Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Randyman]

Randy:

"Dios es muy grande". Count on us to add our pleas.

hap navarro

Thanks Hap, I appreciate it.

Randy

[Rick Farris]

Hey Guys keep our daughter Lori in your thoughts and prayers. She has been in the hospital since Friday. The doctors still haven't determined what is wrong with her. She is very weak and has a 103 degree temperature. We know she is going to be okay but a few extra prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks
Randy & Jeri

Randy, Lori will be in my prayers. What a beautiful family!



-

[Randyman]

Crossing the line seperating eras . . .


I hate these "dream match" posts. How would Ali do with Dempsey? Harry Greb against Hagler, etc.
However, just food for thought amongst the conniseurs of this thread, imagine this one just for plain action:

Carmen Basileo vs. Ernie "Indian Red" Lopez.

I'm not thinking about who would win, I'm imagining these guys fighting a title elimination bout, winner to get a title shot.
What a war, two of the toughest of tough.

And just for the record, I know beyond question who would win . . . the fans!


-Rick Farris

Rick, for a guy that hates "Dream fights" you sure came up with a doozy! Lopez vs Basilio? A win win pick of an action fight. The Lopez' had heart to spare and Basilio wrote the book. I agree with you and Brian, no matter who wins, the fans win.

Randy

[Randyman]

Hey Guys keep our daughter Lori in your thoughts and prayers. She has been in the hospital since Friday. The doctors still haven't determined what is wrong with her. She is very weak and has a 103 degree temperature. We know she is going to be okay but a few extra prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks
Randy & Jeri

Randy, Lori will be in my prayers. What a beautiful family!



-

Thanks Rick!

Randy

[dagosd2000]

Hey Guys keep our daughter Lori in your thoughts and prayers. She has been in the hospital since Friday. The doctors still haven't determined what is wrong with her. She is very weak and has a 103 degree temperature. We know she is going to be okay but a few extra prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks
Randy & Jeri

Randy
Everything will be all right. My prayers and thoughts are with your daughter and your family. Rog

[Randyman]

Hey Guys keep our daughter Lori in your thoughts and prayers. She has been in the hospital since Friday. The doctors still haven't determined what is wrong with her. She is very weak and has a 103 degree temperature. We know she is going to be okay but a few extra prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks
Randy & Jeri

Randy
Everything will be all right. My prayers and thoughts are with your daughter and your family. Rog

Thanks Rog, she's a good kid. We just want to see her back home with Tom and the kids.

Randy

[dagosd2000]

Alexis Argeullo & Sugar Ray Robinson
Circa 1974

What a picture after what has just happened. I know in my heart I forgive Alexis. And Sugar Ray's story? Well,I forgive him too. They made so so many people happy. RIP fellas'.

Great photo of two all-time greats!

Those of us who were training at the Main Street Gym in the late 60's and early 70's, would see the great Robinson almost daily,
The "real" Sugar Ray continued to train long after his career ended in 1965.
To keep his weight down, he'd wear a plastic suit like the one you see in the photo.
Ray didn't just skip rope and hit bags, he'd jump into the ring and spar with the best of the day.

I remember him doing his magic when banging it out with #1 welter, Ernie "Indian Red" Lopez one afternoon.
Of course, Ernie was a rough customer and put the pressure on, however, the slick Sugar Ray would slip, roll, pick-off and counter.
Ernie would keep pressing on, you could see him working hard, but Sugar was just cool and in control. He'd done this before.

If I could just step back into the Main Street Gym on any given saturday morning between the mid-60's-to-70's.
If that were possible, I'd see more world class action and talent throwing leather in those two rings than I will ever see again.
Randy, Frank and the rest of you who've been there know what I am saying is true.

I can visualize Rip Roseboro and Duke Holloway sitting on the bleachers, Howie behind his desk barking at someone on the phone, Memo Soto pushing a shopping cart full of equipment out from his dressing room, Gil Cadilli helping a boxer tie his gloves, Tony Marino stepping out from his room in the back holding a headgear he'd just made for a fighter, I see a smiling manager Luis Celeya (who Johnny Flores nicknamed "The King of the Mexicans), Bill Slayton putting vaseline on the face of Ken Norton, Ralph Gambina holding court in the corner, I can see Felipe Torres bouncing around the ring, working lightly with an amateur in the ring as he warmed up . . .
Just too many memories.


