Welcome... Click on all the headings/subheadings below for more information

BOXING

PHOENIX BOYS CENTER BOXING

2116 W Buckeye Rd. 85009 Phoenix, Arizona

Al Fenn (My Uncle) opened the doors to the Phoenix Boys Center Boxing Gym in 1965, now the oldest gym in Arizona still open and free for the community. Uncle Al always wanted to help the youth stay out of the streets and gangs. He promoted wrestling and boxing, was a manager and trainer. He established amateur boxing in Arizona. He promoted AZ Golden Gloves and State Fair Copper Gloves since 1970. The gym continues to stay open under the direction of my cousin Kelly Fenn.and im vice president Lucinda Boyd

Famous Last Words

The final interview of boxing legend Al Fenn, manager of Zora Folley

There was a time when Al Fenn was a major celebrity of Phoenix, Arizona. Fenn was promoter/manager of most of the amateur Golden Gloves winners of the latter 1950s and early '60s. As a pro manager, Fenn worked with Zora Folley, from Chandler, and they rank today as the most successful heavyweight team from the Maricopa County region. This Dec. 3, 2008 interview finds me with a man still spirited, despite being on his way to chemotherapy to combat cancer diagnosed 11 months earlier.

Fenn died 83 days after granting this interview. Written by Christopher Shelton.

SHELTON: I have learned much about Zora Folley over the last several weeks. You are a real legend and celebrity of Phoenix - yet most Phoenicians are from somewhere else - and are not interested in Phoenix history. They do not seem to know or care that you and Folley nearly teamed up for the heavyweight championship.

FENN: Well, I tried to train Folley right. Bring him along steady against the right opponents.

SHELTON: These early bouts were in Los Angeles and Clifton, Arizona?

FENN: Yeah, we did well. I only wish that I had not matched him against (Johnny) Summerlin (Folley's first loss - 1955 - Los Angeles). That turned out to be a mistake. Folley was not quite ready for him.

SHELTON: That was one setback -- but only a setback as Folley steadily climbed the rankings.

FENN: Yes - that's true. I put Folley against this muscled guy -- a 'Madonis' - what is the word I am looking for?

SHELTON: Adonis.

FENN: That's it - 'Adonis'. This fellow Zanzibar was an Adonis -- and I met him in Safford and drove him all the way up to Clifton (September, 1954). The whole way there, Zanzibar had seen nothing like it before. Nothing but desert. Well, Folley knocked out this Adonis, Zanzibar (7th round), and that really impressed some folks. But it was the fight against (Nino) Valdes (September, 1956) that was the big one. This is what placed Folley on the (national) map.

SHELTON: The earliest Phoenix bout that I know of was against K.O. Brown on November 17, 1953. Could you tell me anything about the fight?

FENN: That was at Phoenix Madison Square Garden. All of the major bouts were held there. Of course that wasn't his real name ('K.O. Brown') but we wanted something that sounded right. (TKO win for Folley - as Brown was unable to come out for the 9th round). It was a real loss for the city when they tore down the Garden. The venue was important from a historical perspective. Many memories were lost in its destruction.

SHELTON: Folley was the legitimate No. 1 contender for the heavyweight championship throughout 1958. But Cus D'Amato (manager of Champion Floyd Patterson) clearly was avoiding Folley. That must have been frustrating?

FENN: I went so far as to contact our local congressman, Stu Udall. Udall was up in arms about what was happening -- like most folks -- and he went so far as to promise to introduce a bill in Congress to force Patterson to fight Folley. But as far as I know Udall had never actually done such a thing.

SHELTON: (I delicately tread with Fenn's biggest mistake -- matching Folley in September, 1958, against British heavyweight champion Henry Cooper in England). Could you tell me about the Henry Cooper fight in England? Folley was clearly the better pugilist, scoring a second-round knockout the second time they met (December, 1961). But that first bout gave Cus D'Amato an excuse to allow Patterson to avoid Folley. What happened in England with Cooper and that first decision loss?

FENN: (Disgusted) The English judges robbed Folley down there. Well, you know, you cannot beat one of their fighters by decision in their own backyard.

SHELTON: It appears that Sonny Liston was willing to fight Folley after he won the championship (September, 1962). But Liston allowed Patterson a rematch -- another first-round knockout -- and then fought Ali ('Cassius Clay' at the time) and lost the title. Liston's loss was probably Folley's last chance at a title shot in his prime.

FENN: Sonny Liston was the greatest heavyweight of all time. The best that I ever saw. (Liston scored a third-round knockout over Folley, July, 1960, which helped launch him to a title bout). Liston made a mistake fighting Ali. Ali was too fast and clever and Liston did not know what to do with him.

