Saturday, September 24, 2011

Art "Golden Boy" Aragon

In spite of the obvious contempt which the greater portion of latin fans hold for him, Art already has been successful in swaying there emotions. It has only happened once and possibly will never happen again. That was when he faced Jimmy Carter for the crown. Sweating off valuable pounds from a body rippling with lean muscles so as to make the weight limit, Art blew his chances for success. But he fought one of the most valiant he-man matches ever seen on the coast. He was punished severly, he hit the canvas twice and the easiness by which Carter maneuvered around him made Art look sick. When the much -one-sided tiff came to an end Aragon's granite-like jaw almost rubbed his chest admitting defeat. Just before leaving the ring exploded the sweetest music ever heard by Aragon. The fight mob, sensing they had seen a hero in action, let go with a tremendous roar of effection for the man they had despised for so long. But Aragon couldn't take that standing up. He sat in his corner stool. Then he wept, he sobbed shaking in convulsions like a broken child..

Frank, The Aragon/Carter title fight will be 60 years ago this November 14.

Paul

----------------------------------------------------

I was there...I seen a very courageous fighter that night in Art Aragon....Art beat Carter in an earlier fight at a higher weight, but at 135 he was out of the fight after four rounds, he lasted the fifteen rounds just on courage and pride...Art was a very proud fighter at a time when fighters carried themselves like stars, and stars they were...I could have called him a great warrior, but I hate that word, seems to me like that word is overuse this days...

Frank

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Floyd Mayweather basks in aftermath of knockout of Victor Ortiz

Outspoken fighter, 34, says the decisive punch that caught his 24-year-old opponent off guard right after the referee gave the OK to resume fighting was the result of his vast experience.
Floyd Mayweather

Photobucket
Floyd Mayweather celebrates his fourth-round knockout victory over Victor Ortiz on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus / Reuters


By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times

September 18, 2011

Floyd Mayweather Jr. enhanced his villainous image by the way he registered a fourth-round knockout of Victor Ortiz on Saturday night.

By striking the instant he was allowed to punch after referee Joe Cortez stopped action to deduct a point from Ortiz for a head butt, Mayweather landed a left hand to Ortiz's face that stunned the welterweight champion from Ventura.

With Cortez and Ortiz caught off guard, Mayweather (42-0, 26 knockouts) then finished the fight with a devastating straight right hand to Ortiz's jaw that sent the 24-year-old to la-la land.

"I spaced a bit," said Ortiz, who asked Mayweather for a rematch, contending the punches were "not fair."

Mayweather, 34, chalked up the ending to his advantage in experience, and expressed no remorse after the frustrated, beaten-to-the-punch Ortiz (29-3-2) bloodied Mayweather's lip and mouth with the head butt.

"What goes around," Mayweather said, "comes around."

When HBO's Larry Merchant tried to interview Mayweather after the fight, Mayweather suggested the 80-year-old boxing analyst talk to Ortiz "since you've never given me a fair shake." Mayweather used an expletive and questioned Merchant's knowledge of the sport, to which Merchant replied, "If I was 50 years younger, I'd kick your [rear]."

Mayweather didn't exactly embrace Ortiz's rematch request.

"If he feels it was a fluke, I'll do the same thing again," Mayweather said. "But he was slowly breaking down as each round went. He was going to go down, anyway."

It's more likely that Ortiz will end up as a participant in a welterweight tournament his promoter, Richard Schaefer, will propose to HBO and Showtime this week.

Schaefer signed former junior-welterweight world champion Devon Alexander on Saturday, and said Alexander, Ortiz, Marcos Maidana, Andre Berto, Paulie Malignaggi and Lucas Matthysse are candidates to participate in a 147-pound tournament that will help increase those fighters' recognition.

Mayweather has more thoughts to ponder beyond a possible 2012 matchup with Manny Pacquiao, who fights Nov. 12 against Juan Manuel Marquez.

"I move when I want to move, and I fight when I want to fight," Mayweather said.

