BoxRec

bennie wrote:

Expug wrote:

Randyman wrote:After finding out Kenny Lane had four fights after he turned 50, I started thinking, Hmmmm. What if? Okay, so I'm about 220 right now and getting grayer by the minute. I fought at welterweight but maybe I can make 175. I mean anything's possible, right. So at dinner last night night I said to my wife Jeri "Honey, do you think I'm to old to fight again?" After she stopped choking, or maybe she was laughing, I couldn't quite tell, she said "Don't even think it!" followed by "The look". So just like that my dreams of boxing immortality were shattered, by my own wife no less! Am I the only guy that still thinks like that?

You arent the only one who thinks like that Randy.
Fighting is hard to get out of your system.
I think once you are a fighter you are always one at heart.
Its a good thing. A great thing.I think about fighting all the time.
Go to the gym Randy. Spend some time hitting the bags , get on the rope , a couple months in , jump in the ring and spar a little.
See how you feel.If you feel good, take a four rounder.
See, Im the wrong guy to ask. Age doesnt mean anything to me.

Pug, I'm glad you were smart enough NOT to cite George Foreman. If I heard one ex-fighter cite the successful Foreman comeback as a reason for returning, I heard a thousand.
George was BAD for boxing.

Yeah, Bennie another thing about George, maybe Im a little cynical, but his"Im doing it for all the middle aged guys out there "routine got a little old.I think that there might have been other factors.
I know how fighters think, and it is usually, the love of the sport, the warrior nature, a desire to fight,ego, and if your a pro, money that drives the ship.Not "doing it for the 45 year olds".

enrique wrote:Reading the post on boxing in the classroom reminded me of how I got into boxing.

When I was a kid in Cuba before and during the beginning of the transition to Castro, I attended a private school in Havana that was located next to a big gym that had gymnastics, judo, bodybuiling and a boxing gym where several amateurs and pros trained, one being a handsome black teen named Angel Robinson Garcia.

I will not digress. It was the policy of my school that all male high school students took boxing lessons as part of their curriculum, taught by a little Spaniard named Fillo Echevarria, who had fought four world champs including Kid Chocolate.

For sixth graders like me, when a sandlot fight would break out, Fillo would take us to the gym next door and put on big training gloves. Nobody got hurt and all the kids enjoyed the show.

Now, I was a skinny -120 pound- sixth grader with glasses who would rather be reading a Sherlock Holmes novel than doing anything physical.
One fateful day I got into a shoving match with a kid named Jorge Luis and ... Voila! Next thing I know I'm at the Villar Kelly ring and Fillo is lacing me up. A dozen or more classmates cheered either one.

I scored my first victory and lost my boxing virginity. Caught the bug. It was very cool.

Boxing is now being taught at the high school level in the Bahamas. They have a population of less than a quarter million but boxing has a tradition -Obed, Yama Bahama, Andros Ernie Barr etc- and the islands have a developing amateur program and a few pro cards every year.
The school system in the Bahamas even hired some former fighters to coach in six different schools. I believe Bert Perry -a competent journeyman in his day- is the ex pug in charge of the program.

Nice story Enrique. It reminds me of Jose Napoles' uncles sending him out to the street to fight the neighborhood kids. I've never been to Santiago de Cuba,but I used to read the Mexican boxing magazines,and Mantequillas barrio sounded pretty rough. His uncles,according to Napoles,would bet on him to win his street fights. Mantequilla said he HAD to win or he'd get a beating from his uncles if he lost to the locals. He said he feared his uncles more than any kid in the neighborhood.

Hey Pug,about that Principal. Seriously,I think he squatted to pee.

kikibalt wrote:
Bennie, look at Tony (L) at a young age, see where his right hand is?
That by the way is at the El Monte Legion.

Yeah, you have to keep your gloves up - always.

kikibalt wrote:Enrique,

Do you know Pedro Laza?

Pedro Laza - the fighter - lost to Boza. He gave him a pretty good fight, mind you, before Boza got on top.

