BoxRec

Rick Farris wrote:Prizefighting Today . . .

I really don't care much for boxing today.
I love what it once was, what I experienced in my era, meeting greats from past eras.
I used feel excited about upcoming events, and we had such events every week.

Every couple months somebody would hold at major card in L.A.
Usually undisputed world championships were at at stake, or true "elimination" bouts.
Names such as Napoles, Lopez, Olivares, Quarry, Liston, Ramos, Rojas, Griffith, Chacon, etc. would be featured.
In between these mega-cards promoted by Eaton or Parnassus, were weekly bouts. These were as good as, often better, than the big ones.

Today, we can't attend boxing in L.A. as often or convenient as in years gone by.
Indian Reservations, the boxing venues of the new millenium, are located in the desert here in Southern Cal.
Occasionally, Oscar will throw a big event into the Staples Center.
His last featured his new star, a kid who didn't realize that boxers occasionally get hit.
When I fought, this was required knowledge.

In old school boxing, you were taught to defend yourself, and to accept the consequences when you couldn't.
Today, the fighters are much smarter, they just quit.
They seem not to realize that they have entered into a public contest where people are paying to see the participants get hurt.
The goal isn't a tochdown, or home run, it's a knockout. I'm no Rhodes Scholar, but I understood right off that this was a pain game.
The idea is to inflict as much of it on the other guy, and at the same time avoid allowing him to do the same.
It's not about breaking records, it's about breaking another man's spirit, to dominate. I guess it's one of those primitive things, whatever?

This past weekend I didn't expect to see anything great, maybe a little action. As expected, nothing was great and there was little action.
I watched a rough Armenian, who would try to intimidate opponents by telling the world he "hated" them.
A tougher African kid didn't care if he was hated, but he was smart enough to care who got hit, and made sure the Armenian took his share.
I thought to myself, "well, by today's standards the guys are fighting." It was a World Bantamweight title fight.

I looked at the champ and challenger and tried to compare them with the 118 pounders from my era.
We had Jofre, Harada, Olivares, Pimentel, Medel, Zarate, Castillo, Zamora, Martinez, Herrera, Anaya, etc.
I then thought about a guy from the previous era, Manuel Ortiz.

Am I just getting old, or has the quality of talent really diminsished?
Occasinally we'll see a "throw back". I think Manny Pac is a guy who "reminds" of us a better era. He'd be hard to beat at any time.
However, Pac would would not look so unbeatable a few years back, he'd be a good one, but just one of dozens that pass thru L.A. at any given time.
And he'd be fighting much more often against better fighters.

If I live long enough, there will be a time when I lose all interest in watching contemporary boxing.
When I no longer have my friends here to remind me of how special it was, then I'll just limit my involvent to teaching kids.
I won't teach boxers, I'll teach kids how to keep themselves safe, and fit.
I won't run a class, I'll just continue to workout, and I'll run into a kid who is being picked on.
He may be too small, or fat, or too white or too black, just a kid trying to deal with his pride, charactor and fear.
Sometimes they just need someone to believe in them, and then they might believe in themselves. I understand this.

There are many things I can teach about fighting. The best thing I can teach is how to avoid fighting. That was a hard lesson for me.

For now the WBHOF is of interest. I see a lot of old friends and meet a lot of idols from days gone by.
I find myself smiling more when I see my old friends, and meet some new ones, boxing people, the REAL boxing people.
In due course, today's lot will be retiring, and a few years later they'll be up for induction honors.
This is when I shall walk away. It will no longer mean anything to me.


-Rick Farris

telboy66 wrote:

Rick Farris wrote:Prizefighting Today . . .

I really don't care much for boxing today.
I love what it once was, what I experienced in my era, meeting greats from past eras.
I used feel excited about upcoming events, and we had such events every week.

Every couple months somebody would hold at major card in L.A.
Usually undisputed world championships were at at stake, or true "elimination" bouts.
Names such as Napoles, Lopez, Olivares, Quarry, Liston, Ramos, Rojas, Griffith, Chacon, etc. would be featured.
In between these mega-cards promoted by Eaton or Parnassus, were weekly bouts. These were as good as, often better, than the big ones.

Today, we can't attend boxing in L.A. as often or convenient as in years gone by.
Indian Reservations, the boxing venues of the new millenium, are located in the desert here in Southern Cal.
Occasionally, Oscar will throw a big event into the Staples Center.
His last featured his new star, a kid who didn't realize that boxers occasionally get hit.
When I fought, this was required knowledge.