First, he has to deal with his criminal case.

Mayweather is due in Clark County (Nev.) Court on Oct. 15 for a preliminary hearing in his multi-felony domestic violence case in which the mother of his three children and some of the children are alleged victims.

"The only thing I can do is keep my fingers crossed," Mayweather said. "I chose the best team of attorneys I know. I know I haven't done anything. People want to create something because of who you are. With that [domestic] case, I say, 'Where are the pictures?'.

"The rest [claims by security guards] it's a bunch of bull. These guys say they got beat up, but they could walk to the hospital? It's not real."

Mayweather said after the bout he was unsure how much time he'd be away from the ring.

"I hope it's not this long," he said, referring to the 16-month layoff before he fought Ortiz.

He spent several minutes of his postfight news conference expressing skepticism about the Pacquiao fight, even though their schedules are close enough to meet in May.

Mayweather again pressed Pacquiao to commit to Olympic-standard testing for performance-enhancing drugs — Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum says the Filipino superstar will — and continued insinuating Pacquiao has engaged in doping even though Mayweather faces a defamation lawsuit on that matter.

"To say a guy goes from 105 pounds to this, and it's all natural … come on, man," Mayweather said.

He chided Pacquiao for "fighting all my leftovers," and lashed out at critics, complaining, "When I beat that little dude [Pacquiao], they're going to say he was too small or too old. They never appreciate me."

Mayweather said Pacquiao "doesn't want to fight me. Once he loses, it's over. They're tricking y'all saying they'll fight me. Don't be tricked."

Schaefer said he expects to discuss Mayweather's future with the fighter and his representatives within the next two or three weeks.

One of the top alternatives to Pacquiao is England's Amir Khan, the junior-welterweight world champion who could help create a major boxing event at London's Wembley Stadium.

Mayweather said, "I'm more popular in England than Khan," and added, "I'm loyal to MGM."

What mattered most to Mayweather was victory, and he appreciated being told his speed, defense and counter-punching were as strong as ever Saturday.

"Did I look sharp?" he said, smiling widely.

[email]lance.pugmire@latimes.com[/email]

I'm a fan of boxing

By Randy De La O

I'm no fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr, never have been and most likely, never will be. What I am is a fan of the sport of boxing. As difficult as that can be at times, especially when someone like Mayweather is involved, I do try my absolute best to put aside my own personal bias and dislikes and focus just on the fighter and the fights. It's not always easy. Saturday night's fight between Mayweather and Victor Ortiz is a good example. Coming into this fight I wanted Ortiz to put the trash talking Mayweather in his place. I wasn't 100% sure he could but I was rooting for him to pull it off. The other reason I was rooting for Ortiz was that I wanted to see the guy redeem himself. I was hoping he would prove once and for all, that his blatant quitting in the Marcos Maidana fight was an anomaly, just something that happened, a one time quirky act. I thought that Ortiz understood what true character was, and that he was going to work like hell to prove himself. Maybe position himself along side some of the great fighters of the past.

Us guys from the West Coast and the L.A. fight scene are a proud bunch, We love our fighters and their exploits passionately. We have as rich a history in the sport as any town in the country, or the world too for that matter. We cherish and defend that history. The fighters that were either born here or came here to live and fight, range from the completely mediocre to the legendary. They trained at the Main Street Gym, the Teamsters Gym, the Hoover Street Gym and Canto Robledo's backyard gym. The names of these fighters stand with the best from anywhere in the world when it comes to courage, heart and fair play and they include fighters such as Manny Ortiz, Gil Cadilli, Kenny Teran, Art Aragon, Enrique Bolanos,Lauro Salas, Denny Moyer, Mando Ramos, Hedgeman Lewis, Randy Shields, Mando Muniz, Bobby Chacon, Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Rick Farris, Frankie Baltazar, Tony Baltazar, and more recently, Sugar Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya. I couldn't begin to list them all. Guys like Ruben Olivares, Chucho Castillo, Jesus Pimental came north from Mexico to lay it on the line at the Olympic Auditorium and the Forum because they knew L.A. was a fight town like no other and appreciated a fighter worth his salt. Art Hafey headed south from Canada to Southern California, to jump into the midst of what has come to be known as the "West Coast Featherweight Wars". The West Coast has been a hot bed of boxing for decades and L.A. has been the epicenter of it all. We don't care what nationality you are, what color you are are what your religion is. If you can fight and are willing, and can take it as good as you can give, than you are our kind of fighter. it's as simple as that. We'll be with you all the way.

