THE HISTORY OF L.A. BOXING by HAP NAVARRO

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Hap---I cannot recall if I asked you about Ray Actis before the site crashed last time, but was wondering if you could tell me anything about Actis.

Barry:

I remember Ray Actis well, but can't recall seeing him in a regulation bout. I think he was discovered by Ray Carlen who also had Lou Nova later on.

Actis had a large following at the Legion Stadium in the mid-1930s. He was one of those "heavy" middleweights, sorta caught in between the two divisions, forcing him to take on heavier foes.

He did very well, if only for a brief time, because we had a dozen or so very capable battlers active in both the middleweight and the 175-lb. classes. And he was in the mix for the state championship in either division.

To give you an idea of the caliber of those guys:

The Legion Stadium (the old shack) capacity was a mere 4500 in those days. But the club once showed with Gus Lesnevich and Carmen Barth in the top spot. One was rated 5th best in the world at that time, and his opponent was in the 6th spot. That had to be a Madison Square Garden main event. Still, Ray Actis held his own with the best of them, judging from his record.

hap navarro

Hap

This has nothing to with boxing, well maybe it does , you been a former Angelino must have heard or know something about the Simons Brickyard in Montebello,Ca.
If you do let me know. and if any fighters came from there.

Frank B.

Frank B.

Sorry to say the place doesn't ring a bell with me. My dad had a hand in staging the annual Passion Play in Montebello way back in the late 1930s. I only have a faint memory of what the city looked like many years ago.


hap navarro

Hap

Did you know Red Shannon?, an if so do you remember him well? I met Red back in the early 60s, hell of a nice guy he was.
.
Frank B.

Frank- I remember that Red Shannon managed a fighter named
Rudy Hernandez, who had fine boxing skills, but lacked durability.
There was another fighter named Rudy Hernandez who fought
Lupe Aquino.

It is my understanding that Shannon could speak Spanish,
but his fighter, Rudy Hernandez, could not.

- Chuck Johnston

chuck,

is that the same rudy hernandez who was injured in a winning effort and was forced to retire?
greg

Chuck-- you are not talking about Rudy Hernandez Chicanito's older brother are you ?
Chicanito's brother Rudy was managed by a Japanese guy named Norie something or other , an Rudy could speak Spanish real good , I think Red Shannon had a hand in training Rudy.

Frank

nori nakatani. i think he had a gym in gardena and worked with all the japanese imports at the olympic.

seems there was a rudy hernandez that had to retire because of an injury he suffered in a fight at the olympic. is that the guy?
greg

Greg---I'm not sure that the same guy , but you got the right name

Nori Naratani.

Frank

I know Rudy only had about 20 fight or so , might be the same guy, who knows

Frank:

I knew Red Shannon and I saw him regularly, of course. He and my assistant at Hollywood Legion Stadium, Jackie Leonard, had fought each other a couple of times in the late 1940s. They would get together and talk about the experience.

Funny thing, Frank---Red rarely spoke English to me. If he was a Chicano he certainly looked Anglo, with that blondish-red head of his. Like you said, Red was a pleasant sort who apparently got out of the game early.


hap navarro

Frank- There was a Rudy Hernandez who fought Jimmy Heair
twice during the middle 1970s. In the first bout, Heair won
a disputed decision having a rough time with Hernandez,
who had very good boxing skills. In the second bout,
Heair stopped Hernandez.

The other Rudy Hernandez was at his peak during the
1980s.

- Chuck Johnston

Chuck

I don't remember the Rudy Hernandez that fought Jimmy Heair , I do remember Jimmy Heair real good, he at the early part of his career was ( First 30 fights or so ) managed by my good friends the late Jerry Moore and Henry Bluoin.

Frank

Frank:

Hope you got my answer to your question about Red Shannon. It's there for you, sir.

hap

Thanks Hap I read your answer to my question, I remember when I first met Red Shannon back in the early 60s we were at a JR. G.G show at the Stanton A.C in Stanton Ca. he was hanging around with Jake Horn who ran the Stanton A.C, an I found Red to be a very likeable guy, after that we became friends, not close friend but friends anyway.

