Aguilera - Mexican American Boxing in Los Angeles

IMAGES
of America

MEXICAN AMERICAN
BOXING IN LOS ANGELES

This 1962 map covers the Greater Los Angeles area, where the majority of boxers in this book trained, fought, and lived. Downtown Los Angeles was the home of the Olympic Auditorium and Main St. Gym, making Southern California fertile ground for some of the best fighters that ever stepped into the ring.

ON THE COVER: This image shows young Mexican American boxer Herman Kid Montes in only his eighth fight at the Olympic Auditorium. It also captures the underlying emotions and drama that can occur inside the ring. Sponsor Bob Castillo (far left) took Montes as far as possible and was being replaced by new manager Bennie Georgino (behind Montes), father/trainer John Montes Sr. (second from left) worked his sons corner, and referee John Thomas (second from right) raises Montess arm, signifying victory. (Authors collection.)

IMAGES
of America

MEXICAN AMERICAN
BOXING IN LOS ANGELES

Gene Aguilera

Copyright 2014 by Gene Aguilera
ISBN 978-1-4671-3089-9
Ebook ISBN 9781439642726

Published by Arcadia Publishing
Charleston, South Carolina

Library of Congress Control Number: 201394360

For all general information, please contact Arcadia Publishing:
Telephone 843-853-2070
Fax 843-853-0044
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Toll-Free 1-888-313-2665

Visit us on the Internet at www.arcadiapublishing.com

This book is dedicated with forever love to my daughters Emily Aguilera and Melanie Aguilera, also to my Mama Carmen Aguilera and Aunt Maggie Cano.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to thank Maria Chuyita Aguilera, Emily Aguilera, Melanie Aguilera, and Monica Felix; Jeff Ruetsche, Jared Nelson, Elizabeth Bray, and Tim Sumerel of Arcadia Publishing; Ruben El Puas Olivares, Elba Aguilar Olivares, Mr. B. Jim Berklas, Lynn Berklas, Bob Recendez, Carlos Baeza, George Rodriguez, Rudy Tellez, Bert Sugar, Don Fraser, Dan Hanley, Richard Orozco, Frank kiki Baltazar Sr., and Jose J. Ramirez; his familyLorenzo Aguilera Jr., Ernest Aguilera, Julie Gillis, Jack Robledo, Debbie (Gillis) Rose, Eric Cazarez, Janelle Cazarez, Christien Cazarez, Lauri (Aguilera) Rey, Robert Aguilera, and Chuck Aguilera; boxer friends Mando Ramos, Armando Muniz, Carlos Palomino, Danny Little Red Lopez, Joey Olivo, Oscar The Boxer Muniz, Frankie Duarte, Johnny Wito Montes, Herman Kid Montes, Arturo Frias, Paul Gonzales, Zeffie Gonzalez, Danny Valdez, Ruben Castillo, Bobby Chacon, Alberto Superfly Sandoval, Rodolfo El Gato Gonzalez, Oscar De La Hoya, Chiquita Gonzalez, Ricardo Finito Lopez, Pipino Cuevas, Carlos Zarate, Alfonso Zamora, Orlando Canizales, Gaspar El Indio Ortega, Mighty Mike Anchondo, Rudy Chicano Hernandez, Rick Farris, Ersi Arvizu, and Leonard Siqueiros; Ed Brophy and Jeff Brophy of the International Boxing Hall of Fame; Fernando Ballin, Greg Schultz, Mike Archuleta, Hank Kaplan, Jack Hirsch, Joey Fiato, Melanie Fiato, Michael Spike Wiles, Jo Jo Torres, Tony Rivera, Dan Goossen, Jose Vazquez De La Torre, Johnny Flash Ortiz, Don Chargin, Lorraine Chargin, Jimmy Lennon Jr., John Beyrooty, Carol Steindler, Javier Ruiz, Fernando Garcia, Mario Bustamante, James Salas, Jorge Ruiz, Jose Ruiz, Chris Gaffney, Dave Alvin, Little Willie G., Larry Rendon, Ry Cooder, Jackson Browne, Cesar Rosas, Manuel Gonzales, Kid Ramos, Richard Scar Lopez, Mario Lobato, Allen Larman, Big Sandy, Rudy Regalado, Little Joe Hernandez, Raul Jaimes, Frank Acosta, Joe 5.0 Garcia, Eddie The Tailor Garcia, Tudy Galvan, DeAnn Valdez, Ernesto Peralta, Craig Newnes, Richard Diaz, A.J. Lopez, Oscar Valdez, Rudy Montano, Adolfo Perez, Juan Silva, Alan Swyer, Lou Manfra, Craig Hamilton, Joey Santomarco, Peter Tomlinson, Keith Stechman, John Gay, Fred Romano, Don Crutchfield, referee Michael Ortega, Ignacio De La Vega, Domenic Priore, Roberto Haro, Oscar Zeta Acosta, Harvey Kubernik, Joe Adame, Froylan Corona Montiel, Keith Kizer, John Flynn, Community Commerce Bank, Telacu, John Sheppard at Boxrec.com, Sports Illustrated, the Ring, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, and the Los Angeles Times.

