Wednesday, September 30, 2009

John Blanchette: They broke mold after Bardelli

Courtesy of John Bardelli


By John Blanchette

Every time someone tries to give boxing last rites, someone else applies the cardiac paddles. Floyd Mayweather Jr. returned to the ring 10 days ago and did more than a million pay-per-view buys, punking a UFC card head-to-head and delaying for the moment the conclusion that all fight fans want their combat meaner, nastier, no-holds-barred.

So all is well. Except it’s not.

Boxing is now diced into 17 weight classes with four storefront sanctioning bodies crowning champions in each. If the average sports fan can name more than one, it’s because two of them are Klitschkos.

Boxing’s past is far more entertaining than its present, though the ongoing malaise can even fog history. For example, it managed to elude us or get boiled out of wire accounts that the most recent class of the World Boxing Hall of Fame included – a full 25 years after his death – one Guido Bardelli, known professionally as Young Firpo and colloquially as “the Wild Bull of Burke.”

That’s Burke as in Idaho, up the spooky canyon of the same name from Wallace. A virtual ghost town now, Burke produced not just mountains of silver ferried out by two rival railroads but an hombre so tough that his legacy got him into the hall of fame without a championship belt.

Of course, boxing titles are as often the residue of circumstance, luck, location, opportunity, politics, money and corruption as they are attributable to a hard right hand. The Bull of Burke never broke a sweat in Madison Square Garden.

He won two of three wars with a rugged customer named George Manley, who himself twice outpointed three-time light-heavyweight champ Maxie Rosenbloom, and fought a brutal draw with John Henry Lewis a year before that fighter would become world champion. Rosenbloom himself would fight nearly 300 times professionally – against the likes of Manley and Lewis, Tiger Jack Fox, Jimmy Slattery, Bob Olin and Lou Nova, and even here in Spokane and Stateline.

But he couldn’t be coaxed into a ring with Young Firpo, whose hammering right was developed singlejacking as a Silver Valley miner.

Never heard of him?

Well, sure. His career did crest 75 years ago, in a pair of fights in Portland just a month apart with Fox and Lewis.

At that point, Firpo had already won 67 fights and the Pacific Coast title and was an in-his-prime 27. But in the winter of 1934, he was driving to Butte for a fight with a former middleweight champ named Gorilla Jones when he was injured in a car wreck that hospitalized him for seven weeks. Fox – like Firpo an inductee in the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame – was waiting for him when he recovered.

The two fought a savage affair in which both hit the canvas in the fifth round – Firpo first, from a right hand, and then Fox from a left hook when he bored in for the kill. But after 10 rounds, the decision went to Firpo.

There was more at stake in the Lewis fight. Rosenbloom had been stripped of his title, and a dubious “tournament” was concocted to fill the vacancy. This was purportedly an elimination bout for that tournament. Let John Bardelli, a Spokane Valley attorney and Firpo’s son, pick up the narrative:

“Lewis was a ferocious body puncher and one of the first ones he throws, a right uppercut, fractures Dad’s breastbone,” he recalled. “Dad knows he’s in trouble, but he has to bluff or it’s over in the first round. He couldn’t breathe for four rounds and then it starts to come back – and in both the sixth and seventh rounds he has Lewis on the verge of a KO, but couldn’t connect.”

The fight was ruled a draw. One newspaper account said the Portland crowd booed for five minutes, another said 10. Someone threw a knife in the ring. The tournament would go on without him. Olin would beat Rosenbloom in New York – and lose the title to Lewis in his first defense.

Firpo’s boxing career soon slowed. He had married and would start a family, and his work as a miner and prospector took precedence. Two knockout losses to a kid named Red Bruce in 1936 would all but close the book – truly close it. He revealed little of his ring story to his children, and lowered the boom if he caught them trying out his gloves.

“The only time I heard him lament anything about his career was when he said, ‘I didn’t know what I had,’ ” Bardelli said. “He really didn’t know how good he was.”

Long before pay-per-view, few did. And, yes, some knew all too well.

Get more news and information at Spokesman.com

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

2009 California Boxing Hall of Fame Inductions


The slide show is from the combined photos of Frank Baltazar Sr., Roger Esty, Rodolfo "El Gato" Gonzalez and my photos



By Randy De La O


Thanks to the generosity of my friends, Frank Baltazar Sr and Tom Ray, my wife Jeri and I were able to attend the 2009 California Boxing Hall of Fame. It was an honor to sit and dine with some of boxing's best. Our group consisted of two tables; the Frank Baltazar table; with Frank and Connie and their family, including Frankie Jr. The other table was the James J. Jeffries table which included Rick Farris, Ed Hernandez and his son Patrick, Vince Delgado, Mando Muniz, Bobby Chacon and his friend Rosie and Roger and Maria Esty. The event was held at Stevens Steakhouse in Commerce, California and began at 11:00am with a social and registration hour. A steak dinner was served around noon and the inductions began.

Anyone who thinks award ceremonies are a waste of time, or perhaps a place for big egos to be satisfied and catered to would have been sorely disappointed. Instead some of the humblest, nicest guys you would want to meet were given well deserved awards. There was a lot of emotion on display Saturday by men who were both proud and humbled to be receiving recognition for a lifetime of work and passion in the sport that they love.

An entry in to the Hall of Fame is more than just another award, it is validation, and justifies who you believe you are, it says to your family and friends and anyone that cared to listen that "I am who I said I was, and I did what I said I did". Several of the guys that were honored had their families there, some from out of state, many of them were driven to tears, or talked in whispers lest they start crying out loud, especially when their families stood up and cheered. Validation! When they left the dais they stood just a little taller, had a little more bounce in their steps. It did my heart good just to watch them as they went back to their seats to rejoin there families.That same pride was evident in the table next to ours as the daughters and nieces of  Bob Fuente and Tony Fuentes cheered when their father and uncle were inducted posthumously. .

Seeing guys like Mando Muniz, Bobby Chacon, Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Alex Ramos and Vince Delgado, or younger guys like Roberto Garcia was the highlight of the event for me but the kicker was sitting down and spending time with my friends Frank Baltazar, Rick Farris, Roger Esty and Ed Hernandez and his son Patrick.  For a fight fan this was the place to be last Saturday. It doesn't get any better.

For Michelle Chong's excellent coverage of the event go here

Below is a list of the California Boxing Hall of Fame Honorees:

Manny Pacquiao
Charlie Powell
Michael Buffer
Sugar Ray Robinson
Davey Gallardo
Freddie Roach
Roy Englebrecht
Van Barbieri
Jack O'Halloran
Timothy Bradley
Gary Shaw
P.J.Goosen
Roberto Garcia
Eduardo Garcia
Ken Green
Howard Smith
Jackie Richardson
Alex Ramos
Jesse Reid
Paul Andrews
John Bray
John Jackson Jr.
Gary Ballin
Kid Rayo
Tony Cerda
Tony Fuentes
Bob Fuentes
Paul Vaden
Jesus Pimentel
Alexis Arguello
Jim Jeffries

Congratulations to all the inductees and their families!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Sarathkumar's Jaggubhai audio release function



Saratkumar’s Jaggubhai audio release function held in Chennai at Anna Arivalayam on 27th September. In this film Shriya’s role in the film is daughter to Saratkumar and new face Sreesha did the role of wife of Saratkumar. The film is directed by famous director K.S.Ravikumar.

The director told that the story of film is interesting incidents between a father and a daughter. He said that this film will be super hit film as it includes all i.e. comedy, dance, fight, masala & sentiment- entertaining all age group. Radhika’s Radan pictures produced this movie. Many famous film personalities attended the function

Suriya's Singam movie news



Suriya is very busy in his shooting at Tirunelveli for the film Singam. The film is directed by well known director Hari. This time Suriya went to Tirunelveli with his wife Jyothika and his daughter Diya. He is enjoying with his family. This is a very good idea other actors can follow.

Sources said that in the evenings and shooting breaks he is very happy. Especially in the chill evenings Director and Suriya and other technicians playing games to relax.

How to start your own website



Individuals and companies who are on the verge of starting their own website site should have a look at this post to get complete idea about what is web hosting. Web hosting companies give space on their servers which the clients can use to upload their data. The data can be text, pictures or even videos. So if you want to choose the best web hosting company then I will tell you for sure it is a little tough job since there are too many companies which provide hosting services.

So in order to make the job easy for my readers I have listed here the best webhosting sites and you can choose the one which suites you based on your needs. The rate at which they offer you this service is cheap and affordable. The server up time is very important and along with that we need to choose the service that is suitable for us based on our requirement. For example some sites like JustHost and WebHostingPad provide services at less than 4 dollars while GoDaddy provide free SSL certificate. So based on our needs you should select the web hosting service that is most apt for you.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola Post fight Interview

Toy Tiger - The Movie

Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Playing At
The El Portal Theatre
North Hollywood
3:30pm on October 3rd, 2009

“Art Hafey’s prizefighting career began in Maritime hockey rinks and ended in the biggest fight venues the Pacific Coast had to offer. Along the way he knocked out the greatest fighter in Mexico’s history and rose to the rank of number #1 contender to the featherweight title. The most feared fighter during the West Coast Featherweight Wars, Art Hafey is forever remembered as one of the greatest never to contest for the world championship. Toy Tiger is both a celebration and an investigation into Art Hafey’s extraordinary Journey through the boxing jungle. From the sports corrupt “governing” bodies to his controversial trainer, the effects of a mysterious neuromuscular disorder and finally to an examination of the man himself, “Toy Tiger” presents “Irish Art Hafey” in all his neck-snapping, bone-crunching , unfulfilled Glory.”

Brad Little/Director


The Toy Tiger Movie Trailer

Vitali Klitschko vs Chris Arreola






By Randy De La O

Last night's heavyweight fight, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, between Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola was even more one sided than Mayweather vs Marquez, and like Juan Manuel Marquez, Chris Arreola showed a strong chin and a big heart but it just did not make a difference. Arreola fought a better fighter last night and there is no shame in that.