SHELTON: But that Liston loss (February, 1964) cost yourself and Folley a title bout.

FENN: Well, Folley yes, but not me. I signed Folley to a 10-year contract in 1953. So that ended in '63'. One of the final things that I did was to buy Folley a house. It had been a financial struggle for years and I had been against his getting married and settling down.

SHELTON: You did not like Folley's wife or you thought she would tame him too much?

FENN: No. Folley was never an angry person or had bad habits. I liked his wife. No, I was already paying expenses for one person and a family meant paying for more. (Laughs). But I wanted to make sure Folley had something when our contract expired, and that is how he wound up with a house. After the changeover to (manager) Bill Swift, I still retained a 3 1/2-percent interest.

SHELTON: Folley eventually landed his title opportunity (March, 1967), past his prime (age 35), against an undefeated Muhammed Ali at his peak. What can you tell me about that bout?

FENN: Folley was not the best boxer. He could hit, but could not take a punch well. Folley had a good, consistent jab with a sneaky hard right. Swift trained him different than Johnny Hart (trainer) and myself. We wanted him to develop better footwork, develop a shuffle.

SHELTON: Like a Jersey Joe Walcott or Ali himself?

FENN: That's right! It turns out that Folley needed this desperately against a guy like Ali. Ali was not the kind of guy that you just take out. If you wanted to beat Ali you had to take him out in later rounds. To take Ali to later rounds you needed footwork so that you were not an easy target for him. Folley would also need to train his legs extra hard, along with the footwork, because Ali will be patient and let an opponent wear down. You still need to be moving and have some kind of defense into the 10th round if you had any hope of beating Ali.

SHELTON: It is maddening to be a boxing historian and try to explain Ali to others. A major misperception of Ali -- in his time and especially today -- is that he was vulnerable against sluggers or bigger guys who hit hard. The pugilist who clearly gave Ali (as 'Clay') the most problems during the 1960's was Doug Jones, a fast defensive specialist with patience.

FENN: That's exactly what I am talking about! Folley was not a defensive fighter by nature, but he would have to alter his style or have no chance against Ali. (After the seventh-round knockout, Ali spotted Folley's son crying. In a lovely gesture, Ali hugged the boy and told him neither he or anyone would have defeated his dad had the bout occurred years earlier, in Folley's prime).

SHELTON: So you never managed another heavyweight contender after Folley?

FENN: I promoted Sonny Liston briefly toward the end of his career (late 1968). He was still a good fighter at that time. One was in a Juarez (Mexico ) bull ring. Liston won both of those bouts. (A dominant and exciting third-round knockout in Phoenix over experienced Sonny Moore was followed by a second-round knockout over Willis Earls in Juarez).

SHELTON: The media reputation of Liston was of a scowling thug -- sort of a criminal.

FENN: Sonny Liston was a very nice man. Quiet and soft-spoken.

SHELTON: So the media reputation that Liston was some sort of animal was unfair?

FENN: Well, those other fighters were scared of him. They were beat before they entered the ring against him. Liston encouraged that.

SHELTON: What was Sonny Liston's boxing peak?

FENN: It was before he was champion when he fought Clevelend Williams. Both were big guys and it was one of the greatest heavyweight bouts ever. (Two TKO wins for Liston against Williams -- both within 3 rounds -- in 1959 and '60).

SHELTON: What did Sonny Liston like to talk about: boxing or his family?

FENN: It was tough to get Liston to say anything. He was polite with a 'please' or 'thank you,' but he did not reveal any more of himself than was necessary. Dick Sadler (manager) was the talker of the two.

SHELTON: So your association with Liston did not last long?

FENN: Sometimes Liston fought too heavy and did not train like he should. They (Las Vegas ) got hold of Liston. He never did the kinds of things that brought him down when I knew him. He was clean. (Liston died of a heroin overdose at age 38 in December, 1970).

SHELTON: Liston and Folley lived parallel lives: born within 3 weeks of one another; fought their first pro fight within three weeks of one another; fought their last pro bout within three months of one another; and they died within 18 months of each other. What could you tell me about Zora Folley's death?

FENN: It appears that it was accidental. I believe it was an accident. I guess Folley was stepping out on his wife. The guy he was with was a professional celebrity hanger on. They were meeting with these two women. I believe that the men began with horseplay, trying to impress the women. Folley pushed the man in the pool. As he did this he slipped off the ledge and his head hit against the hard surface.

SHELTON: There is much gossip about murder and conspiracy. I believe -- because Folley was a good man with a clean reputation -- that the police felt it unnecessary to tarnish his local image as a family man. Because the police revealed so few details -- except it was an accident -- this fueled the conspiracy rumors.

