Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Rick Farris]

It's things like nonchalantly brushing off a fighter like Hearns that makes me wonder about the WBHOF.
_________________________________________________________________________________

The Hall of Fame lives in the names . . .

Roger, remember last June, when you and I attended a WBHOF board meeting, to introduce your art to our group.
On your drive home, as you headed south on the freeway, as you thought back on the events of that day, did anything make you wonder about the WBHOF?

The meeting wasn't all that uncommon, certanly not a first, that's the best this group can do.
I have done my best to prepare you for the disfunctional nature of the WBHOF.

I have a list that can stop the inductee questions & doubts. That list is the Hall of Fame.
No museum, just an event and a program. That program will contain the World Boxing Hall of Fame, which is the names of the Inductees, the legends of boxing.
A museum is a nice memorial, but these names are what will withstand time, so long as they are not lost, ignored, or eliminated.
Screw the museum, and screw the Halls of Fame . . . It's all about the boxing legends, and they have a name. The Hall of Fame lives in the names.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

For the record . . .

I would rather share this honorable list of WBHOF Inductees with my friends here FIRST.
Most of you won't give a damn. It's a lot of names. But I'm going to post it here so we'll have it on record.
And we can also keep it updated. If you don't want to read it, I don't blame you, but it'll be a personal reference, should we need it.

When it's posted here, then I'll submit it to the WBHOF.


-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

It's things like nonchalantly brushing off a fighter like Hearns that makes me wonder about the WBHOF.
_________________________________________________________________________________

The Hall of Fame lives in the names . . .

Roger, remember last June, when you and I attended a WBHOF board meeting, to introduce your art to our group.
On your drive home, as you headed south on the freeway, as you thought back on the events of that day, did anything make you wonder about the WBHOF?

The meeting wasn't all that uncommon, certanly not a first, that's the best this group can do.
I have done my best to prepare you for the disfunctional nature of the WBHOF.

I have a list that can stop the inductee questions & doubts. That list is the Hall of Fame.
No museum, just an event and a program. That program will contain the World Boxing Hall of Fame, which is the names of the Inductees, the legends of boxing.
A museum is a nice memorial, but these names are what will withstand time, so long as they are not lost, ignored, or eliminated.
Screw the museum, and screw the Halls of Fame . . . It's all about the boxing legends, and they have a name. The Hall of Fame lives in the names.


-Rick Farris

Rick
You having been a fighter in the Southland and knowing a lot the local boxing community must be tough on you when you really wanted to put together an institution that would have had some class. I remember when you announced that Mando was going to be the new president and that you were the Hall's historian. You were genuinely happy and optimistic.I was just as proud for you. Remember this,if the others had your vision to make the WBHOF a great institution, there would no other boxing Hall Of Fame to rival it. I know that for a fact after getting to know you.

Put together your documentaries on boxing. You'll be your own boss and won't be dissapointed by a half hearted bunch of colleagues . Nothing will stand in your way. Always let me know if you need anything. Rog.

[raylawpc]

Son in Fight of Alexis Arguello's Life

More than eight weeks have passed since boxing legend Alexis Arguello allegedly shot himself in the chest with a 9mm pistol. It was a suicide, declared Nicaraguan government officials, and they closed the case almost as quickly as they shut his casket.

But in an exclusive interview with FanHouse, Alexis Arguello, Jr., the son of the Hall of Fame great, says he plans to fight the government's findings and prove that his father was the victim of foul play.

"This was not a suicide. My dad had been through so much in his life, but he did not kill himself," the younger Arguello says. "My dad had been through three failed marriages, alcoholism, crack, the worst things someone could go through. But he would not do this."


******

Arguello, 57, was found dead July 1 in his home just outside of Managua, where he was the mayor. His life had been filled with adventures and paradox: he was a triple crown champion and one of the world's most acclaimed boxers in the 1970s and 1980s; he was a soldier, a freedom fighter for the Contras who dodged bullets from the Sandinista National Liberation Front, before later running for public office on the Sandinista ticket; he was a loving father and grandfather, a womanizer, a millionaire born into abject poverty who blew his fortune and nearly went bankrupt, a drug addict who was forever writing checks to charity and using his celebrity platform to crusade against injustices in his homeland and in Miami, his adopted city. He was El Caballero del Ring -- "The Gentleman of the Ring" -- incapable of belittling an opponent. Outside the ropes, Nicaragua's most acclaimed athlete never quit battling demons.

But take his own life by shoving the barrel of a gun against his heart -- the same gun he told his family was always jamming, and as far as they know, he never bothered to fix? Arguello Jr., a 37-year-old producer for CBS College Sports Network and the oldest of the boxing champ's seven children, was at his home in New York when he received a call from Carla, his father's latest wife.

"She said, 'Your dad shot himself in the chest.' She said she found him. I told her, 'Don't touch my dad. Don't do any autopsies,' " he says. "When I got to Nicaragua a couple days later, my dad's body had already been processed. He was already in his tuxedo, he was already in a coffin, he was already placed at a wake at the National Palace of Culture. He was already being viewed by the people.

"In reality, what I should have done is ask for privacy and brought him into a room and taken his shirt off to see if there were more bullet holes or marks. But during that time I wasn't thinking."

The son remembers noticing a cut on the bridge of his father's nose. Carla told him "it happened when dad fell forward." Arguello Jr. -- "A.J." to his father and family -- shakes his head. "How could someone fall forward if they shoot themselves in the chest? Wouldn't it propel you backward?" he asks. "No one with answers was available to talk to us. Not the doctors who supposedly did the autopsy, not the police commissioner, not the investigators.

"I put some rosary beads in the coffin and that was the last time I saw him. I guess they expected my questions would go with my dad into the ground."

Dora, his sister, is still in Nicaragua, and the family fears for her safety, so Arguello Jr. must tiptoe around some of the uncertainties regarding their father's death, and the circumstances that preceded it. Dora was an employee in the mayoral office, but hasn't returned to work since her father died.

Media reports from Nicaragua are vague, noting only that Dr. Zacarias Duarte, Director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, declared Arguello committed suicide by shooting himself. When did investigators have access to the Arguello house? Who cleaned up after Carla supposedly discovered her husband hunched forward? What did the lieutenant to Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega tell Arguello when he visited the mayor's house a few hours before Arguello was found dead? Barely six months after winning an election tainted by allegations of fraud, had Arguello's power stretched beyond the designs of the Sandinista government? Was he being manipulated by nefarious, feuding political forces, some who feared Arguello's celebrity status, others who hoped he'd one day run for president?

"If the pieces fall into place like we think they will, we might never be able to return to Nicaragua," says the son, born in Managua and raised in Miami. "I'll do whatever I need to do to prove my dad didn't commit suicide. Like dad used to always say, 'Tough times don't last but tough guys do.' " He reaches for a napkin and dabs at his eyes. Once they know that Dora is safe, the family plans to hire lawyers who can help them exhume Arguello's body and, hopefully, solve the mysteries surrounding his death. A spokesman for Dr. Duarte would not comment.