In old school boxing, you were taught to defend yourself, and to accept the consequences when you couldn't.
Today, the fighters are much smarter, they just quit.
They seem not to realize that they have entered into a public contest where people are paying to see the participants get hurt.
The goal isn't a tochdown, or home run, it's a knockout. I'm no Rhodes Scholar, but I understood right off that this was a pain game.
The idea is to inflict as much of it on the other guy, and at the same time avoid allowing him to do the same.
It's not about breaking records, it's about breaking another man's spirit, to dominate. I guess it's one of those primitive things, whatever?

This past weekend I didn't expect to see anything great, maybe a little action. As expected, nothing was great and there was little action.
I watched a rough Armenian, who would try to intimidate opponents by telling the world he "hated" them.
A tougher African kid didn't care if he was hated, but he was smart enough to care who got hit, and made sure the Armenian took his share.
I thought to myself, "well, by today's standards the guys are fighting." It was a World Bantamweight title fight.

I looked at the champ and challenger and tried to compare them with the 118 pounders from my era.
We had Jofre, Harada, Olivares, Pimentel, Medel, Zarate, Castillo, Zamora, Martinez, Herrera, Anaya, etc.
I then thought about a guy from the previous era, Manuel Ortiz.

Am I just getting old, or has the quality of talent really diminsished?
Occasinally we'll see a "throw back". I think Manny Pac is a guy who "reminds" of us a better era. He'd be hard to beat at any time.
However, Pac would would not look so unbeatable a few years back, he'd be a good one, but just one of dozens that pass thru L.A. at any given time.
And he'd be fighting much more often against better fighters.

If I live long enough, there will be a time when I lose all interest in watching contemporary boxing.
When I no longer have my friends here to remind me of how special it was, then I'll just limit my involvent to teaching kids.
I won't teach boxers, I'll teach kids how to keep themselves safe, and fit.
I won't run a class, I'll just continue to workout, and I'll run into a kid who is being picked on.
He may be too small, or fat, or too white or too black, just a kid trying to deal with his pride, charactor and fear.
Sometimes they just need someone to believe in them, and then they might believe in themselves. I understand this.

There are many things I can teach about fighting. The best thing I can teach is how to avoid fighting. That was a hard lesson for me.

For now the WBHOF is of interest. I see a lot of old friends and meet a lot of idols from days gone by.
I find myself smiling more when I see my old friends, and meet some new ones, boxing people, the REAL boxing people.
In due course, today's lot will be retiring, and a few years later they'll be up for induction honors.
This is when I shall walk away. It will no longer mean anything to me.


-Rick Farris

I don't know how long you have been watching boxing Rick but I have been for 58 years now & during that period there have been times when my interest has waned but never has it completely stopped.Keep the faith mate I'm sure someone will eemerge on the scene to relight the old fire that you once had

Rick Farris wrote:

dagosd2000 wrote:

raylawpc wrote:BTW, did you ever get to try out any of the Hefeweißbier in Germany?

Tom
You're right about being in a different place and seeing the greener side,but to step back and analyze it,there are a lot of places in the world that are more civilized and the way it should be. Granted ,people have to make a living wherever you go. People get sick. People die. It's the same everywhere,but I'm at a point where I can pick a spot and get away from gangs and drive bys,rap music,aggressive behavior...and not have to work and get buried in bills.

BTw. The Hefeweiber? No,but the Augustina Helles and sausage,well just wrap me up and call me Porky

Rog, I'm going to see if I can find Augustina Helles here. Your post about it caught my interest.
It may not be common here, but if it is hard to find, I have some very good sources.
Studio people can come up with just about anything. We'll see?


-Rick Farris

Rick Farris wrote:Rick, as long as you are looking for German beer, try Paulaner Hefeweißbier Naturtrüb - a wonderful German wheat beer.

Augustina Helles is a good lager. My whole life I was a lager drinker until I visited Germany and tried the Hefeweißbier. There is nothing like it on earth.

P.S.: Paulaner just got a new importer:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRel ... BW20090605

P.S.S.: Paulaner has a cool webstie, too:

http://www.paulaner.com/

Now I'm thirsty!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tom . . . I was a Hef drinker for awhile and I like it. I switch gears occasionally and will go to Lager for awhile, then an Ale, I like the stronger brews that come from Belgium, once in awhile. I will definitly look into the Hef you recommended, when I search for Rog's recommendation. When it comes to beer, I experiment a lot, and I never gain a pound.

Now I'm thirsty too.