-Rick Farris

Rick
Well told as usual. We've been kicking around the comparision of the era 30 years ago (or so) with today. Divisions were not only more deep and good trainers out there for the boys,but the old gyms and their atmospheres are missing. In San Diego it was the Coliseum,32nd Street Gym,Spud Murphy's,or Robles's place in Nat City. Not only could you see some gym wars with some name fighters,but the boxing people around the ring were something out of a Damon Runyon story. Watching Norton trained by a Futch,Moyer listening(sometimes)to a Danny Rodriguez.Art Hafey being put through the paces of a Burke Emery. Archie Moore dropping by to get a feel of it again. To say hello. The trainers ,matchmakers,cut guys,bookies,and on again off again promoters. The wrestlers who would workout after the boxing was finished for the day. Freddie Blassie and Mr. Moto would keep everyone in stitches.

And then there was the action across the border. Seeing the Napoleses,Olivareses,Chavezes,and Saldivars training in front of their countrymen in those gyms (that are now storage rooms and Chinese restaurants) was electrifying. I'm happy that Jibaro Perez and Erik Morales haven't dropped the ball(or should I say the gloves)on keeping a pulse alive with boxing in TJ.

[raylawpc]

Starbucks: crappy coffee ; great pastries. We have several Starbucks at the St. Louis airport. I always buy a couple of croussants to snack on the plane. I drink the airline's coffee (leaded and black). TWA had great coffee. I miss TWA - St. Louis was a TWA hub, so I never had connecting flights back in the days when I flew weekly. TWA also had great in-flight breakfasts. I tried to schedule my flights in the morning so I could eat the breakfast. The rest of the meals? Well, not as good as the coffee or breakfasts.

Tom . . . Speaking of St. Louis, I remember back in 1968, when I was an amateur, I had a pro stablemate who was a middleweight, Bobby Rye.
Bobby didn't go very far, but Johnny Flores did take him to St. Louis where he fought a local favorite, Bobby Harrington.
Harrington took a ten round decision over my friend, and the following month faced Denny Moyer in the same ring.
Moyer brought to much savvy into the ring for Harrington and whipped him over ten rounds.

I'm aware that you were probably living in Oklahoma at the time, but I'm curious as to the the state of boxing in Missouri today.
In St. Louis & Kansas City, is there much action on either the pro or amateur levels?
I was in K.C. for the Golden Gloves Nat'ls in 1969, the same place where Jerry Quarry won the Nat'l GG's heavyweight title in 1965.

-Rick Farris

Amateur? No idea.

Pro - we have a few shows in the St. Louis/St. Charles area - maybe a dozen per year. Don King has famously brought Cory Spinks in a couple of times. Most of the shows are staged in hotels.

Boxing gets very little coverage in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. If I relied on the Post-Dispatch for boxing info, I'd still think Alexis Arguello was alive and well in South America. None of the writers know anything about boxing. The coverage I've read of the Spinks fights was almost humorous.

Kansas City? No idea, pro or amateur. K.C. is on the other side of the state; it might as well be on the other side of the planet as far as most St Louisans are concerned. When we lost the Cardinals a number of years ago, most St. Louisans adopted the Bears as their football team instead of the Chiefs.

[kikibalt]

Hey Guys keep our daughter Lori in your thoughts and prayers. She has been in the hospital since Friday. The doctors still haven't determined what is wrong with her. She is very weak and has a 103 degree temperature. We know she is going to be okay but a few extra prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks
Randy & Jeri

Randy
Everything will be all right. My prayers and thoughts are with your daughter and your family. Rog

Ditto...

[raylawpc]

Hey Guys keep our daughter Lori in your thoughts and prayers. She has been in the hospital since Friday. The doctors still haven't determined what is wrong with her. She is very weak and has a 103 degree temperature. We know she is going to be okay but a few extra prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks
Randy & Jeri

She'll be in our prayers. I'll be praying for you, too, buddy!

[kikibalt]

Went to visit my Tia Lala, (Age 90) who about two weeks ago suffer a mild stoke, you might remember that I posted a picture of her and her brother Max, my Tio, that I shot at the Simons reunion, she is now at a nursing home since she needs 24/7 care, said nursing home is in Montebello.

