BoxRec

My Guy

"Family,religion,my fighters.Those are the most important things in my life.Put them in any order you want."
That's what Lou Duva said. He lived to be 94 years old. To take a look at him,you could make a claim that he wasn't exactly a paragon of physical fitness. But his family said he went fast.He was having trouble breathing.They took him to the hospital,and shortly afterward,passed away. His family testified to those aforementioned commitments.I never heard any of his fighters crying sour grapes about the way Lou handled them. Faith comes in different packages and the gifts bestowed can give one a life's full measure.

Fighting is a very dangerous endeavor.It's not like your non contact sports.Even auto racing has now implemented so much safety gear that I can't recall the last time a driver was killed in a race. Boxing will never be immune from danger. Getting punched in the head will always be the concern that will dish out the sport's bittersweet consequences.Let's face it,the fans want to see a war. Pro boxing will never resort to the fighter wearing a headgear. 16 ounce gloves will never be worn. Besides,the impact of the concussions are dealt out regardless of the weight of the gloves or the fitting of a headgear.These precautions are for the purposes of protecting the hands and preventing cuts.

I've seen managers that kept pushing their guys out there when it should have been time to call it quits.Sid Flherty,who had a stable of fighters here in San Diego,was a guy who thought about the money first regardless if his fighter had crossed that point of no return.You look at the BoxRec record book and see fighters,some great and many who never should have made a living fighting,with all those red dashes in a row pertaining to their most recent encounters.Losing a dozen straight.It seems everything is out of control.They often call that kind of pug "a promotors fighter". They know they can get him in the ring on a momemt's notice. Once in awhile the journeyman will pull the upset,but the physical cost just compounds itself.

As fond as I was of the late Burke Emery,it didn't seem to phase him to work with fighters who were getting in trouble. But it's a two way street. I'm in the process of reading BoxRec editor Enrique's book about Cuban fighters. He tells the story of Benny "Kid" Paret. After his draw with Federico Thompson,Paret began experiencing headsches. Corun Gonzalez,Paret's trainer, tried to reason with Paret to quit the sport. Benny said he was making more dough than he had ever made in his life and replied that he wouldn't think of hanging them up. Gonzalez then went to Paret's manager, Manual Alfaro, and he just shrugged it off by saying that "All fighters get headaches." Gonzalez walked away. Alfaro hired some new trainers and the rest of the story ended on a tragic night in Madison square Garden.

Sometimes though, the people in the corner don't see it,especially if the fighter was once great one,and then wants to make a comeback. Case in point -Muhammad Ali's attempt of winning the crown from Larry Holmes.After a couple of rounds it was obvious that the match should have never been made. When asked afterward if he didn't see that Ali didn't have it in training camp,Angelo Dundee put it this way(and I'll paraphrase).
"You see he was my guy. When you look at your guy ,you always see the good things. The flaws don't mean nothing.He had come through before,so we figured he would find a way to win again."

If Angelo Dundee didn't see it,how many other managers and trainers are in the dark? If they can still make money with the guy,the road to oblivion is in the crosshairs. When the ex pug can't recognize his own mother,what can you say? It's the families that suffer,but who cares about them?I remember seeing Jerry Quarry at a boxing banquet in Los Angeles many years ago. This was when Quarry was in the throes of dementia. They asked him to speak. He got up to the dais and mumbled incoherently. I'll never forget some guy in the audience yelling,"We love you Jerry!"
Yeah,I guess we all loved Jerry.He had guts and he was Irish and tough as they come. He always put on a show. I just wish someone could have put his arm around him and pulled him away sooner.But he probably wouldn't have wanted any of that.

http://imgur.com/ilbaax1

Benny "Kid" Paret

You Never Know

Awhile back I mentioned that I thought Roman Gonzalez was the most impressive fighter out there.He was undefeated as an amateur and in 44 pro bouts his record was unblemished. I watched video of his work on YouTube.He had it all-balance,maneuverabilty,all the combinations,stamina,and a strong will. I'm not into making lists,but I said that putting Canelo Alvarez as the No. 1 guy on the BoxRec P4P chart was a mistake. At the time I think Gonzalez was in number 12 position. Last September I went up to the LA Forum to watch Gonzalez move up in weight from flyweight(Gonzalez held that title)to challenge Mexican Carlos Cuadras for his super fly weight belt.

It had been ages since I'd been to a fight of that magnitude.I'd seen battlers like Olivares,Chacon,and Napoles bring the crowds to their feet engaging in knockdown drag out affairs at the Fabulous Forum. Sometimes there was as much violence amongst the crowd as to what was transpiring inside the ring.The Olympic Auditorium was the most intense venue in LA. I don't think there was a arena in the United States that hosted such an array of turbulences.Last September ,I was hopeful that It would be deja vu all over again. I thought that a big Mexican crowd would get hysterical over their guy,but the shouts were laced with laryngitis . the Forum was once referred to by the late LA Laker announcer,Chick Hearn,as the worlds" greatest sports theater." You don't put fights in theaters,but last September you could have appreciated the etiquette.

Anyway, Gonzalez showed his mettle. He was the prototype of proficiency. That comment might come across as a bit tempered. Cuadras is a tough dude. He pressed,but was out boxed by Gonzalez who had more tools in his cabinet.Neither man was in trouble.The decision was fair.The energy with the paid customers was fair.I walked out of the Forum still convinced that Roman Gonzalez was the best fighter in the world.

Prior to Gonzalez's first defense of his super flyweight title against the Thai fighter,Wisakell Wangek,I'd seen that Gonzalez had been elevated to No.5 on the BoxRec P4P list. I know that sometimes those little guys get lost in the shuffle with the good big men,but there has always been more quality with the scrappers whose heads don't rise above the ring ropes than with the bigger boys.

So now Gonzalez was going to return to MSG for his first defense of his new crown against the Thai. I looked up Wangek's record. He'd never laced them up outside of his native land except for one time. His two prior fights, before his Gonzalez go, were against fighters that were debuting as professional boxers.(Maybe they were some of those Kung Fu fighters).Also to consider,Carlos Cuadras had stopped Wangek in his only fight outside of Thailand.So Gonzalez was fighting a guy who had lost to a guy that Gonzalez had trimmed pretty handily. My prediction was that it was a lock for "Chocolatito."

Well,you never know.I read the columns the next day that reported that Wangek had scored the big upset in a "close" fight-a majority decision.Last night I saw the fight on YouTube.What I saw wasn't "close." This southpaw from the Orient punched the s--t out of Gonzalez. Wangek must have had a sweet tooth for "Chocolatito".Wangek slugged Gonzalez to his side with a powerful shot that put him on the canvas in the first round.It wasn't a punch that stunned Gonzalez,but Roman took the count on his knee with a bewildered look on his face. Wangek was the stronger guy.Gonzalez,the master boxer,was inept against the lefty. The stars were out of alignment over Gonzalez's head. I liked the way Wangek turned his right shoulder to the inside covering his chin for protection (a la Mayweather),That dictated that Gonzalez had to reach Wangek with his right hand. But everytime Roman charged in he was tasting Wangek's wicked left hand. Gonzalez was running with his right that was pretty much a non entity.Wangek pushed Roman around,backed him up,and eventually broke him down.Wangek was the stronger guy and even the better boxer.Compound Gonzalez's woes was a leaky cut on the side of his right eye. You could sense that it was going down hill for Roman. With the ringside doctor hovering in his corner between rounds watching Gonzalez wince as his cut man pressed down with the compress, exuded wavering confidence. And here's the thing that told me that Gonzalez would not have his hand raised in the end-He was offering to touch gloves with his adversary at the start and end of each round.Dude!You're losing the fight.Displaying sportsmanship in a crisis like he was drowning in was a telltale sign that Roman was losing heart. After 12, Gonzalez's corner hoisted him up on their shoulders.It was unconvincing. The decision was announced.It was too close for comfort. I didn't give Gonzalez's bloody face more than a few rounds.

I don't know if there is a rematch clause,but a rematch would make a lot of money for everyone. Now what is my regard for Roman Gonzalez's ranking in the P4P category? I see he dropped out the top ten. Maybe that's why I've never been big on who was the best or let's rate the top 10,50,or 100. You never know.

http://imgur.com/TIbwzvH

Leave it to boxing's Yogi Berra


http://imgur.com/o6d8Wbl

Lou Duva. Hey paisan.They make a great sausage and peppers sandwich up there?

http://imgur.com/VamlYY2

Chuck Berry died this week at the age of 90.He was singing Sweet Little Sixteen all the way to the end. Way to go Chuck

https://youtu.be/ZLV4NGpoy_E

Chuck Berry on American Bandstand.What's Johnny Carson doing there?

