Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

Sugar Ray Robinson and French actor Fernand Grave

[kikibalt]

Joe Louis and his wife Marva Trotier

[kikibalt]

Sugar Ray Robinson

[kikibalt]

Bob Satterfield and Kid Carson

[kikibalt]

Orlando De La Fuente wit Elvis

[Expug]

Elvis was said to be pretty good in a scrap.
He was a karate student of Ed Parker I believe and supposedly earned a very high ranking black belt.
Boxing is a different story however and I wonder how easy he was to train in that endeavor.

[kikibalt]

Elvis was said to be pretty good in a scrap.
He was a karate student of Ed Parker I believe and supposedly earned a very high ranking black belt.
Boxing is a different story however and I wonder how easy he was to train in that endeavor.

I was there, I worked on the set, I boxed with Elvis, and I don't think he would have made a good fighter.

[Expug]

Careful not to bust up "Kid Gallahad " Frank.

That had to be a Helluva experience though.
Was Elvis a good guy?

[bennie]

Elvis was said to be pretty good in a scrap.
He was a karate student of Ed Parker I believe and supposedly earned a very high ranking black belt.
Boxing is a different story however and I wonder how easy he was to train in that endeavor.

I was there, I worked on the set, I boxed with Elvis, and I don't think he would have made a good fighter.

What was he like as a person?

[kikibalt]

Elvis was said to be pretty good in a scrap.
He was a karate student of Ed Parker I believe and supposedly earned a very high ranking black belt.
Boxing is a different story however and I wonder how easy he was to train in that endeavor.

I was there, I worked on the set, I boxed with Elvis, and I don't think he would have made a good fighter.

What was he like as a person?

I'll back to you guys on Elvis when I get back from Phoenix.

[dagosd2000]

Frank
Good that you´re getting a rest. See the kids and grand kids. Nice. A little Bar B Q. A lot of air conditioning. Nice. What I notice here in the Latin countries,a lot of old couples walking holding hands,arm in arm. They´re dressed nice. Maybe one has to use a cane. But it´s very charming to see. You´ve been married 54 years. That´s quite an accomplishment these days. Not many young couples are up to it anymore. My hat´s off to you and your lovely wife.

Here in Seville the whole inner city is 500 years old. Narrow streets. Gardens hanging from the balconies. The residences,the stores,the restaurants and cafes are old and beautifull. Family run places that take pride in their establishments. I´m sitting with the wife and kids at a local ¨bodege¨drinking mineral water,listening to an accordianist play ¨Sorrento¨. Very relaxing. This is not much of a tourist town. Most tourists are older. From France,Germany,and Holland. They´re here to take it easy. The largest cathedral in Europe is here. Larger than St. Peters.

BTW any one interested in practicing plastic surgery here. Forget it. People age naturally and are comfortable with themselves. I haven´t seen a pair of plastic boobs yet. Sophia Loren never went in for that nonsense.

Frank,enjoy the time with the family,like I am here in Seville. I know you and the wife are holding hands.

[sockdolager]

One of the Best Athletes of All time May Have Been a Boxer

By Ted Sares:
Jim Brown was a great all-around athlete who played lacrosse, football, basketball, and even ran track at Syracuse University. He may have been the greatest lacrosse and football player ever). Of course, he went on to professional football immortality. It’s pretty difficult to argue that he was not the greatest athlete in American history. Jackie Robinson, Gene Conley, Deion Sanders, Dave DeBusschere and Bo Jackson (Bo could DO!), were pretty darn good all-around athletes as well. So were Jackie Jensen, Bob Mathias and, of course, Jim Thorpe. There were many other high-profile athletes who were multi-sports stars.

But one who flew under the radar for whatever reason was a 6'4" 230 pounds, well-muscled, strong, and fast athlete who graduated from San Diego High School in 1952. He quickly became the youngest player in the history of the National Football League. He was one of the few who made it to--let alone star in- the NFL without playing college football (which may account for his low profile). Amazingly, prior to playing football, he had signed up with the old St. Louis Browns as a power hitting outfielder and spent the summer playing Class B ball for the Stockton Ports of the California League before forsaking baseball for football..