The weekend before Arguello died, he attended ceremonies in Puerto Rico. There was the naming of a boxing academy in Arguello's honor, and a tribute honoring Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico's Hall of Fame baseball player who perished in an airplane crash while trying to deliver relief aid to victims of a horrendous earthquake in Nicaragua in 1972. Arguello Jr. spoke to his father three days before he died, after he returned from the festivities.

While he was in Puerto Rico, Managua's city council, dominated by the Sandinistas, voted to "restructure" the mayoral office, thus diluting Arguello's powers. If he was worried or dismayed about these developments, Arguello did not say so during that last telephone conversation with his son.

"He was in great spirits, like always," Arguello Jr. says. "There wasn't the slightest hint of worry in his voice. If he were upset about something, he would tell me. He was always working to help the poor people of Nicaragua, that was his main objective. He was so proud to be honored with Clemente.

"I spoke to people who were with him in Puerto Rico to see if they sensed anything. They all said he was joking and in a good mood. No one believes he killed himself, no one. If he were going to do it, he would've called me and said, 'Look I'm thinking of doing this.' He never hid his emotions, he always spoke his mind. That's why the government didn't like him."


******

Sports Illustrated ran a fabulous profile of Arguello in 1985, when the boxer was on the verge of making a comeback. There is an anecdote that describes Arguello, fighting off the black dog of depression, sitting on a boat with his son A.J., then 12, and "staring down the black shaft of a loaded automatic pistol."

The story continues:

A.J. sat across from him, crying, begging him not to do it. Arguello cried too, saying that he must. There was no other sound except the ocean lapping at the boat, on which was painted THE CHAMP.

Arguello ached from the contradiction of his life, the way it lurched between opposites. Could it be that the distance between opposites was-nothing? So much seemed incomprehensible. No cause was pure, no motive clean, no external thing could be trusted. Everything a man needed to believe in in order to feel secure, life could rub his face again and again until he understood its opposite might also be true.

No resolution is possible in this life, a voice suggested. No, he cried-as long as he held this gun to his head, one resolution was possible.

"Don't do it, Dad!" pleaded A.J.

"That never happened," the son says now. "When that article came out, my mother and I looked at each other and were like, 'What? That never happened.' My dad is one of those people who maybe exaggerated a little to tell the story. He was a little lost during those years. But I know that never happened on the boat. "

Obituaries and media tributes cite the SI anecdote as an example of Arguello's troubled mind. Supposedly, he left a suicide note -- a single page, typed, unsigned letter brought forth by government officials to prove Arguello shot himself. The son scoffs at the note's tone and veracity.

"There were so many inconsistencies in it. It wasn't his voice," says Arguello Jr. "It says, I'm tired of politics, I've been cheated and lied to and used. It says he went back to drugs, that he did drugs the Monday or Tuesday before he supposedly killed himself. But in Nicaragua, once they did the autopsy, there was no drugs or alcohol found in the body.

"He passed on a Tuesday, I got to Nicaragua on Thursday. When I arrived I listened on the radio to the police giving a press conference about the ballistics, the autopsy report and their conclusions. In one day they had all that?"

Arguello Jr. and his siblings joined the thousands of mourners jamming the streets to honor the boxer during Friday's services. The man who was born and learned to fight in Managua's tough barrio was heralded by supporters as an athletic hero and political leader, the procession of his coffin to Sandinista-chosen burial grounds taking on a chaotic furor. He was an idol to the Nicaraguan people, a symbolic puppet to certain politicians.

At the journey's end, officials draped the red and black Sandinista flag over Arguello's coffin. Arguello Jr. pushed aside the flag, replacing it with the country's blue and white colors. Furious, he turned to the officials ringing his father's box and told them, "My dad is not going to be seen with this flag. He was a Nicaraguan first. He is going to be seen with the blue and white. This is not an event to stage political views. This has nothing to do with you guys and your views."

The government could not wait to usher Arguello's children out of the country. The son returned to his hotel, to discover his flight to the U.S. had been moved up from Monday to Saturday. Before he left, he wanted a memento that belonged to his father, preferably the belt Arguello had dedicated to his oldest son after beating lightweight champion Jim Watt in a fight that made Arguello only the sixth boxer to win world titles in three divisions. The son says Carla, his father's 31-year-old wife, made him wait for 90 minutes outside the gates of the mayor's house. Carla did not return phone calls from FanHouse.

"When she finally let us in, she opened up a closet and said, 'Take any suit or shirt or shoes you want.' Are you kidding me? You expect me to walk out with a pair of shoes?" Arguello Jr. says. "The last words I told her as I walked out of my father's house were, 'God sees everything and god knows everything. You will be punished someday.' "

He blots his eyes again, then purses his lips as if to halt more details from pouring forth. A.J. fought 15 amateur fights, winning 14 by knockouts. He says he was a decent body puncher with power in both hands, just like his dad. "But he sat me down and said, 'A.J., I support you, but I fought so you didn't have to.' That was the end of my boxing days," says the son, a smile chasing away the tears.


******

The memories of his father's transcendent career and wild escapades are as clear as the baubles on Arguello's championship belts. A sinewy 5 feet 10 inches, Arguello was known around the globe as El Flaco Explosivo, the Explosive Thin Man. With a brutal left jab and an elusive overhand right, Arguello knocked out Ray Mancini in 1981, a delicious prelude to his first fight with Aaron Pryor in front of more than 23,000 fans packed into Miami's Orange Bowl. Arguello stepped up in weight class, with the hopes he'd become the only man ever to win a fourth division title.

One of the sport's most legendary slugfests ended in the 14th round, with Pryor knocking out Arguello with a flurry of blows to the head. Arguello was left unconscious for several minutes, a doctor poking his eyelids. "Fight of the Decade," declared Ring Magazine. As he did with most of his father's fights, Arguello Jr. sat near the ropes, viewing every blow up close.

"After the fight, my dad told me he was sorry. I was like, 'Why?' " recalls the son. "He felt horrible. He wanted so desperately to win the title for the people."

Later, it was revealed that Pryor's trainer, Panama Lewis, gave his boxer a water bottle after round 13, prompting speculation that the black container was filled with illegal, unsanctioned material. The Florida State Boxing Commission failed to administer a post-fight urine test; while Pryor told Arguello there wasn't anything "suspicious" in the bottle, it was eventually discovered that Lewis broke apart antihistamine pills and poured the medicine into the water, giving Pryor greater lung capacity in the later rounds of a fight.

"I spoke to my dad about that years later. I pressed him about why he didn't ever make a big deal about it or go to the commission and have them test things," Arguello Jr. says. "He told me he wanted to win the championship fair and square. He wanted to win it in the ring. That shows a lot about who he was. He was by the books, everything had to be done the right way."

One day in 1983, A.J. accompanied his father to an Army-Navy surplus store in Miami. Arguello had decided to leave his mansion and yacht and wife and four children in South Florida and join the war against the Sandinistas in the hills of Nicaragua, after the Sandinista government seized his property and bank account. "He went into the store and bought fatigues and all these things he needed to be a soldier," Arguello Jr. says. "I didn't really think he was going to be on the front lines but he actually was. He shot some guns and he got shot at and he saw some people die. It was real war.

