Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Rick Farris]

4:13AM: Having a cup of coffee.....

5:03am and I'm finishing my coffee. Gotta go. Have a good one guys!

[kikibalt]

4:13AM: Having a cup of coffee.....

5:03am and I'm finishing my coffee. Gotta go. Have a good one guys!

You too Rick, don't work to hard....

[THEHAMMER321]

Is it noon yet ! , if not I better get back to sleep, don't wanna spoil my image.

[THEHAMMER321]

Just kidding I am up for the day, know I gotta make some coffee.

[Chuck1052]

There is a report saying the Shannon Briggs took home only $25,000. out of a $750,000. purse after taking a beating from Vitali Klitschko. How's that for boxing economics?

- Chuck Johnston

[bennie]

There is a report saying the Shannon Briggs took home only $25,000. out of a $750,000. purse after taking a beating from Vitali Klitschko. How's that for boxing economics?

- Chuck Johnston

Yeah, I read this on fightnews, Chuck. Briggs showed guts against Vitali but I'm not sure about his brains.

[kikibalt]

Just kidding I am up for the day, know I gotta make some coffee.

Morning Paul. What are you doing today??

[kikibalt]

R.I.P. - Virgil Akins

Virgil Akins (10 March 1928 – 22 January 2011) was an American boxer who won the undisputed Welterweight Championship of the World in 1958. Nicknamed ‘Honeybear’, Akins was the first World Champion boxer from St. Louis.

Akins was born and died in St. Louis, Missouri.

Akins was considered lanky, but proved nevertheless to be a powerful hitter with either hand. He began his career as a Lightweight in 1948, continuing to fight in that division for 6 years before finally growing into the Welterweight class. He was long considered to be an effective operator and boasted wins over future World Champions Joe Brown and Wallace ‘Bud’ Smith, as well as ending the incredible forty-seven fight winning streak of Ronnie Delaney, by way of knock-out in 1955.

Akins had powered his way up the rankings in both divisions and finally got his chance of a World title once Carmen Basilio relinquished the Welterweight Championship to concentrate on defending his new Middleweight crown. An elimination tournament including six of the World’s top-rated Welterweights was swiftly established in an effort to find Basilio’s successor. Akins emerged the victor and new World Champion on 6 June 1958 by pounding favourite Vince Martinez to a fourth round destruction. All told, Martinez went down nine times, having never seriously recovered from a shattering right delivered early in the First.

Akins's reign would not last long however. Six months later, he lost his title to Don Jordan by way of unanimous decision and in only his first defense. Akins disputed the result but fared no better in the return, held the following Spring. From that moment on, it was downhill all the way for the former champion, who would win just ten of his last twenty-three fights before hanging up his gloves in 1962.

Akins died at the age of 82 on January 22nd of 2011.

[THEHAMMER321]

Good morning all, I was thinking about all the fighters who I followed closely about 30 years ago, one of my favorites was Dwight Braxton, if you go back to when he beat James Scott and then won the title from Saad Muhamad this guy was something, here was a guy who was 5/6 or 5/7 and was actually a very good defensive fighter although most people think he was just an aggressive pressure fighter, but I think what happened with him was as Mickey said to Rocky ''he got civilized'', I mean who could blame him, the guy had done a pretty good stretch in prison, and now he was on top of the world, a world champ and money for the first time in his life, I think fighters who fight the style like Braxton fought have to be very hungry in order for them to stay on top, I saw his fight before he fought Michael Spinks against Eddie Davis and I sensed that the hunger had subsided he just wasn't the same,as the rock group Kansas had a song in the late 1970s ''dust in the wind'' in one part of the song they sing ''nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky'' , all fighters should listen to those words.

