By David Martinez / dmboxing.com

One word – OUTSTANDING – is what I have to say about Gene Aguilera’s recent book, Mexican American Boxing in Los Angeles. This publication is a must for anyone connected to boxing or that grew up in the southern California area.

Gene’s writing is a perfect blend of a historical perspective with an array of 170 photos chronologically ordered in a black and white format that gives the book a nostalgic flavor. Each chapter is uniquely segregated into different eras of boxing.

This book really brought me back to my days of traveling from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles that started as a young kid in the early sixties. Gene has certainly brought back a lot of memories for me. I would attend the boxing and wrestling matches at the LA Olympic Auditorium and later at the Inglewood Forum. These are times in my life that I will never forget.

Gene includes all the boxers, starting with Aurelio Herrera and Joe Rivers in the early 1900’s, to Oscar De La Hoya in 1990’s as he captures the stories and the great fights. He includes the Main Street Gym and the likes of Aileen Eaton, Howie Steindler and others that made the boxing landscape what it was in Los Angeles.

Gene himself is an expert in boxing. He grew up in East LA and started to follow boxing as a 10-year-old kid in the early sixties. He is a graduate of USC and works as a bank vice president. He is also a songwriter and music historian.

***  Mexican American Boxing in Los Angeles

***  Author: Gene Aguilera

***  Images of America Series

***  Price: $21.99

***  128 pages / soft cover

***  Available at: bookstores, independent retailers, online retailers, Arcadia Publishing at (888) 313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com

***  For additional information and purchasing: contact Gene Aguilera “directly” by email: gaguilera@ccombank.com