Dreams of Ghosts that Roam the Olympic Auditorium

By kiki

A list of fighters that have left us (most of these fighters I saw fight either live or on TV, some of them I didn’t get to see box because they were before my time) - and who fought at Los Angeles’s Grand Dame of boxing, ‘The Olympic Auditorium’…The list also includes trainers, managers, referees, judges, announcers and promoters. This list is made up from memory and if I have left some out I apologize. Some fighters on this list were top rank fighters who fought for world titles and became champions, and some who fought for titles but never became champs, and some, because of the politics in boxing who never got a title shot. And some on the list never got out of the prelims but, who nevertheless fought their hearts out as their dreams of fighting at the famed arena became a reality….In my dreams, I see the ghosts of these fighters sitting around the section that was unofficially reserved for the boxing community as they josh with each other. I also see some ghosts and their ghost ladies shadow boxing down the aisles as they make their way to their ringside seats.

The list:

Louie Jauregui, Johnnie Flores, Jake Horn, Lou Bernal, Fabela Chavez, Bernard and Maxie Docusen, Lauro Salas, Rudy Jordan, Rudy Garcia, Gil Cadilli, Cisco Andrade, Dave Contreras, Carlos and Al Chavez, Keeny Teran, Baby Casanova, Enrique Bolanos, Art “Golden Boy” Aragon, Raton Macias, Ricardo “Pajarito” Moreno, Battling Torres, Mando Ramos, Indian (Ernie) Red Lopez, Genero Hernandez, Fidel LaBarba, Jackie Fields, Joe Salas, Jimmy McLarnin, Gig Rooney, George Hansford, Henry Armstrong, Turkey Thompson, John Thomas, Fitzie Fitzpatrick, Chalky Wright, Cal and Aileen Eaton, George Parnassus, Manuel Ortiz, Babe McCoy, Clarence Henry, Irish Bob Murphy, Jimmy Lennon, Howie Steindler, Don Jordan, Ramon Fuentes, Jose Luis Cotero, Billy Peacock, Duke Holloway, Canto and Joe Robleto, Irvin Berman, Raul Rojas, Frankie Crawford, Jackie McCoy, Norm Lockwood, Harry Kabakoff, Ralph Gambina, Eddie Futch, Frankie and Juan Luis Campos, Dan Tobey, Willie Bean, Chuck Bodak, John Cabrera, Lorraine Chargin, Rudy Cruz, Lou Filippo, Ruth Fraser, Jimmy Harryman, Dynamite Jackson, Georgie Latka, Jimmy McDaniels, Archie Moore, L.C. Morgan, Sammy Sanders, Petey Servin, Al Silvani, Bill Slayton, Allen Syers, John Thomas, Dick Young, Charlie Powell, Davey Gallardo, Javier “Baby Face” Gutierrez, Kid Rayo, Tony and Bob Fuentes, Jim Jeffries, Bobby Pacho, Johnny Forbes, Eddie Chavez, Oscar Reyes, Pappy Zazker, Manuel Dros, Dr. Al Stolper, Jackie Leonard, George Parnassus, Sparky Rudolph, Paddy Quaid, Johnny and Nick Villaflor, Joe Kelly, Baby Moe Mario, Rudy Rosenberg, Harry Gordon. Irish Jimmy Quinn, Bob Bremwood, Cecil Schoonmaker, Earl Bebee, Jonny Ortega, Tote Martinez, Mario Trigo, Sid Flaherty, Chu Chu Jimenez, Phil “Wildcat” Kim, Young Jack Johnson, Tony Moreno, Baby Ike, Jimmy Carter, Willie Ketchum, Jimmy Roche, Johnny Gonsalves, Ernie Serfas, Henry Blouin, Hoyt Porter, Jimmy Bivins, Jerry Moore and Ike Chetsnut….There are many more people that I remember, but I am not sure that they are yet ghosts or are still with us.

2015 California Boxing Hall of Fame

By kiki

A few words about the 2015 California Boxing Hall of Fame: The event run allot smoother this year than it has had in past years. The inductees, for the most part, stuck to the few minutes that they were allotted to make their speeches, one or two went on too long. I notice CBHOF President Don Fraser tugging on the suit coat of one of the inductees, but to no avail, as the inductee kept going on and on…Us that log on social media sites have made many new friends via those sites, and I dare say some enemies too. Some of those friends we will never get to meet in person (don’t care to meet the enemies), but having said that I had the pleasure of meeting some Facebook friends face to face for the first time at this year’s CBHOF event. Four that I met at the event for the first time among others were two beautiful ladies, Becky Cotero Moreno and Yolanda Valdez-Esparaza, inductee Jeff Bumpus, and the infamous Saul Saucedo. The day before the event I had the great pleasure of meeting, along with his son Paul, Phil Rice. Phil and Paul made the trek west for Jeff Bumpus's induction. Phil and I had had an internet friendship for a number of years, but we had never met face to face. We had talked at times of he coming out to the Left Coast for some real home-cooked Mexican food, this weekend it all came to fruition but, unfortunately, his time on the coast was too short for him to taste Connie’s home-cooked chili verde. How I would have loved to have seen Phil eat chili verde Mexican style, with just tortillas and no fork, that would have a quite a sight…It was also nice seeing some old friends, a number too big to mention here…Last but not least: One thing that I was disappointed was to see the name of Advertising Director Ray Maynez name omitted from the staff credits on the official program, it was probably an oversight on the printer side, but that’s no excuse, and for that, I think the CBHOF owns Ray an apology and been part of the CBHOF I offer Ray our sincere apology. My understanding is that Ray will not be with us next year, so I want to wish him the best of luck in whatever future endeavors he partakes in…I hope to see you all at next year's event.

Frankie and the Las Vegas Golden Gloves

By kiki

Paul Caruso, seen here with Art “Golden Boy” Aragon once did some fixin’ for us.

Frankie, having gone to Golden Gloves National's in 1975 with the L.A. team was not able to fight in the 1976 L.A tourney because of a broken ankle. We figure that by the time Las Vegas held their tournament (Vegas held their tourney a few weeks after L.A.’s) that Frankie’s ankle would be heal and that he could fight there. So I called Bill Miller L.V. tournament director and told him I was taking Frankie to fight on the L.V tourney, he told me not to bother, that Frankie would not be allowed to fight because he had fought on the Olympic Auditorium’s pro/am card against AAU rules. A few days later I was in Aileen Eaton’s office and I told her what Miller had said, she told me “go see Paul Caruso and he’ll fix it for you with one phone call, tell him I send you” Frankie and I went to see Caruso in his Beverly Hills office, when we were ushered into his office I said to him “Aileen Eaton said to talk you and that you could fix our problem with one phone call” He smiled and said “Aileen gives me too much credit” I then explain our situation to him “Las Vegas, huh?” he mutter, more to himself than us. He picked up the phone and dialed a number and after a conversation that lasted less than five minutes he hung up and told Frankie, "it fix, you’re fighting in the Vegas Golden Gloves. I think the dude was connected!!

Frankie lost his first fight in the Vegas tourney. But no matter, we got there!!