BoxRec

A Cuban Away From Home

After Clemente Sanchez KO'd Kuniaka Shibata to with the featherweight title,I wasn't sure that he'd keep the crown on his head for too long. When he signed to fight Jose Legra in Monterrey ,Mexico I was thinking that that crown would be on the top of Legra's head before the night was over.

Legra never had a big following here in the U.S. After he and his fellow Cuban fighters packed their bags and ran off to various other parts of the world where pro boxing was a legitimate way to earn a living.Legra ventured over to Mexico with Jose Napoles,"Sugar" Ramos,and Baby Luis.After a cuo of coffee he was enticed by the old warhorse and ex patriot countryman Kid Tunero to fly across the Atlantic to Spain and make a go of it. There.Legra was a more advanced fighter than most of the featherweights in Europe.Many of the main events were 8 rounders and Legra ran up impressive winning streaks. His most noteworthy fights were against Howard Winstone ,who he whipped to win the featherweight title, only to lose it in a controversial decision 6 months later to Johnny Famechon at Royal Albert Hall in England.

Legra made his only U.S, appearance in a big fight in LA's forum against Mexico's very popular Vicente Saldivar who was making a comeback. in another controversial decision Legra came up short.Well, it was back across the pond for Jose and he kept winning decisions against competition that wasn't in anybody's top 10 list.Then in December of 1972 he gets a shot for the works against Sanchez in Mexico.

I'd seen Sanchez fight plenty of times on Mexican TV.He was kind of typical of the Mexican fighter who either took the other guy out or then would be lying on his backside having a ten count tolled over him.When it came to overall skill Clemente wasn't in Jose's league by any stretch.

They showed the fight in Tijuana on the closed screen at the Municipal Auditorium. The place was packed.Of course they were pulling for Sanchez.It was Sanchez who got even with Kuniaka Shibata who had shocked the boxing world by making Vicente Saldivar quit in Tijuana at the same Municipal Auditorium. I saw that fight, and like the crowd was stunned that Saldivar,a very slow starter,never got started and by the 12th round Vicente and his corner throw in the towel.

But Jose Legra knew only one speed and that was high gear. He was what I refer to as "bouncy" like his countryman Luis Rodriguez.He'd slap his gloves together and show the other guy all kid of angles and dart in and out snapping off combinations.He was an epitome of flash. I knew that Sanchez wouldn't be able to keep up with him.

But Sanchez had "Lost" his title before the first bell rang. He failed to get down to 125 pounds and was stripped of the belt.Ironically, Legra was the champ before the fight even started.The fight was about as one sided as it can get.I think Sanchez was decked at least 10 times. It was like Baer and Carnera except Legra wasn't laughing throughout the bout like Max was during his fight with Da Preem.

When the referee finally called a halt to all this nonsense I could see that the crowd in Monterrey wasn't in any mood to throw debris at the Cuban.In fact it was Sanchez who was lucky to leave without being molested.He'd disgraced himself.

In five months Legra went to Eder Jofre's stomping grounds in Brasila to make his first defense.It was very close.Eder was down,but to beat Jofre in Brazil you had to virtually knock him out. That had never happened before nor ever would.Thus another controversial decision loss.

In a 13 year career Jose legra won the title twice and wore the championship belt in total for about a year.He fought only once in the United States. He's never gained entry into the IBHOF. He still lives in Spain and became a successful businessman in mens' clothing.Maybe if he had stayed in Mexico he would have gotten more big fights and had his name in Canastota.

But like I posted the other day about what Joe Louis said,
"If you gotta' tell them who you are you ain't nobody."
Jose Legra doesn't have to explain anything to anybody.

Jose Legra

A Sport Removed

Maybe not so much today with all the fighting in cages,but I remember that there was a only a certain element of fan that would go to a boxing match,expecially with young people.They felt boxing was something their fathers' would attend. The dads went to the gym or the YMCA where boys would put on the gloves and test each others' manhood in the ring.At least learning how to fight was a right of passage.So it was no big deal to go to the fights.it wasn't on the television because television wasn't around yet. Funny,when that thing was finally invented about the only sports broadcast were the fights and wrestling.

When I was a kid or at least getting into my teens,amongst my friends,boxing was something alien. You went to the football game whether it was at the high school or the college. if your burg was big enough you had a pro team. Those games drew pretty good and were front page news.But boxing?It was sort of a mystery. Who would go to those things?You wouldn't ask a girl to go to the fights on a date.She'd think something was wrong with you. Besides,girls went to the football games to make a social appearance. Hell,they didn't know anything about football,but there's nothing glamorous inside an old smoke filled boxing arena with men screaming for one guy to "kill" the other guy.

Today,it's changed a lot. Girls all tattooed up and filled with booze have no problem screaming "Kill the mother f--ker!".Today you go to the gym and there's more females wearing the gloves than the guys. Here in the U.S. it's a feminist way of showing the men that "We can do this too."They're not as good at it,but there IS a carnal attraction. But as I get older the vision is more sad.In Mexico there are a ton of girls in the gym. It's a "Poor woman's out" Prostitution is another sordid street. You do what ya' gotta' do if you like eating.

You'd never see Ali at a football game. He never played football in school. He didn't know how many player were on a baseball team. If you asked him who was the "shortstop" he'd probably say something like,"That's when you step the brakes too fast."

It's almost like what Foreman said,"All the other sports aspire to boxing." Boxing is "up here" and the rest below.If they have a vote for the "greatest" sports figure of the 20th century most of the time the answer would be Muhammad Ali. unless you're some red neck with an ample amount of prejudice.

However,we've been cruising (perhaps today "struggling")in the 21st century for 20 years. I know we've got another 80 years before this century ends(if not the world before that time),but if they took a quick vote who would they say is in the lead for the "greatest" athlete of the 21st century? When I take a look at BoxRec's best P4P I can't believe the vote would go to "Canelo" Alvarez.And the 2nd place guy,Tyson Fury? Now you're going to make me laugh. Just as well give it to some basketball player. Or some guy with one name like "Ronaldo."

His Best When He Wasn't The Best Yet

Joe Louis said after it was all said and done that his best effort was against Max Baer.Louis wasn't champ yet and for Max it was a crossroads fight for he had lost the title ,to I guess you'd have to say a journeyman, Jimmie Braddock.A lot of the boxing nuts were saying that the way he bounced Primo Carnera up and down off the canvas that he was going to stay on top of the heavyweight pile for some time.The guy could sure wallop.But then Maxie was a happy go lucky kind of guy who would often shun the roadwork so he could work his way into some split tail's bedroom.(Louis was good at that sort of thing also but Jack Blackburn kept him pretty much in line.Baer had made a movie starring beside a big name Myrna Loy called :the Prizefighter And the Lady".Though I guess you could say Max couldn't play Hamlet, I couldn't see Larry Olivier playing the part of a Playboy fighter in a movie(But that Olivier sure could pretend to be someone else.Most versatile actor in my opinion)

After screwing around to Braddock frittering away his title in his first defense of it the boxing world was waiting to see if Maxie could get serious enough to halt this unbeaten negro fighter who was knocking people's heads off.Mike Jacobs knew he could fit that fight very comfortably in Gotham City's Yankee Stadium where the gate would be bigger than the traditional Madison Square Garden. Arthur Donovan would be the referee.It was a match for the ages.

Louis still hadn't won over the whites on any scale(We don't need another Johnson as the heavyweight champ) and the palefaces were hoping that Max would carry the sheet. He was being handled and lauded by Jack Dempsey,and don't let no one kid you ,the Manassa Mauler wanted Max to put Joe in his place.

Of course Joe Louis was the greatest figure of the negro community who had ever lived. He was a fighter in the pride of boxing's divisions.He was chopping his opponents up like cordwood..And he hadn't lost a fight.Joe was going to get hitched to a pretty gal in Harlem named Marva Trotter.His wedding present would to beat Baer and establish himself as the real article.But Baer had a right hand that had the kick of a mule and more than likely could even drop that Beast Of Burden with that punch,but only if he got serious enough.

I often go back and watch that fight on YouTube. The thing that strikes me is Louis' jab. It was as hard a punch as Maxie's right but didn't take as long as getting to other guy's chin.It was like a battering ram.Max wanted to stand up to Joe in the trading department in the early going and got in some licks, but when he started eating leather he went from happy go lucky to I'm lucky to be alive.Joe took the heart out of him. In the 4th round with Baer on a knee taking the ten count looking up at Donovan his next fight would be in Salt Lake City.

