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Down Memory Lane with Renowned LA Sports Columnist Bill Dwyre
Down Memory Lane with Renowned LA Sports Columnist Bill Dwyre
Whether it’s the NBA Finals, Super Bowl, World Series, college football’s biggest games, college basketball’s Final Four, thoroughbred horse racing or a boxing title fight, there is something special about being in the building or the stadium.
Perhaps it’s that history could be made or that it’s the beginning or ending of a dynasty.
Bill Dwyre has spent his entire adult life in the newspaper business, beginning in 1968 at the Milwaukee Journal when he was a staff writer and then as the sports editor from 1973 until 1981.
Dwyre then transitioned west to the Los Angeles Times starting in April 1981 until 2006 as the sports editor and as a columnist until his retirement in November 2015.
Dwyre, who in 2017 was bestowed the Nat Fleischer Award for excellence in boxing journalism, confessed that he missed those salad days being press-box present, especially ringside for a major bout.
“As a writer, I liked the color, the passion and the total unpredictability of the sport,” he said of the sweet science. “The scene, especially at big fights in places like Las Vegas, was a writer’s dream. All you had to do was write with your eyes – watch the crowds, listen to the boxers and their handlers, try to figure out who is exaggerating the most. I loved it and I loved writing about it.”
Hanging around the other scribes was equally enjoyable for Dwyre, who still contributes freelance work to the Times and frequently writes for Palm Springs Life Magazine.
“I miss being around the other boxing media, the likes of Dan Rafael and Kevin Iole and Lance Pugmire and Norm Frauenheim and Ed Graney and Mark Whicker, plus [Bob] Arum and [Bill] Caplan and Fred Sternburg and Steve Brener and so many more,” he said.
Somewhere along the way, boxing kicked itself in the rear, according to Dwyre, who graduated from the University of Notre Dame and was given the Red Smith Award by the Associated Press Sports Editors in 1996.
“As in most things in sports, it [boxing] got run over by television, which made the huge pay-per-view fights less frequent. Television, and all its various iterations, is the monster that eats all in its path,” he pointed out. “For example, Top Rank had a nice flow of fighters and pay-per-view schedules and then along came ESPN, which backed up the Brinks truck and now we have so many “huge” fights, as hyped by ESPN and Showtime. TV doesn’t care. It thrives by saturation and indifference. Boxing allowed it. It took the money and ran.”
Boxing isn’t on par with the NBA, the NFL, MLB, college football and college hoops with regard to popularity, but a decent segment does like the sport.
“No, boxing will never be mainstream and doesn’t need to be. There are plenty of fans to support the sport, as long as the sport doesn’t screw it up with over-exposure through television, which it probably will,” Dwyre said.
Part of boxing’s allure is that at any time someone could get seriously hurt or even worse. It’s what separates boxing from the other sports.
“You can’t make boxing safer,” Dwyre said of the manly art. “People are hitting each other in the head. Put helmets on them and the fans go away.”
Having been ringside for hundreds of fights beginning in 1968, Dwyre witnessed some of the biggest and best boxers in their prime. Manny Pacquiao, in Dwyre’s mind, stood atop Mount Everest.
“Pacquiao was a once-in-a-lifetime guy. He carried with him the possibility of so many stories: rags to riches, almost successful politician in a Philippine world where nobody who is honest – and Pacquiao mostly is – will succeed; a man worshipped by a Philippine public starved for real heroes,” he said. “On and on. He won often with more courage than skill, and he was pretty skilled. When he beat [Keith] Thurman, it was 95 percent guts. When he lost to Mayweather he disappointed an entire sports world, not just boxing fans.”
Other fighters who made their mark: “Oscar De La Hoya (great talent, badly flawed personally). Tim Bradley (getting the most out of a career and talent and getting out of the sport at the right time to become a highly successful and articulate broadcaster),” he said. “Chico Corrales (won the best fight in the history of fights, getting up after two knockdowns to knock out Jose Luis Castillo). Mayweather (you started disliking him because he is so cocky and you watched, over the years, even after he retired and kept making millions fighting these silly fights with wrestlers, that he knew what he was doing all along). Even Butterbean (what a hoot.).”
While the boxers are the main story, Dwyre also enjoyed the side show.