Then along comes Victor Ortiz, wanting to stand tall with all the rest. Quit against Maidana and was given a second chance at a career. Positioned himself with one of the two pound for pound best fighters in the world, and was making a fight of it. Mayweather began picking up some steam and the fighter who has ironically come to be known as "Vicious" began to crumble. Ortiz had Mayweather against the ropes and was actually landing some good shots, when for reasons known only to him, he decided to take the low road with a headbutt so obviously intentionally a blind man would have had no trouble seeing it. Anomaly? No, lack of character, lack of true courage, a complete lack of fair play.

Am I being too harsh here? I don't think so. Given that Ortiz had a shot at redemption and spit in our eyes in the process, I think he's getting off easy. The crowd at the Staples Center, judging by the boos for Mayweather seem to be excusing Ortiz' behavior. Mayweather did what any sane fighter would and should do when facing a man who has already shown himself to be a cheater. I would lay some pretty good money that many of the same people that think Floyd sucker punched Ortiz, were jumping for joy a few years back when, Marco Antonio Barrera, like Mayweather, took matters into his own hands and grabbed Nassem Hamed in a half nelson and rammed him face first into the ring post. I don't recall ever hearing of one fan that thought Barrera was in the wrong. Neither was Floyd Mayweather in the wrong. But for the headbutt there would have been no controversy or knockout, at least not that particular knockout.

To borrow quote from Dorothy and "The Wizard of Oz", "Victor, you're not in Kansas anymore!"

There is an age old adage in boxing that goes something like this

"You are never so naked as when you are standing in the ring". It's not the physical nakedness they are referring to, it's the character of a man (or a women) that's exposed. Your courage and heart and sense of fair play, and your ability or inability to handle pressure, or the propensity to resort to cowardly acts and cheat when frustrated, or a lack of character when it's time to face your actions when caught. You are never so naked a when you are standing in the ring. Ask Victor Ortiz, he got caught completely naked last night.

Lou Filippo

By Rick Farris

I had the pleasure of meeting Lou Filippo in 2006, when I joined the Board of Directors of the World Boxing Hall of Fame. I didn't have time to get to know Lou Filippo very well, but I was well aware of his career in the ring, both as a rough lightweight fighting out of the Jackie McCoy stable in the 50's, and also as a referee/ringside official. My boxing partner Dan Hanley and I had the opportunity to interview Lou in 2007. It would be the Hall of Famer's last interview, and it was a good one.

Shortly after we interviewed Lou, I learned that around the time I was born, Frank Baltazar worked at a car wash where Lou would take his car every week. It was a flashy blue Pontiac and Frank told of how Lou would keep his gym bag on the back seat of the car. I believe the car was was on Whittier Blvd. From that, I spoke with Lou at a WBHOF meeting one day and mentioned "that flashy blue Pontiac" he used to have. Filippo would look at me suprised, and then I would say, "you remember the one you used to take to the so& so car wash. I used to work there and recall seeing your equipment in the back seat." This would have taken place around the time I was born, so Lou is now really confused . . . "How could you, uh?
Yeah, I remember that Pontiac, but, uh . . . How old are you?"

Well that little incident was the start of a respectful relationship between Lou Filippo and myself. I appreciate Frank's sharing that little piece of knowledge, because it led to a positive moment between myself and an L.A. boxing legend.