In the locker room after the fight Max tried to make light of his defeat by alluding that when he got socked in the mouth something like the dark clouds of Harlem were raining down on him.Then he wanted to wish Louis a happy marriage and now it was time to pack his bags and go to Utah.However, Jack Dempsey didn't want to go with him.


Max Baer

Deserves More Than A Mention

The other day Dan Hanley mentioned that his candidate for "Hardluck Fighter" was Jesse Burnett. That's a name that's probably not kicked around much when discussing which fighter found that boxing was more of an albatross than a bird on the wing. I saw Burnett first fight at the old Coliseum in San Diego against Ray "Windmill" White. Burnett was undefeated at the time having won 8 in a row. White had close to 60 fights under his belt.It was hard to figure who the crowd was behind that night. Most of the time when White was in the ring people came to see him clown around. He was a pretty good defensive fighter ,but if you bring his name up in boxing circles he's remembered for his antics in the ring more than any ability. He was double jointed and used that quirk to throw punches from behind his back and do things like wiggling his torso like an Indian rubber man. Today,I think he regrets having behaved like a slapstick comic in a burlesque house but there's nothing he can do to make people think otherwise. That night at the Coliseum Burnett had the "Windmill" on his backside so often bouncing up and down like a Jack In The Box that it added another facet to his vaudevillian career as a fighter.

Jesse Burnett was a very relaxed fighter. He had the skills of a veteran and a talent that seemed innate.After seeing him in his 9th pro fight I thought he would be a rising star and soon be fighting the big names in the light heavyweight division having a good chance to be champion one day when the great Bob Foster would either continue trying his luck with the heavyweights or eventually giving in to Father Time.

But after another win Burnett slipped out of orbit.He was fighting all over the map in other fighters' neighborhoods and getting the short end of some very close fights. Maybe if Burnett could call just anyplace his hometown he would have gotten the benefit of the doubt in those near misses.

His first loss was against James Scott.This was before Scott was to make an unfortunate name for himself when he was fighting from Rahway Prison where he was locked up on a robbery conviction.The defeat was a close decision. In his next two goes Burnett split decisions against "Yaqui" Lopez.Burnett's next big opportunity was against Victor Galinsez in of all places Denmark.I saw the replay and thought Burnett boxed Galindez's tail off. But Jesse got robbed again. Now a pattern was developing.

I saw Burnett beat "Bossman" Jones at The San Diego Sports Arena in a fight that was decisively in Burnett's favor. The bout was one of the undercards of the Kenny Norton/Larry Middleton main event.But instead of Burnett becoming the feature fighter he was playing second fiddle to the up and coming stars. He lost to "Yaqui" Lopez,Eddie Mustafa Muhammad,and fighters with low reps.He flew across the pond to be a dead duck for John Conteh ,and was beating him when the judges decided it wouldn't be gentlemanly to score it against their mate even though he had Johnny on his backside twice.The fight was scored a draw that couldn't have drawn flies.

Burnett continued to go on the skids. But he showed the old spark against former champ Leon Spinks but again Burnett didn't have higher numbers on his scorecard than Leon and went home with another sour taste in his mouth.

You look at Jesse Burnett's record and it stands at a tepid 24 and 17.I've mentioned his fight before with "Windmill" White at the Coliseum.But that was for the most part to highlight White's shenanigans. So I was glad to see Dan Hanley bring up Burnett's name as a legit hard luck case. I'm here to back that up.


Leon Spinks

Jesse Burnett had fine boxing skills, was far better than his record indicated and often had bouts under adverse conditions. He didn't become a professional boxer until the relatively late age of 26 and seemed to fight a deliberate manner at times, which didn't make his bouts exciting. Because of his deliberate boxing style, Burnett had trouble getting bouts and apparently felt he had to take any fight that came his way even if the circumstances were far from ideal. During his career, it was reported that he was working as a gardener or landscaper to put food on the table in addition to trying to keep up a full training regimen.

Perhaps the most significant bout of Burnett's career was when he fought Miguel Angel Cuello for the vacant World Boxing Council world light heavyweight championship in Fontvieille, Monaco during 1977. John Conteh, the reigning WBC world light heavyweight champion, had been scheduled to defend his title in a bout with Cuello, but decided not to go through with it three days before the bout was scheduled to take place. Almost immediately afterwards, Conteh was stripped of his title and Burnett was substituted for Conteh.

The bout between Conteh and. Cuello was scheduled to be shown on a major television network. After Conteh pulled out and Burnett substituted on extremely short notice, the bout wasn't postponed, presumably because it was scheduled to be shown on a major American television network, which certainly made it lucrative for the promotion. Meanwhile, Burnett, after getting the bout on such short notice, made a 24-hour plane trip to Monaco 48 hours before the bout. During the bout, Burnett got off to a very good start, but started fade afterwards with Cuello stopping him in the ninth round. It does appear that Burnett sustained a broken rib in the third round, but jet lag may have been the main reason why Burnett faded in the latter part of the bout.

It is hard to think of another fighter who took a bout under such adverse conditions like Burnett did when he fought Cuello. But as noted before, Burnett seemed willing to do it during his career. In the bout with Cuello, Burnett was getting an extremely good payday by his standards and a chance to win a vacant world title. For someone who was working as a gardener in addition to having a full training regimen, it certainly was an opportunity. But Burnett may have not had confidence in his stamina after that bout, which could be a reason why he fought tentatively at times.

Jesse Reid managed and trained both Burnett and Bruce Curry during the early part of a long career as manager/trainer. Like Burnett, Curry fought in a number of bouts under adverse conditions. For instance, Curry, a junior welterweight, fought Thomas Hearns, one of the most dominant fighters of the era and a tall, hard-punching welterweight with plenty of boxing skills, and got stopped early in the bout. Curry also fought Wilfredo Benitez twice and did fairly well under some adverse conditions. But unlike Burnett, Curry was a very exciting fighter, resulting in him having less trouble getting bouts. He also had a tremendous amount of heart and was fanatical about his conditioning. He would go on to win the WBC version of the world super welterweight title and hold it for a short time. Curry certainly was a good fighter, but he certainly was not nearly as talented as his brother, Donald. He also had very severe mental health problems.

In regards to Burnett, I saw him being inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame a number of years ago. For the function, Burnett had a large number of people who bought tickets to see be inducted, enough for ten tables. Reid was there to introduce him. However, Burnett appeared to have sustained severe brain damage, resulting him in being extremely fidgety all of the time. Burnett seemed friendly and appeared to be aware of his surroundings, but....

- Chuck Johnston

Chuck1052 wrote: ↑12 Nov 2020, 10:22 Jesse Burnett had fine boxing skills, was far better than his record indicated and often had bouts under adverse conditions. He didn't become a professional boxer until the relatively late age of 26 and seemed to fight a deliberate manner at times, which didn't make his bouts exciting. Because of his deliberate boxing style, Burnett had trouble getting bouts and apparently felt he had to take any fight that came his way even if the circumstances were far from ideal. During his career, it was reported that he was working as a gardener or landscaper to put food on the table in addition to trying to keep up a full training regimen.

Perhaps the most significant bout of Burnett's career was when he fought Miguel Angel Cuello for the vacant World Boxing Council world light heavyweight championship in Fontvieille, Monaco during 1977. John Conteh, the reigning WBC world light heavyweight champion, had been scheduled to defend his title in a bout with Cuello, but decided not to go through with it three days before the bout was scheduled to take place. Almost immediately afterwards, Conteh was stripped of his title and Burnett was substituted for Conteh.

The bout between Conteh and. Cuello was scheduled to be shown on a major television network. After Conteh pulled out and Burnett substituted on extremely short notice, the bout wasn't postponed, presumably because it was scheduled to be shown on a major American television network, which certainly made it lucrative for the promotion. Meanwhile, Burnett, after getting the bout on such short notice, made a 24-hour plane trip to Monaco 48 hours before the bout. During the bout, Burnett got off to a very good start, but started fade afterwards with Cuello stopping him in the ninth round. It does appear that Burnett sustained a broken rib in the third round, but jet lag may have been the main reason why Burnett faded in the latter part of the bout.

It is hard to think of another fighter who took a bout under such adverse conditions like Burnett did when he fought Cuello. But as noted before, Burnett seemed willing to do it during his career. In the bout with Cuello, Burnett was getting an extremely good payday by his standards and a chance to win a vacant world title. For someone who was working as a gardener in addition to having a full training regimen, it certainly was an opportunity. But Burnett may have not had confidence in his stamina after that bout, which could be a reason why he fought tentatively at times.

