For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2019 Boxing Obituaries PART TWO

Published

5 years ago

December 31, 2019

For-Whom-the-Bell-Tolled-2019-Boxing-Obituaries-Part-Two

The second half of 2019 was mottled by a particularly sorrowful July during which two fighters died from ring injuries suffered in fights staged one day apart. We pay tribute to them here in our annual year-end obituary page and toast the memory of other boxing personalities that left us this year. This is a continuation of Part One which covered January through May.

June 1 – J.T. ROSS – A World War II combat veteran, Ross, a tall middleweight, crammed 47 fights into a pro career that consumed less than five full years. He fought almost exclusively in central and northern California, but had his farewell fight in Madison Square Garden where he was stopped by Eugene “Silent” Hairston, reducing his final record to 41-5-2. At age 94 in Gilroy, CA.

June 8 – BILLY JOINER – He won the 1962 National Golden Gloves and AAU tournaments as a light heavyweight before turning pro under the management of George Gainford who also handled Sugar Ray Robinson. A small heavyweight, Joiner was only 12-13-3 as a pro, but he was matched tough, opposing Sonny Liston twice, Larry Holmes, and Oscar Bonavena in what would be Bonavena’s final fight. At age 81 in Springdale, OH.

June 22 – WILLIE MONROE – “Willie the Worm,” who turned pro at the Blue Horizon, stood tall in an era when Philadelphia was a hornet’s next of talented middleweights. In 1976 he outpointed Marvin Hagler and although Hagler would avenge that loss twice, Monroe would remain the only man to defeat Marvelous Marvin non-controversially. He finished 40-10-1 (26 KOs). At age 73 from complications of Alzheimer’s in the Philadelphia suburb of Sicklerville, NJ.

June 22 – EARL LARGE – The New Mexico featherweight was a regional attraction in the southwest and in Northern Mexico during a 12-year career in which he was 39-17-2. Before turning pro, Large, whose nickname was Soul Brother, was a national AAU and national Golden Gloves champion. At age 72 in Clovis, New Mexico.

July 14 – PERNELL WHITAKER – “Sweet Pea” breezed through the lightweight competition at the 1984 LA Olympics and went on to win world titles in four weight classes. One of the greatest defensive fighters in the annals of the sport, the crafty southpaw was 40-1-1 through his first 42 fights with both blemishes assailed as rip-offs. He was 55 when he was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking across a busy intersection in Virginia Beach, VA.

July 23 – MAXIM DADASHEV – A stablemate of Vasyl Lomachenko, Dadashev faced fellow unbeaten Subriel Matias at the MGM Grand National Harbor in Maryland on July 19 in a match billed for a 140-pound title eliminator. After 11 rounds, Dadashev insisted that he wanted to keep going but was overruled by his trainer Buddy McGirt who pulled him out. He left the arena in an ambulance and died four days later following emergency brain surgery. Laid to rest in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Russia, Dadashev was 28.

July 25 – HUGO ALFREDO SANTILLAN – The Argentine lightweight battled Uruguay’s Eduardo Abreu to a 10-round draw on July 20. As he was awaiting the decision, he passed out in the ring, fell into a coma, and died three days later at a hospital in Buenos Aires. A former South American super featherweight champion, Santillan (19-6-2) was 23 years old.

July 31 – BEAU WILLIFORD – A heavyweight, Williford didn’t go far as fighter, but became an important cog in the boxing apparatus — amateur and pro — from his base in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he ran the Ragin Cajun Boxing Club. He promoted dozens of small-budget shows up and down the Gulf Coast and into Oklahoma and was one of the most well-liked people in the industry. At age 69 (some say 72) in Lafayette.

Aug. 3 – JEAN CLAUDE BOUTTIER – A major celebrity in France during his boxing heyday, Bouttier compiled a record of 64-7-1 (43 KOs) during a 10-year career that began in 1965. He went 27 rounds with Carlos Monzon in two futile stabs at Monzon’s world middleweight title. In retirement, Bouttier worked as a movie actor and TV sports commentator. At age 74 in Gourney-sur-Marne, France.

