Exclusive: “Cover Boy” Alfredo Angulo!

Sneak Peek of new Atomic Dogg Magazine

Hey “Chatter Box” readers! Here’s an advance look at a super cool mag you’ll want to get your hands on: Atomic Dogg’s Issue #14 starring none other than one of the most popular fighters out there, Alfredo “Perro” Angulo. Thanks to Guillermo “Memo” Ocampo, one of the publishers of Atomic Dogg, and magazine photographer Paul Avalos, you are the first to see an exclusive look at the brand new cover of their slick publication which supports ethical treatment of the American Bully breed of pit bulls.

Check out the fierce Mexican warrior looking right into the lens as his hairy co-star “BT” or Black Tonka commands the other half of the page. So who’s tougher? The tough-as-nails junior middleweight who dismantled his last opponent Joachim Alcine in the opening round of their July 17 brawl? Or the commanding black beauty mastiff with the clear eyes and strong snout?

I’d say it’s a draw.

This week I had a chance to chat with Memo and Paul, two self-described members of Angulo’s “inner circle” of friends. They are the ones responsible for making the custom dog collars “El Perro” wears in the ring, supplying the special T-shirts seen on the rabid pack of Angulo fans, and also providing the live canines that have accompanied Alfredo into the ring and on the canvas across the U.S. I had the opportunity to talk boxing with them, discuss their dogs, and hear all about their affiliation with “El Perro.”

Further lending his support to their cause, the WBO and WBC titlist’s mug will grace this upcoming issue of Atomic Dogg. Memo and Paul said they’ve been wanting to feature the superstar boxer on their cover, just as the two said Angulo himself kept asking them when he’d get to be their newest cover boy. So it was perfect timing for the cover shoot to finally happen.

And inside the pages of this new collector’s item, you’ll see Angulo with the canines he loves and from whom he takes his famous nickname from.

In my past interviews with Angulo, he’s told me that his nickname was originally given to him by his Mexican Olympian teammates. This was confirmed by fellow fighter Francisco Vargas, also an Olympic boxer who lived with Alfredo for three years in the training complex. The name suits him well and as a fan favorite, the “Perro” posse of fans and supporters show up wearing those black T-shirts with dogs screen-printed on them.

His alias also serves him well since he’s become somewhat of an ambassador to Memo and Paul’s various companies, all promoting respect for–as they will tell you–the most disrespected, degraded and misunderstood breed out there. Knowledge is power they say, and the two men have taken on a crusade to show the world that pit bulls can be great pets, lovable animals, and loyal members of the family too.

Their popular kennel, The Original Double SS Kennel, is well-known to canine aficionados throughout the world. The crew also have a successful car club featuring low riders, a clothing line and have become recognizable TV stars thanks to their star turns on various Animal Planet shows like “Pit Boss” and “Pit Bulls and Parolees.”

During our conversation Memo and Paul tell me about their friendship and collaborations with Angulo, whom they’ve known for over six years now. “We met him when he first came over from Mexico; we had a mutual friend,” explains Ocampo, the more talkative of the two. “We met him right before he turned pro. He didn’t really have anything when he first got here so we all pitched into help.”

Angulo, well-known for his love of dogs, even owns one canine from their kennel, a Shorty Bull named Chencho, who lives in Mexicali. “He fell in love with our dogs; he’s a real dog lover,” his pals say. “And when he saw Chencho, he said ‘This is my dog and walked out with him!’

The guys are famous in the dog stratosphere and now with this magazine, will become well known to the world of pugilism too. They struck up a connection through boxing and now the team has traveled around the country to watch their favorite “Perro” face off in the ring.

“Perro loves to take and give,” they remark. “But Darryl’s really helped to that he’s getting hit a whole lot less.” Darryl Hudson is the newest member of Team Angulo, a famed strength and conditioning coach who added to “Perro’s” game plan.

And the guys say he lives up to his name. “He’ll fight ’til he’s told to stop! Like he said in his last fight, if he’s got one hand free, he’s gonna fight,” Memo laughs. “He’ll fight like a dog ’til the end.”

And that brings us to the one issue that the animal rights advocates are fighting for themselves. Angulo is a boxer who loves to fight, who chooses it as his profession. For the pit bull breeds that are forced to fight, it is fighting for these innocent animals’ rights that makes the hair on the back of their necks rise.

“It’s NOT cool to fight dogs anymore!” they exclaim. “Fighting is obsolete!”

It’s no secret that pit bulls are frequently on the news, shown attacking children or in the recent Michael Vick case, housed in horrible and cruel conditions and forced to fight till they’re maimed or killed by other dogs–or sometimes their owners. Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states of the U.S. but unfortunately, there is still the illegal underground fighting that they are trying to combat.

And Memo, Paul, their associates and sponsors all want to make sure they continue to fight the negative stereotypes the dogs have been given, as well as educate people on how to treat and raise these breeds.

I ask the business partners how many dogs they own themselves. Paul replies he owns four dogs while Memo says with a smile, “I have four kids and eight dogs!”

“That’s a lot of mouths to feed, I tell him. “What do the dogs eat?” I half expect him to say steak, since these pedigreed animals have been given so much care and attention.

