Tony Baltazar

[Renofan]

Anyone else on here a fan of his? I recently acquired his fight with Robin Blake. Well that fight made me fan for sure....The only other fight I have of his besides the Blake fight is the Camacho fight. Whats everyone's opinion of him and does anyone have anymore of his fights?

[salsanchezfan]

Terrific left hook. Very strong. Dropped Buddy McGirt when McGirt was at his very best, and that wasn't easy to do.

I can't be a fan of his, however. I remember seeing an intervies with him before the McGirt fight where he was explaining his recent incarceration. He was apparently at the wheel drunk when he crashed the car, killing a friend and two other motorists in a car coming the other way. During the interview, he lamented the death of his friend and not once mentioned the other two innocent lives he took. That really rubbed me the wrong way.



...........Sorry, that was kind of random.

[Renofan]

Terrific left hook. Very strong. Dropped Buddy McGirt when McGirt was at his very best, and that wasn't easy to do.

I can't be a fan of his, however. I remember seeing an intervies with him before the McGirt fight where he was explaining his recent incarceration. He was apparently at the wheel drunk when he crashed the car, killing a friend and two other motorists in a car coming the other way. During the interview, he lamented the death of his friend and not once mentioned the other two innocent lives he took. That really rubbed me the wrong way.



...........Sorry, that was kind of random.

I had no knowledge of that. I researched him on wikipedia and found out he started a charity for sick kids, because his 6-year old son died from a rare disease. Two sides to every coin I guess.....I'd love to see the Mcgirt fight.

[salsanchezfan]

I had no knowledge of that. I researched him on wikipedia and found out he started a charity for sick kids, because his 6-year old son died from a rare disease. Two sides to every coin I guess.....I'd love to see the Mcgirt fight.


.............You're absolutely right man. For all I know, the interview could have been cut short as far as the cameras were concerned, and he could have gone on and on about the victims of that crash, and I was remiss for not mentioning that in my earlier post. That is entirely possible. I'm glad to hear that about the charity. That makes me feel a bit better. I guess I'm just reacting from a purely instinctive feel from what I saw in that interview. I suppose without actually sitting dwn with the guy and hearing what he has to say in its non-edited entirety, I shouldn't be too quick to judge.

[JohnThomas1]

Close to the most powerful left hook in 135 pound history.

[redrooster]

John Thomas once told me Tony Baltazar was the Joe Frazier of the lightweight division! :lol:

[la-califa]

His best fight if you ever come across is versus Howard Davis Jr. Baltazar had his down, I believe twice & Davis still got the decision. Baltazar was a nobody & that performance brought him into the picture. I believ this is correct. I do know that in his first big bout, He won the fight & lost the decision. His next telivised fight he lost & got the decision. Go figure boxing!
His brother Frankie Baltazar was actually a contender also, but was put in too fast against Bazooka Limon. Baltazar was knocked out & never quite recovered. Both grew up here in La Puente, California Time to time You still see Frankie Around town. But I believe Tony moved away.

[JohnThomas1]

John Thomas once told me Tony Baltazar was the Joe Frazier of the lightweight division! :lol:

I said he had a left hook at lightweight as powerful as Frazier's was at heavyweight. I stand by it, solidly

:smoke

[Zakman]

Man this takes me back to when I was first following boxing avidly in the early and mid 80s. Baltazar and Blake were two of the exciting fighters of that era who fought pretty regularly on network TV or ESPN.

[bumdujour]

i think i remember his fight with rodney moore who was coming up at the time. dropped moore twice but lost a UD.

[4eyes]

His Father/Trainer is a regular poster at cyberboxingzone.com he's posted alot of articles and pictures from Tony and Frank"s career in fact he has a whole thread devoted to both his son's career's he posts under the name KIKIBALT seem's like a cool guy and knows alot of boxing history

[Duodenum]

Baltazar had one of those left hooks which could be used for textbook instruction on how to deliver one. Howard Davis Jr. was supported by pretty influential backing, so Tony would have had to kayo Howard to win. But the fact remains that his hook dropped the fastest man in boxing at the time, hardly an achievement which could have been realized with a telegraphed shot.

[kikibalt]

Tony's left hook came to him naturally, he didn't need much work to developed it as he was a converted southpaw. His right hand was the one he had trouble with.

[Flea Man]

Odd first post :hey

[kikibalt]

Odd first post :hey
What's so odd?

[Duodenum]

Tony's left hook came to him naturally, he didn't need much work to developed it as he was a converted southpaw. His right hand was the one he had trouble with.Welcome. Are you the same "KIKIBALT" 4eyes mentioned in post #11 as the father/trainer of Tony and Frankie on this old thread over four years ago? (And don't mind Flea Man, a good egg but something of a wise ass.) Always interesting to see new life breathed into a long dormant thread by a knowledgeable fresh contributor.

[kikibalt]

Welcome. Are you the same "KIKIBALT" 4eyes mentioned in post #11 as the father/trainer of Tony and Frankie on this old thread over four years ago? (And don't mind Flea Man, a good egg but something of a wise ass.) Always interesting to see new life breathed into a long dormant thread by a knowledgeable fresh contributor.
Yes I am. My name is Frank Baltazar, I am Frankie and Tony's father. I also have a third son, Bobby, that boxed pro back in the '80's, though he only had six pro fights, his record is 6-0 with five kos.

Flea Man?. Well can't take a man that uses "Flea Man" as his username to seriously, can you?

[kikibalt]

Frankie Baltazar's Last Fight ([Only registered and activated users can see links])


October 24, 1991: Frankie is to fight Charlie “Mad Dog” Young for Don Fraser at the Marriott Hotel at Irvine, Ca. We arrived early for the same fight day Weight-in. Contract weight was 143 give or take. Frankie was right on the money at 143. Mad Dog came in 148, five over the contract agreement. The CSAC only allows a fighter to lose two pounds on the day of the fight, so that meant Mad Dog could only come in at 146, still three pounds over. Don Fraser is ready to have a heart attack as he is about to lose his main event. Don asked me if we would fight Mad Dog at ‘46, I said yes,” but that we get 10 % of Mad Dog purse”, the CSAC inspector jumped at that and said “no way are you getting 10 % of Young’s purse”, I told the inspector that if the fight was to go on we were getting 10% of Young’s purse and that if he read his rule book he would find out that we could get it, he called out to his flunky to get him the rule book, he read the rule book and he say “yes you can get 10 % and the CSAC get another 10 %!”. Poor Mad Dog just lost 20 % of his purse. After the inspector and Don Fraser explain things to him, he agree to lose two pounds, don’t think he understood about the 20%.

Mad dog came to the fight without a corner, so he asked Hall Of fame Corner Man Chuck Bodak and Jerry Boyd if they would work his corner, that he would pay them he said. Jerry Boyd in 2004 had a book published “Rope Burns” under the pen name F.X. Toole. The Oscar winning movie “Million Dollar Baby” was made from that book.

Two or three hours later Mad Dog made 146, so the fight is on. Later on in afternoon, I was sitting with Pat Russell who was to be the main event referee at the hotel's coffee shop; as we were sitting there Mad Dog came over to our table to talk trash, about how he was going knock Frankie out. I told him that that was okay with me. That either way I would walk out with the winner, he asked me “whatcha ya mean, whatcha ya mean?”; I told him; you and Frankie are my fighters, he tells me “I am not your fighter”. I than told him that for tonight’s fight I owned 10 % of him, Pat Russell told him that that was true; he then walked away muttering.

The fight went all Frankie’s way. He stopped Mad Dog in the ninth round. After the fight in the dressing room I told Frankie that we needed to talk about his boxing career and where he was going from here, well the rest is history.

Afterward I was in the hotel bar having a drink with some friends and fans of Frankie when Chuck Bodak and Jerry Boyd came up to me and asked me if I have seen Mad Dog, I said no, what happened I asked them “The S-B didn’t pay us”..... The Mad Dog was long gone…


Frank Baltazar

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Check out my blog...

[Saintpat]

Great story, Mr. B!!! Tell us some more!

[kikibalt]

"Going To The Fights....1951

By Frank Baltazar

Eddie Gomez was watching a boxing match on a nineteen inch TV when his dad, Rudy, came in the house and told Eddie.
“Eddie, look what I have here”.
“Pops, did you get some tickets for the title fight?”
Eddie had been bugging his pop to take him to see the Art Argon vs Jimmy Carter lightweight title fight at the Olympic Auditorium for some time, his pop thought that Eddie; been twelve years old was to young to go to the fights.
“Yes, Eddie, I bought four tickets, your uncles, Tony and Ray, will be going with us. Now I hope your mom doesn't get mad at me, she too thinks you are to young to go to the fights”.
Eddie's mom, Lupe, was not too crazy to see Eddie going to the fights, but she did agree with Rudy; that their son would be disappointed if he was not allowed to go with his pop and uncles, so she gave her okay for Eddie to go.