-Rick Farris

dagosd2000 wrote:
Instead of boring you with an array of vacation photographs,here's one that says it all. Me scarfing on brautwurst. Munich,Germany

Rick Farris wrote:Prizefighting Today . . .

I really don't care much for boxing today.
I love what it once was, what I experienced in my era, meeting greats from past eras.
I used feel excited about upcoming events, and we had such events every week.

Every couple months somebody would hold at major card in L.A.
Usually undisputed world championships were at at stake, or true "elimination" bouts.
Names such as Napoles, Lopez, Olivares, Quarry, Liston, Ramos, Rojas, Griffith, Chacon, etc. would be featured.
In between these mega-cards promoted by Eaton or Parnassus, were weekly bouts. These were as good as, often better, than the big ones.

Today, we can't attend boxing in L.A. as often or convenient as in years gone by.
Indian Reservations, the boxing venues of the new millenium, are located in the desert here in Southern Cal.
Occasionally, Oscar will throw a big event into the Staples Center.
His last featured his new star, a kid who didn't realize that boxers occasionally get hit.
When I fought, this was required knowledge.

In old school boxing, you were taught to defend yourself, and to accept the consequences when you couldn't.
Today, the fighters are much smarter, they just quit.
They seem not to realize that they have entered into a public contest where people are paying to see the participants get hurt.
The goal isn't a tochdown, or home run, it's a knockout. I'm no Rhodes Scholar, but I understood right off that this was a pain game.
The idea is to inflict as much of it on the other guy, and at the same time avoid allowing him to do the same.
It's not about breaking records, it's about breaking another man's spirit, to dominate. I guess it's one of those primitive things, whatever?

This past weekend I didn't expect to see anything great, maybe a little action. As expected, nothing was great and there was little action.
I watched a rough Armenian, who would try to intimidate opponents by telling the world he "hated" them.
A tougher African kid didn't care if he was hated, but he was smart enough to care who got hit, and made sure the Armenian took his share.
I thought to myself, "well, by today's standards the guys are fighting." It was a World Bantamweight title fight.

I looked at the champ and challenger and tried to compare them with the 118 pounders from my era.
We had Jofre, Harada, Olivares, Pimentel, Medel, Zarate, Castillo, Zamora, Martinez, Herrera, Anaya, etc.
I then thought about a guy from the previous era, Manuel Ortiz.

Am I just getting old, or has the quality of talent really diminsished?
Occasinally we'll see a "throw back". I think Manny Pac is a guy who "reminds" of us a better era. He'd be hard to beat at any time.
However, Pac would would not look so unbeatable a few years back, he'd be a good one, but just one of dozens that pass thru L.A. at any given time.
And he'd be fighting much more often against better fighters.

If I live long enough, there will be a time when I lose all interest in watching contemporary boxing.
When I no longer have my friends here to remind me of how special it was, then I'll just limit my involvent to teaching kids.
I won't teach boxers, I'll teach kids how to keep themselves safe, and fit.
I won't run a class, I'll just continue to workout, and I'll run into a kid who is being picked on.
He may be too small, or fat, or too white or too black, just a kid trying to deal with his pride, charactor and fear.
Sometimes they just need someone to believe in them, and then they might believe in themselves. I understand this.

There are many things I can teach about fighting. The best thing I can teach is how to avoid fighting. That was a hard lesson for me.

For now the WBHOF is of interest. I see a lot of old friends and meet a lot of idols from days gone by.
I find myself smiling more when I see my old friends, and meet some new ones, boxing people, the REAL boxing people.
In due course, today's lot will be retiring, and a few years later they'll be up for induction honors.
This is when I shall walk away. It will no longer mean anything to me.


-Rick Farris

dagosd2000 wrote:
Instead of boring you with an array of vacation photographs,here's one that says it all. Me scarfing on brautwurst. Munich,Germany

dagosd2000 wrote:SKIP THE ROPE

The Crea Boxing Gym has always been in a cramped and dark place at the CREA Sports Complex in Tijuana. When I went to watch Julio Cesar Chavez train for his fight with Danilo Cabrera,that was going to be staged at the Caliente Racetrack,I asked where the boxing gym was at the CREA. It was bulit inside behind the bleachers of the soccer stadium. Chavez was at his peak then, so there was a big turnout to watch him train every afternoon.

When I saw him the gym was full of aficianados having the time of their lives watching their Superman go through his workout. Chavez was tough on his sparring partners making sure his left hook to the "higado" would not betray him with his fight with Cabrera.He gloated that men in front of him cringed at every blow that was blasted in under their rib cages.