Jesse Reid managed and trained both Burnett and Bruce Curry during the early part of a long career as manager/trainer. Like Burnett, Curry fought in a number of bouts under adverse conditions. For instance, Curry, a junior welterweight, fought Thomas Hearns, one of the most dominant fighters of the era and a tall, hard-punching welterweight with plenty of boxing skills, and got stopped early in the bout. Curry also fought Wilfredo Benitez twice and did fairly well under some adverse conditions. But unlike Burnett, Curry was a very exciting fighter, resulting in him having less trouble getting bouts. He also had a tremendous amount of heart and was fanatical about his conditioning. He would go on to win the WBC version of the world super welterweight title and hold it for a short time. Curry certainly was a good fighter, but he certainly was not nearly as talented as his brother, Donald. He also had very severe mental health problems.

In regards to Burnett, I saw him being inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame a number of years ago. For the function, Burnett had a large number of people who bought tickets to see be inducted, enough for ten tables. Reid was there to introduce him. However, Burnett appeared to have sustained severe brain damage, resulting him in being extremely fidgety all of the time. Burnett seemed friendly and appeared to be aware of his surroundings, but....

- Chuck Johnston

Of Ants And Men

Ants and men are the only creatures on earth that wage war. We haven't figured why the ants do it. Maybe we should ask them.But until we figure a way to communicate with the ants that question of why they attack their fellow ants will continue to be an unsolved mystery.

We can reach a more probable explanation.But we haven't found the solution yet because war has been a part of man's mantra since the world's arrival.But why does it keep going on?-that waging war thing where men are slaughtered like stepping on an ant let's say..Notice I said "men." Women don't initiate war.We see, in this day and age, women in the military who are in combat units but their numbers don't add up to much. if you took the women from all the world's nations and squared them off against each other I bet they wouldn't fire a shot. Russian women during the Second World War fought alongside their men.They stood with their backs to the wall on the brink of extinction. It was fight or die.

Women bear children. They live inside the womb until they are forced into the maelstrom.Nature's whirlpool is tough enough but to have the added exercise of war hurled into the sea transforms that swirl into a hurricane.Women don't have babies in order to go out and win some medal on the battlefield or get their "cans" shot off.So why do men insist about having reasons to continue making war?When they say that they do it to make a better world they're lying.We kill so there will be less killing in the future, but there's always war and more killing.

In the Greek play "Lysistrata" the women keep their legs closed as a measure to stop their men from continuing waging war. The author ,Aristophanes,wrote tongue in cheek,and of course he was a male and his play is one of the great comedies.I'm a man and I've never been able to understand it.I try to analyze why a Hitler would send his country into the abyss.The people didn't want war.His generals didn't even want it. Hitler's fanatical crazies ,the SS and Gestapo, kept everyone in line or they were done away with.

I'm not trying to tell you the reason because I don't know.When someone like a Hitler who gives his reasons I still don't get it.But if men have to fight each other then there's a safety valve-sports.Sports,where men can test each other on a playing field or in the ring. For me it has always been the sport of boxing that has a particular resemblance to war,but without death being the aim.

Fighters fight to win a belt,to make money,and because they like fighting.Sugar Ray Robinson may have been the greatest fighter but,he wasn't the blood thirsty type.I can't imagine him sticking a knife in another guy's back.There are some that have no qualms-sociopaths who are fighters like Ike Ibeabuchi,but that's one in a thousand. Out of the ring fighters are for the most part very sociable.

However, ants are sociable creatures yet they are warlike. Again,it's only the ants and men that kill each other without the purpose for food.But I guess you could say that men are the more the civil. We have boxing if we want to vent our anger.The ants need to come up with something like boxing to replace the warmongering. Too bad we can' communicate with them.But then who cares about ants anyway?We'd just as soon step on them.


James Figg the first heavyweight champion. Now there's as friendly a looking bloke if I've ever seen one.

Slower Is Better

I've always been fascinated by this. The Godfather theme by Nino Rota was first composed by him in 1957 for the movie Fortunella.He slowed the tempo of the song,renamed it, and introduced it in the Godfather movie where it has been an all time classic.



Few if any remember this version.

I'm One Of The Easier Criers

I get on a kick and bash Italians because the flaws I see in them are my flaws. But this concept of people living together homogeneously is all BS.People like to live with their own kind. it's that way now and was before and will be in the future.Oh,I can get along with just about anybody,but when it comes to family I need the Italian rush. If I'd stayed in Chicago i might have married an Italian girl. But in San Diego,at least where my parents moved,you can count the number of Italians on one hand.Socially,where I went to high school,was an uncomfortable experience. Being a jock helped,but when it got down to looking for a mate I was on a different wave length.Mexico became my salvation.

Italy was a place that was conquered by different peoples from different parts of Europe. Where my ancestors came from, ,Naples,there was a lot of Spanish blood.Mexico being mostly a mix of Spanish/Indian (Mestizo) I felt at home right away.It's not to say that I get along with everybody or they like me,but that now I'm on the same wave length. It's innate.

When I travel to Italy,especially to Naples,I've regressed back to the womb so to speak.I don't speak hardly any Italian but I communicate without knowing the language.

When i see pictures of Rocky Marciano sitting around the table with his goombas and they're all feasting on his mother's pasta,I think who's going to want to change that?Don't let anyone kid you.Marciano's marriage was a disaster mainly because he married an Anglo gal. His family never liked her.It wasn't her fault.He still would have carried on with women if he had married an Italian and there would have been dishes and chairs tossed(Maybe not if he'd been discreet.She would have looked the other way), but in the end he would have settled down and grown old happily with his family if he had married a nice Italian girl.This socialistic mantra floating around only goes so far.

If you want assimilation it comes through marriage and that ain't gonna' happen in Mexico nor up here in the U.S. with Chicanos.

I wouldn't want a gringa wife and and she wouldn't put up with me. Call it different wave lengths.I married a Mexican gal and now that I'm in the twilight I see just fine. I couldn't have settled down without my wife waiting for me to grow up. A gringa women wouldn't have waited.You might ask why should she?But Latina women,at least the old school,think of men as always being little boys and when they grow older they know that what a woman has between her legs is more powerful than let's say Rocky Marciano's Suzy Q.


Now that sounds better.Brings a tear to my eye.

Never Forgotten

I remember if a fighter got himself into a jam Archie Moore would be the first guy to come to the rescue,or at last throw a life preserver and not let go of the rope.

There was a local fighter who could handle himself in the ring when he could get himself together and go to the gym and do his roadwork.But as time passed he was finding himself giving in to the temptations that are categorically an anathema to what a good boxer should do to stay being a good boxer.This kid couldn't stay away from drinking. His career was starting to flag because of it.The drinking was the cause ,but what made him drink was a marriage on the rocks because he also liked to carouse, and in the course, he was spending more money than he was earning fighting.Between his bar tabs and what he was dropping on his girlfriends, his career and his marriage was coming apart at the seams.Then one night he gets in his car after a night on the town and hits this little girl crossing the street and kills her. Now he's up against a manslaughter rap.

I read about it in the papers.It didn't look good for this guy.He certainly wasn't getting any sympathy from the general public.Then I read that Archie Moore was trying to get something going to raise some money for this guy's defense.Moore had long since retired but his plan was to box an exhibition against one of the wrestlers who frequented the cards at the Coliseum. Right now the grappler's name doesn't come to mind but it's not important. I also don't want to name the fighter who hit that kid. He went through hell after that,and I think he's still around.They say the best way to learn a lesson is the hard way,but damn it if he had to come to his senses in such a way.From what I've heard he's doing all right. He left the booze and his marriage held together.Fighters' wives are are a pillar of strength. Like I've said before,the comedian Redd Foxx used to say if he wanted to give you a hardtime,"I hope your daughter marries a jazz musician."Well,he could have substituted "fighter" for jazz musician.

Archie put together his exhibition at some union hall in National City.The neighbrhood was apropos.The Navy base was near by and everything was blue collar.A lot of sailors lived there off base and then there was the big ship building facility,National Steel,next to the Navy base.The bars were honky tonk and the eating joints were mostly Filipino because I think half the Navy was Filipino because in the Philippines that was a sure fire way of getting to the U.S. and become a citizen.The 21 Club was on Broadway and on Friday nights they set up a boxing ring in the middle of the bar and put on some fights. Some though were of the sub rosa type without being sanctioned by the commision.I should know I was in one of them

The night of Archie's fundraiser at the union hall turned out all right. The place was small but it was packed to the doors.Whatever you wanted to donate went into the defense fund. I remember a lot of fighters were there-a lot of the familiar locals and there were also a few names.I think Archie made some calls. I saw some faces from Tijuana and LA. Norton I remember seeing and Romulo Quirarte who ran the CREA gym in TJ was there and he brought a few of his boys.

