BoxRec

message, and there is no other words to say.Thought you gentlemen and women would like to see this.

By Rick BS.com had been advised by several industry sources that IBF President Marian Muhammad and Larry Hazzard, the IBF's chairman of officials, education, development and supervision, have been voted out by the board of the International Boxing Federation. The drama doesn't stop with the IBF's interal shifts. As previously reported, last Thursday IBF Championship Chairman Lindsey E. Tucker and Ratings Chairman Daryl J. Peoples were relieved of their duties by Muhammad. BS had been advised, by several reliable sources, that Tucker and Peoples tried to stage a coup to take over the organization. From the talk going around, they were rallying behind the scenes to get enough support to oust Muhammad from her position. They were hoping to get enough votes to make their move during the IBF's upcoming annual convention, which starts on June 1 in Puerto Rico. I heard Larry Hazzard, the IBF's chairman of officials, education, development and supervision, was approached for his support to oust Muhammad, and that led to an internal struggle because Hazzard took Muhammad's side, but there have been reports that Hazzard was the root of the dispute between Muhammad and Tucker/Peoples. Once the information reached Muhammad, she relieved Peoples and Tucker. It appears Peoples and Tucker were able to muster enough support to vote both Hazzard and Muhammad out. While not yet confirmed, the word going around the industry is that Peoples is going to take over as the new IBF president.

CNorkusJr wrote:

message, and there is no other words to say.Thought you gentlemen and women would like to see this.

By Rick BS.com had been advised by several industry sources that IBF President Marian Muhammad and Larry Hazzard, the IBF's chairman of officials, education, development and supervision, have been voted out by the board of the International Boxing Federation. The drama doesn't stop with the IBF's interal shifts. As previously reported, last Thursday IBF Championship Chairman Lindsey E. Tucker and Ratings Chairman Daryl J. Peoples were relieved of their duties by Muhammad. BS had been advised, by several reliable sources, that Tucker and Peoples tried to stage a coup to take over the organization. From the talk going around, they were rallying behind the scenes to get enough support to oust Muhammad from her position. They were hoping to get enough votes to make their move during the IBF's upcoming annual convention, which starts on June 1 in Puerto Rico. I heard Larry Hazzard, the IBF's chairman of officials, education, development and supervision, was approached for his support to oust Muhammad, and that led to an internal struggle because Hazzard took Muhammad's side, but there have been reports that Hazzard was the root of the dispute between Muhammad and Tucker/Peoples. Once the information reached Muhammad, she relieved Peoples and Tucker. It appears Peoples and Tucker were able to muster enough support to vote both Hazzard and Muhammad out. While not yet confirmed, the word going around the industry is that Peoples is going to take over as the new IBF president.

Rick Farris wrote:Stars see boxing under the stars

When Bob Hope and Bing Crosby founded the historic Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank over 60 years ago they certainly didn’t envision Lakeside to be the site for pro boxing. But last Thursday before a crowd of 500, including celebrities Joe Pesci, Andy Garcia, Bob Uecker, Harold Green, Scott Baio and Sly Stallone, Roy Englebrecht Promotions presented a six bout card titled Rumble On The Range. With a ring set up on the Lakeside driving range, the fans, who feasted on a ringside buffet and open bars, witnessed four pro boxing bouts with a Lakeside Golf Club Championship Belt on the line in the featured bout. The winner was heavyweight Joe Hanks, who staying undefeated and moved to 12-0 with a first round knockout of Marcus Dickerson.

Rick Farris wrote:Frankie Santillian . . .

Like myself, Frank Santillian will never be remembered as one of LA's best prizefighters of the era, but he was a good fighter.
Frankie and I grew up together in Burbank. We were both among the smaller kids in school, but nobody went out of their way to start trouble with us because we were both quick to fight. After school, Frank and I would go to his house and box in his back yard.

I remember Frank's dad, Max, would get home from work shortly after we'd finish school, and he'd join us in the back yard, giving us pointers, refereeing our boxing sessions. Max was a major fight fan. His favorite fighter was former featherweight champ, Davey Moore, and I recall how excited he was to attend Moore's title defense against Cuban challenger, Sugar Ramos.
After Moore lost his title and his life to Ramos, Max didn't participate in our back yard sessions for awahile, but eventually he'd join us again.

When I was twelve, I moved a few miles away to another neighborhood and I wouldn't see Frankie again for a few years.
After moving, I started training under Johnny Flores at his Pacoima gym. I began fighting in junior matches at Teamsters Gym, Stanton AC, all over L.A. A few years later, I was entered in the 1968 Jr. Golden Gloves tourney in the Open class 96-105lb. weight class. When Johnny brought a copy of the program for the upcoming Jr. GG's eliminations, I noticed a familiar name competeing in my same weight class, but in the novice division. It was Frankie Santillian!

