60 Years Ago This Week, Cassius Clay Brightens Up The Eternal City

Published

4 years ago

August 20, 2020

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On Aug. 17, 1960, the first of five planeloads of U.S. Olympians arrived in Rome. The boxers came with the first wave because boxing would be first on the “bout sheet,” beginning right after the opening ceremonies on Aug. 25. Three members of that team would win gold medals including the heavily touted Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., an 18-year-old light heavyweight from Louisville.

Amateur boxers got a lot more exposure back in those days. The previous year, Clay’s bout with Tony Madigan was televised nationally on ABC along with two other bouts from Chicago Stadium. The occasion was the annual Chicago/New York Inter-City Golden Gloves meet matching the top amateurs from the East and West.

Tony Madigan was a two-time Olympian for Australia. He had taken up residence in Rye, New York, a bedroom community of New York City, for the purpose of honing his game under the schooling of Cus D’Amato who had guided 17-year-old Floyd Patterson to a gold medal in the 1952 Games in Helsinki. With all that experience, it wasn’t surprising that Madigan outclassed the field in his weight division in the New York tournament.

Tony Madigan was 29 years old. Cassius Clay was 17. It was boy against man in Chicago and the boy won. Madigan pressed the action, but Clay’s “pointed combinations” prevailed.

Clay won several more tournaments after that, most notably the 1960 Olympic Trials in San Francisco. He almost didn’t go because he had a phobia of flying.

The stars of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team were flag-bearer Rafer Johnson who set an Olympic record in the decathlon, sprinter Wilma Rudolph who took home three gold medals and was proclaimed the fastest woman in the world, and a basketball team starring Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas that clobbered their eight opponents by an average of 42.4 points per game.

And, of course, the kid from Louisville who knocked off old foe Tony Madigan in the semi-finals and then on Sept. 5 conquered a Polish southpaw with an impossibly long name to capture the gold. But the kid wasn’t celebrated for only what he accomplished in the ring.

If I may digress for a moment, Dr. Robert Voy, who runs a sports medicine clinic in Las Vegas (and still practices at age 87) has worked with numerous Olympians over the years, both Summer and Winter. Voy, who was the Chief Medical Officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1984-89, once told this reporter that of all the athletes, he most enjoyed working with the boxers because they were the most unspoiled. There were no prima donnas in their ranks; that came later after they turned pro and were exposed to all the venal characters that inhabit the sport at the professional level.

Dr. Voy wasn’t in Rome in 1960; that was a little before his time. But if he had been there, he would have had a very pleasant time interacting with the unspoiled kid from Louisville.

In Rome, the Eternal City, Cassius Clay was the unofficial Mayor of Olympic Village. He was dubbed as such because of his outgoing personality. “Cassius Marcellus Clay is a delightful, refreshing, naïve extrovert,” wrote Sid Ziff, on assignment for the Los Angeles Mirror. “Completely without inhibitions, he even made friends instantly with the Russians. He stopped a party of them marching to their quarters, refused to be rebuffed and soon had his picture being taken with their arms around him, everyone wearing ear-to-ear smiles.”

Let’s put this into context. In the year 1960, relationships between the U.S. and Russia were especially tense. We were in the midst of the Cold War. On the very same week that the U.S. boxing team arrived in Rome, CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers was convicted of espionage in a Russian court after his U-2 plane was shot down on a reconnaissance mission. Air raid drills in American public schools hadn’t yet run their course. The possibility of a nuclear confrontation between the two superpowers seemed very real.

If Americans weren’t conditioned to despise the Russians (the “lousy Commies”), they were at least conditioned to be wary of them. And the Russians undoubtedly felt the same way toward us. But no one told the kid from Louisville.

The purpose of the Olympic Games, at least in theory, is to build a more peaceful world through “mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.” In the Olympic Village of Rome in 1960, no one better embodied the Olympic spirit than Cassius Clay. “We’d walk around and he’d go up to (strangers) and shake their hands,” recollected his teammate Wilbert “Skeeter” McClure. He seldom went anywhere without his camera. He was building a scrapbook to show the folks back home.

Back home in Louisville, he received a royal welcome. He was feted at a ceremony at Central High School, his alma mater. “When we consider all the efforts that are being made to undermine the prestige of America, we can be grateful we had such a fine ambassador as Cassius to send over to Italy,” said Atwood Wilson, the school’s Principal. “If all young people could handle themselves as well as he does, we wouldn’t have any juvenile problems,” added Louisville Mayor Bruce Hobitzell. “He’s a swell kid.”

