Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

Tragic, tragic story about Lou Costello's son. The strength within to go on with the show. Lou was a very good boxer I was told. But to make a living out of it was not his cup of tea. Nor was Bob Hope. But he attended the fight cards whenever he could.

As an associate member of the New Jersey Boxing HOF, based in Lodi, New Jersey ( The Monthly Meetings are held there, as well as its annual Induction Dinner Nite in nearby Garfield, NJ) I would attend the meetings about 5-6 times a year as well as the dinner. My father was Inducted in 1996.

The Lou Costello Gym is located in Patterson, NJ to this date. Officially called "Lou Costello Sportsman Club".
I am not sure year it was founded, but I am led to believe that Lou Costello himself started it in honor of his departed son.
Today, like so many gyms, it has a hard time staying afloat. It recently went into a property ownership problem, which I believe has been resolved and the club remains active. The Gym supports many upcoming youths in New Jersey Amateur Boxing programs. It might be noted that New Jersey Youth Boxing (Amateurs) is very much alive and well. Hundreds of young boys to men participate in many programs and tournaments in New Jersey, and quite a few advance regionally as well as National Champions.

Here is a support ad they take out every year in the New Jersey Journal:This one is from 2008.

Nice post Charley. I know Lou did a lot for the Boy's Clubs Of America too. I've been watching The Colgate Palmolive programs featuring Bud and Lou on my NetFlix. You can see the love in these guys' hearts. The programs were aired live. A real warm,secure feeling of my youth when I watch these.

[dagosd2000]

Austin Trout

[dagosd2000]

Brian,I see you're on the thread. I'm still working on getting an image of Sixto Rodriguez.

[Expug]

Thanks Rog. That's outstanding.

[dagosd2000]

Sixto Rodriguez(Fat City)


On And Off The Bus

The Mexican fighters in the big bouts get comped to venues like Las Vegas. But the club fighters from down south of the border travel on the various buses that bring a lot of the hopefull ,legal and not ,to California for the chance of a better life.Towns like Reynosa,Gomez Palacio,and the Durangos of Mexico,the boxers from there sit at the little depots and get aboard the buses with names like Norte De Sonora and Tres Estrellas De Oro:the field workers,day laborers, night custodians, and the fighters. The journeymen guys who are there to pave the way for the local up and coming guy,or perhaps to smash a dream with a left hook to the liver.They go to hot small towns in the San Joaquin Valley. The Indios and Oxnards. The Salinases and Stocktons.

The arenas,ice houses,baseball fields-any venue where the hopefull from down south can watch the fights on a Friday night.

A lot of greats and not so greats started there and finished their careers in those rings. There was Manual Ortiz and Yaqui Lopez,and many that few can remember except for the fact that for people who sat in the stands,far from their hometowns in Mexico,had something to cheer about.

[Expug]

Beautiful Roger! I really appreciate it. Your description is perfect also. The fight game that you describe and the fighter Lucero are the grittiest of all. This isn't the boxing of pay per view or even Espn for that matter. This is the tough,hard,and often unfair world the casual fan has no idea about or appreciation for. But we sure do. And guys like Sixto/Lucero were always the guys I admired the most.

[scartissue]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/two ... 05823.html

Hey, Charley, did you see this? Now they're shooting at the firemen. This has been a crazy 2012. I hope all my friends here at Classic West Coast Boxing has a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and let's have a great 2013. I love you, guys.

Scartissue

[Randyman]

Thanks Rog. Sign it I'll pony up some dough for it and on the den wall it goes I promise.

There's not many shots of Sixto,but I may just watch the movie and go from there. BTW. I never charge my friends for a painting. Rog

Rog, that last sentence says everything anyone needs to know about you. Thanks again for my painting and for the one you did last year for Louie. Man, I love reading the stories that you post with your paintings, real old school style and sometimes up close and personal!! You're a generous man Rog, with a big heart!!

[Randyman]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/two ... 05823.html

Hey, Charley, did you see this? Now they're shooting at the firemen. This has been a crazy 2012. I hope all my friends here at Classic West Coast Boxing has a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and let's have a great 2013. I love you, guys.