Aug. 16 – JOSE NAPOLES – They said Napoles was as smooth as butter, hence his nickname, Mantequilla. He left Cuba when Fidel Castro came to power and came to the fore in Mexico City. Napoles was 15-2 in world welterweight title fights during an era when there were only two reputable sanctioning bodies. He finished his career with a mark of 81-7 (54 KOs) and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the inaugural class of 1990. At age 79 (or thereabouts) in Mexico City from complications of diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Aug. 24 – ARTHUR RAMALHO – He was called the patriarch of pugilism in Lowell, Massachusetts, a town with a rich boxing tradition. Ramalho’s West End Gym, which he opened in 1973, spawned numerous New England Golden Gloves champions and was featured in the movie “The Fighter,” wherein Mark Wahlberg portrayed Lowell boxing legend Micky Ward. At age 84 of lung cancer.

Oct. 9 – PADDY GRAHAM – Belfast’s Graham was 33-19-1 over the course of a 10-year career that began in 1953. A lightweight who matured into a welterweight, Graham’s opponents included Willie Toweel and future world title challenger Ted Wight. At age 87 of kidney failure in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Oct. 11 – ELOY PEREZ – Born in Mexico, Perez came to the U.S. as a toddler and grew up in largely rural Thurston County in the state of Washington. He suffered his lone defeat in what would be his final pro fight when he was stopped in the fourth round by defending WBO 130-pound champion Adrien Broner, finishing 23-1-2. Following a series of legal problems, he was deported to Mexico, dying in Tijuana at age 32. Some say a suicide and others say he was murdered.

Oct. 16 – PATRICK DAY – A 2012 U.S. Olympic Team alternate, Day suffered a traumatic head injury during the 10^th round of a 10-round fight in Chicago with 2016 Olympian Charles Conwell and died four days later without regaining consciousness. Raised in a comfortable middle class home in Freeport, New York (his father was a physician), the extremely well-liked Day was 27 years old at the time of his passing.

Patrick Day

Oct. 30 – DON FRASER – “Dandy Don,” who entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005, was a major cog on the Southern California boxing scene for parts of eight decades during which he wore many hats, e.g., publicist, matchmaker, promoter. At age 92 of a sudden brain aneurism at his home in Toluca Lake, CA.

Nov. 9 – DWIGHT RITCHIE – An indigenous Australian from the state of Victoria, nicknamed the Fighting Cowboy, he collapsed after absorbing a body punch in a routine sparring session with Jack Brubaker and could not be revived. He finished 19-2 after coming up short vs Tim Tszyu in a ballyhooed fight for Australian 154-pound supremacy. Ritchie was 27.

Nov. 9 – ALAN RODRIGUES – After purchasing the Silver Nugget, a small North Las Vegas casino, Rodrigues converted the basement into a boxing pavilion and juiced up the club scene with shows featuring local talent such as a past-his-prime Roger Mayweather. He would later serve time in a federal correctional institution for telemarketing scams. At age 60 in Henderson, NV.

Nov. 13 – JAMES J. BEATTIE – The six-foot-nine Beattie, whose middle name was actually William, attracted a lot of buzz early in his career but a second loss to James J. Woody sent his stock plummeting. He finished with a mark of 40-10 (32 KOs) that included losses to world title challengers Buster Mathis, Leroy Jones, and Gopher State rival Scott LeDoux. Beattie portrayed Jess Willard in the movie “The Great White Hope.” At age 77 in New Brighton, Minnesota.

Dec. 17 – SAOUL MAMBY – Mamby, who grew up in the Bronx and served a tour of duty in Viet Nam, won the WBC super lightweight title in 1979 in Korea and successfully defended it five times, but would be best remembered as the greyest of boxing’s greybeards, having had his last pro fight at age 61. In a career that spanned five decades, Mamby was routinely matched tough, opposing 12 former or future world champions while building a record of 45-34-6. At age 72. Details are vague.