Eddie couldn't wait to find his best friend, Cheno Diaz, to tell him the good news. He found Cheno tending his two cows and one goat at a nearby pasture.
“Cheno, my pops is taking me to see the Aragon and Carter title fight”.
"Gee Eddie, you are lucky, I wish I could go”.
“I'll ask my pop if he can get another ticket for you. Cheno, you think your mom and pops would let you go?”.
“I'll ask them” said Cheno.
Eddie ask his pop if he could get a ticket for Cheno.
“Yes, I'm sure I can get one, Eddie, you tell Cheno, that if his mom and pop say its okay for him to go; we'll take him with us”.
Next day in school, Eddie told Cheno the good news.
“Cheno, my pops said that he'll get you a ticket if your mom and pop say that's its okay for you to go”.
“Eddie, mom and pop said I could go as long as your father was going, they trust your father, but not your uncle Ray, they say he is crazy, that he himself will get into a fight at the fights”.
“Yeah, uncle Ray is a bit wild, especially when he is drinking beer, but pops won't let him drink too much, he'll be okay”.

Two weeks later, they all piled into Rudy's 1946 Dodge and headed west on Washington Boulevard. Eddie and Cheno were so excited that they couldn't sit still and it was starting to bug uncle Ray.
“If you kids don't sit still, we are going to stop and drop you off here; and you are going to have to wait for us to pick you up after the fights” said uncle Ray.
“Leave them alone Ray, they are just excited to be going to the fights, after all, its their first time to see boxing live. You remember when you went for the first time and you got all crazy on us?, wanting to fight everybody there” said uncle Tony.
“Yeah, but I was drunk; and let me remind you that I was doing okay until that big guy cold-cock me and knocked me on my ass” uncle Ray laughed.

The area was so pack that they had to park 3 blocks away. Eddie and Cheno were shadow boxing as they walked up 18th Avenue.
“Hey Eddie, Cheno, you two want to become fighters, because if you do, I'll train you guys” said uncle Ray.
“Ray, what the hell do you know about training fighters? asked Rudy.
“Hey, Rudy, I have fighting experience”.
“Yes, you do but, its street fighting experience, an I don't think you ever won a fight”
“At least I've never been ko, always finish on my feet” laughed Ray.

As the group approached the front entrance of the Olympic, they started seeing movie and boxing celebrities hanging around the sidewalk of Grand Avenue.
“Cheno! There's John Wayne and Pedro Armendariz” said the excitable Eddie.
“And over there is Rosemary Cooney and her husband Jose Ferrer” said uncle Tony
“I see Tommy Campbell, Frankie Muche, Bob Murphy, Enrique Bolanos and Freddie Babe Herman over there talking to two men” said Cheno
“That's Cal Eaton and Babe McCoy they are talking too, they are probably talking about upcoming fights” said Rudy.
Before entering the Olympic, they all bought the Knockout program from Speedy Dado. Eddie and Cheno started getting autographs on their programs to show their friends in school the next day.

They found their sits in the second to last roll in the peanut gallery. No sooner had they sat down when rolls of toilet paper started flying around, soon some ladies underwear were flying by. Eddie and Cheno started making paper plane and would fly them down to the ring.
“This is fun, Eddie, thanks for bringing me” said Cheno.
“Thank my pop, Cheno, he is the one who bought your ticket”.

The fighters for the first fight came in the ring. Rudy, Tony and Ray started betting on the fights, they would bet one dollar on the white or black corner, what ever fighter went to the corner they had, that was their bet.
The first fight was won by Al Galindo over Bobby Brewer, Rudy and Tony won a dollar each, Ray lost a dollar.
Second fight was between Joey Gurrola and Sammy Figueroa.
“Cheno, see that big guy in Figueroa's corner? That's big Jake Horn, he's a great trainer” said Eddie.
The fight ended in a draw.
“Guess it didn't help Figueroa having Jake Horn in the corner, did it, Eddie? Said Cheno, as he threw a roll of toilet paper.
“He didn't lose did he?” said Eddie.
“Well no, he didn't”.
.
After a couple of more fights it was time for the main event, Art Aragon and Jimmy Carter would be coming into the ring soon.

Aragon looking weak is the first to come into the ring.
“Aragon is going to lose” said Eddie.
“How do you know? Asked uncle Ray.
“Look how pale he looks, I read in the Mirror that he was having trouble making '35” said Eddie.
Carter comes into the ring looking great. After both fighters have been gloved in the ring they are introduce by Jimmy Lennon , referee Mushy Callahan calls the fighters to the center of the ring for their instructions.
The fight started fairly even for the first four rounds, from the fifth round on it was all Carter who won an easy 15 round unanimous decision.
Right after the fight ended uncle Ray wanted to leave.
'Okay guys, our guy lost; so lets get out of here”.
“No! We have to stay and watch Keeny Teran fight Bobby Garza, they are fighting a six rounder” said Eddie.
“Ray, Keeny is the toast of the town, we have to stay and watch him fight” said uncle Tony
They stayed and watch Keeny win a unanimous decision.

On the way home Uncle Ray asked Eddie and Cheno if they wanted to fight.
“Guys, if you want to fight, I'll train you, after you train for a couple of months; I'll take you to the downtown CYO where Johnny Flores run the boxing program, I'm sure we can get you some sparring. Johnny is my friend and he'll help us out.
“Ray, you don't even know Johnny Flores” said Rudy.
“Well maybe not, but I know where the CYO is at” laughed uncle Ray.

Next day at school Eddie and Cheno were the toast of the school as they were holding court with their friends.
“You should have seen Aragon land that left hook of his” said Cheno as he threw a left hook.
“To bad he didn't landed it enough” said Eddie.
“He was too weak from making weight”.
“He was” agree Eddie.
“But you should have seen that little Keeny Teran” Eddie and Cheno said in unison.
“Guys, Cheno and I are going to start training next week, my uncle Ray is going to train us” said Eddie.

[Saintpat]

Awesome! Keep em coming!

[Flea Man]

What's so odd?

Don't mind me Sir, just not often that a first post involves an old thread being bumped....was insinuating you may be an alias, sorry about that ;-) Glad to have you on board :good

EDIT: Can't take me seriously because of my name?!?! Because abbreviated names are so much more respectable :-(

To be honest, only thing that was odd was your choice of first thread, as I say, now I know who you are (and big respect!) it makes sense.

[AlFrancis]

Welcome to ESB Frank!

[kikibalt]

The famous Olympic Auditorium

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[kikibalt]

Thanks for the welcome guys...

[Duodenum]

Yes I am. My name is Frank Baltazar, I am Frankie and Tony's father. I also have a third son, Bobby, that boxed pro back in the '80's, though he only had six pro fights, his record is 6-0 with five kos.Frank, it's great to have you here, as always with anybody directly linked to the history of the sport.Flea Man?. Well can't take a man that uses "Flea Man" as his username to seriously, can you?:lol: Hey man, I didn't want anybody taking me seriously when I first became a member here! That's the whole reason I selected the the user name I did after careful deliberation back in April 2007, and it's worked like a charm when I've needed it to. (Sort of a backlash against all the self aggrandizing monikers I was seeing here.) People who know me find out that's the nom de guerre I use here, and burst out laughing. (Besides, posters immediately started calling me "Duo," a nickname I was instantly fond of. All these years later, people here still have trouble spelling "Duodenum" correctly.) Mr. Magoo usually calls me "Deen," because of a foreign born professor he had who pronounced that part of the anatomy as the "duo-DEEN-num." So I and others have had a lot of fun with this handle of mine, and I've reinvented a whole new identity in cyberspace from my personal life because of it. (Other wildly disparate user names have added to the entertainment.)

[frankenfrank]

Which reminds me of a username I recently encountered on youtube on many of the fights I found recently it was BaltazarBrothers or something like this , so it is you again ?

[kikibalt]

Which reminds me of a username I recently encountered on youtube on many of the fights I found recently it was BaltazarBrothers or something like this , so it is you again ?
Yes..

[frankenfrank]

Yes..
well , not really a newbie then . but after u reach 50 posts it will change automatically to 'Journeyman' I think , and then on and on
good to have the solid people in the thick of the business , do you know a way besides wbva to find Orlin Norris fights ? and reggie johnson vs antonio tarver ? and mccall vs tucker ? and mccall vs douglas and douglas vs fergusson and mccall vs fergusson etc ? many fights are absent still

[kikibalt]

well , not really a newbie then . but after u reach 50 posts it will change automatically to 'Journeyman' I think , and then on and on
good to have the solid people in the thick of the business , do you know a way besides wbva to find Orlin Norris fights ? and reggie johnson vs antonio tarver ? and mccall vs tucker ? and mccall vs douglas and douglas vs fergusson and mccall vs fergusson etc ? many fights are absent still
Sorry but, I don't.

