I was amazed you were able to dig up so much information of Vampire Johnson, now you do it with White lightning Brown. I love this channel. Thanks for the work Rich!
Thank you for this Rich. I went to school with Charlie from elementary on and have many fond memories. He came to our 30 year HS reunion before he passed away. It was good to see him one last time.
Rich your commitment to your work is commendable. I cant even begin to imagine how long it took you to dig up all this archived footage, and putting the story to it. Thanks for telling these fighters stories! ❤
I sparred with brown at the Times Square gym in nyc in 92. I didn’t know much about him. I was a recently crowned NY golden gloves champion and was quite cocky. I was dominating the sparring match until brown caught me with a straight right that floored me at the end of the third round. It was the only time I’d go down in 7 years of boxing.
@@robinreginald9372 i’m pretty sure he went to East Moline high school. I actually went to John Deere myself and Charlie is four years older than me. I met him through a few boxers from Moline and I used to box at the fire station downtown Moline. I could find out if he went to John Deere, but I don’t think he did. He was more of an East Moline/Silvis guy.
What an great vid, thanks for your hard work making these! Those white lightning bolt shorts are epic. We used to watch Tuesday Night Fights every week. One boxer that we always cheered for was Chris Byrd, another near forgotten champ.
Excellent overview. I remember more about Harry Arroyo, so seeing this tragic piece about Charlie is very illuminating. Thank you for offering it. Charlie appeared to have a lot of grit in this earlier footage.
IT TOOK A CAR TO FINALLY PUT THIS LIGHTNING HANDED FIGHTER AWAY ! AS A MASSIVE FIGHT FAN IT'S HEARTBREAKING TO SEE OUR FIGHTERS END UP IN HOMES AFTER GIVING THERE LIVES FOR OUR PLESURE IN THE RING ! GODBLESS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM 👊🥊🏴
Brown's footwork is on another level. Amazing athleticism, agility, angles and toughness. You always deliver the best in boxing history name-sake. #loveyouchannel
Thought larry Hazzard stopped that arroyo fight too soon but charlie was out of gas anyway. 300 amateur fights. He was boxing at seven years old. That's an awful lot of head trauma. Never in a dull fight is no longer a cool flex when dementia sets in. RIP. Another great but tragic piece Rich❤️🥊🙏❤️
Great videos. After living in the wilds of Alaska for three decades I missed out on a lot of great fights and fighters. Rich the Fight Historian is like a time machine taking this old man back to live boxing of the 70's, 80's and 90's.
Back around 1985/1986, my friends and I used to work out at Joe Goosen’s gym. (Ten Goose Boxing). Joe had his gym set up in his backyard, in, I believe, a renovated garage or guesthouse. This was in the San Fernando Valley, in North Hollywood at the time. One of my friends was seriously training in the amateurs and was all set to fight in the golden gloves. He used to routinely spar with all the professionals in Joe’s gym. Michael Nunn, who was about 22 and 0, at that time was training there, before he became Champ. Both of the Ruelas brothers were training there. So were Frankie Duarte and Hector Lopez. Charlie White lightning Brown was also training there. My friend would routinely spar all of these guys and especially Charlie. I met him a few times. Nice guy! Charlie was very very good at that time. He was fighting pro… I don’t know why this was never mentioned in the documentary? One day, Charlie, and my buddy were sparring and Charlie hit him with a right so hard that it knocked him down and out. When my friend came to, he had amnesia for about 20 minutes. He did not know who he was or where he was. He started crying. It scared the shit out of all of us . My friend quit boxing after that. Even back then, Charlie was partying too much. If only he had taken his boxing seriously, he would have been champion. He was that good. RIP Charlie Brown.
I must have just missed you and Charlie by a few years. I moved to Los Angels about 1988 I believe and trained with Pat Goosen , Joe Goosen's brother, and his two sons in Santa Monica. Pat's two sons were great boxers. I don't remember the name of the gym. Orlin Norris trained there with us. I do recall some very hard sparring and going around to different gyms in Los Angles in Pat's beat up old Cadillac. All of us would pile in the car and drive to another gym and spar with fighters from other gyms. It never was sparring though it was more like fighting. Thank you, for your post brought back some fun memories.