Frank B.

Hap
Do you remember Hank "Under The Pepper Trees" Weaver? of course you do, I remember reading that he died in a auto accident a long time ago, but what can you tell us about him?

Frank B.

Frank:

Hank Weaver was a real good friend and co-worker at the Legion Stadium. His show "Under the Pepper Trees" took place out in front of the building and came on a half-hour after my show which was televised from our dressing rooms. We both did interviews and news features, but he had celebrity guests and I had professional boxers as guests. We both pioneered pre-fight television shows more than 50 years ago.

I really worked closely with Hank during the time I was an assistant Matchmaker because one of my duties was to type out a whole batch of sheets of copy focusing on the fighters who were on the shows each week.

That was one reason Hank became known as the most knowledgeable fight announcer in the west. He always had some inside, personal stuff on the boys who were boxing that night.

One night I scared hell out of Hank by telling him I did not write up his copy for the show. I thought he was going to pass out until I laughed and told him I was only kidding.

Unless I'm mistaken, Hank was killed in an auto accident the same night that Davey Moore lost his life following the match with Sugar Ramos(?). Strangely, Jimmy Wilson, who had refereed one of the bouts at Dodger Stadium that night also died while working a bout in Japan just a short time afterwards.

Hank Weaver and his wife, Marisha, were our close friends. He was from Pittsburgh, Pa. originally and had grown up among tough coal miners. He really became well known when he stayed on the microphone for about 24 hours straight when little Kathy Fiscus fell into an abandoned hole in a field just east of L.A. The little girl died before the rescue team could reach her.

Frank, thank you for asking about a really special guy, Hank Weaver.


hap navarro

Hap----thanks for the info on Hank Weaver, you are right, Weaver did died on the night that Ramos ko Moore, I believe he was on his way home from the fights when he died, I remember that now.
I remember Weaver interviewing Keeny Teran under the "Pepper Trees" before the fights one night that I was watching the fights on tv from the legion.

Frank B.

Just watched a fine documentary film about the boxing life and times of former California featherweight star Gil Cadilli which was carefully produced by his son, Gil, Jr. You may recall the young man's posting on the "zone" wherein he told us of the project he had in mind honoring his father.

Must say it is well done, with pertinent comments by some of Gil, Sr.'s contemporaries, Danny Valdez, Joey Olmos, Harry Kabakoff, etc. Gil, Jr. has included several actual fight scenes taken from his dad's battles with Willie Pep, Keeny Teran, Don Johnson, and Miguel Berrios, among others.


Gil Cadilli was a product of the exceptional "pure boxing" classes mentored by one of the kindest guys I ever knew, the old "Senator" Johnny Forbes, who was also responsible for the ring careers of men like Carlos and Alfredo Chavez, Keeny Teran, Rudy Jordan, and Cali Martinez.

Good work, young Gil and thanks for the opportunity to view the film about your talented father.

hap navarro

Hap---- that had to be some film, would love to get a chance to watch it, as I knew Gil Cadilli, Keeny Teran, Rudy Jordan, Danny Valdez, Joey Olmos and Harry Kabakoff.

Frabnk B.

Dear Frank:

Gil Cadilli, Jr. just got back to me with a reply in the affirmative----he is sending you a copy of the documentary about his dad.

I know you will enjoy it, sir.

My best, always

hap navarro

Hap

I received a E-Mail from Gil Jr. asking for my address and he will be senting me a copy of the film, this really mean a lot to me.

Frank B.

Hap
I just watch Gil Cadilli Jr. documentary on his dad, what a job he did.

Frank B.

Glad you enjoyed it Mr. B

I hope others on the CBZ get a chance to see it.

hap navarro

Glad you enjoyed it Mr. B

I hope others on the CBZ get a chance to see it.

hap navarro

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1951 Spanish-American Sports Writers Banquet picturing Hap Navarro presenting an award to Manuel Ortiz

Zev--Thats a great photo of two of the top guys in California boxing back in those years.

Frank