California Boxing Hall of Fame – REVISITED

Boxing Events, California Boxing Hall of Fame, David Martinez, History

              By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / World Boxing Hall of Fame

On Saturday March 5, 2005 the Stevens Steak House in the city of Commerce was the sight for the annual California Hall of Fame Inductee ceremonies.

This year’s class includes: ( boxer category ) Oscar Muniz, Paul Gonzales, Monroe Brooks, Ruben Navarro, Stan Ward, Terry Norris, Joey Obillo, George “Scrap Iron” Johnson, Jose Luis Cotero, Frankie Duarte … ( non-boxer category ) Julian Eget , Bud Furillo, Lee Espinosa, Howard Bingham, Joe Chavez, Robert Byrd, Debbie Garcia, Mack Kurihara, Jerry Roth, Esq … ( posthumous category ) Jim Healy, Canto Robledo, Rudy Garcia, Bill Slayton, Jack Johnson … ( special lifetime achievement ) Lilly and William “Blinky” Rodriquez.

The program is well constructed and organized by Don Fraser ( president / Golden State Boxers Association) and Julian Eget ( vice president / Golden State Boxers Association ) and as a board member myself – I can honestly say that I sure didn’t think they could top last years show with the appearance of Ernie “Indian Red” Lopez … but this year they surpassed that with the “surprise” appearance of Muhammad Ali.

“Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali” … the 600 plus SRO crowd chanted as the former three time heavyweight champion entered the room and it was so electric,” “It was as if the Pope” himself had walked into the room … it was one of those moments in time that one just had to be there to witness and feel.

The look on people’s faces was priceless – that I just can’t remember the last time in my 44 years being involved in boxing that I had seen just ONE person generate so much excitement at a public forum.

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Boxing – New Mexico

David Martinez, FLASHBACK, History

*** FLASHBACK ***

This article was originally published for viewing February 26, 2024 on www.dmboxing.com

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

As my parents and many family members (uncles, aunts, and cousins) are from New Mexico, I have had people ask me which boxers are my favorites, or the best fighters, from that state.

As I rate them, my top three are Bob Foster, Johnny Tapia, and Art Aragon.

Also, Danny Romero and Austin Trout are the honorable mention picks that round out my top five; and I have certainly been blessed to have met them all.

BOB FOSTER

Ring Record: 56-8-1 / 46 by KO

Known as the Albuquerque, “Deputy Sheriff”, he was one of the greatest light heavyweight champions in boxing history. WBA / WBC world champion from 1968 to 1974.

Inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1983, the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1984 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1990.

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Anthony Joshua survives early knockdowns, wins by 2nd round knockout … Tim Tszyu by decision over Errol Spence Jr.

Heavyweights, Middleweights, Recent Fights, Tom Donelson

By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)

Anthony Joshua needed to get a win over Kristian Prenga for a big payday against Tyson Fury.  Twenty seconds into the first round, the promoters of the Fury-Joshua feared the worst as Prenga landed a right hand followed by a right-hand uppercut sending Joshua down in the first twenty seconds.   Joshua got up but legs remained unsteady and was knocked down second time.  Prenga had his best chance, but Joshua recovered enough to start going after Prenga in the second round.  Joshua superior jab landed and he followed up with right hand that stunned Prenga.  Prenga could not escape his fate as two big rights send Prenga though the ropes.  The fight was waved off as Prenga did not recover.   Joshua managed to escape with a second-round knockout victory after nearly losing in the first round.

Tyson Fury upheld his side of the deal in Thailand as he easily outboxed Mariusz Wach before stopping Wach in the seventh round.

Fury used the fight as a training session as he looked for rounds as he dominated all seven rounds, forcing Wach’s corner to stop the fight. Fury stated, “I’ve had one fight in two years … This is my second fight in two years, of course I wanted to get the rounds in. I want to be active.”  

Joshua showed his main vulnerability, his chin as he got nailed with shots in the first round and nearly lost his big payday.  While Joshua has good boxing skills, so does Fury.   This fight has been talked about for years and may eventually come but after neither men have a title at stake. 

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James Toney vs. Samuel Peter – REVISITED

David Martinez, DMBoxing News, Hall Of Fame, Heavyweights, History, Rusty Rubin

RING SPORTS MAGAZINE

James Toney vs. Samuel Peter

By: David Martinez / Boxing Historian
World Boxing Hall of Fame

       It sure wasn’t the worst decision that I have seen in boxing, though the thousands in attendance at the Los Angeles Staples Center on Saturday night, September 2, 2006, and the millions watching on Showtime TV must have thought so after Samuel Peter was awarded a 12 round “split” decision over James Toney.

          When I think of the most unbelievable decisions that I have seen in boxing in my 45 years in the sport, the first two that come to mind  are: Floyd Patterson losing to Jimmy Ellis in 1968 and Carlos Zarate losing to Lupe Pintor in 1979. Both fights rank high on my list of the worst decisions.