[bennie]

Definition came early for Virgil Akins, as early as his second month (and his second fight) as a pro when he was stopped in three rounds by Cincinnati's Charlie Baxter in April 1948. In the same month, a fortnight later, Akins took on the vastly more experienced Baxter again and took a six-round decision.
This fighting spirit lifted Akins to the undisputed world welterweight title in the 1950s, when boxing competition was fierce and men got hurt. Atkins left the sport blinded in one eye but he died just a few days ago at the age of 82, so his spirit remained. Make no mistake about it, Akins lived and died a fighter.
Akins turned pro on his 20th birthday in the lightweight division where he quickly established himself as a skilled youngster who fought hard and hit hard. By 1951, three years into the ranks, Akins was beating men of the calibre of Joe "Old Bones" Brown and Wallace "Bud" Smith - future world lightweight champions - but the rangy St Louis man filled out rapidly and moved up to welterweight in 1952 and lost an early decision to Johnny Saxton, although he had Saxton on the floor. Typically, it was Saxton who went on to a world title, outpointing Cuban great Kid Gavilan for the world welterweight title in 1954.
Akins was one of those fighters who built a succession of wins but then lost one, and rebuilt all over again. His fights were punishing. He had height and reach but stood his ground and whipped in quick, fluid, damaging shots to earn the nickname of "Honey Bear, and he was smooth all right, and cute in the exchanges, riding the blows and shrugging off those that did get through. Akins could dish it out and he could take it.
Akins showed all of that to outlast Boston animal Tony DeMarco in the 14th round of a stomach-churning thriller in Boston in 1957, climbing off the floor to drop DeMarco six times. They met again just three months later, also in Boston, and Akins climbed off the floor again to emerge in the 12th round of another gut-wrencher, dropping DeMarco three times.
Those wins, over a former world champion, secured the 30-year-old Akins that elusive world title shot and he made the most of it by destroying New Jersey's Vince Martinez in four rounds in St Louis in 1958 for the vacant world welterweight title. It was the first time Martinez, 60-5 going in, had ever been stopped and he was down an incredible nine times; the title was made vacant by Carmen Basilio, after a move to middleweight.
Sadly, Virgil's reign lasted six months and one non-title win over Charley "Tombstone" Smith before California's Don Jordan outscored him in California on a unanimous 15-round decision. Akins contested the verdict and got a rematch four months later on home turf in St Louis, but Jordan took another unanimous decision.
Akins descended into the role of tough 'name' opponent, going the distance with Luis Rodriguez, Don Fullmer, Kenny Lane, Ralph Dupas, Denny Moyer and Wally Swift (at Wembley) but still having enough left to beat Stan Harrington, Charley Scott and Billy Collins, prior to retiring in 1962 with a detached retina.
Remarkably, Akins was stopped only twice in a career innings of 93 fights, with 60 big wins.

[kikibalt]

Dudes, coffee is ready....

[THEHAMMER321]

[quote="kikibalt"]Dudes, coffee is ready.... [/quote I'll join you.

[kikibalt]

Dudes, coffee is ready.... [/quote I'll join you.

Black??

[Rick Farris]

Dudes, coffee is ready.... [/quote I'll join you.

I'll join you guys, too. But just for a minute then I hit the rode.
Not working too hard on this one. We'll do a major set-up in the morning which will take about 45 minutes.
Then we'll coast for most of the rest of the day.
Some times we eat the bear, and sometimes it eats us. The bear loses today.
Have a good day Frank, Paul and the rest of the gang!

[kikibalt]

Dudes, coffee is ready.... [/quote I'll join you.

I'll join you guys, too. But just for a minute then I hit the rode.
Not working too hard on this one. We'll do a major set-up in the morning which will take about 45 minutes.
Then we'll coast for most of the rest of the day.
Some times we eat the bear, and sometimes it eats us. The bear loses today.
Have a good day Frank, Paul and the rest of the gang!

You too Rick. Save the bear for Paul, he likes bears....

[kikibalt]

Connie behaving so far this morning, she haven't talked back to me!!.....

[BOXERJOSH]

Boxing and the MMA . . .

Lots of people are under the impression that boxing is losing fans to the MMA, but I have to disagree.
Boxing fans and MMA fans are a different breed.

If people are losing interest in boxing, it's not because of a new fighting sport. It's because championship boxing today rarely provides competitive fights, such as the Leonard-Duran, Ali-Frazier, Sugar Ray Robinson-Fullmer bouts we all grew up enjoying. Protected boxers, lack of activity, arrogant high-profile champions, wrestling type promotional tactics, lack of small clubs that develop contenders, and on-and-on.