"He was only gone three weeks. I don't think my mom was going to let him stay too long."

In '92, Arguello regained some of the property that had been taken from him, and he returned to Nicaragua to start another of his many lives. "He was picking up the pieces," says his son. "That's when he battled his addictions. He had some bad times and dark days. It was something he had to go through because he didn't really know what to do with his life. I think that's where he came into experimenting with drugs and alcohol. The fighter that he is, he was able to fight back and pretty much reinvent himself. It's part of the cycle he goes through."

The final year of his life was as tumultuous as those that came before it. In the midst of his mayoral campaign last November, Arguello was hospitalized for undisclosed reasons. Since his death, the Nicaraguan media has speculated Arguello was felled by another bout of depression, but his son insists the real cause is far less mysterious. "My dad had a minor stroke, chest pains," he says.

Arguello won the mayoralty of the country's largest city with 51.3 percent of the vote, amidst allegations of voter fraud and illegal methods of intimidation employed by Sandinista supporters attempting to manipulate the election. It has since been reported that Arguello, in his short time as mayor, was accused of misappropriating 180 million cordobas (approximately $9 million) from public works projects and misusing municipal funds for personal travel.

"There were never reports of that before he passed," Arguello Jr. says. "To be honest, I think that's something they made up to help further the idea he committed suicide. I once told my dad his political career would end in two ways: You'll be president or you'll end up dead."

As a Los Angeles Times reporter writing from Nicaragua noted, the blighted, corrupt city of Managua is, "Cursed because recent mayors have had a tendency to drop dead, or drop into jail or, at best, drop off the political map." The city's new mayor was appointed July 2, barely 24 hours after Arguello died and one day before his funeral.

Arguello won 65 of his 90 bouts by knockout, took another 17 decisions and lost eight. There is a proven link between brain damage and depression, but Arguello Jr. doesn't believe the connection applies to his father. "Luckily he was in great shape. He never showed any signs of deterioration in his brain due to punches he accumulated and absorbed over the years. Nothing. No slurred speech, nothing," he says.

"He was finally wearing glasses but he was 57 years old. It's unbelievable the shape he was in but besides the cuts you'd see on his eyebrows and maybe his flat nose you could never tell he was a boxer. I don't know if he was lucky or if it's his defensive skills but he never took that much punishment, besides the Pryor fights."


******

On the night of Dec. 23, 1972, Alexis Arguello had a premonition. A.J. was a baby, about to go to sleep in his room of the family's small house in Managua. "Just by chance, he decided I should sleep with him and my mom instead," says the son. Just after midnight, a massive earthquake decimated the city, killing approximately 5,000, injuring 20,000 and leaving more than 250,000 homeless.

"My crib was crushed. My parents' room was the only one left standing," he says. "There must be a reason I survived that night."

"No," Alexis Arguello Jr. says again, "My father did not kill himself. He was just starting to become the father we all wanted." The son's eyes shine with clarity and resolve, as he prepares for the fight ahead.

Great article, Tom. Did you write it?

Ultimately, we will probably never really know the truth. I met Arguello years ago at the Main Street Gym but never really knew him personally, still, I find it hard to believe he would kill himself. I hope Alexis Jr and the rest of the family find peace and acceptance someday.

Randy

No, but I wish I did. (I'm flattered that you thought I wrote this excellent article.)

I found it on the internet and posted it as I found it.

[Rick Farris]

The "World Boxing Hall of Fame" Honor Roll . . .


BOXERS
______

George Abrams, Muhammad Ali, Lou Ambers, Sammy Angott, Vito Antuofermo, Fred Apostoli, Art Aragon, Joey Archer, Alexis Arguello, Baby Arizmendi, Henry Armstrong, Abe Attell, Kid Azteca.

Max Baer, Harry Balough, Young Firpo (Guido Bardelli), Joey Barnum, Carmen Basilio, Jose Becerra, Wilfredo Benitez, Nino Benvenuti, Jackie "Kid" Berg, Paul Berlenbach, Melio Bettina, Jimmy Bivens, Lou Bogash, Enrique Bolanos, Oscar Bonavena, Eddie Booker, Jimmy Braddock, Bill Brennan, Lou Brouillard, Joe Brown, Panama Al Brown, Ken Buchanan, Charley Burley, Tommy Burns.

Gil Cadilli, Mushy Callahan, Orlando Canizalez, Miguel Canto, Tony Canzoneri, Primo Carnera, Georges Carpentier, Jimmy Carruthers, Jimmy Carter, Marcel Cerdan, Antonio Cervantes, Bobby Chacon, Jeff Chandler, Ezzard Charles, Carlos Chavez, Fabela Chavez, Ike Chestnut, Kid Chocolate, George Chuvalo, Curtis Cokes, Bert Colima, Billy Conn, Young Corbett II, Young Corbett III, James J. Corbett, Pipino Cuevas.

Harold Dade, Les Darcy, Chuck Davey, Albert Davila, Esteban DeJesus, Tony DeMarco, Jack Dempsey, George Dixon, Johnny Dundee, Ralph Dupas, Roberto Duran.

Cornelius "Boza" Edwards, Jimmy Ellis, Gabriel "Flash" Elorde.

Johnny Famechon, Jeff Fenech, Jackie Fields, Jack Fiske, Bob Fitzsimmons, Del Flanagan, Glen Flanagan, Tiger Flowers, George Foreman, Bob Foster, Joe Frazier, Gene Fullmer.

Khaosai Galaxy, Victor Galindez, Joe Gans, Ceferino Garcia, Frankie Garcia, Kid Gavilan, Joey Giambra, Joey Giardello, Mike Gibbons, Tommy Gibbons, Bert Gilroy, Bennie Goldberg, Ruby Goldstein, Wilfredo Gomez, Johnny Gonzalves, Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez, Rodolfo "El Gato" Gonzalez, Billy Graham, Jackie Graves, Rocky Graziano, Harry Greb, Emile Griffith.

Marvin Hagler, Alfonse Halimi, Fighting Harada, Greg Haugen, Clarence Henry, Genero Hernandez, Rafael Herrera, Larry Holmes, Al Hostak, Ace Hudkins.

Beau Jack, Julian Jackson, Peter Jackson, Harry Jeffra, James J. Jeffries, Lou Jenkins, Eder Jofre, Ingemar Johansson, Harold Johnson, Jack Johnson, Marvin Johnson, William "Gorilla" Jones, Don Jordan.

Stanley Ketchell, Johnny Kilbain, Frank Klaus.

Fidel La Barba, Jake LaMotta, Ismael Laguna, Kenny Lane, Sam Langford, Tippy Larkin, George Latka, Richie Lemos, Bennie Leonard, Sugar Ray Leonard, Gus Lesnevich, John Henry Lewis, Lennox Lewis, Ted "Kid" Lewis, Sonny Liston, Nicolino Locche, Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Ricardo Lopez, Alvaro "Yaqui" Lopez, Tommy Loughran, Joe Louis, Ray Lunny.