Damn, that dude was cool!

scartissue wrote:Damn, that dude was cool!

Dan,Chuck Berry was a guy who was all over the place. He served a stretch in prison for armed robbery.They busted him on a Mann Act beef for taking a 14 year old girl across a state line. President Carter invited him to the White house. He was married to the same woman for 68 years. Probably more of his songs were plagiarized by groups like the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys.He was the first black rock and roller to be featured in films.(Disc jockey Alan Freed used him a lot in those teen movies in the 50's).His songs kind of sounded the same. He sang them for decades.That's what his fans wanted to hear. He wasn't a rhythm and blues guy. He wasn't a Motown artist. He didn't sing ballads. His sound wasn't angry. He didn't act ghetto. I think of all the black artists ,whites took to him in greater numbers than, let's say, contemporaries like,Little Richard,Fats Domino, or James Brown.I don't know,but when I think of Rock and Roll,Chuck Berry always pops into my mind first. James Brown sang "I'm Black and I'm Proud'.OK. Chuck Berry sang"Back In the USA." Thanks for the good times
https://youtu.be/23y2Cz40zs4
Chuck Berry
Back In the USA

A Piece Of A Fighter

I remember when I was a kid in Chicago that my father had a piece of a couple of fighters. Later I talked to him about it. Him and Johnny Haircut and Sam Giancana handled a Mexican kid who was a featherweight.i remember going to the sporting goods store with my father so he could pick out a robe for the kid. The Outfit guys in Chicago liked the fights. it wasn't that they admired the sport,but that they could make money off boxing by betting on it. The Mob controlled the managers,matchmakers,the arenas,the commissions,and even the referees. The fix wasn't in on everything,but if the Wiseguys wanted it to go the way they wanted,they had enough money and muscle to influence the outcomes for their benefits.(My dad said all the Black fighters answered to the Outfit in Chicago. My dad said that Bob Satterfield could have been a champ). The bookies got plenty nervous,but what could they do?There were certain bookmakers who were in with Mob and were tipped off. They knew when to shut down the handle.

You would think that if a fighter or his corner were approached by the gangsters they wouldn't cave in on ethtics,but that wasn't the reality.Ray Robinson compromised by saying he wouldn't go in the tank,but if they wanted him to carry an opponent it wouldn't be a problem.After winning the welterweight title every time Sugar put his title on the line in the Windy City,both boys were standing up at the finish,with Ray's hand lifted by the referee.A sweet gal ,whose dad fought Robinson in Chicago in a title match,wrote a book about her dad proclaiming his shining moment was that he took Robinson through the full 15 frames. My dad told me Robinson could have taken him out any time he felt the urge. The odds makers saw it that way,but the Outfit wanted to make score, so Robby was compensated and got a good workout in. I guess everyone was satisfied in the end except certain the bookies who were kept in the dark.

The Mexican kid that was being backed by my dad and Johnny Haircut and "Mooney" Giancana turned out to be a wash. I remember going with my dad to watch the Mexican fight at the Marigold Gardens. It was a very long time ago,but I know the Mexican kid lost.My father was in his corner and I was sitting with some of America's most wanted at ringside. Later, my father told me that he let the kid go.I'll never forget my father's words.
"If you lose two in a row,you need to look in the want ads for a job."

Fighting ain't nothing to screw around with. Yeah,there's money to be made,but who's in there getting his brains beat out? Even fighters who've been able to put some away risked their health and all that dough ain't doing them no good when they're sick.Most wind up scuffling after they hang them up.All the guys who invested in their careers pulled their money out a long time ago.

I think it was Wayne Thornton ,who was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame,when handed his award said,
"Well,I still have my health."
There's a lot going on with ex fighters. There's a lot going on with their families too.

It must have been 50 years ago that I watched Eddie "Rochester" Anderson on a local LA talk show. He was reminiscing about his career in show business. He talked about how he lived the good life He threw his money around in all the high end Black clubs in New York and Los Angeles,his relationships with stars like Lena Horne,Ethel Waters,and Paul Robeson,his times with Jack Benny playing his servant.The Duke and the Count always had the waiters sit him at a front table He would have a gorgeous starlet on his arm strutting down Lennox Avenue entering some swank after hours joint He also mentioned that he had a piece of a fighter. He never said who he was.If you look up "Rochester's " bio you might find the name. Is it that important?"Rochester" kind of mentioned it as an afterthought.He was a wash. If the fighter would have been Joe Louis,don't think he wouldn't have said his name,and a lot more.


http://imgur.com/GZzK1UF
Eddie "Rochester" Anderson

In Retrospect

I called up my paisan Leonard yesterday. It was his birthday and I wanted to let him know that he was in my thoughts. About ten years ago he gives me a call to say that he was organizing a monthly lunch get together for all the pig skinners that played on the ol' high school team team back in the day. I'm the youngest one in the bunch and I'm turning 70 in two weeks. Some of the fellas have passed since then and others,like Leonard, are physically falling apart.He's only got one eye left.He had a bum hip replacement.He's going in for a new shoulder next week.Compound all that with some minor strokes.But I'll say this for him-he seems to be in good spirits.Needless to say though, the old group doesn't get together much anymore.We spoke for about 20 minutes. Here's the gist of it after the preliminary salutations.
"Hey Rog.You still writing on that boxing forum?"
"Yeah,I'm about the only one that posts anymore on the West Coast Boxing."
"What happened?"
"Well there were some arguments and then things started escalating and guys got upset and left."
"But you're still on there?"
"Yeah,but I got off it for a couple of years. This one guy kept sandbagging me so instead of getting in a pissing contest with him I left for a couple of years."
"Since my vision started going bad I haven't been able to read anything ."
"I'm sorry to hear about that pal."
"My wife can read things to me. When my son comes by he's also a big help. I used to like to read your stuff."
"You know Leonard,I very seldom go back and read what I wrote back then."
"Why's that? I used to get a kick about your stories about the Arizona Bar and Archie Moore. That time you sparred with Norton."
"Sometimes I stumble upon some of those stories when I look up a fighter on Google."
"I liked the one about Spud Murphy's Gym."
"Sometimes I get to reading that stuff and I can tell I was on a roll ,but then I push the envelope too far and I hate myself."
"What do you mean?"
"I let myself caught up in the moment and then get too full of myself.Like when I wrote about Spud Murphy."
"I don't understand."
"You know a lot of these fighters had tough lives. Their families broke up. Spud Murphy died tragically. Ronnie Wilson was another guy I would have written differently about.Those stories those old timers told me about Bob Murphy.Some of it was funny.Well written,but I went to far. I had that tendency. Those guys had kids and they want to think of their fathers of having some worth even though things ended not the way they wanted.I got too cocky.Shot my mouth off. You get what I mean?"
"You know Rog,you're too sensitive sometimes."
"Maybe.but I wasn't too sensitive when I wrote some of those stories."
"Forget about it and enjoy life."
"I'm not so into my self anymore Len. The bravado has been knocked out of me.I'm writing,I think,better now."
"It's too bad I can't see anymore.Maybe I'll have my wife read your stuff to me."
"That sounds good.Let me know what you think."
"I'll do that.By the way,are you still painting?"
"I'm still at it.The paintings I can go back and look at and not wince."
"Too bad my wife won't be able to help me out with that so much."
http://imgur.com/b8W6Yy3

Portrait Of The Artist As An Old Dog

Riding on the popularity of his only national no. 1 hit, My Dingaling, Chuck Berry was getting more lucrative gigs than usual when he performed in two shows at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, California, the first one on New Year's Eve shortly before midnight in 1972 and the second one shortly after midnight on New Year's Day. I happened to attend the second show.

As I recall, the Arlington Theater had a capacity of about 1,800 at the time. Tickets were selling for about $5.50 a piece. The show that I attended appeared to have a capacity crowd while the attendance at the first show also appeared to be very good. If Berry was scheduled to get 50% to 60% of the ticket receipts, I figured that he may have received a total of about $10,000 for the two shows compared to the reported $1,000. to $2,000. per show during leaner times.

It was well-known that Berry didn't have his own band on his tours during most of his career. According to various accounts, Berry would show up with only his guitar for his performances while local promoters provided the backup musicians, amplifiers and PA systems in addition to the venues. Since Berry felt that his music was generally familiar to Rock-and-Roll musicians, it meant that he usually didn't have any rehearsals with the musicians before shows. Such a practice was quite common among musical performers during the 1950s, notably those who performed in Rock-and Roll, Country-and-Western and Rhythm-and-Blues shows. But it often happened when such performers weren't making enough money to have their own bands. By the 1970s, such a practice was virtually unknown among popular performers.