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Below is Lou Filippo's Boxrec bio:

Attended John C. Fremont High School in south Los Angeles, and began boxing at the 97th Street Arena to become one of California's top amateur boxers of the 1940s. He joined the U.S. Navy during World War II, became a Pharmacist Mate, 2nd Class (medic), serving aboard the USS South Dakota. He won the South Pacific All-Services 125-pound title in 1944 at Guadacanal, South Pacific; as well as the 1945 Naval Base 125-pound Championship. After his discharge from the Navy, Filippo won the US Diamond Belt (in the lightweight division). He had more than 250 amateur bouts before embarking on a professional career.

Filippo fought professionally from 1947-1957, compiling a record of 28-9-3 (8), and was named Action Fighter of the Year in Los Angeles (1957). During his career he fought former lightweight champions Carlos Ortiz and Lauro Salas. Filippo was known to cut easily, and once quipped that he would start bleeding while the referee was still giving opening instructions.

He later became a boxing manager and trainer (he trained World Champion Don Jordan for a couple of fights). Filippo went into refereeing and judging in the early 1970s at the suggestion of Olympic Auditorium promoter Aileen Eaton, and eventually officiated over 85 championship bouts. He was the judge who favored Hagler 115-113 in the controversial Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard middleweight championship fight in Las Vegas. Filippo also handled the first Shane Mosley-Oscar De La Hoya welterweight championship fight in 2000 in Los Angeles.

Filippo appeared as either a referee or announcer in five of the six "Rocky" boxing movies. (He was not in the sixth installment, "Rocky Balboa.") Filippo's reputation as a "loyal, straight-up guy" helped him win Sylvester Stallone's attention. (In "Rocky II" Filippo tells Stallone's bloodied character Rocky Balboa before the epic 15th round: "Hey, Rock, you get in trouble one more time...," to which Balboa answers: "Don't stop nothing!" When both fighters fall to the canvas on a Balboa punch and opponent Apollo Creed slumps in a corner, Filippo tells Rocky: "You're out!")

He also spent 43 years working for Thermo-Electron, Cal Duran Division. And, from 1983 to about 2005, Filippo served as an executive with the World Boxing Hall of Fame--serving two terms as its President from 1993.

He was the husband of Pat (who died in 2007), and father of Debbye and Patti.
Lou Filippo passed away Nov. 2, 2009, in Los Angeles, of a stroke--having judged his final bout only two weeks earlier.


Photo-Dawn Paradis

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Floyd Mayweather Jr. pours salt in Victor Ortiz's wounds

September 15, 2011

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has launched mental warfare against his 10-years-younger Saturday night opponent Victor Ortiz, inviting Ortiz's ex-trainer Robert Garcia and Ventura County rival world champion Brandon Rios to watch near ringside.

"I saw Garcia at a fight at state line [Primm, Nev.] not too long ago. He asked to come to my next fight, and I said that'd be great," Mayweather said. "I'm a man of my word."

Especially when it's this irritating to the opposition's camp.

Not only did Ortiz drop Garcia as his trainer after a 2007 bout, claiming the trainer was "mean," he hired Garcia's brother, Danny, as his new trainer.

That created such a severe falling out in the Garcia family that Robert and Danny are not on speaking terms. It doesn't help that their backyards in Oxnard butt up against each other.

Mayweather claimed Wednesday that Ortiz's explanation that he was abandoned by his father at the age of 12 was "not true," counting Robert Garcia and Internet reports as his "research."
Ortiz insists his father was abusive and walked away after Ortiz's mother quit parenting.

Contacted by telephone, Robert Garcia told The Times he's heard from a former neighbor of the Ortiz family that Ortiz's "dad never left him, was always there for him."

Garcia said he couldn't remember Ortiz's father ever checking in by telephone or any other means after Garcia and his father effectively took over guardianship of Ortiz at age 16, with the then-amateur boxer relocating from Garden City, Kan., to Oxnard.

