Boxing: Antonio’s Reliable Source on Beavis and Butthead, Perez Hilton, American Idol, Jennifer Hudson, and yes... Boxing!

Boxing: Antonio’s Reliable Source on Beavis and Butthead, Perez Hilton, American Idol, Jennifer Hudson, and yes... Boxing!

By Antonio Santiago, Doghouse Boxing (Sept 17, 2009)

I have to say something to all boxing fans out there. It is with sadness that I have noted that we love boxing fighters when they are inside the ring, but often forget about them , or even worse, look at their careers with disrespect once they have retired. How many times have I heard so called fans call boxers such as Ken Norton or Oscar De La Hoya, for example, a “bum”, a “fraud” or even worse? Yet when they were out there beating the world up, many of those fans were celebrating. Writers are no much better sometimes, and if a fighter quits, they are the first ones to call the fighter a chicken or a coward, not stopping to think of the reason that fighter may have had to quit. And that’s just the beginning.

Three instances this week made me think about that: I met Gabriel Ruelas at the supermarket, I saw Acelino Freitas in his fight with Diego Corrales, and I saw Diego Luna’s documentary about Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. (all of which I will comment further below). These experiences made me, once again, see the stars in a different light, and that is, because they are, after all, just human beings to begin and to the end. Boxers are no superheroes made of iron who coldly fly away as danger disappears. They laugh, they suffer, they feel joy and they cry just like anybody else. They feel pain, take a Tylenol and get relief. They feel emotional pain, go to their loved ones or to do an activity they enjoy and that relieves them as well, at least temporarily.

Many things made me think about writing about this for this week’s edition of my column: when I went to see Ruelas, I noted that, after I greeted him, only a thin line of people formed to shake his hand, when back in the 90’s, when he was a world Champion, he had hordes of people trying to touch him wherever he went. Then I saw the Corrales-Freitas bout, and how Acelino Freitas was dropped in round eight and nine, and despite feeling that he could not go on (as evidenced by the look he gave the crowd after each of those two falls), he had the courage and bravery to keep on going and try to turn it around for his fans. Yet when he finally could not do it anymore and his body asked him to quit in round ten, many writers who did not feel the pain he was going through jumped in to call him a coward real quick. Even when he courageously tried to overcome twice even as his body was telling him it could not be done. Then, I saw Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. cry during the documentary about his life. Whoever said there is no crying in boxing, (and thus no other human feelings either), is probably not a human, or at the very least, one who never suffered.

I guess what I am trying to say is that if we love boxers when they are fighting, we shouldn’t stop caring about them once their careers are over. Gabriel Ruelas would agree with me. After I asked him about what he and his brother, also former world Champion Rafael Ruelas, were up to these days, he had a wide, appreciative smile on his face. As a fan, you can show you care by sharing your memories with others, talking about the former stars with dignity, and furthering their legacies by talking to the future generations about their heroic efforts, the same way our elders spoke to us about their favorite entertainers or athletes.

Just don’t badmouth them or talk about them in a derogatory way, because if you do, then you were really not a fan.

Perez Likes Girls?

I’d expect anything about gossip guru Perez Hilton. The Cuban kid, who borrowed his pen name from that other person, real Hilton member Paris, is crazy, he’s wild, he’s extroverted, outspoken and….a pedophile who likes teen girls???

According to Kirstie Alley, that same woman of “Cheers” and “Look Who‘s Talking” screen fame, he is.

Alley was acid sulfuric mad at the fellow gossiper for posting a photo of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis’ 15 year old daughter Tallulah where Tallulah supposedly showed cleavage. According to Popeater.com, Moore went to her twitter page and said that what Hilton posted was child pornography. Hilton answered by calling Demi senile, and Alley “had her friend’s back”, calling Hilton a pedophile.

A three way argument….hmnn, now there’s an idea! Next time you’re boxing, just remember to have your friend be the referee, that way, he or she will jump and defend you, ala Kirstie and Demi versus Perez!

Pete Knows Best

Even when there have been numerous other bands whose music I have favored over the years-namely Menudo, Duran Duran, Toto and Green Day-The Beatles remain, and by far so, my favorite music group of all times. I mean, seriously, who can come out with such great songs like “She Loves You”, “Penny Lane” and “A Little Help From My Friends”? For years, however, I, like many other fans, was kept on the dark when it came to “the fifth Beatle”. That’s before it became widely known that that fifth Beatle was none other than former drummer Pete Best, of course.

Now, with the game Rock Star: The Beatles, just released, Best has decided it’s time to dish out some gossip about the Fab Four. About rumors concerning why he was fired prior to the band becoming successful, he told Spinner.com, that “There have been conspiracy theories-the hairstyle, jealousy, antisocial, didn’t speak enough, Brian Epstein might have felt threatened-it goes on and on. I’ve long passed that”. Asked about The Beatles wild days of Hamburg, Germany, he said “We had girls flocking to our beds, people buying us drinks-we were treated like kings.”

Hmmnn I bet he wishes he could do like Ali and Frazier and do it all over again. Heck, I would like to do that once in my life, specially the “girls flocking to our beds” part! It sure looks like Pete had it best!!

Light Shining on the Hudson

Last year we received the tragic news concerning the deaths of Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and seven year old nephew. It has been a trying time for the beautiful singer and actress who these days continues to get into our hearts with movies such as “The Secret Life of Bees”.

