For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2023 Boxing Obituaries PART ONE (Jan.-June)

Published

4 months ago

December 31, 2023

Foe-Whom-the-Bells-Tolled-2023-Boxing-Obituaries-Part-One-Jan-June

Here in our annual end-of-year report, we pay homage to the boxing notables who left us in the past year in a two-part story. May they rest in peace.

January

Jan. 2 – HECTOR ROCA – A bicycle racer in his native Panama, Roca moved to New York in 1975 and became a fixture at Gleason’s Gym. He helped train more than a dozen world title holders including Arturo Gatti, Buddy McGirt and Iran Barkley plus Hillary Swank who thanked him on national TV for sculpting her into a boxer for her Oscar-winning performance in “Million Dollar Baby.” At age 82 in Brooklyn where he was dealing with multiple health issues.

Jan. 12 – GERRIE COETZEE – The third time was a charm for the three-time world heavyweight title challenger who became a national hero in his native South Africa when he KOed Michael Dokes in 1983 in one of the biggest upsets of the decade. His first stab at the belt (vs. John Tate) was witnessed by an integrated crowd of 80,000-plus in Pretoria, a watershed event in the sporting history of that country. At age 87 in Cape town five days after being diagnosed aith an aggressive form of skin canver.

Jan. 30 – DARRELL CHAMBERS – One of the original members of Kronk Gym’s fabled amateur boxing team, Chambers was 22-2 as a pro. He fought on the historic Hearns-Hagler card, losing to future 154-pound world title-holder Luis Santana in what would prove to be his final fight and then spent 26 years in the federal prison system for cocaine trafficking. At age 62 in Detroit of cardiac arrest.

February

Feb. 9 (approx.) – LEROY CALDWELL – An undersized heavyweight who was customarily taking fights on short notice, Caldwell was a gatekeeper for five men who held the world heavyweight title and six others who were world title challengers. He finished 28-31-5 in a 17-year career that began in 1979. At age 77 at a Las Vegas hospital after a lingering but unspecified illness.

Feb. 10 – KEN THOMPSON – An entrepreneur who created a building materials company that had clients as far away as China, Thompson started promoting fights as a hobby in 2000. His shows launched the careers of several world title-holders and a Hall of Famer in Timothy Bradley. Widely admired in the SoCal boxing community, he passed away in Anaheim on his 85^th birthday.

Feb. 10 – RON LEWIS – One of England’s most prominent sports journalists, Lewis concluded his newspaper career with the Times of London where he covered numerous title fights at venues across the globe. Most recently, he was the primary UK correspondent for Boxing Scene. At age 54 of a sudden heart attack at his home in London.

Feb. 13 (approx.) — TOMMY HICKS – An Ithaca College (NY) graduate, Hicks was a special education teacher on his way to becoming an elementary school principal when he challenged Bob Foster for the world light heavyweight title in 1971. TKOed in 8, he finished 18-12-3. At age 78 in Newfane, NY, five years after suffering a serious injury when he was hit by a car on his morning walk.

Feb. 14 – KENNY “BANG BANG” BODNER – A silver medalist at age 17 in the Maccabiah Games, the Trenton, NJ, lightweight developed an avid following in Atlantic City where he had 15 of his 28 pro fights. “Bang Bang” had three fights fall out with “Boom Boom” Mancini, twice when Mancini was a world title-holder. He finished 25-2-1 (16) in a career mottled with legal problems. At age 62 in Pemberton, New Jersey, for reasons never disclosed.

March

March 5 – BOBBY GOODMAN – The son of Hall of Fame publicist Murray Goodman, Bobby joined his late father in the Canastota shrine, entering the Hall with the class of 2019. He spent 25 years with Don King, serving the flamboyant promoter in many capacities, and went on the become the Vice President of Boxing at Madison Square Garden. At age 83 at a hospital in Galloway, New Jersey.

