Magdaleno’s Friend Bids Him Farewell

Ernest Magdaleno was a class act who always had a kind word and time for other people. In the brutal profession of boxing, where false bravado and unsportsmanlike conduct reign, Ernest was a gentleman. He carried himself and lived his life far above those customary norms.

While the public in general and boxing fans in particular mourn the loss of a rising star, I mourn the loss of my best friend.

Ernest’s enthusiasm was contagious, he made you believe that there was nothing that “we” couldn’t accomplish together. If something didn’t go right the first time, whatever that something was, it couldn’t beat “us” twice. It just couldn’t.

If Ernest were able to read what has been written about his boxing career and how it ended with his death, he would be pleased with all his new publicity.

The press has been very kind to “just a bum,” as he used to refer to himself. The only thing he would change is that Ernest Magdaleno was a husband, a father, a son and a brother before anything else.

Grieve for the man and not the boxer. Mourn for the family he leaves behind because they were the most important people in Ernest Magdaleno’s life.

CHRISTOPHER J. HERNANDEZ

Huntington Beach