George Foreman 'inspired' so many horrible comebacks: Lyle, Shavers, Quarry...
The thing is, those guys were completely finished when they first retired and could never hope to recapture any form. Foreman, however, still 'had it' when he quit after the Young shocker. Thus, he was able to recapture his best form.

I know Pedro Laza. He was a very slick boxer, but could not crack an egg. He did not have a good chin but he was not easy to hit.

He was managed by Manuel Alfaro -who managed Benny Paret- early in his career. Alfaro left a lot to be desired as a manager. I think he was more responsable for Paret dying than Ruby Goldstein. Still. Laza did well with Alfaro.

Later on, when Laza was a main event fighter a drug dealer named Roberto something signed him and gave him a fat bonus. It did not take long before Laza went to jail for a couple of years. I don't believe he was dealing, but he was probably near enough conversations that he could be nailed as an accomplice.

Laza came out of jail and I haven't seen him for a while but I hear he's overweight, happily married and working as an electrician in the construction industry.

He's a very nice guy with a sweet personality and he learned his lesson.

enrique wrote:I know Pedro Laza. He was a very slick boxer, but could not crack an egg. He did not have a good chin but he was not easy to hit.

He was managed by Manuel Alfaro -who managed Benny Paret- early in his career. Alfaro left a lot to be desired as a manager. I think he was more responsable for Paret dying than Ruby Goldstein. Still. Laza did well with Alfaro.

Later on, when Laza was a main event fighter a drug dealer named Roberto something signed him and gave him a fat bonus. It did not take long before Laza went to jail for a couple of years. I don't believe he was dealing, but he was probably near enough conversations that he could be nailed as an accomplice.

Laza came out of jail and I haven't seen him for a while but I hear he's overweight, happily married and working as an electrician in the construction industry.

He's a very nice guy with a sweet personality and he learned his lesson.

Nice ending. Laza came out of poverty in Cuba to secure a few decent paydays in the States. Boza beat him in a real make or break fight in 1983; Laza would probably have got a title shot had he won. Pedro stuck around for a few years, winning a few and then losing to a 'name'; that is, when he stepped up a level.
Tony Baltazar stopped him in three in 1990.

Baby faced Mexican prospect Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr takes on tough-looking Minnesota veteran Matt Vanda in a quick rematch in Las Vegas on November 1. The 10-round headliner replaces the proposed Antonio Margarito-Joshua Clottey welterweight unification showdown, which was never actually finalised and may take place next year.
Unbeaten Chavez scraped a split decision over Vanda after 10 exciting rounds in Mexico in July. The lean, lanky, 22-year-old son of the boxing legend came forward and winged hard punches in customary Chavez-like fashion, particularly to the body, but also proved slow and easy to hit which made for an eventful evening as Chavez ran out of steam and barely made it through the later rounds. Vanda, from the mid-west of America, notorious for its boxing journeymen, proved a revelation as he soaked up Chavez's early pressure and came back from the middle rounds with educated pressure of his own and so nearly forced a stoppage in the eighth and the 10th with hooks and uppercuts. The 30-year-old, heavily tattooed Vanda was once a bright prospect but was winning and losing in equal measure going into the Chavez 10-rounder on Chavez turf - yet the crowd roundly booed the announcement of their man's victory and threw paper cups into the ring.
Vanda deserves this rematch.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT

My son is a nice boy. Quiet and polite. The little kids love him to death. He brings loads of Christmas presents over all the time. His mother worries about him. We don't see him that much. He lives in Hollywood. Partners in a restaurant somewhere near Beverly Hills. I've never been there. Ramon doesn't take after me.

Don't let no one kid you. These crazy stories I post on the thread,well don't think that stuff doesn't get around. It got around to Ramon. He's been distant to me,but I don't blame him. I guess he thinks I've been unfair to his mother. I have,but he knows I love her very much and have given her financial stability and taken her all over. We built the house in Michoacan with my money. He also knows I was with him and his sisters all the time growing up. But our temperments are different and then there's those episodes.

All my children left the house without problems. No feuds. They wanted to be on their own. Probably to get away from me. That's what I wanted for them. To be independent. They never ask for money ,though I take my grand children to Europe and Mexico on my dime.

