Tweet
Carlos Palomino: Mexico's Welterweight Boxing Legend
http://aymendeals.blogspot.com/2010/...terweight.html
By Ross Everett
The US mainstream sports media likes to proclaim certain athletes as good or bad 'role models', but they're almost single minded in their obsession with winning. Great NBA players like John Stockton, or NFL players like Dan Marino are criticized for never having won 'the big one'.
While frequently maligned by the mainstream sports media, the sport of boxing more than any other sport lives by the how you play the game mantra. Serious boxing fans talk more about great fights than in terms of who wins or loses. The greatness of fights like the Ward-Gatti trilogy, the Barrera-Morales trilogy, Hagler-Hearns, Hagler-Leonard and, most recently, the Morales-Pacquaio classic from March 2005 are almost exclusively about how the game was played. Most of these fights were very closely contested, but even in the event of a decisive victory like Hagler-Hearns much credit is given to the opponent for making the fight great. Perhaps the best case in point is the first fight between Manny Pacquaio and Juan Manuel Marquez, which was at or near the top of most serious boxing journalists fight of the year lists for 2004. Despite the fights wall to wall action, the official decision was a draw.
At a certain point in a fighters' career, they can even be criticized for having an undefeated record. While exceptions are made for the best of the best--Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Rocky Marciano come to mind--having a 'zero' in the loss column often reflects poorly on a fighter's willingness to fight high level competition. Even for the best fighters, an undefeated record alone does little to guarantee a place in boxing history. Certainly, that is of much less significance that the manner in which these victories were earned.
The true greats distinguish themselves both by how they 'play the game' as well as their championship accomplishments. Few fit that description more aptly than Mexican welterweight great Carlos Palomino. The native of Sonora, Mexico rose to prominence by holding the welterweight title during the late'70's. During this time, he set a laudable example by becoming the first reigning world champion boxer to earn his college degree.
Palomino came to the US as a child and began to train as a fighter during his teenage years. After a stint in the Army (where he earned the All Army Welterweight Championship) and a National AAU title he turned pro in'72. Four years later, he become welterweight champion of the world by knocking out John Stracey in London, England. Palomino would defend his belt seven times over the next two years before losing it to another great, Wilfred Benetiz, via split decision. He retired from the ring shortly thereafter.
After his boxing career ended, Palomino took on another challenge as an actor. He's worked steadily both in movies and television, appearing in shows like "Taxi" and "Hill Street Blues" along with countless action films. He's done a number of commercials, live theater work and has always devoted a lot of his time to charitable causes.
In the ring, Palomino wasn't the typical Mexican fighter stereotype. He was an intelligent, very tactically sound fighter with underrated power and a lethal left hook. More typically, however, he was a fighter who'd break his opponent down slowly with a punishing body attack. Despite not being a typical straight ahead power puncher like so many of his countrymen, he's no doubt among the greatest Mexican boxers in history.
The US mainstream sports media likes to proclaim certain athletes as good or bad 'role models', but they're almost single minded in their obsession with winning. Great NBA players like John Stockton, or NFL players like Dan Marino are criticized for never having won 'the big one'.
While frequently maligned by the mainstream sports media, the sport of boxing more than any other sport lives by the how you play the game mantra. Serious boxing fans talk more about great fights than in terms of who wins or loses. The greatness of fights like the Ward-Gatti trilogy, the Barrera-Morales trilogy, Hagler-Hearns, Hagler-Leonard and, most recently, the Morales-Pacquaio classic from March 2005 are almost exclusively about how the game was played. Most of these fights were very closely contested, but even in the event of a decisive victory like Hagler-Hearns much credit is given to the opponent for making the fight great. Perhaps the best case in point is the first fight between Manny Pacquaio and Juan Manuel Marquez, which was at or near the top of most serious boxing journalists fight of the year lists for 2004. Despite the fights wall to wall action, the official decision was a draw.
At a certain point in a fighters' career, they can even be criticized for having an undefeated record. While exceptions are made for the best of the best--Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Rocky Marciano come to mind--having a 'zero' in the loss column often reflects poorly on a fighter's willingness to fight high level competition. Even for the best fighters, an undefeated record alone does little to guarantee a place in boxing history. Certainly, that is of much less significance that the manner in which these victories were earned.
The true greats distinguish themselves both by how they 'play the game' as well as their championship accomplishments. Few fit that description more aptly than Mexican welterweight great Carlos Palomino. The native of Sonora, Mexico rose to prominence by holding the welterweight title during the late'70's. During this time, he set a laudable example by becoming the first reigning world champion boxer to earn his college degree.
Palomino came to the US as a child and began to train as a fighter during his teenage years. After a stint in the Army (where he earned the All Army Welterweight Championship) and a National AAU title he turned pro in'72. Four years later, he become welterweight champion of the world by knocking out John Stracey in London, England. Palomino would defend his belt seven times over the next two years before losing it to another great, Wilfred Benetiz, via split decision. He retired from the ring shortly thereafter.
After his boxing career ended, Palomino took on another challenge as an actor. He's worked steadily both in movies and television, appearing in shows like "Taxi" and "Hill Street Blues" along with countless action films. He's done a number of commercials, live theater work and has always devoted a lot of his time to charitable causes.
In the ring, Palomino wasn't the typical Mexican fighter stereotype. He was an intelligent, very tactically sound fighter with underrated power and a lethal left hook. More typically, however, he was a fighter who'd break his opponent down slowly with a punishing body attack. Despite not being a typical straight ahead power puncher like so many of his countrymen, he's no doubt among the greatest Mexican boxers in history.
http://aymendeals.blogspot.com/2010/...terweight.html
Comment