El Torito -Tony Ayala Jr.

No relation, he did have a relative who was a fighter but I'm not sure who. Anyone know who it was? He had an older brother, Mike, who campaigned pretty successfully in the Jr. Featherweight division back in the late 70's/early 80's. Mike was also involved in the "Fight of the Year" from 1979, when he tried challenging Little Red for his Featherweight title...He also had his fair shair of out-of-the-ring troubles with drugs & whatnot, and he even got into some trouble with the law in his early pro days when he shot a man (didn't kill him though, and Mike was given a very long 10 year probabtion sentence instead of going to prison).

This is off-topic and ignorant, but is he related to Paulie? No relation, he did have a relative who was a fighter but I'm not sure who. Anyone know who it was?

This is off-topic and ignorant, but is he related to Paulie?

Ayala was a bit overrated as a prospect, I thought. He would have been badly beaten by Leonard, hearns, Hagler, & McCallum. He could punch, & was very aggressive, ferocious. But, he was hittable, & hurtable. The four above were far too skilled for him. As for him facing Duran back in say '83-'84 ? Duran would have gotten up for that fight like no other, & took him to school ! i have a mag that said duran hated him like no other would have been a hell of a fight ....would love to see the guy try to spit in duran's face like he did all the others

Does anybody know if he went back to prison?

That would be an interesting figth

He did like 14 years in prison. He resumed boxing when he got out. Won a few fights then fought Yori Boy Campus. He lost that fight then went downhill again. I think he's back in prison.

Ayala was a bit overrated as a prospect, I thought. He would have been badly beaten by Leonard, hearns, Hagler, & McCallum. He could punch, & was very aggressive, ferocious. But, he was hittable, & hurtable. The four above were far too skilled for him. As for him facing Duran back in say '83-'84 ? Duran would have gotten up for that fight like no other, & took him to school !

Anyways, Ayala was considered a boxing phenom even as far back as when he was only eleven years-old, and that's the year he had beaten the piss out of a more experienced 19 year-old Mexican opponent in the amatuer ranks (which was original supposed to be Tony's older brother Sammy facing the 19 year-old, but Sammy had to pull out because Tony had busted up his nose in a little scrap a day or two before). There's also that very famous story of when Ayala was only 14 years old, he had gotten the better of then Welterweight champion, Pipino Cuevas, in a sparring match. Cuevas' own words on that sparring session and Ayala's fighting ability were simply "Incredible!", which he had kept repeating over and over again after sharing the ring with Tony.

thats what they say unfortunately he was scum and proved it by going back to prison after he came out. Yeah, he definately turned out to be a scumbag, but at one time he was easily the hottest prospect in the sport, and was probably the brightest prospect since Ray Leonard first came on the scene a few years earlier. He was an angry and very troubled young man obviously, but some of that anger suited him in the ring with the style & demeanor he employed in combat (that very powerful & aggressive "take no prisoners" style, which included occasions where he'd purposely spit on his opponents, hit them after the bell, or the periodic & well timed low blow...He was not a nice guy in or out of the ring).

The Baby Bull. Back in the day when he fought at 154, he was awesome. It's too bad the showdown with Roberto Duran never happened. Would have been a great fight. Anyone ever see him fight before he went to prison? He coulda been an all time great if he could have stayed out of jail. Yeah, I've seen him fight quite a few times and as a prominant member of that "Tomorrow's Champions" series on NBC, his fights were frequently shown on television back in the early 80's. He was an agressive beast in his earlier days, no doubt, as he'd get in close to his opponents, bury his head on their chests, and bang away with those short hooks of his to both the head, and especially the body. Didn't think much for defense though, and I think that would've evetually been his downfall. Looked like he could take a good shot (although Mario Maldonado dropped him with a right hand), but his type of fighter could only take so many punches, which usually made for short "primes".

i saw a few of his fights before and after jail , but who cares about a serial rapist , seriously ?

thats what they say unfortunately he was scum and proved it by going back to prison after he came out.