BOXING : Olympic Might Regain Youthful Allure

News that the old gray lady at 18th and Grand, the Olympic Auditorium, might have some fight cards left in her has awakened memories in many who shared exciting times there.

Now, being hit on the head with a bottle thrown from a balcony might not be everyone’s idea of excitement. But it was all part of the Olympic scene, and Jimmy Lennon, the public address announcer there for nearly 50 years, wears his scalp scars almost proudly.

“I’ve still got scars on my head from where bottles or coins hit me,” he said.

“When you had a Mexican fighter who’d just lost a disputed decision, you learned quickly at the Olympic to be light on your feet. I was in the middle of the ring, unprotected, so I kept my eyes moving. Sometimes I’d see a bottle coming, and I’d catch it.

“The practice of throwing coins into the ring was a token of appreciation for a good fight, but it was dangerous. One time, a trainer in the ring was hit in the eye with a coin someone had thrown, and he lost his sight. He sued the Olympic, but he lost.

“If the . . . fans in the balcony thought it was a very bad decision, they’d rip up the seats and throw them. But if it was really bad, they’d tear up entire rows of seats.

“One time some angry fans found a weak spot in a wall, they started rocking the spot back and forth, and brought a whole section of a wall down.”

As a kid in the 1920s, Lennon said he bought 50-cent tickets and watched the Olympic fights from the last row of the balcony. He is retired now and enjoys watching his son, Jimmy Jr., announce fights from the Forum and Las Vegas.

“There was something special about the Olympic,” Lennon said. “I’m so happy it’ll be back. The place was built to hold the noise. When you had 10,000 people in there cheering, there was nothing like it. The building reverberated.”

In the seven decades of boxing at the Olympic, Art Aragon, a 1950s welterweight, was probably the one they loved to boo the most. Aragon is a bail bondsman in Van Nuys now and says Olympic fans often became angry if he was awarded what they perceived to be an unjust victory.

“One time I got a decision and almost immediately fires broke out all over the balcony,” he said. “They threw stuff at me, too, but I was the only guy they started fires over. The people at the Olympic never liked me, I never knew why.

“One night I arrived for a fight and a little Mexican kid came up to me and said: ‘Mr. Aragon, I don’t care how much they boo you, I love you. You’re my favorite fighter.’

“So in the first round I look over and here’s that kid in the first row, booing me as loud as he can.”

The Olympic is owned by Jack Needleman, who bought it in 1980 from the Los Angeles Athletic Club. In 1987 the Olympic was boarded up, and most expected demolition of the arena, which was built in 1925 for $500,000.

But Needleman says he is close to agreement with Ten Goose Boxing of Van Nuys on a deal that would bring back monthly fights.

“It’s going to be an entirely new environment for spectators,” Goossen said. “We’ll have tighter security, a cleaner building, better parking--every single ticket-holder is going to feel more comfortable.”

One final Olympic Auditorium story from Lennon: “Sonny Liston fought at the Olympic in 1968 and I knew that in his previous fight he’d been introduced as ‘Sonny Boy’ Liston. So I went to his dressing room beforehand and said: ‘Mr. Liston, how do you want me to introduce you?’

“Well, he pointed a finger at me and gave be a look that scared me to death. And all he said was: ‘None of that Sonny Boy. . . .’ I left as quickly as I could, and introduced him as ‘Charles Liston.’ ”

The California Athletic Commission’s staff investigation into two $1,000 purses paid in Sacramento last Sept. 13 to Meldrick Taylor and South African Brian Mitchell continues.

The Attorney General’s office has been asked for guidance.

“We see it as a legal issue,” said Richard DeCuir, the commission’s executive officer. “We need to find a way to make certain this doesn’t happen in the future.”

Contracts showed that Taylor, who once earned $1 million against Julio Cesar Chavez, was fighting for a purse of $1,000 against journeyman Ernie Chavez, who got $17,500. Mitchell, too, was down for a $1,000 purse, also far less than everyone assumed he was paid.

Taylor’s promoter, Dan Duva, said he couldn’t remember how much Taylor earned.

Taylor’s manager, Shelly Finkel, said he couldn’t remember, either.

“I think it was a small amount for him; I don’t think it was $100,000,” Finkel said.

Boxing Notes

World Boxing Council chief Jose Sulaiman, promoter Don King’s staunch ally, threatens to strip heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield of the WBC portion of his title if he chooses to fight George Foreman again. Sulaiman says he has been informed by “Mike Tyson’s lawyers” that the former heavyweight champion “is and will be available” to fight Holyfield. No mention that Tyson is scheduled to go on trial in Indianapolis on a rape charge that could land him in prison.

So Holyfield-Tyson, twice agreed to and twice canceled, is still on hold.

Los Angeles heavyweight King Ipitan, originally from Nigeria, is being managed by Mike Marley, a former New York Post boxing writer. Ipitan (2-0) has been sidelined because of a broken finger, but will fight Feb. 5 in Bakersfield. Marley is also a lawyer and is on promoter Murad Muhammad’s defense team. Muhammad is Razor Ruddock’s promoter. And speaking of Ruddock, his new trainer is former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson. The two are in Puerto Rico, training for Ruddock’s Feb. 15 fight with Greg Page.

Ten Goose Boxing chief Dan Goossen is talking to Las Vegas promoter Bob Arum about a possible ESPN connection with Goossen’s plan to reopen the Olympic Auditorium for boxing, beginning in May. Arum owns the sports network’s boxing show. Meanwhile, Goossen’s shows at the Country Club in Reseda continue. His lightweight, Rafael Ruelas (28-1), will fight veteran Rocky Lockridge (43-7) in Reseda Jan. 30. On the same card, brother Gabe Ruelas (26-1) will fight Ben Lopez (18-9). . . . No date yet, but promoter Muhammad says Long Beach middleweight Reggie Johnson will fight Steve Collins of Ireland for the vacant WBA middleweight title in Atlantic City, in March or April.

About 70 amateur boxing standouts from Southern California, Arizona and Nevada will compete in USA Boxing regional championships at the Scottish Rite Temple in San Diego Feb. 8-9. Winners advance to the Feb. 24-29 national championships at Colorado Springs.

Humberto Gonzalez and Domingo Sosa fight for the WBC light-flyweight title at the forum Jan 27. At the Forum Feb. 24, new WBA junior-lightweight champion Genaro Hernandez of Los Angeles will fight Omar Catari of Venezuela. Not yet signed but expected at the Forum March 30 is new WBC bantamweight champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi fighting Victor Rabanales.

Calendar

Saturday--Yory Boy Campos vs. Julian Samaha, welterweights; Hector Lopez vs. Juan Parra, junior-welterweights. Reseda Country Club, 7:30 p.m.