For Martin Sosa Cameron From Cordoba Argentina, writer, poet and friend Martin Sosa Cameron tells the story of an exceptional heavyweight notable that very few remember: José Carattoli.
is still fresh memories of the achievements in the rings of Avenamar Peralta, Victor Galindez, Miguel Angel Cuello, Jorge Ahumada, more recently, Walter Matteoni, all with something common condition and its outstanding Argentine international action in the category mediopesado. However, the first professional fight in Spain in 1903: this mean that the above are practically of today, then dividing into thirds a century (periods of 33 years), it is easy to see that there was a yesterday and a day before yesterday. And some of them can be considered the "best" of our history on your weight, if we forget or ignore our history boxing, one of the largest in the world since its inception. And as the largest Argentine heavyweight Luis Firpo, remains unshaken in the "yesterday", despite all the admirable later appearances, also the epitome of our heavyweight is in those ancient times: the extraordinary José Carattoli.
was far from engaging in boxing by financial was by vocation: "I liked to grab a pineapple, not because it was a provocative, never was, but when I looked, then, as I like pineapples are ready to deal. A friend who knew this weakness led me to a club to learn to fight. I would not have been necessary. Like I had devoted to boxing. What madness was to be a boxer! I devoured the magazines and newspapers that spoke of champions "and said of himself José Domingo Carattoli, who was born in La Plata, BA, 30 September 1906 in the city of his dear comrade Julio Mocoroa, that other as that, also by natural inclination, he left college to engage in boxing.
Carattoli Joseph's career took place from 1928 to 1936, with 46 fights, winning 35 (KO 24), drawing 5 and losing many others, plus one no-decision. He was Argentine champion heavyweight and heavyweight. Paradoxically, his left hand, the more powerful it is known in the Argentine boxing, not only was the one who paved the way to greatness in sports: well, the injury a second time, it forced a premature retirement, when he was in its peak and the highest laurels could be expected of him. Explosive hands is hard to forget when we remember, just to name a few, those of Atilio Caraune or Eduardo Laussa, but that of Carattoli, called the "Left Handed Assassin", it was almost unreal, like Rocky Marciano's right, his devastating "Suzy-Q." When Peter Mancieri, famous for the aggressive, clever and powerful puncher, the Argentine middleweight champion, who had won and retained the title beating out of combat, winner of "KO" Macon (KO 2), Humberto Quiñones (KO 6), Eustace Peralta (KO 6), Bernardo Torrijos (TKO 8) and Domenico Ceccarelli, Carattoli challenged for the crown of this, the meeting was one of the most exciting and most interesting for fans, one of the biggest fights significant and dramatic our boxing. In November of '33, when both were face to face in the third round, the two decided to simultaneously launch a major coup: a violent crossroads, Pedro Mancieri barely made batting a Carattoli, who hit like lightning his famous left, and his opponent, struck, knocked down and lay still. The crowd present, stunned by the impact and its consequences, remained silent. The referee counted to the out, and beaten unconscious for several minutes followed. Overcome the shock, when tottering Mancieri recovered, a sudden cheer loudly greeted the winner José Carattoli. That was the power of his famous hand.
The fabric of the record of the fighters and how correlating and evaluating going between them is very complex, fascinating and impressive. Let vertically, like a trunk, ordered list of fights over who we want, and horizontally, like branches, the campaigns of each opponent, how history came to him, on one side, and how it continued, on the other. So we have a complete model of career and family hierarchy that catches our attention. A record can be a good balance numbers, but more than that, what counts are the names.
Before the campaign of José Carattoli and size of its rivals, as did references to the family, we must remember and then understand and appreciate its dimensions, in the medium category, five hits, and each they can claim to be the best of all: Stanley Ketchell, Harry Greb, Mickey Walker, Ray Robinson and Carlos Monzon, and in the heavy half, most specialists in the history of boxing estimated that more than half of the great acting in the '20s, we retain these names: Mike McTigue, Georges Carpentier, Paul Berlenbach, Tommy Loughran ... (Then come the John Henry Lewis, Archie Moore and Bob Foster), several of the aforementioned, directly or indirectly, appear in the race Carattoli.