I was excited to see my old friend's name on the program and noticed he was fighting under Canto Robledo, representing Canto's "Crown City Boxing Club" in Pasadena. It occured to me that one day we would likely fight again, only this time in a real boxing match with the winner to get a real trophy.

Frankie and I both won championships in our divisions that year.
The following year, we'd both turn 17 and would get our amateur boxing licenses.
I turned 17 just in time to qualify for the Golden Gloves in 1969, Frankie wouldn't be old enough until the following year (he was two months younger than me.)

Although I had dozens of junior bouts, I had no amateur experience when I was entered in the Open class flyweight division.

At the time, there were no flyweights in town so I fought a kid from Seattle, Gary Ferrari, and defeated him in the finals to gain a spot on the L.A. Golden Gloves team that would travel to the National Golden Gloves tourament of Champions in Kansas City, Mo. I won one match before being eliminated in the Nationals that year. L.A. only had one national champ that year, heavyweight Walter Moore. Also on our L.A. team was Rudy "Porky" Acuna (Ruben Navarro's nephew), Mike Quarry and LA's best amateurs at the time.

When I returned, Sammy Saunders was promoting amateur boxing in El Monte, at the Legion Stadium. I had fought Andy Price in El Monte while still in the juniors, the previous year. Now that I was an amateur, I'd be matched with another amateur who'd just got his license, my old pal Frankie.

Santillian and I went to war. We may have been friends, but that made it even more important to win. In the first match, I'd win a close fight, very close. A rematch was in order and two months later, Frankie won a decision, again a very close one. We would then be matched a third time, and I'd win a close one. A month later, we'd fight a fourth time and Frankie would win a close one. Four great fights.

A few months later both Frankie and I would turn professional. We had both just turned 18 and were still in high school. I was a senior in Burbank High School and Frankie was a senior at John Burroughs H.S. my school's cross-town rival.

It was expected that Frank and I would fight a fifth time, this time as pros. However, if the match were to made it would have had to have been made during those first months when we were both still bantamweights. Frankie would remain a bantam for a couple years, I'd grow into a featherweight when I was 19.

Frankie was overmatched and burnt out early. I'd hang in for a few years, and then leave boxing when the writing on the wall indicated that I best quit before facing the consequences of a losing fighter. I never saw Frankie agagin, and wonder what has ever happened to him.

Frank, do you have any memories of Frankie Santillian. I know he married into Pete Vital's family, but that's all I know.


-Rick Farris

Rick Farris wrote:Danny Alameda . . .

Frank, in the late 60's when Sammy Saunders was promoting amateur fights at places like Victoria Hall on Pico Blvd., and the El Monte Legion, he showcased a pretty good group of local guys. One of them was a lightweight that was trained by Bill Slayton, Danny Alameda. Alameda trained at the Main Street Gym and was doing pretty good until he dropped two close decisions to Pete Vital, in 1968. I thought Alameda had turned pro, but there is no record of it here on Boxrec, so maybe he didn't? Do you remember Danny Alameda? He was a pretty good fighter, lots of talent, I thought.

kikibalt wrote:

Rick Farris wrote:Danny Alameda . . .

Frank, in the late 60's when Sammy Saunders was promoting amateur fights at places like Victoria Hall on Pico Blvd., and the El Monte Legion, he showcased a pretty good group of local guys. One of them was a lightweight that was trained by Bill Slayton, Danny Alameda. Alameda trained at the Main Street Gym and was doing pretty good until he dropped two close decisions to Pete Vital, in 1968. I thought Alameda had turned pro, but there is no record of it here on Boxrec, so maybe he didn't? Do you remember Danny Alameda? He was a pretty good fighter, lots of talent, I thought.

I remember Danny Almameda real good, he was from the eastside, he was started and trained by an old guy that was full of crap, he would tell any body that would listen that he started and that he trained my boys, can't remember his name, he did have connection's to city hall though, he wasn't a cop but he had a badge from city hall....

kikibalt wrote:

Rick Farris wrote:Danny Alameda . . .

Frank, in the late 60's when Sammy Saunders was promoting amateur fights at places like Victoria Hall on Pico Blvd., and the El Monte Legion, he showcased a pretty good group of local guys. One of them was a lightweight that was trained by Bill Slayton, Danny Alameda. Alameda trained at the Main Street Gym and was doing pretty good until he dropped two close decisions to Pete Vital, in 1968. I thought Alameda had turned pro, but there is no record of it here on Boxrec, so maybe he didn't? Do you remember Danny Alameda? He was a pretty good fighter, lots of talent, I thought.