Raul "Raton" Macias, Ray Mancini, Sammy Mandell, Rocky Marciano, Lloyd Marshall, Joey Maxim, Mike McCallum, Gerald McClellan, Terry McGovern, Barry McGuigan, Jimmy McLarnin, Brian Mitchell, Bob Montgomery, Carlos Monzon, Archie Moore, Davey Moore, Denny Moyer, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Armando Muniz.

Jose Napoles, Azumah Nelson, Ken Norton, Lou Nova.

Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, Sean O'Grady, Ruben Olivares, Tony Olivera, Carl "Bobo" Olson, Gaspar "El Indio" Ortega, Carlos Ortiz, Manuel Ortiz, Ken Overlin.

Carlos Palomino, Willie Pastrano, Floyd Patterson, Billy Peacock, Eusebio Pedroza, Paul Pender, Willie Pep, Pasquel Perez, Eddie Perkins, Billy Petrolle, Jesus Pimentel, Lupe Pintor, Aaron Pryor.

Jerry Quarry.

Jose Luis Ramirez, Armando Ramos, Sugar Ramos, Lucia Rijker, Willie Ritchie, Sugar Ray Robinson, Lilly Rodriguez, Luis Rodriguez, Lionel Rose, Maxie Rosenbloom, Barney Ross.

Sandy Saddler, Lauro Salas, Vicente Saldivar, Salvador Sanchez, Dave Sands, Pete Sanstol, Johnny Saxton, Max Schmeling, Marty Servo, Jack Sharkey, Billy Soose, Michael Spinks, Freddie Steele, William "Young" Stribling, John L. Sullivan.

Lew Tendler, Phil Terranova, Ernie Terrell, Marcel Thil, Dick Tiger, Efren "Alacran" Torres, Jose Torres, Gene Tunney, Randy Turpin.

Pancho Villa

Jersey Joe Walcott, Mickey Walker, Pernell Whitaker, Jess Willard, Cleveland Williams, Holman Williams, Ike Williams, Jackie Wilson, Ad Wolgast, Chalkey Wright.

Teddy Yarosz

Tony Zale, Alfonso Zamora, Daniel Zaragoza, Carlos Zarate, Fritzie Zivic, Juan Zurita.

[Rick Farris]

World Boxing Hall of Fame "Honor Roll" . . .

Expanded Catagory/ MANAGERS & TRAINERS:

Steve Acunto, Ray Arcel, Teddy Atlas, George Benton, Ignacio Beristain, Whitey Bimstein, Jack Blackburn, Chuck Bodak, Charles Broadus, Amilcar Brusca, Gil Clancey, Cus D'Amato, Miguel Diaz, Mickey Duff, Angelo Dundee, Yancey Durham, Lou Duva, Johnny Flores, Charles "Pop" Foster, Eddie Futch, George Gainsford, Bennie Georgino, Charlie Goldman, Teddy Hayes, Joe Herman, Duke Holloway, Jack "Deacon" Hurley, Jimmy Jacobs, Harry Kabakoff, Jack Kearns, Norm Lockwood, Jackie McCoy, Jerry Moore, Joe Ponce, Jessie Reid, Alberto Reyes, Freddie Roach, Dick Sadler, Jake Shagrue, Al Silvani, Howie Steindler, Emanuel Steward, Thell Torrance, Johnny Vidal, Suey Welch.

[Rick Farris]

delete

[Rick Farris]

World Boxing Hall of Fame "Honor Roll" . . .

Expanded catagory/ PROMOTERS & MATCHMAKERS:


Bob Arum, Umberto Branchini, Teddy Brenner, Johnny Buckley, Dr. Jerry Buss, Don Chargin, Mickey Davies, Mickey Duff, Chris Dundee, Aileen Eaton, Don Fraser, Tom Gallery, Dan Goossen, Mel Greb, Babe Griffin, Akihiko Honda, Sam Ichinose, Miike Jacobs, Don King, Ricardo Maldonado, George Parnassus, J. Russell Peltz, Jack Solomons, Jose Sulaiman, Bruce Trampler.

[Rick Farris]

World Boxing Hall of Fame "Honor Roll". . . (Expanded catagory)

WRITERS & HISTORIANS:

John Beyrooty, Jimmy Cannon, Bill Caplan, Harry Carpenter, Ty Cobb, Bill Conlin, Lew Eskin, Nat Fleischer, Reg Guttridge, John Hall, Hank Kaplan, Michael Katz, A.J. Liebling, George Luckman, Luis Magana, Billy Mahoney, Allan Malamud, Eddie Muller, Jim Murray, Mike Neoporadny, Dan Parker, Grantland Rice, Charlie Ross, Damon Runyon, Sailor Don Sauer, Red Smith, Bert Sugar, Tony Unitas, Danny Wambolt.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ANNOUNCERS & BROADCASTERS:

Johnnie Addie, Steve Albert, Al Bernstein, Michael Buffer, Don Dunphy, Dick Enberg, Chuck Hull, Joe Humphries, Tom Kelly, Jim Lampley, Jimmy Lennon, Jimmy Lennon Jr., Larry Merchant, Dr. Ferdie Pacheco, Colonel Bob Sheridan, Dan Tobey, Barry Tompkins.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

REFEREES, JUDGES & TIME KEEPERS:

Gwen Adair, Artie Aidala, George Blake, Robert Byrd, Joe Cortez, Marty Denkin, Arthur Donovan, Lou Filippo, Chuck Hassett, Dr. James Jen-Kin, Rudy Jordan, Mills Lane, George Latka, Harold Lederman, Arthur Mercante Sr., Joey Olmos, Davey Pearl, Larry Rozadilla, Richard Steele, Joe Stone, John Thomas, Dick Young.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ADMINISTRATERS & DOCTORS:

Charles Casas, Jose Velasquez De La Torre, Dr. Mike DeLuca, Gordon Del Faro, Dr. Joseph Elia, Jerry Geisler, Daniel "Pop" Hanley, Maurice "Dub" Harris, Gilberto Mendoza, Dr. Vincent A. Nardiello, Dr. Max Novich, Mark Ratner, Everett L. Sanders, Dr. Bernhard Schwartz, Bob Turley.

[raylawpc]

Thanks Rick.

[Rick Farris]

Thanks Rick.

Your welcome, Tom.
The list below is current. Lots of names found at the last minute thru the discovery of the '95 Banquet program.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

More names surfacing . . .


As I release my early draft of the WBHOF "Honor Roll", I'm discovering even more "lost names".

Just added:
Nonpareil Jack Dempsey, Jack Britton, Johnny Coulon, Jack Dillon, Jem Driscoll, Jack Root, Tommy Ryan, Barbados Joe Walcott, Jimmy Wilde.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

delete

[Rick Farris]

(This the final list of inductees in the "Boxer" catagory. Several major discoveries at the last moment)


"World Boxing Hall of Fame" Honor Roll . . . FINAL LIST:


BOXERS
______

George Abrams, Muhammad Ali, Lou Ambers, Sammy Angott, Vito Antuofermo, Fred Apostoli, Art Aragon, Joey Archer, Alexis Arguello, Baby Arizmendi, Henry Armstrong, Abe Attell, Kid Azteca.

