BoxRec

kikibalt wrote:"Happy Valley"

In the summer of '53 my friends and I were cruising Whittier Blvd in my '38 4 door Chevy. We met some girls from Happy Valley and they invited us to a house party in Happy Valley for the following Saturday. Saturday comes, I picked my friends up, I drove to East L.A (Eastern Ave) when we knew a store owner that sold beer to under age guys (us), after buying some cold ones we drove to the party, the party was being held in the garage. We seen the girls that invited us and we start dancing slow dances with them. Soon the guys from Happy Valley were getting piss and giving us dirty looks, we kept dancing to slow R & B music, and the Happy Valley dudes are getting pisser by the minute. Soon one of my friends who indulge one to many cold ones sat down on a couch and passed out, while my friend was passed out one guy from Happy Valley started beating the shit out of him, we all jumped the guy and then all hell broke lose. There were 6 of us and about 20 of them, so we ran to my car and jumped in, I had a car in front and one in back of me, in order to get out I had to back up to go around the car in front of me, well I backed up too fast and I hit the car behind me, a mid'30 Ford, all cherry out, the bumpers locked, I put my car in first gear, I took off but was having trouble gaining speed, then one one of my friend tells me "kiki you're towing a car behind you", in a few yards I hit a bump and the bumper unlocked, I seen in the rear view mirror that the Ford hit a parked car, we jump on the 10 freeway and got back to Old Pico to lick our wounds....

coach greg v wrote:

kikibalt wrote:

coach greg v wrote: > I also went there very nice stuff. One of these day you will have to tell us about the boxing rivilries from happy valley and the clantons all the old stuff.....,

One of the best known East Los cross-town rivalry was between Keeny Teran and Gil Cadilli, both were from Flats, one was First Flats, the other from Fourth Flats.

>RAY you got to tell us about champ thomas and mr o'grady. inquiring minds want to know....

raylawpc wrote:

Rick Farris wrote:

raylawpc wrote: I think you guys are too hard on Pat - probably because you didn't know him. When I think of somebody who "screws" with other people's money, I think of somebody who cons somebody or lies or cheats them out of their money. Pat never did that to anybody I knew. If Pat was gonna f*ck you, he told you in advance. You had two choices: You got f*cked willingly, or you walked away. Pat didn't care, and he didn't fault you if you took the second option.

An example: Pat hired professional sportswriters to write the press releases for upcoming shows. When he discovered I had a bit of writing talent, he asked me to do it. After I wrote my first press release, I went to him to get paid. "This is a great learning experience for you. You should be paying me," he said. I decided he was right, and I wrote my first few press releases for free. But then I started getting published in Ring Magazine, and I told him I was a published writer (+ a journalism major) and entitled to get paid. "You're right," he said. And I got paid just like the other sportswriters.

I can't think of a single time Pat ever lied to me about anything. And one time, in a time of personal crisis when all of my other so-called friends vanished like a f*rt int he wind, Pat was one of the few guys who stuck with me.

This is why we need you to tell us O'Grady stories. All I care to know is the truth. Since none of us knew Pat O'Grady, except you, all we can do is form an opinion based on what we've heard. I never heard anything really bad about O'Grady, I just was amazed how easily he allowed Sean to risk his eyesight in the match with Shig Fugiyama. I wasn't in the corner, and didn't see it as closely as O'Grady, but I saw enough to know the fight should have been stopped. In the end, all turned out OK, but it appeared Sean losing the fight was more important an issue than him losing his eyesight. If I have any question relating to Pat O'Grady's actions in life, that would be the only one. I get irritated when I read stories or hear opinions relating to the Quarry family. Even his well written biography is full of BS.

I didn't see the fight, so I didn't see the cut. I didn't go to any boxing matches when I was in law school. (I was actually a very dedicated law student.) Sean was an unusual bleeder. I'm told he would bleed profusely even from a cut that wasn't very bad, and his cuts were a bitch to stop. That said, I asked Pat the very same question some months after the fight, and he told me: (1) the cut was not a bad cut as far as depth or location (i.e., Sean's eye wasn't danger), and (2) the blood was not getting into Sean's eye. He could still see. Pat told me dozens of times before that fight that one should never stop a fight if the fighter could still see and wasn't in danger of permanent injury from the cut.

raylawpc wrote:

coach greg v wrote:

kikibalt wrote: One of the best known East Los cross-town rivalry was between Keeny Teran and Gil Cadilli, both were from Flats, one was First Flats, the other from Fourth Flats.

