Center for Labor Education & Research, University of Hawaii - West Oahu: Honolulu Record Digitization Project
Honolulu Record, Volume 10 No. 9, Thursday, September 26, 1957 p. 4
Managers' Guild, Scoring, Bow Ties For Referees Get Attention of TBC
The Territorial Boxing Commission Monday approved a main event for Sept. 30 between Buddy McDonald, originally imported to fight Stan Harrington, and Bonnie Espmosa, another importation from the Philippines, thereby shattering a precedent "of some standing. But that wasn't the only decision of lasting import the commission made. It also did the following:
1. Changed the system of scoring fights from the 10 point system" to the "five-must" system now used by the National Boxing Assn. with which Hawaii is affiliated.
2. Repealed a rule that had required contracts for fights to be signed by both managers and fighters. (They now need be signed only by managers.)3. Warned Fesuluai Peapealalo, middleweight, and his manager, Dr. Richard You, that any failure in the future to show up for weigh-ins would be severely dealt with.
4. Ruled that referees will be allowed to doff the bow ties they wear now if and when they come in with an acceptable proposal of a uniform shirt they like which does not require the use of a tie.There was also the airing of a rumored situation which, Chairman Adrian DeMello seemed to think might possibly become an issue to be dealt with in the future. That was the operation of the Hawaii Boxing Managers Guild, and the matter was mentioned because all active managers had been asked to attend the meeting to tell whether or not their fighters are available for immediate action.
Guild Attitude Questioned
Chairman Adrian, DeMello at one point asked a manager, Edward Townsend, if he implied by a statement that all fighters should have managers. Townsend said his comment had not meant that, but Tad Kawamura, manager of Harrington and others and long an important official of the guild, gave an answer that seemed to DeMello to mean the same thing.
Commissioner Arthur Stagbar said there has been trouble in the past about making matches because guild managers didn't want to give fights to boxers managed by non-guild members.
Chairman DeMello was inspired to comment that while the guild has a place, in boxing, that being to disseminate information among its members, "any group action" by the guild or any other organization, either toward the TBC, or promoters, would probably require the investigation of the commission and resultant possible action.
He did not define the type of "group action," he meant, but said licenses are issued to individuals and individual relationships should be maintained.The dual relationship between manager and boxer brought considerable discussion, however, rising from the case of Peapealalo, who failed to show up for a weigh-in to fight Anacleto Battad three weeks ago. Dr. You tried explaining why he had been unable to contact the Samoan battler, and convinced the commission he had gone to considerable effort, but Chairman DeMello made it clear he thinks the manager is responsible above anyone else in this connection. The fighter confirmed Dr. You's account of his efforts and said the reason he didn't come was because he had come down sick that day.
The warning, a virtual slap on the wrist, indicated the sympathetic attitude of the commission toward both the fighter and his manager.
Two “Foreigners” Matched
The fight between McDonald and Espinosa, the first main event in recent years in which a local fighter is not one of the principals, evoked a question from DeMello to managers as to whether or not any of them felt their boys were being slighted. None complained.
McDonald, now weighing 144 lbs. appeared to assure the commission he would have "not a bit" of trouble making 138 by next Monday, adding that he would be faster than ever at that weight. Ring followers who have watched him work out still doubt he will be fast enough to keep out of harm's way against Espinosa. The Filipino fighter is expected to come in at about 134 lbs.
Commissioner Adam Ornelles Jr. expressed the hope that Robert Corniel, a new applicant for a license arid a new entry from amateur ranks, will be good enough to give Yoichi Suzuki, Japanese lightweight who has scored three consecutive knockouts, enough competition; Secretary Bobby Lee offered the opinion that perhaps Suzuki may be taking "too big a bite" in tackling Corniel.
The issue of changing the scoring system caused little stir among the commissioners, and not very much more among officials who met and discussed the matter the previous Friday. Everyone appears happy enough to lessen the mathematical burden of the scoring, But major penalties still remain two points, each, also a practice followed by toe NBC.
Differ Over Ties
The business of the bow ties brought a little more difference of opinion last Friday. Referee Walter Cho thought the ties are prefer-able, but other officials disagreed hotly, Referee Louis Freitas arguing that a man can do better work without a tie in hot weather. Commissioner Stagbar, who sat in on that meeting, offered the view that he always thought businessmen in Honolulu who wear coats and ties continually "ought to be in Kaneohe."
No commissioner objected Monday to the abolition of ties, but Chairman DeMello said he thought referees should dress in such a way as to give everybody concerned the impression they're involved in "serious business." That might be achieved by adopting a uniform shirt that doesn't require a tie, and when the referees have decided upon such a design and brought it in, the chairman said he'd go along with their request. Other commissioners agreed.
The Boxing Managers
Guild has had a rather hard time enforcing its will on fighters and managers, largely because there has been a dearth of preliminary fighters. Felix Aciro, Pat Lee, George Hilderbrand and Edward Cowell, for instance, are all listed as having no managers. Yet they get as much action as anybody because it's the only way enough varied preliminaries can be made.
Peapealalo’s record of infractions was read off in Monday's TBC meeting, and it included a $5 fine on one occasion for wearing trunks of a color "not approved." It seems a strange charge against a local fighter here where there's no TV. We had no idea there was a rule covering the color of a fighter’s trunks especially since there’s no rule against a man’s fighting barefoot if he wants to. It even happens sometimes, too, especially when the fight’s held outdoors and the rain starts falling. Local fighters have learned that they get better footing barefoot. In the amateurs, especially on the neighbor islands, the amateurs often fight barefoot from choice, or maybe because they don’t have the price of leather boxing shoes.
It is only common humanity to feed the hungry. If our hospitals are too big, too complex, too impersonal to do these small kindnesses for the sick, something is very wrong.