Well, lately, news have been better for Jennifer and for her sister Julia, mother of the slain seven year old boy. According to Theboombox.com, only one month after Jennifer Hudson’s baby was born, she received the great news that her sister Julia is pregnant. A source told the site that “When Julia found out, she called Jennifer right away. They’re both ecstatic. They know they can never replace Julian, but this new baby has brought the family a lot of joy”.

I shall take this moment to let the Hudson family know that we share that joy with them as much as we shared their pain when tragedy struck last year. Hopefully, this new baby will have a knockout of a life!

And the New American Idol…

The show that rejected Jennifer Hudson keeps on surprising us. Obviously, when Hudson was rejected, the judges, Paula Abdul not included here, showed us how much about music they really know. Well, using a wisdom that matches that of World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman’s, the show’s producers have decided to hire Ellen Degenerated, oops, I mean, DeGeneres, to substitute Abdul, the only one in the original panel who actually knew what it takes to be a singing star!

DeGeneres, according to US Magazine, is ready to put on her boxing gloves and spar with Simon Cowell. She told the magazine that “I’m not going to be mean. I hate when Simon’s that mean!”

Hey Ellen, at 51, how do you manage to keep looking that young? And it seems like you’re getting ready to face Simon in “The Rumble in the Studio!”

Here They Come Again!

Next time you are by Madison Avenue or trying to buy some Manolo Blahnik’s, look around you and you may find yourself surrounded by stars. That is, because the MILF’s of HBO’s most successful television series, Sex and The City, are back. The foursome are filming a sequel to the film version of their hit show.

The ladies, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Catrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, were seen filming at New York, according to US Magazine, on September 8th. The film is set to be released on May of 2010.

I admit, that I would love to join any foursome involving any four women and turn it into a “fivesome”. But this one is my favorite all-female foursome of all times! And, like Bernard Hopkins, they just keep on getting better and better as time goes by!!

Here They Come Again, Part II!

If you were like me in the 90’s, a crazy, young spirit who was always looking for a laugh, then you probably loved “Beavis and Butthead”, like I did. I spent many a night laughing when, for example, they confused singer Grace Jones with NBA basketball player Manute Bol, or when they were chosen as students of the year by President Bill Clinton, or when they said Kato Kaelin looked like he’d be a roommate. If you, on the other hand, were one of the many old people who hated the show, then you’re probably dead by now. And the news I am about to say will probably make you turn on your grave.

You see, according to the show’s maker, Mike Judge, Beavis and Butthead may just reappear on our screens. According to Firstshowing.net, when asked about Beavis and Butthead returning, Judge declared that “I don’t ever want to close the door on that. I feel like they’re always still there. If I did do another movie, I wouldn’t think of it as a sequel. It’s just another”.

Huh huh, huh huh!! Maybe Judge had just been watching a rerun of Gatti-Ward 2 and 3 the night before that interview. Those two fights would convince anyone that sequels are never bad!!

Dumb Laws Around The World

Don’t tell Munir Hussain, a 52 year old London, England resident, that police are your friends. Don’t even suggest to him that they are there to take your side against criminals. The millionaire man would argue with you and, seen from his point of view, he might actually have a point.

Hussain was arrested and is facing life in prison for attacking a man who was trying to rob him and his family, according to the Telegraph newspaper. The story goes that Walid Salem and three other men broke into Hussain’s home and forced the Hussain family to the floor, after which the Hussains were able to dominate him, beating him up with a cricket bat, and a pole. This after Salem had used a knife to threaten them. Ironically, Salem, who suffered a fractured skull and a swollen brain, now may get awarded a substantial amount of cash because he “missed days on the job”, as accorded by British law!!

So the man who defended his family will get jail time, and the one who committed the crime and tried to rob them in the first place, will get paid for it!!

Doesn’t make sense to me! Then again, neither did Juan Diaz being declared winner over Paulie Malignaggi! Go figure!!

Seen and on The Sceen

Former WBC world Junior Lightweight Champion Gabriel Ruelas was in town for an autograph signing at a local Food City supermarket. I met him, and when I asked what he and his brother, the also former world Champion Rafael Ruelas, were up to these days, he was happy to respond that Rafael works at an iron company now, and Gabriel is a sales representant for Souza Tequila, a famous tequila from Mexico. I was hoping to take a photo I could post here, but my camera had no batteries. Alas, I got to touch the WBC championship belt, and have a great memory of a very friendly former world Champion that I will always conserve in my mind!

ESPN Classic showed many, many classic fights the weekend of September 11-13. They involved Latino fighters, as it was ESPN Classic’s dedication to Hispanic Heritage week. Aaron Pryor-Alexis Arguello II, Roberto Duran-Ken Buchanan, Miguel Cotto-Carlos Quintana, Diego Corrales-Acelino Freitas and Joel Casamayor-Corrales III were some of the jewels we were treated to.

Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. was the object of a documentary, “Chavez”, which ESPN Classic also showed as part of their Hispanic Heritake week dedication. The documentary was filmed and starred also by Mexican turned Hollywood star Diego Luna. It shows the city of Culiacan as it is in modern times, and all the places and people who were important to Chavez Sr., including his brother Rodolfo, also an ex-fighter, and his son Julio Jr., member of the current crop of future professional boxing greats.

R.I.P.

Joey Roach, 47. Our apologies go to the Roach family for not recognizing Joey’s death in the last installing of this column. Joey Roach, former professional boxer and brother of famous boxing trainer and fellow ex-boxer Freddie Roach, died on his sleep on Saturday, August 29th in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to the best boxing site on the world, doghouseboxing.com. No cause of death has been announced.

May he rest in peace.

Please send all Questions and comments to Antonio at TJ69662094@aol.com.