I remember Danny Almameda real good, he was from the eastside, he was started and trained by an old guy that was full of crap, he would tell any body that would listen that he started and that he trained my boys, can't remember his name, he did have connection's to city hall though, he wasn't a cop but he had a badge from city hall....

THEHAMMER321 wrote:Rick I have looked up Walter Moore on different occasions on boxrec, now I can ask you, how can a guy with a promising career be so inactive, I see where he won his first 18 fights then lost 1 then fought 1 more time, he had only 20 fights over 10 years, just letting his prime years slip away.

Rick Farris wrote:

kikibalt wrote:

Rick Farris wrote:Danny Alameda . . .

Frank, in the late 60's when Sammy Saunders was promoting amateur fights at places like Victoria Hall on Pico Blvd., and the El Monte Legion, he showcased a pretty good group of local guys. One of them was a lightweight that was trained by Bill Slayton, Danny Alameda. Alameda trained at the Main Street Gym and was doing pretty good until he dropped two close decisions to Pete Vital, in 1968. I thought Alameda had turned pro, but there is no record of it here on Boxrec, so maybe he didn't? Do you remember Danny Alameda? He was a pretty good fighter, lots of talent, I thought.

I remember Danny Almameda real good, he was from the eastside, he was started and trained by an old guy that was full of crap, he would tell any body that would listen that he started and that he trained my boys, can't remember his name, he did have connection's to city hall though, he wasn't a cop but he had a badge from city hall....

I don't know who that guy was? I remember Bill Slayton with him in the amateurs.

Rick Farris wrote:Manny Lugo and a dose of reality . . .


In 1968, future lightweight contender and Roberto Duran title challenger, Jimmy Robertson, made his pro debut at the Olympic Auditorium.
Jimmy was about to embark on a win streak that would take him to the top ten, but not before losing in his pro debut.
Robertson's opponent was a human windmill named Manny Lugo.

Lugo was well known in L.A. He didn't win often, but he always came to fight and was likely to hit you with anything, anywhere.
Former lightweight champ, Rodolfo "El Gato" Gonzalez remembered Lugo from the Hoover Street Gym with a smile.
"Manny Lugo was rough in the gym, and he'd throw punches from every angle, he'd make me work hard."

He made Robertson work hard too, and when it was over, Jimmy looked confused, like he'd just stepped out of a thrashing machine.
Robertson would win his next two, then he would even the score with Manny Lugo, beating over four rounds.
After that, Robertson's career took off, under the guidance of Gordon Shaw.

My first memory of Manny Lugo was watching him in these toe-to-toe prelim battles at the Olympic.
A few months later, I'd join a friend and train at Jake Shagrue's Hoover Street Gym.
While I was there I met Frankie Crawford for the first time.
My friend showed me a dirty little wooden shack of a garage that was behind Shagrue's house, next door to the gym.
"This garage is where Frankie Crawford slept when he first hitch-hiked out West from Cleveland."
Crawford was 14, at the time.

Frankie Crawford was fed and cared for by Shagrue, although Jake didn't take great care of himself.
I noticed as I looked into the old garge, that there was a greese-stained furniture pad spread out on the floor, with an old blanket laying over it.
I would learn that had been Crawford's bed at one time, and at the time, it was being used by Manny Lugo.
That is where this rough club fighter slept at night.

I recall as a kid when I'd watch the thursday night fights from the Olympic, I believed that because I was seeing these guys on TV, they were well paid.
I was a naive kid, of course, but I didn't know that four round fighters only made $75 back then, and out of that $75, 1/3 went to the manager.
Then you give the second a few bucks. So the fighter is lucky to take home $40.
Quite often, they will be charged other "expenses", and walk away with little or nothing.

I never forgot the place where Frankie Crawford and Manny Lugo once called home. It was an eye-opener for me, a dose of reality.


-Rick Farris

THEHAMMER321 wrote:''Novelties in boxing'', these are a couple of the people for some reason or another caught on even though they were not anything to write home about as fighters, Eric ''The Butterbean'' Esch this circus sideshow wheighed around 300 pounds threw looping haymakers, my friends and I made up a joke regarding some of his opponents we would say '' I lost 9 out of my last 10 fights by knockout, a couple more and I will be ready for the Butterbean'', Christy Martin she actually wasn't a bad fighter, but being a women in a male dominated sport got her a lot press.