Scartissue

It was good seeing you again Dan, at CBHOF in October. We all had a great time. Yes, it's a crazy world getting crazier by the minute. 2012 has been as crazy as it gets. Take care my friend and Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[Randyman]

Merry Christmas to all my friends here on CAWCB. Good to see some of the old familiar faces here again! Good health to all of you in the upcoming year!!

[Randyman]

Austin Trout

Very nice Rog, you really captured Austin with this painting. I think we are looking at someone special in Austin. He's turning out to be one hell of a fighter.

[Randyman]

Tragic, tragic story about Lou Costello's son. The strength within to go on with the show. Lou was a very good boxer I was told. But to make a living out of it was not his cup of tea. Nor was Bob Hope. But he attended the fight cards whenever he could.

As an associate member of the New Jersey Boxing HOF, based in Lodi, New Jersey ( The Monthly Meetings are held there, as well as its annual Induction Dinner Nite in nearby Garfield, NJ) I would attend the meetings about 5-6 times a year as well as the dinner. My father was Inducted in 1996.

The Lou Costello Gym is located in Patterson, NJ to this date. Officially called "Lou Costello Sportsman Club".
I am not sure year it was founded, but I am led to believe that Lou Costello himself started it in honor of his departed son.
Today, like so many gyms, it has a hard time staying afloat. It recently went into a property ownership problem, which I believe has been resolved and the club remains active. The Gym supports many upcoming youths in New Jersey Amateur Boxing programs. It might be noted that New Jersey Youth Boxing (Amateurs) is very much alive and well. Hundreds of young boys to men participate in many programs and tournaments in New Jersey, and quite a few advance regionally as well as National Champions.

Here is a support ad they take out every year in the New Jersey Journal:This one is from 2008.

Thanks for that Charley. There is a photo of Lou Costello floating around the internet with Lou and some fighter (I can't recall at the moment who it is). I believe Lou is throwing a right hand. He looks to be throwing it like an exfighter but since it was just a photo it's hard to tell. My gut feeling was that he had boxed in some capacity at one time. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Randyman]

Congrats to Randy! Congrats also to Rick and all for a great event.
Looks fantastic.
Randy,you look great partner.

Thank you Brian, I felt great that day.

Hope all is well with you and your family Brian. maybe some day soon we can all get together again. It would be nice for everyone to get together at a fight in Las Vegas sometime soon, and meet for dinner for a CAWCB reunion!

[Randyman]

Had a great time yesterday at the California Boxing Hall of Fame. My thanks to Rick Farris, Frank Baltazar, Don Fraser and the 2012 CBHOF selection committee for giving me such a great day to share with my family. I will forever be grateful for my induction to the CBHOF. Thanks for everything.

Randy, it was great seeing you and your family again, as well as Lucia Rijker, my special guest Lamon Brewster, our pals Mando Muniz, Ruben Navarro, Joey Orbillo, Tony "The Tiger" Lopez, Carlos Palomino, Trino Savala, John Bray, Rudy Hernandez, Roger Esty and his great paintings, Gabe & Rafa Ruelas who are the only two brothers I can think of from LA that both won world titles, and so many others. Actors Rance and Clint Howard , Ricky Shroeder, and actress Cristina Sasso, were popular with the crowd and were very accessable for pics & auotgraphs. But next year will be bigger, and better, as I will have the freedom to take it a step higher. We broke the attendence record by more than 100 guests, our program (Journal) was twice as thick and will grow thicker with history, photos & ads, the crowd did not leave before the end of the event as usually happens becasue they were enjoying it! Next year Dan Hanley will be involved as I take over, also Roger Esty, Ray Maynez and a few others. Rick Resnick will remain with us, as will Bill & Linda Young. Charley Norkus's Induction broke the record for full page ads for an individual boxer, Jesse Burnette broke the record for tables sold with NINE tables (ending the record held by the DeLaFuente family). We will expand into a more National & International organization to cover the absence of the now defunct WBHOF. We have two International Inductees on deck, as well two who will come in from the East Coast. We are now are associated with the New York State Boxing HOF, the New Jersy HOF, and VBA Ring # of New York. Looking forward to next year. I'm going to take a breather for a few weeks and then back to work on the 2013 event.