>RAY you got to tell us about champ thomas and mr o'grady. inquiring minds want to know....

As I wrote above:

"Pat and Champ Thomas went back many years. Pat got his start boxing on the carney circuit, and he and Champ were a team. Pat was the boxer, and Champ was the wrestler (and the barker). If you lasted three rounds boxing with Pat or 5 minutes wrestling with Champ, you'd get something like $25 or $50. They had a lot of adventures together on the carney circuit, and Pat could regale you for hours with stories about their adventures."

Champ didn't come around OKC very much during my time with the O'Grady's, so I knew him mostly by the stories Pat told. In fact, I can't remember specifically meeting him. I know Pat really liked him; however, I heard from somebody (Sean, I think) that they had a big falling out not long before Pat died.

I'll write up something about the old carnival fights, if you guys are interested.

kikibalt wrote:"Happy Valley"

In the summer of '53 my friends and I were cruising Whittier Blvd in my '38 4 door Chevy. We met some girls from Happy Valley and they invited us to a house party in Happy Valley for the following Saturday. Saturday comes, I picked my friends up, I drove to East L.A (Eastern Ave) when we knew a store owner that sold beer to under age guys (us), after buying some cold ones we drove to the party, the party was being held in the garage. We seen the girls that invited us and we start dancing slow dances with them. Soon the guys from Happy Valley were getting piss and giving us dirty looks, we kept dancing to slow R & B music, and the Happy Valley dudes are getting pisser by the minute. Soon one of my friends who indulge one to many cold ones sat down on a couch and passed out, while my friend was passed out one guy from Happy Valley started beating the shit out of him, we all jumped the guy and then all hell broke lose. There were 6 of us and about 20 of them, so we ran to my car and jumped in, I had a car in front and one in back of me, in order to get out I had to back up to go around the car in front of me, well I backed up too fast and I hit the car behind me, a mid'30 Ford, all cherry out, the bumpers locked, I put my car in first gear, I took off but was having trouble gaining speed, then one one of my friend tells me "kiki you're towing a car behind you", in a few yards I hit a bump and the bumper unlocked, I seen in the rear view mirror that the Ford hit a parked car, we jump on the 10 freeway and got back to Old Pico to lick our wounds....

coach greg v wrote:

kikibalt wrote:"Happy Valley"

In the summer of '53 my friends and I were cruising Whittier Blvd in my '38 4 door Chevy. We met some girls from Happy Valley and they invited us to a house party in Happy Valley for the following Saturday. Saturday comes, I picked my friends up, I drove to East L.A (Eastern Ave) when we knew a store owner that sold beer to under age guys (us), after buying some cold ones we drove to the party, the party was being held in the garage. We seen the girls that invited us and we start dancing slow dances with them. Soon the guys from Happy Valley were getting piss and giving us dirty looks, we kept dancing to slow R & B music, and the Happy Valley dudes are getting pisser by the minute. Soon one of my friends who indulge one to many cold ones sat down on a couch and passed out, while my friend was passed out one guy from Happy Valley started beating the shit out of him, we all jumped the guy and then all hell broke lose. There were 6 of us and about 20 of them, so we ran to my car and jumped in, I had a car in front and one in back of me, in order to get out I had to back up to go around the car in front of me, well I backed up too fast and I hit the car behind me, a mid'30 Ford, all cherry out, the bumpers locked, I put my car in first gear, I took off but was having trouble gaining speed, then one one of my friend tells me "kiki you're towing a car behind you", in a few yards I hit a bump and the bumper unlocked, I seen in the rear view mirror that the Ford hit a parked car, we jump on the 10 freeway and got back to Old Pico to lick our wounds....