March 11 – RICHIE KATES – A light heavyweight who earned his spurs on the rugged Philadelphia boxing circuit, Kates turned pro in 1969 at age 16 and finished his career with a record of 44-6-1 (23). He had two cracks at Victor Galindez’s world title, falling short in bouts that consumed 30 rounds. In retirement, he was recognized for his years of community service by having a street named after him in his longtime home of Bridgeton, NJ. At age 69 while under hospice care in Vineland, NJ.

March 14 – BOB HINDS – A two-time NCAA finalist representing the powerhouse University of Wisconsin, Hinds, a heavyweight, had only three pro fights, winning them all, but contributed to the sport with his patented jump rope, a beaded, plastic-covered nylon rope that found favor in boxing gyms around the country.

March 19 – DAVE ZYGLEWICZ – Zyglewicz, who took up boxing in the Navy, was 28-1 when he challenged Joe Frazier in 1969 in Houston, Ziggy’s adopted hometown. He came out smokin’, but at 5’10” and 190 pounds he was no match for Smokin’ Joe who stopped him in the opening round. When he left the sport, he returned to his hometown of Watervliet, NY, and opened a bar, Ziggy’s corner. At age 79 from stomach cancer at a hospital in Albany where he was a dementia patient.

March 24 – TONY MONTANO – Montano was recognized as the first native-born Arizonan to compete for a world title when he challenged WBA/WBC 154-pound champion Sandro Mazzinghi in 1964 (he came in overweight and was stopped in the 12^th round). He fought many of the top middleweights of the era, finishing 51-34-3. At age 88 in Glendale, AZ.

April

April 1 – KEN BUCHANAN – Widely considered the greatest boxer from Scotland, Buchanan won the world lightweight title in Puerto Rico in 1970 with a 15-round decision over Ismael Laguna and made two successful defenses before losing the belt to Roberto Duran in a bout that ended after 13 rounds with the Scotsman claiming of a low blow that landed after the bell. Inducted into the IBHOF with the class of 2000, he finished 61-8 with six of those defeats coming in has last 11 bouts. At age 77 in a nursing home in Edinburgh where he was suffering from dementia.

Ken Buchanan

April 4 – IGOR VYSOTSKY – He never turned pro, but his amateur exploits made him a national hero. The only man to defeat Teofilo Stevenson twice, he TKOed the Cuban icon in their second encounter in 1976 in Minsk. He was 8-2 in U.S. rings (including a TKO of future heavyweight titlist Tony Tubbs) while touring with the Russian national team. At age 69 in his native Yagodnoye.

April 20 – KENJI YONEKURA – A 1956 Melbourne Olympian, he finished 13-10-1 (1 KO) but was far better than his record. He went 15 rounds with Pascual Perez in a failed bid for a world flyweight title and 15 rounds with Jose Becerra in a failed bid for a world bantamweight title. In retirement he ran a gym in Tokyo that produced five world title-holders. At age 86 in a sanitorium on the ourtskirts of Tokyo that was his home for the last six years of his life.

April 20 – JOSE LUIS GARCIA – The Venezuelan was 7-0 at LA’s iconic Olympic Auditorium beginning with a startling knockout of Ken Norton. Norton avenged the setback five years later by which time Garcia had become a chopping block for the likes of Ron Lyle (KO by 3) and Joe Bugner (KO by 2). He finished 30-8-1. At age 75 in Valencia, Venezuela, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

April 23 (approx.) – ARTHUR WILLIAMS – A stablemate of Roy Jones Jr when he turned pro in 1969 in his native Pensacola, Williams went on to win the IBF cruiseweight title, unseating Imanu Mayfield (TKO 9). But lost it in his first defense to Vasiliy Jirov (TKO by 7). He finished 47-13-3. “King Arthur” was 58 and seemingly in good health when he passed away in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas.

April 24 – IRVING MITCHELL – An alternate on the 1980 U.S. Olympic boxing team, Mitchell, who learned to box in the Army, turned pro in San Diego and went on to become a world title challenger at 126 and 130 pounds. “Sweet Irving” won 24 of his first 25 fights, his lone defeat coming at the hands of Azumah Nelson, and finished 35-11-2. At age 63 at a nursing home in his native Lafayette, Louisiana.

