I would like to wish everyone a wonderful and blessed “Merry Christmas” with good health, love, and happiness!
Sincerely,
David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
Merry Christmas 2024
All posts by David Martinez
Jeff Smith – Not To Be Forgotten
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
My friend, the late Boxing Historian Al Nelson, who was much older than I and who lived at the turn of the 20th Century, told me back in 1969 about a fighter named Jeff Smith, saying “This guy was as tough as nails” … this was a quote in which I took great interest. So, I did some research of my own on this middleweight boxer.
I was amazed at the crop of high level fighters that he faced in his career which included Harry Greb, Gene Tunney, Mike Gibbons, Georges Carpentier, Les Darcy, Tommy Loughran, and George Chip.
Smith began his boxing career in 1910, and engaged in 183 bouts, until his retirement in 1927. In that 17 year span he compiled 141 wins, 34 losses, and 5 draws, with 3 no-contests.
In retirement, he became a physical education instructor with the Bayonne Board of Education and the Fort Dix (New Jersey) Army Base, and also taught boxing lessons at a local YMCA.
Continue reading Jeff Smith – Not To Be ForgottenRING TRIVIA for December 2024
I have always been intrigued with boxing trivia. This actually began back when I was a kid in 1961. I would pick the minds of the older generation and ask questions about their era to educate myself. It’s now my pleasure to bring the boxing trivia format to my website www.dmboxing.com for everyone to enjoy. On a quarterly basis I post five (5) multiple choice questions – in March, June, September, and December – with the correct answers to follow by end of each posting month for your viewing.
David Martinez / Boxing Historian
1 – When Oscar De La Hoya suffered the first knock down of his professional career, who was his opponent?
a) Troy Dorsey
b) Narcisco Valenzuela
c) Jimmy Bredahl
d) Jorge Paez
2 – Who was the first heavyweight to win the championship three times?
a) Floyd Patterson
b) George Foreman
c) Joe Frazier
d) Muhammad Ali
Continue reading RING TRIVIA for December 2024Tommy Ryan
*** FLASHBACK ***
This article was originally published on www.dmboxing.com (June 16, 2021) for viewing
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
One of the greatest boxers at the turn of the 20th century was certainly Tommy Ryan. Born on March 31, 1870 in Redwood, New York by the name Joseph Youngs, he later changed his name after running away from home at a young age.
He worked in lumber yard camps, where he learned his boxing skills. On January 1, 1887, at the age of 17, he turned professional and scored knockout wins in seventeen of his first eighteen fights.
In his career he would engage in a five fight series with the tough Mysterious Billy Smith, and after two draws, Ryan would win a 20-round decision in their third fight to capture Smith’s welterweight title on July 26, 1894.
On January 18, 1895, Ryan defeated top contender Jack Dempsey (The Nonpareil) by a third round stoppage to retain his title.
Ryan would fight Smith again in their fourth encounter on May 27, 1895, but the police interfered in the eighteenth round and the result was ruled a draw.
The following year on March 2, 1896, Ryan suffered his first career loss to Kid McCoy by a 15 round stoppage.
Continue reading Tommy RyanHappy Thanksgiving 2024
I would kindly like to wish everyone a wonderful and blessed “Happy Thanksgiving” with good health, love, and happiness!
Respectfully,
David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
Jake Paul defeats Mike Tyson by Decision … Katie Taylor over Amanda Serrano
By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)
The big fight on Netflix was Mike Tyson versus Jake Paul or that was the the fight that got all the intention. Jake Paul’s job was to defeat a former great heavyweight who has not been in the ring in two decades and eligible for senior citizen discount.
J
ake Paul did what Jake Paul was supposed to do, win the bout with jabs and combinations whereas Tyson hardly looked the fearsome fighter he was at his peak and connected on two punches per round. It was easy fight for Paul and sad ending for Tyson but both men got rich in the process. 60 million people tuned in.
In the fight round Paul landed a right that shook Tyson and Tyson landed a left hook that twenty years ago would have sent Paul in the front row, but it did nothing . Paul jab was effective in keeping Tyson off. I could remember a time when no jab would keep Tyson off in his prime. He would find a way around it and knock you out. But that was the young twenty something Tyson. Tonight, father time reminded Tyson that indeed, he was an old fighter.
Official Boxing Record
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
Back in the late 1970’s, I was introduced to a man that was the outstanding editor and publisher of the monthly Official Boxing Record, Dick Mastro. Although I did not know Dick personally as he was based out of Hollywood, California, I always admired his dedication to a publication that offered boxers’ ring records, world ratings, international champions, the mail box, a classified directory, and my favorite features, Down Cauliflower Alley by Noble “Kid” Chissell and Squaring the Round by Dick Mastro.
Through the years, I have subscribed and collected over 100 copies of his fine (digest size) product. I have always contended that the greatest boxing historians that I have met are Al Nelson, Nat Fleischer, Bert Sugar, Hank Kaplan, Don Fraser, and Emanuel Steward; but it just might be appropriate to add Dick Mastro to that list of men who collectively knew boxing to the highest degree.
What’s My Line / TV Show … Featuring Sugar Ray Robinson
FLASHBACK !!!
This article feature was originally published on June 21, 2013 for viewing on www.dmboxing.com
This popular panel game show ran on CBS-TV from 1950 to 1967. This is Sugar Ray Robinson – the show was shot on July 1, 1956 – almost 57 years ago. Sugar Ray is considered the greatest boxer of all time in any weight class by experts in boxing. The phrase “pound for pound” was invented just for him when they compare any boxer of any era. I am sharing a photo that he autographed for me at a local amateur boxing show in my home town of Santa Barbara, California in 1986. This photo was taken in New York on September 23, 1958; he is with Hogan “Kid” Bassey (left) displaying their world championship belts. Click below on link to view: What’s My Line episode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAMb_XMfhkE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
dmboxing.com Products
Here’s sharing a copy of a recent Facebook post regarding my website products and to say thank you to those that wear displaying dmboxing.com
The start of dmboxing.com began in July 2007, and since there have been 2,115 publishing posts.
It’s just such a delight to provide boxing as I know it to the many that have subscribed and continue in support.
Respectfully, David Martinez / Boxing Historian
Rudy Garcia / Boxer … A Look Into The Past
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
When I was a young boy, I was blessed to have spoken to the older men who saw and lived boxing before my time. It was an education that I consider priceless, learning from the old timers about their days following the sport.
In the early 1960’s, my uncle would take me to the boxing and wrestling matches at the historic Olympic Auditorium. It was a 100 mile trip down south on the Greyhound Bus, from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, and I consider this to have been my grand introduction to the sport, and the time I fully began to enjoy the live moments of professional boxing.
My uncle once told me about a boxer he liked back in the 1950’s that he saw fight many times at the Olympic and at the Hollywood Legion Stadium. He a was young featherweight of Mexican descent, Rudy Garcia, who was born in East Los Angeles on April 12, 1929, and attended Roosevelt High School. Rudy was an outstanding amateur, winning 56 of 58 bouts, including the California Golden Gloves featherweight title.
Continue reading Rudy Garcia / Boxer … A Look Into The Past