@@genki007 Hi Brother, Yeah, them were the days. I’m surprised that Cadillac didn’t break down? lol I knew Pat, as well as some other brothers. I kept hearing that there are/were 10 Goosen Brothers (Ten Goose). But, I never met all of them. I knew PJ. He was a good boxer. I can’t remember his younger brother’s name, but I remember working in the emergency room some years later and he came in and I ended up taking care of him. I asked him how he broke his hand, and he gave me some song and dance. lol I said, “you’re a Goosen!!! I know you got it from fighting and clocking some guy and hitting him wrong.!” He laughed and finally gave in and told me the truth. lol I told him that I know his whole family. He smiled. I told him I boxed under his uncle Joe. I don’t know if you knew this, but many years later, I can’t remember the year, but your old coach, Pat, opened up a gym in the valley. It was on Saticoy about a block and a half east of Balboa. I guess that area is Van Nuys? But I’m not sure? They had a huge opening day and everyone attended. I even got to meet Don the Dragon Wilson there. I would go there periodically. I even saw PJ Fight over there.
@@JohnnyDeMarco-jp8vb I didn't know there were 10 brothers, Wow. Yes, I remember PJ well. Interestingly I never sparred him or his brother. Don't remember PJ's brothers name? Pat was very good to me. I am thinking Pat wanted to protect the relationship we had and that with his two sons. I sparred everyone else and there were a lot of boxers to spar with. I was close to turning pro under Pat but got injured in a motorcycle accident and couldn't train for a year. Ended up moving home back to Hawaii. Had a couple more fights after the injury recovering and called it a day. Would be nice to see Pat again hope his is still alive.
That's like 95% of the stories covered in this channel, you know the punch is coming, you brace for impact and yet it hits you like a mule kick when the video ends with the boxer being homeless, drug-addicted, murdered or a combination of these things.
I'm shocked, this is a fighter I wasn't actually familiar with! You're a genius with these docs, Rich. Keep it up. I'm also surprised that his alias was "White Lightning" and not "Peanuts". Heh.
Sad ending for him like so many fringe contenders who just fall short of the title. You could see in the life and death struggle with Escalera that for a brawler, he just didn't have enough of a punch to sustain a career with his style. He hit Alfredo with some vicious shots and despite the ESPN guys yelling many times Escalera was staggered, I didn't think he ever looked hurt in the fight and was dangerous to the very end. Kudos to the Kid for pounding out the win. If you're going to have a windmill style without the punch to take out top contenders, you better live and train like a monk if you want to succeed and last. CB had a moment in the spotlight despite the way he lived and played.
Rich. I am 65 a retired lawyer and once a two time gg finalist. As a young attorney i worked with the state athletic commission for a couple years and remember well the old espn cards from totowa nj ice rink as well as the philly gyms and great AC boxing cards like at the Sands and then at President Trumps casinos and the convention center. I also saw live three of Tysons early fights including Marvis Frazier all from the fourth or fifth row. I remember a lot of the old forgotren ( including some by me) fighters you showcase and have commented before on your videos. What separates your content from the rest is the length of key fights you show and the substantive history you relate from your research. There is one other who comes close- his nam escapes me this moment but hes the "but what do i know" guy. Thanks for your posts. If you havent as yet can you do a Stan Ward some time? I saw him knock out Jeff Merritt with one shot on the undercard of Foreman- Ledoux and will never forget it. Perfect lay back and wait kind of style like a big Tank Davis. If you recall Merrit was featured in I believe Ring or Boxing Illustrated as a real up and comer with a deadly left hook. The shot he was hit with sounded like a tyson body shot. I was impressed with Ward. Little or maybe no amateur experience, maybe 15 or twenty pro fights, well spoken college grad I think then working on his masters. Anyway...may be an interesting story.
I am no fan of FannonBoxing on CZcams but I’m forever grateful that I found you through him, you do the hard work on boxers I never would come across otherwise. 👍
Met Charlie numerous times at my buddies' (twin brothers) arcade in Carteret. He had the cocky air you would expect from a young elite fighter. My buddy and i trained in karate at the time, so we appreciated him. He was big for a dude who fought at 135. Just learning of his passing...rip White Lightning.
I always found it amusing that Arroyo fought two guys by the name of Charlie Brown back to back. 'White Lightning' should have retired in the mid 80s after his loss to Haugen.
I think I watched Brown's head snap back more often than Duane Bobick's did. Jeesh what this kid could have done with just a little head movement. My neck hurts watching him fight.