On Wednesday, Ortiz gave Mayweather's claims little attention, though Danny Garcia announced he "loves his brother" and expressed hope for a reunion someday soon. Robert Garcia said he agreed with that sentiment but first wanted Danny "to admit" he was wrong by not alerting the Garcia family to his intentions to replace Robert as Ortiz's trainer.

"He knows why I don't want to talk to him," Robert Garcia said. "I had brought Danny in to help me train fighters and get a piece of every guy. Then we find out by surprise that Victor wants to go somewhere else, and that Danny is training him. If he wanted to do that in the first place, all he had to do was tell us. Fine, go make some money.

"Finding out without him telling us, it's ugly now. I've learned when there's money involved, it can change people. I just want Danny to tell me why he did it.

Mayweather was reportedly contemplating asking Robert Garcia and his star fighter Rios to accompany him into the ring with Ortiz, but Robert Garcia said he "wouldn't be comfortable" doing so. He said he did want to attend the fight, however, and was pleased to receive an invitation from Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe on Wednesday.

"I think Mayweather wins, and I'm not the only one," Robert Garcia said. "Victor does hit hard, and he has power, but I believe Floyd will pick him apart.

'Victor is weak-minded. If Floyd starts landing [punches] on him, Victor will lose it. I know he will. It happened when I had him in the amateurs. It happened [two years ago] against [Marcos] Maidana."

Victor Ortiz vows to 'teach' Floyd Mayweather Jr.

oxers trade pointed comments in advance of bout at Las Vegas' MGM Grand on Saturday, and Ortiz's trainer has something to say too.

By Lance Pugmire

September 14, 2011
Reporting from Las Vegas — The most modest man at the podium made the boldest statement Wednesday.

Danny Garcia, a soda truck driver who also trains world welterweight champion Victor Ortiz, turned to multimillionaire Floyd Mayweather Jr. and made a simple, passionate plea that will resonate until the boxers square off at the MGM Grand on Saturday night.

"Floyd, at least for this fight, fight a good clean fight for the people," Garcia said as he stared down at Mayweather, who was seated at a news conference dais. "We all know how you fight.

"Don't put up your elbow, don't turn your back. That tells me you're scared of fighting."

Strong words from a working-class man whose morning delivery route includes stops in Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo.

It wasn't Mayweather's turn to speak, but as he showed HBO cameras during training camp, when he threw his father out of his gym in an expletive-filled tirade, he doesn't have much patience in debate.

"Yeah, I am scared of fighting," answered Mayweather, mocking Garcia's accusation. "That's why I've been dominating here for 16 years. I'm the one doing the [pay-per-view] numbers. I'm not worried about you. You're the trainer. Let your fighter fight."

Ortiz, 24, who claimed the World Boxing Council title with a stirring exchange-of-knockdowns battle with Andre Berto in April, took up his trainer's cause.

"You have 41 [victories], but none of those 41 were against me," said the Ventura boxer, who has a record of 29-2-2 with 22 knockouts. "I sense some nervousness. I am the current WBC champion. I'm going to teach you what it's like to have that one [loss]."

Mayweather, 34, whose 41-0 record includes 25 knockouts, cautioned his younger foe — a 51/2-1 underdog at the MGM Resorts' Race and Sports Book — telling Ortiz to stay "classy."

Ortiz responded with a dig at Mayweather's involvement in a felony domestic violence case in which the mother of his three children was allegedly a victim.

"Oh, we're talking about class here? I'm going to put you on your [rear]," Ortiz said.

When it was Mayweather's turn, he expressed surprise that the Ortiz camp had turned scornful.

"The trainer says I'm a dirty fighter. Well, it's a dirty sport," Mayweather said. "It's the hurt business. How can it be clean?"

He added, "Don't worry about me backpedaling. I'll come straight ahead. The fight's not going the distance. When I hit you and hurt you, don't grab me. I'm going to finish you off."

Mayweather also claimed Ortiz's sad story of being abandoned in his youth by his father is "not true" — citing Internet talk as his source of information. Mayweather said he's grown tired of Ortiz's repeating, "Dude, I grew up with nothing."

