Frankie Jr. ...

By Rick Farris

After the controversial loss to Zaragoza, Frankie Baltazar would win his next 26 fights in a row, sixteen of those wins by KO.
During that winning streak, Frankie would score thirteen consecutive knockouts including a 4th round stoppage of world ranked Shig Fugiyama, who many will remember as the guy who cut Sean O'Grady to ribbons in a WBA Lightweight title defense. Had that fight been held anywhere but Sean's hometown, the bout would have been stopped and the Japanese fighter would have become Lightweight Champion of the World.

The explosive Rafael "Bazooka" Limon, who would win the Jr. Lightweight title, ended Frankie's win streak at twenty-six, stopping Baltazar in four rounds.
Not one to lick his wounds, young Frankie jumped right back on track with another win streak of ten straight (7 by KO) before dropping a close decision to Eloy Montano in Las Vegas. After that, Frankie Baltazar Jr. would fight just two more times, winning both by knockout.

We in L.A. remember the Baltzar boys as winners, as they rarely lost in the amateurs or the pros. How appropriate that that after more than twenty years in the ring, Frankie Jr. would leave the sport a knockout winner. How many boxers can make such a claim?

When was was said and done, Frankie Jr. lost only three times in 44 pro fights, his final record 40-3-1 (27 KO's)
You had one helluva career, Fernie!

R.I.P..Alan Rudkin

By Bennie

Alan Rudkin, arguably the greatest bantamweight this country has ever produced and very much a forgotten hero, was found dead in a Liverpool street early yesterday morning. He was 68 and his death is not yet explained, and one hopes that the gifted little man, a modest man, was not killed in his beloved home city. Police are awaiting post-mortem results.
Alan did it all in a glittering career that won him British, Commonwealth and European titles and three cracks at the world title in a frightening era for the bantamweight division in the 1960s. Here, he might have won the world title but Alan was forced to travel to challenge Fighting Harada and Lionel Rose, dropping close decisions, and was stopped in two rounds by "Rockabye" Ruben Olivares in Los Angeles in 1969. All three champions were probably unbeatable at the time Rudkin faced them, and Alan was inexperienced when he took Harada the full 15 rounds in Tokyo in 1965.
Fresh-faced and with a mop of sandy hair, Alan looked very much the Beatle in his early career and first caught the eye as an amateur as part of the legendary Great Britain side which whitewashed the USA 10-0 at Wembley in 1961. Unlike Billy Walker, Rudkin was never a big puncher but destroyed many opponents mentally as he took over during the course of a fight, particularly the course of 15-rounders. Rudkin enjoyed 'sussing' his opponent before reacting. He won the British bantamweight title from Belfast great Johnny Caldwell on a rare stoppage in 10 rounds and enjoyed a fierce rivalry with Scottish great Walter McGowan, with whom he shared two 15-round pure boxing classics, and later saw off domestic challengers Evan Armstrong and Johnny Clark (twice). He also cleaned up in Europe.
His last fight with Walworth’s Clark at the Albert Hall in 1972 is arguably the best domestic bantamweight scrap ever seen on these shores, and Rudkin won it to leave the sport on a high and a huge void among the smaller weights in this country.
Sadly, Alan never really found meaning to his life after boxing. He ran pubs but too many idiots wanted to fight him, but he developed an inevitable liking for drink and you wonder why he was out in the early hours of Wednesday, although he was close to his city centre home.
Boxing historian Derek O’Dell saw him on Saturday night at the Shoreditch Town Hall bash, attended by hundreds of fighters who fought at the legendary cockpit arena, including Alan himself, and Alan "seemed a bit quiet" but perked up when he was reunited with Clark. Make no mistake, Alan Rudkin was right out of the boxing textbook, a complete fighter with every shot in the book, good stamina, defence and a brilliant boxing brain.
He is - and always will be - one of our boxing greats.

Alfredo “Perro” Angulo Will Get Deported, His Career Is Over

By Guest Writer

Illegal status finishes the boxing career of fan favorite Alfredo Angulo. The only remaining question is when ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency of the federal government, will remove the 19-1, 16 KOs slugger out of the United States and send him back to his native country of Mexico.

Michael Marley from Examiner.com broke the exclusive news. Through several sources, including Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, that HBO‘s legal department has advised Angulo promoter Big Gary Shaw that because the action fighter is in America illegally the prime cable network will not use him on its airwaves.

“Nobody is going to touch this guy,” Arum told me. “Nobody is interested now because of the huge legal problem. He picked the wrong time to be an illegal immigrant in our country, that’s for sure.”

Other sources tell me that the news that Angulo first entered the U.S. illegally, was later deported back to Mexico and then snuck back in at least a second time blinsided both Shaw, who has spent considerable time and money over about four years building his burgeoning career, and manager Mike Criscio.

It was Shaw’s persistence and connections that got Angulo great TV exposure on Showtime.

Criscio and Shaw contacted boxing’s premier immigration lawyer, Los Angeles-based Frank Ronzio, to see what could be to alter or adjust Angulo’s status.

There was no good news forthcoming on that front from either side of the border.

Certainly, no American politician is going to bat for an illegal even an athletic celebrity like Angulo, not in the current heated climate in which both the Democratic and Republican parties are battling over what to do about the tide of illegals in a trying economic period.

“Angulo never told anybody about it,” a source familiar with the situation said Tuesday. “He was at ringside at the Sergio Mora-Shane Mosley fight in L.A. acting like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He is as brazen outside the ring as he is in it when that opening bell rings.”