When a major fight rolls into Las Vegas, so do the high rollers and fans who will book a room, take advantage of the Las Vegas attractions, restaurants, etc. Boxing fans are mature and do things differently than the younger MMA fans.
The MMA fans are less likely to throw down a wager, book rooms or spend much money while they are in town.
The guys who like MMA are not, for the most part, former boxing die hards who have lost interest in prizefighting.
Boxing fans are boxing fans, and the same with the MMA. The younger fans will gravitate to the MMA because it's trendy, exciting, and seems more suitable to the interests of a younger crowd. Maybe some of those fans would have chosen boxing if it were more like it used to be? Sadly, those days are dead & gone.

Boxing has been down many times over the years and always has made a comeback. However, the foundation of those successful comebacks were great fighters matched in competitive fights. In the early 60's, after all the bad PR that surfaced after the Jim Norris, Frankie Carbo scandals, etc. it was believed that boxing would soon be abolished, if nothing else lose it's appeal to the public.

We in L.A. saw a rebirth thru the promotional skill of Aileen Eaton & George Parnassus. As these legendary promoters died, they passed the torch to the next generation, which included Hall of Famers Don Fraser and Don Chargin, to name a couple.
With the two Don's of L.A. Boxing now in retirement, and nobody capable of making a card consisting of competitive matches, promoters focus on Bullsh_t to sell a card. They believe that what people come to see is half-naked ring card girls, a high-profile ring announcer, rap music, etc. etc.

I always have believed that boxing (as we know it) would never die. However, with the exception of a hand full of truly great boxers, such as Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez, etc. things are pretty much dead. That is my opinion.


-Rick Farris

The key words you bring up pretty much sum it all up- promotional skill. Not only did these great names of fight promoters manage to put together fantastic fight cards, they ultimately promoted the 'sport' of boxing to an entire generation of fight fans. The nonsense that sells MMA only goes so far; if that's what sells MMA then MMA is a diluted 'sport'.

Boxing talent is out there; we need to get back to grass roots fight promoting to bring it alive again.

'Get out of the way ring card girl...I wanna watch the fight!'

-Joshua Hernandez

[kikibalt]

Historic location in the 1975 film “Farewell, My Lovely,” a scene with Robert Mitchum
and Jack O’Halloran at the Far East Cafe on 1st St. in Little Tokyo.

[Randyman]

Today Jeri and I drove to Ontario to take care of some personal business. Jeri grew up in Ontario after moving here from San Antonio, Texas with her parents in the late 1950’s. We lived there together for a short time in the mid 70’s. It was a bittersweet day for her. We passed by the apartments where her parents lived in their later years. She hadn’t been there in years so it was emotional for her. We drove to the house she grew up in but it was gone, the entire neighborhood was gutted and replaced by townhouses or condos. Beautiful as they were I was sorry to see the old neighborhood gone.


The Granada Theater building


Gemmel's Drugstore

The downtown area had changed but many of the old buildings were still there. The Granada theater was still standing though I don’t think it’s still in operation. The old bank of America building was still there as well as Gemmel’s Drugstore. Gemmel’s was an old traditional drugstore that Jeri’s parents went to when she was a kid and it had already been around for years. The Granada theater was a hangout for the teens back in the day. I was picturing Jeri there as a teenager. Jeri was reminiscing. Ontario is an old town (by California standards) and there are a lot of interesting old buildings. Sadly, nothing stays the same. The Granada theater, built in1927 is said to be haunted.


Vince's Spaghetti House


Grinder Haven


A 1 foot long pastrami grinder

Before we left Ontario we decided to get something to eat. As far as we were concerned, we only had two choices, Vince’s Spaghetti House or Grinder Haven. Vince’s is an old school and old style spaghetti house and has been around since the mid 1940’s. The grinder has been around since the late 1950’s and it’s famous for their pastrami grinders. We decided on Grinder Haven. It was the right choice. We were talking about pastrami sandwiches a few weeks ago and for some reason I had a memory lapse and failed to mention them. This is the best pastrami sandwich that I have ever had. I’ve eaten here over the years since 1975 and they have remained consistent. The bread and the meat are incredible. In all the years that I have eaten here I have never ordered anything else. I can't take a chance. This is typical old school California.