>frank was that pico alesso

coach greg v wrote:

kikibalt wrote:"Happy Valley"

In the summer of '53 my friends and I were cruising Whittier Blvd in my '38 4 door Chevy. We met some girls from Happy Valley and they invited us to a house party in Happy Valley for the following Saturday. Saturday comes, I picked my friends up, I drove to East L.A (Eastern Ave) when we knew a store owner that sold beer to under age guys (us), after buying some cold ones we drove to the party, the party was being held in the garage. We seen the girls that invited us and we start dancing slow dances with them. Soon the guys from Happy Valley were getting piss and giving us dirty looks, we kept dancing to slow R & B music, and the Happy Valley dudes are getting pisser by the minute. Soon one of my friends who indulge one to many cold ones sat down on a couch and passed out, while my friend was passed out one guy from Happy Valley started beating the shit out of him, we all jumped the guy and then all hell broke lose. There were 6 of us and about 20 of them, so we ran to my car and jumped in, I had a car in front and one in back of me, in order to get out I had to back up to go around the car in front of me, well I backed up too fast and I hit the car behind me, a mid'30 Ford, all cherry out, the bumpers locked, I put my car in first gear, I took off but was having trouble gaining speed, then one one of my friend tells me "kiki you're towing a car behind you", in a few yards I hit a bump and the bumper unlocked, I seen in the rear view mirror that the Ford hit a parked car, we jump on the 10 freeway and got back to Old Pico to lick our wounds....

>frank was that pico alesso

coach greg v wrote:

coach greg v wrote:

kikibalt wrote:"Happy Valley"

In the summer of '53 my friends and I were cruising Whittier Blvd in my '38 4 door Chevy. We met some girls from Happy Valley and they invited us to a house party in Happy Valley for the following Saturday. Saturday comes, I picked my friends up, I drove to East L.A (Eastern Ave) when we knew a store owner that sold beer to under age guys (us), after buying some cold ones we drove to the party, the party was being held in the garage. We seen the girls that invited us and we start dancing slow dances with them. Soon the guys from Happy Valley were getting piss and giving us dirty looks, we kept dancing to slow R & B music, and the Happy Valley dudes are getting pisser by the minute. Soon one of my friends who indulge one to many cold ones sat down on a couch and passed out, while my friend was passed out one guy from Happy Valley started beating the shit out of him, we all jumped the guy and then all hell broke lose. There were 6 of us and about 20 of them, so we ran to my car and jumped in, I had a car in front and one in back of me, in order to get out I had to back up to go around the car in front of me, well I backed up too fast and I hit the car behind me, a mid'30 Ford, all cherry out, the bumpers locked, I put my car in first gear, I took off but was having trouble gaining speed, then one one of my friend tells me "kiki you're towing a car behind you", in a few yards I hit a bump and the bumper unlocked, I seen in the rear view mirror that the Ford hit a parked car, we jump on the 10 freeway and got back to Old Pico to lick our wounds....

>frank was that pico alesso

> I am having a problem keeping track of the feed. I was away from the pc eating and i almost missed all franks and ricks writings anyway i avoid that problem?????

kikibalt wrote:"Happy Valley"

In the summer of '53 my friends and I were cruising Whittier Blvd in my '38 4 door Chevy. We met some girls from Happy Valley and they invited us to a house party in Happy Valley for the following Saturday. Saturday comes, I picked my friends up, I drove to East L.A (Eastern Ave) when we knew a store owner that sold beer to under age guys (us), after buying some cold ones we drove to the party, the party was being held in the garage. We seen the girls that invited us and we start dancing slow dances with them. Soon the guys from Happy Valley were getting piss and giving us dirty looks, we kept dancing to slow R & B music, and the Happy Valley dudes are getting pisser by the minute. Soon one of my friends who indulge one to many cold ones sat down on a couch and passed out, while my friend was passed out one guy from Happy Valley started beating the shit out of him, we all jumped the guy and then all hell broke lose. There were 6 of us and about 20 of them, so we ran to my car and jumped in, I had a car in front and one in back of me, in order to get out I had to back up to go around the car in front of me, well I backed up too fast and I hit the car behind me, a mid'30 Ford, all cherry out, the bumpers locked, I put my car in first gear, I took off but was having trouble gaining speed, then one one of my friend tells me "kiki you're towing a car behind you", in a few yards I hit a bump and the bumper unlocked, I seen in the rear view mirror that the Ford hit a parked car, we jump on the 10 freeway and got back to Old Pico to lick our wounds....