Attempts to reach Shaw and Criscio were unsuccessful.

Alfredo Angulo. who was born in border city Mexicali, had a significant amateur career. He represented Mexico in the 2004 Olympics but dropped a 38-23 decision to Ireland’s Andy Lee. He also won a bronze medal in the 2003 Pan American Games.

His lone pro defeat came at the hands of rugged Kermit Cintron, by unanimous decision over 12 rounds in a WBC super welterweight elimination bout in Hollywood, Florida, on May 3, 2009.

Angulo rationalized that loss, claiming he had the flu or stomach woes as I recall.

I asked informed sources whether HBO or Showtime would screen an Angulo bout or bouts out of Mexico.

“I don’t think so,” one veteran boxing man said. “It’s different than when Showtime televised Edwin Valero in a fight from Mexico. Valero was barred from entry because of a DUI case in Las Vegas. I don’t think he had been deported and then brazenly snuck back into the U.S.”

In his two most recent bouts, Angulo (who wears a dog collar around his neck to sumbolize his ferocity) defeated the once highly touted Joel Julio and then blasted out Joachim Alcine in one round on July 17 in California.

It looks like that fight will be Alfredo Angulo’s last in America.

This immigration fight, given his past illegal conduct, is one he cannot possibly win.

Floyd Mayweather charged

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS -- Undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. was hit Thursday with three more felony charges in a domestic violence case that already had him facing a theft charge.

Clark County District Attorney David Roger significantly raised the ante in the case alleging that Mayweather hit and threatened the life of his ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris, and threatened to beat two of their children during a pre-dawn argument at the woman's home a week ago.

Mayweather, 33, is one of boxing's most recognizable figures, with a record of 41-0 and 25 knockouts. The welterweight goes by the nickname "Money" and earned more than $20 million in May in one fight in Las Vegas against "Sugar" Shane Mosley

Mayweather remained free on $3,000 bail pending arraignment Nov. 9 following his arrest last Friday on a felony grand larceny charge.

Authorities alleged he took cell phones belonging to Harris and two of their children following the altercation. That felony charge carries a possible sentence of five years.

The new criminal complaint filed Thursday added two felony coercion and one felony robbery charge along with one misdemeanor domestic battery and three misdemeanor harassment charges.

Convictions on all eight charges would increase the possible penalty Mayweather could face if convicted of all charges to 34 years.

Mayweather's lawyer, Richard Wright, told The Associated Press he hadn't seen the new complaint and declined immediate comment.

Wright has previously denied wrongdoing on Mayweather's behalf.

Police initially labeled the scuffle with Harris a domestic battery case after she told police Mayweather was angry about her relationship with another man when he confronted her at the Las Vegas home where Harris and the children live.

Mayweather wanted to evict her from the house, which he owns, Harris said.

The new charges name the couple's 10-year-old and 9-year-old sons as victims of coercion, for alleged threats to beat them if they called 911 or left the apartment during the scuffle.

Under Nevada law, coercion is when a person compels or forces someone to do something they have a legal right to do.

The harassment charges allege that Mayweather threatened Harris and the two children, and the battery charge alleges Mayweather grabbed Harris by her hair, hit her and twisted her arm.

The couple had three children, now ages 7 to 10, during what Harris characterized for authorities as a 15-year relationship. She said she lived with Mayweather for seven years before separating in May.

Mayweather also made headlines earlier this month with an online video laced with expletives and racial rants against boxing rival Manny Pacquiao.


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

The Ring (1952)

By Randy De La O

The Ring, directed by Kurt Neumann, is a simply told tale of a young Mexican American from East Los Angeles, Tommy Cantanios (Lalo Rios) who stumbles into the world of boxing after being observed in a street fight by fight manager Pete Ganusa, (Gerald Mohr). Tommy takes the moniker Tommy Kansas as his fighting name and begins a career in boxing. After being heralded by both his younger brother and his cronies, he goes as far as his talent will take him, which is not far at all, and he begins a losing streak from which he cannot recover. Because he is fighting as much for his family as himself, Tommy refuses to quit boxing, hoping to make enough money to help his father start a business.


Though this movie will never win any awards it is notable for many reasons; first there is the early appearance of legendary actress and entertainer Rita Moreno, as Tommy’s girlfriend, Lucy Gomez, who is dead set against him fighting. Secondly, the movie attempts to tackle the subject of racism and bigotry, sometimes accurately and sometimes awkwardly. Thirdly, for afficionados of early Los Angeles, the opening shot of the Los Angeles City Hall, once the tallest building in the Los Angeles skyline, will evoke memories of an earlier time. Finally, there is the appearance of two of Los Angeles’ most popular fighters from the 1940’s and 1950’s, Art Aragon and Keeny Teran. Teran is prominent in many of the gym scenes. The gym itself is the old Los Angeles’ Teamsters Gym and the fight scenes are from the long gone Valley Garden Arena. Aragon is the final opponent for Tommy.


After a turn of events in which Tommy finds himself as a substitute in a high profile fight against Art Aragon, who plays himself,, Tommy is beaten into submission and decides to retire. The movie reaches the climax of it’s morality tale when Tommy sees his younger brother shadowboxing, hoping to be a fighter himself one day. Tommy takes the gloves and rushes to the incinerator (remember those?) and burns his boxing gear. Metaphorically putting an end to his career and his brothers hopes of following in his footsteps.