Welcome to the colorful, flamboyant, and wonderful world of Mexican American boxing in Los Angeles. From the minute they stepped into the ring, Mexican American fighters have electrified fans with their explosiveness and courage. These historical images bring to life a sociological culture consisting of knockouts, the Main Street Gym, the Olympic Auditorium, neighborhood rivalries, Mexican idols, posters, and promoters. Like a winding thread, "the Golden Boy" Art Aragon bobs and weaves throughout the book. From "Mexican" Joe Rivers to Oscar De La Hoya, the true stories of their sensational ring wars are told while keeping alive the spirit and legacy of Mexican American boxing from the greater Los Angeles area.
Hailing from East Los Angeles, Gene Aguilera has lived and breathed boxing since he was 10 years old. A University of Southern California graduate, bank vice president, songwriter, and East L.A. music historian, Aguilera has been a confidant to hall-of-fame World Bantamweight Champion Ruben Olivares since the 1970s. Iconic boxing writer Bert Sugar called Aguilera “an historian and trusted adviser to many Latino fighters” in his book The Ultimate Book of Boxing Lists. The photographs come from the personal collections of the boxers themselves and from Aguilera's many travels in the boxing world.