“My favorite characters are not fighters. They are [Top Rank CEO] Arum and publicists Caplan and Sternburg. Arum is damn near 90 [he turned 91 on December 8] and I still would drive hours to be sure to be there if he were running a press conference. It was always can’t-miss television, and it wasn’t even on television,” he said. “Caplan was the kind of old-time public relations guy, schmoozing and getting stories that way. Sternburg was the best because he was honest, efficient and understood the newspaper and broadcast game better than anyone. Then there was Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer and alter-ego. He triggered a million stories. The most attractive thing about Freddie was, and is, that he cannot tell a lie. He is the George Washington of boxing.”
Over those hundreds of bouts, a pair of clashes are indelibly etched into Dwyre’s mind:
“The aforementioned Chico Corrales knockout of Castillo. Unbelievable finish. Unmatched sports drama, and Pacquiao getting knocked out by [Juan Manuel] Marquez, while easily winning the fight,” he offered. “When he went down, I was sure Pacquiao was dead.”
Dwyre’s been close to the action for nearly five decades, and knows a thing or two about what he likes and lined up his all-time favorite sporting events.
“Big horse races like Zenyatta closing on the field from way behind in a Breeders’ Cup Classic would be No. 1 and Ali-Frazier II in the Garden and Pacquiao-Mayweather in Vegas are tied for No. 2,” he said. “Super Bowls? No. 500. All Super Bowls. Too many people. Too much hype. You can’t breathe.”
Maybe you can’t, but all those memories are fodder for a great book.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 278: Clashes of Spring in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and LA
PHOENIX-It happens every Spring.
Promoters worldwide gather their forces and produce their best fight cards from Europe to the Americas and in Asia.
Beginning Friday, it starts with Top Rank staging a heavy-duty fight card featuring Arizona’s Oscar Valdez and Australia’s Liam Wilson along with a female battle for the undisputed minimumweight championship. ESPN+ will stream the card.
Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) meets Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona on Friday, March 29. Both have a common foe and lost to champion Emanuel Navarrete. Both want a rematch or world title fight.
“I know Liam Wilson. He’s a tough fighter,” said Valdez. I was there when he fought Emanuel Navarrete and he sent him to the canvas.”
Wilson almost defeated the champion and now must face two-division world titlist Valdez in his Arizona backyard.
“The whole world saw what happened. I should have already become world champion,” said Wilson of his fight with Navarrete. “I won the belt that night.”
It’s not to be missed.
In the co-main WBA and WBC titlist Seniesa Estrada (25-0, 9 KOs) and WBO and IBF titlist Yokasta Valle (30-2, 9 KOs) battle for the undisputed minimumweight world championship.
Costa Rica’s Valle has super speed and the ability to change tactics if things don’t go her way as she showed against Argentina’s Evelin Bermudez. She is also one of the most athletically gifted fighters in female boxing with incredible stamina.
“This isn’t personal. I respect her as the champion that she is,” Valle said. “And in the ring, we will see who is the real champion.”
East L.A’s Estrada is perhaps one of the most skilled fighters in the world. She also packs power in her small frame. So far, no one has been able to figure out her fighting style or overcome her quickness. The left hook is her best weapon but she has floored opponents with her right cross as well.
“The talk is over. Its time for us to get in there,” said Estrada. “It’s about showing the world that women’s boxing is here, it’s on the rise, and we are great.”
Las Vegas
Aussie slugger Tim Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) can add the WBC to his WBO super welterweight title but must pass through giant Sebastian Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KOs) to accomplish unification. Tszyu was supposed to fight Keith Thurman but injury forced him out of Saturday’s TGB Promotions fight card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Last-minute replacements can be a problem.
Fundora is already a problem with his six-inch height advantage. Plus, he’s a southpaw with pop. It’s like pouring sugar into a gas tank for Tszyu.
But he’s a very confident fellow.
“He’s got height but we all bleed the same blood,” Tszyu said at the press conference.
Another world title fight pits WBA super lightweight titlist Rolly Romero (15-1) versus Isaac Cruz (25-2-1) in the semi-main event.
A third world title matches WBA middleweight titlist Erislandy Lara (29-3-3) against Michael Zerafa (31-4).
A fourth world title fight consists of WBC flyweight titlist Julio Cesar Martinez (20-3) fighting Angelino Cordova (18-0-1).
In an eliminator for the WBC super welterweight belt, Serhii Bohachuk (23-1) is now matched against Brian Mendoza (22-3) who replaces Fundora.
It’s a solid fight card that will be shown on PPV.COM with Jim Lampley broadcasting and assisted by Lance Pugmire. They will also be texting the results and interacting with fans. It’s their third boxing show.