FENN: Oh, I hear the talk that Folley was murdered. They say it was the husband or boyfriend of one of the women that found them, became jealous, and whacked him. I don't believe it, though. I was at the funeral and his family seemed convinced that the police version. which was told to them privately, was the truth and that it was an accident.

SHELTON: You used the term 'whacked' and this makes me think of the mob -- and we are talking about boxing. Has the mob ever threatened you to lose a bout or anything like that?

FENN: The mob threatened both myself and my partner, Dave McCoy. The Nevada mob approached me one day and said that (pugilist) Irving Star belongs to them now.

SHELTON: Is that the only time the mob stole someone from you?

FENN: No, another fighter they wanted was Ray Coleman. (A fast hand-speed featherweight who fought out of Phoenix in the early to mid '60s). The mob called and warned me that they would kill Coleman's daughter. I laughed at them: "Ray Coleman does not even have a daughter!"

SHELTON: Could you tell me the name of anyone that was part of the mob?

FENN: An Italian by the name of Ralph Gambino. He worked the Nevada mob scene.

SHELTON: Did you believe that the mob was serious about their threats?

FENN: Well, Dave McCoy was later murdered in Los Angeles . He was suffocated with a pillow and they never solved his murder. I guess that could have been me.

SHELTON: That must have frightened you?

FENN: No. I was sad about what happened to Dave, but not as much as you might think. It is tough to break into the boxing business -- and maybe not everything we did was legal. But everything involving the two of us died with him. (Laughs). As far as Irving Star ... I warned him that he would regret betraying me, and the mobsters eventually burned him.

SHELTON: Boxing is a pretty sleazy world, so it must be difficult to remain clean and honest?

FENN: I did the best that I could. I have known hundreds of boxers. So many of them were in gangs and their life was headed nowhere. I helped them develop a discipline to their lives, and this in turn led to self-confidence. Many of these boxers were Hispanic and they did not go on to win the title, but they became successful with their lives. So many of them approached me after they had quit boxing and thanked me for helping to turn around their lives.

SHELTON: This must give you tremendous satisfaction?

FENN: Yeah, boxing is a business, but it turns out to be the human aspects that brought out my best and most lasting memories.

Bill Thompson, amateur pugilist/local television legend (Wallace and Ladmo), told me in October, 2008: “Al Fenn is the man. If you want to know anything about the Arizona boxing scene -- he is the man with whom you should speak.” The task to locate Al Fenn with no assistance was deemed a priority. I somehow felt that time was limited with Mr. Fenn.

Less than 3 months following this interview, Al Fenn, succumbed to cancer on February 24, 2009.

Phoenix Madison Square Garden

Historic Property Documentation

http://www.azhistory.net/doc/pmsg/pmsg072005.pdf

Fenn 'old school' in past, present

Bloodied or muddied, it doesn't take much of either to be called "old school" or "a real warrior" these days. The labels, new-school cliches, have been recycled so often that the meaning has been obscured.

But then there's somebody like Al Fenn - a Marine, a former Arizona fighter, cut-man, promoter, manager and bucket guy who reminds and restores the significance of what it is to be both.

From Iwo Jima to rings everywhere between islands in the Pacific and New York's Madison Square Garden, Fenn has been there to answer his country's call to war or a kid's call for help or an opening bell on boxing's biggest stage. His life has been full of fight. Fun, too.

"A heck of a time," Fenn said. "A heck of a life."

At 89, he's still fighting. He just discovered he has liver cancer. For Fenn, the news was like another opening bell.

"I feel fine," Fenn said last week almost as though the 3rd Marine Division's former middleweight champion had just defended the title he won in April 1945 on the Mariana Islands.

Over the past few decades, Fenn has been quietly working with kids at a gym on Buckeye Road. He has been staging Arizona's Golden Gloves championships every year at the state fairgrounds since 1970. Those kids see, yet probably don't know much about him.

Phoenix has moved on to Super Bowls and big-league teams.

But any look at the Valley's history of big-time sports starts with Fenn. In heavyweight contender Zora Folley, he had the Valley's first franchise. Fenn managed Folley when heavyweight boxing was major league.

In 1967, Folley fought Muhammad Ali for the title. Ali knocked him out in the seventh round at Madison Square Garden. By then, Fenn's 10-year contract with Folley had run out. But Fenn was there for the Ali fight, which would not have happened without him. Before Ali, the Fenn-managed Folley, who has a park in Chandler named after him, beat Eddie Machen, George Chuvalo and Oscar Bonavena, to name just a few in a 90-fight career (79-11, 44 KOs).

Fenn's favorite was a decision in 1956 over a Cuban contender, Nino Valdes, in Phoenix. Then, Fenn said, he knew he had a legitimate heavyweight, a big leaguer.