From the onset Klitschko used his long jab followed by the right hand and his awkward but effective right uppercut. Arreola didn't have a clue on how to get inside. Klitschko's side to side movement kept Arreola off balance and unable to get off a clean shot. He also kept Arreola at range and that sums up the whole fight. There were no dramatic rallies nor were there any surprises here. Kudos to Klitschko for sticking to his own game plan.

Let me say this though, If I wasn't a fan of Arreola before this fight (in all honesty I was lukewarm at best) I am now but I am more a fan of Arreola the man more so than Arreola the fighter. He showed grit last night. I don't know if Arreola will ever be good enough to beat Klischko or any other champion, that will be up to him and how he decides to tackle the rest of his career.

During an interview prior to the fight Arreola said this "If Michael Phelps can smoke why can't I drink?" I couldn't help remarking to my wife Jeri that "He'll find out why tonight" I hope for his sake he got the message. There was another Chicano heavyweight that fought back in the 70's and 80's - Eddie "Animal" Lopez that loved his beer and he threw away his career. Forget the beer Chris, you can live without it. If you ever want to be the best you will have to become Spartan in your lifestyle. Arreola learned a valuable lesson in humility last night and it's my belief that it will make him a better fighter than he was before he stepped into the ring with Klitschko.

So why am I a fan of Arreola now that he has lost? Because of all the qualities that I admire most in a fighter, A big heart stands heads and shoulder above the rest. When all is said and done - win, lose or draw - it is the heart we remember when years later we look back at a fighters career. It's what touches us. It gets inside of us. When a man stops fighting in the ring it's his heart that will carry him through whatever he faces next. Arreola wept openly last night feeling as if he disappointed all his Mexican and Mexican American fans. He needn't worry. We know he didn't quit. It's my guess that he has more fans today than he did yesterday.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

A.V.M.'s next movie



A.V.M. has decided to release the film Vijay’s Vettaikaran on October 17th. Everybody knows that they have sold the film to SUN T.V. Now they are planning to remake the film in Telugu.

In the Telugu movie A.V.M. has decided Vekatesh is the hero. They are searching a new face as heroine for this movie. The discussion is going on for the selection of other artists for this film. We will expect a formal announcement early.

Vijay's Vettaikaran audio release function news



Vijay’s Vettaikaran audio release function held on 23rd September at Chennai. Vijay’s fans are very happy to see the song scenes at the function. Directors Shankar and K.S.Ravikumar released the audio C.D. and the stars in the stage received it.

Vijay spoke on the function that he was really amazed when he heard the news that SUN T.V. has got the rights of this film and said that all the five songs are well and Sanjay’s (Vijay’s Son) favorite song is “Nan Adicha Thaangamata”.

Speaking on the function, Director Shankar told that he is going to make a script for Vijay. This is a great news for Vijay fans. Let us wait and see.

Children’s Choice



Hi friends, here is a place where so many varieties of gift articles are available for sale. These items should be seen in person and believe the workmanship and they are expertise in children gift articles. The kids would love to enjoy more than anything else in this corner. The location itself will attract many people as it is so unusually old fashioned and quite strange and amusing.

The jellycat toys are so soft of comfortable nature with high quality finish. These toys include jelly dog, jelly cat bunny (rabbit) are alluring. Especially the jelly cat truffles, jelly cat bashful bear are so beautiful and the first one can be stretched and pulled around the house.

Appaman by the sound itself children throng this shop. The various appaman T Shirts are gloriously designed and leave us in quandary. This plus minus T Shirts are very much invitingly among the children. These are fully cotton wear and most suitable during cold.

Barefoot dreams collection clothes are like silky touch i.e. unbelievably soft. This collection has got so many types of blankets for all ages and throws for babies. These items are easily washable and will not get spoiled by elongation. If you select your items and order for more than $ 65, they will not charge for shipping.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Rajinikanth's views about Unnaipol Oruvan




Superstar Rajinikanth after viewing his friend Kamal’s Unnaipol Oruvan very delighted and expressed his appreciation to Kamal. He expressed his views that this is a honor to the original film A Wednesday. Kamalhassan’s acting is brilliant except Kamal no one can do this.

Superstar saw the movie in a private screening held at Chennai. He not only expressed his views about Kamal but also exclaimed the acting of Mahanlal in the film. He said that Mohanlal’s performance in the film is incredible. All the viewers expressed their happiness after viewing this short film.

Vijay's 50th Film - Sura



Vijay’s 50th film is Sura. Sangili Murugan is the producer for this film. Vijay first super hit movie is Kadaluku Mariyadai ‘s Producer was Sangili Murugan. So Vijay decided to act his 50th film in his production. S.P. Rajkumar is the Director for this movie. The heroine for this film is Tamana. Vijay’s character is this film is fisherman and he like to do the character alike MGR’s Meenava Nanban.

Vijay’s 49th film Vettaikaran is almost over and it is expected to be released on October 17th (Deepavali Day). Yesterday the audio release function went on well.

Entertaining your way

Those who are planning for week end entertainment after a strenuous work are compelled to go through this site for their awesome customer acquaintance. On browsing Key Area Tickets is one those sites. The customers have the liberty to discuss on the price of the ticket and promptly get discount on buying. The Key Arena Tickets when giving discounts, they also enroll large customers who are benefited by the discount. In turn they usually recommend new clients.

The other one is Radio City Music Hall Tickets who are providing varieties of programmes like concerts, family events musicals, dancing events, plays, matches, tournaments, comedy shows and so on. Initially they showed movies and stage shows which has a seating capacity of more than 5000 people.

Regarding the Spiderman Tickets normally people are facing the pressure to book these tickets because the demand is very high for these programmes and everyone is ready to pay high price also. But when booked through online one can save some money. This is achieved by the customer through formal discussion in order to get an agreement on price reduction. So let us not waste time in searching where to go and view what type of programmes instead we can visit this site and find the correct entertainer.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Power and the Passion of Dwight Hawkins (Part II)

By Rick Farris

By the time Dwight Hawkins turned twenty-three, he'd been a professional boxer nearly eight years. Hawkins had engaged in over 40 pro fights, many in the hometowns of some of the greatest boxers of the era. In order to get fights the Hawk had become a globe trotter and had traveled to Scotland, Venezuela and, of course, Mexico.

Mexico has always produced the finest of lower weight boxers and this was especially true during the years Dwight was active. The tough part about fighting in Mexico is that it was hard to win there. Even if you were good enough to beat the exceptional Mexican talent, the officials would find a way for the Mexican boxer to win. Boxing is serious business in Mexico and it's more important to Mexican boxers to be the champion of Mexico than it is to hold a world title.

Dwight Hawkins couldn't get important fights in his hometown because nobody wanted to risk suffering the effects of a match with the Hawk. So, Hawkins would face the best fighters that Mexico had to offer in places such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Juarez, Tampico, Mexicali and Tijuana.

Less than three weeks after the death of Davey Moore, the Hawk traveled to Monterrey, Mexico to take on one of the greatest featherweights in history. Vicente Saldivar was, without question, one of the best 126 pound champions to ever lace on a glove. He retired unbeaten in 1967 after defending the featherweight title eight times and then came back to recapture the crown three years later.

If facing a great fighter such as Saldivar in Mexico was not enough, Hawkins would do so just days after the death of his closest friend. The cards were not stacked in Dwight's favor. Of course, they never were.

After losing to Saldivar on April 19th, the Hawk would remain inactive thru the rest of 1963. The following year I would enter the world of boxing and as luck would have it, I would meet Dwight Hawkins. Not only would it mark the beginning of my boxing career, it would also be the start of a winning streak for Hawkins.

I'll never forget the way Johnny Flores would speak of Dwight Hawkins. Flores had a number of top fighters such as heavyweight contender Jerry Quarry and lightweight Ruben Navarro, however, when he spoke of Dwight Hawkins it was with the greatest of respect and I would soon learn why.

I'd train at the Johnny Flores Gym during the week, but would take the bus into downtown Los Angeles on the weekends to workout at the legendary Main Street Gym. Amateurs were allowed to work out until 11 am. on weekends but then would have to clear the floor for the pros.

I'd always hang around the gym for a couple of hours to watch some of the greatest professional boxers of the era workout. One of them was Dwight Hawkins. To this day I have never seen a more devistating body puncher than the Hawk. Dwight's body punches were so brutal his sparring partners had to wear a padded water ski vest to protect their ribs from the impact. I'm not talking about amateurs, but highly regarded main eventers who knew better than to risk their health for the sake of a workout with Hawkins.

I'll never forget the Saturday I saw Hawkins batter a rough featherweight contender named David Sotelo in the gym. Sotelo had hung in with Dwight for four rounds, however, as the fighter stepped out of the ring he was literally talking to himself. Sotelo was obviously incoherent after the beating he had taken.

A few weeks later, something happened that hit Hawkins almost as hard as the loss of Davey Moore: The Watts Riots.

If you had any idea how much Dwight Hawkins had put into the youth of Watts, the kids who struggled daily living in the projects of Imperial Courts and Jordan Downs, you'd understand.

Upon hearing the news of the trouble in Watts, Hawkins immediatly jumped into his car and headed for Imperial Courts, hoping he could diffuse some of the tension. However, the police had that part of the city barracaded and would not let Dwight enter the war zone. As he turned to leave he saw a group of young men take a trash can and toss it thru the window of a men's store. Hawkins parked his car and confronted the youth's as they attempted to loot the building.

As a couple of the young men came out of the building with a stack of clothes, Hawkins asked them, "Hey man, why are you doing this? Don't you think this is dumb"? One of the bigger young men dropped the clothes he was carrying and took a step toward Hawkins, as if to start a fight. However, one look into the serious eyes of Dwight Hawkins told the youth that he best not take another step closer. Instead, he picked up the clothes and ran off with the other boys laughing.