Cassius was named after his father. There were other Cassius Marcellus Clay’s in Louisville as the boxer was growing up there, including a prominent State Senator. The others were white folks, descendants of the original Cassius Marcellus Clay, a fiery abolitionist who among other things donated the land for Berea College, the first racially integrated college in the South when it opened in 1855.

Cassius liked his name back then, he thought it had a nice ring to it, but as we know he would eventually abandon it. Under his new name, Muhammad Ali, he became a polarizing figure, a man beloved by millions around the world but yet loathed by many of his countrymen. He was a shoo-in for Fighter of the Year in 1966 after making five successful heavyweight title defenses, but The Ring magazine, the sport’s self-proclaimed Bible, refused to recognize him and left the laurel vacant. “Most emphatically,” wrote Nat Fleischer, the magazine’s founder and editor, “(Ali) could not be held up as an example to the youngsters in the United States.”

Over time, Fleischer’s opinion got turned on its head. Ali came to be seen as a positive role model, a “tireless humanitarian and philanthropist” in the words of the press release announcing that he had been selected to receive the prestigious Liberty Award, an honor that came his way in 2012. Last year, three years after his death, Louisville honored him by naming the city’s airport after him.

Muhammad Ali, the former Cassius Clay, the “swell kid” from Louisville, would go on to become the most famous person on the planet. At the height of his fame, it was said of him that if he dropped out of the sky and landed on a remote island where there was no television, no newspapers or magazines, the natives would still recognize him. And his first step in becoming a global superstar came 60 years ago this week in Rome, the Eternal City.

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Arne K. Lang

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Ramirez Outpoints Barthelemy and Vergil Ortiz Scores Another Fast KO in Fresno

Published

9 hours ago

April 27, 2024

David A. Avila

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Northern California favorite Jose Ramirez avoided an upset and knockout artist Vergil Ortiz destroyed his opponent on Saturday to set up a showdown with Australia’s power-punching Tim Tszyu.

After a 13-month layoff Ramirez (29-1, 18 KOs) shook off ring rust and avoided an upset by Cuba’s Rances Barthelemy (30-3-1, 15 KOs) in a battle between former world champions at Save Mart Center in Fresno.

It was Ramirez’s first bout under Golden Boy Promotions and he was nearly derailed by the slick counter-punching southpaw in the third and six rounds with laser left counters that connected every time. Though he was floored in the third round it was ruled a push down by referee Jack Reiss.

Fans gasped.

“He throws that left hand and I got hit with it in one round,” Ramirez said. “It motivated him.”

Once Ramirez figured out the remedy, he kept the fight inside and attacked the body and head. Barthelemy was unable to uncork one of his long lefts at close distance.

From the seventh round on the former super lightweight champion took control and kept the Cuban fighter against the ropes and unloaded shots to the body and head. He nearly forced a stoppage in the 11^th round.

Barthelemy survived but all three judges scored it big for Ramirez after 12 rounds: 119-109 twice and 118-110.

Vergil KOs Number 21

Knowing a win sets up a massive showdown against Aussie slugger Tim Tszyu, the Texas slugger Vergil Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs) wasted no time in blasting out Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (26-7-1, 17 KOs) with a perfectly placed left hook to the body. Dulorme collapsed to the ground in agony.

Referee Tom Taylor stopped counting at 2:39 of the first round.

“It was a very calculated punch,” Ortiz said.

It was a commanding one round performance that sets up the showdown against the equally powerful Tszyu who despite losing a split decision to Sebastian Fundora last month by split decision, retains his reputation as a dangerous puncher.

Ortiz, who has 21 knockouts in 21 fights, will probably be fighting Tszyu in Los Angeles on June 1 if all negotiations go smoothly.

“Tim (Tszyu) I know you are watching the fight,” said Ortiz. “I’m ready. Let’s put on a great performance.”

Other Bouts

Oscar Duarte (27-2-1, 22 KOs) proved his knockout loss against Ryan Garcia would not stop him from improving as he defeated Jojo Diaz (33-6-1) by knockout at 2:32 of the ninth round in a super lightweight match. Referee Michael Margado wisely stopped the bludgeoning as a towel came flying in almost simultaneously.

It was the first time Diaz was ever defeated by knockout, though he never touched the canvas. It was also the first time Duarte trained with Robert Garcia and the difference was notable as he repeatedly walked through incoming fire and attacked the smaller fighter continuously.

“I want to fight the best in the world,” Duarte said.

