BE A PART OF HISTORY!

Updated May 2007: Research is complete in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe areas. Cozzone is halfway done in Las Vegas and will focus on Gallup, Farmington and other areas, expecting to complete library time by late summer. See below for several more names added to the call-out list.

The History of New Mexico Boxing: The book, started by the late Jim Boggio, is on its way to completion by boxing writer Chris Cozzone, having worked on it since May 2005. The book chronicles the history of boxing in New Mexico, from 1868 to the present; and showcases New Mexico’s greatest fighters, from Benny Chavez to Eddie Mack; Larry Cisneros to Art Aragon; Joey Limas and the Olguin Brothers to Bobby Foster; Tommy Cordova and Louie Burke to Johnny Tapia and Danny Romero. Cozzone estimates completion of the first volume by next fall.

COULD USE YOUR HELP!

Author is on the lookout for material that will make the book as complete as possible. If anyone out there knows of anyone who should be included in the book; if you’re an old-timer, or someone in your family fought in New Mexico in the last 100 years, Cozzone would like to talk to you. He’s also looking for old photos to include in the book.

Contact Chris Cozzone by email or cell: 505-453-0585.

He is looking for photos of, accounts of, relatives of, or, if alive, (but NOT limited to) these fighters and promoters:

• Promoter Mark Levy - promoted in the '10s and '30s
• Promoter Louie "Red" Valencia
• Promoter Joe Roybal
• Promoters Foxy Miller (Silver City, '00s, '10s), James Tolle (Las Vegas, '00s), Otto Forster (Silver City, '10s, '20s)
• Young Griffo - early 1900s
• Eddie Gregory of Gallup c. 1910-1915
• Clarence "Soldier" Hunt - c. early '10s
• Al "the Blacksmith" Smaulding of Clayton - '10s
• Luis Gonzales of Silver City - c. early '10s
• John "Lefty" Floyd of Albuquerque - '10s
• Leo Luna (a.k.a. 'Young Herrera) of Albuquerque - '10s
• Everett (Ev) Winters of Raton - '1908 - '10s
• Fred "Kid" George, originally from Sacramento, relocated to Albuquerque & Gallup - '10s
• Stanley Yoakum - Dallas/Albuquerque/Denver fighter - '10s, '20s
• Walter Caldwell of Springer - post WWI
• Louis Newman of Las Vegas - 1908-1913; later moved to Detroit, Mich.
• Benny Chavez (the “Original” and “Young Benny”) of Wagon Mound/Albuquerque/Trinidad, fought 1908 to 1922
• Solomon Chavez, a.k.a. "Young Benny Chavez" of Albuquerque - 20s-'31
• Jack Torres of Albuquerque - '10s
• "Young Jack Johnson", a.k.a. "The Big Smoke" of Silver City - '00s, '10s
• Manuel Chavez of Albuquerque - '10s-'20s
• Mike Baca of Santa Fe - '10s-20's-'30s
• Young Mike Baca (Felipe) of Santa Fe - '20s-'30s
• "Sailor" Gonzalez of Albuquerque - '10s-'20s
• Johnny Connolly the "Pecos Valley Wonder" of Roswell - '10s-'20s
• Manuel Stern - 10's, 20's
• Young Jim Flynn - late 10s, 20s
• Benny Garcia, 10s, 20s - fought mainly in Denver
• Benny "Kid" Carter - 20s - fought mainly in CO and AZ
• Young Wallace of Raton - 10s, 20s
• Louis Pina of Raton - 10s, 20s
• Henry "Kid" Pacheco of Santa Fe - 20s
• Manuel "Young" Pacheco of Santa Fe - '20s
• Nick "Kid" Mortio of San Marcial - 10s, 20s
• Sailor Kramer of Albuquerque & Los Angeles - 10s, 20s
• George "Kid" Marchi - 20s, 30s
• Benny Cordova, Sr. - '10s-'20s
• Raoul Cordova - '30s-'40s
• Benny Cordova, Jr. - 40s
• Eddie Murdock of Oklahoma/Albuquerque-'20s- '30s
• Eddie Mack, a.k.a. Pedro Quintana, of Pojoaque/Alamosa, Colo. - '20s-'30s
• Jose Rivera, a.k.a. "Mexican Joe Rivers" of El Paso - '20s
• Mike Vasquez of El Paso/Albuquerque - '20s
• Jack Myrick of Gallup - 20s, 30s
• Joseph/Perfecto Romero, a.k.a. Young Joe Rivers - 1913-1919
• Esteban "Demon" Rivera of Santa Fe - '10s-'20s
• "Speedball" Hayden of Columbus - post WWI
• Harry "Kid" Schaefer of Albuquerque/Cheyenne - '10s
• Babe Colima of Santa Fe - 20s, 30s
• Frankie Cantou - 20s, 30s (died in '34)
• "Young Pancho Villa" brother to Louie "Red" Valencia - '20s
• Buddy Serrino - 20s, 30s
• Timo "Dynamite Tommy " Sanchez - '20s-'30s
• Andy "Gump" Carrillo of Santa Fe - 20s, 30s
• Joe and Jim Perry of Fort Sumner - 20s, 30s
• "Barber" Sandoval of Albuquerque - '20s
• Espiridon Guevarra, a.k.a. the "Insurrecto Kid" - '10s, '20s, '30s
• Julio Chiaramonte and his brothers, Nardine and Boney - '30s-'40s
• Ralph “Sabu” Gallegos
• Abie Chavez the “Farmington Flash” - '40s
• Tony Chavez of Albuquerque (moved to Los Angeles to fight)
• Joe Chavez
• Emilio Martinez - 30s
• Charlie "the Black Panther" Tate of Albuquerque
• Young Billy Firpo (Cruz)
• Ted “Mustang” Garcia
• Willie Hall
• Charles McGarrity
• Larry Cisneros
• Chico Segura
• K.O. Sanchez
• Battling Chico of Gallup
• Mike Montoya of Espanola/La Veta, CO - 30s
• Lee Chavez
• Chuck "Chuckers" Hildebrand of Durango
• Lew Jenkins (early years in N.M.)
• Johnny and Art Johnson of Las Vegas
• Frankie "Panchito" Montoya
• Henry Gutierrez of Deming
• Tiny Garcia of Santa Fe - 30s
• Joe Garcia of Santa Fe - 30s - Tiny's brother
• Alexander "Fabala" Chavez (born in Los Lunas, moved to L.A.)
• Art "Golden Boy" Aragon
• Jack Ford
• Larry Hernandez
• Joey Limas
• Flory and Joey Olguin
• Earl Large
• Jerry Martinez
• Robby Epps
• Vito Romero
• Tommy Cordova
• Eric Enslin
• Danny “Pitt Bull” Perez
• Ronnie Rentz
• Ray Theragood
• Brooks Byrd
• Fighters from the Albuquerque Armory era
• Fighters from the Elks Opera House era
• Fighters from the Civic Auditorium era
• Officials, trainers, promoters from all era
• Dedicated fans who’ve attended fights over the last 100 years.

In the next several months, Cozzone will be conducting interviews and collecting photos. Anyone who can help, please contact Chris Cozzone by email or cell: 505-453-0585.