Charlie was such a tough competitor, always coming forward trying to land his shots. But Harry never looked better than in the latter part of their fight. Another sad ending for a tenacious warrior. Rest in peace White Lightning.
Wow TY! I saw him vs Louie Burke in Las Cruces when I was a kid. Both guys ate a lot of leather. Burke was a pretty popular fighter in the area. Especially after he beat Freddie Roach. I remember Burke was never the same. Had a couple more fights and retired. It looks like Charlie Brown should have as well.
Great work as usual, Rich. I noticed that Brown looked small for a lightweight; wonder why he didn't fight at jr. lightweight unless his partying ways made this difficult.
Hope everyone is safe rn weather kinda mad oldest bridge we have is no more linked Kingston to the more popular zones grenada my thoughts are with you ❤
I saw Charlie in the intercity Golden Gloves between New York and Chicago. The Heavyweights had Carl Williams vs Craig Bodzianski . Craig years later lost a leg but was still able to box.
I got to spar with Charlie back in I think 1978 or ‘79 at Burt Vasconi’s Tigers Gym. I was 20 or 21 years old and older than Charlie. Burt really thought the world of Charlie as I remember. A tragic story for sure.
Rich, your channel is just the best, from your soft delivery, to the gentle music and incredible footage all wrapped up with exceptional research, knowledge and editing..You deserve an award or some form of recognition for the joy you bring us hardcore fans. Bravo sir 👏
Great hand speed and solid counter puncher but too much of a headhunter (never went to the body), left his chin dangling out and not enough power to make other fighters pay for coming forward.
Damn! Another sad ending. He was my sister's age!? Thats way too young! I didnt realize he fought on after Arroyo as long as he did. I laughed out loud when Al Bernstein said "his weakness is his defense." Having boxed myself for years, that is the NOT the weakness you want!
Great Video about a entertaining fighter. Sad to hear how his Life ended but atleast he had a loving family, which is more than some People can say for themself.
Another excellent effort by Rich. Can you imagine the box office if the Prides of Youngstown Ray Mancini and Harry Arroyo would have tested their skills against each other, but I would assume they were friends.
Wow...thank you Rich for bringing us these awesome videos, I've been into boxing more than 25 years and I've never heard of "white lightning"Brown . ......how life can change, sometimes your at the pinnacle in life--- than everything can be turned upside down. Again, thanks Rich I'm a new subscriber. --- are you the voice in your videos?
Never heatd of him, great video, I feel his lack of reach hurt him against some fighters especially Arroyo. Sad ending, i wish these guys knew when to quit 🥊😔
I know my boxing, but this kid never hit my radar, my saving grace is that I’m from the other side of the pond. Nonetheless, great video, and that’s what’s great about this channel, regardless of race, creed or colour, everyone who enters the ring, no matter what ability they have; all are worthy of a mention. R the FH, Bring it on; and keep bringing it on :)
When you toss 23 tomato cans into a ring with an average brawler type, then toss that brawler in with a certified final fvck'n boss, you get 1 beat up brawler. That kid got knocked back to the previous Thursday...
I find it interesting that they are referring to Brown's opponent as "old" at 31. They used to age quick in the fight game then. Now, many fighters still seem to be competing at the top level well into their 40s.It's a matter of attitude. Admittedly the smaller weights seem to age quicker because of the speed factor, but I still think at 31 you still have a few years of "prime" left.
Your right. I think it was because of training practice. We used to spar every day. The headgear and gloves were not well maintained and waterlogged by perspiration making them hard as a rock. Sparring was not tightly controlled and unfortunately the trainers and hangerson in gyms liked the entertainment of heated sparring. I boxed in maybe six different gyms over a ten or so year amateur career in both new York and Philadelphia. Strangely enough given the legends the most control I saw was in a philly gym where George Benton was supervising the sparring.
With the name Charlie Brown, I guess you would have to learn to fight. I like the ringside commentators using the term "Decked" when talking about the knockdown. Don't hear that used any longer.
Great work Rich 👍 I often hear re-occurring names and voices I hear often in your documentaries. To name a few Greg Haugen who seemed like one tough cookie. I also daydream whilst at work and imagine sharing a conversation with the likes of Al Bernstein & Ferdi Pacheco in some spit and sawdust bar somewhere, just to hear the stories and imbibe their knowledge....
It's a shame that so many boxers give into a lifestyle that is so detrimental to their well-being. It's bad enough taking all that punishment and maybe that's one reason why some turn to drugs and alcohol, to endure the pain.
