Watching a Six Round Fighter School a World Champ . . .

By Rick Farris

The World Champ was a dangerous puncher, one who had flattened featherweight contender Bobby Valdez with one punch.
The champ was Hiroshi Kobayashi, of Japan.

The six-round fighter was my stablemate, a guy who had once fought tens.
Those main events took place years before, before an opponent died after their bout, before he walked away in the early 60's.
My stablemate was Rod Contreras, a guy who fought on a par with the young Ramos, Navarro, Gonzalez early on.
But his heart was never really in boxing after an opponent died. He hesitated, when he could have finished the job.

This may have prevented Rod Contreras from moving up in the ratings, but it didn't prevent him from handing an ass-whipping to a champ.
It took place on a saturday morning at the Main Street Gym. I've told the story before, and surely will do so again.

When the bell rang, opening the first round of boxing, Kobayashi puts the pressure on right away.
He thows a short, inside combo to the body and lets fly with a hook to the head that Rod slips under.
The punch looked like it might have taken off his head. Rod just let it fly over his head, spun Kobayashi and put him in the corner.
He then rattled off some jolting combos, then moved away. The Japanses fighter attacked, wild, missed, and Rod countered.
Cracking left jabs, it was beautiful, and you should have seen Johnny & Julio Flores smiling in the corner.
Everytime Kobayashi would charge in he'd catch a jab in the face. His nose bled almost immediatly.
This went on for three rounds, then Kobayashi climbed out. He was done for the day.
I remember blood on Rod's white gym shirt. It wasn't his blood.

That was one pissed off Jap that stepped out of the ring that morning!