[Flea Man]

Yes..

Thanks for the uploads, one of my favourite channels:good

[kikibalt]

Thanks for the uploads, one of my favourite channels:good
:good

[Duodenum]

I perked up at the mention of Chuck Bodak in "Frankie Baltazar's Last Fight." One of the first two books I ever purchased about the sport was Bodak's "Boxing Basics" with Neil Milbert, released in October 1979. The other was "Boxing for Beginners," by Al Bernstein, published in April 1978. Neither manual was a seminal guide like Dempsey's "Championship Fighting," John J. Walsh's "Boxing Simplified," or Edwin L. Haislet's "BOXING: A Self-Instruction Manual," but they were good introductions to boxing at a time when there was virtually nothing else in print on the subject. Ali contributed to Bodak's book, while Norton wrote the forward for Bernstein's.

[kikibalt]

Here is a non-boxing true story of mine.

“‬The Judge”‬

Leopoldo Sanchez
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge

One hot Sunday night in the summer of ‬1961 ‬I was cruising down Whittier Blvd. ‬in East Los Angeles listening to some R & ‬B’s when I see a red light on my rear view mirror, ‬the cops are pulling me over, ‬for what?‬, ‬I don’t know, ‬I pulled over to the curb and waited for the Man to come give me a ticket.

“‬Driver’s license and car registration please”‬, ‬I handed the cop both license and registration, ‬as I do so I tell the cop “‬careful with the license, ‬just got them back couple of weeks ago”‬, “‬you just got them back?” ‬the cop asked me, “‬yeah” ‬I said, “‬why did you just get them back?” ‬the cop wanted to know, “‬well my license was suspended for a while” ‬I said, “‬how long of a while?” ‬the cop shot back at me, ‬short while I said, “‬were you driving while your license were suspended?”‬, “‬no sir” ‬I said, “‬are you sure? ‬Do you have any warrants”‬, “‬no sir” ‬I said again, “‬well let’s find out” ‬he tells me. ‬The cop goes back to his car, ‬gets on the radio and runs a make on me, ‬after a few minutes he comes back and tells me to put my hands on the hood of the car, ‬Damn!‬, ‬Going to jail on a beautiful summer night, ‬the only good thing is that it was on a Sunday night, ‬because Monday morning we go see the judge.

I was taken to the East Los Angeles Sheriff Sub-Station on Third Street to spend the night. ‬Monday morning comes and I with a few others are taken to the courthouse to see the judge, ‬some of us are taken into Judge Leopoldo Sanchez courtroom, ‬Sanchez had a reputation as the most lenient judge in E.L.A, ‬anybody and everybody who had a case pending in the E.L.A courthouse wanted to go in front of Judge Sanchez, ‬lucky me, ‬I also knew the Judge from the Olympic Auditorium as he was a big boxing fan, ‬I would see him there every Thursday night, ‬now and then I would talk to him there at the Olympic, ‬but I never introduce myself so he didn’t know my name.

Judge Sanchez starts hearing cases, ‬after two or three cases he calls “‬Frank Baltazar case number XXXX”‬, “‬yes your honor” ‬I answered, “‬You are charged with driving with a suspended license, ‬how do you plea?‬, “‬guilty your honor”‬, “‬okay, ‬a ten dollar fine, ‬can you pay it?”‬, “‬yes, ‬your honor”‬, “‬okay sit down” ‬the judge tells me, ‬I sat, ‬the judge call the next case, “‬Frank Baltazar case number XXXX”‬, “‬yes, ‬your honor”‬, “‬oh it’s you again, ‬let see what are you charged with this time”‬, “‬I think it’s the same thing your honor, ‬driving with suspended license”‬, “‬Yes it is and how do you plea?”‬, “‬guilty your honor”‬, “‬I’m going to have to fine you twenty five dollar on this one, ‬can you pay it?”‬, “‬yes, ‬your honor” ‬I answered again, “‬okay sit down”‬, ‬I sat, ‬the judge call his next case “‬Frank Baltazar case XXXX”‬, “‬yes, ‬your honor”‬, “‬you again?‬, ‬Same charge, ‬how many warrants did you have?” ‬The judge asked me, “‬three your honor, ‬this should be the last one” ‬I said, “‬okay, ‬I fined ‬you ten dollar on the first one and twenty five on the second one, ‬on the third one I’m going to have to fine you seventy five dollar, ‬can you pay it?”‬, “‬your honor I can pay the first two now, ‬but I can’t pay the last one” ‬I told the judge “‬okay, ‬pay the thirty five dollars by ‬5:00 ‬PM today and I’ll give you three months to pay the seventy five dollars at twenty five dollars a month” “‬thank you your honor, ‬I can do that, ‬but I need to go home to get the thirty five dollars”‬, ‬the judge than told the bailiff to let me go home to get the thirty five. ‬I ran all the way home, ‬which wasn’t more than two miles from my house, ‬get a ride with a friend back to the courthouse, ‬paid the thirty five dollars, ‬put the receipt in my wallet and then went to get my car out of the tow yard, ‬another fifty buck it cost me.

I then paid three payments of twenty five a month for the next three months. ‬I saved the receipts just in case. ‬I run into the judge at the fights a couple of times and he asked me if I was paying the fine “‬yes sir” ‬I told him.

A few months later after I had made my last payment I got pulled over in Montebello, Ca, ‬cops ran a make on me and it turned out I had a warrant with a nine dollar bail, ‬so I am taken to the Montebello Police department, ‬from there I called my wife Connie to come bail me out, ‬told her to make sure she brought nine dollars.

I left the Montebello Police station with a date to see the judge. ‬I go see Judge Sanchez on the date I was given. ‬When he called my name he is one pissed off judge, “‬I gave you a chance to pay the seventy five dollar fine in three months and you didn’t”‬, “‬But, ‬But sir!‬, ‬I did pay the seventy five dollars”‬, “‬you did?”‬, “‬yes sir and I have the receipts with me” “‬give them to the bailiff”‬, ‬I gave them to the bailiff and he passes them on to the judge, ‬after he read the receipts he tells me “‬but you didn’t pay the other three dollars”‬, “‬what other three dollars your honor?”‬, ‬for every twenty five dollars you pay one dollar for something or other he told me, ‬I than told him that he told me to pay twenty five dollars a month, ‬and which I did and I had the receipts to prove it, “‬Case dismissed” ‬said the judge, “‬your honor, ‬what about my nine dollars for the bail?”‬, “ ‬oh, ‬you will get that back in the mail in about a month”…‬About three weeks later I got the nine dollars back and then Connie took them away from me, ‬said it was her money..... ‬Just can’t get any respect

[kikibalt]

"The Ring" 1952 low budget boxing movie

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

I was hanging around the Teamsters gym when the gym scenes were being shot.....Hope you enjoy it.

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Tony Baltazar (R) vs ?...Circa 1965

[redrooster]

Anyone else on here a fan of his? I recently acquired his fight with Robin Blake. Well that fight made me fan for sure....The only other fight I have of his besides the Blake fight is the Camacho fight. Whats everyone's opinion of him and does anyone have anymore of his fights?

The Blake fight is a very good one. Tony struck me as being a playboy. Maybe didnt have the right mentality for the fight game

[kikibalt]

The Blake fight is a very good one. Tony struck me as being a playboy. Maybe didnt have the right mentality for the fight game
Tony had the mentality to be a fighter, he was a fighter all his life, he loved to fight. What happened to Tony is what you see happen to 90% of fighters all the time. When big money and fame comes their way at a very young age they get lost, they don't know how to handle either one, and won't listen to anybody that tries to help them in handling such things as their money and fame. I know that it doesn't happen to all fighter. Frankie didn't have that problem but as Tony's father it pains me to say that Tony did. With discipline I believe Tony would have been champion and Tony knows that now, he has said so himself...Frankie had the discipline, but not the love of the game that Tony did.

[Saintpat]

Tony had the mentality to be a fighter, he was a fighter all his life, he loved to fight. What happened to Tony is what you see happen to 90% of fighters all the time. When big money and fame comes their way at a very young age they get lost, they don't know how to handle either one, and won't listen to anybody that tries to help them in handling such things as their money and fame. I know that it doesn't happen to all fighter. Frankie didn't have that problem but as Tony's father it pains me to say that Tony did. With discipline I believe Tony would have been champion and Tony knows that now, he has said so himself...Frankie had the discipline, but not the love of the game that Tony did.