“We only feed them Eukanuba,” Ocampo answers, on how he keeps his pets in optimum shape. The self-made businessman also tells me that he co-owns tons of other dogs across the U.S. As advocates of the American Bully breed, they have hosted confirmation shows all over the country where the pedigreed pooches are showcased to earn ribbons of achievement–and braggin’ rights without bloodshed.

“We help to bring awareness on how to take care of the dogs,” they say. “People don’t know they need to be on a short leash, that you’re not allowed to fly with pit bulls, but that they also make great pets and companions!”

People who used to mistreat the animals are now learning to love them, groom them and take care of them in the correct manner.

It also comes to light during our roundtable talk that Memo used to be around those he’s now campaigning against. “Yes,” he confirms a bit sheepishly. “I grew up in South Central L.A. where it’s common to fight dogs. I did see dog fighting while growing up.”

But that was then.

“It was cool back then–but it’s NOT cool now!” repeats Memo, who admits to getting into some scraps himself as a kid. Shaking his head, adding with pride, “I broke the cycle!”

The duo repeat that the dogs have been unfairly looked down upon and face constant discrimination.

So they’ve stepped in to fight for these so-called “underdogs.”

Traveling from Hawaii to North Carolina to Alabama to Texas and beyond, the Atomic Dogg group has held national shows to bring respect to the furry beasts.

“Now people are supporting the fact that dog fighting is obsolete,” Memo continues. “We started this in our own backyard to show people there’s another side to these dogs. Our dog shows transcend races and cultures. Now we’ve got shows spawning all over!”

I ask Paul his top breeds. “We have everything from from large to pocket pit bulls,” he answers. “But the best sellers, the most popular, are the Razors Edge and the Gotti line.”

Active in rescue dog programs and other charitable organizations, they vow to continue to fight for the rights of their four-legged friends.

They love these animals and you can clearly see that in the T-shirts the two are wearing, and in the dog-shaped pendant and ring that Memo wears. And Paul’s got the ink to prove it too! He paws at his leg and pulls back a pant leg to show me an image permanently etched on. What else but an image of the bully breed along with their kennel club logo. Obviously, their loyalty goes skin deep.

And their loyalty for the favorite slugger also goes beyond words. The guys can remember when they first brought a dog into the ring for one of “Perro’s” early fights. “The first time in was for his fight in Texas,” they remember. “We brought a beautiful dog up in the ring by the name of Larue.”

Since then, Ocampo and Avalos have faithfully followed “El Perro” to each and every fight and on that note, both adamantly want to make clear that they pay their own way. As boxers make their way up the ladder of success, their fans, groupies and hangers-on grow in numbers as well. Both Paul and Memo tell me individually and with pride that they pay their own way. “We pay for our fight tickets, our flight and hotel rooms,” they both affirm. “We don’t ask ‘Perro’ for anything.”

But they will fight well, like dogs, to watch over their friend. They tell me funny stories of how they try and thwart Alfredo from going to nightclubs or staying out too late with the wrong crowd while he’s training. “We got his back,” they nod, “even when he sometimes gets mad at us for making him go home early. But later he realizes we’re just looking out for him.”

“So how often do you talk to him or see him?” I wonder out loud. Memo checks his phone, chuckles and tells me, “I talk to him just about every day! See? I spoke to him this morning, 9:02 a.m.”

Memo and Paul may have come from humble beginnings but they choose to remain connected to the community. Growing up in South Central L.A., Ocampo still houses his kennel in the same city that first tried to tempt him into a way of street life common there.

But a believer in second chances, he is living proof that someone can change their life around 360 degrees.

“The car club, the low riders and the dogs were my hobbies,” the outgoing Ocampo says. “And now we’ve spawned so many things–the kennel, the magazine, it’s a whole lifestyle!”

“So when’s your cologne coming out?” I joke.

Then we’re shown a preview pic of the Angulo cover, the 14th issue of their quarterly magazine, which proudly takes the stance of “Changing the negative stereotype of the American Bully.” Along with boxing journalist Igor Frank and photographer Ray Flores, we got an exclusive peek in seeing the brand new cover of the special Angulo edition. This new Atomic Dogg issue is expected to be a best seller. The printed mag has soared in popularity while infamously keeping its street cred too. The guys have been told that it’s the #1 stolen magazine in stores! That is quite a distinction of some sort. The covers always stand out and every page inside features full color photos and articles geared to the American Bully breed.

Touching base today with Memo Ocampo, the dog impresario gave me an update while he was in North Carolina for a national show. He said everything’s on schedule with the release of their exciting new spread covering Alfredo Angulo. He confirmed that the magazine has been shipped from the printer and once distributed, should be in bookstores within the next week and a half. So if you’re interested in checking out all the “Perros” barking out from its pages, you should be able to find Atomic Dogg at your local Barnes & Noble very soon. You can’t miss it–it’s the fierce cover with “El Perro” and his sidekick in print, “BT.”

They’ve all come a long way, Memo and Paul agree. And while they’ve worked hard to make a name for themselves, they’ve seen their amigo Angulo fight to the top along the way. “He was starting a good career; and we were starting our career from our hobby,” Memo sums up. “We are two success stories who’ve made it.”

And that’s no bull.

Photos by Michele Chong; Atomic Dogg cover courtesy of Ocampo and Avalos; Ring photo by Lori Steinhorst