For his performances at the Arlington, Berry was backed by a band called Elijah, which performed their own set before Berry came on stage. During the show that I saw, Berry seemed to go through the motions, which would be called "mailing or phoning it in" during the present time. The audience seemed to sense the lack of enthusiasm on Berry's part, resulting in a decided lack of crowd atmosphere. After about forty minutes, Berry invited some fans come up and dance on the stage. A short time later as the band was still playing, Berry simply unplugged his guitar from an amplifier and walked out without a word. After sensing what happened, the crowd booed before walking out of the theater.

Before walking into the theater, I remember that one fan who saw the first show said in unprintable manner that he was displeased with Berry's performance. I also remember that one D.J. said that Berry's Arlington Theater shows were a farce.

- Chuck Johnston

Chuck1052 wrote:Riding on the popularity of his only national no. 1 hit, My Dingaling, Chuck Berry was getting more lucrative gigs than usual when he performed in two shows at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, California, the first one on New Year's Eve shortly before midnight in 1972 and the second one shortly after midnight on New Year's Day. I happened to attend the second show.

As I recall, the Arlington Theater had a capacity of about 1,800 at the time. Tickets were selling for about $5.50 a piece. The show that I attended appeared to have a capacity crowd while the attendance at the first show also appeared to be very good. If Berry was scheduled to get 50% to 60% of the ticket receipts, I figured that he may have received a total of about $10,000 for the two shows compared to the reported $1,000. to $2,000. per show during leaner times.

It was well-known that Berry didn't have his own band on his tours during most of his career. According to various accounts, Berry would show up with only his guitar for his performances while local promoters provided the backup musicians, amplifiers and PA systems in addition to the venues. Since Berry felt that his music was generally familiar to Rock-and-Roll musicians, it meant that he usually didn't have any rehearsals with the musicians before shows. Such a practice was quite common among musical performers during the 1950s, notably those who performed in Rock-and Roll, Country-and-Western and Rhythm-and-Blues shows. But it often happened when such performers weren't making enough money to have their own bands. By the 1970s, such a practice was virtually unknown among popular performers.

For his performances at the Arlington, Berry was backed by a band called Elijah, which performed their own set before Berry came on stage. During the show that I saw, Berry seemed to go through the motions, which would be called "mailing or phoning it in" during the present time. The audience seemed to sense the lack of enthusiasm on Berry's part, resulting in a decided lack of crowd atmosphere. After about forty minutes, Berry invited some fans come up and dance on the stage. A short time later as the band was still playing, Berry simply unplugged his guitar from an amplifier and walked out without a word. After sensing what happened, the crowd booed before walking out of the theater.

Before walking into the theater, I remember that one fan who saw the first show said in unprintable manner that he was displeased with Berry's performance. I also remember that one D.J. said that Berry's Arlington Theater shows were a farce.

- Chuck Johnston

Sorry to hear you got ripped off. I saw Chuck Berry twice perform live. Once Ricky Nelson appeared on the same date. Chuck Berry blew him off the stage. All the kids stormed up on staged and danced to Berry's music for hours .It was an unexpected treat. One of the most electrifying performances I ever attended.

I forgot to add.Both times I saw Chuck Berry I got in for free.

With 9 Men

I suppose if you went to some far off land like Norway and asked any Norwegian to name a famous Mexican,I'd give you 10 to 1 that the reply would probably be" Pancho Villa."If you were walk down any street in Mexico and ask a Mexican who was the most macho man who ever lived,I'd give you 100 to 1 the response would be(you guessed it)Pancho Villa. I assume very very few know anything about Pancho Villa in Norway. Some might say he was the president of Mexico(he never was).Perhaps, some would think he was a bandit(he was in the beginning).Then there would be some that think he had something to do with the revolution(he did in the end).I wouldn't be surprised if they also said that Pancho Villa had a lot of women(that's a lead pipe cinch).But today not many Mexicans know that much about Pancho Villa's history either. What they know are the stories and songs that is folklore.It's ingrained in the culture.Everybody who lived in Northern Mexico had a Pancho Villa story.Whether it was a personal anecdote or something that was passed along by a relative or a friend.The little pueblos and ranchitos that dotted the dusty landscapes of the states of Sonora,Coahuila,and Chihuahua,the famous battlefields of Torreon,Ojinaga,or Zacatecas,and the battles were his Division of the North was defeated in savage conflicts:Celaya,Trinidad,and the final crushing defeat,Agua Prieta,all echo the romance and the cruelty of the man born on the hacienda named Doroteo Arango, alias Pancho Villa.But the literature chokes with his legend.The most interesting accounts are from people who knew him,his soldiers(Los Dorados0,his enemies,his wives,the gringos who crossed paths on good terms or were " 'dobe walled",and the bystander who witnessed the epitome of the great man/child as he tore through a pueblo. He lived by inspiration and impulse.He was a beast who instantly could weep at the sight of a befallen compadre.He loved to dance with the senoritas.He didn't drink hard liquor and didn't get drunk,but his appetites for what he wanted for himself and Mexico,whether they were true, were insatiable.But my descriptions and adjectives are redundant so I'll drop a line or two about one of the little known endeavors about the Centaur of the North:he was a boxing promoter.

When Jack Johnson was pining to get back to the United States after his volunteer exile, there were boxing gurus that wanted to match the stale overweight champ with the "White Hope",Jess Willard, near the US border. Johnson was weary of fighting in Europe because World War I was making things very unstable for prize fighting. His mother was ill and he wanted to see her before she died(she passed away before he could come back),and he was willing to face the music just to be back home.Maybe he could work out a deal.

A sizeable group of entrepreneurs put in their bids.The surprise offer was made by the one and only,Pancho Villa.He would set a hundred grand on the table as long as the fight would be staged in Villa's stronghold, Ciudad Juarez, in the state of Chihuahua.It wasn't that Pancho was an "aficionado" of the sport of boxing. He figured it was a good way to generate some pesos on his flagging revenues.But there were some difficulties with his plan. At the time of negotiations, Pancho's army was being backed up and defeated by the recognized president of Mexico Venustiano Carranza,and more directly by his general,Alvaro Obregon.If the action was hot and heavy in Europe,northern Mexico was drowning in a sea of hot sauce of bullets and cannon fire. The United States considered Pancho Villa as the bad guy.Eventually, President Wilson,after the Columbus Raid, would send Pershing's Expeditionary Force into Mexico(with Carranza's permission)to subdue the wounded Pancho.

Jack Curley finally moved the other pitchmen aside and was in the driver's seat to put the match together.Ciudad Juarez was still being considered as the venue(it's just a gunshot away from the other side of the Rio Grande on the El Paso ,Texas side),but Jack Curley's mother didn't raise no fool when it came to fight promtin' or thinking of lining up her son against an adobe wall.Pancho Villa could get consumed with revenge if he didn't get his way.I'm sure there was a bullet with Curley's name on it if Jack was going to make the big score,or at least some writin' paper that would furnish a ransom note.(Then you shoot Jack full of holes after the money was paid).Besides there was no way Pancho could have delivered Jack Johnson to Ciudad ,Mexico even if he could have swung the deal. Johnson was living in South America and the only Mexican ports that a boat could have disembarked his heft were in control of the Carranzanistas. So it was off to the next closest foreign soil,Cuba.

With all the tomes of words written down,the movies of his life,the songs that are sung about him,not too much is mentioned about Pancho Villa the fight promoter. In the course of the second Mexican Revolution(!910-1920)all the adversaries flipped sides.Betrayal,which rears its head when it comes to power in Mexican history,was tantamount. in the course of 18 years, three Mexican presidents were assassinated by people who had once fought alongside them.As much as they can say that the revolution was a thrilling romantic whirlwind of adventure,the treachery and unnecessary cruelty stained the aftermath.

Pancho Villa was the only major player who ran true to his original beliefs through the entire struggle. His loyalty to the principles of Francisco Madero and Abraham Gonzalez never wavered.Though Villa was also plagued by traitors within his ranks,he couldn't be dissuaded.There were culprits ,who if they weren't 'dobe walled,ran off to other places like the United States,Cuba,and Paris when they knew their time was running out.Pancho,when the dust cleared,stayed in Mexico. He was the Mexican of Mexicans. A man that the poor could identify with. He was like them in soul . The Mexican history books didn't talk him up much.His name was always a threat to the current power brokers. Mexico didn't want another guy like him to incite the masses.Emiliano Zapata was a revolutionary with similar goals as Pancho Villa,but Zapata didn't want to exert his muscle outside the state of Morelos. Pancho Villa took his Division Del Norte wherever he felt he needed to fight the oppressors.He was much more of a risk taker.