Everyone was in good spirits.Moore hammed it up with the wrestler and the place didn't thin out for quite a while afterwards.Archie never did anything half ass,and he was sincere with his intentions. I don't think this guy who killed the kid went to jail.Everyone spoke up for him,and besides he had Archie Moore in his corner.


The 'Ol Mongoose

What They Don't Know Won't Hurt You

The Norwegian skating star,Sonjs Henie,won more Olympic Gold Medals and World and European Championships than any skater in history.She was also one of the highest paid and popular starlets in Hollywood starring in films like Happy Landing,Thin Ice,My Lucky Star,and Sun Valley Serenade.She also had an autographed picture signed by Adolf Hitler on top of her piano inside her house in Oslo.And she also f--ked Joe Louis.

When the Germans invaded Norway to keep the English from out flanking them,they ransacked the country but left everything intact inside Sonja's house because her buddie Adolf said that she was on her our side.Well,if she concurred with Adolf's slant on the world she certainly crossed the line when she rolled around with the Brown Bomber.And then again Joe Louis made that famous speech at Madison Square Garden denouncing the Nazis saying that "God is on our side."I guess in the bedroom Joe was hoping that God was looking the other way.

So we have Sonja on the same team as the epitome of white supremacy,Adolf Hitler, with his signed photo on top of her piano and she's then doing figure eights on every orifice on Joe Louis' anatomy. I see a double standard.

After the war there were a lot of Norwegians that called Sonja Henie a "quisling".But the studios ramped up their publicity machines and Sonja went back making pictures and came out smelling like a rose.She married Dan Topping the owner of the New York Yankees.

It shows you the power of carnal attraction. Forget party lines or any philosophical bent. When the hormones start flowin' all's fair in war and love.

It's a good thing Joe Louis never got the chance to meet Hitler's squeeze,Eva Braun.She was quite a dish. She wasn't a hell on fire Nazi like say the German aviatrix Hanna Reitsch or the rest of the women who hung out with their husbands and beaus at Hitler's digs,the Berghof up in the Alps. No,Eva liked to paint her nails and put on makeup and buy all kinds of expensive clothes and shoes. She kept her figure trim and perky and she liked to wear her bathing suit and stretch and spread her legs doing erotic exercises.The girls all hated her because they were not as pretty and dumpy and looking very matronly. Besides,she was Adolf's girl and they all thought he could do much better.

Well,like I said.It would have been interesting if Eva and Joe had met one evening at some Nazi gathering. Joe would have been discreet.He wasn't like Jack Johnson who showed off his white women in public.But Joe was a a horny devil and Eva, doing all her splits in her bathing suit, was no Mother Teresa.I wonder what Hitler would have thought if he knew his girlfriend was Blitzkrieging Joe in the bedroom. Hitler was kind of a kinky guy when it came to sex. His niece Geli Raubal ,who was also his mistress that he kept on a short leash, told her girlfriends that Hitler liked be defecated on. If Hitler would have found out that Eva Braun had jumped the fence,especially with a black man,the s--t would have really hit the fan.


There they are.I can read her lips,"If you ever want to be peed on you've got my number."

dagosd2000 wrote: ↑14 Nov 2020, 13:15 What They Don't Know Won't Hurt You

The Norwegian skating star,Sonjs Henie,won more Olympic Gold Medals and World and European Championships than any skater in history.She was also one of the highest paid and popular starlets in Hollywood starring in films like Happy Landing,Thin Ice,My Lucky Star,and Sun Valley Serenade.She also had an autographed picture signed by Adolf Hitler on top of her piano inside her house in Oslo.And she also f--ked Joe Louis.

When the Germans invaded Norway to keep the English from out flanking them,they ransacked the country but left everything intact inside Sonja's house because her buddie Adolf said that she was on her our side.Well,if she concurred with Adolf's slant on the world she certainly crossed the line when she rolled around with the Brown Bomber.And then again Joe Louis made that famous speech at Madison Square Garden denouncing the Nazis saying that "God is on our side."I guess in the bedroom Joe was hoping that God was looking the other way.

So we have Sonja on the same team as the epitome of white supremacy,Adolf Hitler, with his signed photo on top of her piano and she's then doing figure eights on every orifice on Joe Louis' anatomy. I see a double standard.

After the war there were a lot of Norwegians that called Sonja Henie a "quisling".But the studios ramped up their publicity machines and Sonja went back making pictures and came out smelling like a rose.She married Dan Topping the owner of the New York Yankees.

It shows you the power of carnal attraction. Forget party lines or any philosophical bent. When the hormones start flowin' all's fair in war and love.

It's a good thing Joe Louis never got the chance to meet Hitler's squeeze,Eva Braun.She was quite a dish. She wasn't a hell on fire Nazi like say the German aviatrix Hanna Reitsch or the rest of the women who hung out with their husbands and beaus at Hitler's digs,the Berghof up in the Alps. No,Eva liked to paint her nails and put on makeup and buy all kinds of expensive clothes and shoes. She kept her figure trim and perky and she liked to wear her bathing suit and stretch and spread her legs doing erotic exercises.The girls all hated her because they were not as pretty and dumpy and looking very matronly. Besides,she was Adolf's girl and they all thought he could do much better.

Well,like I said.It would have been interesting if Eva and Joe had met one evening at some Nazi gathering. Joe would have been discreet.He wasn't like Jack Johnson who showed off his white women in public.But Joe was a a horny devil and Eva, doing all her splits in her bathing suit, was no Mother Teresa.I wonder what Hitler would have thought if he knew his girlfriend was Blitzkrieging Joe in the bedroom. Hitler was kind of a kinky guy when it came to sex. His niece Geli Raubal ,who was also his mistress that he kept on a short leash, told her girlfriends that Hitler liked be defecated on. If Hitler would have found out that Eva Braun had jumped the fence,especially with a black man,the s--t would have really hit the fan.


There they are.I can read her lips,"If you ever want to be peed on you've got my number."

Laughing my arse off!!!

All The Hype Is Mostly Tripe

Didn't watch the fight last night. I didn't feel up to it. Besides you had to get through the prelims and the you don't know when the main event comes on.They hyped this thing with Crawford and Brook to no end. I had to to get away from it. These panelists "experts" go on and on and sure they're not going to say it's a fight that shouldn't happen or that Crawford is going to have an easy time of it, but they got the Lomo/Lopez fight wrong except for Timothy Bradley.I wish they'd ask me to be a panelist.I can blow a lot of hot air.Besides,they pay is good and that's what these "experts" are getting paid for.These big name guys like Crawford ,who they say is the best pound for pound(and I agree),fight twice a year and now with this virus going around Crawford didn't have a fight in a almost a year and you wonder when Alvarez is going to fight again?But if that's what it's going to be like then these top guys have to fight each other instead of fighting someone who's low in the rankings. But it's these promoters that are afraid of losing their cash cow if he gets knocked off. it ain't like the old days when Robinson and LaMotta fought each other 6 times.Last night it should have been Crawford and Spence to see who is the best welterweight. Oh,it will happen but it will something like when Pacquiao and Mayweather finally got in the ring.They waited too long.They built it up to the point where at least I thought I was being jerked around.Now the heavyweights are going to dick around.Fighting is a mess.This virus doesn't do it any good.All the sports ae suffering. Fake noise.Fake crowds. I heard this gal reporter down on the sidelines at the football game say "It's so quiet down here you can hear a pin drop.i'm afraid to raise my voice."Well they can use all the illusions and gimmicks for only so long.If they won't let you in the arena then they can at least put something on that's worth watching and not try to publicize the thing like it's the Fight Of the Century.When they had the rematch with Louis and Schmeling it was talked about as being the fight Of The Century. It stunk.Joe blitzed the German away in less than a round.BTW that other Fight Of The Century wasn't too good either. Maybe if they hadn't hyped it up so much(and let's face it they shouldn't have had to)their wouldn't gave been such a letdown. But then if you swallowed the hype then it WAS the Fight Of the Century.I'm tellin' ya' the media wants to do the thinking for us.


