By David Martinez

It was three years ago that I tearfully, but honorably, delivered the eulogy at St Raphel’s church, in Santa Barbara, California, for one of my best friends, Frankie Rivas. The month of April now has a new meaning, as I annually pay him tribute and remember his passing.

A lot of people think that I met Frankie through boxing, which is a good guess; but I actually first met him when I was a boy in the early sixties. He was a young apprentice waiter at a local restaurant named “Leon’s” and my parents would go there and ask for him to be our waiter. I will always remember one of the early times going there for dinner; after he took our food order he asked “What can I bring you to drink, David?” Before I could say “A soda pop or glass of milk would be fine”, he said “A Shirley Temple is what I will bring you.” At that time in my life I had no idea what a Shirley Temple was and I thought Frankie was going to bring me a little toy doll.  That evening, he introduced me to what was actually 7-Up and grenadine with a cherry!  There are so many other stories that I have of Frankie, but this one is the first which I will remember forever.

It was boxing that kept Frankie and I bonded as friends, like brothers, for almost fifty years. Frankie boxed as a successful amateur. He also made time to help the youth of our city with his services.  He was right by my side as a referee and judge at many boxing shows in our community, as well.

Here’s to a well respected man that was my friend – my best friend – Frankie Rivas.  Please join me in prayer as we remember him today.

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian

I am saddened to report that my friend, our friend, boxer Allen Syers passed away on December 6, 2011. Allen fought in the lightweight (135 lb.) division from 1964 to1967 and compiled a ring record of 8 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws. Born in Liverpool, England, Allen lived in Mission Viejo, California with his loving wife Elise. Allen was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008, and was to be honored this weekend, on December 10, 2011, by the Golden State Boxer’s Association as the recipient of the 2011 Don Fraser World Boxing Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award. He was a wonderful person in all aspects of the life that he lived and respected by everyone. May his soul rest in peace in heaven with God.

By Tom Donelson

( Member of the Boxing Writers Association and International Boxing Research Organization )

Butch Lewis was a colorful promoter who learned his trade under Bob Arum and even promoted some of Ali’s fight with Arum but he was the man behind the Spinks brothers.  He managed Leon’s career to great heights early in his career.  After winning the Olympics, Leon won his first seven of eight fights with the other being a draw against Scott LeDoux.

Ali set up a fight with Leon Spinks but Spinks upset the “Greatest” winning the title with a split decision. For one night, Spinks was the greatest but that came down quickly when Ali won an easy decision in New Orleans Superdome in the rematch.

A few months later, South African heavyweight Gerrie Coetzee knocked Leon Spinks down three times in the first round and from that point Leon Spinks moved from being a top contender to mediocrity.  After losing a heavyweight title to Larry Holmes, he moved down to cruiserweight but he never won a cruiserweight title. By the end of his career, he was merely an opponent; fighting in his brother shadow.

Michael Spinks was the reluctant warrior but he proved to be a great light heavyweight before moving to heavyweight.   Lewis not only took Leon to a title but he managed his younger brother Michael to greater heights including a 13 million dollar pay day against Mike Tyson.

From 1981 to 1985, he dominated the light heavyweight division in a division deep in talent including fifteen round decisions against Eddie Mustafa Muhammad and Dwight Muhammad Qawi. He upset Larry Holmes, who was going for his 49^th straight victory to beat Rocky Marciano.  In a close fight, he won a unanimous decision against Larry Holmes and won a second controversial split decision in the rematch.

He continued to win heavyweight fights and Lewis decided to have Spinks not participate in HBO heavyweight title tournament.  This proved profitable as Spinks nearly made three times what he would have made if he won or faced Mike Tyson in the tournament.  Spinks lost his big fight in one of boxing shortest heavyweight fight but he made over 13 million dollars.  After the fight Michael Spinks retired.  His brother continued to fight some eight years longer but never reached the success of early in his career.

Leon had the talent to be a great cruiserweight and solid heavyweight but he never had the same focus as his younger brother, who reached great heights as both a light heavyweight and heavyweight.  Many boxing fans may remember Michael Spinks for his last fight but they forgot his first thirty first fight and many championship victories.  As for Lewis, he took two brothers out of poverty in Saint Louis and made them rich men.

dmboxing.com note:  Butch Lewis passed away on July 23, 2011 … may his soul rest in peace in heaven with the Lord.