May

May 7 – JERRY ARMSTRONG – An All-Service champion before attending Idaho State University on a boxing scholarship, Armstrong competed in the 1960 Olympics as a bantamweight where he was a teammate of Muhammad Ali. The Petoskey, Michigan native never turned pro but stayed involved in the sport as a coach, referee, and chief of officials for the Idaho Athletic Commission. At age 86 in Boise after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

May 10 – KENNETH EGANO – The 22-year-old Filipino bantamweight collapsed in his corner as he awaited the decision following an 8-round contest on a card promoted by Manny Pacquiao at Imus, Cavite, Philippines. Stretchered to a hospital in a coma, he died four days later of a cerebral hemorrhage. For the record, Egano won the bout, advancing his record to 7-1.

May 21 – CLAUDE NOEL – He became the first Tobagonian to win a world title when he captured the vacant WBA title in 1981 with a 15-riund decision over Rodolfo Gonzalez. He lost the belt in his first defense and finished 31-10. The only highway on the island of Tobago is named for him. At age 74 at a nursing home in San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago, where he was totally blind and dealing with complications of diabetes.

June

June 3 – DARIO HIDALGO — One of two fighting brothers, Hidalgo lacked a big punch but was sufficiently clever to eke out a 10-round decision over future world welterweight title-holder Angel Espana in their first of two encounters and hold Elisha Obed (47-1-1 heading in) to a 10-round draw. He left the sport with cataracts in both eyes and a documented record of 25-9-2. At age 72 in his native Santo Domingo, DR, after a long, unspecified illness.

June 20 – RAY WHEATLEY – As a pro boxer, the Sydneysider had an undistinguished career. He finished 11-12-1 and was stopped nine times. But he made it into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame for his contributions as a ring official, TV commentator and magazine publisher. The longtime international correspondent for the website Fight News, Wheatley was 74.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 2,077

The Sweet Science

Up Next

For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2023 Boxing Obituaries PART TWO (July-Dec.)

Don't Miss

Kazuto Ioka Embosses his Hall of Fame Credentials; KOs Perez in 7

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

Published

22 hours 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

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 453

Ramon Cardenas Channels Micky Ward and KOs Eduardo Ramirez on ProBox

Published

3 days ago

April 24, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Ramon-Cardenas-Channels-Micky-Ward-and-KOs-Eduardo-Ramirez-on-ProBox

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.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 615

Haney-Garcia Redux with the Focus on Harvey Dock

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Haney-Garcia-Redux-with-the-Focus-on-Harvey-Dock

Saturday’s skirmish between Ryan Garcia and WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney was a messy affair, and yet a hugely entertaining fight fused with great drama. In the aftermath, Garcia and Haney were celebrated – the former for fooling all the experts and the latter for his gallant performance in a losing effort – but there were only brickbats for the third man in the ring, referee Harvey Dock.

Devin Haney was plainly ahead heading into the seventh frame when there was a sudden turnabout when Garcia put him on the canvas with his vaunted left hook. Moments later, Dock deducted a point from Garcia for a late punch coming out of a break. The deduction forced a temporary cease-fire that gave Haney a few precious seconds to regain his faculties. Before the round was over, Haney was on the deck twice more but these were ruled slips.

The deduction, which effectively negated the knockdown, struck many as too heavy-handed as Dock hadn’t previously issued a warning for this infraction. Moreover, many thought he could have taken a point away from Haney for excessive clinching. As for Haney’s second and third trips to the canvas in round seven, they struck this reporter – watching at home – as borderline, sufficient to give referee Dock the benefit of the doubt.

In a post-fight interview, Ryan Garcia faulted the referee for denying him the satisfaction of a TKO. “At the end of the day, Harvey Dock, I think he was tripping,” said Garcia. “He could have stopped that fight.”

Those that played the rounds proposition, placing their coin on the “under,” undoubtedly felt the same way.

The internet lit up with comments assailing Dock’s competence and/or his character. Some of the ponderings were whimsical, but they were swamped by the scurrilous screeching of dolts who find a conspiracy under every rock.