INTRODUCTION

A couple of years ago while cleaning out my garage, I found a scrapbook my family had bought for me at Disneyland back in 1961. While looking through this personal gem, I saw all the things that were important to me as a young boy. Throughout my early years, I had cut and glued pictures of all my favorite Los Angeles sports teams (Dodgers, Angels, Rams, and Lakers), the British Invasion musical groups (Beatles, Dave Clark Five, Searchers, Gerry and the Pacemakers), and monster hot rod builder Ed Big Daddy Roth.

But tucked away on one of the pages were two pictures with captions that read Champion Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston. There it wasI needed no more proof. When Clay (Ali) first beat Liston for the world heavyweight title in 1964, I was 10 years old and boxing was flowing through my veins.

My intention with this book is to capture the colorful, flamboyant, and wonderful world of Mexican American Boxing in Los Angeles. From the minute they step into the ring, Mexican American fighters have electrified fans with their explosiveness and courage. Their big hearts provide for sensational ring warsnever a dull moment here, folks. Dont go buy a beer, because by the time you get back, the fight might be over! Local Los Angeles Mexican American boxers, such as Bobby Chacon and Frankie Duarte, knew that to give a punch, they had to take a punch.

You read about boxing in the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. You saw the gorgeous floating head boxing posters on the telephone poles. You went to the Olympic Auditorium to root for your favorite fighter. Chicano boxers rubbing elbows with Hollywood celebritiesit was a sociological culture all of its own. Fans idolized and shrewd promoters drooled over these Mexican American boxers that did battle every second of every round. And if the fight ended in a knockout? Well, thats even better. This type of aggressive boxing obviously made it easier for Los Angeles promoters, like Aileen Eaton and Don Fraser, to pack em in, giving the fans their moneys worth.

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 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.

Its sportsmanship at its highest degree. Boxing is a sport of technique, skill, and wit. It can pit scientific boxing vs. brute strength in sports purest form of competition. To quote musician Ry Cooder from his CD Chavez Ravine, The Olympic Auditorium, downtown, was the top-of-theline venue for East L.A. fighters in those days. But your life can change at the end of one punch. Like a good novella with highs and lows, twists and turns, you cant shake loose from the sport. Prefight hype can swallow you up, sometimes making the buildup better than the bout itself. But, ultimately, the relationship between boxers and fans is closer than any other sport.

From saving newspaper clippings of my favorite Mexican American boxers to hanging out at the Main St. Gym, from listening to bar talk of fans arguing whos the best to watching Saturday night fights on Channel 34 from Mexico, and from going to the Olympic Auditorium and the Fabulous Forum to the bright lights of Las Vegas, I have, unknowingly, been preparing all my life to write this book. It is a blessing to make a yearly pilgrimage to the holy land of boxing, the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, accompanying the greatest bantamweight of all time, Ruben Olivares.