[Randyman]

Frank, I was watching a movie this morning on TMC called "A Street With No Name" with Richard Widmark and Mark Stevens. Classic film noir. There are several scenes that take place in a boxing gym. It sure looks like the original Main Street Gym. Have you seen it?


Mark Stevens in "A Street With No Name"

[kikibalt]

Frank, I was watching a movie this morning on TMC called "A Street With No Name" with Richard Widmark and Mark Stevens. Classic film noir. There are several scenes that take place in a boxing gym. It sure looks like the original Main Street Gym. Have you seen it?


Mark Stevens in "A Street With No Name"

Yeah, Randy it was the original Main St. Gym, I missed it this morning, but I seen it when it first came out...a long time ago...

[kikibalt]

Frank, I was watching a movie this morning on TMC called "A Street With No Name" with Richard Widmark and Mark Stevens. Classic film noir. There are several scenes that take place in a boxing gym. It sure looks like the original Main Street Gym. Have you seen it?


Mark Stevens in "A Street With No Name"

The Street with No Name (1948) More at IMDbPro »

After two gang-related killings in "Center City," a suspect (who was framed) is arrested, released on bail...and murdered. Inspector Briggs of the FBI recruits a young agent, Gene Cordell, to go undercover in the shadowy Skid Row area (alias George Manly) as a potential victim of the same racket. Soon, Gene meets Alec Stiles, neurotic mastermind who's "building an organization along scientific lines." Stiles recruits Cordell, whose job becomes a lot more dangerous... Written by Rod Crawford <[email protected]>

In Center City, a housewife is murdered in a night-club by a gang of thieves. When a security guard of a bank is killed by the same gun during a heist, the crime becomes a federal offense under FBI jurisdiction. When the prime suspect is released and executed in the same night, FBI Inspector George Briggs recruits the rookie agent Gene Cordell to follow the last paths of the victim undercover in the identity of George Manly. Gene meets the powerful gangster Alec Stiles in a gymnasium, and later he is invited to join his gang. Working with his also undercover liaison Cy Gordon, Gene finds evidences to incriminate Stiles. However, he discovers also that somebody from the precinct is feeding Stiles with classified information. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

[kikibalt]

The Street with No Name

Directed by William Keighley
Produced by Samuel G. Engel
Written by Harry Kleiner

Starring Mark Stevens
Richard Widmark
Lloyd Nolan
Barbara Lawrence

Music by Lionel Newman
Cinematography Joseph MacDonald
Editing by William Reynolds
Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox
Running time 91 minutes

The Street with No Name (1948) is a black-and-white film noir. The movie, a follow up to The House on 92nd Street (1945), tells the story of an undercover FBI agent, Gene Cordell (Mark Stevens), who infiltrates a deadly crime gang. Cordell's superior, FBI Inspector George A. Briggs (Lloyd Nolan) also appears in The House on 92nd Street. The movie, shot in a semidocumentary style, takes place in the Skid Row section of fictional "Central City."[1]

The opening credits include the following foreword:

The motion picture you are about to see was adapted from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Wherever possible, it was photographed in the original locale and played by the actual FBI personnel involved.

This is followed by a message from J. Edgar Hoover:

The street on which crime flourishes is the street extending across America. It is the street with no name. Organized gangsterism is once again returning. If permitted to go unchecked three out of every four Americans will eventually become its victims. Wherever law and order break down there you will find public indifference. An alert and vigilant America will make for a secure America.