Inglewood
Former super middleweight world titlist Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (45-1) is moving up two weight divisions to challenge WBA cruiserweight champion Arsen Goulamirian (27-0, 19 Kos) on Saturday March 30, at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card.
Goulamirian will be making the fifth defense of his title and recently added famed trainer Abel Sanchez to his corner. The former trainer of Gennady Golovkin and Serhii Bohachuk had retired for a few years but returned for the champ.
It’s an interesting match.
Even more interesting was the announcement that Hollywood Park and Golden Boy Promotions signed an agreement beginning this Saturday to work together in bringing boxing events.
“We were the first to host an inaugural combat sports event at YouTube Theater in January 2023, and we couldn’t be more pleased to make history again by being the first to solidify a partnership deal of this magnitude with Hollywood Park,” said Oscar De La Hoya the CEO for Golden Boy Promotions.
It’s an interesting partnership.
One thing the promotion company needs is to add more female fighters to their company to break up the monotony of slow fight cards. It makes sense to add women to the boxing cards. They fight harder and I’ve never seen women fights fail to excite the crowd, whereas I’ve seen plenty of boring men fights on many a promotion.
Bring in female fighters.
When Zurdo fought at the Banc of California two years he brought very few fans compared to the two female fights that same night. The women draw a different crowd and surprise most fans with their energy.
Fights to Watch (all times Pacific Time)
Fri. ESPN+ 3:10 p.m. Oscar Valdez (31-2) vs Liam Wilson (13-2); Seniesa Estrada (25-0) vs Yokasta Valle (30-2).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Gilberto Ramirez (45-1) vs Arsen Goulamirian (27-0).
Sat. PPV.COM 5 p.m. Tim Tszyu (24-0) vs Sebastian Fundora (20-1-1); Rolly Romero (15-1) vs Isaac Cruz (25-2-1); Erislandy Lara (29-3-3) vs Michael Zerafa (31-4); Serhii Bohachuk (23-1) vs Brian Mendoza (22-3).
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank via Getty Images
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Results from Detroit where Carrillo, Ergashev and Shishkin Scored KOs
Results from Detroit where Carrillo, Ergashev and Shishkin Scored KOs
Dmitriy Salita, who began promoting small club fights In Brooklyn at the former U.S. Navy airfield where he had his final pro fight, has found a welcome home in Detroit where he is working hard to resurrect the Motor City as an important fight destination. Although his shows are still low-budget (save for the money he spends on marketing; he uses heavyweight PR firm Swanson Communications), his new arrangement with DAZN can only move him another step up the pecking order.
Tonight, two of the most valuable pieces in his stable – junior lightweight Shohjahon Ergashev and super middleweight Vladimir Shishkin — were in action on Salita’s second show at Detroit’s Watne State University Fieldhouse. However, Salita reserved the main event for one of his newest signees, Juan Carrillo, a light heavyweight who represented Colombia in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In a battle of southpaws, Carrillo (12-0, 9 KOs) had no difficulty putting away Quinton Randall (21-9-2), a 37-year-old North Carolinian who had scored only five of his 21 wins against opponents with winning records. In the third frame, a big left uppercut put Randall on the canvas. He managed to get to his feet at the count of nine, but was on queer street and the fight was waived off. The official time was 0.27 of round three.
Ergashev
Shohjahon Ergashev, a southpaw from Uzbekistan who purportedly has 2.7 million Instagram followers in his home country, was making his first start since a failed bid to win the IBF 140-pound world title. Ergashev was stopped in the fifth round by Subriel Matias, his first defeat as a pro after opening his career 23-0 with 20 KOs.
Tonight, he got back on the winning track without breaking a sweat. A left hook to the body ended the fight in the opening round. His victim, Juan Antonio Huertas, a 31-year-old Panamanian, entered the fight with a 17-4 record, but was 0-2 on American soil and had been stopped both times.
Shishkin
A 32-year-old Russian who trains at the new Kronk Gym where SugarHill Steward holds forth when he is in town, Vladimir Shishkin entered the contest undefeated (15-0, 9 KOs) and ranked #2 by the IBF. How odd that his fight opened the telecast. Perhaps promoter Salita thought that the fight would be too one-sided and wanted to get it out of the way in a hurry. His opponent Mike Guy, 12-7-1 (5) heading in, had been in with some rough customers but was 43 years old, was inactive in all of 2022 and 2023, and had fought most of his career as a super middleweight.