High School

He was one of the greatest high school athletes in American sports history and was recruited by the Harlem Globetrotters for his basketball skills. When they came to town, they all but begged his parents to let them take him with them. He was the only baseball player folks can recall hitting balls out of Balboa Stadium on a consistent basis, shots that reportedly even made Hall of Famer Ted Williams take notice. He was scouted by the NFL during high school. What’s more remarkable, he accomplished this during a time when Jackie Robinson was breaking the color barrier in professional baseball. He recalled during an interview with the late Reggie Grant:

“But baseball and track were during the same season, so I’d go to the track meet, maybe put the shot a couple of times, and then change in the car and go to play baseball.… And every now then and I’d fill-in and run the relays” (Reggie Grant, “Mr. Versatility: the youngest player in NFL history,” undated, http://www.afrogolf.com/ FeatureCharliePowell.html

All in all, he won twelve varsity letters. Among other things, he ran the 100-yard dash in a blazing 9.6 seconds. He high jumped 6 feet and put the shot 57 feet 9–1/4 inches (a San Diego High School record that may still stand).

He was Southern California’s "Prep Player of the Year" in 1950-51 and named on All-America High School team.

Football

His professional football career began in 1952 when San Francisco 49er Coach Buck Shaw showed up at his home in San Diego, contract in hand. His parents had to sign the contract, and he made a whopping $10,000.00 that first year. He was a world-class athlete long before players were fairly compensated for their skills. He credited his success as a football player (and later as a boxer) to his superior conditioning. As a nineteen-year-old, his chance to play came during training camp when the starter was injured, and he made the most of it.

In his first game, he played against the then world champions, the Detroit Lions. It was a team loaded with several all-pros and future Hall of Fame players. He sacked quarterback Bobby Layne an astounding ten times – yes 10 times- for sixty-seven yards in losses. His performance was so inspirational that his teammates awarded him the game ball. It was the first time a 49er rookie was so honored. All this before the NFL kept official stats on things like sacks. He quickly became an NFL star, and a younger brother eventually would play in the AFL for the New York Jets. He and the great Joe “The Jet” Perry were the only black players on the 49ers at that time and sometimes had to stay in different hotels than their white teammates.

He played five seasons for the 49ers (1952–53 and 1955–57) and two for the Oakland Raiders (1960–61). In between, he boxed.

Boxing

He started boxing at the age of eleven or twelve. As a youngster, he would get up early before school and jog down to Archie Moore’s home. He would then train with the Mongoose, go back home, shower, eat, and go to school. He earned extra money for his family during WWII by boxing at military bases near San Diego.

He started off his boxing career with a draw against one Fred Taylor, but then reeled off ten straight knockout wins. But, as often is the case in the less-than-scrupulous world of boxing, his managers and promoters moved him too fast, and he was taken out by Charlie Norkus in 1954 in a pier six brawl in which both fighters were down. Powell, 11-0-1 at the time, was young and naive to the all-too-familiar, sleazy elements surrounding him. Norkus was 24-12 and had already beaten tough Danny Nardico twice—the first time in a thrilling cult classic involving 8 knockdowns. He was one of those exciting types. If he didn’t t get you, you would get him.

The highlight of his boxing career happened in March 1959 when he knocked out the number-two ranked boxer in the world, 6'4" Cuban Nino Valdes who was 46-16-3 coming in. Nino, who was on a 6-fight win streak, was decked three times. Another great win was a redemptive one over the rugged Norkus in a 1958 rematch.

He fought Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) in 1963 in Pittsburgh before 17,000 fans, and like so many of Ali’s other opponents, felt the sting of his insults. Ali predicted he would KO him in round three and did just that, but he earned $12,000 more than he’d ever been paid for an entire season as a pro football player. In 1964, he was paid $10,000 to fight Floyd Patterson, to whom he lost in six.

Eventually, he would finish with a record of 25-11-3 (19 KOs). Among his opponents were Norkus, Harold Carter, Patterson, Roger Rischer, Mike DeJohn, Johnny Summerlin, Roy Harris, and, of course, Ali. It was an imposing list, to say the least. He never fought an amateur fight.

Arguably, he did not reach his full potential because of that which distinguished him; namely, being a two-sport man. Going back and forth between football and boxing, he would put on weight for one and lose it for the other. Had he been able to focus on boxing, there is no telling how far he could have gone.

Yes, Jim Brown was a great all-around athlete. However, CHARLEY POWELL never served his apprenticeships. He never boxed amateur, nor did he attend college. He simply jumped from high school to professional stardom. In any discussion of who was the greatest athlete, I submit Charley Powell’s name should be included.