Alas, talent can only take a boxer (or athlete or writer, etc.) so far. Without the other ingredients -- the discipline and dedication and willingness to sacrifice, etc. -- talent is as much a curse as a blessing.

Many men with lesser talent go so much farther on those other ingredients. There were people I went to high school with who weren't the smartest, so they had to study harder. They did better in college because they worked at it and had developed the habits of success, while others breezed by until they reached a level where just being smart wasn't enough. I'll give you a guess as to which are more successful today.

The great ones had the passion to prepare for greatness, to exploit and fulfill their talent.

Muhammad Ali: "The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses -- behind the lines and in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."

[kikibalt]

Alas, talent can only take a boxer (or athlete or writer, etc.) so far. Without the other ingredients -- the discipline and dedication and willingness to sacrifice, etc. -- talent is as much a curse as a blessing.

Many men with lesser talent go so much farther on those other ingredients. There were people I went to high school with who weren't the smartest, so they had to study harder. They did better in college because they worked at it and had developed the habits of success, while others breezed by until they reached a level where just being smart wasn't enough. I'll give you a guess as to which are more successful today.

The great ones had the passion to prepare for greatness, to exploit and fulfill their talent.

Muhammad Ali: "The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses -- behind the lines and in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
Agree with all of the above...:good

[kikibalt]

1965 Jr. GG fights..Teamsters Gym, Los Angeles, Ca.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

The late Tony Adame, Tony Baltazar & Frank Baltazar

[kikibalt]

Frankie Baltazar v Chango Cruz

[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Frankie Baltazar v Chango Cruz
October 28, 1976

On Monday, October 25, 1976, Frankie and I were working at a Ford dealership (paint shop) in Alhambra, Ca. That morning I told Frankie that on our lunch hour I was going to go see Don Chargin at the Olympic Auditorium to see if I could set up a six-round fight for him for that coming Thursday night.

I left Alhambra about 11:30 AM. and got to the Olympic about 25 minutes later. As I parked the car I was thinking about how hard it had become to get Frankie fights. His record stood at 4-1 with 2 knockouts. The one decision loss was an out-of-town (Stockton, Ca.) fight against Reynaldo Zaragoza, a fight that just about everybody in the house thought Frankie had won.

As I entered the Olympic I was hoping that I wasn't again wasting my time as I had been doing lately in talking to Chargin. I climbed the stairs to his office and as I got to the door I could hear Harry Kabakoff saying, "What are we going to do Don? Castillo won't fight Cruz."

"We'll find somebody for him to fight, so don't worry Harry," I heard Don say. As I walked in I could see that Harry looked like he was about to start crying, but he smiled a big smile when he saw me walk in.

"Is your boy ready to fight?" Harry asked me.

"Yes, that's why I'm here, to see if I can get Frankie a six-round fight," I answered.

"How about Thursday night in the main event?" Harry asked.

"Against who?" I countered.

"Chango Cruz."

"C'mon Harry. Cruz has had 12 fights with 8 KO's, Frankie only has five fights. By the way, what happened to Castillo?"

"Castillo got sick, so they say. I think they are afraid to fight my new champ," said Harry.

I turned to Chargin and asked him about getting a six-round fight, and he said that none of the local fighters wanted to fight Frankie and that it was too expensive to bring in out-of-town fighters for a six-round fight. At that point Harry jumped in and told me to forget about a six rounder and to take the Cruz fight. Chargin then said, "Frank, we'll pay you XXX dollars."

"I don't know, Don. Like I said, Frankie only has had five fights, and he has never gone more than seven rounds. This would be a ten-round fight against a guy with 12 wins, 8 by knockout. I don't want to put Frankie in over his head," I said to Chargin. Harry again jumped in and said they would pay us more than they first offered. After going around for about an hour and seeing the offer go up a few more times and being told not to worry about the weight, I accepted the fight.

I got back to the shop and told Frankie to go home, that he was fighting the main on Thursday. "Who am I fighting Pops?" he asked.

"You are fighting Chango Cruz, mijo," I said.

"But Pops! Cruz has 12 wins and 8 by knockout. I only have five fights. What happened to Castillo?"

"Castillo got sick, mijo. Now go home, I'll see you at the gym," I told him.

I wasn't sure that Frankie would beat Cruz, but I was sure that he wouldn't get hurt. After all, Frankie had been boxing since he was six years old.

Frankie won by ninth-round knockout, and Harry didn't talk to me for about six months after that. . . . .

[El Bujia]

Welcome aboard. I used to correspond with you a decent bit over Youtube back in the day. I post at Boxrec, read your thread all the time, but lack the experience to comment on most of it. It's quite clear you guys aren't speaking from second-hand sources.

[kikibalt]

Welcome aboard. I used to correspond with you a decent bit over Youtube back in the day. I post at Boxrec, read your thread all the time, but lack the experience to comment on most of it. It's quite clear you guys aren't speaking from second-hand sources.
Thanks El Bujia...The West Coast thread on Boxrec has slowed some. I think we ran out of bullshit...:lol:...Too bad you didn't hang around longer.

:lol:!...soon after this fight I got fired and since Frankie was working for me; he had to go too. The owner said we were spending too much time on the fight game. It worked out for us though, within a couple of week I landed a better paying job, one mile from our house, at our local Chevy dealer. There the owner loved us, we couldn't do no wrong. He and his wife started attending Frankie and Tony's fights, on our dime of course....:lol:

[AlFrancis]

They're the kind of fights that fighters learn from Frank. Too many fighters these days are over protected on the way up worried about losing that 0.
What can you tell us about Kabakoff Frank? I'm Probably way off base here but I'm sure I read somewhere or heard something about him being originally from Liverpool. I also heard he was hard to work with. Attempts were made twice to match Pimental with my dad, once in England and once at the Forum, both fell through. I know he was supposed to be in the opposite corner the night Rose took the title from Harada, any idea what happened there?

[kikibalt]

OBITUARY
Harry Kabakoff, colorful boxing trainer and manager, dies at 82
The eccentric handler swapped his real name, Melville Himmelfarb, for
Kabakoff in honor of his uncle. Among his best fighters were Jesus
Pimentel, Don Jordan and Tury Pineda.
By Valerie J. Nelson
November 22, 2009

After boxing's Melville Himmelfarb started going by Harry Kabakoff,
sportswriters invariably marveled over the unorthodox trading of one
unwieldy name for another.

Why not "Tyrone Youngblood" or something with "Lancelot" in it?, The
Times' Jim Murray wrote in 1979.

The re-christened Kabakoff, once known as the premier handler of Mexican
fighters in the U.S., always said he took the name of his uncle to honor
his relative, a successful boxer.

Kabakoff, who had cancer, died Tuesday of cardiac arrest at Northridge
Hospital Medical Center, said Jesse Pimentel, who considered Kabakoff
his grandfather. He was 82.

Six weeks before his death, he had returned to Los Angeles from
Mexicali, where he retired at least a decade ago.

"He was maybe the most colorful character in boxing that I've ever met,
and everyone in boxing is colorful," said Bill Caplan, a boxing
publicist. "He was a rogue and a rascal and he was funny and lovable."

One of Kabakoff's best fighters was Jesus Pimentel, father of Jesse, and
"perhaps the greatest bantamweight fighter who never won a world
championship," Mike Hiserman wrote in The Times in 1995.

Known for scouring the barrios of Mexico in search of young talent,
Kabakoff met Pimentel in Mexicali.

"They were together for 12 years, from beginning to end," the younger
Pimentel told The Times on Friday. "Harry would say, 'Your father held
my hand in 1958 and hasn't let go since.' "

As he sought a world-championship belt, Pimentel's career was marked by
near-misses that often were blamed on Kabakoff.

He "was a good trainer and good manager" but "ran from title fights" if
he thought his boxer was at risk, Caplan said.

For publicity, Kabakoff would do outrageous things, Caplan said,
including dressing as the dynamic duo during the Batman craze in the
late 1960s. The portly Kabakoff and Pimentel called themselves Fatman
and Bobbin.

By 1972, Kabakoff was "the General Motors of fight managers," with a
roster of 67 names but only 10 who could "really fight," Murray wrote in
The Times.

Kabakoff's loyalty to his men was "unmatched," John Hall noted in a 1971
Times column that made light of the fact that Kabakoff had nicknamed
himself "the Mad Russian."

"At least, he's got insight," Hall quipped.

Born July 13, 1927, in St. Louis, Kabakoff was the son of Sam
Himmelfarb, a bread-truck driver from London and his wife, the former
Stella Kabakoff, who was from Poland.

Growing up, Kabakoff went to eight schools between St. Louis and Los
Angeles and claimed he was thrown out of them all.