After the first stage of the revolution in 1911, when Villa had helped get his idol,Francisco Madero,get to power,Madero's general, Huerta,staged a coup and had Madero killed.At that time Pancho Villa was living in El Paso,Texas in exile. He had escaped from a Mexican prison.Prior to his imprisonment he was about to be 'dobe walled,but Madero's brother interceded.General Huerta knew that Villa saw through him and it would only be a matter of time before the betrayal.Huerta couldn't kill him.Villa again was on the run.This time in the States.When the news reached Villa in El Paso that Madero was dead,he gathered his munt and with 9 companeros crossed the Rio Grande and assembled an army of thousands,his precious Dorados and his Division Del Norte.The people knew.Only Pancho Villa could have done that.
http://imgur.com/tqBDkND

Pancho Villa

The Time Of My Life

There's no way I'm going to pay fifty to a hundred dollars to watch a fight on television when I can drive twenty minutes across the border and watch it for free. All the bars and sports books have it on.It's free to watch it in your house down there if you have SkyTV.Besides, the nightlife in Tijuana is pretty lively and a big fight just enhances the atmosphere. Awhile back I drove down there to watch Canelo fight Mayweather. I have to admit there weren't many Mexicans that thought their boy would win,but let me tell you that night every joint was packed to the doors with the wishful.

I always like to watch the fights down there in the Coahuila.It's their red light district located in the Zona Norte. It's butted up against the US border.You can toss a frisbee over the fence and it will land in the USA.I like going upstairs to the Caliente Sports Book on that little one block section of Coahuila Street.How did Humphrey Bogart say it in the Maltese Falcon?:"It's the things dreams are made of."Well you can find anything you want down on that block.The different smells of all the varieties of food:tacos of every type crackilng on the grills,carnitas piled high inside glass warmers,peanuts roasting in big metal pans,oyster and clams on the half shell,all sold on those painted carts with the light bulbs illuminating and the smoke from the meat you can see sifting in the night air. The neon lights of all the clubs and the street musicains going in and out of each joint making a cacophony of sounds at fever pitch,the hookers in their scanty mini faldas enticing the inebriated men on the prowl.

Like I said, every bar and restaurant shows the big fights down there,but I like the Caliente Sports Book in the Coahuila because it aint' pretentious. Nothing fancy.It's kind of dingy.A real hangout for gambling degenerates.But let's face it,whether it's the casino inside the Bellagio in Vegas or the Caliente Sports book in the Coahuila,if you can place a bet ,you'll attract the dreamers who want to make the easy score. I got there a little early. Racing forms and empty coffee cups and used napkins were strewn on and under the folding tables along with losing betting slips.It wasn't too crowded. All the television monitors along both walls had something going on. Dog racing from the Caliente Race Track,horse races(trotting races are very popular) from around the globe and every obscure track in the States,basketball games,baseball,there was even Jai Alai that ,I think, was being telecast from Miami. You could bet on it all anyway you wanted.

The clientele was about half and half- Mexicans and the other half Americans.Their wardrobes matched the décor of the joint-seedy and worn.You could get sandwiches that were a little old or something like a bag of potato chips.Coffee and soda and Mexican beer rounded out the beverage list.I plopped my ass on a folding chair in front of one of the monitors. I was sitting near a group of Americans. They all seemed like they knew each other and were boasting about how they had an angle on every sporting event invented. The thing was, they were probably flat broke.I didn't see one of them go up to the selling window.

Tijuana is attracting a lot of Americans,mostly men,to put up stakes. The cost of living,especially rents,are pretty cheap compared to what there is to offer in San Diego.As I was taking it all in waiting for the fight to come on,I recognized a familiar face sitting with the group of Americans. He wasn't yapping away like the others.He seemed calm and to himself. Then it struck me.He was a fighter I'd seen fight a few times at the Coliseum in San Diego. I couldn't,however,put a name with him.I got up and walked to where he was and grabbed one of the racing forms that was on a table in front of where he was sitting.
"Excuse me,"I said politely."Didn't you fight at the Coliseum in San Diego?"
I could see the scarred slits in his eyebrows. His eyelids were droopy,his face parched showing a weeks growth of gray stubble. His hair was near his shoulders and matted at the ends.When he looked up at me,I could see his front teeth were gone. The old sport jacket he had on was dirty and greasy at the elbows.As he moved his body ,I could smell the odor that is so common with derelicts.But when he made facial contact with me,his expression became charged. His eyes caught fire.
"So you saw me fight?"he said perking up.
"Yeah.It had to be thirty years ago."
"Well ,that was a long time ago. Did I put on a show?"
"Yes you did,"I answered.
I still couldn't attach a name.
"Well.I live in Tijuana now.Right next door.I've got a room above the Burro Bar."
"How did you wind up down here?"I asked.
"It's a hell of a lot cheaper.The room I got is only 40 a week. I live with all the whores.The toilet is at the end of the hallway."
"I've been up there before.They still have the statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe at the desk?"
"Yeah.With all the candles lit up."he said laughing."They think it'll save their souls."
"All the houses have the Virgin in it,"I said.
I found a chair and slid it next to him and sat down.
"You here to see the fight?"I asked.
"What fight?"he said with a puzzled look.
"Canelo and Mayweather."
"I didn't know they were fighting tonight."
"Who do you think is going to win?"
"I don't know. It doesn't interest me."
The old guy paused and then put his hands on the table. His knuckles were gnarly and his fingernails were thick caked with grime underneath.
"Who did you see me fight?"he asked.
"I think it was maybe Terry Lee?"
"You know I beat him three times. I told my manager not to put me in there with him anymore,but that Irishman just wanted to keep me fighting so he could make some easy money."
I still drew a blank on this guy's name.
"After I was no good anymore,they had me fighting all over the place. I even went to England to fight Conteh. By that time I couldn't see anymore.I was just a set up. That Irishman should have had me in there with quality guys before I got no good."
"When did you know that it was going like that?"
"When I lost to Rouse. I thought I beat him,but the betting was on him and I got the short end.I had no one looking after my interests. In the end I had to keep fighting to pay off all my ex wives."
"I saw you and your wife at the Al Bahr in San Diego.You weren't fighting.You had your son with you. He was just a baby."
"You got a good memory."
"All I can remember of that night was that they introduced June Allyson into the ring."
The old guy shifted in his chair.
"I get a disability check every month that's not too bad.Besides,the government docs say that I'm sick so I get an extra 200 a month."
"Do they send the money down here?"
"Hell no. I don't trust no Mexican banks. I got an account in San Ysidro. I hop a cab and cross the border on foot to get my money."
"So you're fine down here?"
"Like I say,I can afford it.I don't like eating Mexican food much. Too spicy. The docs say I got pancreatitis.I throw up everything spicy. I like them hot dogs they sell with the bacon wrapped around with everything on them,but sometimes I throw that up too.But I don't worry that much about eatin' as long as I can get something to drink."
"That's not a problem I guess."
"The docs say I got high blood pressure too. That's why I can't get it up anymore. I bought some of that Viagra once and it gave me a heart attack.Yeah.I got it all .I got glaucoma and the last time they checked me out they said I got the gout,but I don't pay for nothing.The tax payers pay for me."
The old guy put his elbows on the table.
"Let's watch the fight at the Hong Kong",he said."They don't have hard liquor here."
"This is good enough."
"They got all kinds of big screen TV's in there."
"I'm all right here."
The old guy straightened up his back.
"Look,let's go to the Hong Kong,You can buy me a drink and I'll tell you about all my fights."
He was pressing me and now I was looking to find the door.
"Do you ever see any of the fighters that live down here?"I asked trying to change the subject.
"You mean the Mexican fighters?No, don't care much for the sport anymore. Besides,I don't speak Mexican.Let's go across the street to the Hong Kong.They got all kinds of good looking whores in there."
"I didn't come down here for that."
The old man pounded his fist on the table.it made a loud noise that turned heads.
"Who in the hell think you are?"he shouted."You get in my business and then you ask me for money and to buy you drinks all night long.You got some nerve.You're a real ass hole!"
Now everyone was looking.
"I think it's time for me to leave,"I said getting up from my chair.
"Go ahead and get out of here before I lose my temper!"
The old man grabbed his temples with both hands.
"Well,I hope everything works out for you,"I said as I turned my back to him.
"What in the hell do you mean!?"he yelled. "I'm having the time of my life."