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Arne K. Lang

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L.A.’s Rudy Hernandez is the 2024 TSS Trainer of the Year

Published

2 days ago

December 16, 2024

Arne K. Lang

L.A.’s Rudy Hernandez is the 2024 TSS Trainer of the Year

If asked to name a prominent boxing trainer who operates out of a gym in Los Angeles, the name Freddie Roach would jump immediately to mind. Best known for his work with Manny Pacquaio, Roach has been named the Trainer of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America a record seven times.

A mere seven miles from Roach’s iconic Wild Card Gym is the gym that Rudy Hernandez now calls home. Situated in the Little Tokyo neighborhood in downtown Los Angeles, the L.A. Boxing Gym – a relatively new addition to the SoCal boxing landscape — is as nondescript as its name. From the outside, one would not guess that two reigning world champions, Junto Nakatani and Anthony Olascuaga, were forged there.

As Freddie Roach will be forever linked with Manny Pacquiao, so will Rudy Hernandez be linked with Nakatani. The Japanese boxer was only 15 years old when his parents packed him off to the United States to be tutored by Hernandez. With Hernandez in his corner, the lanky southpaw won titles at 112 and 115 and currently holds the WBO bantamweight (118) belt. In his last start, he knocked out his Thai opponent, a 77-fight veteran who had never been stopped, advancing his record to 29-0 (22 KOs).

Nakatani’s name now appears on several pound-for-pound lists. A match with Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue is brewing. When that match comes to fruition, it will be the grandest domestic showdown in Japanese boxing history.

“Junto Nakatani is the greatest fighter I’ve ever trained. It’s easy to work with him because even when he came to me at age 15, his focus was only on boxing. It was to be a champion one day and nothing interfered with that dream,” Hernandez told sports journalist Manouk Akopyan writing for Boxing Scene.

Akin to Nakatani, Rudy Hernandez built Anthony Olascuaga from scratch. The LA native was rucked out of obscurity in April of 2023 when Jonathan Gonzalez contracted pneumonia and was forced to withdraw from his date in Tokyo with lineal light flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji. Olascuaga, with only five pro fights under his belt, filled the breach on 10 days’ notice and although he lost (TKO by 9), he earned kudos for his gritty performance against the man recognized as the best fighter in his weight class.

Two fights later, back in Tokyo, Olascuaga copped the WBO world flyweight title with a third-round stoppage of Riku Kano. His first defense came in October, again in Japan, and Olascuaga retained his belt with a first-round stoppage of the aforementioned Gonzalez. (This bout was originally ruled a no-contest as it ended after Gonzalez suffered a cut from an accidental clash of heads. But the referee ruled that Gonzalez was fit to continue before the Puerto Rican said “no mas,” alleging his vision was impaired, and the WBO upheld a protest from the Olascuaga camp and changed the result to a TKO. Regardless, Rudy Hernandez’s fighter would have kept his title.)

Hernandez, 62, is the brother of the late Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez. A two-time world title-holder at 130 pounds who fought the likes of Azumah Nelson, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr., Chicanito passed away in 2011, a cancer victim at age 45.

Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez was one of the most popular fighters in the Hispanic communities of Southern California. Rudy Hernandez, a late bloomer of sorts – at least in terms of public recognition — has kept his brother’s flame alive with own achievements. He is a worthy honoree for the 2024 Trainer of the Year.

Note: This is the first in our series of annual awards. The others will arrive sporadically over the next two weeks.

Photo credit: Steve Kim

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A Shocker in Tijuana: Bruno Surace KOs Jaime Munguia !!

Published

3 days ago

December 15, 2024

Arne K. Lang

A-Shocker-in-Tijuana-Bruno-Sarace-KOs-Jaime-Munguia

It was a chilly night in Tijuana when Jaime Munguia entered the ring for his homecoming fight with Bruno Surace. The main event of a Zanfer/Top Rank co-promotion, Munguia vs. Surace was staged in the city’s 30,000-seat soccer stadium a stone’s throw from the U.S. border in the San Diego metroplex.

Surace, a Frenchman, brought a 25-0-2 record and a 22-fight winning streak, but a quick glance at his record showed that he had scant chance of holding his own with the house fighter. Only four of Surace’s 25 wins had come by stoppage and only eight of his wins had come against opponents with winning records. Munguia was making the first start in the city of his birth since February 2022. Surace had never fought outside Europe.