At 16, he eloped in Mexico with his girlfriend, who was pregnant, but
the marriage was annulled after five days.

In 1944, Kabakoff joined the Navy and became a cook on a minelayer.
After World War II, he moved to Los Angeles and started boxing.

"I was an average fighter as an amateur and a poor one as a pro,"
Kabakoff later recalled.

As a manager and trainer, he worked with a number of good fighters,
including former welterweight champion Don Jordan and lightweight Tury
Pineda.

In the 1950s, Kabakoff ran into trouble as assistant matchmaker at the
Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles when he was accused of secretly
handling fighters for Babe McCoy, who as the Olympic's matchmaker could
not own fighters.

Kabakoff always denied the charges but the fallout caused him to "lose
everything," he told The Times in 1968.

He managed to buy a beer parlor in Santa Ana in 1958 and then made the
fortuitous trip to Mexicali, where he met Pimentel. The fighter, who
lives in North Hills, named one of his sons Melville.

Kabakoff "was manager, trainer, father-confessor and cook" for his
fighters, Caplan recalled.

He was just too soft-hearted for the business, Aileen Eaton, then the
Olympic promoter, told Sports Illustrated in 1977.

"Even after they retire . . . he keeps giving them money," Eaton said.
"He's 1,000 percent loyal. . . . Because of the movies, people think
managers are some kind of monsters. They should know Harry."

He has no immediate survivors.

A memorial service was being planned.

valerie.nel... ([Only registered and activated users can see links])@latimes.com

[kikibalt]

They're the kind of fights that fighters learn from Frank. Too many fighters these days are over protected on the way up worried about losing that 0.
What can you tell us about Kabakoff Frank? I'm Probably way off base here but I'm sure I read somewhere or heard something about him being originally from Liverpool. I also heard he was hard to work with. Attempts were made twice to match Pimental with my dad, once in England and once at the Forum, both fell through. I know he was supposed to be in the opposite corner the night Rose took the title from Harada, any idea what happened there?
Please pardon my ignorance, but who was your father?...

Imo Harry was over protective of Jesus Pimental. He won't turn him loose when Jesus was in his prime, by the time he did Jesus was well on his way down hill....I seen Harry get the shit kicked out off him at the Olympic one night, he was on all four trying to hide under the seats...It was funny seeing fat Harry trying to get under the low seats, he just didn't fit...LOL!...I met Harry before he was
"Fat Harry". When I first met Harry I don't think he weight more then 130 pounds, he want up to about 250 pounds in later years...

[AlFrancis]

Wow thanks Frank, that is more info than I was expecting, he must of been some character.
By the way I'm Alan Rudkin's son. George Parnassus wanted to put my dad and Pimental on the undercard of the Olivares Rose fight. They offered dad great money and it would of been an eliminator for the winner of the title bout. Anyway for one reason or another it never came off and dad got the shot at Olivares anyway, he was no1 contender at the time.

[ThinBlack]

Anyone else on here a fan of his? I recently acquired his fight with Robin Blake. Well that fight made me fan for sure....The only other fight I have of his besides the Blake fight is the Camacho fight. Whats everyone's opinion of him and does anyone have anymore of his fights?

Tony had a great left hook which I've seen him drop both Howard Davis Jr, and Buddy McGuirt with.And Buddy took a pretty good shot at that time, if I remember correctly.:good

[kikibalt]

Wow thanks Frank, that is more info than I was expecting, he must of been some character.
By the way I'm Alan Rudkin's son. George Parnassus wanted to put my dad and Pimental on the undercard of the Olivares Rose fight. They offered dad great money and it would of been an eliminator for the winner of the title bout. Anyway for one reason or another it never came off and dad got the shot at Olivares anyway, he was no1 contender at the time.
Alan, you're my FB friend...LOL!!!...Sorry 'bout that....

[kikibalt]

Tony had a great left hook which I've seen him drop both Howard Davis Jr, and Buddy McGuirt with.And Buddy took a pretty good shot at that time, if I remember correctly.:good
He did have a great left hook, but sometimes it worked against him because he would go left hook crazy and forget about everything else....

[kikibalt]

delete delete

[AlFrancis]

Alan, you're my FB friend...LOL!!!...Sorry 'bout that....

Haha

[kikibalt]

At a press conference after the Tony Baltazaz/Howard Davis fight a reporter asked Tony a question.


Reporter: Tony, after dropping Howard twice; were you surprise at the decision?

Tony: well, you know; I am a long way from home.

[AlFrancis]

Just been looking at some old Boxing News'. Turns out Pimental was supposed to fight Jofre pn October 28th 1964 in San Antonio. The fight was called off at 5 days notice. Don't know the reason.

[kikibalt]

Just been looking at some old Boxing News'. Turns out Pimental was supposed to fight Jofre pn October 28th 1964 in San Antonio. The fight was called off at 5 days notice. Don't know the reason.
Harry wanted more money is what I heard, and was told to take a hike....I think he did that to get out of the fight. I don't think he wanted Jesus to fight Jofre in the first place...Like I said "over-protective"

[GPater11093]

Hoed you think Pimental would have done against Jofre then?

[kikibalt]

Hoed you think Pimental would have done against Jofre then?
Imo, Jofre beats Pimental at anytime in their careers...

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]
(L-to-R)
Jimmy Lennon Sr., Frankie Balrazar, John Martinez, Johnnie Flores and Frank Baltazar....Olympic Auditorium..1976

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Guacamole on a molcajete..La Parrilla, East Los Angeles

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Oscar De La Hoya (R)...La Parrilla..East Los Angeles

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Connie and I..La Parrilla, East Los Angeles.

[orriray59]

Never heard of the man, sadly.

[kikibalt]

Never heard of the man, sadly.
And what man is that??

[AlFrancis]

If I ever get over to LA Frank you and Rick will have to take me there to eat!

[kikibalt]

If I ever get over to LA Frank you and Rick will have to take me there to eat!
You bet!!

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Tony Baltazar vs Buddy McGirt

[greynotsoold]

Do you remember the 2nd St gym in Pomona? Do you still have the auto-body shop on First/State St? I haven't been home in years.

[kikibalt]

Do you remember the 2nd St gym in Pomona? Do you still have the auto-body shop on First/State St? I haven't been home in years.
No on both. I don't think I was ever in that gym, at least that I can remember... the body shop we sold in '87....

[Saintpat]

Mr. B, two questions if you will:

1) Was Tony's hook a purely natural thing? Or was it more taught? And what are the keys to teaching a proper hook in your estimation?

2) Have you ever dined at Don Antonio's Mexican Cafe in L.A.? (Love that place -- only been to that part of California twice, but the second time I drove an hour one-way just for the privilege.)

OK, it was more than two questions, more like two topics. Sue me.

[kikibalt]

Mr. B, two questions if you will:

1) Was Tony's hook a purely natural thing? Or was it more taught? And what are the keys to teaching a proper hook in your estimation?

2) Have you ever dined at Don Antonio's Mexican Cafe in L.A.? (Love that place -- only been to that part of California twice, but the second time I drove an hour one-way just for the privilege.)

OK, it was more than two questions, more like two topics. Sue me.
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Textbook left hook?

Saint, Tony's left hook was a natural thing. I just taught him to shorten it by sticking his elbow to his ribs and picking the elbow up and out as he threw the hook, turning the hand at the same time..

Never been to Don Antonio's. Where in L.A. is it that??

[Saintpat]

West LA, W Pico Blvd.

I don't know my way around Los Angeles very well, having only been there twice. It was recommended to me by locals.

About half the people eating there on a weeknight last time I went (18 months ago give or take) were Mexican-Americans, which I figure is a good sign. Hardly any of the staff spoke a word of English, another authentico sign.

It's a traditional 1960s or 70s style restaurant. The maitre d was an older fellow in a slightly to-tight old tuxedo, quaint booths, dark atmosphere, fish tank, etc. It's not dirt-cheap, but I'd hardly call it expensive. I think they have a dollar taco night to draw in students for tacos and cervezas.

If you are ever in the neighborhood, I hope you'll try it and give me your thoughts.

On the left hook, in my limited experience of a few years training some amateurs and pros, the ones who throw it well do so naturally. Main thing I'd try to teach those guys was to bring it back high, which the good hookers I ever came across never seemed to want to do -- dragging it back across their body. I do agree with the idea of extending the punch by opening up the angle of the arm to somewhere close to 90 degrees so it can be thrown from the outside without lunging.

Tony's hook was a thing of pure beauty. Naturally, it was the first thing I thought of when I saw a thread about him. What I love about that pic you just posted is how he has the right high and tight -- signs of someone who has been trained well in the fundamentals. The game needs more men like yourself.

[kikibalt]

West LA, W Pico Blvd.