http://imgur.com/b3J8O0r

http://imgur.com/T2eH3lv

La Coahuila-Where a lost soul can find the time of his life

Wheels

I promised Rodolfo Gonzalez that I'd take him and Barb to lunch the next time I was up in their neck of the woods. Their "neck" is located in the North County of San Diego in a little burg named Carlsbad. So I arranged things over the phone with Barb and ask her where they'd like to have a bite,She said there was a nice Mexican place on the main drag called "El Norte". That was fine with me.I told her that noon was a good time. I gave myself a little leeway because I hadn't been up to Carlsbad in some time. I remembered the town as being kind of a quiet small beach community,a little high end,but nothing pretentious.But San Diego has grown in leaps and bounds and I figured Carlsbad wasn't as I remembered it when I was palling around with my surf buddies riding up old Highway 101 listening to the Beach Boys on the Volkswagen bus radio.Well,I got all turned around when I got off the freeway ramp. I finally pinned down where the El Norte was after getting directions inside the 7-11. I got there a little past noon.Gato and Barb hadn't arrived yet so I made myself comfortable on a big wicket chair on the outside patio.El Norte is like all the bars and restaurants along that strip:touristy and a bit expensive,but that made no difference .i was going to be with old friends. The day was sunny and the smell of the ocean air always refreshed me. I was drifting off thinking about which break I used to paddle out to and then catch some waves when Gato and Barb walked up from behind .
"Roger,"beamed the former champ."When did you get here?"
Gato's got one of the warmest smiles on earth.
"I just got here,"I answered as I rose from the chair and embraced Barb and then gave Rodolfo a good abrazo."This place has changed since I was last up here."
Barb and Gato wanted to sit outside to enjoy the sunshine and the breeze.One of the Mexican waiters came over and placed menus in front of us.He took our drink order.Gato stayed with water.Barb wanted a virgin margarita and I opted for iced tea. After the waiter brought over the drinks,he took our order. I can't remember what Gato and Barb ordered.When it arrived it looked like carne asada with chilis.The crab burrito caught my eye.

The conversation got off naturally. Gato is from Jalisco near Guadalajara. My wife is from the state south of Jalisco,Michoacan.the topography is similar.The tastes,temperments and customs are a close match,but Mexican is very regional.They call it "patria chica."It's a strong allegiance to the region where they live.But with us at that table that was not an issue.
"Where's Maria"asked Barb,
"She's working.You know. She's out with the dogs collecting bottles and cans."
Barb is very caring for Rodolfo.Gato didn't go to school much.He has the typical stories growing up poor in Mexico. No money reading out of books and learning when Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. Gato was in the gym when he was 13 getting boxing lessons from guys like Jose Becerra and "Alacran" Torres,wearing hand me down clothes and riding freight trains to get from town to town.He said he no amateur creer and was thrown into the ring in his first pro bout with a guy who was 26. It was the first fight for the other guy too. the teenager took him out in one round.
"Roger,"said Gato as the waiter brought over the food."You must take me and Barb to Jiquilpan."
"Any time you're ready. I'll give you the key."
"You say the director of the Cultural Center remembers my fights?"
"Yes,he said that he remembers you fighting in the Plaza de Toros."
""I fight also in the park."
"Diez y Ocho?"
"Yes,that was the name."
"It's still there."
"I fought many times in Jiquilpan. They love me there.They fill the seats. They stand as one after I win."
"How did you fight so often in Jiquilpan?"
"The promoter knew the people love to see Gato fight. They love to see my left hook to the liver.After I fight I ask the musicos to play my favorite song,"Wheels."
"You mean "Ruedas?"
"Yes,'Ruedas'.The song Billy Vaughn make popular."
"I remember when my kids were little growing up in Tijuana going to the kinder.They learned to sing that song from their teachers."
"It is very traditional,"said Gato.
The waiter put the plates down and told us to be careful, that the dishes were very hot.
"So what have you been doing lately?"i asked.
"We're still waiting to see when they are going to make that movie of Rodolfo's life,"interjected Barb.
"That's been going on for some time."
"We're expecting a call today from some people in Dubai."she said.
Barb and Gato began picking at their food. I dug in with more enthusiasm.
"Roger,you remember Kid Irapuato?"
"I sure do."
"He was a hot prospect,but I beat him easily."
"My father knew him.I saw him fight Davey Moore in the bullring in Tijuana. He beat Irapuato and then the fans started throwing bottles and chairs at Moore. He got so scared that he ran out of the ring still wearing his gloves and ran out to the street.He caught a cab to the border.'
Gato laughed.
"Where is he now? I'd like to see him."
"I think he's dead.He used to be a motorcycle cop on the boulevard. He go up and down on the boulevard pulling people over and ask for 'mordida.'After his shift was over he'd go to the cantinas and spend all the money. then the next day he was at it again.'
"That sounds like him,"chuckled Gato.
"I used to work at one of the schools down there. I was getting a ride from one of the kids and his father. We were on the boulevard. Wouldn't you know it,there's a motorcycle cop putting his lights on us.The kid's old man knows it's Kid Irapuato. The kid's dad leaps out of the car and tackles kid Irapuato in the street. They roll around going after each other. When the dust cleared after both were tired out. the kid's old man gets back in the car.
"No way I was going to pay that 'pinchi' Irapuato,"the kid's old man swore.
Gato almost fell out of his chair.
"Gato,did anyone ever ask you to throw a fight?"
The question caught him with his guard down. his head dropped and his face became serious.
"One time."
"where was thsat?"
"Las Vegas,"he muttered.
"Who was the fighter?"
"Oh ,I don't remember. I don't remember who asked me.They wanted me to lose the fight for 5000 dollars."
I went to something else.
"I saw you fight at the Arena 72. I think that was after the first Suzuki fight."
"I won that night."
"was there ever a time when you didn't feel like going on with a fight?"
"When I fight Juan Collado. I paid for my mother to come from Guadalajara to see me fight in Los Angelas,but she called and said she had problems crossing the border. When I heard that my mother could not see me fight,I told Jackie McCoy to find an excuse.I was in the dressing room feeling very sad,but then God performed a miracle. Jackie McCoy came inside the dressing room with my mother. I don't know how she got to the fight. It was a miracle from God. I then went out and destroyed Juan Collado."
"That must have made you very happy,"I said.
Barb and Gato were still picking at their food. I was about done.
"Roger,you remember the Cascadas reastaurant in Tijuana?"
"Yes,of course."
"That was my place.I was working for a fight promoter.You remember Eduardo Herrera?"
"Nacho Huizar?"
"No ,Herrera.I use to run errands for him when I came to Tijuana. I would deliver packages for him. He paid me well."
"How did you get the restaurant?"
Well,Herrera owned it. One night he asked me to deliver a package. Well,you know how the streets in Tijuana are all broken up and it was very dark and then there are no addresses.Well,I fell with this package and it broke open.All this money was bundled up in it and fell out in the street.I was almost unconscious when a police car came up. They saw the money and took me to jail. I told them the story. They said it was drug money. So I call Herrera and he comes to the station.After an hour or so they let me go with Herrera. he feels real bad that he used me like that so he gives me the papers to the Cascadas. It was my place then."
"Gato,is there anything you miss about Mexico?"
Gato straightened up.
"Nothing."
"Really?"
"Roger,when I win the title from Carmona,I promise my mother I buy her a house. I take the money and buy her a beautiful house in back of the race track in Hippodromo."
"That's a very nice area."
"When Gato's mother died he turned the house over to his brother,Frankie,"said Barb. "Gato gave him power of attorney. The house is run down now."
"After I move my mother in,I buy her a brand new television.I drove to Tijuana to give it to her. The 'aduana' stop me at the border and find the television set.They say I can't bring it across. I tell them it is a gift for my mother,but they take it from me. It was for my mother."
"I bet they took it home for themselves."
"Or gave it to one of their novias."
Barb put her fork down.
"Gato,with all this discontent in the US about our political system,if Americans really knew how bad the other half has it.People don't know how good they got it."
Gato rose from his chair. He looked me straight in the eye. He reached out his hand and shook my hand firmly,and the took his other hand and clasped it on top.His face flushed. I could see tears welling up in his eyes.
"Si senor,"he said."Gracias a Dios."
Barb told Gato that she was finished eating. Gato pushed his plate aside. The waiter came over with the check. I cut him off before he could put it down on the table.
"We must get going,"said Barb."We're expecting that call from Dubai."
"Roger,"said Gato as he was still standing."I like talking to you so much. Not only fighting,but about Mexico.You promise me to take me to Jiquilpan."
"Of course.I'll give you the key"
"They remember Gato in jiquilpan. The director remembers me."
"He's very old now.He's had a stroke,but he remembers when you fought in the stadium."
"They remember El Gato. My left hook to the liver. They all stand and cheer for me."
"I wish I could have been there."
"You think the musicos would play Las Ruedas for me?"
"I bet my life on it."