Max Baer, Harry Balough, Young Firpo (Guido Bardelli), Joey Barnum, Carmen Basilio, Jose Becerra, Wilfredo Benitez, Nino Benvenuti, Jackie "Kid" Berg, Paul Berlenbach, Melio Bettina, Jimmy Bivens, Lou Bogash, Enrique Bolanos, Oscar Bonavena, Eddie Booker, Jimmy Braddock, Bill Brennan, Jack Britton, Lou Brouillard, Joe Brown, Panama Al Brown, Ken Buchanan, Charley Burley, Tommy Burns.

Gil Cadilli, Mushy Callahan, Orlando Canizalez, Miguel Canto, Tony Canzoneri, Primo Carnera, Georges Carpentier, Jimmy Carruthers, Jimmy Carter, Marcel Cerdan, Antonio Cervantes, Bobby Chacon, Jeff Chandler, Ezzard Charles, Carlos Chavez, Fabela Chavez, Ike Chestnut, Kid Chocolate, George Chuvalo, Curtis Cokes, Bert Colima, Billy Conn, Young Corbett II, Young Corbett III, James J. Corbett, Johnny Coulon, Pipino Cuevas.

Harold Dade, Les Darcy, Chuck Davey, Albert Davila, Esteban DeJesus, Tony DeMarco, Jack Dempsey, Nonpareil Jack Dempsey, Jack Dillon, Jem Driscoll, George Dixon, Johnny Dundee, Ralph Dupas, Roberto Duran.

Cornelius "Boza" Edwards, Jimmy Ellis, Gabriel "Flash" Elorde.

Johnny Famechon, Jeff Fenech, Jackie Fields, Jack Fiske, Bob Fitzsimmons, Del Flanagan, Glen Flanagan, Tiger Flowers, George Foreman, Bob Foster, Joe Frazier, Gene Fullmer.

Khaosai Galaxy, Victor Galindez, Joe Gans, Ceferino Garcia, Frankie Garcia, Kid Gavilan, Joey Giambra, Joey Giardello, Mike Gibbons, Tommy Gibbons, Bert Gilroy, Bennie Goldberg, Ruby Goldstein, Wilfredo Gomez, Johnny Gonzalves, Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez, Rodolfo "El Gato" Gonzalez, Billy Graham, Jackie Graves, Rocky Graziano, Harry Greb, Emile Griffith.

Marvin Hagler, Alfonse Halimi, Fighting Harada, Greg Haugen, Clarence Henry, Rafael Herrera, Larry Holmes, Al Hostak, Ace Hudkins.

Beau Jack, Julian Jackson, Peter Jackson, Harry Jeffra, James J. Jeffries, Lou Jenkins, Eder Jofre, Ingemar Johansson, Harold Johnson, Jack Johnson, Marvin Johnson, William "Gorilla" Jones, Don Jordan.

Stanley Ketchell, Johnny Kilbain, Frank Klaus.

Fidel La Barba, Jake LaMotta, Ismael Laguna, Kenny Lane, Sam Langford, Tippy Larkin, George Latka, Richie Lemos, Bennie Leonard, Sugar Ray Leonard, Gus Lesnevich, John Henry Lewis, Lennox Lewis, Ted "Kid" Lewis, Sonny Liston, Nicolino Locche, Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Ricardo Lopez, Alvaro "Yaqui" Lopez, Tommy Loughran, Joe Louis, Ray Lunny.

Raul "Raton" Macias, Ray Mancini, Sammy Mandell, Rocky Marciano, Lloyd Marshall, Joey Maxim, Jack McAuliffe, Mike McCallum, Gerald McClellan, Terry McGovern, Barry McGuigan, Jimmy McLarnin, Brian Mitchell, Bob Montgomery, Carlos Monzon, Archie Moore, Davey Moore, Denny Moyer, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Armando Muniz.

Jose Napoles, Azumah Nelson, Ken Norton, Lou Nova.

Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, Sean O'Grady, Ruben Olivares, Tony Olivera, Carl "Bobo" Olson, Gaspar "El Indio" Ortega, Carlos Ortiz, Manuel Ortiz, Ken Overlin.

Carlos Palomino, Willie Pastrano, Floyd Patterson, Billy Peacock, Eusebio Pedroza, Paul Pender, Willie Pep, Pasquel Perez, Eddie Perkins, Billy Petrolle, Jesus Pimentel, Lupe Pintor, Aaron Pryor.

Jerry Quarry.

Jose Luis Ramirez, Armando Ramos, Sugar Ramos, Lucia Rijker, Willie Ritchie, Sugar Ray Robinson, Lilly Rodriguez, Luis Rodriguez, Jack Root, Lionel Rose, Maxie Rosenbloom, Barney Ross, Tommy Ryan.

Sandy Saddler, Lauro Salas, Vicente Saldivar, Salvador Sanchez, Dave Sands, Pete Sanstol, Johnny Saxton, Max Schmeling, Marty Servo, Jack Sharkey, Billy Soose, Michael Spinks, Freddie Steele, William "Young" Stribling, John L. Sullivan.

Lew Tendler, Phil Terranova, Ernie Terrell, Marcel Thil, Dick Tiger, Efren "Alacran" Torres, Jose Torres, Gene Tunney, Randy Turpin.

Pancho Villa

Barbados Joe Walcott, Jersey Joe Walcott, Mickey Walker, Pernell Whitaker, Jimmy Wilde, Jess Willard, Cleveland Williams, Holman Williams, Ike Williams, Jackie Wilson, Ad Wolgast, Chalkey Wright.

Teddy Yarosz

Tony Zale, Alfonso Zamora, Daniel Zaragoza, Carlos Zarate, Fritzie Zivic, Juan Zurita.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


-Last edited by Rick Farris on Thu Sep 10, 2009 5:20 pm.

[kikibalt]

Arreola amazed by Rose cameo
By Robert Morales, Staff Writer


By Robert Morales Staff Writer

VAN NUYS - There, Pete Rose sat on a stool inside Joe Goossen's Gym on Tuesday. He was waiting for heavyweight contender Chris Arreola to begin sparring in preparation for his Sept.26 challenge to heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko at Staples Center.

Rose is Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader. He played the game with rare spirit, earning the nickname "Charlie Hustle."

Apparently, Rose has an affinity for Arreola because he displays similar zest in the ring.

"I love Chris' passion for the sport," Rose said. "And I just think he's got a lot of ability. He can hit hard, he's got a good chin. He gets mad. That's the kind of guy I want in my corner. You knock him down, he gets up and knocks the hell out of you."

Rose was present when Arreola was decked in the second round by Travis Walker in November in Ontario. Arreola came back and stopped Walker in the next round in vicious fashion.

"It's almost like it woke him up," Rose said. "I was at ringside and he got knocked down and it looked like he wanted to say, `What the hell am I doing on this canvas?' He got up and just haymakered the (expletive) out of him."

Mutual admiration

To say Arreola, 28, was stoked about Rose being on hand would be an understatement.