I don't know my way around Los Angeles very well, having only been there twice. It was recommended to me by locals.

About half the people eating there on a weeknight last time I went (18 months ago give or take) were Mexican-Americans, which I figure is a good sign. Hardly any of the staff spoke a word of English, another authentico sign.

It's a traditional 1960s or 70s style restaurant. The maitre d was an older fellow in a slightly to-tight old tuxedo, quaint booths, dark atmosphere, fish tank, etc. It's not dirt-cheap, but I'd hardly call it expensive. I think they have a dollar taco night to draw in students for tacos and cervezas.

If you are ever in the neighborhood, I hope you'll try it and give me your thoughts.

On the left hook, in my limited experience of a few years training some amateurs and pros, the ones who throw it well do so naturally. Main thing I'd try to teach those guys was to bring it back high, which the good hookers I ever came across never seemed to want to do -- dragging it back across their body. I do agree with the idea of extending the punch by opening up the angle of the arm to somewhere close to 90 degrees so it can be thrown from the outside without lunging.

Tony's hook was a thing of pure beauty. Naturally, it was the first thing I thought of when I saw a thread about him. What I love about that pic you just posted is how he has the right high and tight -- signs of someone who has been trained well in the fundamentals. The game needs more men like yourself.
Thanks for the kind words Saint. Can't remember the last time I was on the West Side. I live about 25 miles east of downtown L.A. Now days I don't have much reasons to get out of the area, but if I find myself on the West Side I will look Don Antonio's up and let you know what I think about it.

I also taught my boys that when throwing a punch with one hand to keep the other one up close to their face. And all always to keep the elbows glue to their ribs.

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Tony "The Tiger" Baltazar, Alex Ramos and Bonnie and Danny "Little Red" Lopez

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Bobby Chacon, Georgie Latka, Willie Bean, Danny Valdez, Andy "The Hawk" Price and Frankie Baltazar in front.

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Tony "The Tiger" Baltazar, Hedgemon Lewis and Rodolfo "Gato" Gonsalez

[Saintpat]

Awesome pics!!!

Gato Gonzalez and Andy "Hawk" Price -- two guy I remember well from my early days watching the sport. And "Little Red," another favorite.

(Not to mention Tony)

[Saintpat]

Just to pick two at random:

Do you have any stories you can share about Tony's fight with Howard Davis, or Frankie's with Shig Fukuyama, a guy of some note who made a bit of an impact but seems forgotten.

[kikibalt]

Just to pick two at random:

Do you have any stories you can share about Tony's fight with Howard Davis, or Frankie's with Shig Fukuyama, a guy of some note who made a bit of an impact but seems forgotten.
Saint, here's a story I thought I would share on the Howard Davis fight written by a friend of mine, hope you enjoy it..Will get back to you on Frankie/Fukuyama later

By Phil Rice:

The mid-1980s represent something of a golden age for televised boxing. ESPN and USA had weekly boxing shows that often included all of the preliminary matches as well as the main events, so fans got a chance to see the up-and-coming fighters alongside the hard-working club-fighters who might not ever get beyond four-round status. HBO and Showtime programs featured big name attractions, and if a fan watched the cable listings closely, other boxing shows could be found on more obscure channels. But cable television was new and, though the technology was spreading at an enormous rate, as late as 1984 the majority of homes in the United States still picked up their television signal via antennae, which meant their viewing options consisted of ABC, NBC, CBS, and sometimes PBS.

The good news for the boxing fans without cable was that some of the sports' biggest match-ups were still shown live on network telecasts for free, though the viewer was usually forced to wait through various competitions, such as figure skating or skeet shooting, to get to the boxing match. And this is why Sunday, February 22, 1983 found me sitting in front of the television with CBS Sports Sunday on the screen. The telecast featured an indoor track meet, which was not something that would have normally appealed to my tastes but I was willing to keep the show on in anticipation of the intriguing boxing match being offered afterwards. Howard Davis, Jr. was set to box Tony Baltazar in a lightweight match-up.

Davis was a well-known athlete even to the casual sports fan because he had won a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics and had received the Val Barker Award as the outstanding boxer at those games. Afterwards he was considered a star-in-the-making and accordingly signed a huge contract with CBS Sports, but unlike his teammates Ray Leonard, John Tate, Leo Randolph, and brothers Leon and Michael Spinks, as of 1983 Davis had yet to fulfill his promise by winning a professional world championship. Not that he hadn't tried. In 1980 he traveled to Scotland to wrest the WBC crown from Jim Watt, but Watt retained the title with a unanimous decision.

Following his loss to Watt, Davis fought sporadically against good but carefully chosen opponents. With his record stalled at 21-1, he was now looking to drum up interest in a title shot against Ray Mancini, who had won the WBA title from Arturo Frias in an exciting one-round donnybrook. Mancini, a power puncher with a tough chin and enormous heart, was a popular champion and a television favorite, but most boxing insiders gave the slick boxing Davis a comfortable edge in the match-up. Conventional wisdom suggested that Mancini's only chance would be to land a knockout punch, and Davis's skills were considered more than up to the task of keeping him out of harm's way while he piled up the points with combinations from the outside.

In the midst of the build-up to a possible Davis-Mancini battle steps Tony "The Tiger" Baltazar. According to the pre-fight commentary, the fundamental elements of a classic boxer versus puncher encounter were present: a highly skilled defensive master with quick feet and fast hands against a powerful and presumably plodding tough guy with a big punch. The fact that the flashy boxer had shown a questionable chin in previous fights added the necessary element of suspense to the match-up, but the odds still heavily favored the supremely-skilled boxing master over the rugged slugger.

On paper Baltazar was an obvious choice as a tune-up for Davis because he brought many of the same weapons into the ring as Mancini—he was a tough power puncher with an excellent left hook who could be expected to last the distance in a losing effort. To again borrow the old boxing cliché, he only had a puncher's chance in the contest. At least that is what the boxing pundits suggested going into the bout. But, unbeknownst to most of the television viewers, "The Tiger" was much more than a rough brawler. The first clue came when commentator Gil Clancy mentioned that Baltazar "had a great amateur background. He was the National AAU champion . . . ."

Once the bell for round one rang, the Olympic champion began to discover what patrons of the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles had known for years—that Tony Baltazar was a well-trained, fine-tuned fighting machine with good defensive skills. And, as advertised, he also had power to spare.

My casual round-by-round summary of the fight.

Read rest of story below.

[kikibalt]

By Phil Rice:

Rd 1: Baltazar wins the round by confidently coming after Davis and landing a few punches. Davis moves around but does little offensively, apparently content to use the opening round to size up his opponent.

Baltazar's round, 5-4.

Rd 2: Davis comes out more assertive, throwing combinations and trying to take control of the fight while keeping the action on the outside. Baltazar is aggressive but seems to be impatient and anxious.

Davis's round, 5-4.

Rd 3: Davis is moving, throwing double and triple jabs followed by a right hand, using the ring; Baltazar is throwing a good jab but it's obvious that he's no match for Davis on the outside. He lands a good hook towards the end of the round but not much else.

Davis's round, 5-4.

Rd 4: Baltazar does not seem frustrated by Davis's speed and movement. Davis stays in command for the first minute and a half of the round, but then Baltazar lands a combination that changes the tenor. Suddenly Davis is not moving as much and Baltazar is able to get inside more effectively. With fifteen seconds to go in the round, Baltazar lands a thudding left hook to the body that gets everybody's attention.

Baltazar's round, 5-4.

Rd 5: Baltazar comes out in the fifth and lands a tremendous hook that sends Davis sprawling on the canvas. He struggles to his feet on unsteady legs as the referee counts. Baltazar comes right after him, and Davis immediately shows his world class sprinting ability. At first Baltazar seems a little overanxious, then he calms down—but he calms down a little too much. Davis is able to move around the ring and by mid round his head seems clear and he is throwing combinations again. As the round winds down Baltazar shows his own boxing skills with a powerful jab followed by precise combinations.

Baltazar's round, 5-3.

Rd 6: The first half of the round is evenly contested with Baltazar continuing to come forward and Davis skillfully moving. In the final minute of the round Baltazar slows down slightly and Davis flashes several combinations to gain an edge in scoring.

Davis's round, 5-4.

Rd 7: Another evenly contested round in the opening minute, but this time it's Baltazar who lands the more effective combinations to close the round. He bulls Davis in the corner on occasion and uses his superior strength on the inside.

Balatzar's round, 5-4.

Rd 8: Davis starts the round looking determined to take back control of the fight. He moves less and keeps his hands busy. Baltazar doesn't keep up the pace but he does land some solid punches to the body. In the final minute a perfect left hook drops Davis on his seat.

Baltazar's round, 5-3.