A year later, after the riots were long over, Hawkins continued his work at Imperial Courts. He organized another boxing program and would spend his own money to provide boxing equipment for the kids at the project.

By 1966, Hawkins had remained unbeaten since the loss to Saldivar two years previous. During that time, Saldivar kayoed Sugar Ramos to win the World Featherweight title. In his first defense of the crown, Saldivar scored a 15th round knockout over a tough Los Angeles contender named Raul Rojas.

Rojas was a talented West Coast featherweight and was managed by Jackie McCoy. McCoy had been a top bantamweight back in the 40's and was one of the most respected manager-trainers in boxing. Jackie was not only a great teacher, but a well connected handler, whose boxers automatically became "house fighters" at the Olympic Auditorium. Promoter Aileen Eaton and Jackie McCoy had an unofficial alliance. McCoy's job was to provide the talent and Eaton would use her power to promote the talent into a world championship.

In 1966, Rojas was 24-years-old and after losing to Saldivar, had run up a string of victories that kept him at the top of the world ratings. Dwight Hawkins wanted nothing more than a chance to fight Rojas and was not afraid to make his desire known in public. After one of Hawkins' spectacular KO's at the Olympic, Dwight openly challenged Rojas in a televised post-fight interview. "Hey Raul, I know you're not chicken, so why don't you fight me right here at the Olympic to prove who is the best featherweight in Los Angeles". Hawkins' plea fell on deaf ears. Jackie McCoy was not a fool and neither was Aileen Eaton. The following year Rojas would defeat Enrique Higgens of Columbia to win the WBA Featherweight Title. Once again, Dwight Hawkins was left out in the cold.

Johnny Flores and Hal Benson took Dwight back down to Mexico where he would take on Mexican Featherweight Champ Aurileo Muniz in Tampico. At this point, Dwight Hawkins was at his absolute best, in his "prime" as boxing people say.

Muniz was rated in the top ten by The Ring Magazine and was second only to Saldivar among Mexican featherweights. In the seventh round, Hawkins knocked out the Mexican Champ. After the referee counted ten over Muniz, Flores grabbed Hawkins' robe and climbed up the steps into the ring. The local fans were upset that their fighter had been flattened and began to throw debris. As Hawkins and Flores awaited the decision they could see that there was some sort of commotion going on across the ring and Flores went to investigate.

The ring announcer grabbed the microphone and declared the fallen Muniz the winner on a technicality. The Mexican officials at ringside told Flores that he had violated the rules by entering the ring before the decision was announced. Now how's that for stretching it?

Flores was irate and filed a grievence with the Mexican Boxing Commission. About a week later the Commision changed the final verdict to a "draw." Today, the record reads that Hawkins and Muniz fought to a ten round draw on Arpril 7, 1967. However, the truth is Muniz never made it out of the seventh round.

Three weeks later, Hawkins scored a tenth round knockout over Jose Garcia in Las Vegas. This took place exactly a month before The Hawk would engage in one of the greatest fights in the history of Los Angeles boxing.

On June 1, 1967, Hawkins would fight top rated featherweight Bobby Valdez before a near capacity crowd at the Olympic Auditorium. It was promised that the winner of this bout would get a shot at Vicente Saldivar's world title before the end of summer. I'll never forget this fight. I was sitting with my dad and grandfather, about three rows from the ringside.

Both Valdez and Hawkins were hungry for a shot at the crown and went toe-to-toe in the most brutal prize fight I've ever seen. In the end, both fighters were bloody and had tasted the canvas. Valdez got off to a quick start and had the edge in the early rounds but Hawkins' vicious body attack started to take it's toll in the second half. Dwight had Valdez reeling in the final round but the courageous former Navy champ, from San Diego, hung on to the final bell. The bout was rightfully declared a draw and would be voted as Los Angeles' Fight of the Year for 1967.

Although the scorecards showed an even fight, the greater damage was done by Hawkins. The fight took everything out of Bobby Valdez and he was never the same again. Dwight just seemed to get better. Aileen Eaton sought an immediate rematch but Valdez's manager, Wes Wombold, said "no way". Since Hawkins was ready to fight and Valdez could'nt, he believed that he might finally get a shot at the title. However, Aileen Eaton told Flores, "no winner, no title shot". A few months later, Bobby Valdez retired.

Hawkins won his next four fights, two by KO, before leaving the country one more time to take on another unbeaten future world champ. This time, The Hawk would be headed for Tokyo, Japan.

Kiniaki Shibata is perhaps the best Japanese featherweight of all-time. On March 27, 1968, just two days before his twenty-first birthday, Shibata climbed into the ring with number three rated Dwight Hawkins at Tokyo's Kurokuen Hall. The unbeaten young Japanese contender had a record of 21-0 (15 KO's) and was looking past Hawkins to a match with his countryman, the great Fighting Harada. Harada had just lost the bantamweight title to Lionel Rose and was moving up to the featherweight division.

Unfortunatly for Shibata, he would have to get past The Hawk first. It was'nt going to happen. Hawkins beat the Japanese boxer to a pulp before putting him to sleep midway thru the seventh round. Shibata was unconcious so long that he had to be carried out of the ring on a stretcher. A couple of years later, Kiniaki Shibata would knock out Vicente Saldivar and win the World Featherweight championship.

I'll never forget the night Johnny Flores walked into his backyard gym after returning from Japan with Hawkins. He was carrying the front page of a Japanese newspaper and there was a huge picture of Shibata being carried out of the ring on a stretcher. Flores was very happy because the Japanese loved Hawkins and were offering big money for him to fight there.

A few weeks later Hawkins would return to Japan and take on another world rated Japanese featherweight, Rokuro Ishiyama. Hawkins flattened the Japanese featherweight champ in two rounds.

More popular than ever, Dwight Hawkins was once again invited back to Tokyo. In his next bout, Dwight Hawkins would be matched with the greatest Japanese boxer ever, former two-time World Champion, Mashiko Fighting Harada.

On June 5, 1968, Dwight Hawkins would step into a Tokyo boxing ring for the third time in just over two months. Fighting Harada was more than a former world champ, he was a Japanese legend. Hawkins and Harada went toe-to-toe in the center of the ring for ten rounds. Neither fighter would take a backward step and thruout the bout their heads crashed together opening cuts over the eyes of both boxers. At the end of the fight, Harada's white satin boxing trunks were red with blood. An American reporter in attendence told Flores that he'd counted more than eighty head butts during the fight.

The fight had been close but it appeared as if Dwight Hawkins had once again defeated a Japanese boxer. However, Harada was'nt just any Japanese boxer and the hometown officials were not going to allow their national hero to lose. Harada was awarded a split-decision win over Hawkins and was now in line for a shot at the new featherweight title holder, Johnny Famechon. Famechon had won the title following Vicente Saldivar's sudden retirement the previous year. However, ten rounds with Hawkins had taken a lot out of the Japanese great and Harada would lose twice to Famechon in two attempts to win the 126 pound title.

Despite the loss to Harada, Dwight Hawkins remains a celebrity in Japan to this day. It would be in Japan where Dwight would meet and marry his current wife of more than thirty years.

Back in Los Angeles, Jack Kent Cooke opened a beautiful new sports venue right next door to the Hollywood Park race track. Cooke named his state-of-the-art arena "The Fabulous Forum" and would use it to showcase the two professional teams he owned, The Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA and his hockey team, the Los Angeles Kings.

The Forum was one of the finest sports arenas on earth and could hold more than 18,000 fans for a boxing match. Legendary boxing promoter George Parnassus would take on the responsibility of promoting boxing matches at The Forum and Johnny Flores hoped this might offer his fighter Dwight Hawkins a chance to fight for a world title. There was no hope of Hawkins getting a title fight thru Aileen Eaton, who refused to allow any of her Olympic Auditorium "house boxers" to fight The Hawk.

After scoring a unanimous decision over a Filipino-Hawaiian named Jet Parker in Honolulu, Dwight Hawkins would face another tough Los Angeles based featherweight in his Forum Debut. On November 4, 1968, Dwight Hawkins and "Irish" Frankie Crawford would headline an all-start card that also featured the U.S. debut of future Welterweight Champ Jose Napoles and Dwight's stablemate, Ruben Navarro, the "Maravilla Kid" from East L.A.

This was a fight that had Hawkins concerned. I remember that all of the boxers fighting on the card would train daily in a boxing gym set-up in the ball room of the Alexandria Hotel in downtown L.A. George Parnassus' office was at the Alexandria and on weekends I'd finish my workouts at the Main Street Gym and then hurry over to the Alexandria to watch Hawkins, Crawford and the rest of the fighters on the upcoming Forum card workout.

I was sixteen at the time and remember sitting next to Hawkins as he wrapped his hands prior to one of the workouts. Hawkins was not worried about defeating Crawford but he was concerned about Frankie's dirty style. Crawford was one of the dirtiest fighters in the sport and I overheard Hawkins tell Navarro that if Frankie tried any of his garbage he would get it back worse. Dwight Hawkins did'nt need illegal tactics to win, but was well versed in the art of dirty fighting, if necessary. At the time Crawford was being managed by televison star Robert Conrad, whose TV series "The Wild, Wild West" was number one in the ratings. Conrad was a "wanna be" boxer who lived vicariously thru Crawford and took great pleasure in working his fighter's corner.