          In the Toney vs Peter fight, I personally saw Toney as the clear cut winner 115 to 112 (7 to 5 in rounds) on my scorecard, and this was even with Peter having a point deducted by referee Raul Caiz, SR. in round nine after a double punch (using both hands at same time, also called “cuffing”) to Toney’s head, a punch that I haven’t seen since I was a kid at a carnival sideshow thrown by a kangaroo!

          This fight was billed as a WBC heavyweight title elimination, with the winner being awarded a guarantee to fight current WBC champion Oleg Maskaev.

The 38 year old Toney entered this fight with a title belt of his own – something called the IBA Heavyweight Championship – and he had not lost a fight since 1997.

The 25 year old Peter, who entered the fight as the third ranked heavyweight contender by the WBC, is one of the hardest hitting punchers in this division today. His style is very similar to another hard hitting heavyweight, Mac Foster, who fought back in the mid-sixties and seventies.

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Happy Anniversary #19

David Martinez, dmboxing.com

David Martinez

Boxing Historian

dmboxing.com

On July 15, 2026, www.dmboxing.com officially will celebrate a milestone, of nineteen years of existence.

The website started back in 2007, and since then I have published 2,255 articles and features for world-wide viewing.

It’s absolutely a delight to bring you boxing, as I produce this site to be the best that I can provide.

Along the way, I have been blessed to become acquainted with a wonderful array of fans, and with some to becoming the closest of friends to me, and that I consider a great gift to outstanding friendships.

I am also grateful to have a special team of people that have enhanced the success of this website, and a loyal fan base who I would like to thank for their continued support and positive input. My involvement in boxing goes back sixty-five years to 1961, and my top priority is to provide honesty and credibility to dmboxing.com for all concerned.

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Canelo Alvarez / RECAP 2026

Recap, Tom Donelson

By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America / Respected in boxing reporting, and a loyal contributor to www.dmboxing.com since 2008

Saul Alvarez is one of the best pound for pound and has been for the past decade, but Canelo has another distinction. As great of a career he has, there are two fighters that he lost reinforced the greatness of two other fighters, Floyd Mayweather and Terrace Crawford. Both fights had similarity, with both Mayweather and Crawford moving up to fight Alvarez who was the bigger fighter.

Thirteen years ago, a 36-year-old Floyd Mayweather undefeated at 44-0 faced a 23-year-old Alvarez. Alvarez was the younger fighter but at 23, he had a 42-0-1 and was coming into his peak. But the older Mayweather gave Alvarez a boxing lesson as he connected on 46 percent of the fight versus only 22 percent for Alvarez and Mayweather landed 42 percent of his jab whereas Alvarez was ineffectual at only 15 percent. The only controversy was not that Mayweather was the winner, but one judge had it a 114-114 draw. As one ESPN writer noted, “Mayweather, 36, of Las Vegas, fought like a man years younger, as usual. He landed his right hand almost at will and peppered Alvarez with solid jabs. Mayweather was so quick, he evaded nearly ever heavy shot Alvarez threw.”   And Alvarez noted after the fight Mayweather was very elusive and acknowledged that at the end of the fight, he was frustrated. Mayweather was 150 pounds below the 152-catch weight and Alvarez made weight but after rehydration, he walked into the right at 165 pounds. CompuBox had Mayweather landing 232 punches out of 595 punches and Alvarez only connected on 117 punches out of 525 thrown. Mayweather who retired with 50-0 record, showed his mastery over a younger fighter.

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Jaron “Boots”Ennis defeats Xander Zayas / seventh round stoppage

Recent Fights, Tom Donelson

By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)

Jaron “Boots” Ennis took on Xander Zayas, for Zayas’ WBA / WBO Junior Middleweight titles. Both fighters were undefeated, but Ennis was the heavy favorite and in the first round, he showed why he was the favorite as he thumped Zayas around the ring. An Ennis left spun Zayas to the canvas for a knockdown and gave Ennis the opening round sending many fans wondering how quickly this would end.

In the second round, Ennis continuing to pound Zayas as he easily took the round and the fight moved to the third, where Zayas showed life as landed a right hand that Ennis walked through but the second right got Ennis attention and Zayas won the round and in the fourth round saw a Zayas punch spin Ennis head around as both fighters gave as much as they got.  The round was close, but I gave it to Zayas, but it could have gone for Ennis. In the third and fourth round, Zayas landed 50 punches to Ennis 41. Zayas 28 and 22 punches in the third and fourth rounds, whereas Ennis landed 19 and 22.

Ennis got control of the fight in the fifth as he nailed Zayas with everything but the kitchen sink. He sent Zayas down a second time with a right upper cut and overall, he landed 37 punches to Zayas 16. 

In the sixth round, Ennis landed three times as many punches but at the end of the round, Zayas was still standing. The seventh round saw the end of the fight. Both fighters mixed it up in the middle of the ring, but Ennis landed a hard punch combination and began walking Zayas down   Ennis left connected and followed by swift combinations, send Zayas down for a third time and the fight ended as Zayas went down to a knee.

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