Rd 9: Sensing the fight slip away, Davis comes out aggressively looking to trade, but Baltazar is ready for him. It's a spirited round with Davis taking a very slight edge thanks to his speed and quantity of punches.

Davis's round, 5-4.

Rd 10: Davis continues to be aggressive, and he again gains a very slight edge in an exciting round.

Davis's round, 5-4.

The fight is officially scored on the round system with a supplemental points system to be used in the event of a draw. Because I was, as a fan, pulling for Baltazar, my scoring gives Davis the benefit of the doubt on the close rounds to offset my favoritism. My scorecard shows the fight even at 5 rounds apiece. Using the supplemental scoring system, Baltazar wins 45-43, thanks to the two knockdowns. But the official scorecards were 7-3, 8-2, and 5-4-1 for Davis, thus rendering the supplemental scoring system moot. The Olympic champion is still on course for a title shot.

Baltazar shakes his head when he hears the lopsided scoring as if he senses what is about to happen. When the final verdict in favor of Davis is announced he looks over at Frank Baltazar, his father and chief second, who flashes a cynical and resigned expression that seems to say "well son, we knew you'd have to knock him out to get the win."

Despite being on the victorious end of a highly debatable verdict (most observers felt Baltazar earned the victory), Howard Davis, Jr. proved that he was not only a brilliant boxer but that he possessed a champion's heart. He received more than he bargained for in his opponent this day—Baltazar was clearly a more complete fighter than Mancini—and he had weathered the storm admirably. He had also showed a willingness to get into the trenches and trade punches if necessary, though that was certainly not his preference.

His flawed performance made a fight with Mancini even more intriguing, but it never happened. When he did get another title shot it was against Edwin Rosario for the WBC title. Rosario was a skillful boxer-puncher with good power, and he was at the peak of what would prove to be his athletic prime. Davis lost a split decision, with two knockdowns—both from left hooks—making the difference in the scoring. He retired in 1996 with his goal of becoming a World Champion in the pro ranks unfulfilled, but his legacy of being one of the finest amateur boxers ever to lace up the gloves remains untarnished.

Stepping in against Howard Davis marked the big-time debut for Tony Baltazar, and his outstanding performance instantly elevated him to genuine contender status. As he would further demonstrate in subsequent fights, Baltazar possessed a professional demeanor, a sturdy chin, a tremendous heart, great power, and one of the best left hooks in the sport. Just five months after the Davis fight he was in the ring with Robin Blake, a tall power puncher who was receiving tons of media exposure. Baltazar and Blake traded bombs back and forth in one of the most exciting fights of the year. Once again Baltazar raised his stock in a losing effort, this time by ninth round technical knockout.

Unfortunately, like Davis, Baltazar never brought home a world title, but his resume is littered with victories over world-class opponents, most notably a decision victory over Roger Mayweather in 1984. Regardless of such baubles, "Tony the Tiger" proved that he was one of the best lightweights of his generation. Howard Davis, one must assume, would agree with that assessment.

More so than probably any other sport, assessing a boxer's career by looking at the final tally of wins and losses barely provides even a clue as to the athlete's true worth. Perhaps that's a point for the rest of us—that simple two dimensional analyses are ultimately superficial and deceptive. On February 22, 1983, Howard Davis, Jr. was awarded a victory, and from that day forward Tony Baltazar carried an "L10" on his record. But the story is much deeper and richer than those simple facts illustrate. The story is one of growth and fortitude, of living and breathing. And so it is that a single boxing match in the career of two legendary pugilists can stand as a definitive moment for each, regardless of whose hand was raised after the final bell.


Phil Rice, a native of Tennessee, currently lives and writes in Pittsburgh, Pa. He may be contacted at [Only registered and activated users can see links].

[johnmaff36]

.............You're absolutely right man. For all I know, the interview could have been cut short as far as the cameras were concerned, and he could have gone on and on about the victims of that crash, and I was remiss for not mentioning that in my earlier post. That is entirely possible. I'm glad to hear that about the charity. That makes me feel a bit better. I guess I'm just reacting from a purely instinctive feel from what I saw in that interview. I suppose without actually sitting dwn with the guy and hearing what he has to say in its non-edited entirety, I shouldn't be too quick to judge.

Very refreshing post. Good for you:good

[Saintpat]

Thanks for the story, Mr. B.

I haven't seen Tony-Davis since I saw it live. I remember coming away scratching my head over the crazy scoring system in place there.

[kikibalt]

Thanks for the story, Mr. B.

I haven't seen Tony-Davis since I saw it live. I remember coming away scratching my head over the crazy scoring system in place there.
About a week or so after the fight Bob Arum called me to ask if we would like a rematch, I said yes, Davis said no. I don't blame him for saying no....

[kikibalt]

Just to pick two at random:

Do you have any stories you can share about Tony's fight with Howard Davis, or Frankie's with Shig Fukuyama, a guy of some note who made a bit of an impact but seems forgotten.

Saint, there was not much drama in Frankie's and Shig fight, no trash talk, just two world class fighters mixing it up. Shig was able to hang with Frankie for about two rounds, after that Frankie's hands were just to fast for him. One or two fights later Fukuyama gave O'Grady a big scare, remember that one?

Back in those years the Olympic Auditorium would start the pro cards with two amateur fights. Below is something I wrote a while back of an amateur fight on Frankie's and Shig card...Soon after this I became the amateur matchmaker at the Olympic...read below.

A cross town rivalry between Tony Baltazar and John Montes had been building up in the late '70's. Both had being getting some good amateur wins, so it was just a matter of time that they fought. On our part we were ready to fight Montes at anytime. John Montes came into the Jr program scene in the early '70's, whereas Tony started in '64 and by the late '70's (1976) had already won a National Jr Olympic title, we felt that Tony was too experience for John at that point. At the time they fought Felix Villareal was the amateur matchmaker, Felix called me on a Monday and said that the Montes's wanted to fight Tony on Thursday night, I said okay, Felix then tells me that it has to be at '32, again I said okay, Tony can make '32 if that what they want I told Felix. Thursday morning we get to the weight-ins, Frankie is fighting the main against Shig Fukuyama, both Frankie and Tony made weight easy. That night before the fights started I ran into my uncle Florentino, my dad's brother, at the Olympic, he was with a group of Monte's fans, he told me that Tony better win as he was betting every one of his friend's that wanted to back Montes. Tony ended the fight with a beautiful left hook in under 30 seconds of the first round. Frankie stopped Fukuyama I believe in the fourth round...

[kikibalt]

Part of a story written by my friend, Rick Farris.

"In 1977, Don King and ABC-TV partnered to promote a televised professional boxing tournament that would crumble under the rumor of corruption, rigged ratings, etc. The ill-fated "U.S. Boxing Championships" may have been a failure for most concerned, but it provided Frank Baltazar Sr. an opportunity to meet and visit with one of his greatest boxing idols.

In April of that year, Frankie Baltazar Jr. had nine pro fights under his belt when Don King invited him to Miami Beach to face Francisco Villegas in the U.S. Championships. Frankie Jr. would knockout Villegas, however, the most exciting part of the trip for Frank Sr. wasn't his son's victory.

"Frankie and I went to Miami with Johnnie Flores, who was one of my cornermen for the fight", Frank Sr. remembered. "We needed somebody to take us around Miami while we were there, so Don King assigned us a driver.
You won't believe who King sent to drive us . . . JOE LOUIS!"

It turned out to be quite a day, because Johnnie Flores and Joe Louis had been friends since the war. "During the fifties, Louis promoted boxing in Hollywood, at the Moulan Rouge night club on Sunset. Johnnie Flores had been matchmaker for the former heavyweight champion, so, when they met again, they had a lot to talk about".

Before Joe Louis could take his place behind the steering wheel, Baltazar insisted that Louis allow him to drive, so as the Brown Bomber could sit in the backseat with his friend Flores, and share some incredible stories. "There's no way I could let the great Joe Louis chauffer me around town, he was one of my childhood idols", Baltazar said."

[Saintpat]

So many great stories. Thanks for sharing them.

I do remember Shig-O'Grady. Sean was a bloody mess, but he found a way that time. I always thought Sean didn't get quite enough credit, probably better than most think he was but not as good as some thought he would become.

[kikibalt]

By Randy De La O

I'm no fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr, never have been and most likely, never will be. What I am is a fan of the sport of boxing. As difficult as that can be at times, especially when someone like Mayweather is involved, I do try my absolute best to put aside my own personal bias and dislikes and focus just on the fighter and the fights. It's not always easy. Saturday night's fight between Mayweather and Victor Ortiz is a good example. Coming into this fight I wanted Ortiz to put the trash talking Mayweather in his place. I wasn't 100% sure he could but I was rooting for him to pull it off. The other reason I was rooting for Ortiz was that I wanted to see the guy redeem himself. I was hoping he would prove once and for all, that his blatant quitting in the Marcos Maidana fight was an anomaly, just something that happened, a one time quirky act. I thought that Ortiz understood what true character was, and that he was going to work like hell to prove himself. Maybe position himself along side some of the great fighters of the past.

