To Mr. Enrique Bolanos

By Rick Farris



I've heard so much about this great fighter. Can you imagine being this good and still not being good enough to beat the champ?
How good was the champ? Ike Williams was pretty damn perfect, I'd say.
Strong statement when you consider names like Duran, (Benny) Leonard, Gans, Armstrong, etc.
We had a good one in Mando Ramos, but Bolanos was a great one. I see similarities, but Bolanos was a cut above.
In our day we had "El Gato", but Rodolfo was hidden in the shadows for years, another victim of the era, until he finally got a title shot.
Today I watch Bolanos and Ike Williams on YouTube. I get a quick peak at this L.A. great of years gone by.
Hap publicized Bolanos, made his matches and promoted him.
Frank sat ringside with his dad and uncle at local venues, saw him fight Williams three times for the title. Saw him at the Legion and Olympic.
I came too late to enjoy those moments, but I had a few of my own. Still, I'm a little envious of our two amigos, Hap & Frank.

If boxing experiences were like baseball cards we could trade them. In that case, I could offer up a couple Mando Ramos fights, throw in a Jerry Quarry bout and one Indian Red Lopez-Hedge Lewis match in trade for a Bolanos main event at the Legion, any bout would do.

Of course, Frank already has those in his collection, so I'd have to find somebody else. It just won't work.