[raylawpc]

What a fight.
Your right Rick. No matter what the judges verdict was, the winner would be the fans.

Im thinking also, how many of the younger generation we see walking around these days would you like to have just sit down and read this thread word for word picture for picture page for page.
This thread could serve as a good educational tool for alot of youngsters who are getting a little....confused shall we say.
Next time I see a guy walking down the street with a cafe latte frapucino carmel machioto Al Pacino flavored cofee,Im gonna suggest the West Coast Thread.
In a few days he will be a new man. Ready to take on the world.
Plus, he will be drinking Folgers too.

Look, Mrs Olsen should be the threads ring card girl.
She even knows how to save an apparently shaky marriage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrGgg6r9YyI

Need I remind you guys that Mrs. Olson was a Swede?

[Rick Farris]

Rick, we were blessed and damned lucky to be growing up at a time when boxing was still part of the life force of the Los Angeles Sports scene. Luckier still to have been able to train at the fabled Main Street Gym, a gym that is now just a long gone memory. Most gyms have their local favorite fighters that make their gym their home. The Main Street Gym also had their local fighters but the names of the visiting fighters that made the Main Street Gym their home away from home reads like a roll call of boxing legends. Some of them stayed. It wasn't just the building, it was the people and the incredible knowledge and experience. Too many to list here.

I remember Rip well. Mel called him "Turtle" it was an apt nickname for Rip except a turtle moved a little faster. Rip didn't take any crap from anyone either. Pay your 50 cents to see the boxers or get the hell out.

I wrote about the gym awhile back here: http://boxing-ring.blogspot.com/2007/11 ... t-gym.html

Randy
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Gym . . .


Randy . . . great, great, great story! Harry Shapiro? Damn, I remember Harry.

What you wrote about your meeting with the great Robinson is classic, his advice . . .
"Think of your right as a catcher's mitt, and the other guy's fist a baseball."

That needs to be etched in capitol letters on the wall of every boxing gym.
And there was your added wisdom, "When the student is ready, the master shall appear."
It's a lesson we all seem to experience somewhere along the path.

You granted my wish. You took me back in time to the Main Street Gym.
I felt the afternoon breeze blowing thru the windows after Mel forced them open.
I pictured him shooting angry glances toward anyone opposed to the idea, mumbling under his breath, something about Oxygen?

Mel pays my gym dues early, before I have a chance, just to say that he "took care of it out of HIS cash register."
Then he'd refuse reimbursement, preferring something to bitch about.
Remember Mel talking about his, "cash register?"

I remember when I was twenty-two, I had an apartment in Santa Monica and bought a duplex nearby.
While awaiting escrow to close, I moved out of the apartment and moved into a spare room at my grandmother's home in Burbank.
I lived with my Grandmother for several weeks, she was Mel's age.
Randy, I have to tell you I was seeing both Mel and my Grandmother everyday, and Mel acted more like an old lady than my Grandma.

Reading this story made my day, you put a smile on my face. Thanks!


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

What a fight.
Your right Rick. No matter what the judges verdict was, the winner would be the fans.

Im thinking also, how many of the younger generation we see walking around these days would you like to have just sit down and read this thread word for word picture for picture page for page.
This thread could serve as a good educational tool for alot of youngsters who are getting a little....confused shall we say.
Next time I see a guy walking down the street with a cafe latte frapucino carmel machioto Al Pacino flavored cofee,Im gonna suggest the West Coast Thread.
In a few days he will be a new man. Ready to take on the world.
Plus, he will be drinking Folgers too.

Look, Mrs Olsen should be the threads ring card girl.
She even knows how to save an apparently shaky marriage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrGgg6r9YyI

Need I remind you guys that Mrs. Olson was a Swede?

Tom . . . speaking of Swedes, do you remember Inger Stevens?

[dagosd2000]

Willie Pep

[Rick Farris]

Willie Pep

[dagosd2000]

Went to visit my Tia Lala, (Age 90) who about two weeks ago suffer a mild stoke, you might remember that I posted a picture of her and her brother Max, my Tio, that I shot at the Simons reunion, she is now at a nursing home since she needs 24/7 care, said nursing home is in Montebello.