This is just sad. Why would you take a seven-year-old and get them into boxing competitions or any kind of fighting. That’s way too young. Then he had over 300 fights by the time 20 years old? Are you kidding me? No wonder he got dementia. You can’t keep pounding your brain like that and expect to have anything left. As bad as this sport is, there should be some authority that limits the number of fights that fighter does in his career.
I was amazed you were able to dig up so much information of Vampire Johnson, now you do it with White lightning Brown. I love this channel. Thanks for the work Rich!
Always a pleasure, whitehurstcomic.
@@RichtheFightHistorian Maybe one day down the road you could do one on Diamond Jim Macdonald.
I agree Thank you so much !!
Thank you for this Rich. I went to school with Charlie from elementary on and have many fond memories. He came to our 30 year HS reunion before he passed away. It was good to see him one last time.
Thank you, M Ryan.
OMG ! Thanks Rich your the best ! RIP Charlie, thanks for the memories.
Thank you, Fred.
@@RichtheFightHistorian you should do one about Kevin 'The Troy Tiger' Pompey
Another amazing job!!! Thank you
Rich your commitment to your work is commendable. I cant even begin to imagine how long it took you to dig up all this archived footage, and putting the story to it. Thanks for telling these fighters stories! ❤
Thank you, Jimmy
I sparred with brown at the Times Square gym in nyc in 92. I didn’t know much about him. I was a recently crowned NY golden gloves champion and was quite cocky. I was dominating the sparring match until brown caught me with a straight right that floored me at the end of the third round. It was the only time I’d go down in 7 years of boxing.
HELLO DID YOU KNOW Ronnie Gibbons HE WAS WITH GIL CLANCY> THX
Yea okay.
What a great story brother
Thank you for sharing! So many gym stories like this go un-told
@@banacek8675 since we’re telling stories… I fought Arturo “Thunder” Gatti
I was good friends with Charlie Brown and I’m gonna miss him dearly. I grew up with him in Moline Illinois and we have a Lotta good times together.
I'm from Moline too. Did Charlie go to John Deere Junior High and MHS?
@@robinreginald9372 i’m pretty sure he went to East Moline high school. I actually went to John Deere myself and Charlie is four years older than me. I met him through a few boxers from Moline and I used to box at the fire station downtown Moline. I could find out if he went to John Deere, but I don’t think he did. He was more of an East Moline/Silvis guy.
Easily one of my fav CZcams channels ever
Thanks, Isaac.
What an great vid, thanks for your hard work making these! Those white lightning bolt shorts are epic.
We used to watch Tuesday Night Fights every week. One boxer that we always cheered for was Chris Byrd, another near forgotten champ.
Chris was an incredible fighter.
Thanks, SanDabs.
Could Byrd be next??? How about it Rich? Slick Southpaw is always fun to watch.
@@ronofficial5958 The Byrd Man is a hair too modern...we'll see.
Excellent overview. I remember more about Harry Arroyo, so seeing this tragic piece about Charlie is very illuminating. Thank you for offering it. Charlie appeared to have a lot of grit in this earlier footage.
I wonder what happened to Harry Arroyo. I saw him in late 1990's and he looked like a handsome version of Al Pacino in Scarface at that time.
Thanks, he was a bit better than I remembered, particularly in the Escalera fight.
IT TOOK A CAR TO FINALLY PUT THIS LIGHTNING HANDED FIGHTER AWAY ! AS A MASSIVE FIGHT FAN IT'S HEARTBREAKING TO SEE OUR FIGHTERS END UP IN HOMES AFTER GIVING THERE LIVES FOR OUR PLESURE IN THE RING ! GODBLESS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM 👊🥊🏴
Hands down the best boxing documentary channel on CZcams. Another gem Rich!
Thanks so much, Samuel.
Brown's footwork is on another level. Amazing athleticism, agility, angles and toughness. You always deliver the best in boxing history name-sake. #loveyouchannel
Thanks so much, America Talk LIVE!
Thought larry Hazzard stopped that arroyo fight too soon but charlie was out of gas anyway. 300 amateur fights. He was boxing at seven years old. That's an awful lot of head trauma. Never in a dull fight is no longer a cool flex when dementia sets in. RIP. Another great but tragic piece Rich❤️🥊🙏❤️
Thanks, Baja.