http://imgur.com/JItHgcZ

Barb and Gato

https://youtu.be/s9aPDSyrr9g

Las Ruedas

http://imgur.com/o4SyXzg

Conrado Leyva,Director of the Cultural Center, with Gato Gonzalez and my granddaughter,Amanda






http://imgur.com/RtKz0RL
Estadio Diez y Ocho de Marzo.Jiquilpan,Mexico

http://imgur.com/IU4Upmn

Belated happy birthday to Lady Day,Billie Holiday. Born April 7th




https://youtu.be/9yakzL1Q88c

Billie Holiday-The Very Thought of You


We're still thinking about her

The Greatest Who Should Have Been

I saw Luis Rodriguez wind down his training for his fight with the Mexican, Rafael Gutierrez,in San Diego.Training was headquartered at the Stardust Hotel in Mission Valley.Also on the card was a young Ken Norton who fought a very crude fighter by the name of Pedro Sanchez.The Rodriguez/Gutierrez go was advertised as a title eliminator-the winner in line to face Nino Benvenuti for the middleweight crown. I'd never seen nor heard of Gutierrez before. El Feo I'd seen plenty of . It was 1969 and Luis had been in over 100 wars.He had fought everywhere against everybody.With a multitude of Hall of Fame fighters on his resume,i thought Luis would enjoy a cakewalk.Interesting sidelight.When the local scribes interviewed out the fight,all he wanted to talk about was how he got the short end against Emile Griffith.

I've told the story before. It was a tough match. Rodriguez was trailing after five frames when the stronger Gutierrez was cold cocked by a single left hook and was counted out. I was there sitting ringside with my father.My father didn't follow the fights very much at that time. He was bred in an era in Chicago where paisans like Basilio,Marciano,LaMotta,and Pep were only worth the price of my dad's admission. The hot fighters in the Southland,who were mostly Mexican,didn't appeal much to my dad. The Blacks and Anglos didn't pique his curiosity either. Jerry Quarry and Ken Norton didn't move my dad to buy a ringside seat nor turn on the tube.He took me to see Ray Robinson fight in Tijuana.That's because he knew Robinson from Chicago.But it was my dad's idea to see the Rodriguez fight at the Sports Arena.My dad said he knew Angelo Dundee,that's why.So I'll make the long story short. Luis wins,my dad is up in the ring with his arm around Dundee,and they walk back to the dressingroom.I heard my dad say with a big s--t eating grin,"Well,Ange you got the title shot."

Rodriguez fought a few more times before flying across the Atlantic to fight Benvenuti in front of the country of pasta eaters. The chips looked stacked against Luis. He was beginning to slow . His career was full of fighters that outweighed him and were wearing him down.He was fighting all the time since the get go.But everything the way it looked,I didn't think Benvenuti would beat him.Rodriguez might have been the smartest,most adaptable fighter I'd ever seen. He was one of those "bouncy" Cubans who could move in and out,set a rhythm,punch with both hands,counter,jab and circle,and had a good beard.Luis was on his way to victory and the crown when,in the 11th round,Nino threw the best punch of his career. When that left hook caught Rodriguez flush on the jaw,it was over before Luis's head hit the canvas.That was Rodriguez's last shot at a title.

I'm reading Enrique Encinosa's book about the history of Cuban boxing. He says that when Rodriguez would train at the Dundee's 5th Street Gym in Miami,a young Muhammad Ali would watch very intently at Rodriguez's skills in the ring. Denny Moyer said the best fighter he ever fought was Luis Rodriguez. It was the first time a prime Moyer tasted a knockout loss. After Memo Ayon beat Ray Robinson in the Tijuana bullring,his next fight was with Luis. He stretched out the Mexican in three. The scary Ruben Carter couldn't hurt him,let alone get anything going in his fight with Rodriguez losing two decisions.

There was a thread awhile back on the Boxrec Forum wanting to list the top 10 welterweights from the posters. Mostly it was Robby 1st,Ray Leonard was near the top. Emile Griffith and Jose Napoles I saw on just about all the lists.My memory is vague,but I'm sure Duran was there. Pretty Boy too.I saw Luis Rodriguez's name on a few of the lists. Good.

I've always been a Napoles guy. If you have a favorite fighter you think he's the best at his weight class.If he loses you've got an alibi for him. So when I began reading the lists,i had an urge(just little bitty one)to submit my names, with Mantequilla above the others. But if I had typed that up,I would have been pecking away with my tongue against my cheek.Besides I didn't want to draw any fire from an angry know it all,who if I argued back,would eventually criticize my mentality and manhood .

There's no doubt in my mind that the legacies of Luis Rodriguez and Emile Griffith hinge on their four fights,all SD's,Emile winning three. Luis took the belt from Emile at Dodger Stadium, and 90 days later at MSG, Emile had it back again around his waist. I remember watching those four fights on TV.They were close,but it should have come out Luis up 3,Emile down 1.(I thought Emile squeaked by when he lost in LA).Being champ for 3 months hurt is reputaion in a way.Part of Luis's dilemma was that he never had a strong central fan base.Emile Griffith was very popular in New York. Two of the fights with Luis were at the Garden. Jose Napoles was a sensation in LA and Mexico.After he won the title ,he never lost in Mexico until the Stracey fiasco(talk to Mando Muniz the fight in Mazatlan) or the Southland. Luis Rodriguez fought in the other guy's backyard with no beefs.

When the international Boxing Hall of Fame had their first inductee ceremony,there were four welterweights on the dais-Mantequilla Napoles,Emile Griffith,Kid Gavilan,and Carmen Basilio. The year was 1990. Seven years later the committee added Luis's name to the Hall. He was dead by then. Let's hope we will always keep his memory alive. I'll take my tongue out of my cheek. He was the greatest who should have been.

http://imgur.com/jEspcH7

Luis Rodriguez

Oh My!

Dick Enberg,after 60 years in broadcasting,retred after calling his last game for the San Diego Padres last year. He ran the gamut when you read the list of all the different sports he had broadcast from the booth.He had a four year stretch with the Padres. He hadn't done baseball since he was with the Angels during the 80's.He was pretty stale. He was out of touch with baseball.i sensed the first year he was in the booth with former Padre,Marc Grant,there was an air of tension. it seemed that Enberg wanted to draw attention to himself. At times he'd contradict Grant ensuing a slight argument.Enberg liked to live off catch phrases.His biggie was, after a good play(or bad),"Oh my!"Enberg,when he was with the Angels,was competing with the legendary Vin Scully,who had been calling Dodger games since he had replaced Red Barber in the 50's in Brooklyn. But there was no jealousy with Enberg. He always referred to Scully as the best baseball announcer there ever was.

Enberg came off as a little wrapped up in himself. He always let everyone know,especially Marc Grant,that he earned a PHD in English at the University of Indiana. Grant went straight to Single A ball after leaving high school. Grant put the moniker on Engberg.He called him "The Professor."It sounded like a dig to me. Well,while Engberg was raking in 4 mil a year and living in a gated mansion in LaJolla across the gated road from the gated Copley Castle, for saying "Oh my!" for nine innings,Grant ,who explained more nuances and revealed more insights of the game every inning night after night,was probably bringing his lunch to work in a paper bag.It was Baseball PHD listening to Marc's comments.Marc and his family live in a small community in the foothills in the East County of San Diego with the coyotes and rattlesnakes.

I don't miss Enberg. For a few weeks in July,he'd be over in jolly ol' England broadcasting Wimbledon tennis.After coming back to San Diego for baseball,we'd have to hear about how he was the guest at some blue blood's penthouse in London eating chateaubriands and being awed by Roger Federer's backhand. I'm sure Marc Grant was choking on his ham sandwich. Last year the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Engberg in the "announcer category." If I had a dollar everytime Enberg told the story of Johnny Bench slapping him on the back and telling him,"Well ,Dick,you're one of us",I could buy Marc Grant the biggest hog in Alpine and he could make ham sandwiches for the rest of his life.