Crawford was a legitimatly tough world class contender whom had defeated lightweight champ Mando Ramos among others during his career. I remember attending the fight with my father and was a bit disappointed that our seats were not a little bit closer. However, thanks to a pair of binoculars, I had a very good view of what went on in the ring that night. In the first round Crawford hit Dwight with an uppercut below the belt and Hawkins landed on the seat of his pants. My binoculars were focused right in on the face of Hawkins and I knew that Crawford was about to pay dearly for this. Hawkins jumped to his feet and, from that moment on, handed Frankie Crawford the worst beating of his career. In the eighth round, Crawford was literally knocked thru the ropes and nearly fell out of the ring. If it were not for the ringside press who put there hands out to catch Frankie, he'd have rolled to the floor. Crawford struggled to get to his feet but could'nt beat the count of ten. Hawkins not only KO'ed Frankie Crawford, but did so in spectacular style. I would have to say that the funniest thing about this was the look on the face of Robert Conrad's -- the actor was in shock.

Hawkins would win several more times after defeating Crawford, however, was getting no closer to a title fight. Nearly thirty years old, time was running out on Dwight Hawkins. He'd been fighting professionally for nearly half his life and had more than eighty fights undr his belt.

The Ring magazine rated Hawkins number one in the world and an elimination match was set up to determine the next challenger for World Featherweight champ Johnny Famechon. Once again, Dwight Hawkins would be matched with yet another unbeaten future world champion. This time Hawkins would fight Venezuela's Antonio Gomez in a ten round title elimination bout on the undercard of the Lionel Rose-Ruben Olivares bantamweight title bout at The Forum.

While training for the Gomez fight, Hawkins sparred with bantamweight champ Lionel Rose one afternoon at the Alexandria Hotel. However, it would be a one time experience because The Hawk's devastating body shots bruised the Austrailian's ribs. As a result, Rose was forced to miss sparring for the next couple of days to allow his ribs to heal.

Before a packed house at the Fabulous Forum, Dwight Hawkins would fight his heart out for the very last time. At the end of nine rounds Hawkins had a slight edge on the scorecards of all three officials. It looked like Dwight Hawkins was just one round away from the title fight that had been alluding him for more than a dozen years. However, in the tenth and final round, Dwight Hawkins went down from a solid left hook to the chin. The Hawk struggled to his feet by the count of eight and told referee Dick Young he was "OK". However, Hawkins was not OK and Gomez battered Dwight against the ropes. Hawkins took a number of solid shots but refused to go down. The leg that Dwight had almost lost as a child was still supported by the elastic band he'd used so many years before when he began boxing as a child. The Hawk's legs were unsteady, but he was on his feet and trying to fight back.

With less than a minute remaining in the fight, Hawkins long time manager Johnny Flores, threw in the towel. Flores would later tell us that it was the hardest thing he ever had to do during the half century he had worked with boxers.

A few moments later I saw something that I had never seen before and will likely never see again. As I walked toward the dressing room area to see Hawkins, I saw tears in the eyes of some of the toughest boxing personalities in the sport. Many of them were in the house a dozen years earlier when Hawkins, only a teenager, had KO'ed Jose Becerra.

I've never felt so bad over a boxer losing a fight as I did that night in 1969. I felt empty inside and could'nt help but wonder, "What's next for Dwight Hawkins"? I would get the answer the following day at the Main Street Gym.

The next morning I was shadow boxing in front of a mirror next to the entrance to the gym floor and was surprised to see the Hawk walk in carrying his gym bag. I couldn't imagine why he would be in the gym the morning after a tough fight like he'd had the night before. Hawkins looked around and spotted Johnny Flores who was talking with Hal Benson and a couple of trainers. When Benson saw Hawkins he greeted the Hawk with a big smile on his face. Before Dwight could say a word Benson told him that he had some good news. Lionel Rose had also been knocked out the night before by Ruben Olivares, losing his banatmweight title. George Parnassus had told Benson after the fight that Rose would be moving up to the featherweight division and that he would like to match Hawkins with Rose, with the winner to get a shot at the featherweight title. Hawkins just smiled and told Benson "No thanks, I'm finished". He then handed Flores his gym bag and told Johnny to give the equipment to some young fighter who could us it. Benson put his hand on Dwight's shoulder and tried to convince him that he was one fight away from a title shot. The Hawk just smiled and then left the gym for the last time.

The following year I turned professional and after a half dozen fights I saw Dwight Hawkins in the gym one day. I immediatly went over to the Hawk to say hello and was happy to hear that he had returned to help Flores train heavyweight Mac Foster. Foster was a top heavyweight and had just signed a management contract with Flores. That day I got some great news from Johnny Flores. Flores told me that Hawkins would also be training me.

I was scheduled to fight on the undercard of a world lightweight title bout between champion Ken Buchanan and my stablemate Ruben Navarro. Ironically, the card would be held at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, they same building where 17-year-old Dwight Hawkins had upset Jose Becerra more than fourteen years earlier. I was eighteen at the time and found myself being over powered by stronger, more mature opponents. My boxing skills and speed allowed me to compete with these men but I needed more power. With the help of Dwight Hawkins, I was able to gain the extra punching power I needed. With Flores and the Hawk in my corner, I knocked out a tough vet who had held me to a draw in my first pro fight.

I lost contact with Hawkins after I stopped boxing and it was more than twenty years later before I would see him again. In 1995, I was recovering from a work-related injury that had me on crutches for a few weeks. As I hobbled around on the crutches I couldn't help but think of Dwight Hawkins and how he had been on crutches as a child. I began to wonder how the Hawk was doing and decided to try and locate him. A call to information was all I needed to find Dwight Hawkins and when I called I was happy that he still remembered who I was. A couple of days later my friend John Brumshagen who, ironiclly, had been close with featherweight Frankie Crawford, drove me to Hawkins house for a visit.

It was great visiting with Dwight Hawkins. As we sat in Dwight's living room and talked, I kept bringing up great fights from the past I'd seen him in. Dwight would smile and politely acknowledge his boxing career but would then quickly change the subject to what he really considered important. Dwight's main concern today is the kids of South Central Los Angeles and the problem related to the gangs.

It's guys like Dwight Hawkins that represent the best of boxing. More accuratly, it's guys like Dwight Hawkins that represent the best of humanity.

How lucky for me to have been around a guy like the Hawk.

The Power and the Passion of Dwight Hawkins (PART 1)


Dwight Hawkins
Originally uploaded by randyman
by Rick Farris

In the early sixties boxing was on the ropes and reeling from the exposure of mob corruption. Names such as Frankie Carbo, Blinky Palermo and Jim Norris became the targets of eager politicians seeking to advance their careers. Their goal was the abolition of the sport that people love to hate. In 1965, Sonny Liston's questionable one round loss to Muhammad Ali in Lewiston, Maine did nothing to help matters.

However, like the cock roach, boxing proved itself to be the ultimate survivor. The sweet science suddenly began to flourish with a brash young heavyweight champ and the re-emergence of local clubs that began to produce some solid talent. It was about this time that I was given the chance to realize my goal of becoming a boxer. At the time, I doubt that a 12-year-old kid could have had a better opportunity to do so.

In the mid sixties, boxing in Los Angeles experienced a sudden rebirth thanks to the efforts of promoter Aileen Eaton. Mrs. Eaton turned the legendary Olympic Auditorium into the most successful weekly boxing promotion on the planet. With televised weekly cards every Thursday night, fifty weeks out of the year, the Olympic showcased some of the best talent in boxing.

In recent months, I've written about many of the young boxers that came out of the Olympic Auditorium promotions. However, there were also veteran contenders that filled the 18th & Grand arena and waged great wars as the young crop developed. One of the veterans was somebody whom I had the luck to meet and get to know very well. I am speaking of former bantamweight and featherweight contender Dwight "The Hawk" Hawkins.

Before I chronicle the life and career of Dwight Hawkins, I'd like for you to imagine this: In California, you must be eighteen-years-old to qualify for a professional boxing license. However, through creative management (AKA: a phony birth certificate) you are able to get a boxing license at fifteen. At age seventeen, after only a dozen pro fights, you are matched with a brilliant 22-year-old from Mexico. The Mexican was rated number one in the world and would become an all-time great champion in the bantamweight division. The future world champ had more than fifty pro fights and you are only a senior in high school. You are listed as a 10-to-1 underdog and considered an easy tune-up for the next boxer in line to fight for the title. Before a capacity crowd, attending a title fight in the main event, you shock the world by knocking out the number one contender, knocking him out cold.

Impossible? Not if you're Dwight Hawkins. That's exactly what "The Hawk" did on November 6, 1957. The 17-year-old Manual Arts High School senior knocked out future champ Jose Beccera in the fourth round. It was the biggest upset in world class professional boxing that year.

Let me start from the beginning and introduce you to one of the most brutal punching boxers to ever step into the ring. However, if you think a 17-year-old knocking out the great Jose Becerra was amazing, wait until you hear the whole story. I was lucky to be a part of the last five years of Hawkins career, and even luckier to have this man help train me early in my pro career.

In the late 1940's Dwight Hawkins was a small, athletic kid who loved sports. At the age of seven, Hawkins' mother, grandmother and uncle packed up the family car and left the South and headed West. Young Dwight's family sought a better life in California.

On their journey West the family drove through Texas late one night. As Dwight slept in the back seat of the car, he was suddenly awakened. The car had been forced off the road by another driver and Hawkins uncle, who was driving, lost control of the vehicle. The car went off the road and flipped over. Somehow everybody escaped serious injury except Dwight, whose left leg was trapped underneath the wreckage. It was hours before another car passed by and when a Texas Ranger finally stopped to see what had happened he found the young boy in agony.

The cop called for help over his radio and nearly an hour later an ambulance arrived. It took Dwight's uncle, the Texas Ranger and the two ambulance attendants nearly an hour to free the kid's leg from under the car. It took another 45 minutes to get the boy to a hospital. By the time they reached the emergency room it was doubtful that Dwight's leg could be saved. However, if this wasn't enough, there was another problem. This was post World War II Texas and Hawkins was black.