Terence Crawford

There they are.I can read her lips,"If you ever want to be peed on you've got my number."
[/quote]

Laughing my arse off!!!
[/quote]

We can all use a good laugh

Something To Write About

I was passing by Champs Bar and saw that the door was open. I swung back and pulled into the parking lot.I walked inside and saw Jeff the bartender cleaning up behind the bar.
"Good morning,"I said."Are you guys open for business?"
"Hey Roger.Hlow are you doing?"
"I saw the door open so I thought I'd drop by to see how things are."
"We're not open.I'm just doing some cleaning,"said Jeff as he went down the bar with a towel wiping it off.."Can I get you someting?"
"No.It's too early for a drink.Besides,I haven't had a drink in over a year."
"You on the wagon?"
"No.It just doesn't agree with me anymore. I can't get drunk.If I start to drink I'll get sick first and I can do without that."
Jeff came over to where I was sitting at the stool next to the door.
"I read your story yesterday you did on Joe louis and that ice skater."
"Sonja Henie?"
"Yeah that was her name.And the thing about Hitler liking to get s--t on.That was pretty funny."
"Well we could all use a laugh the way things are going."
No.I'm just cleaning up. We don't have any seating for outside.Besides, the weather will be turning and it's going to get cold and nobody will want to sit outside anyway.Anything new with you?"
"I'm going in for hip surgery on December 7th."
"You were talking about it before."
"Well,I can't take it anymore.I'll be going in on the 7th of December."
"Everyone I know that has had it wished they'd done it sooner."
"Well,I hope things will be OK with me,"I said.
"You shouldn't worry. These doctors do them every day like it was nothing."
Jeff reached under the bar and pulled up a bottle of water.
"Sure you don't want anything?"he asked me.
"No.I'm fine."
"So what are you going to write about next?"
"Well,I was watching that old movie the other day,The Prizefighter And The Lady with Max Baer and Myrna Loy."
"Didn't you write about that before?"
"Yeah.But I'm going to write about something different."
"What's that?"
Well,before the fight the guy on the radio is telling everyone about all the big names that are at Madison Square Garden to watch the fight.Al Jolson.Walter Winchell. Gimbel the department store owner.Then he says that Kate Smith is at ringside sitting in seats 1,2,and 3."
"So?"
"Well,it always was a big joke to make fun of Kate Smith' being fat."
"Really?"
"Yeah.I used to hear people make fun of her on TV.Not to her face but about her being so fat."
"That's not nice but she was pretty fat."
"One time she talked about it on one of those talk shows.She said some celebrity had being joking about her weight in public and it really hurt her feelings.She didn't say the guy's name."
"What's that got to do about boxing?"said Jeff downing his water.
"Well,she was at a boxing match."
Jeff reached under the bar and brought up a bottle of whiskey.
"You sure you don't want anything to drink?"he asked.
"No.Like I said it don't agree with me anymore.'Besides,I need to get going.I was just checking up on things."
"Well,if I don't see you again have a good surgery."


Kate Smith

A Bad Smell


I saw Vargas at the taco stand in Tijuana on Negrete street just around the corner off 3rd avenue. That stand always does a hell of a business.They sell only fish tacos and shrimp tacos and the consume.There's no seats.You stand in front of the stand and tell the guy what you want.For instance if you want fish tacos he'll make one for you and keep handing them to you wrapped in wax paper until you say you've had enough. The thing in Tijuana is when you pay you say that you had 4 tacos when you really had 5 or 6.They know you're lying but they let it slide because they still made money and if you complained you wouldn't come back and then tell everybody.Now if you ate 6 tacos and said you only ate 2 then you'll have a beef but no one goes that far.

The tacos are around a buck depending how the peso stands. I'm tellin' ya' those tacos are huge and the fish was caught the day before and then sold to the fish stand early in the morning. They deep fry in corn batter mostly a fish called Talapia that's freshwater and are netted in the lakes in the foothills.

Well there was Vargas chowing down like crazy with the juices and the cilantro and green chilis running all over his mouth and hands and down thesides.The crowd in front of the stand must have been 4 or 5 deep.Everybody was wearing masks. I once told the owner that I'd swap jobs with him and he only laughed. Vargas caught me out of the corner of his eye and began talking but the tortillas were coming apart from all the weight of the insides so he had to do a juggling act while he was tryin to talk. Those tacos ae so big they have to use 2 corn tortillas wrapped around to keep everything from falling apart but it still does.You have to eat slowly not waste anything.

I had my fist gripping a shrimp taco and was sprinkling sliced green chilis on top and then spooning on mayonnaise when I finally had a chance to talk before shoving the food into my watering mouth.
"So Vargas how's the gym going?"I asked him as the you could hear the fish and shrimp crackling in the oil inside the big dented up aluminum pot.
"I had to close.I was back due on the rent for 4 months.No one was coming in.Fighting is dead in Tijuana."

Vargas used to be a fighter.He was a featherweight or abouts.He had a fireplug body,His hands were gnarly and his jet black wavy hair he didn't even have to comb.There was so much scar tissue around his eyes it made his face look lumpy.He had that fighter's nose that set off his bronze thick skin.He still had all his teeth and every time he said something his voice came out like a bad muffler.
"So what are you going to do?"I asked him.
"I've got a ranch in Jalisco.I'll go back there with my wife but all the kids live in TJ so she may go out there for awhile and then come back."
"Well,I'll sure miss going to the gym and watch the boys train,"I said tying to make him feel better.
"Hell,I haven't had decent fighter in my place on 10 years.The big boys have a lock on it and if someone shows some promise they bring him up to the States.Fighting is dead in Tijuana."
"How about those fights those bars?"
"Those guys shouldn't be allowed to fight. Half of them are sick with HIV or their brain waves have shorted out."
"I've been to a few of them.They'e not worth going to."
"I'm going back to my ranch in Jalisco. I can make it there.I need to get away from all this."

It's funny.Every time there's a crisis with Mexicans along the border they will say they're going back to their rancho. Half the time they're bull sh-tting .They don't have a ranch,but it sounds good. Go back to the days of wide open spaces and the smell of cow dung.Ride your horse out early in the morning and shoot something-mostly a rabbit or a squirrel. Drink pulque and get really drunk and then sing los corridos.The women from the ranch are strong and not that good looking but they understand and will let you do what you want and won't nag you afterwards..They can cook like anything and can handle kids and babies second nature.

"So Vargas when are you leaving?"
"As soon a I settle up with the landlord."
The cook behind the taco stand kept feeding us tacos.Finally,I had had enough.
"I'm going to get going,"I said. "My wife is at our daughter's in Canon Jhonson.Here,let me pay for what you had."
Vargas threw a slew of wax paper in the trash can next to the stand.
"Tell the guy I had 4,"he said.
I paid the girl who had the shoe box and asked her how much in dollars.
"You can pay in dollars but I can only give you change in plata."
"No problema.Keep the change anyway."
I gave Vargas a good abrazo and began to walk away when he grabbed my shoulder and started up again.
"Did you ever think that underwear doesn't keep you from smelling a fart.What makes them think that a mask keeps the virus from getting inside your nose?"he said not smiling.
"Mind if I use that?"I asked.
"Go ahead. I don't have a patent on it."


The taco stand at 3rd and Negrete

Fighting On Memories

Archie Moore used to say that old fighters get lazy after awhile. If they still have the savvy in their heads they think they can substitute their guile for doing roadwark. But it gets be a very precarious situation.John Elway the famous quarterback for the Denver Broncos said that he finally could see the big picture on the field but by the time he did he was an old man.He couldn't get his body to do what he needed it to do.I guess Archie Moore was speaking from experience too. At the end they striped him of his title because he didn't want to defend against the top guys in the division.Then it all comes to an unglorious end when his former protegee Cassius Clay picked him apart in Los Angeles.

My guy,Jose Napoles fell into the same syndrome. He was so far above what the welterweight division could offer as qualitive opposition,he felt that he could burn the candle at both ends.Rick Farris tells the story of how Napoles walked into the gym one afternoon(I think this was before the second Lopez fight) to put in some work. Rick was to fight in one of the prelims.Rick says that when Jose strutted into the gym he was feeling no pain. Jose could get pretty huffy at times and put a lot of people off.Well,Napoles sees that all the punching bags are occupied so he just decides to elbow his way around the gym. He runs off each fighter who his punching a bag and takes over.Then he gets into the ring to spar a few with local fighter Baby Cassius.Huffing and puffing Jose's breath could be detected in all four corners.It was of the 86 proof variety. Then when Jose had had enough of that he approaches one of the old gym rats,a guy by tthe name Phil Silvers,and takes a swig out of a water bottle a spits the slosh in his face.

The decline is often at first subtle. I saw Napoles begin to slip in the Roger Menetrey fight in France.Menetrey wasn't in Jose's league but the champ seemed to put in just enough sweat to win a comfortable decision.Then he performed the same act against Clyde Gray in Canada.