Known as “Mr. Versatility,” he was never really picked up by the public or the press, but I knew about him. If you are ever in San Diego, visit the Breitbart Hall of Champions and look for the Powell brothers, Art and Charlie. Art was a four-time all-star for the New York Jets in the AFL.

When I was a kid, you couldn’t get me out of a gym. Now, you can’t get kids in a gym. I wish I could think of a way to get kids in gyms instead of drifting toward guns and drugs. Burn up that energy in a gym. Boxing’s great that way.
—Charlie Powell

Great story.

[raylawpc]

Elvis was said to be pretty good in a scrap.
He was a karate student of Ed Parker I believe and supposedly earned a very high ranking black belt.
Boxing is a different story however and I wonder how easy he was to train in that endeavor.

I was there, I worked on the set, I boxed with Elvis, and I don't think he would have made a good fighter.

What was he like as a person?

My aunt's husband was one of the original Jordanaires - a gospel group popular in the late 40s and early 50s in the mid-South. He knew Elvis when Elvis was a teenager (or just out of his teens - I don't remember which) trying to break into the music business.

Elvis wanted to join the Jordanaires and spent a lot of time with the group. He said that Elvis, as a young man, was quite shy and very polite. (It was all "Yes, Ma'am," "Yes, Sir," "Please," and that all familiar "that you very much" with Elvis). He said the Elvis was the kind of boy you hoped your daughter would bring home and introduce as her new boyfriend.

He said that, even then, Elvis had an incredible singing talent, but was the worst guitar player my uncle had ever heard. My uncle said they didn't have a spot for him and, besides, he was a little bit too young. Two or three years later, Elvis was the most famous singer in Amercia, "and we were all kicking ourselves for not finding a spot for him," my uncle said. My uncle saw Elvis on several occasions throughout the 50s after Elvis' rise to fame, and he said Elvis seemed the same good natured, polite, and self-effacing kid he was before he became famous.

[bennie]

Cheers, Tom.

[Expug]

Thanks Ray.
great stuff.

[bennie]

Towards the end of his life, bloated and inactive, Elvis would apparently shoot out the TV if the wrong guy won a boxing fight he was watching.

[bennie]

Bob Satterfield and Kid Carson

What is Satterfield's story? I've seen him hailed as one one of the biggest punchers ever but I don't know anything about him...

[kikibalt]

Hi guys!

[Expug]

Hows the trip goin Frank?
I Hope the family is doing well.

[kikibalt]

Hows the trip goin Frank?
I Hope the family is doing well.

Pug,

I got to my son Bobby's home in Px. at 1:00 pm, the trip was good and easy, I'll be here for about a week or so, now I have to go see Tony or he'll be coming here.

I'm just going to relaxs, sit by the pool, drink beer, thats all I'm going to do for the next few days, you guys want to come over?

[Expug]

Frank, I would consider it an honor to spend time with you and your family.
Im sure others here feel the same way.
God willing, one of these days it will happen.

[kikibalt]

Frank, I would consider it an honor to spend time with you and your family.
Im sure others here feel the same way.
God willing, one of these days it will happen.

I hope so!!

[scartissue]

Bob Satterfield and Kid Carson

What is Satterfield's story? I've seen him hailed as one one of the biggest punchers ever but I don't know anything about him...

Bennie, the knock on Satterfield of course, was that if he didn't knock you out, you'd knock him out. Big banger but not very resilient. Not unlike an Andy Ganigan, Lew Jenkins or Bombardier Billy Wells. Also, he was not a very big heavyweight. However, he did hold some nice wins over Cleveland Williams and Bob Baker. The Baker fight is available on Youtube.

Scartissue

[bennie]

Hi guys!

Hi Frankie.

[bennie]

Bob Satterfield and Kid Carson

What is Satterfield's story? I've seen him hailed as one one of the biggest punchers ever but I don't know anything about him...

Bennie, the knock on Satterfield of course, was that if he didn't knock you out, you'd knock him out. Big banger but not very resilient. Not unlike an Andy Ganigan, Lew Jenkins or Bombardier Billy Wells. Also, he was not a very big heavyweight. However, he did hold some nice wins over Cleveland Williams and Bob Baker. The Baker fight is available on Youtube.

Scartissue

Cheers, Scartissue.

PS: What a wild couple of minutes v Baker!