One Christmas Ramon didn't come down. No phone call. Nothing. We tried calling. No answer. Finally a few months later we heard from him. He came down with a buddy. He told us what happened. Ramon and his buddy were leaving a restaurant and were hijacked by two cholo gang members. At first Ramon thought they just wanted his car,but the cholos said thry were going to take them to East LA. to kill them as part of a gang initiation.

Ramon and his friend were put in the back seat of his car. The passanger cholo held two guns on my son. The car was about to go on the freeway onto the off ramp.
My son reacted. Ramon grabbed the gun holder and smashed his head against the window. With his other hand he grabbed the driver and smashed his head against the windshield. In the mean time my son was shot 4 times. Twice in the gut. Twice in the legs. He was in intensive care for four days. That's why he didn't come down for Christmas.

Well he showed us the scars. His mother cried. Ramon is fine now even though he's missing part of his insides. I thought to myself. A nice boy. Played football because he knew I wanted him to play. Wrestled and ran track,but a polite,nice boy. He didn't act like a jock.Then when the moment of truth arrived,he came through like a real man. His friend said Ramon saved his life. I wish we would talk more. I think that day will come. I pray it does.

I hope your son recovers fully.
Its a sad and violent world when things like that happen.

dagosd2000 wrote:FIGHT OR FLIGHT

My son is a nice boy. Quiet and polite. The little kids love him to death. He brings loads of Christmas presents over all the time. His mother worries about him. We don't see him that much. He lives in Hollywood. Partners in a restaurant somewhere near Beverly Hills. I've never been there. Ramon doesn't take after me.

Don't let no one kid you. These crazy stories I post on the thread,well don't think that stuff doesn't get around. It got around to Ramon. He's been distant to me,but I don't blame him. I guess he thinks I've been unfair to his mother. I have,but he knows I love her very much and have given her financial stability and taken her all over. We built the house in Michoacan with my money. He also knows I was with him and his sisters all the time growing up. But our temperments are different and then there's those episodes.

All my children left the house without problems. No feuds. They wanted to be on their own. Probably to get away from me. That's what I wanted for them. To be independent. They never ask for money ,though I take my grand children to Europe and Mexico on my dime.

One Christmas Ramon didn't come down. No phone call. Nothing. We tried calling. No answer. Finally a few months later we heard from him. He came down with a buddy. He told us what happened. Ramon and his buddy were leaving a restaurant and were hijacked by two cholo gang members. At first Ramon thought they just wanted his car,but the cholos said thry were going to take them to East LA. to kill them as part of a gang initiation.

Ramon and his friend were put in the back seat of his car. The passanger cholo held two guns on my son. The car was about to go on the freeway onto the off ramp.
My son reacted. Ramon grabbed the gun holder and smashed his head against the window. With his other hand he grabbed the driver and smashed his head against the windshield. In the mean time my son was shot 4 times. Twice in the gut. Twice in the legs. He was in intensive care for four days. That's why he didn't come down for Christmas.

Well he showed us the scars. His mother cried. Ramon is fine now even though he's missing part of his insides. I thought to myself. A nice boy. Played football because he knew I wanted him to play. Wrestled and ran track,but a polite,nice boy. He didn't act like a jock.Then when the moment of truth arrived,he came through like a real man. His friend said Ramon saved his life. I wish we would talk more. I think that day will come. I pray it does.

Unbelievable, Rog. Your son is a man.

bennie wrote:

enrique wrote:I know Pedro Laza. He was a very slick boxer, but could not crack an egg. He did not have a good chin but he was not easy to hit.

He was managed by Manuel Alfaro -who managed Benny Paret- early in his career. Alfaro left a lot to be desired as a manager. I think he was more responsable for Paret dying than Ruby Goldstein. Still. Laza did well with Alfaro.

Later on, when Laza was a main event fighter a drug dealer named Roberto something signed him and gave him a fat bonus. It did not take long before Laza went to jail for a couple of years. I don't believe he was dealing, but he was probably near enough conversations that he could be nailed as an accomplice.

