Category Archives: FLASHBACK

West Coast Fighters Bring Heat To The Windy City

FLASHBACK, Guest Post, Steve Corbo, Upcoming Fights

FLASHBACK *** This article was originally published on April 6, 2014 on dmboxing.com

Left to Right: Roger Romo, James Dominguez, Steve Corbo, Mike Gavronski, John Nocita

By Steve Corbo

Veterans Park District’s Leyden Boxing Gym in suburban Chicago was the scene of some hot and heavy action last week as a couple of undefeated fighters from the West Coast got in some work with a spirited sparring session.

Roger Romo from Oxnard, California brought his professional record of 5-0-3, and a wealth of experience, into the gym to work with Tacoma, Washington’s Mike Gavronski, who sports a professional record of 13-0-1. In addition to having worked with the likes of Sergio Martinez and Kelly Pavlik, Romo has grown up in boxing as the younger brother of two time world champion Fernando Vargas.

Gavronski will be in action April 14, in Chicago, on a show televised by Fox Sports Monday Night Boxing. With 10 of his 13 wins by knockout, he is quickly becoming a fan favorite who hopes to crack into the middleweight division’s top ten rankings sometime within the next year. Sportswriters, from the Seattle – Tacoma, area, voted him the Northwest Region’s Fighter of the Year for 2013. And, he just returned from San Diego where he got in some more good ring work with Andre Dirrell and Mike Lee.

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Rusty Rubin (R.I.P.) Remembering a Friend

David Martinez, FLASHBACK, R.I.P., Rusty Rubin

*** FLASHBACK *** this article was originally first published November 13, 2014, and September 21, 2016 on www.dmboxing.com

rusty rubin pic -crop

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

When I think about the many friends I have met in over fifty years of being involved in boxing – one name surfaces to the top – Rusty Rubin.

This week, on Tuesday November 11, 2014, Rusty, age 72, passed away peacefully at his home in Reno, Nevada.

rusty-pic

I met Rusty back in 1997 upon my entry into the World Boxing Hall of Fame as a Director of the Board.  He would always come to our annual banquet and we “instantly” became friends from that point forward in life.  I wrote articles for his RingSports Magazine and when I founded my website dmboxing.com in July 2007; he offered and was my first feature writer with his award winning column “In Rusty’s Corner”.

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Oddities In Boxing

David Martinez, FLASHBACK, History

*** FLASHBACK *** This article piece originally appeared on www.dmboxing.com on April 10, 2019

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

Boxing has certainly had its share of odd events. In no particular order of preference here are ten that have always stood out to me.

1 – November 6, 1993 / Las Vegas, Nevada … Holyfield vs. Bowe II, a fan James Miller lands by parachute into the ring during round 7 causing a 21 minute delay in their heavyweight championship fight.

2 – December 4, 1912 / Paris, France … Georges Bernard fell asleep at the end of the sixth round during his middleweight title fight with Billy Papke.

3 – September 13, 1975 / Caracas, Venezuela Luis Etaba defeated Rafael Lovera by 4th round knockout to win WBC junior flyweight title, only to learn afterwards Lovera had never fought a professional fight before and only fought that one fight in his career.

4 – December 13,  1887 … “Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey retained his middleweight title by knockout in the 45th round over John Reagan. The bout took place in two rings. It Started in Huntington, Long Island and after the ring was flooded by nearby river, in the 8th round, both fighters boarded a tug boat and continued their bout 20 miles away in another ring.

5 – January 15, 1977 /  Las Vegas, Nevada … Howard Smith wins a 10 round decision over Henry Clark. In round one, the original referee (Ferd Hernandez) suffered a epileptic seizure causing a fifteen minute delay before new referee (Richard Greene) was brought and the fight resumed. On a side note, prior to becoming a referee, Fred Hernandez boxed professionally and once scored a 10 round split decision win over an aging 44 year old Sugar Ray Robinson in 1965.

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Gina Rodriguez is a Winner!

FLASHBACK, Guest Post, Steve Corbo

FLASHBACK ***** This article was originally published on www.dmboxing on February 7, 2015

By Steve Corbo

She has been called “This Television Season’s It Girl”. She just won a Golden Globe Award for “Best Actress In A Television Series Musical Or Comedy”. She just had a full page picture of her, with her Golden Globe and that winning smile splashed across the pages of  People  Magazine! She’ll be on the cover of the March 2015 issue of Latina Magazine. Gina Rodriguez seems to be everywhere, riding high on a wave of success based on her portrayal of Jane Villanueva in the hit TV series “Jane The Virgin”. And quite frankly… it couldn’t happen to a nicer person! She’s bright, articulate, she hasn’t forgotten her roots and she’s a role model.  

Now here is the tie into boxing… if her name sounds familiar it is because her father is Chicago referee “Geno” Rodriguez. Boxing fans have seen Geno in the ring refereeing some of the game’s top fighters. Most recently he was in China refereeing the Manny Pacquiao – Chris Algieri bout. He also did Pacquiao – Brandon Rios. And over the years fight fans have seen him refereeing bouts with Wladimar & Vitali Klitschko, Joe Calzaghe, Nigel Benn, Hector Comacho and dozens of other champions and top contenders.

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Jack Dempsey vs. Jess Willard … Brief History

David Martinez, FLASHBACK, Heavyweights, History

“FLASHBACK” … This article feature was originally published on www.dmboxing on August 13, 2018

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

The Fight – Heavyweight Championship

Date – July 4, 1919

Site – Bay View Park Arena, Toledo, Ohio

Distance – Scheduled for 12 rounds

Knockdowns – Willard down seven times in Round 1

Result – 3rd round stoppage (KO3) as Willard called a halt after Round 3 ended

Attendance – 19,650

Purses – Willard $100,000 and Dempsey $27,500 .

