closet for years, unused. I'm not sure whatever happened to it.

Randy

Now that you write that, Randy, I think O'Grady may have had some kind of deal with Tuf-Wear because that's all he sold to the fighters. We used Tuf-Wear gloves for all the pro fights. It was good equipment - especially the gloves. "Tuf-Wear" was an apt description for that equipment.

But I wonder if Tuf-Wear sold bag gloves, because we all had Everlast bag gloves, sold to us by Pat O'Grady . . .

I also had an old pair of Seyer 5 or 6 ounces gloves that I used as my bag gloves. They were old Seyers - black leather and not those cool looking white and red gloves you guys in LA fought in. I really liked those old Seyer gloves.

My robe was an Everlast white terry cloth. It was one of those short robes, you might remember, that came down just north of the hem of your trunks. I got it because Jerry Quarry wore a short robe, and I thought he looked cool. I had "O.C.U. - Kappa Alpha Order" on the back. (My frat brothers forbid me from losing any fights if I wore that robe - but I did anyway . . . )

My nickname was, naturally, "Sugar Ray," but that nickname is where any similarity between my boxing ability and Robinson's both began and ended.

Gosh, I'd give just about anything to go back in time and spend a Spring afternoon working out with my friends at our gym on North May Avenue in Oklahoma City!!

Tom . . . I remember those short robes and mine were the same. And you also struck a memory when you mentioned the six-ounce "Seyer" golves that were perfect for bag punching. Quite honestly, I wish I could join you on that walk back in time to your gym. I wish we could all take each other to these places from the past. I'd love to join Brian in Chicago, and have Frank take us back to the Teamsters Gym when the likes of Keeny Teran was training. And as long as I'm dreaming, maybe Hap will provide us with a few seats at the Legion for a Bolanos fight?


-Rick Farris