But I remember when Enberg squirmed for a year as a broadcaster.It,I think was 1968,he was sitting next to Mickey Davies at the Olympic Auditortium every week doing the fights.I know Enberg was a fish out of water with this gig. He hadn't yet angled his way to a big score on one of the major networks doing the pro games or something like March Madness or the Masters. No,Dick was in the smelly old Olympic Auditorium with matchmaker Micker Davies surrounded by all the crazy aficianados having to dodge firecrackers and cups filled with beer when the bad sports saw their guy lose.

Davies would try to probe Enberg about what he thought of the action. I think I remember a couple of "Oh my's".Enberg had it made. I know he wasn't making 4 mil,but he was still learning his trade.Think of it. Getting paid sitting ringside watching fighters like Jerry Quarry,Kenny Norton,Armando Muniz,Hedgemon Lewis, Mando Ramos,Emile Griffith,Ernie Lopez,,Sugar Ramos,and Joe Frazier.I don't think Engberg enjoyed watching two men wade into each other and getting his alligator shoes splattered with blood. A good volley was enough to stir his juices.

Now as you're reading this ,you might be asking yourself,"Maybe Enberg really got off on watching a Floyd Patterson."But for me this comment said it all. Enberg had swung a deal announcing,I think NFL football with Merlin Olsen on NBC (no problem).On his last night at the Olympic,Davies asked Enberg which fighter had impressed him the most. Enberg glibly says,"Manny Lugo."If you were reared on the fights from the Olympic Auditorium you'd remember Lugo as a 4 or 5 round prelim guy with a 50/50 record.What made Enberg's comment insulting was the fact that Lugo was a clown in the ring. Manny Lugo was the only fighter that threw his punches with BOTH hands at the same time! It was a gag. He did it for laughs,and everyone would roar.The crowd would wait for Lugo to act the fool and then he'd bring the house down with his two handed no power punch. So when Dick Enberg put Manny Lugo ahead of someone like Ruben Olivares,I said to myself this guy Enberg felt that boxing at the Olympic Auditorium wasn't very erudite enough.He was above that.His PHD proved that.Oh my!

http://imgur.com/GV9YdJS

Aileen Eaton-owner and promoter of the Olympic Auditorium.

dagosd2000 wrote:The Greatest Who Should Have Been

I saw Luis Rodriguez wind down his training for his fight with the Mexican, Rafael Gutierrez,in San Diego.Training was headquartered at the Stardust Hotel in Mission Valley.Also on the card was a young Ken Norton who fought a very crude fighter by the name of Pedro Sanchez.The Rodriguez/Gutierrez go was advertised as a title eliminator-the winner in line to face Nino Benvenuti for the middleweight crown. I'd never seen nor heard of Gutierrez before. El Feo I'd seen plenty of . It was 1969 and Luis had been in over 100 wars.He had fought everywhere against everybody.With a multitude of Hall of Fame fighters on his resume,i thought Luis would enjoy a cakewalk.Interesting sidelight.When the local scribes interviewed out the fight,all he wanted to talk about was how he got the short end against Emile Griffith.

I've told the story before. It was a tough match. Rodriguez was trailing after five frames when the stronger Gutierrez was cold cocked by a single left hook and was counted out. I was there sitting ringside with my father.My father didn't follow the fights very much at that time. He was bred in an era in Chicago where paisans like Basilio,Marciano,LaMotta,and Pep were only worth the price of my dad's admission. The hot fighters in the Southland,who were mostly Mexican,didn't appeal much to my dad. The Blacks and Anglos didn't pique his curiosity either. Jerry Quarry and Ken Norton didn't move my dad to buy a ringside seat nor turn on the tube.He took me to see Ray Robinson fight in Tijuana.That's because he knew Robinson from Chicago.But it was my dad's idea to see the Rodriguez fight at the Sports Arena.My dad said he knew Angelo Dundee,that's why.So I'll make the long story short. Luis wins,my dad is up in the ring with his arm around Dundee,and they walk back to the dressingroom.I heard my dad say with a big s--t eating grin,"Well,Ange you got the title shot."

Rodriguez fought a few more times before flying across the Atlantic to fight Benvenuti in front of the country of pasta eaters. The chips looked stacked against Luis. He was beginning to slow . His career was full of fighters that outweighed him and were wearing him down.He was fighting all the time since the get go.But everything the way it looked,I didn't think Benvenuti would beat him.Rodriguez might have been the smartest,most adaptable fighter I'd ever seen. He was one of those "bouncy" Cubans who could move in and out,set a rhythm,punch with both hands,counter,jab and circle,and had a good beard.Luis was on his way to victory and the crown when,in the 11th round,Nino threw the best punch of his career. When that left hook caught Rodriguez flush on the jaw,it was over before Luis's head hit the canvas.That was Rodriguez's last shot at a title.

I'm reading Enrique Encinosa's book about the history of Cuban boxing. He says that when Rodriguez would train at the Dundee's 5th Street Gym in Miami,a young Muhammad Ali would watch very intently at Rodriguez's skills in the ring. Denny Moyer said the best fighter he ever fought was Luis Rodriguez. It was the first time a prime Moyer tasted a knockout loss. After Memo Ayon beat Ray Robinson in the Tijuana bullring,his next fight was with Luis. He stretched out the Mexican in three. The scary Ruben Carter couldn't hurt him,let alone get anything going in his fight with Rodriguez losing two decisions.

There was a thread awhile back on the Boxrec Forum wanting to list the top 10 welterweights from the posters. Mostly it was Robby 1st,Ray Leonard was near the top. Emile Griffith and Jose Napoles I saw on just about all the lists.My memory is vague,but I'm sure Duran was there. Pretty Boy too.I saw Luis Rodriguez's name on a few of the lists. Good.

I've always been a Napoles guy. If you have a favorite fighter you think he's the best at his weight class.If he loses you've got an alibi for him. So when I began reading the lists,i had an urge(just little bitty one)to submit my names, with Mantequilla above the others. But if I had typed that up,I would have been pecking away with my tongue against my cheek.Besides I didn't want to draw any fire from an angry know it all,who if I argued back,would eventually criticize my mentality and manhood .

There's no doubt in my mind that the legacies of Luis Rodriguez and Emile Griffith hinge on their four fights,all SD's,Emile winning three. Luis took the belt from Emile at Dodger Stadium, and 90 days later at MSG, Emile had it back again around his waist. I remember watching those four fights on TV.They were close,but it should have come out Luis up 3,Emile down 1.(I thought Emile squeaked by when he lost in LA).Being champ for 3 months hurt is reputaion in a way.Part of Luis's dilemma was that he never had a strong central fan base.Emile Griffith was very popular in New York. Two of the fights with Luis were at the Garden. Jose Napoles was a sensation in LA and Mexico.After he won the title ,he never lost in Mexico until the Stracey fiasco(talk to Mando Muniz the fight in Mazatlan) or the Southland. Luis Rodriguez fought in the other guy's backyard with no beefs.

When the international Boxing Hall of Fame had their first inductee ceremony,there were four welterweights on the dais-Mantequilla Napoles,Emile Griffith,Kid Gavilan,and Carmen Basilio. The year was 1990. Seven years later the committee added Luis's name to the Hall. He was dead by then. Let's hope we will always keep his memory alive. I'll take my tongue out of my cheek. He was the greatest who should have been.

http://imgur.com/jEspcH7

Luis Rodriguez

Rog, totally agree with everything you say about Luis. Man, one of the great welters, but what an uncanny middle as well. I needed to comment on this because a bad decision always sits with me. And that 4th fight with Griffith was a stinker of a decision. I still have my scorecard on that fight (watching from youtube) and I had it 71-65 for Luis on the 5 point must system employed. I cannot see any conceivable way how anyone could have scored that fight for Emile. What can you do?

scartissue wrote:

dagosd2000 wrote:The Greatest Who Should Have Been

I saw Luis Rodriguez wind down his training for his fight with the Mexican, Rafael Gutierrez,in San Diego.Training was headquartered at the Stardust Hotel in Mission Valley.Also on the card was a young Ken Norton who fought a very crude fighter by the name of Pedro Sanchez.The Rodriguez/Gutierrez go was advertised as a title eliminator-the winner in line to face Nino Benvenuti for the middleweight crown. I'd never seen nor heard of Gutierrez before. El Feo I'd seen plenty of . It was 1969 and Luis had been in over 100 wars.He had fought everywhere against everybody.With a multitude of Hall of Fame fighters on his resume,i thought Luis would enjoy a cakewalk.Interesting sidelight.When the local scribes interviewed out the fight,all he wanted to talk about was how he got the short end against Emile Griffith.