Promoters – Tex Rickard and Frank Flournoy

Known as “Kid Blackie” and “The Manassa Mauler”, Jack Dempsey was certainly one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of boxing.

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Earnie Shavers (R.I.P.)

Ali, David Martinez, Earnie Shavers, FLASHBACK, Heavyweights, R.I.P.

By David Martinez / dmboxing.com

With the recent passing of top rated heavyweight Earnie Shavers on September 1, 2022, the day after his 78th birthday, I am sharing an article that my good friend Jim Amato (R.I.P.) wrote on Shavers which was published on February 11, 2009 on www.dmboxing.com. Also included are a few personal photos of Shavers, and my autographed Sports Illustrated magazine covers; the S.I. articles regard his legendary championship fights with Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes … may Mr. Earnie Shavers rest peacefully in heaven with the Lord!

*** FLASHBACK *** By Jim Amato / Senior Boxing Writer

It was to be the last time the incomparable Muhammad Ali would ever successfully defend the heavyweight championship. It would be held in boxing’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. It would also feature Ohio’s most popular heavyweight of the last quarter century, Earnie Shavers.

The “Acorn” as Ali had dubbed Shavers would be a prohibitive underdog. He was accorded a puncher’s chance at best against the aging but still crafty king of the heavyweights. What transpired the night of September 29, 1977 established Earnie as a legitimate contender and forecast the soon to be demise of “The Greatest”.

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Olympic Boxing

David Martinez, FLASHBACK

*** FLASHBACK *** This article feature was originally published on www.dmboxing.com on August 19, 2012

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

With the 2012 Olympic Games now behind us, let me congratulate our country’s first gold medal winner Claressa Shields, and also bronze medal winner Marlen Esparza. Their performances were nothing less than outstanding.

As I watched, in what little there was for my standards, the boxing competition, I was displeased with the judging and the officiating.  Olympic scoring is a computerized count of punches thrown, which is confusing because if you land a couple of more jabs than your opponent but are rocked yourself by a few more damaging punches you win the round. So is this fencing with gloves?

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The Greatest Boxers From Each Country

David Martinez, FLASHBACK, History, Rankings

*** FLASHBACK *** This article originally published on November 28, 2015 ... is now re-posted for viewing with a few updated revisions.

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

Picking the greatest boxers of all time, from different countries around the world, was really an easy and fun task. Over the years I have researched this topic at great length and interviewed many people. I have spoken to the older generations of fans and fighters who personally saw many of the boxers fight that were before my time. Their expertise and the input they offered was invaluable.

For each fighter my main basis for ranking them was the height, peak, prime, and pinnacle of their careers regardless of weight or eras in which they fought. The level of their competition played a huge factor, but not necessarily their ring record.

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Hagler vs. Hearns … REVISITED

David Martinez, FLASHBACK, History, Middleweights

***** FLASHBACK *****

This article originally was published on dmboxing.com on April 12, 2015

Hagler - 2

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

April 15th is approaching this coming week and most think of it as ‘Tax Day’, which is rightfully so . But, I think otherwise to April 15, 1985 – The Fight of the Year, The Round of the Year (round one), and The Fight of the Decade (eighties) – Marvin Hagler (60-2-2 / 50 by KO) vs. Thomas Hearns (40-1 / 34 by KO) for the ‘undisputed’ middleweight championship of the world at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.

Hagler - 1

Hagler, normally a slow starter, came out at the opening bell pinning Hearns to the ropes . Hearns threw a devastating right that stunned Hagler for a moment, as both began to trade power punches with knockout intentions. Hagler stunned Hearns with a hard left hand, becoming the aggressor, as the two continued to trade power punches . This vicious action continued, and suddenly Hagler developed a cut on his forehead, but that didn’t stop him as he pinned Hearns to the ropes and continued his assault, hurting Hearns as that blistering round ended.

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David Martinez Interviewed By doghouseboxing.com

David Martinez, FLASHBACK, History

******* FLASHBACK *******

This article was originally published on dmboxing.com on December 22, 2011

David Martinez was recently interviewed by David Tyler, boxing writer for www.doghouseboxing.com. We’ve been given permission to display that interview here. Enjoy!

David Tyler:  David, what qualifies someone as a boxing historian?
David Martinez:  Somebody that religiously, daily, every minute of their life, is passionately devoted to the sport of boxing.

DT:  How many years have you accumulated using your criteria as a historian?
DM:  I have about 52 years.  It’s in my life, my DNA, that’s all I do.  My house is like a boxing museum.

DT:  I noticed that on your website is a posting of your top 12 boxers.  In alphabetical order:  Muhammad Ali, Henry Armstrong, Roberto Duran, Joe Gans, Harry Greb, Eder Jofre, Jack Johnson, Benny Leonard, Joe Louis, Carlos Monzon, Willie Pep, and Sugar Ray Robinson.  How did you decide these were the top 12?
DM:  That’s my personal opinion over 52 years. All of these fighters would be ‘all time’ greats.  My decisions were easy….let me give you an example from my top Heavyweights also on the website…. people question why I rate Jack Dempsey over Gene Tunney and bring up the fact that Tunney beat Dempsey twice.  I simply say this, ‘at the pinnacle of both of their careers, I believe that Dempsey was a better fighter than Tunney.’

DT:  James Corbett lost twice to James Jeffries.  Why do you rate Corbett higher than Jeffries?
DM:  Same logic…I think that at the pinnacle of his career, Corbett was a better fighter than Jeffries.  Here’s another example, I think that Joe Frazier was a better fighter than George Foreman at the pinnacle of his career even though Foreman beat him twice.

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