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital the head nurse in charge told the driver that the facility did not take black patients. She told him the boy would have to be transferred to another hospital nearly an hour away. "But the kid is going to lose his leg!" the driver protested. The nurse said she did not make the rules and the boy would have to be taken elsewhere.

About this time a doctor walks into the emergency receiving area to see what all the commotion was about. He took one look at the boy's leg and ordered the nurse, "Get him into an operating room NOW"! The nurse answered, "But doctor, we don't . . ." The doctor turned to the nurse and said, "Did you hear me? I said get that kid into an operating room or you won't have a job tomorrow"!

Had it not been for the human decency of the doctor, a seven-year-old would have lost his leg and very possibly his life early that morning in 1947. As it was, it would be touch and go regarding saving the leg and the doctor told Dwight's mother that the boy would spend the rest of his life on crutches.

When the family arrived in California they settled in East Los Angeles, a predominately Mexican-American community, but at the time, still had an ethnic mix including blacks, whites and Asians. Dwight's mother immediately found a job across town in a hospital. To get back and forth from work she'd have to ride the bus for more than three hours everyday.

Dwight was left in the care of his grandmother while his mother worked. After school, the boy would sit on the curb with his leg in a brace watching the neighborhood kids play baseball, football or what ever other sports they were involved with. This would be tough on any kid, but for one as athletic as young Dwight had been, it was heartbreaking.

Dwight would toss his crutches aside and try to play anyway. Hawkins could still run but it was painful to do so. However, it beat sitting on the sidelines and watching the other kids have all the fun. If his mother had found out about this he'd have been in big trouble. But sometimes a kid just has to do what he has to do, regardless of the risk.

One day, Dwight's friend Armando told him that a boxing ring and punching bags had been set up in the basement of a local church and that boxing lesson's were going to be offered to neighborhood kids. "Why don't you come down and watch us box"? the boy offered.

Dwight's mind began to race and it occurred to him that boxing didn't require kicking and he believed that he might be able to give it a try. However, he knew that nobody was going to let a crippled kid try out for boxing. One afternoon, Hawkins followed Armando and the others boys to the basement gym. Before entering Dwight tossed his crutches under a bush and pulled his pant leg down to make sure his brace was covered. He made the other boys swear not to tell the coach about his leg and the boys agreed to keep their friend's secret.

Hawkins found the boxing coach to be a tall, well built former boxer who'd spent twenty years as a Sargent in the Marine Corps. The man was stern but fair and took a liking to Dwight. Hawkins was smaller than the other kids and worked twice as hard as the rest. He also proved himself to have a natural talent and in no time was outfighting the other boys, even the bigger ones. Dwight was able to hide the leg from the coach until it was time for the boys to compete in a kids boxing program. The boy's on the church team would all have to wear boxing trunks.

To keep his secret from the coach, Hawkins removed the brace and tossed it under the bush with his crutches. He then took an elastic band and wrapped it around his knee for extra support. The coach was no fool and noticed the boy did not move with the same balance as the others. When the boys left the gym the coach quietly watched Hawkins walk down the street and saw the boy retrieve the brace and crutches.

The next day the coach called his tough little protege aside and looked him in the eyes. "Son, do you have something to tell me"? Dwight looked up and knew immediately that coach was on to him. The boy stammered, "Uh . . ". The coach had become like a father to Hawkins and Dwight idolized the man. The kid also loved boxing, a sport that he had found a way to excel in despite his injury. Suddenly, it hit the boy that what had become so important to him was about to evaporate. Tears filled Dwight's eyes and the big man kneeled down and put his arms around gutty little kid. "Why don't you just tell me about it and we'll see what we can do".

Dwight poured out his heart and the coach understood how important it was to the boy to be a part of the boxing team. He also understood how a mother would fear for the safety of the boys leg. The coach met with Dwight's mother and together he and Dwight told her about her son's secret after school activity. Dwight was a good student in school and had never caused his mother a days worry. Dwight's mother reluctantly agreed to let her son box and the coach promised her that he would not allow the boy to continue if the activity was hurting the leg.

With both his mother and Coach supporting his boxing, Dwight Hawkins felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Almost immediately, young Dwight not only became the best junior amateur boxer on his team, but one of the best in the City of Los Angeles.

A couple of years later, Mrs. Hawkins decided that it would be best to move across town closer to the hospital where she worked. The long bus rides were not only difficult but prevented her from spending time with her son. The Hawkins family left East L.A. and moved into the Imperial Courts Housing Project in Watts. Imperial Courts was, and is today, one of the most violent and dangerous projects in the country.

It was lucky for Dwight that he had established himself in amateur boxing at the time because it gave him the strength and reputation necessary to withstand pressure from the other kids in the project to join their gang. It wasn't easy, but nothing in the life of Dwight Hawkins was easy. If it was easy then anybody could do it. And "The Hawk" isn't just anybody.

It was at Imperial Courts that Hawkins learned first hand the problems of inner city youth, he lived it. At night, he would lay in his bed and hear the sound of gunshot's ringing through Imperial Courts. He saw countless neighbor's harassed by police or sent to jail for behavior that he knew was senseless. Violent death was also a way of life in the projects.

By the age fifteen, Hawkins had another problem. He was just too good for amateur boxers and nobody wanted to fight him. His coach, the big Marine who had been like a father to him knew that his protege was good enough to beat professional boxers because Dwight was doing it every day in the gym. Another problem was money, Dwight wanted to contribute financially so as his mother would not have to work so hard. He wanted to make it possible for his family to move out of the projects and professional boxing might be the answer.

It was at this point that Hawkins' coach contacted Johnny Flores. Flores was known as "Mr. Golden Gloves" in Los Angeles for his work with amateur boxers and was also a manager & trainer for some successful professionals. Flores knew all about Hawkins and believed that the fifteen-year-old was already good enough to fight in the pros. Along with Hawkins' amateur coach, Flores and his partner Hal Benson helped Hawkins secure a phony birth certificate which enabled him to get a professional boxing license.

Dwight Hawkins was only fifteen and a sophomore at Manual Arts High School in South Central L.A. when he made his professional boxing debut. Flores and Benson chose to take Hawkins out of Los Angeles for his first pro fight. They wanted their young fighter to have a little experience before he was seen in a fight Mecca such as L.A.

Johnny Flores took Hawkins to San Diego for his pro debut on May 14, 1956. In his first pro bout, Dwight Hawkins knocked out Rudy Cisneros in the first round. Two weeks later he returned to San Diego where he KO'ed Chuck Palomeros in two. It was now time to unveil the "The Hawk" in his hometown, the City of Angels.

The problem was that most of the prelim bantamweights in L.A. knew all about Hawkins. Dwight was a devastating body puncher with an awkward style and he'd already hurt a number of local fighters in the gym. In order to get a match Flores had to agree to let Hawkins face Tom Turner, and experienced veteran. Hawkins KO'ed Turner in four rounds. A month later, Dwight was matched with winning main eventer named Al Wilcher and this was a dangerous match because Wilcher had beaten the best of local talent and was not to be taken lightly. The bout was scheduled for ten rounds at the Olympic Auditorium. In the sixth round, Hawkins caught Wilcher with a brutal left hook to the liver, sending the veteran to the canvas where he was counted out. The Olympic crowd included several of Dwight's teachers at Manual Arts High as well as a couple of dozen of his classmates.

There were no local boxers willing to take on the hard punching teenager so Flores took "The Hawk" down to Tijuana, Mexico. Before a sell out crowd he scored a unanimous ten round decision over Joel Sanchez in the Tijuana bull ring. Dwight was 5-0 (4 KO's) when he began his junior year in high school.

Hawkins returned to L.A. and took on a tough veteran named Babe Antunez at the Hollywood Legion Stadium. Antunez was awarded a highly disputed decision over Hawkins and the fans demanded a rematch. Exactly one week later, Hawkins beat Antunez by decision in the same ring.

It was becoming becoming more difficult to find established main eventers willing to fight Hawkins. Flores agreed to match Hawkins with Fuji Rodriguez, a tough Japanese-Mexican fighter whom had been rated among the top ten bantamweights in the world. Hawkins dropped Rodriguez early in the fight but was cut by a head butt in the fourth round. After six rounds the referee was forced to stop the fight due to the cut.

Two months later, Hawkins returned with a first round KO over Leo Carter at the Olympic. A couple of weeks after KOing Carter, Hawkins was matched with world rated Herman Duncan at the Olympic. The scar tissue from the cut suffered in the Rodriguez fight two months earlier was still fresh and ripped open from a grazing left hook in the opening round. After six rounds referee Tommy Hart was forced to stop the bout. Despite Hawkins leading on all score cards, "The Hawk" suffered the second loss of his young career.

After winning his next three fights, two by knockout, Hawkins fought top rated Kid Irapuato in the Tijuana Bull ring. Hawkins beat Irapuato badly in a one-sided match, but after ten rounds the hometown judges awarded the fight to the Mexican . The loss was discouraging to Hawkins who had just turned seventeen and was proving himself as good as the top bantamweights in the world. He knew that winning wasn't enough, he'd have take the decision out of the judges hands or he was never going to make it. On November 6, 1957, that's exactly what Dwight Hawkins would do.

Alphonse Halimi was the Bantamweight Champion of the World and would defend his title against Raul "Raton" Macias at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. Mexico's Jose Becerra, the number one contender, would be next in line for a shot at the title.

It was decided that Becerra should be featured on the undercard of the title match to build interest in his impending shot at the crown. Becerra was an exceptional fighter and considered by many to be the best 118 pounder on the planet. The 22-year-old from Guadalajara, Mexico had been fighting professionally for nearly five years and had a record of 48-3-1 (24 KO's). He had beaten Jose Medel twice, KO'ed Kid Irapuato as well as Manuel Armenteros, all world class bantams.

