Frankie Baltazar vs Herman Montes

                                                                     (Amateur fight)

                                            

                                                  By kiki

 In the mid-‘70s the International Press Club in Pico-Rivera was promoting amateur boxing cards, with Tony Mora doing the matchmaking. If memory serves the fights were on Tuesday nights.  

On Tuesday night’s coaches would take their fighters to the IPC hoping to get a fight. The promoters had what some were would call their house fighters; one of them was Herman Montes. Herman had racked up some good wins over some decent opposition. The ‘70s was a time in Los Angeles when the amateur ranks were loaded with very good talent, especially in the lighter divisions, and Herman had fought his share of those talented fighters. Circa 1975 I took Frankie and Tony to the Press Club hoping to get them some action. As soon as we walked in Tony Mora hurried up to me and told me the Montes’s wanted Frankie for Herman, I agreed on the spot. I had studied Herman and knew that his Sunday punch was his right hand, he could knock off a brick wall with that right of his, but at that time his left was weak, so I told Frankie to move to his right, away from Herman’s right. Being that Frankie was a southpaw I figure he could do that for three rounds to win the fight. Frankie boxed beautifully for the first two rounds to win the rounds. He had Herman turning to his left looking to land his potent right hand, but by the time Herman would set himself to throw his right Frankie had already taken another half-step to his right, there by throwing Herman off his stride. In between the second and third round I told Frankie to just keep boxing the way he had boxed the first two rounds and he would win the fight. Bell rang for the third and final round and Frankie is boxing beautifully, then about mid-round he stopped right in front of Herman, and “POW” Herman landed a big right hand, Frankie froze and for a second he looked like he was out on his feet, probably was, but he shook his head and went right back to out-boxing Herman for a decision win…Tony didn’t get a fight that night