Female Title Fight

A rematch battle for the flyweight championship saw Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz (15-1) defeat Marlen Esparza (14-2) this time with a two-fisted attack to win by split decision after 10 rounds.

Esparza failed to make weight and walked in three pounds overweight and Alaniz took advantage to win the WBA, WBC, and WBO flyweight titles in the rematch. Once again the scores were puzzling but this time in favor of Alaniz 97-93, 96-94, and 92-98.

Alaniz now holds the WBO, WBA, WBC flyweight world titles.

Welterweights

Mexico’s Raul Curiel (15-0, 13 KOs) busted body shots on Jorge Marron Jr. (20-5-2) and floored him twice in the first round. The second body blow left Marron paralyzed and unable to continue at 1:31 of the first round as referee Thomas Taylor counted him out.

Curiel, who is managed by Frank Espinoza and son, proved he’s ready for the upper levels of the welterweight division.

“I think I’m ready for the bigger names,” Curiel said. “You see the results.”

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 282: Ryan’s Song, Golden Boy in Fresno and More

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 282: Ryan’s Song, Golden Boy in Fresno and More

Don’t call it an upset.

Days after Ryan Garcia proved the experts wrong, those same experts are re-tooling their evaluation processes.

It’s mind-boggling to me that 95 percent thought Garcia had no chance. Hear me out.

First, Garcia and Haney fought six times as amateurs with each winning three. But this time with no head gear and smaller gloves, Garcia had to have at least a 50/50 chance of winning. He is faster and a more powerful puncher.

Facts.

Haney is a wonderful boxer with smooth, almost artistic movements. But history has taught us power and speed like Garcia’s can’t be discounted. Think way back to legendary fighters like Willie Pep and Sandy Sadler. All that excellent defensive skill could not prevent Sadler from beating Pep in three of their four meetings.

Power has always been an equalizer against boxing skill.

Ben Lira, one of the wisest and most experienced trainers in Southern California, always professed knockout power was the greatest equalizer in a fight. “You can be behind for nine rounds and one punch can change the outcome,” he said.

Another weird theory spreading before the fight was that Garcia would quit in the fight. That was a puzzling one. Getting stopped by a perfect body shot is not quitting. And that punch came from Gervonta “Tank” Davis who can really crack.

So how did Garcia do it?

In the opening round Ryan Garcia timed Devin Haney’s jab and countered with a snapping left hook that rattled and wobbled the super lightweight champion. After that, Garcia forced Haney to find another game plan.

Garcia and trainer Derrick James must have worked hours on that move.

I must confess that I first saw Garcia’s ability many years ago when he was around 11 or 12. So I do have an advantage regarding his talent. A few things I noticed even back then were his speed and power. Also, that others resented his talent but respected him. He was the guy with everything: talent and looks.

And that brings resentment.

Recently I saw him and his crew rapping a song on social media. Now he’s got a song. Next thing you know Hollywood will be calling and he’ll be in the movies. It’s happened before with fighters such as Art Aragon, the first Golden Boy in the 50s. He was dating movie stars and getting involved with starlets all over Hollywood.

Is history repeating itself or is Garcia creating a new era for boxing?

Since 2016 people claimed he was just a social media creation. Now, after his win over Devin Haney a former undisputed lightweight champion and the WBC super lightweight titleholder, the boxer from the high desert area of Victorville has become one of the highest paid fighters in the world.

Ryan Garcia has entered a new dimension.

Golden Boy Season

After several down years the Los Angeles-based company Golden Boy Promotions suddenly is cracking the whip in 2024.

Avila

Vergil Ortiz Jr. (20-0, 20 KOs) returns to the ring and faces Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (26-6-1, 17 KOs) a welterweight gatekeeper who lost to Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis. They meet as super welterweights in the co-main event at Save Mart Arena in Fresno, Calif. on Saturday, April 27. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card live.

It’s a quick return to action for Ortiz who is still adjusting to the new weight division. His last fight three months ago ended in less than one round in Las Vegas. It was cut short by an antsy referee and left Ortiz wanting more after more than a year of inactivity in the prize ring.

Ortiz has all the weapons.

Also, Northern California’s Jose Carlos Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) meets Cuba’s Rances Barthelemy (30-2-1, 15 KOs) in a welterweight affair set for 12 rounds.

It’s difficult to believe that former super lightweight titlist Ramirez has been written off by fans after only one loss. That was several years ago against Scotland’s Josh Taylor. One loss does not mean the end of a career.

