Former Lebanon man fights his way to Las Vegas

Johnny Baal didn't let coming from a small town or his small frame stop him from big dreams.

Whether it was fighting his way to Las Vegas to spar and hob-nob with legends like Sugar Ray Leonard and Leon Spinks, doing comedy bits with Rodney Dangerfield or revolutionizing how bars do business, Baal has always looked forward while maintaining his roots.

The former 156-pound boxer put up his fists when asked how he got from Lebanon County to Carson County, Nev..

"My fists; my fists. If I wouldn't have had my fists — my father wanted me to be a state policeman. It's hard sometimes to get out of small towns when you want to. What your mind can conceive your body can achieve. You got to work hard," Baal said.

A hard work ethic is a theme throughout Baal's life.

Once upon a time he was the legendary fight trainer Johnny Tocco's number one. Tocco was no slouch when it came to talent, either, as the greats like Larry Holmes, Sonny Liston and Mike Tyson trained there in the past and future greats continue to sweat and spar in the Vegas Arts District spot.

"I played football at Lebanon High and wanted to play college football. Obviously, though, I'm a little guy," Baal, who played on the 1971 Lebanon High School team.

Shortly after high school ended, someone told Baal to try a sport his own size instead of pursuing collegiate football.

"Someone said to me, 'You got a lot of heart,' so I just started fighting. I always liked it," he said.

He was spotted by Kid Gavilan, a former welterweight champ, got some sponsors and went to Las Vegas.

"Trainers are looking for a good fighter — and a marketable one. I worked hard, and I listened," he said.

Boxing is just the tip of Baal's resume. He's also an accomplished martial artist in karate. Baal was on the U.S. karate team in 1975 in hopes of being on the Olympic team. However, it wasn't until 1984 that karate became an Olympic sport.

Undaunted, Baal stayed in Vegas, did odd jobs and learned "Las Vegas Hospitality" from his uncle George Levine, who managed the Copa Room in the heyday of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

"Spending time with George in the Copa Room and watching the way he seated people and saw the way Vegas was," he said. "Those days it was the cool Las Vegas manner. I watched the way he took care of people."

In December 1980 he found himself on Hollywood Squares and won. The prize money he invested in his first restaurant, which he transformed from a run-down 7-11.

In Vegas, Baal is credited with something that bar goers and sports fanatics take for granted nowadays, that is, multiple TVs focused on sports.

"We used to go to Churchill Downs and other sports books, and they would have TVs with horse racing, golf or baseball on, while at bars there would be one in the corner and that's about it," Baal said.

So he combined the cozy atmosphere of the neighborhood bar with the streamlined entertainment of sports books. Simple enough in retrospect, but it always takes someone to do it first.

"Doing" — and fighting for that matter — are integral to who Johnny Baal is.

"I tell the kids I train in martial arts there are two types of people — doers and observers. The observers aren't in the game and never win. The doers might lose a lot, but at least they're in the game," he said.

One of his biggest fights came in the court room.

On Sept. 16, 1981, Baal televised a closed-circuit showing of the match between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns. A major casino sued him for over $1 million. Baal countersued. Two years later, the casino settled with Baal out of court.

"It was responsible for mapping the manner in which everyone all over the world is now able to enjoy major, history making sports events," Baal said, who was cautious not to slander any of the parties involved.

"It was 35 years ago, but it set the Supreme Court precedent for intercepting satellite airways," Baal said of the settlement.

Years later, after operating a string of successful restaurants in the Las Vegas area, Baal isn't finished yet.

"I want to go to Italy and learn authentic Italian cuisine," Baal, who is Italian and Austrian. "I'd love to see a nice, hospitable Italian restaurant right in Vegas."

Original Article Link: http://www.ldnews.com/story/news/local/2015/10/25/former-lebanon-man-fights-his-way-las-vegas/74622698/