A recent photo (January 2007)of Frank Baltazar Sr. (L) and Art "Golden Boy" Aragon.
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Photo courtesy of Rick Farris 1969 Southern Pacific A.A.U. Champions, El Monte Legion Stadium (top row) Pete Despart, ?, ?, Mike Quarry, ?, ...
3 comments:
Why was Art Aragon booed?
Art Aragon was boo because in a radio interview he said that he was not Mexican and back at the time he was fighting about 60% of the fans were Mexican Nationals, the other 40% were like me Mexican-American, we cheered Aragon, they booed him, and we would all pack the Olympic-Hollywood Legion Stadium to see him fight and he loved that since most of the time he fought for a piece of the gate, the Mexican Nationals never forgave him for beating Enrique Bolanos twice, that too was another reason for the booing by the Mex-Nat's.
I seen about 90% of Aragon's fights live starting in 1949 whe he fought Harold "Baby Face" Jones in Hollywood.
I don't think I miss any of his big fights in the 1950's, my wife and I were ringside for his last fight vs Alvaro Gutierrez (1-21-1960) at the Olympic.
In the last few years I would see him at functions we would attend, the last time I seen Art was at a Golden State Boxer's Association function on December 14, 2007, I had with me a copy of the Knockout magazine with a picture of him on the cover, I ask him to sign it for me, he takes the magazine and looks at the picture of himself and he tell me "I fought that guy"
Frank
Its October 1951 and Art aragon and Jimmy Carter're to fight a rematch of their August 28 fight on November 14, this time Carter' lightweight title is on the line.
Keeny Teran is also fighting on the card, a 6 rounder
I was at their first fight won by Aragon and I wanted to go to this one too, so I ask my dad "Pops can I heve 5 buck to go to the fight?", he in turn tells me "Mijo there is no money, what with Christmas coming and all", a few days later he came home with two tickets, my uncle also bought tickets.
Its fight nite November 14, we get together with my uncle Tony, Ray and John, two more uncles were to meet us there, which they did, we get to the Olympic and we can't fine parking, finely we fine parking 4 blocks from the Olympic, now my uncle John is on a wheelchair, had been all his life, at this point in time he was about 33-34 years old, since I'm the youngest of the group my dad and uncles tell me I had to push uncle John and I push I did, I would push him as fast as I could and then let him go, he was so mad that I thought he was going to jump of the wheelchair and come after me.
Once we got inside the Olympic I push John as close as I could to ringside, then I had to go to the balcony, all the seat were reserved, our's were all the way back, up against the wall, did I care? no!.
Aragon come into the ring first, as soon as I seen Aragon I turn around and told my dad and uncles that Aragon was going to lose, they ask me "why?" I told them that Aragon was so pale from making weight that he looked like Gaspar the friendly ghost, he lost.
And now its time for Keeny's fight and since many people left after the Aragon-Carter fight, I was able to go down to ringside for that fight, Keeny boxed beautiful and won a 6 round decision.
What a great nite for a 15 year old boy!!
Frank
can anyone tell me where i can get infor on Alvaro Gutierrez. or pics of there fight Alvaro Gutierrez is my grandfather and i would really like to see pictures
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