Cholo wrote:Art "Golden Boy" Aragon/Chico Vejar, Mar. 15, 1958

It was a rainy evening, but it didn't prevent Hollywood Legion Stadium from establishing a new record for gate receipts. A crowd estimated at 6,000 paid a gross of $40,444 to see Art Aragon, 153, register a unanimous decision over Chico Vejar, 154, and margin of victory was quite conclusive. Referee Frankie Van tabbed it 99-90: Judge Dynamite Jackson, 98-92, and Judge George Latka, 97-91 Previous high for Hollywood was $29,800, set in 1955 by Bobo Olson and Willie Vaughn. Given a break in the weather, this time , the Legion might have sold out completely and drawn close to $50.000. The fight was not televised. Prices: $5 to $15. Aragon's best weapons were his potent left hook and right hand uppercut. Only in Round 2 did Vejar seem to have the upper hand. Only knockdown of the fight was registered by Aragon in the 6th, when Chico went down for no-count following a left hook to the chin. Legion capacity is 6,500 and when a crowd of 6,000 braved dreary, rainy weather at $15 top to see this scrap. It was probably the best compliment Aragon has received in many years. It is possible that Aragon's next opponent hereabouts may be fellow-townsmen Tombstone Smith or possibly Kid Gavilan. Both fights would be sellouts.
Frank, I have a scrapbook with loads of old newspaper clippings of Golden Boy, I'll post more. I hope they soon do a documentary or book on the Golden Boy, would make fascinating viewing and reading..

kikibalt wrote:

Cholo wrote:Art "Golden Boy" Aragon/Chico Vejar, Mar. 15, 1958

It was a rainy evening, but it didn't prevent Hollywood Legion Stadium from establishing a new record for gate receipts. A crowd estimated at 6,000 paid a gross of $40,444 to see Art Aragon, 153, register a unanimous decision over Chico Vejar, 154, and margin of victory was quite conclusive. Referee Frankie Van tabbed it 99-90: Judge Dynamite Jackson, 98-92, and Judge George Latka, 97-91 Previous high for Hollywood was $29,800, set in 1955 by Bobo Olson and Willie Vaughn. Given a break in the weather, this time , the Legion might have sold out completely and drawn close to $50.000. The fight was not televised. Prices: $5 to $15. Aragon's best weapons were his potent left hook and right hand uppercut. Only in Round 2 did Vejar seem to have the upper hand. Only knockdown of the fight was registered by Aragon in the 6th, when Chico went down for no-count following a left hook to the chin. Legion capacity is 6,500 and when a crowd of 6,000 braved dreary, rainy weather at $15 top to see this scrap. It was probably the best compliment Aragon has received in many years. It is possible that Aragon's next opponent hereabouts may be fellow-townsmen Tombstone Smith or possibly Kid Gavilan. Both fights would be sellouts.
Frank, I have a scrapbook with loads of old newspaper clippings of Golden Boy, I'll post more. I hope they soon do a documentary or book on the Golden Boy, would make fascinating viewing and reading..

Art Aragon v Chico Vejar







Art Aragon having his gloves taken off by trainer Benny Conyers

kikibalt wrote:

Cholo wrote:Art "Golden Boy" Aragon/Chico Vejar, Mar. 15, 1958

It was a rainy evening, but it didn't prevent Hollywood Legion Stadium from establishing a new record for gate receipts. A crowd estimated at 6,000 paid a gross of $40,444 to see Art Aragon, 153, register a unanimous decision over Chico Vejar, 154, and margin of victory was quite conclusive. Referee Frankie Van tabbed it 99-90: Judge Dynamite Jackson, 98-92, and Judge George Latka, 97-91 Previous high for Hollywood was $29,800, set in 1955 by Bobo Olson and Willie Vaughn. Given a break in the weather, this time , the Legion might have sold out completely and drawn close to $50.000. The fight was not televised. Prices: $5 to $15. Aragon's best weapons were his potent left hook and right hand uppercut. Only in Round 2 did Vejar seem to have the upper hand. Only knockdown of the fight was registered by Aragon in the 6th, when Chico went down for no-count following a left hook to the chin. Legion capacity is 6,500 and when a crowd of 6,000 braved dreary, rainy weather at $15 top to see this scrap. It was probably the best compliment Aragon has received in many years. It is possible that Aragon's next opponent hereabouts may be fellow-townsmen Tombstone Smith or possibly Kid Gavilan. Both fights would be sellouts.
Frank, I have a scrapbook with loads of old newspaper clippings of Golden Boy, I'll post more. I hope they soon do a documentary or book on the Golden Boy, would make fascinating viewing and reading..