Frank
Still a beautifull and dignified lady. Rog

[kikibalt]

Thanks Rog, she is a great woman.....

[kikibalt]

Willie Pep

Great work, Rog.

[dagosd2000]

Rick, we were blessed and damned lucky to be growing up at a time when boxing was still part of the life force of the Los Angeles Sports scene. Luckier still to have been able to train at the fabled Main Street Gym, a gym that is now just a long gone memory. Most gyms have their local favorite fighters that make their gym their home. The Main Street Gym also had their local fighters but the names of the visiting fighters that made the Main Street Gym their home away from home reads like a roll call of boxing legends. Some of them stayed. It wasn't just the building, it was the people and the incredible knowledge and experience. Too many to list here.

I remember Rip well. Mel called him "Turtle" it was an apt nickname for Rip except a turtle moved a little faster. Rip didn't take any crap from anyone either. Pay your 50 cents to see the boxers or get the hell out.

I wrote about the gym awhile back here: http://boxing-ring.blogspot.com/2007/11 ... t-gym.html

Randy
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Gym . . .


Randy . . . great, great, great story! Harry Shapiro? Damn, I remember Harry.

What you wrote about your meeting with the great Robinson is classic, his advice . . .
"Think of your right as a catcher's mitt, and the other guy's fist a baseball."

That needs to be etched in capitol letters on the wall of every boxing gym.
And there was your added wisdom, "When the student is ready, the master shall appear."
It's a lesson we all seem to experience somewhere along the path.

You granted my wish. You took me back in time to the Main Street Gym.
I felt the afternoon breeze blowing thru the windows after Mel forced them open.
I pictured him shooting angry glances toward anyone opposed to the idea, mumbling under his breath, something about Oxygen?

Mel pays my gym dues early, before I have a chance, just to say that he "took care of it out of HIS cash register."
Then he'd refuse reimbursement, preferring something to bitch about.
Remember Mel talking about his, "cash register?"

I remember when I was twenty-two, I had an apartment in Santa Monica and bought a duplex nearby.
While awaiting escrow to close, I moved out of the apartment and moved into a spare room at my grandmother's home in Burbank.
I lived with my Grandmother for several weeks, she was Mel's age.
Randy, I have to tell you I was seeing both Mel and my Grandmother everyday, and Mel acted more like an old lady than my Grandma.

Reading this story made my day, you put a smile on my face. Thanks!


-Rick Farris

Randy and Rick

The days when you could experience moments like that in a boxing gym in San Diego are history. Once in a while the CREA gym in TJ has that excitement and richness. I wish I could have been with you guys in LA. That's about as good as it gets. Those times in the Main Street Gym could rival any stories about boxing in any time frame.

[Rick Farris]

Went to visit my Tia Lala, (Age 90) who about two weeks ago suffer a mild stoke, you might remember that I posted a picture of her and her brother Max, my Tio, that I shot at the Simons reunion, she is now at a nursing home since she needs 24/7 care, said nursing home is in Montebello.

Frank
Still a beautifull and dignified lady. Rog

Dignified family.

[kikibalt]

Went to visit my Tia Lala, (Age 90) who about two weeks ago suffer a mild stoke, you might remember that I posted a picture of her and her brother Max, my Tio, that I shot at the Simons reunion, she is now at a nursing home since she needs 24/7 care, said nursing home is in Montebello.

Frank
Still a beautifull and dignified lady. Rog

Dignified family.

Thanks Rick....

[Rick Farris]

Rick, we were blessed and damned lucky to be growing up at a time when boxing was still part of the life force of the Los Angeles Sports scene. Luckier still to have been able to train at the fabled Main Street Gym, a gym that is now just a long gone memory. Most gyms have their local favorite fighters that make their gym their home. The Main Street Gym also had their local fighters but the names of the visiting fighters that made the Main Street Gym their home away from home reads like a roll call of boxing legends. Some of them stayed. It wasn't just the building, it was the people and the incredible knowledge and experience. Too many to list here.

I remember Rip well. Mel called him "Turtle" it was an apt nickname for Rip except a turtle moved a little faster. Rip didn't take any crap from anyone either. Pay your 50 cents to see the boxers or get the hell out.