Laza came out of jail and I haven't seen him for a while but I hear he's overweight, happily married and working as an electrician in the construction industry.

He's a very nice guy with a sweet personality and he learned his lesson.

Nice ending. Laza came out of poverty in Cuba to secure a few decent paydays in the States. Boza beat him in a real make or break fight in 1983; Laza would probably have got a title shot had he won. Pedro stuck around for a few years, winning a few and then losing to a 'name'; that is, when he stepped up a level.
Tony Baltazar stopped him in three in 1990.

Bennie,

I have Tony's fight with Laza on tape/dvd, it was a good win for Tony as Laza was a good fiighter.

Yeah, Laza was on a good run when Tony buckled him.

Pedro Laza's Boxing Record

Pedro Laza

Alias The Magician
Country Cuba
Global Id 24668
Division Light Welterweight
Born 1961-06-29


Career Record © www.boxrec.com

Date Opponent Location Result
1990-05-18 John Duplessis Atlantic City, USA L KO 7
1990-02-22 Tony Baltazar Phoenix, USA L TKO 3
1989-10-27 Jose Rivera Plantation, USA W UD 8
1989-08-18 Felipe Julio Miami, USA W UD 8
1989-07-14 Billy Wooten Miami, USA W PTS 8
1985-07-19 Fernando Martinez Miami, USA W UD 10
1984-08-10 Luis Urraca Miami, USA L SD 10
1984-06-29 Fernando Martinez Miami, USA W PTS 12
1983-12-02 Miguel Falero Miami, USA W UD 10
1983-09-30 Danny Sanchez Miami, USA L PTS 10
1983-07-01 Johnny Torres Hialeah, USA L KO 4
1983-05-06 Ezzard Charles Adams Tampa, USA W PTS 10
1983-02-27 Cornelius Boza Edwards Las Vegas, USA L TKO 9
1983-02-11 Fernando Ortiz Tampa, USA W PTS 10
1982-12-08 Terry Medley Miami, USA W TKO 4
1982-11-23 Arthur Clarke Miami, USA W PTS 10
1982-10-21 Edwin De Jesus Hialeah, USA W PTS 10
1982-10-01 Bobby Sparks Atlantic City, USA W KO 5
1982-09-02 Otha Wright Hialeah, USA W KO 3
1982-07-30 Randy Frazier Hialeah, USA W KO 5
1982-07-11 Gary Barlow Tampa, USA W KO 4
1982-06-02 Jeff Goodwin Tampa, USA W PTS 10
1982-04-23 Jojo Virgil Hialeah, USA W PTS 10
1982-03-26 Bobby Pappion Tampa, USA W PTS 8
1982-03-19 Tomas Enrique Diaz Hialeah, USA W UD 10
1982-01-22 Juan Carlos Maltes Miami Beach, USA W PTS 12
1981-12-18 Dave Lipscomb Miami Beach, USA W KO 2
1981-11-21 Gettis Jones Miami, USA W KO 1
1981-09-26 Anthony Collins Miami Beach, USA W KO 2
1981-08-14 Alex Wilcox Miami Beach, USA W PTS 10
1981-05-30 Dexter Smith Miami Beach, USA W PTS 8
1981-05-16 Fermin Sierra Miami Beach, USA W TKO 6
1981-04-18 Carlos Nunez Miami Beach, USA W KO 5
1981-03-28 Ray Dennis Miami Beach, USA W PTS 6
1981-03-13 Pablo Obregon Miami Beach, USA W KO 4
1981-03-03 Manuel Obregon Miami Beach, USA W KO 2
1981-02-05 Terry Kemp Fort Myers, USA L PTS 6

Record to Date
Won 30 (KOs 12) Lost 7 Drawn 0 Total 37

Jack Boddell
British, European and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion

vs

Jerry Quarry

Jerry Quarry knocked out the British Champion in 67 seconds of the first round. An even quicker knockout of a British Champion by an American since World War II when Nino Valdes knocked out Joe Ersskin in 89 seconds.

kikibalt wrote:
Jack Boddell
British, European and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion

vs

Jerry Quarry

Jerry Quarry knocked out the British Champion in 67 seconds of the first round. An even quicker knockout of a British Champion by an American since World War II when Nino Valdes knocked out Joe Ersskin in 89 seconds.

