JCC

Here it use to be the amatuer fights would attract crowds of 2,000 to 3,000 each night of the golden glove touraments every year. But after they started wearing head gear it dropped to crowds of about 500, and that's about the number of people here now that still will attend those fights. That's also when I stopped going too.

And on top that now they have gone to wearing even bigger gloves too. If it keeps going like this here may it well end up being reduced to pillar fight and a sport for a bunch of wussies not tough enough even for the way it is even now maybe.

What about the time in boxing that they didn't even wear any gloves at all, and would fight 50-100 rounds, and then go back to work in the foundries the next day. Imagine how tough in body and in mind they must have been.

Of course, if the medical profession had their way boxing would have already been banned a long time ago.

JC

__________________
"The more I sweated in the gym, the less I bleed in the ring."

JCC

Looking at the old scrapbook again today this article gripped my attention ... because I remembered that Roy Harris had later on turned pro ... and fought Floyd Patterson in 1958, he didn't win .. but at least I remember he did fight Patterson just some time before Patterson lost the world title to Inger Johansson as best I remember.

HARRIS, CROWLEY Sweep by Opposition in State Tourament

By Herb Owens ... Star-Telegram Sports Writer

Roy Harris, the defending light-heavyweight champion, and Fort Worth Lightweight J. C. Crowley won their Star-Telegram Golden Gloves debuts Friday night, each with third-round knockouts.

Their victories came on the third-night program of the 18th annual state tourament, which was witnessed by dust storm-thinned gathering of 3,582 at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum.

Harris, a two-time state winner, won with a technical knockout over Pete Noah, Jr.a Choctaw Indian from Amarillo. Crowley came storming back to register a third round knockout against Jimmy Billingsley of Dallas.

Harris, who Saturday will meet Fort Worth's Donnie Fleeman, had Noah down twice in the light-heavy tangle, which was the nights final bout.

Both knock downs came in the third round with Harris connecting first with a short left hook that sent Noah into the ropes and down.

LANDS WITH RIGHT

Pete got back up, however, Harris sent him backpedaling with a series of left feints and finally nailed him with a low, upcoming right that caught him on the side of the head.

Billingsley gave Crowley a hard time before the Fort Worth boy unloaded his powerful left in the third round.

Crowley took two hard over hand rights to the head in the first round and Billingsley clearly won the second. He used a looping right to go over Crowley's left and staggered him early in the round with a smasher to the head. Billingsley drove home a couple more before the round was over.

In the third round Crowley went on the offensive and really hurt the Dallas fighter with a fast flurry against the ropes. Billingsley got away, however, and recovered from the beating before Crowley could catch him again.

J.C. finished the fight by sending Billingsley into the ropes and then dumping him on the ring apron with an awesome left hook to the body.

Crowley's quarterfinal opportunity Saturday will be Manuel Villalobos of El Paso, who won a decison over Odessa's Don Curtis Friday.

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Now those were the days and for many years to follow that in the amatuer ranks .. they did not wear head gear in amateur boxing did not wear the bigger gloves in fights like they do today in amatuer fights.

No doubt in those days the amatuer fights were by more exciting and interesting by far than today.

JCC

__________________
"The more I sweated in the gym, the less I bleed in the ring."

The Auctioneer

Boxing is boxing and I would have to say in the last ten years of my announcing career I have seen some real wars. with head gear and big gloves.I have even seen several knockouts which are rare...... There is plenty of action for me.

JCC

I know, that's what you keep saying.

__________________
"The more I sweated in the gym, the less I bleed in the ring."

JCC

Boxing is boxing ... but I sure did like it better before the rules changed in amatuer boxing, I can sure tell you that. Its boring to me to sit and watch guys who are suppose to be fighters and to be tough wearing a bunch of padded head gear ... and those bigger padded gloves today.

In fact, that's why I stated this thread ... it was just to get it off my chest ... for I have been privately irrated by it for some time now.

Of course, you got to be in shape to box ... until now its never been a sport for wussies.

If they are really all that worried about injuries maybe they should just ban amatuer boxing.

What draws money, crowds and attention are good fights ... and fans watch to see knockouts and not a but bunch of boring fights.

I say the change in the rules has made for soft fighters that aren't as tough in body and in mind.

No wonder some boxing promoters was now promoting this "Free Style Fighting" a mixture of martial arts stuff now. While I don't care for it. But it appears to draw money, crowds and attention, and the truth is people want to see good fights and knock outs. People will pay to see good fights.

__________________
"The more I sweated in the gym, the less I bleed in the ring."

JCC

This is just going down memory lane ... and looking into my dad's old scrap books .. and just remembering the way it was in amatuer boxing before it changed.

The following taken from a very early newspaper article in the very early 1950s:

Crowley Wins Featured Bout

by George Kellan -- Star-Telegram Sports writer

FORT WORTH, Texas --- J. C. Crowley, former Golden Gloves regional featherweight champion scored a second round technical knockout over Jack Alexander of Weatherford Thursday night in featured bout of Fort Worth Amateur Boxing Club program.

The bouts were held at the newly completed open air arena on Jacksboro Highway near Lake Worth.

Crowley, outpointed by the longer-armed Alexander through the first round, caught the Weatherford fighter coming in midway of the second and floored him with a right hand.

Alexander, groggy, went down again from a left hook, and Referee Oliver Ball stopped the bout in order to guard against possible injury.

===============

I got to noticing something looking through my dad's old Scrap books ... and seeing the cards .. usually near always his fights would be the last bout on the cards. He fought near always in the main events.

I guess its because if you can go out there is flatten guys ... more people are going to want to pay to see you fight. And if you can go out there and flatten guys ... you are going to be fighting in the main events.

There use to be by far more media and press coverage in those days.

This is just remembering the way it was ... and the way I liked it.

__________________
"The more I sweated in the gym, the less I bleed in the ring."