Stephen A. Smith, reputedly America’s highest-paid TV sports personality, was among those that felt a need to weigh-in: “This referee is absolutely terrible….Unreal! Horrible officiating,” tweeted Stephen A whose primary area of expertise is basketball.

Harvey Dock

Dock fought as an amateur and had one professional fight, winning a four-round decision over a fellow novice on a show at a non-gaming resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. He says that as an amateur he was merely average, but he was better than that, a New Jersey and regional amateur champion in 1993 and 1994 while a student New Jersey’s Essex County Community College where he majored in journalism.

A passionate fan of Sugar Ray Leonard, he started officiating amateur fights in 1998 and six years later, at age 32, had his first documented action at the professional level, working low-level cards in New Jersey. The top boxing referees, to a far greater extent than the top judges, had long apprenticeships, having worked their way up from the boonies and Dock is no exception.

Per boxrec, Haney vs Garcia was Harvey Dock’s 364^th assignment in the pros and his forty-second world title fight. Some of those title fights were title in name only, they weren’t even main events, but, bit by bit, more lucrative offerings started coming his way.

On May 13, 2023, Dock worked his first fights in Nevada, a 4-rounder and then a 12-rounder on a card at the Cosmopolitan topped by the 140-pound title fight between Rolly Romero and Ismael Barroso. It was the first time that this reporter got to watch Dock in the flesh.

Ironically (in hindsight), the card would be remembered for the actions of a referee, in this case Tony Weeks who handled the main event. Barroso was winning the fight on all three cards when Weeks stepped in and waived it off in the ninth round after Romero cornered Barroso against the ropes and let loose a barrage of punches, none of which landed cleanly. Few “premature stoppages” were ever as garishly, nay ghoulishly, premature.

With all the brickbats raining down on Weeks, I felt a need to tamp down the noise by diverting attention away from Tony Weeks and toward Harvey Dock and took to the TSS Forum to share my thoughts. Referencing the 12-rounder, a robust junior welterweight affair between Batyr Akhmedov and Kenneth Sims Jr, I noted that Dock’s Las Vegas debut went smoothly. He glided effortlessly around the ring, making him inconspicuous, the mark of a good referee. (This post ran on May 15, two days after the fight.)

Folks at the Nevada State Athletic Commission were also paying attention. Dock was back in Las Vegas the following week to referee the lightweight title fight between Devin Haney and Vasyl Lomachenko and before the year was out, he would be tabbed to referee the biggest non-heavyweight fight of the year, the July 29 match in Las Vegas between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr.

The Haney-Garcia fight wasn’t Harvey Dock’s best hour, I’ll concede that, but a closer look at his full body of work informs us that he is an outstanding referee.

—

While the Haney-Garcia bout was in progress, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman threw everyone a curve ball, tweeting on “X” that Devin Haney would keep his title if he lost the fight. Everyone, including the TV commentators, was under the impression that the title would become vacant in the event that Haney lost.

Sulaiman cited the precedent of Corrales-Castillo II.

FYI: The Corrales-Castillo rematch, originally scheduled for June 3, 2005 and aborted on the day prior when Castillo failed to make weight, finally came off on Oct. 8 of that year, notwithstanding the fact that Castillo failed to make weight once again, scaling three-and-a-half pounds above the lightweight limit. He knocked out Corrales in the fourth round with a left hook that Las Vegas Review-Journal boxing writer Kevin Iole, alluding to the movie “Blazing Saddles,” described as Mongo-esque (translation: the punch would have knocked out a horse). After initially insisting on a rubber match, which had scant chance of happening, WBC president Jose Sulaiman, Mauricio’s late father, ruled that Corrales could keep his title.

Whether or not you agree with Mauricio Sulaiman’s rationale, the timing of his announcement was certainly awkward.

Haney’s mandatory is Spanish southpaw Sandor Martin (42-3, 15 KOs), a cutie best known for his 2021 upset of Mikey Garcia. A bout between Haney and Martin has the earmarks of a dull fight.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum, CLICK HERE

Post Views: 977