I've told the story before. It was a tough match. Rodriguez was trailing after five frames when the stronger Gutierrez was cold cocked by a single left hook and was counted out. I was there sitting ringside with my father.My father didn't follow the fights very much at that time. He was bred in an era in Chicago where paisans like Basilio,Marciano,LaMotta,and Pep were only worth the price of my dad's admission. The hot fighters in the Southland,who were mostly Mexican,didn't appeal much to my dad. The Blacks and Anglos didn't pique his curiosity either. Jerry Quarry and Ken Norton didn't move my dad to buy a ringside seat nor turn on the tube.He took me to see Ray Robinson fight in Tijuana.That's because he knew Robinson from Chicago.But it was my dad's idea to see the Rodriguez fight at the Sports Arena.My dad said he knew Angelo Dundee,that's why.So I'll make the long story short. Luis wins,my dad is up in the ring with his arm around Dundee,and they walk back to the dressingroom.I heard my dad say with a big s--t eating grin,"Well,Ange you got the title shot."

Rodriguez fought a few more times before flying across the Atlantic to fight Benvenuti in front of the country of pasta eaters. The chips looked stacked against Luis. He was beginning to slow . His career was full of fighters that outweighed him and were wearing him down.He was fighting all the time since the get go.But everything the way it looked,I didn't think Benvenuti would beat him.Rodriguez might have been the smartest,most adaptable fighter I'd ever seen. He was one of those "bouncy" Cubans who could move in and out,set a rhythm,punch with both hands,counter,jab and circle,and had a good beard.Luis was on his way to victory and the crown when,in the 11th round,Nino threw the best punch of his career. When that left hook caught Rodriguez flush on the jaw,it was over before Luis's head hit the canvas.That was Rodriguez's last shot at a title.

I'm reading Enrique Encinosa's book about the history of Cuban boxing. He says that when Rodriguez would train at the Dundee's 5th Street Gym in Miami,a young Muhammad Ali would watch very intently at Rodriguez's skills in the ring. Denny Moyer said the best fighter he ever fought was Luis Rodriguez. It was the first time a prime Moyer tasted a knockout loss. After Memo Ayon beat Ray Robinson in the Tijuana bullring,his next fight was with Luis. He stretched out the Mexican in three. The scary Ruben Carter couldn't hurt him,let alone get anything going in his fight with Rodriguez losing two decisions.

There was a thread awhile back on the Boxrec Forum wanting to list the top 10 welterweights from the posters. Mostly it was Robby 1st,Ray Leonard was near the top. Emile Griffith and Jose Napoles I saw on just about all the lists.My memory is vague,but I'm sure Duran was there. Pretty Boy too.I saw Luis Rodriguez's name on a few of the lists. Good.

I've always been a Napoles guy. If you have a favorite fighter you think he's the best at his weight class.If he loses you've got an alibi for him. So when I began reading the lists,i had an urge(just little bitty one)to submit my names, with Mantequilla above the others. But if I had typed that up,I would have been pecking away with my tongue against my cheek.Besides I didn't want to draw any fire from an angry know it all,who if I argued back,would eventually criticize my mentality and manhood .

There's no doubt in my mind that the legacies of Luis Rodriguez and Emile Griffith hinge on their four fights,all SD's,Emile winning three. Luis took the belt from Emile at Dodger Stadium, and 90 days later at MSG, Emile had it back again around his waist. I remember watching those four fights on TV.They were close,but it should have come out Luis up 3,Emile down 1.(I thought Emile squeaked by when he lost in LA).Being champ for 3 months hurt is reputaion in a way.Part of Luis's dilemma was that he never had a strong central fan base.Emile Griffith was very popular in New York. Two of the fights with Luis were at the Garden. Jose Napoles was a sensation in LA and Mexico.After he won the title ,he never lost in Mexico until the Stracey fiasco(talk to Mando Muniz the fight in Mazatlan) or the Southland. Luis Rodriguez fought in the other guy's backyard with no beefs.

When the international Boxing Hall of Fame had their first inductee ceremony,there were four welterweights on the dais-Mantequilla Napoles,Emile Griffith,Kid Gavilan,and Carmen Basilio. The year was 1990. Seven years later the committee added Luis's name to the Hall. He was dead by then. Let's hope we will always keep his memory alive. I'll take my tongue out of my cheek. He was the greatest who should have been.

http://imgur.com/jEspcH7

Luis Rodriguez

Rog, totally agree with everything you say about Luis. Man, one of the great welters, but what an uncanny middle as well. I needed to comment on this because a bad decision always sits with me. And that 4th fight with Griffith was a stinker of a decision. I still have my scorecard on that fight (watching from youtube) and I had it 71-65 for Luis on the 5 point must system employed. I cannot see any conceivable way how anyone could have scored that fight for Emile. What can you do?

Dan,there's nothing anyone can do. Boxing has always had its bad actors hovering over it. The sport was set up originally for gambling when they'd throw all those slaves in the pit and have them fight to the end in those Battle Royals ,it was for guys to bet money on. Later ,the Mob influenced the commissions,the arenas,the managers,the judges and referees.The fighters were the ones the fans paid to see and once they couldn't milk anymore out of those pugs,they were kicked to the curb. Promoters are the worse.They cheat fighters out of their purses.I remember watching The Howard Stern Show awhile back. Buster Douglas was on there with his present manager(Buster was broke trying to make a comeback). This was long after he had lost to Holyfield. Stern asked him how much he cleared for the Tyson fight.Douglas says"600 bucks."The sad part about this was that Douglas didn't think he got a screwing.After Stern explained to the guy that he'd been raked over the coals,Douglas looked over to his current manager that was sitting beside him.It reminded me of the Amos n' Andy Show.Andrew H. Brown (Douglas)sitting beside The Kingfish(Douglas's manager).

They'll never be a central body to regulate the sport.Fighters will pay their medical expenses out of their own pockets. There'll never be a pension plan.Fighters will be allowed to fight even when they are having physical problems.Luis Manual Rodriguez couldn't avoid swimming with all them Kingfishes.

http://imgur.com/Qen1sPn

George "Kingfish" Stevens

Turned 70 this week.Feel I earned that. Wife and I celebrated 46 years of marriage today.Feel I've been blessed.

My wife,Maria, in the middle with our son and her sister in the cornfield on her sister's ranch armed and ready. La Valle de Juarez,Jalisco.I remember it like it was yesterday.

http://imgur.com/QljlcF2


I dedicate this song to her

Crei-Los Tecolines

https://youtu.be/xQszbYCW3Pc

Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversery Rog. God willing, I'll be tipping a beer with you in October.

scartissue wrote:Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversery Rog. God willing, I'll be tipping a beer with you in October.

Got that right

I hope you don't mind if I throw out what I hope is a question worthy of this forum.

I've always been curious about a California middleweight named Ted Sanders. He had a strange career where he seemingly was thrown right in with main eventers and had some eye-catching performances, the most noteworthy was derailing Alex Ramos with a brutal 8th round KO.

Does anyone have any remembrances of Sanders or any inside explanation of why he bailed on the Ramos rematch and essentially retired at what should have been his career zenith?

He seems to be largely forgotten or maybe never-really-known and this seems like a shame all things considered.

Thanks in advance.

Dart340 wrote:I hope you don't mind if I throw out what I hope is a question worthy of this forum.

I've always been curious about a California middleweight named Ted Sanders. He had a strange career where he seemingly was thrown right in with main eventers and had some eye-catching performances, the most noteworthy was derailing Alex Ramos with a brutal 8th round KO.

Does anyone have any remembrances of Sanders or any inside explanation of why he bailed on the Ramos rematch and essentially retired at what should have been his career zenith?

He seems to be largely forgotten or maybe never-really-known and this seems like a shame all things considered.

Thanks in advance.

I remember seeing Ted Sanders fight Renato Garcia at the San Diego Coliseum. Garcia wasn't the greatest fighter in the world,but he was pretty popular in San Diego. Sanders upset him.He had never fought in San Diego before. At the time Garcia was struggling and I think they figured he could jumpstart his career fighting the likes of Sanders.I don't remember much about the fight except that Sanders won. The crowd went along with the decision. I've got a phone call I'm going to put in with James Kinchen next week. In our conversation I'll ask him if he knows what happened to Ted Sanders. I'll get back with this.

Have a very Happy Birthday and a Happy Anniversary, Roger!

- Chuck Johnston