A crime wave, including a holdup and killing at a nightclub and a bank robbery in which a guard is killed, has hit Center City. A squad of FBI agents headed by inspector George A. Briggs meets with local FBI field officer Richard Atkins, police chief Bernard Harmatz and commissioner Ralph Demory. After Briggs interrogates suspect Robert Danker, who claims he was not involved in either killing and that he has been framed, various tests are run at the FBI laboratory in Washington that exonerate Danker. Later, Danker, who has been bailed out by "John Smith," is found stabbed to death. At the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, Briggs briefs agent Gene Cordell, who is going undercover in Center City to try to infiltrate the gang Briggs thinks is responsible for all three killings. Cordell takes a bus into Center City and takes a room at the same skid row hotel in which Danker had been living. Fellow agent Cy Gordon is in a similar hotel across the street from him. Using the name George Manly, Cordell makes himself known in the area by going to the local gym and picking a fight with one of the boxers training there. He is spotted by owner Alec Stiles, who offers him cash if he can last against the boxer. He does so and Alec pays him off.

Later, in a nearby amusement arcade, Cordell tells Gordon that while he was at the gym, his Social Security card was stolen. As they talk, two policemen approach and arrest Cordell for a break-in at a jewelry store, where his card has been found. The FBI has provided a false record for Cordell, and he is bailed out by John Smith, who turns out to be Stiles. Through the police department, Stiles has acquired a copy of Cordell's phony FBI record and is impressed enough to invite him to join his organization. Later, Cordell meets with Briggs on board a ferry, and his report convinces Briggs that the Stiles gang are their culprits. After Stiles and his henchmen plan a robbery of a local mansion, Stiles has a violent argument with his girl friend Judy. Cordell alerts Gordon about the robbery and the FBI and police prepare an ambush, but Stiles' informant within the police department tips him off and he cancels the job. Cordell returns to gang headquarters and fires a shot from Stiles' revolver in order to recover the bullet for testing. However, Stiles discovers that his gun has been fired and goes to see his informant, Commissioner Demory, and asks him to have his gun checked for fingerprints. Demory later advises Stiles that his gang has been infiltrated by Cordell.

Shivvy and Matty, two of Stiles' henchmen, take Cordell to see Stiles and Gordon follows them in a taxi. Briggs, who has been observing Stiles and can link him to Demory, then receives a report from Washington that the barrel markings on the bullet fired from Stiles' gun are identical with those on the bullets used in the previous killings. After Gordon tracks Shivvy, Matty and Cordell to a factory, he tells the taxi driver to get word to Briggs as to where he is. Inside the plant, Shivvy discovers and then stabs Gordon. Cordell does not realize he has been found out until Stiles announces he is going to frame him and have Demory's officers "accidentally" kill him. However, the plan backfires when Briggs and Chief Harmatz arrive with backup and chase Stiles through the factory. Cordell corners Stiles and kills him, and as Briggs arrests Demory, agent Gordon recovers.

* Mark Stevens as Gene Cordell/George Manly
* Richard Widmark as Alec Stiles
* Lloyd Nolan as Inspector George A. Briggs
* Barbara Lawrence as Judy Stiles
* Ed Begley as Police Chief Bernard Harmatz
* Donald Buka as Shivvy
* Joseph Pevney as Matty
* John McIntire as Cy Gordon

[Randyman]

Junior Middleweight/Super Welterweight Austin Trout, who is trained by my cousin Louis Burke, will be fighting for the WBA Super welterweight title on February 5, in Guadalajara, Mexico against Rigoberto “Español” Alvarez. Trout is training at 7000 ft altitude in the high mountains of Ruidoso, New Mexico. If he wins he will be Las Cruces' first world champion. Should he win he will also be Louie's first champion.

Louie sent me these photos of Austin training in Ruidoso.















http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

[Randyman]

Frank, I was watching a movie this morning on TMC called "A Street With No Name" with Richard Widmark and Mark Stevens. Classic film noir. There are several scenes that take place in a boxing gym. It sure looks like the original Main Street Gym. Have you seen it?


Mark Stevens in "A Street With No Name"

Yeah, Randy it was the original Main St. Gym, I missed it this morning, but I seen it when it first came out...a long time ago...

Frank, I figured you've seen it. I never heard of it before today and I'm fairly savvy on movies, especially those that contain boxing in them. Thanks for posting the info.