Great videos. After living in the wilds of Alaska for three decades I missed out on a lot of great fights and fighters. Rich the Fight Historian is like a time machine taking this old man back to live boxing of the 70's, 80's and 90's.
Thanks, Texasstadium
My grandfather loved white lightning! And Ray Mancini two of his favorites so i also followed them as a kid
Back around 1985/1986, my friends and I used to work out at Joe Goosen’s gym. (Ten Goose Boxing). Joe had his gym set up in his backyard, in, I believe, a renovated garage or guesthouse. This was in the San Fernando Valley, in North Hollywood at the time. One of my friends was seriously training in the amateurs and was all set to fight in the golden gloves. He used to routinely spar with all the professionals in Joe’s gym. Michael Nunn, who was about 22 and 0, at that time was training there, before he became Champ. Both of the Ruelas brothers were training there. So were Frankie Duarte and Hector Lopez.
Charlie White lightning Brown was also training there. My friend would routinely spar all of these guys and especially Charlie. I met him a few times. Nice guy! Charlie was very very good at that time. He was fighting pro… I don’t know why this was never mentioned in the documentary?
One day, Charlie, and my buddy were sparring and Charlie hit him with a right so hard that it knocked him down and out. When my friend came to, he had amnesia for about 20 minutes. He did not know who he was or where he was. He started crying. It scared the shit out of all of us . My friend quit boxing after that.
Even back then, Charlie was partying too much. If only he had taken his boxing seriously, he would have been champion. He was that good. RIP Charlie Brown.
I must have just missed you and Charlie by a few years. I moved to Los Angels about 1988 I believe and trained with Pat Goosen , Joe Goosen's brother, and his two sons in Santa Monica. Pat's two sons were great boxers. I don't remember the name of the gym. Orlin Norris trained there with us. I do recall some very hard sparring and going around to different gyms in Los Angles in Pat's beat up old Cadillac. All of us would pile in the car and drive to another gym and spar with fighters from other gyms. It never was sparring though it was more like fighting. Thank you, for your post brought back some fun memories.
@@genki007 Hi Brother,
Yeah, them were the days.
I’m surprised that Cadillac didn’t break down? lol
I knew Pat, as well as some other brothers. I kept hearing that there are/were 10 Goosen Brothers (Ten Goose). But, I never met all of them.
I knew PJ. He was a good boxer. I can’t remember his younger brother’s name, but I remember working in the emergency room some years later and he came in and I ended up taking care of him. I asked him how he broke his hand, and he gave me some song and dance. lol
I said, “you’re a Goosen!!! I know you got it from fighting and clocking some guy and hitting him wrong.!”
He laughed and finally gave in and told me the truth. lol
I told him that I know his whole family. He smiled. I told him I boxed under his uncle Joe. I don’t know if you knew this, but many years later, I can’t remember the year, but your old coach, Pat, opened up a gym in the valley. It was on Saticoy about a block and a half east of Balboa. I guess that area is Van Nuys? But I’m not sure? They had a huge opening day and everyone attended. I even got to meet Don the Dragon Wilson there.
I would go there periodically. I even saw PJ Fight over there.
I wonder if Michael nunn brought Charlie to California. Moline and Des Moines are right next to each other.
@@davidradovsky7405 I never thought of that, but you could be right.
@@JohnnyDeMarco-jp8vb I didn't know there were 10 brothers, Wow. Yes, I remember PJ well. Interestingly I never sparred him or his brother. Don't remember PJ's brothers name? Pat was very good to me. I am thinking Pat wanted to protect the relationship we had and that with his two sons. I sparred everyone else and there were a lot of boxers to spar with. I was close to turning pro under Pat but got injured in a motorcycle accident and couldn't train for a year. Ended up moving home back to Hawaii. Had a couple more fights after the injury recovering and called it a day. Would be nice to see Pat again hope his is still alive.
Sad story.
If he'd left the booze alone, who knows how good he could have been.
Thanks brother, I was waiting for a new one. Class! As always.
Thank you, Nick.
WOW! I remember going with my dad to Iceworld in Totowa,NJ to watch him....got his autograph down at ringside!! Great memories!
I remember seeing Bobby Cyz fighting at ice world. Buddy McGirt fought there once also.
I just knew this poor mans life was not going to end well
That's like 95% of the stories covered in this channel, you know the punch is coming, you brace for impact and yet it hits you like a mule kick when the video ends with the boxer being homeless, drug-addicted, murdered or a combination of these things.