"When I met Pete Rose, I'm like, `Man, I'm a big fan,' Arreola said. "He goes, `Man, I'm a big fan of you.' And I'm like, `Man, you only seen me

for a year. I've seen you like my whole life.'
"It's a big honor to have someone like Pete Rose to actually follow me and be here, to actually want to be at my training camp to watch."

U-S-A, U-S-A

If Arreola wins, he will become the first heavyweight champion of Mexican heritage. But Arreola, of Riverside via East Los Angeles, said it is at least as important to him that he brings one of the title belts back to the United States.

Currently, all four major belts are held by Eastern Bloc fighters.

"You see I have a tattoo of the Statue of Liberty before I got anything Mexican," Arreola said, proudly showing off the tattoo on his right arm. "And the reason I'm so proud to be an American is because my parents came out here to give me a better life.

"I'm glad and blessed to be born here. I thank God every chance I get for being an American."

Arreola's parents were born in Mexico.

Seal of approval

Three sparring partners went three rounds apiece with Arreola. First it was Lance Whitaker, then Malik Scott and finally Cisse Salif.

The going was crisp, at times heated, as Whitaker and Arreola talked trash during their final round.

Observing was trainer John Bray of Van Nuys. Bray was 15-3-2 with five knockouts in the 1990s and was a Mike Tyson sparring partner during Tyson's championship years. Bray, who the day of this fight will be inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame, liked what he saw from Arreola.

"He's in shape," Bray said during Arreola's sparring with Salif.

"He keeps pushing forward with all these fresh guys. He's throwing as many punches as he did in the first round."

Arreola's trainer, Henry Ramirez, was pleased with Arreola's overall body of work.

"The thing we're working on is hitting everything that is available - arms, shoulders, everything," Ramirez said.

Daddy's little girl

Arreola's daughter, Danae, is seven years old. But she goes to all of dad's fights.

"She knows that I box, that I fight," Arreola said. "She's a kid and she really doesn't understand because she's been around it her whole life. Ever since she was a baby, she's been in a boxing gym.

"I remember me sparring and you can see her in the background in her mom's arms and her jumping up and down. So to her, what daddy does, she probably thinks that everybody's dad does this."

Not everyone's dad could.

[email protected]

[kikibalt]

Pacquiao-Cotto fight scheduled for November

The boxers begin a five-stop media tour at Yankee Stadium to promote their welterweight bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

By Bill Dwyre
September 11, 2009

They cheered Manny at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.

No, not the guy with the dreadlocks and the Boston Red Sox legacy. Never that Manny. Not here.

No, this was Manny Pacquiao, and the day was about boxing, not baseball.

On Nov. 14, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the fast-moving career of the Filipino hero will make another stop with a battle against the dangerous welterweight Miguel Cotto. Thursday marked the first of a five-stop media tour -- New York, Puerto Rico, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego -- and Yankee Stadium made a nice backdrop.

The old Yankee Stadium, still standing across the way but soon to yield to the wrecking ball and become a park, was home to many great fights over the years. One speaker reminded the crowd that Joe Louis' fight versus Max Schmeling once drew 70,000 people there.

On Thursday, they let the public in for free and perhaps 800 showed up. One of the Yankees officials was prattling on about how Yankee Stadium was the home of this and that. From the crowd came the response: "And the home of the overpriced ticket."

It is boxing and this is New York. You expect chaos and get it.

Even though the Cotto-Pacquiao fight is two months away, the gathering served as a reminder of some good stuff ahead for boxing fans.

It starts Saturday night with Andre Ward, former Olympic gold medalist who is undefeated as a pro, in a tune-up fight at Pechanga in Temecula. On the same Showtime telecast, but coming from Denmark, will be a tuneup fight involving WBA super-middleweight champ Mikkel Kessler. Then, on Nov. 21 in Oakland, Ward and Kessler will meet.

More prominent than that will be consecutive-weekend super-fights, starting with Floyd Mayweather versus Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand on Sept. 19 and the much-anticipated Vitali Klitschko-Chris Arreola heavyweight battle at Staples Center on Sept. 26. Sometime before the end of the year, the once-postponed Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams matchup, probably in Atlantic City, N.J., should be back on the calendar.

But the biggie is Cotto-Pacquiao.

Bob Arum, whose Top Rank Promotions handles both fighters and who served in his usual role of master of ceremonies for this media gathering, called Cotto-Pacquiao "the best fight of the year and maybe of the decade."

He will stand by that until his next promotion, which he will call, "the best fight of the year and maybe of the decade."

Cotto-Pacquiao and Mayweather-Marquez are conceptually joined at the hip.

Mayweather retired as boxing's pound-for-pound poster boy two years ago. Pacquiao took over that mythical crown by beating the legendary Oscar De La Hoya and the tough Brit, Ricky Hatton, while Mayweather went to nightclubs in Las Vegas and claimed he was retired for good. That, of course, was nonsense. The only retired boxers are those who can't get any more fights.

Now, the outcome of Mayweather-Marquez is being watched closely, especially by Pacquiao, who is careful about what he says but who acknowledged Thursday that "Pacquiao-Mayweather would be huge."

The waters are always muddied in boxing.

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, who was introduced by Arum as "the world's greatest trainer" and who may have lived up to that honor in Pacquiao's last few fights, said he'd rather see Marquez win and have Manny take a shot at him again. Pacquiao and Marquez fought twice, and Pacquiao came away with a draw and a split-decision win.

"I want one more shot," Roach said. "I want Manny to beat him so they will stop whining about the other fights and just shut up."

Mayweather is the favorite to beat Marquez -- "he's too big," Pacquiao said of Mayweather. But Roach said that even with a convincing victory by Mayweather, Pacquiao-Mayweather might be a hard fight to make.

"Mayweather's got a big ego and will want a lot of money," Roach said. "But Manny's not going to fight for less than Mayweather, and he's pretty stubborn. Plus, Arum and Al Haymon [Mayweather's promoter] hate each other."

In boxing, of course, hate is always trumped by money, so expect to start hearing more and more about Mayweather-Pacquiao. Then there's the issue of how long Pacquiao, 30, will keep fighting. He is committed to running for election to the Philippines Congress on May 11 and if he wins, says the careers can coexist.

"I can do both," Pacquiao said.

Roach heard that and said, "He can't do both."

Nearby, Cotto, who had listened during the formal news conference to all the praise for Pacquiao's convincing defeats of De La Hoya and Hatton and had responded by saying, "I'm not De La Hoya or Hatton," showed he knew what he was about to face.

"The punch he hit Hatton with," Cotto said, "would have taken down Mike Tyson. He won't find me that easy. My mind is my best weapon."

Some question how much Cotto has left after the beating he took at the (cemented?) hands of Antonio Margarito in July 2008. That fight ended with the previously unbeaten Cotto on one knee, badly beaten, and his corner throwing in the towel. Six months later Margarito was found with plaster of Paris in his hand wraps before Shane Mosley took him apart at Staples. And some fear that the beating Cotto suffered was even more severe than it looked.

When he learned of the plaster of Paris, Cotto was angry on several fronts, including that Margarito was also an Arum fighter. But Arum doesn't check hand wraps and Cotto eventually stayed on.

