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This is a very significant lot of Historic RARE Los Angeles Mexican Chicano Boxing Photos, depicting the famed Los Angeles Mexican boxer, Enrique Bolanos "The Durango Dropper" (1924 - 2012,) and several other young L.A. Mexican - American boxers, including Gaston Garza (b. 1927), whose short career only lasted from 1945 - 1946. This is a collection of six original silver gelatin photographs from the 1940's, all of them boxing related except for the photograph in the lower left corner, which features a domestic Mexican - American household scene, however it does feature Garza. This lot includes one signed photograph of Enrique Bolanos, and boxer Gaston Garza, which is signed and dedicated in the upper left edge: "Para mi gran amigo y grande deportista, Al Gran Gaston. Sinceramente Enrique Bolanos 43'." To my knowledge, these are the only publicly known original photographs of Gaston Garza to exist. On the verso of several of these photographs, there are the following annotations or ink stamps: "Property of Gaston Garza," "Fotos. David Corona Jr. 2330 SO. Ridgely L.A. 16, TEL. WE. 49837," and "Photo by Charles F. Heath. Official Photographer for James J. Jeffries." The legendary boxer James J. Jeffries (1875 - 1953) apparently had his official photographer come to the barrios of Los Angeles to photograph a boxing match between Mexican - American boxers, which is a fascinating and significant historical anecdote in itself. Each photo is approximately 8 x 10 inches, except for the lower left photograph of the domestic scene, which is slightly smaller. Good condition for 80+ years of age and storage, and it is a miracle that these historically valuable and fragile pieces of Mexican - American history survived this long. Good - Fair condition for their age, with mild creasing, edge wear, scuffs, flea bites, and light soiling at the edges of several of these photographs (please see listing photos carefully.) Priced to Sell. Acquired from the contents of an abandoned storage unit in Los Angeles, California, which I believe belonged to the family of 1940's boxer, Gaston Garza. If you like what you see, I encourage you to make an Offer. Please check out my other listings for more wonderful and unique artworks!
About Gaston Angeles, California, USA
About Enrique Bolanos:
Name:Enrique Bolanos
Alias:Durango Dropper
Birth Name:Enrique Bolanos y Arango
Hometown:Los Angeles, California, USA
Birthplace:Durango, Mexico
Died:2012-06-04 (Age:87)
Stance:Orthodox
Height:173cm
Reach:185cmManagers:Jimmy Fitten, George Parnassus
Enrique Bolanoswas a top-rated Lightweight contender during the mid-to-late 1940s. Three times he unsuccessfully challenged Ike Williamsfor the World Lightweight Title: losing by 8th round TKO, 15-round split decision,and a 4th round TKO respectively. All three bouts were held at Wrigley Field,in Los Angeles, where Bolanos was the Los Angeles area's premier draw during his prime.Mexico-born Enrique Bolaños fought at the Olympics over 40 times. He didn't claim a championship but won the love of LA boxing fans.Enrique Bolanos, a Mexican boxer who three times fought for and lost the world lightweight title in Los Angeles in the late 1940s, died Monday. He was 87.
Bolanos died of heart failure at a convalescent facility near his Pasadena home, said his wife of 64 years, Ruby.
The boxer's soft-spoken demeanor and ring skill made him the most popular Mexican fighter in Southern California during the height of his career, which closed in 1952 with a 79-22-5 record and 44 knockouts.
"Good looking guy, charming, very crowd-friendly style," longtime boxing publicist Bill Caplan said. "They loved him to pieces."
Mexico's Enrique Bolaños was the number one contender for the world lightweight title in the late 1940's. He was a great and very popular fighter in his time, particularly in Los Angeles, where his fights would regularly sell out the Olympic Auditorium. Before Oscar De La Hoya, Bobby Chacon, Mando Ramos and Art Aragon, there was Enrique Bolaños.
He engaged in over 100 bouts, winning 79 and amassing 44 KO's. He fought the best boxers of his time including Manuel Ortiz, Chalky Wright, Ike Williams, Jackie Wilson, Joey Barnum, John Thomas, Art Aragon, Maxie Docusen, Jimmy Carter, and Paddy DeMarco.
Johnny Ortiz, radio host and California Boxing Hall of Fame 2008 inductee, first met Bolanos at the original Main Street Gym when Ortiz was just nine years old. Ortiz was visiting the venue with his older brother Phil who also trained there. Johnny said: “Enrique Bolanos was far and away the most popular fighter Los Angeles ever knew. No one has ever come close, Oscar De La Hoya included. I may have been young, but I remember it all like it was yesterday. He had a ‘look’ like no other; you would have had to see it to know what I mean. It was a ‘look’ his fans saw and loved. There will never be another like him.”
Johnny went on to say that Bolanos “had the greatest footwork I have ever seen or will ever see, he and Sugar Ray Robinson. Both were my boyhood idols in boxing.”
Enrique Bolanos dies at 87; boxer lost lightweight title 3 times in L.A.BYLANCE PUGMIRE, LOS ANGELES TIMES
JUNE 7, 201212 AM PT
Enrique Bolanos, a Mexican boxer who three times fought for and lost the world lightweight title in Los Angeles in the late 1940s, died Monday. He was 87.