There was another message: Welcome to big-time boxing, kid.

"It didn't bother me. I'm a tree stump, man," Ortiz said afterward. "You can say whatever you want. I know when you do something well, everyone's your friend, and when you hit the floor, everyone forgets you.

"It's going to be a sad moment for Floyd Saturday night."

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Victor Ortiz keeps camp loose before fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr.

In contrast to his opponent, WBC champion Ortiz likes to interrupt the grind of training with 'fun days' to give his team a break from tension. It fits the persona of a boxer who says, 'I love life.'
Victor Ortiz


By Lance Pugmire

September 13, 2011, 4:46 p.m.
As much as Victor Ortiz has in common with Floyd Mayweather Jr. — neither is talking to his father, both left veteran promoter Bob Arum for greater riches, and they're fighting each other Saturday — there's one dominant difference.

Mayweather's gym maintains a consistently tense mood, saying that the fighter is there training hard to avoid the damage that occurs in the blood sport. Ortiz routinely halts everything for a "fun day."

Recently, Ortiz took everyone on a chartered deep-sea fishing boat off the Channel Islands. He's also invited the group to surf, enter a Camp Pendleton triathlon race with him, paddleboard, get massages in Ojai and sky dive.

"I'm not going to live forever. So you better have fun while you're here," Ortiz said from his home on Ventura Harbor.

That's the unmistakable vibe exuding from Ortiz, the 24-year-old World Boxing Council welterweight champion. He will make his first title defense in Las Vegas in a bout dominated by the story line of his celebrated opponent, the unbeaten Mayweather, who returns to the ring after 16 months.

"I think everyone is tired of him," Ortiz said of his foe. "I'm here to win this."

Ortiz is an aggressive puncher, with a 29-2-2 record and 22 knockouts, but oddsmakers say he's a 7-to-1 underdog.

Those close to Ortiz say that if victory is at hand, it will be because of the drive he's shown by overcoming numerous obstacles to win a world title.

"He takes his energy as a fighter into everything he does, and our kids need to hear that story," said Hector Cortez, chief diversity officer of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, a youth mentoring organization based in Philadelphia. Ortiz, a spokesman for the organization, recently hosted some youths from a gang-intervention program at his Ventura gym.

"To respond to the environment he came from is a testament to his resolve," Cortez said. "Everything around you comes from something deep within you, and tapping into that can be transformative."

Ortiz grew up in Garden City, Kan., and he and his siblings endured a difficult childhood as their parents abandoned them.

Mayweather, similarly scarred by unstable parenting, remains saddled with a reputation for being moody and difficult. He's facing felony charges stemming from allegations that he struck the mother of his three children, and he recently split with his father in an expletive-filled exchange on HBO's "24/7" reality series.

Ortiz has taken another tack. He simply doesn't speak to the father who left him.

Last winter, Ortiz said, he faced his own domestic crisis — he came home early one day and found his girlfriend of four years with another man, a U.S. serviceman. He recalled telling the soldier, "I should hit you, but I won't, because all the stories will say, 'Boxer beats up military hero.'" Ortiz ended the relationship.

In April, Ortiz's boxing career reached a pinnacle. He won the WBC belt from then-unbeaten Andre Berto in a stirring unanimous decision, a bout in which both men were knocked down twice, with Mayweather watching ringside.

"I could have easily headed in other directions throughout my life," Ortiz said. "Luckily, I was surrounded by a lot of positive people. I knew right from wrong. And it meant something to me to not be that person who in people's eyes was all messed up."

Ortiz credits his youth boxing mentor, the late Ignacio "Bucky" Avila. The trainer kept repeating the phrase "You can do it, Junior" so often that Ortiz said he heard the words echo during the Berto fight.

Ortiz values support from those close to him. It was a key reason why he dumped his former trainer Robert Garcia. The trainer was "mean" and not supportive, Ortiz said.