Art Aragon v Chico Vejar







Art Aragon having his gloves taken off by trainer Benny Conyers

kikibalt wrote:"El Hoyo Soto"

El Hoyo Soto was a Mexican-American barrio, just another one of many that were in the ELA/Boyle Heights area in the 1950's, the streets were dirt, one way in, one way out.

Around 1951 my buddies and I met some girls on the boulevard, said they were from El Hoyo Soto, after talking for a while they invited us to a house party for that coming Saturday, we of course said yes, come Saturday six of us guys jumped in my buddy Richard "Goma" Gomez '41 Ford convertible that he had just bought two week earlier, now we are at the party dancing with the girls that we had met, well the dudes from El Hoyo didn't take kindly to that, a fight broke out, there was too many of them so we jumped into the '41 Ford, take off on this dirt road, the only way out, than the Ford died out, we looked back and there's guys following us in cars, and on foot, the Ford wouldn't start so we jumped and ran out of there, got to the boulevard jumped on the street car, we all got home okay, a few days later we go back to get the Ford, f**k, its was burned to the ground...

kikibalt wrote:Having my second cup of coffee, black on black....

kikibalt wrote:"El Hoyo Soto"

El Hoyo Soto was a Mexican-American barrio, just another one of many that were in the ELA/Boyle Heights area in the 1950's, the streets were dirt, one way in, one way out.

Around 1951 my buddies and I met some girls on the boulevard, said they were from El Hoyo Soto, after talking for a while they invited us to a house party for that coming Saturday, we of course said yes, come Saturday six of us guys jumped in my buddy Richard "Goma" Gomez '41 Ford convertible that he had just bought two week earlier, now we are at the party dancing with the girls that we had met, well the dudes from El Hoyo didn't take kindly to that, a fight broke out, there was too many of them so we jumped into the '41 Ford, take off on this dirt road, the only way out, than the Ford died out, we looked back and there's guys following us in cars, and on foot, the Ford wouldn't start so we jumped and ran out of there, got to the boulevard jumped on the street car, we all got home okay, a few days later we go back to get the Ford, f**k, its was burned to the ground...

coach greg v wrote:

kikibalt wrote:"El Hoyo Soto"

El Hoyo Soto was a Mexican-American barrio, just another one of many that were in the ELA/Boyle Heights area in the 1950's, the streets were dirt, one way in, one way out.

Around 1951 my buddies and I met some girls on the boulevard, said they were from El Hoyo Soto, after talking for a while they invited us to a house party for that coming Saturday, we of course said yes, come Saturday six of us guys jumped in my buddy Richard "Goma" Gomez '41 Ford convertible that he had just bought two week earlier, now we are at the party dancing with the girls that we had met, well the dudes from El Hoyo didn't take kindly to that, a fight broke out, there was too many of them so we jumped into the '41 Ford, take off on this dirt road, the only way out, than the Ford died out, we looked back and there's guys following us in cars, and on foot, the Ford wouldn't start so we jumped and ran out of there, got to the boulevard jumped on the street car, we all got home okay, a few days later we go back to get the Ford, f**k, its was burned to the ground...

> Frank I am telling you. this could be taken out of dunns book. If u do not get that book I will send it too you!!!!

Cholo wrote: Frank, Were you at the Aragon/Vejar fight?

kikibalt wrote:

coach greg v wrote:

kikibalt wrote:"El Hoyo Soto"

El Hoyo Soto was a Mexican-American barrio, just another one of many that were in the ELA/Boyle Heights area in the 1950's, the streets were dirt, one way in, one way out.

Around 1951 my buddies and I met some girls on the boulevard, said they were from El Hoyo Soto, after talking for a while they invited us to a house party for that coming Saturday, we of course said yes, come Saturday six of us guys jumped in my buddy Richard "Goma" Gomez '41 Ford convertible that he had just bought two week earlier, now we are at the party dancing with the girls that we had met, well the dudes from El Hoyo didn't take kindly to that, a fight broke out, there was too many of them so we jumped into the '41 Ford, take off on this dirt road, the only way out, than the Ford died out, we looked back and there's guys following us in cars, and on foot, the Ford wouldn't start so we jumped and ran out of there, got to the boulevard jumped on the street car, we all got home okay, a few days later we go back to get the Ford, f**k, its was burned to the ground...

> Frank I am telling you. this could be taken out of dunns book. If u do not get that book I will send it too you!!!!

okay Greg, But dude, I got my own book...