It would be impossible to overmatch Becerra, but finding anybody willing to take on the future world champ on the Halimi-Macias undercard was not easy. Former champ Mario D'Agata pulled out at the last minute, as well as two other substitutes. Just two days before the fight the frantic matchmaker came up with an opponent. Dwight "The Hawk" Hawkins would take the fight. Hawkins wasn't world rated but he'd done well in matches with Herman Duncan and Kid Irapuato and the Los Angeles fans loved "The Hawk".

As mentioned earlier in this story, Dwight Hawkins shocked the world by upsetting Becerra. Jose Becerra was knocked unconscious in the fourth round by the 17-year-old Manuel Arts High School senior with only a dozen pro fights under his belt.. This ruined Becerra's chance to challenge Halimi, the winner over Macias, in his next title defense. It would be more than a year later before he'd finally face the champ from Algeria in the ring and win the title.

Suddenly Hawkins name became well known among the world's best bantamweights. However, it was also a name to be feared. "What benefit is there to fighting Dwight Hawkins?", was the question concerned managers asked themselves. "Hell, even if you find a way to beat the guy what does your fighter gain? Broken ribs? A victory over a teenager"? Hawkins was one to avoid, boxing is tough enough without throwing the name Dwight Hawkins into the equation.

Three weeks after defeating Becerra, Hawkins went to Mexicali where he faced Felix Cervantes, whom he'd knocked out two months previous in Tijuana. Hawkins had his way with Cervantes but this time the bout went the distance. When Hawkins failed to KO the Mexican he feared he'd have little chance of winning a decision below the border. He was right, The Mexicali judges awarded the match to Cervantes despite the fighter being dropped three times during the fight. Less than two weeks later he took on Kid Anahuac, who was a top ten rated featherweight. After ten bloody rounds the larger Mexican fighter was awarded a close split-decision over Hawkins.

Three months after the loss to Anahuac, Hawkins & Flores traveled back down below the border to Guadalajara to face Jose Becerra in a rematch. Becerra's loss to Hawkins had cost him a title shot with Halimi and it was important that he avenge the loss. To insure this, the match would be held in Mexico. Why Flores' agreed to let Hawkins fight Becerra in Guadalajara (Becerra's hometown) defies common sense. While training in Guadalajara Flores paid a Mexican assistant to bring bottled water to Hawkins to assure the fighter not be poisoned by the Mexican tap water. One day after drinking the water Hawkins became violently ill. Flores called for the assistant to get more water and then followed the man after he left the room. Flores witnessed the Mexican taking the bottle and filling it with water directly from the tap. It was now understood what was wrong with Hawkins. He had Montezuma's revenge. He had been poisoned by the water.

The following day Hawkins, still ailing, entered the ring against Becerra and was stopped in the ninth round.

A few weeks after losing to Becerra Hawkins was matched against another talented L.A. contender named Auburn Copeland. Copeland was the California Bantam king and agreed to fight Hawkins in a ten rounder, but would not risk his state title. Hawkins easily beat Copeland over ten rounds. The following month, he took on another top Mexican bantam Nacho Escalante in San Bernardino and won a unanimous decision.

Nine days after Hawkins beat Escalante, he fought one of the best bantamweights to never win a world title, Jose Medel. The fight was held in Mexico City and Medel stopped the seventeen-year-old two weeks after his high school graduation. Hawkins was disappointed but not discouraged and within a month was back in the ring against world rated Herman Marques at the Olympic. After a ten round war the bout was declared a draw.

Hawkins would win his next seven, four by KO, with victories over world rated featherweight Danny Valdez, Noel Humphries and a KO over Nacho Escalante in a rematch.

It was about this time that an 18-year-old Dwight Hawkins would meet and befriend somebody that would become a very important influence in his life. His name was Davey Moore.

Davey Moore was 25-years-old when he came to Los Angeles to challenge Hogan "Kid" Bassey for the World Featherweight championship in 1959. Style-wise, Moore and Bassey were similar in the ring. Both were strong, punishing fighters with knockout power in both hands. Moore needed sparring partners who would fight him hard in the gym, just as Bassey would fight defending his title. Veteran trainer & gym owner Jake Shagrue told Moore's manager Willie Ketchum that there was only one fighter in Los Angeles capable of filling the bill and that was Dwight Hawkins.

Hawkins was hired as a sparring partner for Moore and the two immediately became friends. Hawkins thought the world of the number one contender from Springfield, Ohio and the two would spend hours talking after finishing their workouts at Moore's training camp in Hemet, California. Moore was like an older brother to Hawkins and would warn the young fighter about the pitfalls of professional boxing. However, by the age of eighteen, Hawkins had already experienced the worst boxing could offer.

One of things that Moore stressed to Hawkins was the importance of family. Davey had six children back home in Springfield and every night would call his wife to check on her and tell her how things were going.

A few weeks later, Davey Moore would knock out Hogan "Kid" Bassey and win the world featherweight title. During the next four years that Moore would hold the title he and Hawkins would remain close.

After Moore won the title Hawkins found it impossible to get fights in Los Angeles and would have to move up to the featherweight division in order to get any fights at all. Many of Hawkins recent fights had already been against featherweights despite Dwight barely tipping the beam at 120 pounds.

In his next fight he would fly to Glasgow, Scotland and lose a disputed decision to Billy Rafferty. Six months later he took on top rated Nelson Estrada in the fighter's hometown of Caracas, Venezuela. Another close fight and another loss to a hometown hero. It was 1960 and 19-yearold Dwight Hawkins was tired of fighting his heart out and not getting any closer to a shot at the title. He announced his retirement from boxing and focused his energy on his true passion, working with kids.

For the next two years Hawkins became involved with the youth of South Central Los Angeles. He organized boxing programs at Imperial Courts as an alternative to gang involvement and the kids loved Hawkins. "The Hawk" spoke their language and had risen of above the desperation of the housing project and made a name for himself. Hawkins drove a nice car, wore nice clothes and spoke about how it WAS possible to make it out of the ghetto and make a difference in the world. Hawkins programs were quite successful and he was making an impression on the youth of Imperial Courts. Violent crimes committed by gang members in the project dropped to an all-time low and Hawkins influence was credited with the change.

The faculty of Manual Arts High School, Hawkins' alma mater, were well aware of Hawkins' program and the good he was doing at Imperial Courts. The High School principal set up a meeting with L.A. City School officials and Hawkins was invited to share his knowledge of Inner-city problems and make suggestions. So impressed were the board members that they hired Hawkins to work for the Los Angeles City School System as a "trouble shooter". Hawkins' new role would be to act as a liaison between gangs and the school system. They could not have made a better choice. It would be a position that Hawkins would fill right up to present day.

After two years away from boxing, Hawkins felt as if he still had something to do in the ring. After a couple of years the younger kids were no longer aware of who Hawkins was and he realized that the exposure afforded him during his boxing career was the foundation of his success in working with kids. Only 22-years-old and anxious to take care of unfinished business, Dwight Hawkins returned to boxing on October 15, 1962.

The Hollywood Legion Stadium was packed for Hawkins return and "The Hawk" scored a fourth round knockout over Manny Linson. After scoring two more victories Dwight would join his pal Davey Moore who was training for an upcoming title defense against Cuban Sugar Ramos. Hawkins would once again be Moore's chief sparring partner for the Ramos match.

While training for the Ramos fight, Moore and Hawkins would rise early in the morning and run the hills near the Moore's training camp in Hemet. On the final day of road work, Moore and Hawkins raced to the top of a mountain and after reaching the top sat together and talked while catching their breath. Hawkins idolized the featherweight champ and Moore was in a reflective mood. Moore told Hawkins about his childhood in Springfield Ohio and how happy he was that he could provide for a better life for his family than what he had as a child. He told Dwight that he would fight about another year or so and then retire. "Too much time away from the family" Moore said.

On March 21, 1963 Dwight Hawkins was at Dodger Stadium to watch his friend defend the featherweight title. That night Moore would not only lose his title to Ramos, but he would also lose his life. When Ramos knocked out Moore, Davey hit the back of his head on the lower strand of the ring ropes. Moore passed into a coma in the dressing room following the match and a couple of days later died in the hospital having never regained consciousness. Hawkins was devastated.

The loss of Davey Moore hurt Dwight Hawkins and took his mind off his own career. A few weeks later Hawkins would head back down to Mexico where he would take on another unbeaten future champ in Vicente Saldivar. Hawkins was stopped by the brilliant southpaw in the fifth round.

The loss of Moore and losing to Saldivar would prove a turning point in the life and career of Dwight Hawkins.

About a year later I would meet Dwight. "The Hawk" would rise above the pain once again and I would witness first hand one of the most amazing fighters to ever step into the ring.


(End- Part 1)

Vitali Klitschko - Chris Arreola Weigh In

Video Courtesy of Fighthype.com and Fighthype's Youtube Page


WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko and challenger Chris Arreola weigh in for tomorrow's fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Best Actor awards for Superstar and Ulaganayagan ?



State Government of Tamil Nadu are going to announce the film awards in few days. Sources said that Rajini will get Best Actor Award 2007 for the film Sivaji and Kamalhassan will receive the Best Actor Award 2008 for the film Dasavatharam.
This is great news for the fans of Rajini and Kamalhassan.

We will watch them in the stage in the grand function. The function will be held in Chennai and Chief Minister is going to give the awards to the winners. Earlier Superstar received the Award for his film Chandramukhi and Ulaganayagan for his performance in the film Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu.

Nayanthara gossip



Nayanthara after her glamorous look in Billa got the Number one position in Tamil film Industry. Now she is very close to Director Prabhu Deva and they are roaming everywhere. Sources said that they are going to marry. But the actress denied it and said that he is only his friend.

The latest news about her is that now she is not willing to act in glamorous scenes and she want to check the costume before the shooting. Now she is busy in her Telugu movie “Ahoorpu”. The director of the film is Vinayak. In this film she refused to wear bikini dress. So there is rumor going round that she will end her film career and going to marry.

