Mauro Mina, Part 2
Sunday, August 13, 2006
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October 1962. He had spent over a decade since that note of Journal The Chronicle last week remembered and Mauro Mina was a national sports hero. South American champion and continental recognition, there was talk of a possible bout against Harold Johnson, the world champion light heavyweight. But before that, the Chincha had to be measured against the number one in the world, American native of Seattle, Washington, Eddie Cotton.
Eddie Cotton was a classic case of the boxer whose biggest obstacle to reach a world title was to be too good. All he fled and no one wanted to deal with it. When he finally got the chance of the title he lost narrowly split decision against Harold Johnson and was never granted a rematch. In his second chance and was 40 years old and yet gave a great fight against the Puerto Rican Chegüí Torres, losing again on points. Cotton mine and went to ring the National Stadium in the presence of forty thousand (something unprecedented in the history of boxing Peru) in order to remain as undisputed challenger to the title of the world. The great Pepe Salardi, judge in more than four thousand professional bouts, was the referee. El Comercio newspaper the next day saying
"The fight was tough, saturated with emotional passages and several of its episodes was the feeling I could have a violent end for Mina (...) The last sound of hood found our champion even with energy, in contrast to the depletion and the injuries to Cotton in the face. "
Mauro Mina was declared the winner by unanimous decision of the judges and thus was ranked number one contender to the world light heavyweight crown. The next step was the Madison Square Garden in New York and thither was Mauro.
Only a month after the resounding victory against Cotton, traveling with an entourage of fans willing to encourage Peruvians in the Mecca of world boxing. His opponent this time would be another American and world ranked, Henry Hank. On November 24, 1964 Mauro first appeared in American television screens and clears all the doubts that could be on it. In a tight match under the lights of Madison, the Chincha is carried forward in the melee Hank deploying technical and honor. For the first time you hear the cry of "Peru!, Peru!" at Madison Square Garden (Twenty years later he again heard when lightweight Orlando Romero "Romerito" lost to Ray Mancini, perhaps, now for the last time) the judges give points and win the chance to fight against Harold Johnson was at their fingertips.
The idea of \u200b\u200bMax Aguirre, promoter Mauro, Johnson was carried to Lima to put the world title at stake. For this had the support of then President, General Ricardo Pérez Godoy. It was said that the Head of State had given its consent to fully release the lien of eighteen percent weighing about professional boxing matches that way Aguirre could meet to pay the fifty thousand dollars as requested by Harold Johnson bag. However, In January 1963, went beyond statements arrivals from the United States in the sense that under no circumstances accept challenge the world champion crown in South America. We should ask those who drove here from Mauro destinations were not blinded by the potential opportunity of a juicy collection at the box office, where the primary goal should have been a tempting option for the world title. Meanwhile
Mauro rematch gives Eddie Cotton in Lima in January 1963 and was unquestionably wins again, this time in twelve rounds. The tan Sarandango finances had done what was instructed: beat rival as he put forward, without making excuses doing what they asked. Maybe not expect that the world of professional boxing is a tyrant and not always given opportunities to those most deserving. To complicate matters further, Harold Johnson lost in June of that year's world title against Willie Pastrano (in a controversial fight that even today raises discussions).
With a new champion in the portfolio had to start from scratch with the talks. Waiting for the new opportunity, Mauro Lima defeat the Americans Dave Russell, Leslie Smith and future world champion Bob Foster in November 1963 and travels back toward the Madison Square Garden. This time his rival would be the Chicago light heavyweight Thomas Allen. The idea was to overcome Thomas and Willie Pastrano after challenge. It was said that the brothers Dundee (known then racing to bring Ali and Leonard) had given its consent to the possibility that the fight will take place in Miami.
But a few days after the arrival of mine in New York, drop a bucket of cold water. Medical examinations had been carried out prior to his fight with Thomas had revealed that he had a left eye injury, specifically a retinal detachment, which would prevent him from getting on a ring at risk for vision loss.
was exposed so that the injury had occurred much earlier, during the fight he defeated Cuban Mauro Lino Rendon in Lima in 1962 and had undergone surgery at a clinic in the capital in March 1963. Oscar Teran's manager had kept the operation secret for fear that the chinchano lose the opportunity to fight for the title. The lucky, or unlucky and Mauro, was thrown from before to fight for the world crown. The doctor who had operated, Dr. Manuel Quiroz Haro, Mina went on to say that the rings would succeed in the world since the intervention was a success, "is easier than it appears from the retina of one eye," he said. Still in New York, the renowned ophthalmologist Mauro Ramon Castroviejo examined and determined that the left eye was in excellent condition. He further testified that he saw no one would have to bar them from boxing.
But in the boxing world are fleeting opportunities, and more so in the case of a Latin American fighter. The die was cast. Mauro Mina would remain active until the end of 1965, but the flash of fame and had gone out. The appropriateness of the title was further away than ever. On November 11, 1965 in Lima, Mauro Mina Baylon made his last professional fight on points winning the Italian Piero Del Papa. The press and the national amateur said the ruling was unfair and localist and that Mauro was not the same as before. Unlike many other boxers, the greatest boxer of all time Peruvian knew when the time had come to hang up his gloves. He did not complain about the trick that fate had played with humility and without fuss. In the same way he had come from a farm in Chincha, fifteen years ago.
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