Now, the chatter over the permutations begins. Pacquiao-Mayweather? Pacquiao-Marquez? Mayweather-Cotto?

Pacquiao-Klitschko? (Just kidding.)

Whatever happens, it will be controversial, maybe nasty, probably a bit unethical and always greedy.

It's boxing. That's the fun.

[email protected].

[raylawpc]

(This the final list of inductees in the "Boxer" catagory. Several major discoveries at the last moment)


"World Boxing Hall of Fame" Honor Roll . . . FINAL LIST:


BOXERS
______

George Abrams, Muhammad Ali, Lou Ambers, Sammy Angott, Vito Antuofermo, Fred Apostoli, Art Aragon, Joey Archer, Alexis Arguello, Baby Arizmendi, Henry Armstrong, Abe Attell, Kid Azteca.

Max Baer, Harry Balough, Young Firpo (Guido Bardelli), Joey Barnum, Carmen Basilio, Jose Becerra, Wilfredo Benitez, Nino Benvenuti, Jackie "Kid" Berg, Paul Berlenbach, Melio Bettina, Jimmy Bivens, Lou Bogash, Enrique Bolanos, Oscar Bonavena, Eddie Booker, Jimmy Braddock, Bill Brennan, Jack Britton, Lou Brouillard, Joe Brown, Panama Al Brown, Ken Buchanan, Charley Burley, Tommy Burns.

Gil Cadilli, Mushy Callahan, Orlando Canizalez, Miguel Canto, Tony Canzoneri, Primo Carnera, Georges Carpentier, Jimmy Carruthers, Jimmy Carter, Marcel Cerdan, Antonio Cervantes, Bobby Chacon, Jeff Chandler, Ezzard Charles, Carlos Chavez, Fabela Chavez, Ike Chestnut, Kid Chocolate, George Chuvalo, Curtis Cokes, Bert Colima, Billy Conn, Young Corbett II, Young Corbett III, James J. Corbett, Johnny Coulon, Pipino Cuevas.

Harold Dade, Les Darcy, Chuck Davey, Albert Davila, Esteban DeJesus, Tony DeMarco, Jack Dempsey, Nonpareil Jack Dempsey, Jack Dillon, Jem Driscoll, George Dixon, Johnny Dundee, Ralph Dupas, Roberto Duran.

Cornelius "Boza" Edwards, Jimmy Ellis, Gabriel "Flash" Elorde.

Johnny Famechon, Jeff Fenech, Jackie Fields, Jack Fiske, Bob Fitzsimmons, Del Flanagan, Glen Flanagan, Tiger Flowers, George Foreman, Bob Foster, Joe Frazier, Gene Fullmer.

Khaosai Galaxy, Victor Galindez, Joe Gans, Ceferino Garcia, Frankie Garcia, Kid Gavilan, Joey Giambra, Joey Giardello, Mike Gibbons, Tommy Gibbons, Bert Gilroy, Bennie Goldberg, Ruby Goldstein, Wilfredo Gomez, Johnny Gonzalves, Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez, Rodolfo "El Gato" Gonzalez, Billy Graham, Jackie Graves, Rocky Graziano, Harry Greb, Emile Griffith.

Marvin Hagler, Alfonse Halimi, Fighting Harada, Greg Haugen, Clarence Henry, Rafael Herrera, Larry Holmes, Al Hostak, Ace Hudkins.

Beau Jack, Julian Jackson, Peter Jackson, Harry Jeffra, James J. Jeffries, Lou Jenkins, Eder Jofre, Ingemar Johansson, Harold Johnson, Jack Johnson, Marvin Johnson, William "Gorilla" Jones, Don Jordan.

Stanley Ketchell, Johnny Kilbain, Frank Klaus.

Fidel La Barba, Jake LaMotta, Ismael Laguna, Kenny Lane, Sam Langford, Tippy Larkin, George Latka, Richie Lemos, Bennie Leonard, Sugar Ray Leonard, Gus Lesnevich, John Henry Lewis, Lennox Lewis, Ted "Kid" Lewis, Sonny Liston, Nicolino Locche, Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Ricardo Lopez, Alvaro "Yaqui" Lopez, Tommy Loughran, Joe Louis, Ray Lunny.

Raul "Raton" Macias, Ray Mancini, Sammy Mandell, Rocky Marciano, Lloyd Marshall, Joey Maxim, Jack McAuliffe, Mike McCallum, Gerald McClellan, Terry McGovern, Barry McGuigan, Jimmy McLarnin, Brian Mitchell, Bob Montgomery, Carlos Monzon, Archie Moore, Davey Moore, Denny Moyer, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Armando Muniz.

Jose Napoles, Azumah Nelson, Ken Norton, Lou Nova.

Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, Sean O'Grady, Ruben Olivares, Tony Olivera, Carl "Bobo" Olson, Gaspar "El Indio" Ortega, Carlos Ortiz, Manuel Ortiz, Ken Overlin.

Carlos Palomino, Willie Pastrano, Floyd Patterson, Billy Peacock, Eusebio Pedroza, Paul Pender, Willie Pep, Pasquel Perez, Eddie Perkins, Billy Petrolle, Jesus Pimentel, Lupe Pintor, Aaron Pryor.

Jerry Quarry.

Jose Luis Ramirez, Armando Ramos, Sugar Ramos, Lucia Rijker, Willie Ritchie, Sugar Ray Robinson, Lilly Rodriguez, Luis Rodriguez, Jack Root, Lionel Rose, Maxie Rosenbloom, Barney Ross, Tommy Ryan.

Sandy Saddler, Lauro Salas, Vicente Saldivar, Salvador Sanchez, Dave Sands, Pete Sanstol, Johnny Saxton, Max Schmeling, Marty Servo, Jack Sharkey, Billy Soose, Michael Spinks, Freddie Steele, William "Young" Stribling, John L. Sullivan.

Lew Tendler, Phil Terranova, Ernie Terrell, Marcel Thil, Dick Tiger, Efren "Alacran" Torres, Jose Torres, Gene Tunney, Randy Turpin.

Pancho Villa

Barbados Joe Walcott, Jersey Joe Walcott, Mickey Walker, Pernell Whitaker, Jimmy Wilde, Jess Willard, Cleveland Williams, Holman Williams, Ike Williams, Jackie Wilson, Ad Wolgast, Chalkey Wright.

Teddy Yarosz

Tony Zale, Alfonso Zamora, Daniel Zaragoza, Carlos Zarate, Fritzie Zivic, Juan Zurita.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


-Last edited by Rick Farris on Thu Sep 10, 2009 5:20 pm.

Looks like Barbados Joe was there after all. Good.

[telboy66]

One guy I can't see on there & who has as much right as some of the fringe players that have made it on the list is Welshman Howard winstone he certainly has as much right as Barry Mcguigan

[dagosd2000]

A LEFT HOOK TO THE LIVER

Like I was mentioning ,I would once in a while watch the fighters train at the various gymnasiums in Tijuana when I was living down there. Just about every colonia had a little gym where the neighborhood aspirants would come in and see if they had what it takes.

