Juneteenth, June 19, is a federal holiday — Emancipation Day for black Americans.

Zim Satcher, a Rio Rancho boxing trainer, is a Black man who studied The Sweet Science with the late Joe Louis Murphy, a Black boxer named for a Black boxer. Murphy, an Albuquerque native, was a boyhood friend of the late Bob Foster, a Black man and New Mexico’s first professional world champion.

When Satcher called the Journal last week, he said it wasn’t really with a story in mind. He was just extending an invitation to come by and see how his boxing club was growing — and how his son, Zimbalist Satcher Jr., was progressing.

But Satcher did reference Juneteenth, in essence extending an invitation to reflect on the Black community’s contribution to boxing in New Mexico.

For Satcher, that begins and ends with Murphy, who died in 2023 at age 86.

“He was a hero to many,” Satcher said, “and he was an African-American hero here.”

For most of us, though, it began with Foster, the undisputed world light heavyweight champion from May 1968 to June 1974 — having successfully defended the title 13 times.

Foster (51-8-1, 46 knockouts) ranks among the fiercest punchers of all time. A charter member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, he died in 2015 at 76.

Of New Mexico’s five world men’s world champions — Foster, Johnny Tapia, Danny Romero, Austin Trout and Angelo Leo — two, Foster and Trout, are Black.

Murphy was never a world champion. His record, (13-11-3, four KOs), compiled between 1955 and 1966, may seem unimpressive, particularly in comparison to Foster’s. Murphy’s contributions continued through the decades, however, as a trainer and promoter.

Professional boxing’s U.S. fan base is predominantly Hispanic, especially in the Southwest. As a natural consequence, so are most of the boxers.

Not all.

Trout (37-5-1, 18 KOs), a Las Cruces southpaw, defeated Rigoberto Alvarez for the WBA junior middleweight title in February 2011 and successfully defended four times — one of those against Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden — before losing the belt to Rigoberto’s brother Canelo in April 2013.

Trout continues to campaign in bare-knuckle fighting. Unbeaten (5-0) in BKFC competition, he’s scheduled to face Ben Bonner on July 3 in Philadelphia for that organization’s lightweight title.

He was a USA Boxing national champion and a 2004 Olympic alternate as an amateur.

Foster, Trout and Murphy, then, stand out among New Mexico’s Black fighters and contributors.

There have been others.

Siju Shabazz, Trout’s former training partner in Las Cruces, won a Golden Gloves national title in 2007. Shabazz was 6-3 with five KOs as a pro, campaigning from 2012-17.

It’s in the amateur ranks that lighter-weight Black New Mexicans made the most impact.

Earl Large (119 pounds) and Brooks Byrd (125), both of Clovis, won Golden Gloves national titles in 1967. Santa Fe’s Ray Theragood (119) did so in 1972.

Large boxed professionally from 1968-79, compiling a 38-17 record with 16 KOs. Byrd was 20-8-2 with 15 KOs as a pro from 1971-76. Theragood did not box as a pro.

Other New Mexico Black boxers from the pro ranks: Bruce Sewell (3-2-1, ‘85-86); Jason Bray, a Bob Foster protégé who fashioned a 6-0 (3 KOs) pro record from 1982-86 before moving on in life; Tony Foster (6-2, four KOs, ‘84-88), Bob’s son; Tony McNary (3-2, two KOs,’85-86); Richard Fowler (13-20-1, five KOs, ‘75-95); Bobby Alexander (1-2, one KO, ‘85-03); Jay Murphy (2-4, no KOs, ‘85-86), Joe Louis Murphy’s nephew; most recently, Jordan Gregory (2-3-3, no KOs, 2017-23).

The contribution of Black trainers like Joe Louis Murphy (Albuquerque), Willie Hall (Roswell), Henry Compton (Alamogordo) and Zim Satcher (Rio Rancho) should not go unappreciated.

Decades after their football careers ended, former players still are following the lessons from “Mr. Waianae.”

Larry Ginoza, one of the most successful coaches in Hawaii high school football history, died Saturday. He was 89.

As Waianae High School’s head coach for 20 seasons through 1984, Ginoza won 189 games, third most on Oahu behind Cal Lee and Wendell Look. The Seariders won four Oahu Prep Bowls, including the inaugural championship in 1973, and nine OIA titles.