Chavez played to the crowd. He knew he was the "man' and basked in all the attention his fans bestowed on him. However, Chavez didn't train in a "conventional" manner. He didn't skip rope and never approaced the speed bag. He certainly knew how to fight,but it wasn't until Manny Stewart got a hold of him that JC picked up on the jump rope and the small bag.

I don't know if the new stuff made him a better fighter. If I was Stewart I would have left well enough alone.But that's the way it is with teachers. If that can't teach you something they feel they haven't a purpose.

kikibalt wrote:

Rick Farris wrote:Rick, as long as you are looking for German beer, try Paulaner Hefeweißbier Naturtrüb - a wonderful German wheat beer.

Augustina Helles is a good lager. My whole life I was a lager drinker until I visited Germany and tried the Hefeweißbier. There is nothing like it on earth.

P.S.: Paulaner just got a new importer:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRel ... BW20090605

P.S.S.: Paulaner has a cool webstie, too:

http://www.paulaner.com/

Now I'm thirsty!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tom . . . I was a Hef drinker for awhile and I like it. I switch gears occasionally and will go to Lager for awhile, then an Ale, I like the stronger brews that come from Belgium, once in awhile. I will definitly look into the Hef you recommended, when I search for Rog's recommendation. When it comes to beer, I experiment a lot, and I never gain a pound.

Now I'm thirsty too.


-Rick Farris

Rick, I'll drink any thing you put in front of me, especially if its free.....

Rick Farris wrote:Prizefighting Today . . .

I really don't care much for boxing today.
I love what it once was, what I experienced in my era, meeting greats from past eras.
I used feel excited about upcoming events, and we had such events every week.

Every couple months somebody would hold at major card in L.A.
Usually undisputed world championships were at at stake, or true "elimination" bouts.
Names such as Napoles, Lopez, Olivares, Quarry, Liston, Ramos, Rojas, Griffith, Chacon, etc. would be featured.
In between these mega-cards promoted by Eaton or Parnassus, were weekly bouts. These were as good as, often better, than the big ones.

Today, we can't attend boxing in L.A. as often or convenient as in years gone by.
Indian Reservations, the boxing venues of the new millenium, are located in the desert here in Southern Cal.
Occasionally, Oscar will throw a big event into the Staples Center.
His last featured his new star, a kid who didn't realize that boxers occasionally get hit.
When I fought, this was required knowledge.

In old school boxing, you were taught to defend yourself, and to accept the consequences when you couldn't.
Today, the fighters are much smarter, they just quit.
They seem not to realize that they have entered into a public contest where people are paying to see the participants get hurt.
The goal isn't a tochdown, or home run, it's a knockout. I'm no Rhodes Scholar, but I understood right off that this was a pain game.
The idea is to inflict as much of it on the other guy, and at the same time avoid allowing him to do the same.
It's not about breaking records, it's about breaking another man's spirit, to dominate. I guess it's one of those primitive things, whatever?

This past weekend I didn't expect to see anything great, maybe a little action. As expected, nothing was great and there was little action.
I watched a rough Armenian, who would try to intimidate opponents by telling the world he "hated" them.
A tougher African kid didn't care if he was hated, but he was smart enough to care who got hit, and made sure the Armenian took his share.
I thought to myself, "well, by today's standards the guys are fighting." It was a World Bantamweight title fight.

I looked at the champ and challenger and tried to compare them with the 118 pounders from my era.
We had Jofre, Harada, Olivares, Pimentel, Medel, Zarate, Castillo, Zamora, Martinez, Herrera, Anaya, etc.
I then thought about a guy from the previous era, Manuel Ortiz.

Am I just getting old, or has the quality of talent really diminsished?
Occasinally we'll see a "throw back". I think Manny Pac is a guy who "reminds" of us a better era. He'd be hard to beat at any time.
However, Pac would would not look so unbeatable a few years back, he'd be a good one, but just one of dozens that pass thru L.A. at any given time.
And he'd be fighting much more often against better fighters.

If I live long enough, there will be a time when I lose all interest in watching contemporary boxing.
When I no longer have my friends here to remind me of how special it was, then I'll just limit my involvent to teaching kids.
I won't teach boxers, I'll teach kids how to keep themselves safe, and fit.
I won't run a class, I'll just continue to workout, and I'll run into a kid who is being picked on.
He may be too small, or fat, or too white or too black, just a kid trying to deal with his pride, charactor and fear.
Sometimes they just need someone to believe in them, and then they might believe in themselves. I understand this.