Us guys from the West Coast and the L.A. fight scene are a proud bunch, We love our fighters and their exploits passionately. We have as rich a history in the sport as any town in the country, or the world too for that matter. We cherish and defend that history. The fighters that were either born here or came here to live and fight, range from the completely mediocre to the legendary. They trained at the Main Street Gym, the Teamsters Gym, the Hoover Street Gym and Canto Robledo's backyard gym. The names of these fighters stand with the best from anywhere in the world when it comes to courage, heart and fair play and they include fighters such as Manny Ortiz, Gil Cadilli, Kenny Teran, Art Aragon, Enrique Bolanos,Lauro Salas, Denny Moyer, Mando Ramos, Hedgeman Lewis, Randy Shields, Mando Muniz, Bobby Chacon, Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Rick Farris, Frankie Baltazar, Tony Baltazar, and more recently, Sugar Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya. I couldn't begin to list them all. Guys like Ruben Olivares, Chucho Castillo, Jesus Pimental came north from Mexico to lay it on the line at the Olympic Auditorium and the Forum because they knew L.A. was a fight town like no other and appreciated a fighter worth his salt. Art Hafey headed south from Canada to Southern California, to jump into the midst of what has come to be known as the "West Coast Featherweight Wars". The West Coast has been a hot bed of boxing for decades and L.A. has been the epicenter of it all. We don't care what nationality you are, what color you are are what your religion is. If you can fight and are willing, and can take it as good as you can give, than you are our kind of fighter. it's as simple as that. We'll be with you all the way.

Then along comes Victor Ortiz, wanting to stand tall with all the rest. Quit against Maidana and was given a second chance at a career. Positioned himself with one of the two pound for pound best fighters in the world, and was making a fight of it. Mayweather began picking up some steam and the fighter who has ironically come to be known as "Vicious" began to crumble. Ortiz had Mayweather against the ropes and was actually landing some good shots, when for reasons known only to him, he decided to take the low road with a headbutt so obviously intentionally a blind man would have had no trouble seeing it. Anomaly? No, lack of character, lack of true courage, a complete lack of fair play.

Am I being too harsh here? I don't think so. Given that Ortiz had a shot at redemption and spit in our eyes in the process, I think he's getting off easy. The crowd at the Staples Center, judging by the boos for Mayweather seem to be excusing Ortiz' behavior. Mayweather did what any sane fighter would and should do when facing a man who has already shown himself to be a cheater. I would lay some pretty good money that many of the same people that think Floyd sucker punched Ortiz, were jumping for joy a few years back when, Marco Antonio Barrera, like Mayweather, took matters into his own hands and grabbed Nassem Hamed in a half nelson and rammed him face first into the ring post. I don't recall ever hearing of one fan that thought Barrera was in the wrong. Neither was Floyd Mayweather in the wrong. But for the headbutt there would have been no controversy or knockout, at least not that particular knockout.

To borrow quote from Dorothy and "The Wizard of Oz", "Victor, you're not in Kansas anymore!"

[Sister Sledge]

This is great stuff. I remember watching the Davis-Baltizar fight and thinking Baltizar had it. Tony had the look of a future champion with crippling power and good looks. Nobody mentions that Tony could take a punch, too. He had an iron chin.

He was one of the better fighters that I've seen that never won a title.

[kikibalt]

This is great stuff. I remember watching the Davis-Baltizar fight and thinking Baltizar had it. Tony had the look of a future champion with crippling power and good looks. Nobody mentions that Tony could take a punch, too. He had an iron chin.

He was one of the better fighters that I've seen that never won a title.
Thanks Sister....:good

[kikibalt]

Tony "The Tiger" Baltazar became a grandpa for the time today, his daughter Nakojua gave birth to Aubrella Trinity Baltazar this morning.

[Titan1]

Tony "The Tiger" Baltazar became a grandpa for the time today, his daughter Nakojua gave birth to Aubrella Trinity Baltazar this morning.

Congrats:good!

[kikibalt]

Congrats:good!

Thanks Titan.

[nickthegreek]

Great thread.

Thanks for posting all your stories. Really enjoyed reading them.

Congrats to tony and his daughter too.

[kikibalt]

Great thread.

Thanks for posting all your stories. Really enjoyed reading them.

Congrats to tony and his daughter too.
Thanks Nick..

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Tony Baltazar v Roger Mayweather

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Chicano style breakfast...bacon & eggs, tortillas & home cook potatoes

That salsa was the bomb!!

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[kikibalt]

Olympic Auditorium
Dec.7, 1978

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Franco Thomas, Jimmy Lennon Sr. & Frankie Baltazar

[kikibalt]

New York City, New York- 1982 ([Only registered and activated users can see links])


By Frank “kiki” Baltazar

Frankie, Tony and I were in New York City for a meeting with Don King; Jimmy Montoya was also there among others. We had been there for about four days and Jimmy and I were dying for some Mexican food, we went out to find some. We were walking on 8th Avenue when we see a place with a big sign "Mexican Food-Burritos", we walked in and some Puerto Ricans are running the joint, we turned right around and walked out, we walked another block and we see an Italian place, we decided to go in and have some spaghetti and meatballs, we sat down and ordered, as we're sitting waiting for our food we could hear voices coming for the back of the place, I got up and walked to the back to check it out, there were about 4-5 guys shooting pool.

"Just some guys shooting pool" I said to Jimmy.

While we were eating Jimmy asked me if I had any money on me.
"I got some, why?"
"Lend me forty bucks" he said.

When we finish eating we walked back to where the guys were shooting pool. Jimmy asked if he could play.

"Sure, but we play for money"
"That okay" said Jimmy.

After 2-3 games Jimmy is down to his last ten bucks, he puts the ten bucks on one last game, he won the game.

"I want a rematch" the guy tells Jimmy.
"Sure, Jimmy said.
Jimmy beats him again, two more games and the dude is broke.

Another guy played Jimmy, Jimmy breaks him too after a few games

Now the first guy Jimmy played is on the phone, twenty minutes or so later a guy walks in with a stick in a real fancy case.
He got it on with Jimmy, while Jimmy is playing this guy the first one is getting drunk.

Jimmy breaks this one too after a few games, by this time the first guy is stinking drunk, he could barely stand up, but he walked up to Jimmy and says to Jimmy.
"You're good, but you drink too f*#king much"

Jimmy won eight hundred bucks; he played and won with my forty bucks, so I got four hundred bucks.

We were in New York City for a Don King press conference. It was to be held in a very fancy hotel. Men’s attire was suit and tie.
As Jimmy and I were walking back to our hotel he said to me that he didn’t bring a suit.

“Well. Jimmy, you just won four hundred’s bucks, buy one” I said to Jimmy.

“Hey! I can do that; let’s find a Men’s store”

We found one on 42th St. Jimmy looked at some suits and settle on a bluish one, if I remember right. The pants legs were alter in no time and we walked out of the store, Jimmy with a new suit.

After getting all dressed up the following day in suits, ties and since it was a cold February afternoon; also in overcoats; we left to walk to the press conference.

After a short walk in the snow we arrived at a very fancy hotel. We walked into a big ballroom where the press conference was to be held. We soon met Don King and he introduced us to actress/singer Eartha Kitt, actor/dancer Gregory Hines, singer James Brown and Al Sharpton.

As we were slipping out of our overcoats we started looking for our table, finding our table we sat down. We had been sitting for about twenty minutes when I happened to look at Jimmy’s suit sleeve; I leaned over and whispered in Jimmy’s ear: “Jimmy, look at your sleeve”. Jimmy looks at his left sleeve and right away he puts his arm under the table and starts pulling on the price tag he still had on the new suit sleeve.

[kikibalt]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Teamsters Boys Club boxers

Found this dated photo (circa 1965). Far left, Tony Baltazar, third from left, Tony "Boo" Campa, fifth from left, Frankie Baltazar, the Teamsters honchos, far right in the white T's, left Arturo Cordova and Richard Ruby.

[kikibalt]

Seasons greeting to all my ESB friends....Have a very Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. And may Tis Season bring you nothing but joy and happiness....Frank "kiki" Baltazar and family

[burt bienstock]

Seasons greeting to all my ESB friends....Have a very Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. And may Tis Season bring you nothing but joy and happiness....Frank "kiki" Baltazar and family
And to you sir,the best of season's...:good