Not until recently, most Mexican fighters were pure bangers. There were exceptions. Miguelito Canto and Baby Vasquez pop into my mind,but I remember the big left hookers. Especially throwing that shot to the liver. You'd get two Mexican fighters with the same approach against each other ,winding up throwing those left handed body shots, and the fan was in for plenty of action.

Gato Gonzalez will always talk about his left hook,"su gancho",to the liver. A man's"higado." It took the legs away from many of his opponents.

I was watching a workout at the CREA gym one in Tijuana a few years ago. An old guy standing next to me said something I'll never forget. We were watching two of these left hook artists going at it . He turned to me and shook his head.
"You know," he said,"the Mexican diet is made to order for a fighter to attack another's liver."

I often think about that remark. What came first, the diet or the left hook to the liver?

[Rick Farris]

One guy I can't see on there & who has as much right as some of the fringe players that have made it on the list is Welshman Howard winstone he certainly has as much right as Barry Mcguigan

I agree that Winstone is a great candidate.

[Rick Farris]

A LEFT HOOK TO THE LIVER

Like I was mentioning ,I would once in a while watch the fighters train at the various gymnasiums in Tijuana when I was living down there. Just about every colonia had a little gym where the neighborhood aspirants would come in and see if they had what it takes.

Not until recently, most Mexican fighters were pure bangers. There were exceptions. Miguelito Canto and Baby Vasquez pop into my mind,but I remember the big left hookers. Especially throwing that shot to the liver. You'd get two Mexican fighters with the same approach against each other ,winding up throwing those left handed body shots, and the fan was in for plenty of action.

Gato Gonzalez will always talk about his left hook,"su gancho",to the liver. A man's"higado." It took the legs away from many of his opponents.

I was watching a workout at the CREA gym one in Tijuana a few years ago. An old guy standing next to me said something I'll never forget. We were watching two of these left hook artists going at it . He turned to me and shook his head.
"You know," he said,"the Mexican diet is made to order for a fighter to attack another's liver."

I often think about that remark. What came first, the diet or the left hook to the liver?

Roger . . . Experience has taught me that the left hook to the liver is made to order for ANY diet. It's going to hurt no matter whatyou eat.

[dagosd2000]

A LEFT HOOK TO THE LIVER

Like I was mentioning ,I would once in a while watch the fighters train at the various gymnasiums in Tijuana when I was living down there. Just about every colonia had a little gym where the neighborhood aspirants would come in and see if they had what it takes.

Not until recently, most Mexican fighters were pure bangers. There were exceptions. Miguelito Canto and Baby Vasquez pop into my mind,but I remember the big left hookers. Especially throwing that shot to the liver. You'd get two Mexican fighters with the same approach against each other ,winding up throwing those left handed body shots, and the fan was in for plenty of action.

Gato Gonzalez will always talk about his left hook,"su gancho",to the liver. A man's"higado." It took the legs away from many of his opponents.

I was watching a workout at the CREA gym one in Tijuana a few years ago. An old guy standing next to me said something I'll never forget. We were watching two of these left hook artists going at it . He turned to me and shook his head.
"You know," he said,"the Mexican diet is made to order for a fighter to attack another's liver."

I often think about that remark. What came first, the diet or the left hook to the liver?

Roger . . . Experience has taught me that the left hook to the liver is made to order for ANY diet. It's going to hurt no matter whatyou eat.

Rick
I was sparring one day with a local heavyweight and caught one there in the liver.I broke out into a hot sweat and went to my knees. I don't remember eating any Mexican food that day.

[Expug]

Yep, a shot to the liver is no day at the beach .
I always felt that a good body shot was even worse to recieve than a shot on the chin.
At least with a shot on the chin, you may go out. Thats no good obviously.
However with them shots to the body, you might be feeling it a couple rounds later.
In fact , you might be feeling it a couple days later.
Getting blasted with a shot to the floating rib isnt real fun either.
I got hit by cruiserweight Henry Sims there once. Its the hardest shot I ever took. It was the eighties and I still feel it.

[Rick Farris]

Yep, a shot to the liver is no day at the beach .
I always felt that a good body shot was even worse to recieve than a shot on the chin.
At least with a shot on the chin, you may go out. Thats no good obviously.
However with them shots to the body, you might be feeling it a couple rounds later.
In fact , you might be feeling it a couple days later.
Getting blasted with a shot to the floating rib isnt real fun either.
I got hit by cruiserweight Henry Sims there once. Its the hardest shot I ever took. It was the eighties and I still feel it.

Rog & Brian . . .

I got my introduction to the feel of a left hook to the liver when I was about 14.
I'd been boxing for awhile, but I got into a habit of lifting my right elbow up from the side of my body when throwing a jab.
Naturally, when I'd thow a jab, I'd expose my liver.
It was a saturday morning at the Main Street Gym.
Before Dwight Hawkins began his hard core sparring, he'd sometimes move around with me for a couple rounds to warm up.
I weighed just over a hundred pounds and Hawkins would work easy with me, giving me just enough resistence to make me work.
I started to move with Hawkins and he stopped me mid-way thru the first round to correct my lifting of the elbow.
I'd do it right a few times, and then slowly drop back into the bad move. Once again, he stopped me to point out the mistake.
In the next round, he did me a real big favor. When I made the mistake again, he reached over and dug a little hook to my liver.
The punch stopped me in my tracks, I took a knee, and then got up and never again EVER lifted that elbow for any reason.
The "Hawk" knew sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. He found an instant cure of a deadly problem.
I got the message, and it lasted me for life.


-Rick Farris

[Randyman]

Yep, a shot to the liver is no day at the beach .
I always felt that a good body shot was even worse to recieve than a shot on the chin.
At least with a shot on the chin, you may go out. Thats no good obviously.
However with them shots to the body, you might be feeling it a couple rounds later.
In fact , you might be feeling it a couple days later.
Getting blasted with a shot to the floating rib isnt real fun either.
I got hit by cruiserweight Henry Sims there once. Its the hardest shot I ever took. It was the eighties and I still feel it.

Rog & Brian . . .

I got my introduction to the feel of a left hook to the liver when I was about 14.
I'd been boxing for awhile, but I got into a habit of lifting my right elbow up from the side of my body when throwing a jab.
Naturally, when I'd thow a jab, I'd expose my liver.
It was a saturday morning at the Main Street Gym.
Before Dwight Hawkins began his hard core sparring, he'd sometimes move around with me for a couple rounds to warm up.
I weighed just over a hundred pounds and Hawkins would work easy with me, giving me just enough resistence to make me work.
I started to move with Hawkins and he stopped me mid-way thru the first round to correct my lifting of the elbow.
I'd do it right a few times, and then slowly drop back into the bad move. Once again, he stopped me to point out the mistake.
In the next round, he did me a real big favor. When I made the mistake again, he reached over and dug a little hook to my liver.
The punch stopped me in my tracks, I took a knee, and then got up and never again EVER lifted that elbow for any reason.
The "Hawk" knew sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. He found an instant cure of a deadly problem.
I got the message, and it lasted me for life.


-Rick Farris

The "Hawk" was a wise trainer. He knew that experience and pain is the greatest teacher of all.