Maria and I want to give congrats to Randy for being inducted into the CBHOF and having us as guests at his table with his beautifull wife Jeri and his family. Good seeing Dan Hanley from the Windy City.(gave him a kick in the balls),my good bud Rick Farris,my pal Ed Hernandez. Got to meet a real stand up guy,Charley Norkus. Got a surprise from a fellow co worker who'a a California ref and also across the border,Jose Cobian. Always great to see Chuck Johnson. Mando Muniz grabbed my shoulder . I can still feel it. See ya' next year. Rog

Thank you Rog, it was great having you there with us. I was so quiet that day because I'm not used to speaking in front of a crowd and I was nervous as hell!! Once I got that out of the way I was okay. I'll be giving you a call soon. Jeri and i want to head down to SD and pay you guys a visit!!

[Randyman]

Sixto Rodriguez(Fat City)


On And Off The Bus

The Mexican fighters in the big bouts get comped to venues like Las Vegas. But the club fighters from down south of the border travel on the various buses that bring a lot of the hopefull ,legal and not ,to California for the chance of a better life.Towns like Reynosa,Gomez Palacio,and the Durangos of Mexico,the boxers from there sit at the little depots and get aboard the buses with names like Norte De Sonora and Tres Estrellas De Oro:the field workers,day laborers, night custodians, and the fighters. The journeymen guys who are there to pave the way for the local up and coming guy,or perhaps to smash a dream with a left hook to the liver.They go to hot small towns in the San Joaquin Valley. The Indios and Oxnards. The Salinases and Stocktons.

The arenas,ice houses,baseball fields-any venue where the hopefull from down south can watch the fights on a Friday night.

A lot of greats and not so greats started there and finished their careers in those rings. There was Manual Ortiz and Yaqui Lopez,and many that few can remember except for the fact that for people who sat in the stands,far from their hometowns in Mexico,had something to cheer about.

Rog, you paint as well with your words as you do with a paint brush! very nice.

[Randyman]

Like yourself Roger, I too. was a Norton fan. I did not know much about the man personally, but I liked his presence in the Ring.He will be remembered as a shadow behind Ali, with an asterisk as breaking Ali's jaw, but he was a tough Champion in a very good heavyweight era.
I was in attendance at Madison Square Garden the night Cooney pulverized his right side with a menacing left, and compounding that punch with brutal unprotected punches to his jaw to take him out early in 1st Rd.
As a Long Islander, and on the Great White Hope Bandwagon at the time, we cheered Cooney's victory. As I left the arena with my friends, I thought to myself, Norton was one of my favorite heavies of all-time; he deserved to deliver a better ending than he got.

Just a few years back. Still very much hurting after his car accident.

[Randyman]

Had a great time yesterday at the California Boxing Hall of Fame. My thanks to Rick Farris, Frank Baltazar, Don Fraser and the 2012 CBHOF selection committee for giving me such a great day to share with my family. I will forever be grateful for my induction to the CBHOF. Thanks for everything.

And much deserved IMO. I wish I could have been there . . .

Thank you Tom, and I say this with no false humility, there are an infinite number of fighters so much more deserving than me, but with that said, I had a great day and it was an honor not only for me but for my family.

[dagosd2000]

Austin Trout

Very nice Rog, you really captured Austin with this painting. I think we are looking at someone special in Austin. He's turning out to be one hell of a fighter.

Randy,I emailed you some paintings. Let me know if you got them. I'm trying to relearn this stuff on the computer. Rog

[dagosd2000]

Christmas Eve

"So how many tamales are you going to make?"I asked my wife.
"Yo no se,"she answered.
She was busy working the maiza in the big pan along with my great grand daughter. They both were wearing their aprons.
"Be sure to make some sweet ones,"I said.
"Don't worry .I know what I'm doing."
Both my wife and great grand daughter were heads down kneading and working the maiza.

There was a ring at the door. Entered my daughter and grand daughter,Amanda. They said hello,got hugs, and went over to the big pan and started to dig in. The Mexican television station was on. I think they had on "The Robe." It was dubbed in Spanish.