"But we could never get Floyd Patterson to fight him," Fenn said of the late Folley, who probably got the fight against Ali a few years beyond his prime.

Through all those years, Fenn managed and trained great Phoenix fighters - middleweight Jimmy Martinez, bantamweight Manny Elias and middleweight Tony Montano. He also pursued an interest in the state's history. Fenn, who was born in Benson and lives in the Valley, is fascinated with the Apaches. He is working on a manuscript for a book, The Spirit of Geronimo.

"Al was the guy that young fighters and out-of state promoters went to," said Arizona Boxing Commission chief John Montano, who is Tony's brother and also a former fighter trained by Fenn in the 1960s. "He knew the history. He knew boxing's every aspect. He knew how to fight."

He still does. He's still fighting.

by Noem Frauenheim, Feb 2, 2008 Ehe Arizona Republic

###

Al fenn was not only Trainer and Promoter for Heavyweight Tony Fulilangi "The Tongan Terror" but like a father as well.

TONY FULILANGI "The Tongan Terror" 06/06/1982 defeats Mike Jameson in a 10th round KO at Laughlin, Nevada.

Tony Fulilangi retired from his Boxing career in 1988 after being defeated by George Foreman. In 1989 Tony was selected to be the International Coach for the Tonga Oceanic Games. Super heavyweight Sansom Pouha and Heavyweight Sione Taliauli both received gold medals while Super heavyweight Fofilifi Laui, Lightweight Soakai Loumoli and Welterweight Sitani Lutui all recieved silver medals. Tony moved to Auckland, New Zealand and in 1990 opened the Otara boxing club, Tony trained 40 boxers including Olympic silver medal winner Paea Wolfgramm In 1991 Paea Wolfgramm fought Sione Utoikamanu in New Zealand to become the amateur Heavyweight Champion which Wolfgramm won fight by split decision. In 1992 Tony took a team of 6 boxers from New Zealand to the Island of Tonga for the Oceania Boxing Tournament in which Paea Wolfgramm as well as Sione Taliauli won gold medals. 1993 Tony was the head coach for the Fijian South Pacific games. 1994 Tony moved to Tonga and formed the Junior Boxing Committee and ran the tournaments twice a month for the beginners, Tony trained 15 trainers and as well as 150 boxers . The trainers then went to their own villages to train their teams. 1995 Tony trained an international boxing team for the Tajiti Mini Games and his team left with 2 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals 1996 Tony continued as head coach for the Kingdom of Tonga and took Paea Wolfgramm to Australia for the 1996 Oceania Olympic qualifier which Paea Wofgramm won the gold medal. Tony then brought Paea Wolfgramm to Arizona for a 6 month preparation for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Paea Wolfgramm lost the gold, but became the first Tongan and Polynesian to win an Olympic silver medal in super heavy weight division. 1997 Tony trained Sione Asipeli for his professional debut in Phoenix Arizona. Sione Asipeli had a draw in his first 4 round professional fight then he continued on in his career in cruiser weight division and in 2000 challenged the world boxing organization in England. 2001 Sione Asipeli won cruiser weight in North American Boxing Federation. Tony set up a boxing club in Auckland New Zealand with Lolo Heimuli and another boxing club in Redfern Sydney Australia with Maafu Tuitavake. 2002 Tony continued with the Junior Boxing Committee in Tonga, and held clinics with coaches and people who were interested in boxing and helped strengthen the boxing clubs as well as fundraising and donating boxing gear to clubs. 2003 Tony continued running boxing tournaments. 2004 Tony started the International Boxing of Tonga and continued fundraising in the united states for boxing gear which he sent to the boxing clubs in Tonga. 2005 Tony went to Samoa for South Pacific Games. 2006 Tony ran boxing tournaments for junior and senior division, and successfully ran 15 boxing clubs in Tonga including setting up the Silver Gloves Boxing Tournament held in Tonga with Lolo Heimuli’s 17 man team from New Zealand. 2007 Tony moved to Salt Lake City Utah and trained at Glendale boxing club. 2008 Tony became a manager in the Medicine boxing club in North Phoenix. Tony says his main goal as a boxing Coach is to share his talent, experience and skills with the future champions. Tony has volunteered for the past 20 years and prides himself in teaching kids about discipline, honor, and respect especially for their parents, teachers and others around them so that they will be better people in the future.

Tony says "NOT EVERYONE WILL BECOME A BOXING CHAMPION, BUT EVERYONE CAN BECOME A CHAMPION IN THEIR OWN HEART".

Kelly at Golden Gloves Tournament ###

COPPER GLOVES BOXING Oct. 20-21, 2010 7:30pm Watch this exciting competition in the Agriculture Center. Arizona State Fair • 1826 W. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85007 - 602-252-6771