Tutelage for aspiring students

India is a thickly populated country and in the World the country is standing second where population is high the poverty is also by and large is more. This ultimately adding to the unemployment problem and the younger generation are very well aware.

To be competent students are striving hard to score higher marks in all the subjects including the languages. For securing good scores it has become a habit for the above average students also to have tuition so that they can aspire for maximum marks. For this here we have a solution finding site Chemistry Help where excellent coaching offered. Students are feeder with model question papers of the desired subject.

Say for example is a student wants to get Online Chemistry Help this site is providing elaborate material regarding that subject. Actually the student is taken care for individual attention through on line pc thus chemistry help via Chemistry Tutoring that too by a relaxed manner from house itself.

The student learn about atoms molecular structures, chemistry problems properties all these thoroughly explained by the expert Chemistry Tutor. The Online Chemistry Tutor is in the profession with so many years experience providing all the chemistry lessons for students of all groups like high schools, colleges and grad school. Thus the Online Chemistry Tutoring here they take utmost are and with a controlled obedience. Finally the tutors are very knowledgeable regarding the procedures of U.S. Nation and the educational grades.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Jayam Ravi's Peraanmai Stills







Jayam Ravi's Peraanmai's audio release held recently. The stills in the film are different. Let us wait and see the film

Jayam Ravi's Peraanmai audio release function




Jayam Ravi’s Peraanmai’s audio release function held at Satyam Cinema in Chennai. Union Minister Napoleon released the audio CD. The first CD was handed over to Theatre Owner Association President Abirami Ramanathan. The director of the film is Jananathan. Arun Pandian is the producer of the film.

Many famous film personalities attended the function. Jayam Ravi Peraanmai Hero, Editor Mohan, Jeeva, Jayam Raja, Director Selvamani, Vairamuthu are the important personalities who attended the function. Welcome address given by the Director and vote of thanks by Producer the function came to an end.

Flea Control guide

Flea bite is quite common and it irritates both you and your pet. There are a number of methods for flea control but some of them are not good since they use chemical pesticides which are harmful to us and our environment. The flea bite is stingy and painful. Take a look at this site to know the best flea bite treatment and how to safe guard yourself and your family from these fleas.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Jaggubhai - Sarathkumar's new film's audio release date confirmed

Jaggubhai-Sarathkumar.jpg

Jaggubhai – Sarathkumar’s next movie’s audio release function will be held on September 27th. Sources said that Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Dr.Kalaingar will release the audio C.D. The function will be held at Anna Arivalayam, Tenampet, Chennai.

K.S.Ravikumar is the director for this film. Sarath is doing dual role in this film. Shirya and new face Sresha are doing the heroine roles. Music Director for this film is Rafee. Zee Motion film circuit and Radika’s Radan T.V. are the producers of the film.

Trisha's new film



Trisha is busy in her shooting for the Tamil film “Vinnaithandi Varuvaya”. After “Vinnaithandi Varuvaya” she has not yet decided any other Tamil film but she finalized her telugu movies with top heroes like Junior N.T.R. and Venkatesh.

Trisha is eagerly waiting for her debut film in Hindi “Katta Meeta” The director of this film is priyadarshan. Bollywood Superstar Akshay Kumar is the hero in the film “Katta Meeta”. Sources said that she is planning to settle in Bombay.

Incredible Credit Loans

City life are becoming hectic day by day and finding hard ways for students, office goers to reaching their respective destinations in time. According to their capacity they choose their own way of transporting system. Some people may opt for buying four wheeler. Most of them would go for credit loan. For availing these loan facilities here we have credit repair services.

Here one is assured of normal interest payment and the pleasing way the customer is explained in every positive approach. At the very outset of the discussions the customer feels so comfortable that his credit is finalized. Generally, many people suffer from credit repair usually paying high interest and when the person flounders often leading to scathing criticism.

There are number of credit repair companies that are demanding huge amount of $ 500 or $ 600 in order to repair the credit of the concerned every month which is posing harrowing time. Instead if you have the privilege of paying $200 less every month and get a saving of 6% for the next loan. More over one is getting 10% reduced interest on credit card the approximate benefit will be $ 500.

Of course these are for internet customers as the internet reduces so many expenses that the customer need not pay the regular fees of $ 399 but the credit is repaired. They are also assuring whenever the credit not repaired and updated a damage of $ 50 is paid for not fulfilling the promises. For doing credit repair services the best way to get the service thorugh online and if a credit card is needed we can utilize the secure check online.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

In This Corner: With James Smith - Post Fight Comments by Mayweather and Mosley

Frankie Duarte vs Alberto Davila II


The Forum
Inglewood, California
June 27, 1987
NABF Bantamweight Title


Scott Gombrich and I were working the Saturday of the fight. We had been talking about the upcoming fight between Duarte and Davila, figuring it would be a fight that we shouldn't miss. We had no tickets and we had no idea if we were going to be able to get any but as soon as we got out of work we headed to the Forum. We were immediately set upon by a horde of scalpers and we negotiated two ringside seats for $60.00 each. It was the best $60.00 We have ever spent. The fight itself is a local classic but it is much more than that. It was a great fight period. This is boxing at it's best. My thanks to West91491 for posting this video on youtube.

Following is an excellent article written in 2007 by Lee Groves


Closet Classic: Frankie Duarte vs. Alberto Davila II

By Lee Groves

Rematches occupy a long and storied place in boxing lore. Many times matches spawn far more questions than answers and the only way many of them can be resolved is by pairing them a second time – and sometimes a third or fourth time.
On other occasions, circumstances demand that a second fight take place long after the first had happened, and this was what occurred when bantamweights Frankie Duarte and Albert Davila clashed on June 27, 1987 at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Normally, one would have thought their first fight – a dominating fifth round TKO by Davila at the Olympic – would have emphatically settled the issue. But the stories surrounding this second fight were hardly normal.

First was the time element – their initial bout took place 10 years and 20 days earlier when the 22-year-olds were jockeying for position for a title shot against either WBC bantamweight champion Carlos Zarate or his WBA counterpart Alfonso Zamora. Since Davila's victory, much had happened to both men. For Davila, his adventures took place inside the ring as he failed in title shots against Zarate, Jorge Lujan and Lupe Pintor before finally capturing the WBC belt vacated by Pintor with a 12th round TKO of Kiko Bejines. Davila's jubilation turned to tribulation as Bejines subsequently died of his injuries. Davila would defend his belt just once against Enrique Sanchez before being forced to surrender it due to the effects of a back injury that prevented him from defending in a timely manner.

Since returning to the ring in August 1985 after a 14-month hiatus, Davila tried to regain the WBC title against the gifted Colombian Miguel "Happy" Lora. Their fight, held before 50,000 in Baranquilla, Colombia in November 1986, saw Lora win a comprehensive decision, but Davila still entered the Duarte rematch as the Colombian's mandatory challenger. A win over Duarte could set the stage for a second crack at Lora, a shot at IBF king Kelvin Seabrooks or perhaps a chance at the winner between newly-crowned WBA champ Chan Yong Park and Wilfredo Vazquez, who were scheduled to fight in the fall.

In contrast, Duarte's troubles occurred outside the ring – and his wounds were mostly self-inflicted. Shortly after the loss to Davila, Duarte descended into a nightmare of alcohol and drugs. Still, he managed to win four consecutive fights, including the California featherweight title from Francisco Flores. But he suffered a frightful beating from future WBC super featherweight champion Rolando Navarrete over 10 rounds and following another 10-round loss to Neptali Alamag in Honolulu he eventually quit the ring.

Over the next 39 months, Duarte subjected his body and his family ties to tremendous abuse, but while he wasn’t bingeing, he was searching for his place in life without boxing. One time he attended a welding class and some of his classmates recognized him and recalled how they used to chant his name. Back then, the chants provided fuel for Duarte's fire, but the fighter's precipitous descent only inspired disillusionment from his classmates – and himself.

Once Duarte reached bottom, he was pushed into the most important decision of his life – either fight back or die. Knowing Duarte's fortitude, it was no surprise that he chose to live. He quit drugs cold turkey and one day he walked into Ten Goose Gym, which was headed by trainer Joe Goosen. At first, Duarte worked out just to drop excess weight (the onetime bantamweight now weighed 138) but as the pounds melted off some of his old skills began to resurface. When he made his return against Luis Hernandez on May 30, 1984 (a seven-round TKO win), he weighed a svelte 122 but while he resembled his old self physically he was definitely not the same fighter as before.

He was better.

Yes, he was still a slow starter but the punishment he absorbed in the early rounds wasn't nearly as severe. His defensive skills improved under Goosen and his offense produced the victories of old. The first big test of his comeback came on April 9, 1985 when he fought undefeated WBA bantamweight champion Richie Sandoval in a 10-round non-title go. Duarte gave as good as he got before dropping a split decision. Heartened by his tremendous showing against a reigning champion, Duarte continued to progress. He went 4-0-1 in his next five fights, with a two-round head-butt induced technical draw to top contender Freddie Jackson being the only blemish.

Following a stirring nine-round TKO over Jesus Salud for the NABF title, Duarte earned a crack at WBA bantamweight king Bernardo Pinango on February 3, 1987 at the Forum. Pinango had defeated Sandoval's conqueror Gaby Canizales eight months earlier and he entered the fight as the favorite. Despite scoring a knockdown in the 12th and being the beneficiary of three penalty points, Duarte somehow lost the decision by one, two and five points. Crushed by what many saw as a robbery, Duarte was left to begin again and the fact that Davila once again was the man who stood between him and a title shot just added to the fight's "full circle" flavor.

