Don Fraser

Tommy Perez of Santa Ana will face Kenny Lopez of San Jose in a super welterweight fight Aug. 22, at the Irvine Marriott Hotel, promoter Don Fraser announced.

Raul Rojas, a tough former gang member who turned to boxing and became a world featherweight champion, died Sunday of natural causes at a Los Angeles convalescent home, said his daughter Rebecca. He was 70. Rojas claimed the World Boxing Assn. belt on March 28, 1968, beating Colombian Enrique Higgins by decision at the historic Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. He surrendered the belt six months later, losing by unanimous decision against Japan's Shozo Saijo at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Gretchen Fraser, the first American to win an Olympic gold medal for skiing, died Thursday of natural causes. She was 75. A spokeswoman for the Sun Valley Co., said Fraser died at the Wood River Medical Center after being taken there late Wednesday. Fraser won the gold medal at the 1948 games in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in what is known today as the giant slalom. She also took the silver medal in the combined slalom and downhill.

Thoroughbred trainer Bob Baffert, speaking to college students from across the country at the recent Los Angeles Times Jim Murray Sports Journalism Workshop at Hollywood Park, pointed out one advantage of working with horses. "They don't talk, thank God," Baffert said. Jim Armstrong, in his AOL Sports column, pointed out a few other advantages of working with horses: "They don't demand to renegotiate their contracts. They've never made a 'roids run to Tijuana.

PASSIVE PUGILISM: Don Fraser knows it's hard to get started. Few attended his first cards at the Irvine Marriott seven years ago. But an average of 1,000 fans now show up for the monthly event in the smoke-free room. . . . Unpopular decisions here evoke boos rather than the riots at the Los Angeles Sports Arena and the Olympic Auditorium. "It's a nice family crowd," says comedian Joey Bishop, a regular at the bouts.

Raul Rojas, a tough former gang member who turned to boxing and became a world featherweight champion, died Sunday of natural causes at a Los Angeles convalescent home, said his daughter Rebecca. He was 70. Rojas claimed the World Boxing Assn. belt on March 28, 1968, beating Colombian Enrique Higgins by decision at the historic Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. He surrendered the belt six months later, losing by unanimous decision against Japan's Shozo Saijo at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Don Fraser, longtime boxing publicist and promoter who will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y., on June 12, was honored at a gala event Saturday at the Sportsman's Lodge in Studio City. Councilman Bernard Parks presented Fraser with a proclamation from the city of Los Angeles. Many prominent people from the L.A. boxing scene also were there, and a big-band jazz group entertained. "I'm glad this is not a memorial," said the 78-year-old Fraser.

Thoroughbred trainer Bob Baffert, speaking to college students from across the country at the recent Los Angeles Times Jim Murray Sports Journalism Workshop at Hollywood Park, pointed out one advantage of working with horses. "They don't talk, thank God," Baffert said. Jim Armstrong, in his AOL Sports column, pointed out a few other advantages of working with horses: "They don't demand to renegotiate their contracts. They've never made a 'roids run to Tijuana.

The little guys made it big Thursday in the International Boxing Hall of Fame class of 2005. Headlining this year's group of 15 inductees in Canastota, N.Y., were two-time featherweight champion Bobby Chacon, junior-middleweight champion Terry Norris, two-time junior welterweight champion Duilio Loi of Italy, and Ireland's popular featherweight champion Barry McGuigan. Non-boxers to be enshrined included matchmaker Don Fraser and writer Bert Sugar in the Non-Participant and Observer classes.

He was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame on Saturday night, the first fighter ever to make it with an 0-5 career record. 0-5? He wasn't a great force in the ring, but for more than three decades Don Fraser has certainly been a force in Southland boxing as a promoter-matchmaker-publicist. He even spent a few years as an executive officer with the California State Athletic Commission.

Don Fraser, longtime boxing publicist and promoter who will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y., on June 12, was honored at a gala event Saturday at the Sportsman's Lodge in Studio City. Councilman Bernard Parks presented Fraser with a proclamation from the city of Los Angeles. Many prominent people from the L.A. boxing scene also were there, and a big-band jazz group entertained. "I'm glad this is not a memorial," said the 78-year-old Fraser.

The little guys made it big Thursday in the International Boxing Hall of Fame class of 2005. Headlining this year's group of 15 inductees in Canastota, N.Y., were two-time featherweight champion Bobby Chacon, junior-middleweight champion Terry Norris, two-time junior welterweight champion Duilio Loi of Italy, and Ireland's popular featherweight champion Barry McGuigan. Non-boxers to be enshrined included matchmaker Don Fraser and writer Bert Sugar in the Non-Participant and Observer classes.

Four years ago, the last thing the former Miss El Monte expected to be doing Friday night was sending a woman to the hospital after hitting her with a barrage of punches. But here was Linda Carillo bloodying the nose of Lameika Bowers and stopping her in the third round of the Women's National Amateur Boxing Championships. "I never thought I'd be doing this; it wasn't even in my subconscious back then," Carillo said.

Gretchen Fraser, the first American to win an Olympic gold medal for skiing, died Thursday of natural causes. She was 75. A spokeswoman for the Sun Valley Co., said Fraser died at the Wood River Medical Center after being taken there late Wednesday. Fraser won the gold medal at the 1948 games in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in what is known today as the giant slalom. She also took the silver medal in the combined slalom and downhill.

In 1948, Don Fraser was a copy boy in The Times' sports department and was occasionally assigned to cover boxing matches. He was only three years out of Manual Arts High, but was already troubled by his career direction. Writing about boxing, he figured, was no way to make an honest living. So he became a boxing publicist, and later a promoter.

PASSIVE PUGILISM: Don Fraser knows it's hard to get started. Few attended his first cards at the Irvine Marriott seven years ago. But an average of 1,000 fans now show up for the monthly event in the smoke-free room. . . . Unpopular decisions here evoke boos rather than the riots at the Los Angeles Sports Arena and the Olympic Auditorium. "It's a nice family crowd," says comedian Joey Bishop, a regular at the bouts.

In 1948, Don Fraser was a copy boy in The Times' sports department and was occasionally assigned to cover boxing matches. He was only three years out of Manual Arts High, but was already troubled by his career direction. Writing about boxing, he figured, was no way to make an honest living. So he became a boxing publicist, and later a promoter.

When Jack Kent Cooke broke ground in 1966 for the Forum in Inglewood, his intent was to construct a building that would house his Lakers and Kings. Neither Cooke nor anyone else had any way of knowing that within a quarter-century, the Forum would also be boxing's premier venue in California, if not the United States. These days, it doesn't take much of a look to conclude that boxing here is largely being supported by Jerry Buss.

Tommy Perez of Santa Ana will face Kenny Lopez of San Jose in a super welterweight fight Aug. 22, at the Irvine Marriott Hotel, promoter Don Fraser announced.