I wrote about the gym awhile back here: http://boxing-ring.blogspot.com/2007/11 ... t-gym.html

Randy
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Gym . . .


Randy . . . great, great, great story! Harry Shapiro? Damn, I remember Harry.

What you wrote about your meeting with the great Robinson is classic, his advice . . .
"Think of your right as a catcher's mitt, and the other guy's fist a baseball."

That needs to be etched in capitol letters on the wall of every boxing gym.
And there was your added wisdom, "When the student is ready, the master shall appear."
It's a lesson we all seem to experience somewhere along the path.

You granted my wish. You took me back in time to the Main Street Gym.
I felt the afternoon breeze blowing thru the windows after Mel forced them open.
I pictured him shooting angry glances toward anyone opposed to the idea, mumbling under his breath, something about Oxygen?

Mel pays my gym dues early, before I have a chance, just to say that he "took care of it out of HIS cash register."
Then he'd refuse reimbursement, preferring something to bitch about.
Remember Mel talking about his, "cash register?"

I remember when I was twenty-two, I had an apartment in Santa Monica and bought a duplex nearby.
While awaiting escrow to close, I moved out of the apartment and moved into a spare room at my grandmother's home in Burbank.
I lived with my Grandmother for several weeks, she was Mel's age.
Randy, I have to tell you I was seeing both Mel and my Grandmother everyday, and Mel acted more like an old lady than my Grandma.

Reading this story made my day, you put a smile on my face. Thanks!


-Rick Farris

Randy and Rick

The days when you could experience moments like that in a boxing gym in San Diego are history. Once in a while the CREA gym in TJ has that excitement and richness. I wish I could have been with you guys in LA. That's about as good as it gets. Those times in the Main Street Gym could rival any stories about boxing in any time frame.

Another L.A. Gym . . .

Roger, during the years I boxed, L.A. had another busy gym on the southside, Jake Shagrue's "Hoover Street Gym".
Jackie McCoy's stable trained at Hoover St. Mando Ramos, Rojas, Palamino, El Gato, Frankie Crawford, Hedge Lewis, Joey Orbillo, Scrap Iron Johnson, Andy Heilman, Andy Price, many more.

Occasionally, I'd workout there to box with different people. Jake Shagrue was a charactor in his own right.
Jake was a Navy vet, I never saw him without stub of a cigar sticking out of his mouth.
He was a good guy, tough as nails.

I have a few Frankie Crawford-Shagrue memories.
Like when Jake had a led amputated, and I gave Crawford a ride to the Long Beach Naval Hospital, to visit his former manager.
Frankie is concerned that we'd find Jake laying in bed wallowing in self pity after losing the leg.
He instructs me to let him do all the talking, he knows Jake better than me, he'll know what to say. I say "no problem".

We get there and find Shagrue propped up in bed watching a Dodger game. He's puffing on a cigar despite a nurse's protest.
I follow Crawford in, he slips off to the side and I'm standing at the foot of the hospital bed looking right at Jake.
I wait a moment for Frankie to say something since he wanted to "do all the talking".
I look over to Crawford and he's kind of rocking back & forth on his heels, looking up at the ceiling, saying nothing.
I look back at the salty old trainer, a little pale, but his eyes were sharp and clear. "Hi Jake," I say.

The old man nods, "hello kid." He then shifts his look back to Crawford, who's really acting weird, even for him.
When Frankie looks over at Shagrue, the old man barks- "What in the Hell do you want?"
Crawford has a phony smile on his face . "Hi Jake. How you feeling

Shagrue shakes his head, "They just sawed off my f__king leg! How do you think I feel?"


-Rick Farris

[Randyman]

Thanks guys for your prayers and goods words for Lori. Jeri talked with the doctor today. They are still unclear about what is wrong. They do know that it is an airborne virus(swine flu?) but they are not saying too much right now. I know they will take care of her. I'll keep you posted.

Randy

[Randyman]

Went to visit my Tia Lala, (Age 90) who about two weeks ago suffer a mild stoke, you might remember that I posted a picture of her and her brother Max, my Tio, that I shot at the Simons reunion, she is now at a nursing home since she needs 24/7 care, said nursing home is in Montebello.

Frank
Still a beautifull and dignified lady. Rog

I agree. We will keep Tia Lala in prayer too Frank.