By this time Napoles thought that what he knew about boxing between his ears would be enough to suffice against anyone they put in front of him.His next fight was against Monzon and everybody is telling Jose that he'll dazzle him off his feet.Well, Jose looked swell in the first 4 rounds but the fight was scheduled for 15 and Jose had just enough in him for going maybe 5 or 6.What the hell was he thinking?He dogged it with his training and wound up saying "No mas" sitting on his stool after the 6th round.Emile Griffith,who Jose beat in a breeze,at least put in every ounce he had left in him against Carlos. Jose looked like a bum.

I guess he didn't want to go out with the Monzon fight sticking in everybody's mind so he thought he had a soft touch when he signed to fight Armando Muniz in Acapulco.Before that he fought a tired Hedge Lewis at altitude in Mexico City.Jose thought he could beat this gritty little Mexican from LA by going to the racetrack instead of paying his dues.Jose was already shot but he didn't know it. He had enough of his pals telling him he was still great and the drinks were on the house.

The two fights with Muniz should have told Napoles that he better quit while the going was more or less still good.John Stracey told him loud and clear.It was a sad way to go out. But just about all the great fighters' swan song is the same tune."Long Ago And Far Away."

Jose Napoles



My Favorite version of "Long Ago And Far Away"

Career Change

Tourism has hit the skids in Mexico especially with Americans going down there.With all the problems with the cartels waging war with each other right in front of the hotels and now this Covid thing, the gringos are staying home or going to Hawaii.

I took my wife a few years ago to Cabo San Lucas which is located at the southern tip of Baja California Sur. I believe Baja California Sur is the least populated state in the republic.I travel to Cabo from time to time.I like going because the fishing is really good. My wife had never been there.We stayed a week in some swank hotel that they told me was owned by Spaniards. It was one of those "self contained" hotels where they didn't want you to go or do anything unless they set it up.I rented a car at the airport so we could get out on our own.

I told my wife that I was going to go down to the docks and arrange to go out fishing for half a day.She wanted to come along.That surprised me.Well,if you go where the charter boats are docked in front of the big hotels you're going to get screwed. The charter boats are big and nice but they pack as many as they can get on board and the going rates are between 200 and 300 dollars. You go out with a bunch of guys who mainly want to get drunk and don't know much about fishing.The lines get all tangled up and they spend half the time getting their lines snipped by one of the deckhands.

I like to go where the skiffs are docked at the far end and work something out.i parked the car and me and the wife walked to where a bunch of old skiffs were docked.The crews were all working sewing nets and repairing rigging and changing the filters on the motors.Right away I was being asked.
"Hey amigo you want to go fishing?"
"I want to go for a half day,"I answered.
"The lady too?"
"No.My wife just wants to go along.She doesn't want to fish."
"60 dollars",said the fisherman."But you have to by a license at the machine."
"Does that include bait and the gear?"
"The bait is included and so is the gear.Be here tomorrow at 9 o'clock."

I bought a fishing license at the machine near the hotels. Since my wife didn't want to fish she didn't buy one. We went back to the fisherman's skiff the next day.He was waiting there with a smile on his face.My wife and I got on board. The fisherman stopped at the bait barge in the middle of the harbor to get the bait. Another man got on board holding a pail of dead bass that was to be the bait.
"Aren't we going to use live bait?"I asked.
"This will be good.Don't worry." said the fisherman.

He ran the skiff out the harbor and around the point through the rock formation they call "Los Arcos." After awhile he shut down the motor and we just drifted.We couldn't have been a few hundred feet from the shore.He baited my rod and cast out from the stern.The sky was a light blue and there were no clouds.A brisk wind kicked up a little now and then just enough to cool the summer heat.
"This is very peaceful,"I said sitting on a deck chair.
My wife was standing. The guy who came o board at the bait barge was also standing.The fisherman was checking the line for slack.
"How long have you been a fisherman?"I asked.
"30 years,"
"Where you always a fisherman?"
"Before I was a fighter."
I began to check out his appearance. His frame was sinewy and defined with his skin stretched over tight.His face was weathered from the sun and had a chalky tanned composition.His iron speckled hair was thick and cropped short. You could see that his nose had been busted up but he held himself with together with dignity.The scar tissue around his eyes made him look like a man that had been tested the hard way. His calloused hands were big and strong.When he spoke it was deep and clear.
"Where did you fight?"I asked him.
"Here mostly in Cabo San Lucas.I once had a fight in Mazatlan."
"Why did you stop?"
"I wasn't very good and soon lost my desire."
"That's too bad."
"One night this fighter was fighting here at the arena.I was to fight after.Well,this guy is taking a terrible beating.The referee should have stopped it but the crowd was going wild so he let it continue.Finally this guy just collapsed as he was walking back to his corner.Everyone was over him.There was a doctor but no ambulance.They picked him up by his heels and carried him over the ropes to the dressing room.He wasn't even on a stretcher.He died in the dressing room."
"That's terrible,"i said glumly.
"After that I lost interest in fighting."

The boat drifted along.After what the fisherman said no one said anything. Then my reel began singing.
"You got one amigo,"said the fisherman all excited."Play him a little.Don't reel him in too fast."
The fish flipped out of the water a few times splatting down hard.
"You've got a Mahi Mahi amigo.He's a big one.Don't reel him in too fast."
When I got the fish near the boat I could see his colors break water,all green,red,and silver. The fisherman gaffed him and yanked the fish on board.
"He's a good one,"he said."Over 15 pounds."
We drifted along for another hour or two.My wife began a conversation with the deckhand. He was born in Michoacan like her.The fisherman talked about how he was saving up enough money to buy another boat.He had a son that was learning the trade.We finally returned to the harbor after going through Los Arcos again.I saw the harbor seals swimming behind one of the big charter boats trying to leap up on the stern so they could snatch some of the fish inside the well.All the time we never talked about fighting again.


Los Arcos.Cabo San Lucas.

A Place To Go

All those those bars in the Coahuila,most of them are pretty down to earth.Cement floors ,low ceilings,cruddy bathrooms,short bars where you don't see many men sitting at unless you're at the Burro or a joint like The Fracaso. There's mostly tables and booths tucked away where the girls can sit with the men and work them for drinks and go to the dance floor in the center and dance with the men for a dollar. The music comes from the jukebox where you don't see anyone putting any money in.it just keeps on playing.Sometimes they have benches around the dance floor like they have in The Monaco where the girls sit together and you can go up to them and ask them to dance. Most of the girls in these places aren't very pretty.They try to dress as sexy as the can but often the results backfire and they look ridiculous. if you want to see the really good looking girls they work in The Adelita or the Hong Kong Bar that has two floors. These girls are young and pretty and the main purpose is not so much to hustle drinks all night long but to get laid in one of the rooms at the hotel next door.In time these girls will get hardened by it all or they may have made enough money so they can go back to where they came from and start life differently. Some even get married once in awhile to one or their Johns but that doesn't happen very often.The girls that stay too long in a place like The Adelita will eventually be told by the owner that they've outlived their purpose and they can try to find work in one of the cruddier joints or stand in the street.

When I used to carry on down there I liked going to the more rustic establishments. The Burro.The Monaco.The Fracaso.I felt more at ease there.The hustle wasn't as strong. It wasn't all business all the time.I remember one time in The Monaco I saw a face that I couldn't get out of my mind. I was sitting with Beatriz at one of the tables and kept looking at this old dude in a frayed brown suit and a crunched up fedora sitting with one of the girls at a table across from us.He was smoking a cigarette and needed a shave. He looked old but then again he might have been in the wrong light.The girl he was sitting with her legs crossed close to him and was very matron looking and seemed very nice.She'd smooch him once in awhile. He'd say something and she would laugh.
"Beatriz.Who is that old man sitting over there with that girl?"
"You mean Pancho?"
"Is that his name?"
"That's what we call him.He used to be a fighter he said."
Then it all hit me.That guy was Franisco Moran.He used to fight in all the venues in town. He was a bantamweight I think.He wasn';t much of a fighter.He didn't possess a lot of skills but he had a lot of heart and was popular with the crowds.I knew that he wasn't as old as he looked ,but that could have been the light.
"I remember him around ten years ago .He was a fighter alright."
"He comes in here every Saturday and sits and talks to one of the girls.He buys us drinks and sometimes he likes to dance to the music."
"Does he have a favorite?"
"He likes all lf us.Even the girls who aren't very friendly take to him"
"So he's made love to all of you,"I said jokingly.
"No he never wants to go to the room. We know that.He just wants to talk to a woman.His wife died two years ago. He's just lonely."