“Everyone knew how good he was as a coach,” said Kurt Gouveia, who had a dual role as quarterback and free safety for the Seasiders. “But he also was a great man. The man’s going to be missed a lot. He was stern but fair. He understood we were teenagers and we were going to make mistakes. But he taught us how to work hard and learn from our mistakes. And he was important to our community. He was Mr. Waianae.”

Ginoza relied on a wishbone offense, attacking defense, and a code of conduct and style.

The Seariders sat in silence on the bus rides to Honolulu Stadium or Aloha Stadium.

The players wore black cleats and white socks.

“If you score a touchdown, you give the ball to the referee,” former quarterback Michael Beazley said. “If the ref’s not around, you put the ball on the ground. You celebrate with your teammates on the sideline and you leave the other team alone. You don’t piss them off.”

Win a game, shake hands with the opposing team. Lose a game, the Seariders congratulated the victors.

“But,” Beazley said, “we didn’t experience too many losses.”

With every successful season, the next generation hungered for its turn.

“When we were in elementary school, we all wanted to play for Waianae,” former lineman Tom Tuinei said. “We all wanted to be Levi Stanley and Tui Ala. They were the guys who came before us. They showed us the way.”

Entering his freshman year, Tuinei said the focus was to earn playing time. Ginoza offered a long-range plan.

“In actuality, he was setting us up for later in life,” Tuinei said. “He taught us to be humble. When things go hard, you have to keep pushing. He built up your character. I was in trouble, but you push through, and that becomes part of your character. Work hard, try your best, don’t give up. He really cared for the young men of Waianae. He taught us well. He was so good at saying a lot in a little.”

And Ginoza made sure his players did their best in all areas. Deficient grades kept players in study hall instead of practice.

“If you don’t practice, you don’t play,” Beazley said. “You’ve got to get it right in the classroom. Coach said there’s no way you can be a good teammate and be productive if you’re a knucklehead in the classroom. By the time (a player joins the team), you know what to expect.”

Back in the 1960s, there was a hardscrabble side to Waianae.

“One way in, one way out,” former All-State safety Nathan Palakiko Fletcher said.

But from his first Waianae season in 1965, Ginoza established a culture that would illuminate the best of the Leeward community.

“We got more than football from him,” Beazley said. “The whole community was winning when football was winning. The school was winning.”

More than 100 players showed up for training camp. Ginoza was pained to make cuts, believing that after-school energy was best spent in a structured activity.

Ginoza also tried to make sure the roster was composed of 96792 residents.

“There was no recruiting,” Beazley said. “You just take in the backyard guys and put it together. We were just kids playing and enjoying football and loving it.”

Ginoza’s program did not go unnoticed. The top OIA coaches at the time — Leilehua’s Hugh Yoshida, Kaiser’s Ron Lee, Radford’s John Velasco, and Castle’s Don Mahi — bonded with Ginoza. Despite Kaiser and Waianae being rivals — they met three years in a row in the OIA title game — Lee borrowed Ginoza’s pre-game routine.

“I really watched how Larry coached,” Lee said. “I learned a lot on how he ran his program. Larry was way ahead of his time. The discipline, the preparation. We tried to simulate his style.”

The Seariders might have been the original social influencers.

As Beazley related, “I have good friends from Waimanalo tell me, ‘Mike, they used to pack us up and take us to Waianae football games. They loved the brand.’ And they didn’t even know anybody in Waianae at the time.”

Beazley added: “It was special to be on that team. When you go around outside Waianae, you can’t wait to meet new people. You’re waiting for people to ask you: ‘where are you guys from?’ We were proud to be from Waianae. It’s like that cheer: ‘We’re from Waianae, everywhere we go, people want to know, who we are, so we tell them …’ Those were special times. Coach G was a special coach.”

Retired sports editor Clyde Mizumoto had a front-row view of Ginoza in the 1970s.

“Beneath that gruff, and somewhat intimidating exterior, was a warm and welcoming man,” Mizumoto recalled. “I was warned by a veteran sports staffer before going to a practice for a summer all-star game in 1974. ‘Good luck trying to get anything out of him.’ I was somewhat anxious as this was my first assignment as a part-time staffer for the Advertiser.

“I introduced myself, and Coach patted the stands next to him indicating to sit. And we talked, while he offered comments on the players. It was the beginning of a great relationship with this coaching legend. I once asked Coach how he was able to motivate the players — making sure they stayed out of trouble, did well in the classroom, played hard on the field. He had a simple answer: “We (coaches) have what they really want … and that’s to play football for Waianae. That’s plenty (motivation).”

Hawaii Prep World

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