FUNDAMENTALS By Michael Rosenthal
MUST SEE Somebody Up There Likes Me Starring: Paul Newman, Pier Angeli Released: 1956 My favorite boxing movie is Raging Bull , the dark
character study of Jake LaMotta that is considered a classic. Somebody Up There Likes Me is a close second. Newman gives what I believe is a virtuoso performance as Rocky Graziano, the former street fighter and juvenile
LAST HURRAH Vicente Escobedo vs. Carlos Hernandez April 4, 2009, Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas We’ll stay with the gutsy performance theme for this segment. I had become friendly with the affable Hernandez, a fellow Los Angeles-area resident. He was talented and a true professional, but I was worried going into this fight. The former junior lightweight titleholder, 38 when he fought Escobedo, had struggled since losing his belt to Hall of Famer Erik Morales in 2004. He was 3-4 in his previous seven fights – including the Morales setback – and had taken a lot of punishment. Retirement seemed to be the best option. Instead, he made the decision to step into the ring with another world-class opponent, the 2004 U.S. Olympian Escobedo, who would go on to challenge for a world title. My fears seemed to be justified early in the fight, as a seemingly overmatched Hernandez went down in each of the first two rounds. I remember saying nervously to the colleague sitting next to me at ringside, “Uh oh, here we go.” Then, out of nowhere, Hernandez found something within himself that left everyone on hand dumbfounded. He turned what appeared to be a hopelessly one-sided fight into a breathtaking give-and-take brawl over the final eight rounds that repeatedly lifted the fans – and a few of the less disciplined boxing writers – out of their seats in excitement. When it was over, Escobedo had his hand raised as the winner of a decision, but it was his opponent who won the hearts of everyone watching as a result of his bravery. That was Hernandez’s last fight, which he evidently had decided beforehand. He was so emotional after his performance that he could barely speak when he was interviewed at ringside. He had tears in his eyes as he tried to answer questions. And so did more than one writer. Few fighters make such a strong impression on their way out the door.
delinquent who overcomes an abusive father and poverty on New York’s Lower East Side to find love and become middleweight champion. The black-and-white film provides a gritty and compelling snapshot of tenement life in the 1930s and early 1940s, an environment that led to the incarceration of many boys and young men – including Thomas Rocco Barbella (Graziano’s real name). The protagonist goes a step further by bringing his worst instincts into the military, which is a horrible fit for him. He ends up going AWOL after punching an officer and lands in the Fort Leavenworth military prison, where he gets serious about boxing, and one of the more colorful careers in the sport truly begins. Meanwhile, Graziano reveals a gentler side in his pursuit of love interest Norma (played sweetly by Angeli), who becomes his wife and angel on his shoulder. The chemistry between Newman and Angeli makes the union believable. And the fight scenes are excellent, particularly for the time period. The climax of the film is his knockout of rival and fellow Hall of Famer Tony Zale to win the middleweight championship of the world in 1947, which captures Graziano’s legendary ferocity and the savage nature of their classic three-fight series. In the end, Newman does an excellent job of portraying a tortured man who must battle his inner demons and his opponents at the same time, only to have his hand raised in life, which makes this one of the more intense and gratifying boxing movies ever made.
FORGOTTEN CLASSIC: Rafael Ruelas UD 12 Freddie Pendleton February 19, 1994, Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California N o fighter derived more from his potential than Rafael Ruelas. The younger brother of fellow boxer Gabriel had a solid but limited skill set, yet reached the pinnacle of the sport through hard work and inspiring determination. That fighting spirit was never more evident than the night he challenged IBF lightweight titleholder Freddie Pendleton, a good, experienced all-around boxer-puncher. Ruelas, a resident of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, battled in 40 fights over five years to earn his first title shot.
And it all seemed to be for naught in the opening round, as Pendleton put the challenger down twice in less than two minutes on the Michael Carbajal-Humberto Gonzalez II card. A pre-fight comment made by Pendleton seemed prescient at that moment: “I’m going to make a few dollars to knock out a stiff in what is a perfect fight for me.” He obviously didn’t know his opponent well. Unfazed, Ruelas quickly put the knockdowns behind him, began to apply his signature pressure, wore down Pendleton and, in one of the more remarkable – and courageous – turnarounds I’ve ever seen, won a clear decision (116-111, 115-110 and 114-112) and the world title. He proved that night that it’s possible to bend the boxing world to your will, even against long odds. “Nothing was going to stop me from going after my dream,” Ruelas said. “But it feels great now. All the work has paid off.”
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