The kitchen and living room was warm and steamy from the pozole cooking on the stove.Icould smell the aroma of the spinazos boiling in the pot. Everywhere there were stacks of hot tortillas.Lots of radishes, cilantro and onions. A long row of tomatos were strewn on the table. Strings of red chiles hung from a pltform above the sink. Dishes were all over the place.

Soon more people arrived. My daughter down in Tj. More great grand kids. And the great great ones. I got my kisses.The dogs were running around playing with the kids. Once all the commisserating around that pan of maiza began, I knew it was time to leave and go to my room. Maybe watch a game. Maybe read some. Perhaps a nap. Tomorrow would be Christmas. There would be plenty to eat for sure.


.

[El Gallo]

Merry Christmas to all of my Boxrec pals!
Great to see this forum picking up steam again!
I have a couple new stories I post tomorrow.
Rog, the pic of Sixto Rodriguez is great.
Have a great holiday!

-Rick Farris

[El Gallo]

Like yourself Roger, I too. was a Norton fan. I did not know much about the man personally, but I liked his presence in the Ring.He will be remembered as a shadow behind Ali, with an asterisk as breaking Ali's jaw, but he was a tough Champion in a very good heavyweight era.
I was in attendance at Madison Square Garden the night Cooney pulverized his right side with a menacing left, and compounding that punch with brutal unprotected punches to his jaw to take him out early in 1st Rd.
As a Long Islander, and on the Great White Hope Bandwagon at the time, we cheered Cooney's victory. As I left the arena with my friends, I thought to myself, Norton was one of my favorite heavies of all-time; he deserved to deliver a better ending than he got.

Just a few years back. Still very much hurting after his car accident.

Nice Charley!

[El Gallo]

Austin Trout

WOW!

[El Gallo]

Tragic, tragic story about Lou Costello's son. The strength within to go on with the show. Lou was a very good boxer I was told. But to make a living out of it was not his cup of tea. Nor was Bob Hope. But he attended the fight cards whenever he could.

As an associate member of the New Jersey Boxing HOF, based in Lodi, New Jersey ( The Monthly Meetings are held there, as well as its annual Induction Dinner Nite in nearby Garfield, NJ) I would attend the meetings about 5-6 times a year as well as the dinner. My father was Inducted in 1996.

The Lou Costello Gym is located in Patterson, NJ to this date. Officially called "Lou Costello Sportsman Club".
I am not sure year it was founded, but I am led to believe that Lou Costello himself started it in honor of his departed son.
Today, like so many gyms, it has a hard time staying afloat. It recently went into a property ownership problem, which I believe has been resolved and the club remains active. The Gym supports many upcoming youths in New Jersey Amateur Boxing programs. It might be noted that New Jersey Youth Boxing (Amateurs) is very much alive and well. Hundreds of young boys to men participate in many programs and tournaments in New Jersey, and quite a few advance regionally as well as National Champions.

Here is a support ad they take out every year in the New Jersey Journal:This one is from 2008.

Nice post Charley. I know Lou did a lot for the Boy's Clubs Of America too. I've been watching The Colgate Palmolive programs featuring Bud and Lou on my NetFlix. You can see the love in these guys' hearts. The programs were aired live. A real warm,secure feeling of my youth when I watch these.

Thanks Charley!

[Expug]

Merry Christmas to all my pals here. Its a great gift seeing this thread rollin again. Yes Randy for sure we have to get a reunion going at some point. I like that Las Vegas fight card idea. As you probably know, there is an NHL lockout going on so the hockey season isn't being played until a new collective bargaining agreement gets worked out. So....I'm around the house quite a bit. More time to converse with my buddies here.

[Randyman]

Austin Trout

Very nice Rog, you really captured Austin with this painting. I think we are looking at someone special in Austin. He's turning out to be one hell of a fighter.

Randy,I emailed you some paintings. Let me know if you got them. I'm trying to relearn this stuff on the computer. Rog

Rog, I missed them first time around but I looked as soon as I read this. yes, I received them. Manny and Macho. I'll update your website with the photos during the week.