Book Review: Mexican American Boxing in Los Angeles by Gene Aguilera

By Randy De La O

“To a boxing fan, it is the greatest sport in the world. A boxer is an isolated gladiator in the ring, no teammates to help out, only your opponent stands in front of you. Promoter George Parnassus said “In boxing it is one man by himself, against one man, all alone. That is what it comes down to, does it not, to know which man is the best?” An understated irony is that one minute you are at war and the next minute you are hugging like best of friends, like turning off a light switch” - Gene Aguilera


Mexican American Boxing in Los Angeles by Gene Aguilara is a like a walk down memory lane for me  and it is long overdue. Los Angeles fighters, and West Coast fighters in general have become synonymous with courage and  heart. The rich history of boxing in Los Angeles is on par with any city in America. Gene Aguilera brings that history to the forefront for boxing fans.

Aguilera's book is a pictorial history of Mexican Americans boxers in Los Angeles but it is much more than than that; with stories, bios and notations with every photo, he covers the gamut of boxing in L.A., from the early 1900 to the present day, from Aurelio Herrera, Mexican Joe Rivers and Whittier's own, Bert Colima to mid century fighters like; Manuel Ortiz, Enrique Bolanos and Art Aragon, and beyond. It stands as a definitive reference book.

I suppose, like most fight fans, I look at the era that I grew up with as the most meaningful and personal and that would be from the 1960's and up. All the familiar names are there; Mando Ramos, Rodolfo “El Gato” Gonzalez, Bobby Chacon, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Herman Montes (Herman is on the cover of the book), John Montes, Frankie Baltazar Jr. and Tony Baltazar. Some were champs, some were contenders but they all fought their hearts out for their fans. The great fight venues are also covered in this book; The Forum, The Hollywood Legion Stadium, the Olympic Auditorium and more. The author gives us an up close and personal view of the fight town that is Los Angeles.

I enjoyed this book and I understand the author's passion. I recommend Mexican American Boxing in Los Angeles to any and all boxing aficionados,. You do not have to be Mexican American to enjoy this book. Do yourself a favor and get a copy.

Mr. Aguilera wiil be signing his book, along with his special guest, Herman Montes and other  boxers from  Los Angeles' past, Saturday, May 3 at 3:00pm - 5:00pm, at Chevalier's Books, located at 126 N Larchmont Blvd, West Hollywood, California 90004

Tim Bradley

By Randy De La O

It seemed to piss fight fans off when Tim Bradley got the win in his first fight with Pacquiao. Like most I thought Pacquiao won the fight but in the heat of action in a close fight (relatively close), most fighters think they did enough to win. Bradley is no different. I don't hold it against him, nor did I want him to lose, as a form of revenge. I just thought a prepared Pacquiao would win.

Tim Bradley is a fighter, make no mistake about that. Since winning the title from Pacquiao in 2012, he has fought both Ruslan Provodnikov and Juan Manuel Marquez. The Provodnikov fight was as good as it gets. If there was ever any doubts about Bradley's chin and/or heart, it should have been erased that night. In Marquez he faced an all time great, still riding high on his knockout win over Pacquiao. He didn't just beat Marquez, he out countered the best counterpuncher of this era. That's saying a lot.

Bradley chose not to take the easy way out. He fought the best by choice. That alone should tell us everything we need to know about him.

I know it didn't set well with most fight fans when he brought up his injured calf. Sometimes a fighter, no make that a man, any man, needs something to hang onto after a loss. That pride, that refusal to lose is what takes a man to the very top of the sport. It's what makes a champion. It has to be hard to separate himself from that. If he wants to hang on to that it's okay with me. I've hung onto worse to salvage my own pride. We all have.

Bradley lost the fight last night. I don't think anyone thinks otherwise. Still, he has my absolute respect!

Manny Pacquiao vs Tim Bradley II: Pacquiao Wins!

Photo Courtesy of Yahoo Sports

By Randy De La O

Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao on his victory over Tim Bradley last night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It turned out to be an entertaining fight.

As far as I am concerned Bradley sealed his own fate when he told Pacquiao, that "He had nothing left, his time had come and gone, etc", Never give a man a cause. A man with a cause is hard to beat. It gives him legs.