Duarte-Davila II was for Duarte's NABF belt and at 117 ½, Duarte (42-7-1, 32 KO) was at his lightest weight in a decade. Davila (53-8-1, 25 KO) scaled 118. Both men appeared in the prime physical condition befitting such an important contest.

Duarte came out of his corner with his shoulders hunched forward and his chin tucked into his chest while Davila fired several range-finding jabs. A masterful boxer, Davila's quicker jabs were delivered fluidly while Duarte's stiffer jabs had the pop of those thrown straight from the shoulder. After an initial feeling-out period, the action began to pick up midway through the round as Duarte landed a good inside hook and Davila tossed quick-fisted clusters in unpredictable sequences. His double jabs landed squarely on Duarte's nose while Duarte's light one-two sparked cheers from his supporters. But it was Davila's jabs and his still-effective defensive skills that carried the round.

Duarte picked up the pace in the second by landing two clean lead rights to the jaw and a solid one-two forced Davila to take a backward step. Davila bounced a crisp lead right off Duarte's jaw and soon the two bantamweights were swapping fast, sharp blows while still maintaining a high level of technique. Seconds after Duarte connected on a left-right, Davila replied with a crunching counter right to the jaw, a hook to the body and a pinpoint jab. Davila's superior hand speed enabled him to beat Duarte to the punch time after time, but it was Duarte who drew first blood as he opened a small cut over Davila's left eye.

The intense boxing became even more so in the third as they executed every punch in the book with a level of skill that could only be explained by their experience. They spent much of their time in the center of the ring rotating around one another in tight circles. They very rarely clinched and at 32 they maintained a pace that would have made their 22-year-old selves proud. The action gradually moved into the trenches – Duarte's turf – but Davila's quick hands enabled him to maintain the edge.

A left followed by two rights shook Duarte with 30 seconds remaining but Duarte furiously fired a quick combo capped by a scorching hook to the jaw that rocked Davila's head back. The crowd was in an enthusiastic uproar as the two fighters not only met, but also far exceeded, the already high expectations this neighborhood showdown generated.

Things got even more exciting one minute into the fourth when Davila planted his left foot and turned his jab into a jarring hook that found the point of Duarte's chin and sent the Ventura resident crashing to the canvas. It was only the second knockdown of Duarte's long career and the first since Davila turned the trick in their first fight. Duarte immediately regained his feet with a look of disgust on his face, a face that now sported a welt under the right eye.

Knowing he was not a one-shot knockout artist, Davila wisely chose not to gun for the early knockout but instead banked on his precision. A sharp left uppercut popped back Duarte's head and he was fighting with the supreme timing of his prime. But Duarte was still very much in the fight as he tore at Davila with combinations at every opportunity, though his punches lacked his opponent's speed and snap. In the final 15 seconds, Duarte summoned a fresh supply of adrenaline as he unleashed nearly 30 punches as the blood began trickling down his cheek.

Davila continued to work effectively in the fifth but Duarte slowly began turning the fight with body shots that forced Davila to reset. The infighting heightened the risk of unintentional head butts, and one caused Davila to complain to referee Lou Filippo, but no warning was given. Duarte continued to pick up steam as he marched forward behind quick combinations. While Davila still occasionally tagged Duarte with quick hooks, they weren't coming as frequently. Duarte invested a lot of energy into his rally and his exertion was made clear when he stole a deep breath coming out of a clinch. Still, the fact that he had just won his first round had to have fortified his resolve.

Sensing a turn in the tide, the Duarte fans began chanting "Frankie! Frankie!" to give their man a further jolt of energy and he responded by reopening the cut over Davila's eye and firing a flurry highlighted by two rights. A triple right uppercut sparked another Duarte salvo and suddenly Duarte appeared to be the fresher man. His punches were snappier than in previous rounds and Davila looked more concerned about the cut than about Duarte.

Davila went back to basics in the seventh as he worked Duarte's swelling with sharp jabs. But Davila's rally was short-lived as Duarte again forced a give-and-take battle on the inside.

With a minute remaining the fight took a dramatic turn. While both men were leaning forward, the tops of their heads rubbed against one another and the clash created a horrible cut around the left eye that caused blood to cascade down Davila’s cheek and onto his chest. Both men continued to maintain a hard pace as Duarte sought to take advantage of his sudden good fortune and Davila tried to keep his opponent at arm's length.

As Davila walked to his corner, he lodged a brief complaint to Filippo to let him know that his cut was the product of a butt. Under a recently passed rule in California, the break between rounds was extended to give the doctor ample time to examine the cut while also giving the cornermen the time they need to administer treatment.

"Let it go for a while," Dr. Bernhardt Schwartz told Filippo. "But if it gets worse, tell me."

Duarte's chance to snatch victory was as plain as the blood on Davila's face and he came out throwing a long series of rights. Soon, thick dark crimson covered everything on his face from the left eye down and Duarte made it worse by popping in short shots on the inside. A tremendous right made Davila back away, and though Davila retained the sharpness of previous rounds it was Duarte's work rate that enabled him to win his third consecutive round. The last five seconds saw both fighters blasting away with furious flurries that belied both their relatively advanced ages and the punishment they had absorbed.

Davila's cutman John Montes Sr. worked hard to stem the bleeding but no matter how much treatment he administered, it couldn't be stopped. Had it not been such a meaningful fight for both men it would have been stopped at the end of round seven, but Davila had fought so well that he deserved every benefit of the doubt – and Duarte in turn deserved every opportunity to produce a conclusive finish.

Davila speared Duarte's face with jabs to start the ninth, snapping his head back and keeping far enough away to give the medicine a chance to take hold. But for Davila it was a race against time, physics and the willingness of those in charge to let the fight continue – and all three were beginning to run out. Davila's face was such a gory sight that it made Duarte's lumping face look good by comparison.

The ringside physicians allowed the fight to continue into the 10th, and Davila was battling bravely through a number of deficits. But Duarte was in the midst of his trademark late surge and he appeared to make up significant ground on Davila's early lead. But just as the fight was about to head into a dramatic homestretch, it was over.

During the fight's most sustained exchange, Filippo stepped in, formed the traditional signal for "time out" and escorted a disheartened Davila to his corner. Dr. Schwartz examined the cut and, after a brief consultation, the cut was deemed too dangerous to continue. As Filippo walked over to Duarte and raised his right arm, a dejected Davila hung his head and walked toward the neutral corner. Though Duarte was announced as the TKO victor at the 2:09 mark, the real fight was just about to begin.

When the scene shifted to a lower floor at the Forum, Davila and his corner people issued a complaint to Marty Denkin, the assistant executive officer for the California State Athletic Commission. They said Davila's fight-ending cut was the result of a head butt and Denkin himself indicated as much at the end of the seventh round. Filippo, however, did not see the butt and because of that he didn't feel it necessary to consult the judges.

Denkin said California rules dictated that the referee poll the judges and Denkin made it known that he himself had talked to the judges – and each said they saw a butt. If Filippo had consulted the judges and if even one of them had seen a butt, that would have been the official ruling.

Denkin also said that the NABF didn't have a rule addressing this situation, but part of the agreement between California and the NABF stipulated that the state’s regulations would be applied in situations the NABF rules didn't cover. So Denkin recommended that the commission reverse the result to a technical decision for Davila since he was ahead 87-83, 87-83 and 87-84 on the scorecards.

"I was worried about the cut, but I have a good cutman in John Montes," Davila told Prime Ticket broadcaster Rich Marotta after the fight. "I feel like the winner now and I feel I should have gotten all the glory there on national TV because I felt I won the fight. The cut was caused by a headbutt and being ahead I felt I should have won the fight. I honestly feel he doesn't feel in his heart that he won the fight, and I felt I got cheated out of it."

"I was really enthused right after the fight because I felt I was coming on," Duarte countered. "I felt, even though I was down in the fourth, by the 10th I felt I had everything in control so I had nothing but good feelings because I thought in the next couple of rounds I would definitely win those. Maybe then I would need a knockdown just to get the decision or possibly stop him.

"When I went to the press conference – not worrying about the scoring; I was the winner you know – I heard I was behind on points by a pretty good margin and then I got really crushed. I said 'awwww, man!' It took my wind away from me knowing that was ahead on points."

When asked if he felt like it was a hollow victory, he said "yes, because I was unable to get to my best rounds. It was so typical of my fights: I would lose the early rounds and I come back after the guy wears down, then I completely take over. I was disappointed that the fans didn't get to see me at my best. People are coming up to me every day and tell me 'did you hear about this or that?' and I tell them 'don't tell me nothing about it. On the 17th when they give the decision, well, then, tell me about it.'"

Epilogue: The battle outside the ring raged for some time and it wasn't until July 17 that the issue was settled – sort of. The six-member California State Athletic Commission split 3-3, but because a seventh member was absent no determination was made and Duarte kept the title.

Despite Duarte being declared the winner, it was Davila who would get the first title shot. Following victories over Juan Jose Estrada (a three-round technical decision) and Gil Contreras (W 12), Davila received his rematch with Lora. Though Lora won a wide decision, the match was clouded by controversy as a bottle filled with sugar water was confiscated from Lora’s corner midway through a fight that saw the champion tiring. Despite the apparent evidence, the WBC retained Lora as champion and Davila, just nine days short of his 33rd birthday, never fought again. He retired with a record of 56-10 (26 KO).

Duarte took one year and two days off before returning to the ring with a seventh round TKO of Ron Cisneros. A pair of 10-round decisions over Miguel Juarez and Jorge Ortega followed, and on August 31, 1989 Duarte received his long-awaited second shot at a title against WBC super bantamweight champion Daniel Zaragoza at the Forum. Just four days short of his 35th birthday, Duarte was too slow for the razor-sharp southpaw and after losing every round on two scorecards the fight was stopped in the 10th round. Duarte retired immediately after the fight, saying with a wry smile that he "needed to get a job." His record stands at 47-8-1.


E-mail Lee Groves