Bolanos died of heart failure at a convalescent facility near his Pasadena home, said his wife of 64 years, Ruby.
The boxer’s soft-spoken demeanor and ring skill made him the most popular Mexican fighter in Southern California during the height of his career, which closed in 1952 with a 79-22-5 record and 44 knockouts.
“Good looking guy, charming, very crowd-friendly style,” longtime boxing publicist Bill Caplan said. “They loved him to pieces.”
Bolanos, born Aug. 24, 1924, in Mexico, came to the United States at 17 and engaged in three world lightweight title bouts at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles against ferocious Ike Williams between 1946 and 1949.
Bolanos lost the first bout by eighth-round technical knockout, the second in a thrilling split decision in 1948, and the third by fourth-round TKO, again at Wrigley, with 18,999 watching.
Bolanos was otherwise unbeaten with just one draw in 31 other bouts during that three-year stretch in the late ‘40s.
“Enrique’s dream — his whole purpose in life – was to be champion of the world,” Ruby Bolanos said. “He was groomed for it. When it didn’t happen after the third fight, he lost his spirit. It was very sad. And his heart truly wasn’t in it again.”
Yet, Bolanos went on to major fights, particularly a pair of TKO losses in 1950 to Art Aragon at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.
“Aragon felt he’d be the crowd favorite, but the fans booed him after each win,” Caplan said. “Aragon thumbed his nose at the crowd after the second one. Why were they booing? Because he beat their beloved Bolanos.”
In a 1992 interview with The Times' longtime boxing writer Earl Gustkey, while watching an Oscar De La Hoya workout, Bolanos reflected, “You know, I’ll never forget arriving at the Olympic … and seeing those long, long lines of people waiting to buy tickets to watch me fight. I remember that as well as I remember the fights, the fact that people enjoyed watching me fight.”
Bolanos moved on from boxing to a career in sales, for Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and at Central Electric in Los Angeles, his wife said.
In addition to his wife, Bolanos is survived by sons Rick, Chris and Brandon, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be held Tuesday at Holy Family Church, 1527 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena.
Enrique Bolanos / R.I.P.
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian
On June 4, 2012, at the age of 87, Enrique Bolanos, top lightweight contender, passed away. I never saw him fight, but had the pleasure of meeting him and his lovely wife Ruby at various boxing venues. According to people I know that saw him fight, he was a magnificent boxer that packed southland arenas and stadiums in the Los Angeles area like no other in the golden era of boxing (the 40’s and 50’s).
He engaged in over 100 bouts, winning 79, and fought all the best boxers of his time. Some of the top fighters he faced were Manuel Ortiz, Chalky Wright, Ike Williams, Jackie Wilson, Joey Barnum, John Thomas, Art Aragon, Maxie Docusen, Jimmy Carter, and Paddy DeMarco.
My good friend Johnny Ortiz, radio host and California Boxing Hall of Fame 2008 inductee, first met Bolanos at the original Main Street Gym when he (Johnny) was just nine years old. Ortiz was visiting that venue with his older brother Phil who also trained there. Johnny said: “Enrique Bolanos was far and away the most popular fighter Los Angeles ever knew. No one has ever come close, Oscar De La Hoya included. I may have been young, but I remember it all like it was yesterday. He had a ‘look’ like no other; you would have had to see it to know what I mean. It was a ‘look’ his fans saw and loved.There will never be another like him.”
Johnny went on to say that Bolanos “had the greatest footwork I have ever seen or will ever see, he and Sugar Ray Robinson. Both were my boyhood idols in boxing.”
It’s been almost a month since the passing of Enrique Bolanos. Please join me in prayer for his family and many friends.May his soul rest in peace in heaven with the Lord!
Enrique BolanosProfessional Boxer. A popular and busy lightweight of the late 1940s, he is remembered for his three unsuccessful attempts to wrest the world title from Ike Williams. Raised in Mexico to age 17, he moved to San Francisco where he worked in the meat packing industry; having had a few early professional fights in his native land he made his American bow with a first round knockout of Buddy Spencer on June, 15, 1943, at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Bolanos quickly became a Southern California fan favorite and was to beat steadily better opponents before meeting world champion Williams at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field on April 30, 1946; stopped on cuts in the 8th. round he kept on fighting and winning before facing Williams a second time in a May 25, 1948, bout which he lost on a controversial decision. Losing to Williams for a third time in 1949 he fought but few further important matches though he did face highly regarded Art Aragon twice in 1950, losing both times on a TKO. Bolanos' final American match was a 7th. round TKO over Pee Wee Swingler on June 24, 1952, though he did appear twice more in Mexico, losing a 10 round decision to Manuel Rivera on August 16, 1952, before retiring with a final record of 79 wins with 44 by knockout, 22 losses, and 5 draws. Remaining in Southern California he worked in sales for a beer distributor and for Central Electric and died in a nursing facility of heart disease.Bio by: Bob Hufford
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