Bradley came into the ring carrying all kinds of anger. He was tight and he was trying too hard for a knockout. More often than not, the harder you look for a knockout, the more it eludes you.

Late in the fight, announcer Jim Lampley said this "I don't understand why Bradley isn't busier." Roy Jones, with quiet exasperation answered as only a fighter who has been there can answer, "He's tired Jim......

Bradley had no doubt in his mind that he would knockout Pacquiao. He never left room for plan B. What if I don't knock him out? He paid the price.

Pacquiao understood this, and if he did not know this going into the fight, he figured it out pretty quickly as the fight played out. You could see it as Pacquiao began to take control of the fight in the early middle rounds. Manny was loose and confident but never overconfident. Plus, despite being knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012, he has a hell of a chin. Pacquiao has proven that - if not at 100% in his peak - he is still among the best. He is still a fighter to be reckoned with.

Still, I applaud Bradley for his effort, he was always in the fight and he fought with the huge heart that we have come to expect from him.

So the questions remain, Will Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight Pacquiao, and if so, can Pacquiao win? For the most part, I would say, Pacquiao cannot win against Mayweather. I say for the most part, because as we have seen over the years, any man can rise to the occasion, under ever the most difficult circumstances. Marquez did this every time he fought Pacquiao. If any fighter today can rise to the occasion and beat Mayweather, that fighter is Manny Pacquiao. The Boxing world deserves to see this fight.

You still got it Manny!

Mickey Rooney Has Passed Away

Mickey Rooney, as Tommy "Killer" McCoy in the 1947 classic "Killer McCoy". R.I.P Mickey Rooney!

Butterflies and Canaries

By Randy De La O

I got a call from my trainer Mel Epstein telling me that the Main Street Gym would be closed for a couple of days and that I would be working out at Jake Shugrue's Seaside gym in Long Beach. I picked up Mel at mid morning and we headed to the gym. This was the first time I met Jake. Like most trainers of that time He was a little rough around the edge and Runyunesque in character.

I was told I would be sparring. I was feeling good and was anxious to get started. I warmed up and began my work out, keeping in mind that I would be sparring. I had only sparred once before. Mel called me over and told me I would be sparring in a few minutes. He laced up my gloves and in a few minutes I was standing in the ring. I watched as the guy I would be sparring with climbed into the ring. A black guy more or less my age, maybe a little younger. He looked lean and hard.

As the round started I began to box him. He was very quick. I did not have the sense yet to realize that we were sparring, not fighting. Mel was on the ring apron leaning on the ropes. I could hear him talking to me but I was focused on the guy in front of me. I was trying too hard. I was trying to make a fight of it. One round ended and another began.

I don't know where it came from but I heard a loud explosion. It seemed to come from far off. I felt confused. Next I heard a whooshing sound , whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, and I felt myself falling like a freshly cut tree. I landed hard and I remember thinking, “Did I faint?” Again I was confused. I got on my hands and knees slowly and looked up and there they were, yellow butterflies and canaries all around me, all I could see was yellow. I shook my head from side to side, still wondering what happened. As the butterflies and canaries began to clear Mel came into view. He had a smirk on his face and let out a little laugh and then it hit me. I was knocked down.

I should have kept my cool but I could not. I was furious. I jumped up and went at him with everything I had but I was too angry, too prideful. The round ended, I climbed through the ropes and Mel was wiping me down. The guy walked up to me with an extended hand and said “I'm sorry but it seemed like you wanted to fight”. That guy had a lot of class. I shook his hand and said, “That's okay, no problem” My pride was hurt and I had embarrassed myself. I was told later that it was a right hand. that caught me because I kept my left too low. I cannot remember the punch for the life of me, just my reaction. I don't remember his name, or if I ever knew it but I remember him.

I learned a few things that day. From that day on I kept my cool. It was a lesson in humility ( I would have more). I stopped thinking so highly of myself. It also made me sharper and more determined. I can't say I had much of a career but I can say that those things we learn at the gym and in the ring carry over into our lives. I raised my children on that belief. Boxing is a microcosm of life, you just have to look closely.