Johnny Ortiz, Dub Harris, David Martinez

( photo taken October 18, 2002 )

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian

Last month the boxing world lost a friend, Maurice “Dub” Harris, who passed away peacefully on June 27, 2011 at the age of 94. He was a highly decorated veteran of the United States Army serving in both World War II and the Korean War.

Dub, along with Everett Sanders (original founder), Charlie Casas, and Gordon Del Faro, was one of the charter members of the World Boxing Hall of Fame that started in 1980. Dub served five terms as president (1982), (1985), (1989-1990), (1995-1996), (1997-1998). Dub remained active as Chairman of the Board and President’s Advisor until failing health in 2005 forced him to depart the World Boxing Hall of Fame after twenty five years of dedicated service with the goal to always strive for excellence.

I officially met Dub in November 1996 when Deborah Sutherland set up an appointment to have him interview me to become a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame. I was not shy about telling him about how I wanted to serve and offer my boxing expertise to the organization. He was delighted with my interview and I was always remember what he told me, “Don’t let me down,” which became the motivating sprit that he sincerely embedded in me and lit the torch I burned for the next ten years I served the World Boxing Hall of Fame. We often kidded about “Don’t let me down” between us, in which he would always look at me with that smile he had for the chosen ones whom he considered on his team.

From that moment forward we became close friends in service, Dub being president and me being a director of the board. Later he personally appointed me as his boxing historian. Dub was respected by everyone on the board and many others within the boxing circles he traveled. He gave much to the community, supporting such organizations as the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Youth Foundation, Shriner’s Hospitals, and the John R. Wooden Award hosted by the Los Angeles Athletic Club just to name a few.

Trudie Latka, who has severed honorably with the World Boxing Hall of Fame since 1992, says “Dub knew all about the things he didn’t know, and knew how to use others talents to unite to solve, which made him a great leader in all aspects of the word”.

Joey Olmos, a life-long icon in boxing for over sixty years and who served as Los Angeles Boxing Commissioner for many years, says, “Dub was one of a kind, dedicated, friendly, humble, and knowledgeable. He was well loved and will be missed immensely.”

Johnny Ortiz, who served with nothing less than 100 percent support to the World Boxing Hall of Fame for 12 years, says “In all my years not many have had my utmost respect. Dub Harris was a man who commanded my respect from the very moment we met. He emitted a radiance, a brightness, that went out to all that were fortunate enough to be around him. He is now in a much better place, a place he richly deserves.” To quote William Shakespeare, “We will not look upon his like again.”

With the passing of Dub, I personally will never forget him as my president and the opportunity he gave me in his trust, and in return to fulfill my commitment to never let him down. I consider myself blessed to have known such a wonderful man. May his soul rest in peace in heaven – Maurice “Dub” Harris.

By David Martinez

As the month of April now comes around … besides taxes being on my mind … there is something else more important to me.  On April 7, 2009, Frankie Rivas peacefully passed away.

I have many friends in life, but Frankie Rivas was the one that stood out because of his genuine love and care for people. Each time I would see him, I didn’t get a hand shake, a pat on the back, or a high five – I got a true genuine hug!

A lot of people think that I met Frankie through boxing, which is a good guess, but I actually first met Frankie when I was a young boy in 1962. He was a waiter at a local Santa Barbara downtown restaurant called Leon’s. My parents would go there and Frankie was usually our waiter, with a happy face to greet you. I will always remember one of the early times going there for dinner; after he took our food order he asked me “What can I bring you, David?” Before I could say “A soda pop would be great,” he said “A ‘Shirley Temple’ is what I will bring you.” At that stage of my life I had no idea what a ‘Shirley Temple’ was and I thought this man was going to bring me a little toy doll. So, he introduced me to what was actually 7-Up and grenadine with a cherry! There are so many little stories that I have of Frankie, and I will treasure them all forever.

But it was boxing that bonded Frankie and me through my almost fifty years of knowing him, and Frankie was truly a mentor to me with his wisdom of the sport.

Frankie boxed as a successful amateur in his youth and throughout his life he and I attended many boxing shows and events together. He also made the time to offer his expertise to everyone, and was involved helping kids as an advisor, referee, and judge in many youth programs throughout the community.