CNorkusJr wrote:Nice posts gentlemen. So True, So true about pay days back then. It wasnt until TV money came into play that non champ Main eventers rarely brought home more than $1,000 on a night after payouts to cornermen,mgrs etc etc. Gym expenses too. What I still cant figure out is how guys like Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield come up broke with the millions they earn. Granted, they carried huge entourages around and Don King surely took his cuts, but still $25 million purses several times is no joke.

I remember not long ago, Tyson had a rolls royce siver shadow and was high on something. He was pulled over and ticketed on the New Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel out of Manhattan. Whatever conversation took place between him and the two police officers (to save his ass again) he handed the keys to the two police officers and told them the car is yours. Of course they didnt take it. A few weeks later I remember he wrapped it around a tree ,ala Tiger woods, and that was the end of that. But flat broke, c'mon
now.

Thanks for the updated IBF post Rick. Much appreciated. I think what they are complaining about is just the tip of a huge iceberg. I think there are millions at stake in many of these boxing groups which is not shown on paper. Internal strife is not their only enemies.

Rick Farris wrote:

THEHAMMER321 wrote:''Novelties in boxing'', these are a couple of the people for some reason or another caught on even though they were not anything to write home about as fighters, Eric ''The Butterbean'' Esch this circus sideshow wheighed around 300 pounds threw looping haymakers, my friends and I made up a joke regarding some of his opponents we would say '' I lost 9 out of my last 10 fights by knockout, a couple more and I will be ready for the Butterbean'', Christy Martin she actually wasn't a bad fighter, but being a women in a male dominated sport got her a lot press.

The Coal Miner's Daughter & The Dutch Destroyer . . .

I wish a match between Christy Martin and Lucia Rijker would have taken place.
I have a strong feeling that Lucia would have buried the "Coal Miner's Daughter".
Christy, with her trailer park personna, was no match for Rijker in a war of words.
Martin always had some excuse for avoiding that "once in a lifetime" $Million pay-day for a fem boxer.
The money was on the table, but Martin never risked more than a foul mouthed verbal attack on Lucia.
Lucia is a class act and a true champion. IMO, she is the roughest fem fighter on the planet, although six years retired.

Rick Farris wrote:Latino Boxing documentary . . .


Film maker Alan Swyer recorded two more interviews today for his Latino Boxing documentary.
Swyer called me to say that he had interviewed both Sugar Ray Leonard and our own Frank Baltazar today.

"It was a full day" Swyer told me. "I started out with Sugar Ray Leonard at his home in Pacific Palisades, and then drove across town to La Puente to interview Frank."

I'm looking forward to seeing this film when it is all cut and put together.

kikibalt wrote:

Rick Farris wrote:Latino Boxing documentary . . .


Film maker Alan Swyer recorded two more interviews today for his Latino Boxing documentary.
Swyer called me to say that he had interviewed both Sugar Ray Leonard and our own Frank Baltazar today.

"It was a full day" Swyer told me. "I started out with Sugar Ray Leonard at his home in Pacific Palisades, and then drove across town to La Puente to interview Frank."

I'm looking forward to seeing this film when it is all cut and put together.

Don't know if Alan will find any use for my interview as I'm not the most articulate guy in the barrio, plus, I'm not at ease in front of the camera, though both Alan and the camera man, Pat, try to make me feel at ease as much as possible. It was fun, I too am looking forward to seenig the film when its all done.

kikibalt wrote:

Rick Farris wrote:

THEHAMMER321 wrote:''Novelties in boxing'', these are a couple of the people for some reason or another caught on even though they were not anything to write home about as fighters, Eric ''The Butterbean'' Esch this circus sideshow wheighed around 300 pounds threw looping haymakers, my friends and I made up a joke regarding some of his opponents we would say '' I lost 9 out of my last 10 fights by knockout, a couple more and I will be ready for the Butterbean'', Christy Martin she actually wasn't a bad fighter, but being a women in a male dominated sport got her a lot press.

The Coal Miner's Daughter & The Dutch Destroyer . . .

I wish a match between Christy Martin and Lucia Rijker would have taken place.
I have a strong feeling that Lucia would have buried the "Coal Miner's Daughter".
Christy, with her trailer park personna, was no match for Rijker in a war of words.
Martin always had some excuse for avoiding that "once in a lifetime" $Million pay-day for a fem boxer.
The money was on the table, but Martin never risked more than a foul mouthed verbal attack on Lucia.
Lucia is a class act and a true champion. IMO, she is the roughest fem fighter on the planet, although six years retired.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Rick, but didn't they get into it in a LA gym?