Drugs or alcohol
What a great way to honour this warriors memory forever. He was certainly a battler. 💥🥊🇬🇧
I'm shocked, this is a fighter I wasn't actually familiar with! You're a genius with these docs, Rich. Keep it up.
I'm also surprised that his alias was "White Lightning" and not "Peanuts". Heh.
Thank you, Totentaz.
Sad ending for him like so many fringe contenders who just fall short of the title. You could see in the life and death struggle with Escalera that for a brawler, he just didn't have enough of a punch to sustain a career with his style. He hit Alfredo with some vicious shots and despite the ESPN guys yelling many times Escalera was staggered, I didn't think he ever looked hurt in the fight and was dangerous to the very end. Kudos to the Kid for pounding out the win. If you're going to have a windmill style without the punch to take out top contenders, you better live and train like a monk if you want to succeed and last. CB had a moment in the spotlight despite the way he lived and played.
Touching story. Thank you for another quality episode.
My pleasure, Mehdi.
Wow, where do you find these guys? Everyone has a story. Thank you for another excellent presentation.
My pleasure, nyquil.
Rich. I am 65 a retired lawyer and once a two time gg finalist. As a young attorney i worked with the state athletic commission for a couple years and remember well the old espn cards from totowa nj ice rink as well as the philly gyms and great AC boxing cards like at the Sands and then at President Trumps casinos and the convention center. I also saw live three of Tysons early fights including Marvis Frazier all from the fourth or fifth row. I remember a lot of the old forgotren ( including some by me) fighters you showcase and have commented before on your videos. What separates your content from the rest is the length of key fights you show and the substantive history you relate from your research. There is one other who comes close- his nam escapes me this moment but hes the "but what do i know" guy. Thanks for your posts. If you havent as yet can you do a Stan Ward some time? I saw him knock out Jeff Merritt with one shot on the undercard of Foreman- Ledoux and will never forget it. Perfect lay back and wait kind of style like a big Tank Davis. If you recall Merrit was featured in I believe Ring or Boxing Illustrated as a real up and comer with a deadly left hook. The shot he was hit with sounded like a tyson body shot. I was impressed with Ward. Little or maybe no amateur experience, maybe 15 or twenty pro fights, well spoken college grad I think then working on his masters. Anyway...may be an interesting story.
Thanks, Steve.I've done a video on Merritt. I'll have to think about Ward and see how much film I have on him.
Thank you Rich. Always well done.
Thanks so much, drummersagainstitk
Great Job again Rich, I did not know that Charlie white lightning Brown had passed in 2018, such a sad ending for a young man with so much promise.
Thanks, Mikey.
I am no fan of FannonBoxing on CZcams but I’m forever grateful that I found you through him, you do the hard work on boxers I never would come across otherwise. 👍
Thanks, Bigplans.
Brown had some crazy speed. Thanks Rich!
My pleasure, Crooked Nose.
ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO MATE ! CANT GET ENIYGH OF EM ! CHEERS 👊 LONDON 🏴👊🥊🏴
Thank you, Paul.
I was in attendance when he challenged IBF lightweight champion Harry Arroyo in 1984
You from ytown bro?
@@thejmc4074 yes I am. Still reside here in Youngstown
@@BlackPanther330 hell yeah. I am originally from there myself. The 330 in your name should have been a clue to me haha.
Met Charlie numerous times at my buddies' (twin brothers) arcade in Carteret. He had the cocky air you would expect from a young elite fighter. My buddy and i trained in karate at the time, so we appreciated him. He was big for a dude who fought at 135. Just learning of his passing...rip White Lightning.
I remember Brown when he was in Paterson, NJ. He use to come to the YMCA and Lou Costello gym. I remember him training for the Arroyo fight.
I always found it amusing that Arroyo fought two guys by the name of Charlie Brown back to back. 'White Lightning' should have retired in the mid 80s after his loss to Haugen.
Beautiful combinations. Fast. Coming in from all angles. Sweet science..
Thank you for another great video, Rich . My friend Todd Longmuir , whom my dad managed , fought Brown , as you noted .
My pleasure, Paul.
Wow great work Rich ! although a sad one still sharing the history with us thanks buddy.
Sure thing, Kim.
I haven't commented in a while...But I really enjoy these videos so much! Great job all the way around Rich!
Thanks so much, Dale.
Great watch.
Thanks for posting from Birmingham England
Sure thing, Andy.