But hold the phone!

After losing every round heading into the sixth, Surace scored the Upset of the Year, ending the contest with a one-punch knockout.

It looked like a short and easy night for Munguia when he knocked Surace down with a left hook in the second stanza. From that point on, the Frenchman fought off his back foot, often with back to the ropes, throwing punches only in spurts. Munguia worked the body well and was seemingly on the way to wearing him down when he was struck by lightning in the form of an overhand right.

Down went Munguia, landing on his back. He struggled to get to his feet, but the referee waived it off a nano-second before reaching “10.” The official time was 2:36 of round six.

Munguia, who was 44-1 heading in with 35 KOs, was as high as a 35/1 favorite. In his only defeat, he had gone the distance with Canelo Alvarez. This was the biggest upset by a French fighter since Rene Jacquot outpointed Donald Curry in 1989 and Jacquot had the advantage of fighting in his homeland.

Co-Main

Mexico City’s Alan Picasso, ranked #1 by the WBC at 122 pounds, scored a third-round stoppage of last-minute sub Yehison Cuello in a scheduled 10-rounder contested at featherweight. Picaso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) is a solid technician. He ended the bout with a left to the rib cage, a punch that weaved around Cuello’s elbow and didn’t appear to be especially hard. The referee stopped his count at “nine” and waived the fight off.

A 29-year-old Colombian who reportedly had been training in Tijuana, the overmatched Cuello slumped to 13-3-1.

Other Bouts of Note

In a ho-hum affair, junior middleweight Jorge Garcia advanced to 32-4 (26) with a 10-round unanimous decision over Uzbekistan’s Kudratillo Abudukakhorov (20-4). The judges had it 97-92 and 99-90 twice. There were no knockdowns, but Garcia had a point deducted in round eight for low blows.

Garcia displayed none of the power that he showed in his most recent fight three months ago in Arizona and when he knocked out his German opponent in 46 seconds. Abudukakhorov, who has competed mostly as a welterweight, came in at 158 1/4 pounds and didn’t look in the best of shape. The Uzbek was purportedly 170-10 as an amateur (4-5 per boxrec).

Super bantamweight Sebastian Hernandez improved to 18-0 (17 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of Argentine import Sergio Martin (14-5). The end came at the 2:39 mark of round seven when Martin’s corner threw in the towel. Earlier in the round, Martin lost his mouthpiece and had a point deducted for holding.

Hernandez wasn’t all that impressive considering the high expectations born of his high knockout ratio, but appeared to have injured his right hand during the sixth round.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Ringside in Ontario where Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel Battled to a Spirited Draw

Published

3 days ago

December 14, 2024

David A. Avila

Ringside in Ontario where Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel Battled to a Spirited Draw

ONTARIO, CA -Two SoCal welterweights battled to a majority draw and Ohio’s Charles Conwell wowed the crowd with precision and power in his victory.

In the main event Alexis Rocha sought to prove his loss a year ago was a fluke and Raul Curiel sought to prove he belongs with the contenders.

Both got their wish.

After 12 rounds of back-and-forth exchanges, Rocha (25-2-1, 16 KOs) and Curiel (15-0-1, 13 KOs) battled to a stalemate in front of more than 5,000 fans at Toyota Arena. No oner seemed surprised by the majority decision draw.

“We got one for the people It was a Rocha landed impressive blows while Curiel just could not seem to get the motor running.

Things turned around in seventh round.

During the first half of the fight, it looked like Rocha’s experience in big events would be too much for Curiel to handle. Rocha landed impressive blows while Curiel just could not seem to get the motor running.

Things turned around in seventh round.

Maybe trainer Freddie Roach’s words got to Curiel. The Mexican Olympian who now lives in the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, suddenly planted his feet and ripped off five- and six-punch combinations. It was do or die.

The change of tactics forced Rocha to make changes too especially after absorbing several ripping uppercuts from Curiel.

Back and forth the welterweights exchanged and neither fighter could take charge. And neither fighter was knocked down though each both connected with sweat-tossing blows.