Often repeated but whenever this fight's mentioned it brings the post fight interview with Quarry to mind. The interviewer, trying to fill in time as the fight didn't last long, asks Quarry 'Did you find Bodell awkward?' to which Quarry replies with the classic line 'well he sure fell awkward'.

Flump wrote:

kikibalt wrote:
Jack Boddell
British, European and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion

vs

Jerry Quarry

Jerry Quarry knocked out the British Champion in 67 seconds of the first round. An even quicker knockout of a British Champion by an American since World War II when Nino Valdes knocked out Joe Ersskin in 89 seconds.

Often repeated but whenever this fight's mentioned it brings the post fight interview with Quarry to mind. The interviewer, trying to fill in time as the fight didn't last long, asks Quarry 'Did you find Bodell awkward?' to which Quarry replies with the classic line 'well he sure fell awkward'.

This fight can be seen on Youtube.com
-Rick

Robinson wrote:I hope your son recovers fully.
Its a sad and violent world when things like that happen.

Thanks Robby
He's fine. Like i said. a good kid. He loves his mother. I know she worries about him. Thanks again. Rog

bennie wrote:

dagosd2000 wrote:FIGHT OR FLIGHT

My son is a nice boy. Quiet and polite. The little kids love him to death. He brings loads of Christmas presents over all the time. His mother worries about him. We don't see him that much. He lives in Hollywood. Partners in a restaurant somewhere near Beverly Hills. I've never been there. Ramon doesn't take after me.

Don't let no one kid you. These crazy stories I post on the thread,well don't think that stuff doesn't get around. It got around to Ramon. He's been distant to me,but I don't blame him. I guess he thinks I've been unfair to his mother. I have,but he knows I love her very much and have given her financial stability and taken her all over. We built the house in Michoacan with my money. He also knows I was with him and his sisters all the time growing up. But our temperments are different and then there's those episodes.

All my children left the house without problems. No feuds. They wanted to be on their own. Probably to get away from me. That's what I wanted for them. To be independent. They never ask for money ,though I take my grand children to Europe and Mexico on my dime.

One Christmas Ramon didn't come down. No phone call. Nothing. We tried calling. No answer. Finally a few months later we heard from him. He came down with a buddy. He told us what happened. Ramon and his buddy were leaving a restaurant and were hijacked by two cholo gang members. At first Ramon thought they just wanted his car,but the cholos said thry were going to take them to East LA. to kill them as part of a gang initiation.

Ramon and his friend were put in the back seat of his car. The passanger cholo held two guns on my son. The car was about to go on the freeway onto the off ramp.
My son reacted. Ramon grabbed the gun holder and smashed his head against the window. With his other hand he grabbed the driver and smashed his head against the windshield. In the mean time my son was shot 4 times. Twice in the gut. Twice in the legs. He was in intensive care for four days. That's why he didn't come down for Christmas.

Well he showed us the scars. His mother cried. Ramon is fine now even though he's missing part of his insides. I thought to myself. A nice boy. Played football because he knew I wanted him to play. Wrestled and ran track,but a polite,nice boy. He didn't act like a jock.Then when the moment of truth arrived,he came through like a real man. His friend said Ramon saved his life. I wish we would talk more. I think that day will come. I pray it does.

Unbelievable, Rog. Your son is a man.

He doesn't show it,but when the time came for the test ,he came through. I'm sure he never talks about what happened. Thanks Bennie

Hogan "Kid" Bassey, Eddie Ndukwu and Anthony Adeh 2 July 1970 Commonweealth
Games Scotland, Former Featherweight Champion of the World, Hogan Bassey,
coach of the Nigerian boxing teanm shown with two of his proteges in Scotland
preparing for the Games.

