By Carlos Irusta
Along the years, the Luna Park was a trade mark in show business in Argentina. Like the MSG of New York, and with some names in common: Frank Sinatra or The Ringling Bross & Barunm & Bailey Circus. With a capacity of 20.000 people, the Luna Park captured 25.000 the night that Oscar Bonavena defeated Gregorio Peralta for the argentine heavy crown, 1965. "The people was hunging in the ceiling", said an old costumer.
Last Friday - Dec, 2, in front of 4.000, two former world champions tried to have another chance in the next season. Pablo Chacón, former feather WBO champion, obtained the WBO Intercontinental super feather belt defeating in 12 Julio César Algañaraz (15-11-1, 4 KO) who was flattened in the first round.
Chacon (54-7-0, 37 KO) nailed him with a tremendous left hook to the chin. But Algañaraz remained on his feet. And along 12 tedious rounds, Chacon won on points.He seems too far from the WBO super feather champion, Jorge "La Hiena" Barrios, from Argentina also.
In the last fight of the evening, former WBA light champion Raul Balbi (54-7-1, 30 KO) obtained the Fedelatin junior welter title (WBA) defeating in 4´ 30" columbian Jorge Noriega (29-18-0, 26 KO). As Chacón, Balbi is a left-handed with an orthodox guard. With his left, first in hook, he stablished the first knockdown in the opening round. In the second, Balbi put Noriega in the canvas twice and the referee, Fernando Peyrous, stopped the bout. Balbi, with his third victory at Luna Park, kissed the canvas...
Tito Lectoure, the Big Boss of the Luna Park since 1957, quit boxing in 1987. Along those years, the worked and managed such champions as Carlos Monzón, Horacio Accavallo, Nicolino Locche, Victor Galíndez, Pedro Décima, Hugo Corro or Santos Laciar.
Every saturday night, the Luna Park and boxing was the same thing in Buenos Aires, a classic like a tango or a big steak after the fights. Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey or Archie Moore were VIP visitors of Luna Park (Moore, as a matter of fact, fought in the Stadium, too). A couple of weeks ago Mike Tyson was with Diego Maradona at the Luna Park for a TV programme, "La Noche del 10".
Tito is not with us; his nephew, Esteban Livera, put the boxing at the Luna Park again. "Is not for business, but tradition", says this 36 years old man. And the tradition goes on with the public and the boxers. People enjoys artists with blood in their veins, and boxers with the same qualities. Chacon is a tremendous boxer, but he is cold at the time of definitions. Balbi, like a young tiger, doesnt have mercy for his opponents.
Along the years, fighters a José María Gatica, Nicolino Locche or Juan Roldán were a real crowd pleasers, demanding the "No seats avalaible" posters. In the reversal, a tremendous champion as Carlos Monzón was, never obtained a full house.
The tradition marches on. Balbi, with a couple of fast fists, but with a great heart, is a "Luna Park boxer". A kind of Honour not easy for any boxer. The old magic is still alive...