The two fighters battled until the final seconds of the fight. After 12 blistering rounds, one judge saw Rocha the winner 116-112, while the two other judges scored it 114-114 for a majority draw.

“I respect this guy. It was 12 rounds of war,” said Santa Ana’s Rocha.

Curiel felt the same.

“I respect Rocha. He is a good southpaw,” Curiel repeated. “Let’s do it again.”

Battle of Undefeated Super Welterweights

Few knew what to expect with undefeated Charles Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) facing undefeated Argentine Gerardo Vergara (20-1, 13 KOs). You never what to expect with Argentine fighters.

Conwell, a U.S. Olympian, showed why many consider him the best kept secret in boxing with a steady attack behind impressive defense. He needed it against Vergara, a very strong southpaw.

Vergara seemed a little puzzled by Conwell’s constant pressure. He might have expected a hit-and-run kind of fighter instead of a steamroller like the Ohio warrior.

Once the two fighters got heated up in the cold arena, the blows began to come more often and more powerfully. Conwell in particular stood right in front of the Argentine and bobbed and weaved through the South American fighter’s attack. And suddenly unleashed rocket rights and left hooks off Vergara’s chin.

Nothing happened expect blood from his nose for several rounds.

For six rounds Conwell blasted away at Vergara’s chin and jaw and nothing seemed to faze the Argentine. Then, Conwell targeted the body and suddenly things opened up. Vergara was caught trying to decide what to protect when a left hook jolted the Argentine. Suddenly Conwell erupted with a stream of left hooks and rights with almost everything connecting with power.

Referee Thomas Taylor jumped in to stop the fight at 2:51 of the seventh round. Conwell finally chopped down the Argentine tree for the knockout win. The fans gasped at the suddenness of the victory.

“We broke him down,” Conwell said.

It was impressive.

Other Bouts

Popular John “Scrappy” Ramirez (14-1, 9 KOs) started slowly against Texas left-hander Ephraim Bui (10-1, 8 KOs) but gained momentum behind accurate right uppercuts to swing the momentum and win a regional super flyweight title by unanimous decision after 10 rounds

Bui opened the fight behind some accurate lead lefts, but once Ramirez found the solution he took the fight inside and repeatedly jolted the taller Texas fighter with that blow.

Ramirez, who is based in Los Angeles, gained momentum and confidence and kept control with movements left and right that kept Bui unable to regain the advantage. No knockdowns were scored as all three judges scored the fight 97-93 for Ramirez.

A battle between former flyweight world champions saw Marlen Esparza (15-2, 1 KO) pull away after several early contentious rounds against Mexico’s Arely Mucino (32-5-2, 11 KOs). Left hooks staggered Esparza early in the fight.

Esparza always could take a punch and after figuring out what not to do, she began rolling up points behind pinpoint punching and pot shots. Soon, it was evident she could hit and move and took over the last three rounds of the fight.

Mucino never stopped attacking and was successful with long left hooks and shots to the body, but once Esparza began launching impressive pot shots, the Mexican fighter never could figure out a solution.

After 10 rounds two judges scored it 98-92 and a third judge saw it 97-93 all for Esparza.

Victor Morales (20-0-1, 10 KOs) won by technical knockout over Mexico’s Juan Guardado (16-3-1, 6 KOs) due to a bad cut above the right eye. It was a learning experience for Morales who hails from Washington.

Left hooks were the problem for Morales who could not avoid a left hook throughout the super featherweight fight. Guardado staggered Morales at least three times with counter left hooks. But Morales turned things around by controlling the last three rounds behind a jolting left jab that controlled the distance.

At one second of the eighth round, referee Ray Corona stopped the fight to allow the ringside physician to examine the swelling and cut. It was decided that the fight should stop. Morales was awarded the win by technical knockout.

A super bantamweight fight saw Jorge Chavez (13-0, 8 KOs) score two knockdowns on way to a unanimous decision over Uruguay’s Ruben Casero (12-4, 4 KOs) after eight rounds. Chavez fights out of Tijuana, Mexico.

Photo credit: Al Applerose

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