Los Angeles Times Golden Gloves team boarding a train to the Chicago Tribune tournament, 1948
ALL ABOARD FOR CHICAGO -- The Times Golden Gloves team entrained yesterday for Chicago Tribune tournament. Left to right, kneeling, Coaches Leo Pope and George Latka; standing, Hugh Davidson, Hank Herring, Joe Burzenes, Enoch Lee and Rudy Garcia; on steps, Clarence Henry, Jay Caldwell, and Ruben Smith.

Harold Dade and Manuel Ortiz

Harold Dade vs Manuel Ortiz

Bobbin & Weavin wrote:

Randyman wrote:After finding out Kenny Lane had four fights after he turned 50, I started thinking, Hmmmm. What if? Okay, so I'm about 220 right now and getting grayer by the minute. I fought at welterweight but maybe I can make 175. I mean anything's possible, right. So at dinner last night night I said to my wife Jeri "Honey, do you think I'm to old to fight again?" After she stopped choking, or maybe she was laughing, I couldn't quite tell, she said "Don't even think it!" followed by "The look". So just like that my dreams of boxing immortality were shattered, by my own wife no less! Am I the only guy that still thinks like that?

Randy a couple years ago & I'm weighing 220 I figure i'm 50 it's time to take better care of myself so I join a gym, my friend on the other hand is a gym freak, belongs to three gyms, into martial arts, & was now taking a boxing class in another gym that at the end of the 6 week class they pair them off & have bouts. He's 48 & everyone else in the class is 35 & under so he talks me into showing him some stuff in a little back area where they have a speedbag & a heavy bag. After working out there with him for a couple of weeks I'm starting to feel like you're saying if I could drop down to 175 and find some other 5'8" 175 pounders I could do alright.Then one day my buddy says theres some sparring gloves with the velcro on them how about you & I put them on so I can get a better feel for this, one thing leads to another & I agree to spar with him a couple of two minute rounds so he can get the "feel" for it. The buzzer sounds & he comes out, I'm giving him instructions but he can't hit me with a "handfull of rocks in a hallway" & I'm tapping him just about anywhere I want for two rounds! Hell I'm Joe Louis! He's stunned tells me he was shocked becasue I stood right in front of him for the most part & he couldn't hit me! So here's the two problems! 1 - lungs...OMG my lungs! I thought someone had started a fire in them & put it out with a pick-ax. 2 - I go home & brag to my wife & daughter about it & they practically disown me! There goes my dreams! But tell me truthfully what would you give to have the knowledge, the moxie & everything else that goes with being in your 50s & your body back in the best shape of your life! I give my left nut! Bet our wives wouldn't be pissed then! :P

Bobbin & Weavin

I hear ya Pug, It stays in the system. I like your advice about getting back into the gym, at the very least to get back in halfway decent shape. I would love to spar again. Think about those moments when you were sparring. It makes you feel alive. I'm not sure about getting a fight though. I'm with you on the age factor but unfortunately Father Time has his own agenda.

Bobbin & Weavin, Even when I'm kidding with my wife and diughters about boxing they freak out. It woudn't go over very well.

Talking about sparring, in 2003 before my son left for boot camp, my son and I sparred. He had been getting lazy during the few months before he was supposed to go in, so I said to him "Son, if I were you I would be running and working out because some of the guys are going to be in really good shape and you don't want to start off playing catch up in Boot Camp." He says I'll be okay, I'm in good enough shape". "Good enough to spar with me?" He took the challenge. I should tell you, while most fathers would play catch with their sons, we wrestled or sparred. Sometimes we would wrestle in the house. My wife would get so pissed because the house would get turned upside down He loved it and that was what mattered. He boxed when he was a kid and he wrestled in high school, so he did understand about being in shape.

We went out to the backyard and put the gloves on. We boxed several rounds but he said to me, as he was really beginning to breath hard, "Man, I don't get it, you just keep getting stronger". I was too, I have always had good endurance. I surprised my son. He thought his old man was going to fade. At some point he landed a straight right hand that snapped every bone in my neck. It was so loud he heard it. At that point he didn't want to hit me anymore. I didn't argue the point. I proved my point though. The next day he started running and working out. That was all I really wanted. The bonus for me was my son had a new found respect for me.

Randy