I think I watched Brown's head snap back more often than Duane Bobick's did. Jeesh what this kid could have done with just a little head movement. My neck hurts watching him fight.
A sad story Rich, a reminder of how cruel life can be in the toughest of professions. Many thanks for another great history video. 🥊👏
My pleasure, Brett.
The 2 Charley Browns White Lightning and Choo Choo. Thanks for the memories
Charlie was such a tough competitor, always coming forward trying to land his shots. But Harry never looked better than in the latter part of their fight. Another sad ending for a tenacious warrior. Rest in peace White Lightning.
Wow TY! I saw him vs Louie Burke in Las Cruces when I was a kid. Both guys ate a lot of leather. Burke was a pretty popular fighter in the area. Especially after he beat Freddie Roach. I remember Burke was never the same. Had a couple more fights and retired. It looks like Charlie Brown should have as well.
Hi Rich,thanks.Charlie was an admired,rising star in the early 80s.
My pleasure, David.
Great work as usual, Rich. I noticed that Brown looked small for a lightweight; wonder why he didn't fight at jr. lightweight unless his partying ways made this difficult.
Thanks, Charles.
All caught up just have the vampire fighter video left saving that the title caught me off guard lol nice1 Richie mate 👍
Hope everyone is safe rn weather kinda mad oldest bridge we have is no more linked Kingston to the more popular zones grenada my thoughts are with you ❤
Thanks, Bookah.
@RichtheFightHistorian welcome Richie hope all is good stay safe been hurricane season been not good.
I meant it's been not good curse these hands lol
"Good grief" that was a wonderful human interest story. Thanks
Sure thing, Glenn.
Best old school boxing channel on youtube
Thanks so much, Juan.
I saw Charlie in the intercity Golden Gloves between New York and Chicago. The Heavyweights had Carl Williams vs Craig Bodzianski . Craig years later lost a leg but was still able to box.
Too many amateur fights and too much partying put too much wear and tear on his body. By the tine he fought Arroyo he was already on the decline.
RIP White Lightning. A true warrior and a gentle heart.
I got to spar with Charlie back in I think 1978 or ‘79 at Burt Vasconi’s Tigers Gym. I was 20 or 21 years old and older than Charlie. Burt really thought the world of Charlie as I remember. A tragic story for sure.
Rich, your channel is just the best, from your soft delivery, to the gentle music and incredible footage all wrapped up with exceptional research, knowledge and editing..You deserve an award or some form of recognition for the joy you bring us hardcore fans.
Bravo sir 👏
Hey thanks so much, Troll Goodman, I appreciate your kind words.
Great hand speed and solid counter puncher but too much of a headhunter (never went to the body), left his chin dangling out and not enough power to make other fighters pay for coming forward.
Charlie was capable of some beautiful punch sequences and very exciting fighter. Sad how to see how things turned out. Excellent show!
Thanks, Danvil
Damn! Another sad ending. He was my sister's age!? Thats way too young! I didnt realize he fought on after Arroyo as long as he did. I laughed out loud when Al Bernstein said "his weakness is his defense." Having boxed myself for years, that is the NOT the weakness you want!
Great Video about a entertaining fighter.
Sad to hear how his Life ended but atleast he had a loving family, which is more than some People can say for themself.
You’re the GOAT Rich! I love your videos! Thank you sir for work you put into bringing these warriors story to light!
🥊🥊🥊
Thanks so much, Tim.
Another great one Rich! Thank you!!
Thank you, again for remember a fighter who thrilled so many.
Sure thing, WolfmanJoe
Another outstanding filmography - the best boxing channel on CZcams
Thanks so much, Vic.
He reminds me of me in my prime, lol. Hard puncher, speed brings power as my coach would always say.
Another excellent effort by Rich. Can you imagine the box office if the Prides of Youngstown Ray Mancini and Harry Arroyo would have tested their skills against each other, but I would assume they were friends.
RIP Charlie Brown 🙏🕯
Wow...thank you Rich for bringing us these awesome videos, I've been into boxing more than 25 years and I've never heard of "white lightning"Brown .
......how life can change, sometimes your at the pinnacle in life--- than everything can be turned upside down.
Again, thanks Rich
I'm a new subscriber.
--- are you the voice in your videos?
Thank you, Rigo, and welcome to the channel. Yes, I narrate the videos.
@@RichtheFightHistorian
Awesome, great content and great voice and style of narrating .