To a man that was my friend – my best friend – please join me in prayer in memory of …  Frankie Rivas.

I will always remember Gil to be a gentle and most knowledgeable man in a sport he loved so dearly.

During his career he worked with Ralph “Tiger” Jones, Rodrigo Valdes, Juan La Porte, Johnny Persol, Jorge Ahumada, Howard Weston, Tom Bethea, Jerry Quarry, Gerry Cooney, Oscar De La Hoya, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton and Emile Griffith; whom he guided to the heights of the Welterweight and Middleweight Championships.

May his soul rest in peace in heaven with God!

With my deepest sympathy,
David Martinez / Boxing Historian

By Jim Amato / Senior Boxing Writer

There are certain boxers from my past that in retrospect would be champions today. One such boxer was tough enough to be nicknamed ” Bad “. He was Bennie Briscoe from Philadelphia and brother you better bet he was just that, ” Bad “. He was probably the most feared middleweight of his era and it was a tough time just be a middleweight in Philly. If you were bad there, you were bad everywhere.

Briscoe turned pro in 1962 and would win his first fifteen contests. Among his victims were Charley Scott and Percy Manning. In a return with Manning in 1965, Bennie would suffer his first setback. That year he would also lose to Tito Marshall and Stanley ” Kitten ” Hayward. In 1966 Bennie would halt the highly respected George Benton.

Bennie was now among the middleweight elite. The year 1967 would see him lose two decisions to the great Luis Rodriguez. Sandwiched in between those losses was a draw in Argentina with a fella named Carlos Monzon. In 1968 he would lose to future light heavyweight titleholder Vincente Rondon. He would knock out Rondon in a 1969 rematch.

In 1970 Bennie began to make his march to a shot at the world’s middleweight title. He won eleven straight fights until he was upset by Luis Vinales in 1972. He would stop Vinales in a return match. Finally in November he would meet the reigning middleweight champion of the world, Carlos Monzon. Again they would be fighting in Argentina. This time Carlos clearly deserved the decision the retained his title but he was rocked to his heels by Bennie in the ninth round of that fight. Monzon would always have a great respect for Briscoe.

Bennie would regroup in 1973. He destroyed Art Hernandez in three rounds. He also stopped Billy ” Dynamite ” Douglas of Columbus, Ohio. Billy’s son Buster would shock the world in 1990 when he took apart Mike Tyson. Bennie closed the year by losing a decision to Rodrigo Valdez. These two would create some history together.

Bennie put himself right back into the thick of the title picture in 1974 when he took out the streaking Tony Mundine of Australia. Later he would again meet Valdez for the WBC version of the title that had been taken away from Monzon. In a stunning display of punching power the vastly under rated Valdez sent Bennie down and out in round seven. Bennie came back but finished the year dropping a points call to all-time great Emile Griffith.

Briscoe would then go undefeated in his next thirteen bouts. He won nine and drew in four. In this span he would beat Eddie Gregory ( a.k.a. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad ). He would draw with the dangerous Eugene ” Cyclone ” Hart. In a return go Bennie blasted out Hart in one round. Bennie also drew in a return with Griffith.

In 1977 after Carlos Monzon had officially retired, Bennie was again matched with Rodrigo Valdez for vacant title. Again Rodrigo had Bennie’s number and won a very close decision.

Starting with a decision loss to future champion Vito Antuofermo, Bennie would lose nine of his last seventeen fights. Later that year Bennie would drop a verdict to another future champion named Marvin Hagler. At this stage of his career any middleweight who dreamed of becoming the champion had to go through Bennie first.

By the early 1980′s Bennie was becoming a stepping stone for young, talented fighters like Vinnie Curto. After a 1982 loss to Jimmy Sykes at the famous Blue Horizon in Philadelphia, hometown boy Bennie Briscoe decided to hang up the gloves. He left a legacy of 96 fights against many of the toughest welterweights and middleweights of his day. He won 66 fights and an amazing 53 of those by knockout. He was stopped only once in his career. His record reads like a who’s who of boxing in that era.

If ever a fighter who was never crowned a ” world champion ” deserved to be elected in to the Hall of Fame, it is none other then Bennie Briscoe.

dmboxing.com note: Bennie Briscoe died on December 28, 2010 … may his soul rest in peace