In the poorer joints there's a lot of that kind of thing-widowers who come to these places to talk to a woman,drink a few,and dance to some songs.The girls understand.It works out well for both. There's not al the pressure like in The Adelita.Once the girls there drain you dry they've had enough and get up and walk away kind of pissed off.The women who work the poorer joints don't make as much money as the girls in the higher end joints but that will come to an end some day.If they haven't gotten away from the life they'll wind up in a joint like The Monaco. They'll bring some happiness to an old man like Francisco Moran who has lost his wife and just wants a place to go to and have some female companionship.If she doesn't want to do that and just wants to get laid she can go outside and stand in the street.

Guess this little number works at The Adelita Bar.Everything you want for 70 bucks except a conversation. But for the younger fellas' the talk just gets in the way.

Inside The Burro Bar the night of the first Triple G/ Canelo fight.That guy is holding some sort of device that has two wires attached with grips on the ends. For a quarter you grab both grips and then the guy slowly turns on the juice. You feel the electricity going up your arms until you can't let go. If he ramps up the current full blast and you hadn't yelled "uncle" you get your 25 cents back.You first want to make sure he knows the word "uncle" before he starts the process.I wonder how many guys with bad tickers never got their quarters back?

Lb. Per Lb.

I used not to like this guy. Tyson Fury-the guy I have to think is the legitimate heavyweight champ. I didn't like him because he talked kind of crazy saying things like jacking off 7 times a day before a fight to get his testosterone levels up. Getting high on dope like it was no big deal.Ballooning up in weight, not training letting himself go.But I think of the other names out there and come to the conclusion he's the best one. He outworked Klitschko to take the title.He fights Wilder and gets knocked on his can twice but got up and fought hard to earn a draw.He fights Wilder again and pummels him. You've got Joshua,Wilder,and Ruiz around today that have worn the championship belt,but Fury is the best of the lot.

Today(you see this argument on the forum )that these big heavyweights that are out there would overpower let's say a Marciano or a Louis-these heavyweights who couldn't crack more than 195 pounds on the scale. But take a guy like Joshua,for example,6 foot 6 and weighing a muscled 240 pounds.Or how about Wilder,6/7 and with that long reach and no fat on his frame. How could a shorter, lighter heavyweight survive? Let's not forget Lennox Lewis.Another giant of a man.And then there were the Klitschko's-tall well over 6 foot,with that long each and always in fine condition.Their bodies looking like they were sculptured by Michelangelo.All powerful men against a puny 190 pound Dempsey,a 200 pound Louis. How about 5/9 Rocky Marciano with still the shortest reach in heavyweight history?Today,They'd be cruiserweights.And so goes the logic that they wouldn't have much of a chance against these Goliaths. But a cruiserweight by any other name?

But Louis had no problem with Buddy Baer,Abe Simon and Lou Nova.And don't give me the crap that these fellas' didn't have all those Mr,. America muscles. Tyson Fury is no Mr. Anything when it comes to being a physical culturist.Here's a point I want to make:once a shorter fighter can work himself inside then HE has the advantage of the taller man ,and forget the weight and the long arms.Long arms can be a hang up with the taller man once his shorter adversary can get inside.The playing field is leveled.But now you're going to say IF he gets inside.But Louis got inside with his taller opponents.Dempsey was all over Firpo.(I won't mention that guy he fought in Toledo)Rex Layne was not much of a problem for Marciano. And how about the 5 foot 9 Mike Tyson? Look at all the taller guys he KO'd.

When Lewis tasted defeat by Rahman and McCall and when he got dumped that took all the heart out of him. When Joshua was being thrown around by Fat Andy AJ looked like a boy being beaten by his father. Then in the rematch Tony played hide and seek.Vlad Klitschko was always playing it safe,never letting it all hang out.He showed some spunk against Joshua but let's just call him "Spunky."In his 5 losses he was stopped 4 times.

The thing that turned the tide for me with Fury was his 2 fights with Wilder.After picking himself up twice in the first fight he came back balls to the wall. Then in the rematch he was a man on a mission.Unlike the other big men I touched upon Fury comes to fight. He's a fighter.He may not look like Hercules in the muscle department. His skill level is questionable.But his heart?That's where he's head and shoulders above the rest of the recent and current crop of heavyweights.

One:these shorter former champs I mentioned were aggressive. They had the mettle to get inside their taller,bigger opponent.OK.Now you say Joe Frazier was runty and look what happened when he fought George Foreman? Joe was a wide puncher who leaped in with the hook, and waiting for him was George's hooks and uppercuts.Joe was made to order for George.He couldn't adjust.But I want to get back to Tyson Fury.

All these big tall heavyweight that are around or have left the scene like the Klitschko's and Lewis aren't what I'd call aggressive fighters.

No "Eye of The Tiger" in them.They are a take on the typical European fighter,but much bigger.They jab and walk around.Jab and maybe follow with a right hand. If they can keep the heat off doing it that way everything is beautiful.They're cautious to the point that they just want to do enough to win.And with the exception of Vitali Klitschko, as big as they are their hearts don't match up.

This Lb. for Lb. thing that Boxrec puts out everyday. I'm not a list maker.I scoffed a little when I saw Fury at numero dos.Why?becuase he should be numero UNO!

BoxRec is a Brit thing so maybe that's why he's number 2.Go ahead mates, put him up at the top. Fury is better than the other British heavyweight champs, Lennox Lewis and he stands over AJ. Fury comes into the ring to fight.Those other guys may look better in a pair of bun huggers but you don't become the best because your body is all beefcake.Fury's got those love handles but in the ring he doesn't show anyone an ounce of affection.


Tyson Fury

Lb. For Lb. Part 2

"You missed the fireworks last night,"said Jeff the bartender.
He was at the tire shop that the two Mexican brothers bought from the Iranian last year.I pulled into the lot.I wanted a tire rotation.
"What are you doing here?"I asked him.
"I'm going to get a couple of used tires."
"These guys are doing a hell of a business since that Arab sold out."
"Roger,you should have been at the Shamrock last night."
The Shamrock Bar was across the street from Champs where Jeff worked.
"What happened?"
"Well,they had all the tables set outside to do business and they had a o pretty good crowd.Then these two biker dudes come pulling in and take over one of the tables.They're making a lot of noise I think just to scare people.Some got up and left."
"So then what happened?"
"Well,Nick the owner finally came over after none of waiters could quiet them down and told these guys they had to leave."
"Then what happened?"
"They got pretty hot but then said they'd go but weren't going to pay for any of what they ate and drank."
"That's when the beef started?"
"You should have been there.The owner grabbed these two and had each of them in a headlock with each arm.He rode them right out to the street.Everybody was hooplin' and hollerin'.It was something else."
"Sounds like I missed a good one."

One of the Mexican brothers came out and slipped the jack under my car and hoisted it up. A kid from the back rolled out a couple of used tires to show Jeff.
"You like these?"the kid asked.
"They still have a lot of tread on them.How much?"
"70 dollars for the two."
"Put them on ,"said Jeff.

As we were waiting Jeff turned to me and changed the subject.
"I read this morning on the forum what you had to say about Tyson Fury being the best pound for pound fighter."
"What'd you think?"
"I thought you said Crawford was the best pound for pound."
"You're right.I did say that."
"Why did you switch?"
"Well.I got going on something and then I just slipped that in there.it goes like that sometimes.Depends on how you feel.The mood you're in.It's not that important."
"Well, how do you feel today about who's the best pound for pound fighter in the world?"asked Jef with a smirk.
The Mexican brother lowered the jack under my car.
"You're ready to go amigo."
"What do I owe you?"
"Forget it,"he said.
"I pulled out a ten spot that was in my pocket and forced it in his hand.
"Here.Buy some cokes."
"Well Jeff i gotta' be going."
"Roger."he said."You never answered my question about who do you really think the best fighter in the world is."
I paused and then gave him a smile.
"Who did you say is the owner of the Shamrock that tossed those biker dudes into the street?"

Roll the Dice


Joe Frazier lost against two fighters-Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.Oh,five years after the bout with Foreman he had that draw with Jumbo Cummings.You wonder what these guys think sometimes.Of all the sports boxing is the hardest for the old fighter to capture the lightning in the bottle.And the consequences isn't like not getting around on the fastball anymore.He gets the crap kicked out of him usually by some guy he could have easily taken care of if he'd been in his prime.

When Frazier fought Foreman the first time both were in their primes. Joe came into the fight 9 pounds over when he had won the title from Ali. Maybe that said something. Maybe that first fight with Ali was his beginning of Joe's end.He won but was in the hospital afterwards.But we never believed that Foreman would be bouncing Frazier off the canvas like a tennis ball.