👍👍👍👍!
Keep it up Rich.
You're great at this.
Thank you for the content and history lessons.
Hey thanks, William.
He looks like Michael J Fox when he played in Back 2 the Future
The kids composer is amazing and I like his lead right to amazing I've never heard of him
Any chance on doing one on Zack the Zack Attack Padilla?
I think he's on the to-do list.
My grandfather was his manager Lenny Shaw
Back when 31 was an old fighter lol
Never heatd of him, great video, I feel his lack of reach hurt him against some fighters especially Arroyo.
Sad ending, i wish these guys knew when to quit 🥊😔
Thanks, gmacW
I know my boxing, but this kid never hit my radar, my saving grace is that I’m from the other side of the pond. Nonetheless, great video, and that’s what’s great about this channel, regardless of race, creed or colour, everyone who enters the ring, no matter what ability they have; all are worthy of a mention. R the FH, Bring it on; and keep bringing it on :)
Thanks, Peter.
Thanks Rich 🥊👍
Great video, Rich! How about one on fellow Las Crucen Louie Burke, shown fighting Charlie in this video?
Thanks BarrioBarrister. I'll look into that.
A regular on Top Rank ESPN
Thanks Rich
Sure thing, Allen.
RIP 🪦 Charlie
I saw him fight early in his career. I also saw his last fight.
When you toss 23 tomato cans into a ring with an average brawler type, then toss that brawler in with a certified final fvck'n boss, you get 1 beat up brawler.
That kid got knocked back to the previous Thursday...
Gr8 doc more please 🎉
Man I can't articulate how great you are at what you do. When it comes to boxing documentaries you are pound for pound the baddest MF out here
Thanks so much, Christopher.
Thank you. Very good video. Sad.
Charlie Brown had a heart of a lion, but Harry Arroyo was too skilled for him.
I find it interesting that they are referring to Brown's opponent as "old" at 31. They used to age quick in the fight game then. Now, many fighters still seem to be competing at the top level well into their 40s.It's a matter of attitude. Admittedly the smaller weights seem to age quicker because of the speed factor, but I still think at 31 you still have a few years of "prime" left.
Your right. I think it was because of training practice. We used to spar every day. The headgear and gloves were not well maintained and waterlogged by perspiration making them hard as a rock. Sparring was not tightly controlled and unfortunately the trainers and hangerson in gyms liked the entertainment of heated sparring. I boxed in maybe six different gyms over a ten or so year amateur career in both new York and Philadelphia. Strangely enough given the legends the most control I saw was in a philly gym where George Benton was supervising the sparring.
Another gem Rich!
Thank you, RE
never knew he passed ,poor guy. met him once in ny nice guy
Al Bernstein was making excuses for Escalera. Escalera decided to go for the ko after he knocked Brown down in the 2nd round. I remember the fight. A
With the name Charlie Brown, I guess you would have to learn to fight. I like the ringside commentators using the term "Decked" when talking about the knockdown. Don't hear that used any longer.
Great video. Too bad Brown didn't have better guidance. Another sad tale of a fighter falling to his demons.
Thanks, Dr Doolittle.
@@RichtheFightHistorian Thank you Rich!
Great work Rich 👍 I often hear re-occurring names and voices I hear often in your documentaries. To name a few Greg Haugen who seemed like one tough cookie. I also daydream whilst at work and imagine sharing a conversation with the likes of Al Bernstein & Ferdi Pacheco in some spit and sawdust bar somewhere, just to hear the stories and imbibe their knowledge....
Thanks, Ethereal Dreams. Those are some cool daydreams you got there.
i thought from the thumbnail that this was going to be a story about a math prodigy
It's a shame that so many boxers give into a lifestyle that is so detrimental to their well-being. It's bad enough taking all that punishment and maybe that's one reason why some turn to drugs and alcohol, to endure the pain.
Colorful name
Escalara held the kid behind his head a bunch of times!
What ever happened to Charlie choo choo Brown ?
This is just sad. Why would you take a seven-year-old and get them into boxing competitions or any kind of fighting. That’s way too young. Then he had over 300 fights by the time 20 years old? Are you kidding me? No wonder he got dementia. You can’t keep pounding your brain like that and expect to have anything left. As bad as this sport is, there should be some authority that limits the number of fights that fighter does in his career.
as usual brilliant.
Thanks, Edward.
RIP !