There are many things I can teach about fighting. The best thing I can teach is how to avoid fighting. That was a hard lesson for me.

For now the WBHOF is of interest. I see a lot of old friends and meet a lot of idols from days gone by.
I find myself smiling more when I see my old friends, and meet some new ones, boxing people, the REAL boxing people.
In due course, today's lot will be retiring, and a few years later they'll be up for induction honors.
This is when I shall walk away. It will no longer mean anything to me.


-Rick Farris

Rick Farris wrote:

kikibalt wrote:

Rick Farris wrote:Rick, as long as you are looking for German beer, try Paulaner Hefeweißbier Naturtrüb - a wonderful German wheat beer.

Augustina Helles is a good lager. My whole life I was a lager drinker until I visited Germany and tried the Hefeweißbier. There is nothing like it on earth.

P.S.: Paulaner just got a new importer:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRel ... BW20090605

P.S.S.: Paulaner has a cool webstie, too:

http://www.paulaner.com/

Now I'm thirsty!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tom . . . I was a Hef drinker for awhile and I like it. I switch gears occasionally and will go to Lager for awhile, then an Ale, I like the stronger brews that come from Belgium, once in awhile. I will definitly look into the Hef you recommended, when I search for Rog's recommendation. When it comes to beer, I experiment a lot, and I never gain a pound.

Now I'm thirsty too.


-Rick Farris

Rick, I'll drink any thing you put in front of me, especially if its free.....

A Jail House Memory . . .

I remember getting into a bit of trouble one summer, long ago.
I ended up in the "Glass House" (The Parker Center Jail) for a few days.
This is where you go when arrested in L.A. prior to going to court, or County Jail.
I'd been in a fight, and for some reason nobody was rushing downtown to bail me out?

It was a hot summer, and the over-crowded cells and holding cells made you feel like you were melting.
Lots of noise in jail. Too much noise, too much heat, too many people, too much sweat, too many games.
Just a word to the wise, don't get arrested in L.A. on a friday. You may not get to court until tuesday.

After a couple days, I'd seen a lot of guys leave, and a lot more come in.
I had my place and nobody gave me any problems, just irritation.
Come monday, it was another scorcher and I was still wearing the clothes I had on when I was booked on friday.
It's over 100 degrees, and the Glass House doesn't provide air conditioning. It's a temporary stop on the criminal justice road.
I remember laying on my bunk and closing my eyes. I had to seperate myself from the moment.

I thought back to something pleasant, something just months earlier.
I visualized the Domincan Republic, where I'd worked on a film the previous year.
Boca Chica, a beautiful Hispanola lagoon, about ninety minutes up the coast from Santa Domingo.
I thought of the white sand beach, the tropical atmosphere, laying next to Jane, my British love

In my hand was an ice cold, one-liter bottle of Dominican beer, "Presidente".
We used to buy it by the case on our days off. They would serve it along the Malicone ice cold, just a few degrees above freezing.
It was a strong lager, one of the best I've ever tasted or enjoyed.
I was actually able to drift out of the moment, I could feel that ice cold bottle sting my fingertips, the icey brew swirling in my mouth.

Then suddenly the bunk shook, the guy above had made bail, he rolled off his bed and removed his sheets, gathered his things.
He had a big smile on his face. "Later man, good luck," he says.
I went over to the phone, made a call I didn't want to make, and within hours I was free.

The first thing I wanted was a shower. The second thing I wanted was an ice cold Presidente.
I took a shower and settled for a warm Budweiser. That worked out just fine.


-Rick Farris

kikibalt wrote:

dagosd2000 wrote:
Instead of boring you with an array of vacation photographs,here's one that says it all. Me scarfing on brautwurst. Munich,Germany

Rog, you're making me hungry. Connie is making pollo en mole....

dagosd2000 wrote:
Hi Randy

dagosd2000 wrote:

Deli in Munich



And a bakery

Randyman wrote:

dagosd2000 wrote:

Deli in Munich



And a bakery

Holy Cow! Rog, are those hams hanging in the top photo?

Randy

dagosd2000 wrote:

kikibalt wrote:

dagosd2000 wrote:
Instead of boring you with an array of vacation photographs,here's one that says it all. Me scarfing on brautwurst. Munich,Germany

Rog, you're making me hungry. Connie is making pollo en mole....

Frank
Now that I'm back Maria is cookin' up a storm. Tonight it's gorditas and ceviche. Pollo en mole. Sounds good pal. Enjoy.