“My goal is to get back on top and to get all those belts back. I still feel like I am one of the best 140-pounders in the division,” said Ramirez who lives in nearby Avenal, Calif.

An added major attraction features Marlen Esparza in a unification rematch against Gabriela “La Chucky” Alaniz for the WBA, WBC, WBO flyweight titles. Their first fight was

a controversial win by Esparza that saw one judge give her nine of 10 rounds in a very close fight. Those Texas judges.

In a match that could steal the show, Oscar Duarte (26-2-1, 21 KOs) faces former world champion Jojo Diaz (33-5-1, 15 KOs) in a lightweight match.

Munguia and Canelo

Don’t sleep on this match.

Its current Golden Boy fighter Jaime Munguia facing former Golden Boy fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a battle between Mexico’s greatest sluggers next week at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on May 4.

“I think Jaime Munguia is going to do something special in the ring,” said Oscar De La Hoya, the CEO for Golden Boy.

Tijuana’s Munguia showed up at the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood where a throng of media from Mexico and the US met him.

Munguia looked confident and happy about his opportunity to fight great Canelo.

“It’s a hard fight,” said Munguia. “Truth is, its big for Mexico and not only for Mexicans but for boxing.”

Fights to Watch

Fri. DAZN 6 p.m. Yoeniz Tellez (7-0) vs Joseph Jackson (19-0).

Sat. DAZN 9:30 a.m. Peter McGrail (8-1) vs Marc Leach (18-3-1); Beatriz Ferreira (4-0) vs Yanina Del Carmen 14-3).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Vergil Ortiz (20-0) vs Thomas Dulorme (26-6-1); Jose Carlos Ramirez (28-1) vs Rances Barthelemy (30-2-1); Marlen Esparza (14-1) vs Gabriela Alaniz (14-1).

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy Promotions

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Ramon Cardenas Channels Micky Ward and KOs Eduardo Ramirez on ProBox

Published

3 days ago

April 24, 2024

Arne K. Lang

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The Wednesday night bi-monthly series of fights on the ProBox TV platform is the best deal in boxing; the livestream is free with no strings attached! Tonight’s episode was headlined by a super bantamweight match between San Antonio’s Ramon Cardenas and Eduardo Ramirez who brought a caravan of rooters from his hometown in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico.

Cardenas, coached by Joel Diaz, entered the contest ranked #4 by the WBA. He was expected to handle Ramirez with little difficulty, but this was a close, tactical fight through eight frames when lightning struck in the form of a left hook to the liver from Cardenas. Ramirez went down on one knee and wasn’t able to beat the count. It was as if Cardenas summoned the ghost of Micky Ward who had a penchant for terminating fights with the same punch that arrived out of the blue.

The official time was 1:37 of round nine. Cardenas improved to 25-1 with his14th win inside the distance. Ramirez, who was stopped in the opening round by Nick “Wrecking” Ball in London in his lone previous fight outside Mexico, falls to 23-3-3.

Co-Feature

In an upset, Tijuana super welterweight Damian Sosa won a split decision over previously undefeated Marques Valle, a local area fighter who was stepping up in class in his first 10-round go. Sosa was the aggressor, repeatedly backing his taller opponent into the ropes where Valle was unable to get good leverage behind his punches.

The 25-year-old Valle, managed by the influential David McWater, was the house fighter. This was his 10^th appearance in this building. He brought a 10-0 (7) record and was hoping to emulate the success of his younger brother Dominic Valle who scored a second-round stoppage of his opponent in this ring two weeks ago, improving to 9-0. But Sosa, who brought a 24-2 record, proved to be a bridge too high.

The judges had it 97-93 and 96-94 for the Tijuana invader and a disgraceful 98-92 for the house fighter.

Also

In a fight whose abrupt ending would be echoed by the main event, 34-year-old SoCal featherweight Ronny Rios, now training in Las Vegas, returned to the ring after a 22-month hiatus and scored a fifth-round stoppage over Nicolas Polanco of the Dominican Republic.

A three-punch combo climaxed by a left hook to the liver took the breath out of Polanco who slumped to his knees and was counted out. A two-time world title challenger, Rios advanced to 34-4 (17 KOs). Polanco, 34, declined to 21-6-1. The official time was 0:54 of round five.

—

The next ProBox show (Wednesday, May 8) will have an international cast with fighters from Kazakhstan, Japan, Mongolia, and the United Kingdom. In the main event, Liverpool’s Robbie Davies Jr will make his U.S. debut against the California-based Kazakh Sergey Lipinets.

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