The fight was one-sided in favor of Shishkin and rather dull until the Russian cracked up the juice in round seven and forced the stoppage.
In the future, we would encourage Dmitriy Salita to take some of that money he has been spending on marketing to find a higher caliber of “B-Side” opponents. The best thing about this show was that it was over in a hurry.
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R.I.P. IBF founder Bob Lee who was Banished from Boxing by the FBI
“The image some people have of me is disappointing,” said Bob Lee in a 2006 interview, “but I also feel I had a positive impact on the sport…”
Lee, the founder of the International Boxing Federation who died yesterday (Sunday, March 24) at age 91, spoke those words to Philadelphia Daily News boxing writer Bernard Fernandez who was the first person to interview him when he emerged from a federal prison in 2006. Lee served 22 months on charges that included racketeering, money laundering, and tax evasion.
Born and raised in northern New Jersey and a lifelong resident of the Garden State, Lee, a former police detective, founded the International Boxing Federation (henceforth IBF) in 1983 after a failed bid to win the presidency of the World Boxing Association. At the time, there were only two relevant sanctioning bodies, the WBA, then headquartered in Venezuela, and the WBC, headquartered in Mexico. Both organizations were charged with favoring boxers from Spanish-speaking countries in their ratings at the expense of boxers from the United States.
Bob Lee’s brainchild, whose stated mission was to rectify that injustice, achieved instant credibility when Marvin Hagler and Larry Holmes turned their back on the established organizations. Hagler’s 1983 bout with Wilford Scypion and Holmes’ 1984 match with Bonecrusher Smith were world title fights sanctioned exclusively by the IBF, the last of the three extant organizations to do away with 15-round title fights.
Lee’s world was rocked in November of 1999 when a federal grand jury handed down an indictment that accused him and three IBF officials, including his son Robert W. “Robby” Lee Jr., of taking bribes from promoters and managers in return for higher rankings. The FBI, after a two-year investigation, concluded that $338,000 was paid over a 13-year period by individuals representing 23 boxers.
The government’s key witness was C. Douglas Beavers, the longtime chairman of the IBF ratings committee who wore a wire as a government informant in return for immunity and provided video-tape evidence of a $5000 payout in a seedy Virginia motel room. Promoters Bob Arum and Cedric Kushner both testified that they gave the IBF $100,000 to get the organization’s seal of approval for a match between heavyweight champion George Foreman and Axel Schulz (Arum asserted that he paid the money through a middleman, Stan Hoffman). In return, the IBF gave Schulz a “special exemption” to its rules, allowing the German to bypass Michael Moorer who had a rematch clause that would never be honored. (In a sworn deposition, Big George testified that he had no knowledge of any kickback).
After a long-drawn-out trial that consumed four months including 15 days of jury deliberations, Bob Lee was acquitted on all but six of 32 counts. His son, charged with nine counts, was acquitted on all nine. The jury simply did not trust the veracity of many that testified for the prosecution. (No surprise there; after all, they were boxing people.) But neither did the jury buy into the argument that whatever money Lee received was in the form of gifts and gratuities, a common business practice.
The IBF was run by a court-appointed overseer from January of 2000 until the fall of 2003. Under its current head, Daryl Peoples, who came up from the ranks, assuming the presidency in 2010, the IBF has stayed out of the crosshairs of federal prosecutors.
As part of his sentence, Bob Lee was prohibited from having any further dealings with boxing and that would have included buying a ticket to sit in the cheap seats at a boxing card. This was adding insult to injury as Lee’s passion for boxing ran deep. As a boy working as a caddy at a New Jersey golf course, he had met Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson, two of the proudest moments of his life.
As for his contributions to the sport, Lee had this to say in his post-prison talk with Bernard Fernandez: “We instituted the 168-pound [super middleweight] weight class. We took measures to reduce the incidence of eye injuries in boxing. We changed the weigh-in from the day of the fight to the day before, which prevented fighters from entering the ring so dehydrated that they were putting themselves at risk. All these things, and more, were tremendously beneficial to boxing. I’m very proud of all that we accomplished.”
Bob Lee was a tough old bird. Diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1986, he was insulin-dependent for much of his adult life and yet he lived into his nineties. Although his coloration as a shakedown artist is a stain that will never go away, many people will tell you that, on balance, he was a good man whose lapses ought not define him.
That’s not for us to judge. We send our condolences to his loved ones. May he rest in peace.
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