Ali,on the other hand,had shown against Frazier that 3 and a half years away from boxing had done something to him. The spring was gone from his legs.He fought in flurries.He stood with his legs apart against the ropes and flurried and then held on for dear life.The lightning would never get inside his bottle. But Frazier's style of attack was something that was an anathema to the "after banishment" Ali. Before, he would have moved away with ease.Oh,he might have flurried and then floated to another part of the ring.But he wouldn't have laid against the ropes and let Joe do his impersonation of a socking machine.He would have worked as hard as Joe and won going away.

It was Joe Frazier who took the most out of the aging Ali.Not Foreman.Yet Foreman could have beaten Frazier any time he wanted.All he had to to do is stand there and wait for Joe to come at him.it was like shooting ducks on a pond.Frazier only knew one way to fight-come in bobbin' and weavin' and leap with the hook. It was target practice for George Foreman.

I'll say this about Ali. It was impossible for him ever to fight the way he did before so he had to come up with something else-rope a doping (which he was doing long before the fight in Zaire) and stealing rounds. But when you think about it he stole those rounds because the public was behind him. When Ali was fighting after he got reinstated the world saw him as not only as a champion ,but a "champion" of the underdog. In the social change that was swirling like a Category 5 he was in the eye. of the hurricane. If he had been Jimmy Young he would have been on the short end of a lot of those close fights. Ken Norton knew only that if there was be no question in the end it was to knock Ali out.But Ali's strongest attribute by then was his chin. The doubters before like Cus "D'Amato thought that all someone had to to do was tag Cassius Clay a good one and his adversary would take away his heart.They all tried but they never did.Sure,Larry Homes would have killed Muhammad Ali if Elijah Muhammad hadn't signaled Angelo Dundee to call a halt to the slaughter. But Ali wouldn't have pulled any of that Sonny Liston stuff.And Liston was supposed to be that big bad killer.

So Ali had his hands full with Joe, and Frazier couldn't have raised a pimple on big George, but then Foreman looked like a Georgie Boy against Ali. Picking 'em in boxing can be a crap shoot sometimes.


George Foreman

A Game Of Darts

On Saturday nights Burke ran a dart tournament in his bar,Champs.Just the locals participated.It was mostly for fun.I can't remember what the prizes were.Probably some free drinks. I think Burke put the thing together mostly for himself. At the end he liked playing darts more than drinking.

I came into the place one Saturday night not to play darts but to just sit around and watch the baseball game on the TV.I was sitting at the back end of the bar where they had the tournament.The game hadn't started yet. Burke was practicing by himself.The tournament wasn't to start for about an hour .I liked to watch the goings on more than playing.Besides,the baseball game was on the TV .I could keep myself occupied.

The bar was beginning to fill up.Most of the crowd were regulars.Most of them were going to play in the dart tournament.As I was sitting there between watching the baseball game on the TV and watching Burke practice a couple of fellas' came in and sat down at the bar a few seats away from where I was sitting.I'd seen them before.I didn't know their names but then again I wasn't what you'd call a "regular."They were both I'd say in their 30's,looked similar with light complexions and sandy hair. The only big difference was one of them was about a half foot taller than the other.They both had flannel work shirts on with their name badges pinned to the lapels.I couldn't read the names on the badges but I could tell they both worked at the same place.

Ed the bartender brought over a couple of drafts and set them on coasters in front of the two.
"Can you imagine getting into one of Burke's stupid dart games?"asked the taller guy to his friend.
"How stupid.I don't see what they get out of it,"the shorter guy said.
"I think Burke took too many punches fighting ,"said the taller one.
"Maybe.All I know it's a stupid game."
"Burke's got these newspaper clippings on the wall when he was a fighter,"said the tall fellow.
"Didn't he fight Archie Moore?"
"I don't think so.Besides that was way before our times."
"I never even heard of Archie Moore before i heard Burke talk about him,"said the shorter guy.
"I think the fighters today are better than when Burke was around."
"How do you figure?"asked the shorter guy.
"I think Mike Tyson could have beat them all."
"Me too."
"He threw that fight with Douglas and then they framed him on that rape charge."
"They hated him alright.They wanted him out of there,"said the shorter guy.
"I think Oscar De La Hoya is better than Mayweather too."
"I agree.If they fight De La Hoya will beat Mayweather."
"And Pac Man can beat them all. He's the best out there."
"Well I don't think he can beat Oscar."said the shorter guy.
"No.You're wrong.Oscar wouldn't win."
"You've got your head up your ass,"said the shorter guy.
"What do you know about fighting anyway?"snarled the tall guy.
"What do you mean by that?"came back the shorter guy raising his voice,
"You know what I mean you little faggot,"shouted the tall guy.
"I don't know what you mean you pussy whipped bastard."
Everyone could hear them by now.
"At least I'm married.I've never seen you with a woman,"yelled the tall guy.
"What are you getting at?"
"You know what I'm getting at,"said the tall guy who was now in his friend's face.
"You know nothing about fighting either because you've never been in a fight in your life,You're pussy whipped."
"I know more about fighting than you you little faggot."
"I know that Mike Tyson was the best heavyweight that ever lived."
"So what's that make you?"

It was about time to start the dart tournament. The two guys sitting near me had quieted down some. The crowd began to move to the back where the dart boards were. Burke put down his darts and came to the bar.Ed gave him a mug of beer.
"Roger,"said Burke."You ever going to change your mind and get into the game?"
"You know Burke.Tonight I think i'll give it a try."

Burke's Law

I never saw Burke Emery fight in person. I saw him fight on TV once against a young undefeated Jose Torres in New York.It was pretty brutal. At that time I had never heard of Burke Emery.Burke finished his career in San Diego on the ham and egg circuit and that's when I first took notice of him. He wasn't a very fast fighter neither with his feet nor his hands and he bled all over the place. There was a time when he was itching to fight Archie Moore.That was after Burke won the Canadian light heavyweight title. But Burke wasn't even the best big man north of the border. George Chuvalo,Bob Cleroux,and Yvonne Durelle had better reps.I couldn't see Moore fighting Burke although at that time Archie was looking for soft landings.

Burke used to bartend at O'Riley's and when the owner offered to sell the bar to Burke he swallowed hook,line, and sinker along with his girlfriend Shirley(who I heard kicked in most of the dough) and changed the name of the joint to Champs.Burke will always be remembered for being a good trainer. He had a stable of boys that used to work out when he had his gym in North Park before (and this according to Burke)the Mexican fighters would walk out the door with half his gear.But when Burke talked about them helping themselves he wasn't sore. He understood that those guys had nothing of their own so they swiped a little here and there until all that was left was the bones.Burke then started to train his guys at the old Coliseum downtown. The fighters would arrive around 2'oclock in the afternoon and when they finished up the wrestlers would rehearse their routines.

But Burke wasn't much interested in bringing a prospect along very carefully. He crammed in as many fights as he could. You could say he burned out a lot of fighters.But then those fellas' were just in it for the money like Burke. The more fights the more they could spend on booze and broads,and what was left over they'd just blow it away.

Awhile back when Rick Farris was doing the grunt work for Don Fraser's California Boxing Hall Of Fame,I asked Rick if Burke was a qualified candidate.Well,I guess Burke and Fraser bent a few elbows back in the day together and besides, Burke kept things lively down here in San Diego. Fraser was all right with it only if Burke promised to buy two tables worth of tickets.

I approached Burke about it in the bar. Shirley was with him.He balked at first. By this time the dementia had caught up with him.But Shirley pulled me aside and said she'd talk him into it.Everything was all fixed with Rick and Fraser.They had him in the program and everything was set to go.But then just like that Burke said that all bets were off.

At the ceremony it was a little embarrassing.There was Burke in the program but he was back in San Diego. They mailed him his plaque and that was about all there was to say.I saw Burke back in the bar a few months later. He had no recall whatsoever.Shirley was there and she apologized.
"Forget it."I said. "I think everyone understands."

But Burke was getting to the point he couldn't handle things in the bar anymore. The load was on Shirley.But then fate took a dirty hand,Shirley fell and broke her hip. She died from the fall. There was a testimonial to her in the bar. Burke was present and all he could say walking around was the same old thing.
"Where's Shirley?"

It was set up that Shirley's grandson would take over.Burke had slipped so badly that he had to be put in a sanitarium.At first he accepted visitors even though he couldn't recognize anyone.Then he started getting violent. No one was allowed to see him.He died pretty fast.At the end Burke was somewhere in his mind where nobody had a clue to his whereabouts.At the service the last ones to see him could only say that Burke kept muttering the same question.
"Where's Shirley?"



Burke and me at Champs