Rosas recalled that during the weigh-in for a 2006 fight in San Antonio against a then-unbeaten opponent named Nestor Rosas, he ended a verbal exchange by betting Rosas $100 that he'd win the fight. Instead of drawing admiration from Garcia for being confident, the trainer scolded Ortiz and warned him he faced a difficult fight.

"[Garcia was] always bringing me down," Ortiz said.

Ortiz knocked out Rosas in the fifth round.

Fight fans, though, haven't always been on Ortiz's side. In June 2009 Ortiz lost to Marcos Maidana on a sixth-round technical knockout at Staples Center when it appeared Ortiz could have continued. Fans shouted at Ortiz: "You're not a true Mexican!"

Ortiz believes that if he fought Maidana 10 times he'd win nine of the bouts. "Sorry for the mistake of being human" and losing one, Ortiz said.

Rolando Arellano, Ortiz's manager, added, "There's a reason the front windshield of a car is bigger than the rear mirror: You should look forward most of the time, and only occasionally check behind you."

On Ortiz's dinner table is the volume "The Book of Positive Quotations." His manager frequently reads passages from it to Ortiz. They also watch Anthony Robbins' motivational videos together.

"It's not what people think of you, it's what you believe about yourself," Arellano said, fixing his eyes on his fighter. "There are excuses to fail and excuses to succeed. . . . It's the story between the ears that determines your life."

Ortiz nods, relishing his own path.

"You've got to get over things," Ortiz said. "Otherwise, you'd sit there and want to kill yourself. I love life."

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Art "Golden Boy" Aragon/Charlie Sawyer Jan. 31, 1959..

Art "Golden Boy" Aragon/Charlie Sawyer Jan. 31, 1959..

"Headlines ARAGON IN TROUBLE AGAIN; 4-ROUND 'KAYO' A FIASCO, Los Angeles-A four -round fiasco with his ex-sparring partner has plunged Art Aragon into hot water with the boxing commission and has cost him a shot at Don Jordan's welterweight title. The State Athletic Commission has ordered both fighter's purses held up pending a hearing Saturday of Aragon's knockout of Charlie Sawyer. "As soon as they started there movements in the first round, I knew something was wrong." said Tommy Hart, who refereed the scheduled 10-rounder Saturday night at Legion Stadium. Hart refused to count three times in the first round when Sawyer hit the deck. "It was just horseplay," said Hart. "Sawyer got hit on the shoulder and went into his elevator act." RUMORS BEFORE FIGHT. However, Hart conceded that Sawyer was really tagged when he went down and was counted out in the fourth. (Commission Secretary Clayton Frye told United Press International today that Sawyer "was trying to go down, it was obvious. (Aragon, a veteran of 16 years in the pro fight game, was convicted in 1957 of offering another fighter, Dick Goldstein, $500 to throw a fight, but a California District Court of Appeals subsequently reversed this conviction. ("There were rumors about the fight," Frye said, "and both boxers were warned at the weigh-in...We simply wanted to put them on notice that we wanted the best effort." Aragon, who could have won a shot at the welter title with a good showing, said the fight was on the up-and-up as far as he was concerned. "I'm not responsible for what Sawyer does," "I'm not the matchmaker." Sawyer, a 10-year ring veteran, said "Those knockdowns were good. Did the referee want me to get killed?" Sawyer worked as a sparmate for Aragon's ill-fated tilt with Carmen Basilio last September. Aragon said "Sawyer is washed up. That's what caused the trouble. I knocked him down with big gloves three times when i was training for Basilio."


Frank, Do you remember this fight, like you said before, "when wasn't Art in trouble," never a dull moment with Golden Boy"....Paul

--------------------------------------------------------

I remember it Paul,I didn't see it though. Sawyer was Joe Kelly's fighter. Kelly was the door man at the Teamsters gym in the '50's, Kelly also was one of the last owner's of the Knockout Magazine...

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Tony Baltazar/Howard Davis Post-Fight Press Conference.

At a press conference after the Tony Baltazar/Howard Davis fight a reporter asked Tony a question.

Reporter: Tony, after dropping Howard twice; were you surprise at the decision?

Tony: well, you know; I am a long way from home.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Frankie Baltazar v Chango Cruz

http://youtu.be/tgDI91Q81p0
Frankie Baltazar v Chango Cruz
October 28, 1976

On Monday, October 25, 1976, Frankie and I were working at a Ford dealership (paint shop) in Alhambra, Ca. That morning I told Frankie that on our lunch hour I was going to go see Don Chargin at the Olympic Auditorium to see if I could set up a six-round fight for him for that coming Thursday night.

I left Alhambra about 11:30 AM. and got to the Olympic about 25 minutes later. As I parked the car I was thinking about how hard it had become to get Frankie fights. His record stood at 4-1 with 2 knockouts. The one decision loss was an out-of-town (Stockton, Ca.) fight against Reynaldo Zaragoza, a fight that just about everybody in the house thought Frankie had won.

As I entered the Olympic I was hoping that I wasn't again wasting my time as I had been doing lately in talking to Chargin. I climbed the stairs to his office and as I got to the door I could hear Harry Kabakoff saying, "What are we going to do Don? Castillo won't fight Cruz."

"We'll find somebody for him to fight, so don't worry Harry," I heard Don say. As I walked in I could see that Harry looked like he was about to start crying, but he smiled a big smile when he saw me walk in.

"Is your boy ready to fight?" Harry asked me.

"Yes, that's why I'm here, to see if I can get Frankie a six-round fight," I answered.

"How about Thursday night in the main event?" Harry asked.

"Against who?" I countered.

"Chango Cruz."

"C'mon Harry. Cruz has had 12 fights with 8 KO's, Frankie only has five fights. By the way, what happened to Castillo?"

"Castillo got sick, so they say. I think they are afraid to fight my new champ," said Harry.

I turned to Chargin and asked him about getting a six-round fight, and he said that none of the local fighters wanted to fight Frankie and that it was too expensive to bring in out-of-town fighters for a six-round fight. At that point Harry jumped in and told me to forget about a six rounder and to take the Cruz fight. Chargin then said, "Frank, we'll pay you XXX dollars."

"I don't know, Don. Like I said, Frankie only has had five fights, and he has never gone more than seven rounds. This would be a ten-round fight against a guy with 12 wins, 8 by knockout. I don't want to put Frankie in over his head," I said to Chargin. Harry again jumped in and said they would pay us more than they first offered. After going around for about an hour and seeing the offer go up a few more times and being told not to worry about the weight, I accepted the fight.

I got back to the shop and told Frankie to go home, that he was fighting the main on Thursday. "Who am I fighting Pops?" he asked.

"You are fighting Chango Cruz, mijo," I said.

"But Pops! Cruz has 12 wins and 8 by knockout. I only have five fights. What happened to Castillo?"

"Castillo got sick, mijo. Now go home, I'll see you at the gym," I told him.

I wasn't sure that Frankie would beat Cruz, but I was sure that he wouldn't get hurt. After all, Frankie had been boxing since he was six years old.

Frankie won by ninth-round knockout, and Harry didn't talk to me for about six months after that. . . . .

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LOL!!..soon after this fight I got fired and since Frankie was working for me; he had to go too. The owner said we were spending too much time on the fight game. It worked out for us though, within a couple of week I landed a better paying job, one mile from our house, at our local Chevy dealer. There the owner loved us, we couldn't do no wrong. He and his wife started attending Frankie and Tony's fights, on our dime of course....LOL!!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Floyd Mayeather vs Victor Ortiz

It's hard for me to see Victor Ortiz beating Floyd Mayweather because I seen what happened when Ortiz fought a decent fighter, he "No Mas" on one (Maidana) , then was up and down like some old whore's panties on another (Berto), those were the only two fighters of note that he has fought and he was in deep caca in both of those fights..Yes I agree that Floyd is getting old and hasn't fought in months, but imo against Ortiz that won't matter much

Frank Baltazar