Víctor Avendaño, the unforgettable referee, was one of the greatest amateur boxers in our country, and the first Olympic champion we had (in 1928, heavyweight), the February 27, 1930 Carattoli should be measured in a tie then challenge the professional title of the category: La Plata won by knockout in just two rounds. Vicente Olivieri, former Argentine champion of this weight, came to win, among others, Justo Prieto (twice by KO), Michael Zumpano, Aurelio Bornetto (KO 5), Esteban Senestraro (TKO 6), Luis Balladore (KO 9), Isidoro Gastañaga, but in March 1930 to cover the vacant national title, beat Carattoli Olivieri by KO in the sixth assault. The Peruvian Alberto
Icochea, winner of Santiago Rottoli (TKO 1), Alejandro Trias, Luis Galtieri and the Italian and European champion Bruno Frattini (winner of world champion Maxie Rosenbloom), lost widely on points to Carattoli. Chilean Jose Concha, knockout of the South American champion Quintin Romero Rojas (Victor by KO in 9 of heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey, by KO in 11 Larry Gains, for spots of Gunboat Smith and Charley Weinert, turn winner world champion Battling Levinsky): This steep trasandino was twice defeated by Carattoli, KO always
Guillermo Silva, the outstanding Uruguayan heavyweight, with a draw against the outstanding Cuban Patent Leather Kid, and winner of Jack Ettienne, Vincent Olivieri, Orlando Reverbieri, Mauro Galusso, Rinaldo Palmucci, Jimmy De Carolis, Norman Tomasullo Harry Fay, Raul Bianchi and the very Carattoli (for points in the capital cisplatin) in a rematch soon able to show their exceptional skills as Jose was ruthless left him and left him so stunned that, to avoid major problems, he did leave his corner when just passed the third assault. The famous Basque Gastañaga Isidore (who was in her right what Carattoli on your left), between 1928 and 1930 had 18 consecutive wins by KO was defeated, for example, Cuban heavyweight champion (and then knockout Child Valdés) Federico Malibran ( KO 2), the Italian champion Domenico Ceccarelli (KO 8), in March 1930 the former world champion Mike McTigue (KO in 1!), he had won the title beating the Senegalese Battling Siki, who in turn had obtained by knocking the legendary French hero Georges Carpentier, too, had bowed McTigue world champion Tiger Flowers medium-winning Harry Greb, and outstanding and the aforementioned Paul Berlenbach (TKO 4). Others who were defeated Mauro Gastañaga Galusso (KO 7), Raul Bianchi (KO 1) and Guillermo Silva (TKO 5). In 1931, when Carattoli Gastañaga and clashed from the beginning tried to impose on each other in a forceful, but the Argentine's superior technique and his devastating left foot became so uneven struggle, which gave him the beating that forced Carattoli in the sixth round of the Basque attendees chose abandonment. They did well in taking care of his ward from the ravages de Carattoli, pues Gastañaga pudo seguir boxeando y derrotar al alemán Hans Birkie (vencedor de Jim Braddock, “Cinderella Man”, el “Hombre Cenicienta”, campeón mundial pesado), a Charley Retzlaff por K.O. en el primero (Retzlaff, quien también venció a Jim Braddock, fue un temible noqueador, con 52 triunfos por la vía rápida en un total de 74 peleas, ¡más del 70%!), al campeón de Italia y Europa Michele Bonaglia (KO 1), a los campeones alemanes de peso pesado Vincenz Hower (KO 4) y Hans Schönrath (KO 5), Steve Dudas (KO 1) y, el 15 de octubre de 1937, ya retirado Carattoli, venció por puntos a otra leyenda, el campeón mundial semipesado John Henry Lewis. 
Now, we come to flourish. In 1934 was held in Buenos Aires International Eucharistic Congress, headed by Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, who later became Pope Pius XII. For many critics the greatest heavyweight of all time, the American Tommy Loughran, master of defense (only comparable in his time with the king of the lightweight Benny Leonard), a rarity because it is a big weight, where more importance is given the power to attack and was very Catholic, and came to our country for religious reasons. Loughran was a bright light heavyweight champion of technique and admirable style. Was few months had fought Primo Carnera world title for the comprehensive and, being in our capital, his presence caused a stir and quickly rained down offers to fight in this environment, the problem was with whom? The only match for face were the Chilean Arturo Godoy (who almost snatched the crown to Joe Louis in their first meeting) and our José Carattoli. To his credit, and Loughran had defeated, among other rivals destacadísimos, Johnny Risko (three times), Young Stribling, Leo Lomski, Joe Sekyra, Pierre Charles, Jack Renault, King Levinsky, Victorio Campolo, Paul Uzcudun, Steve Hamas, Isidoro Gastañaga, and other world champions categories Mike McTigue, Harry Greb, Johnny Wilson, Georges Carpentier, Jimmy Slattery, Pete Latz, Mickey Walker, Jim Braddock, Jack Sharkey and Max Baer ... Is overwhelming: one can say that Loughran, in itself, condensing the best of boxing in the first third of last century. The bout between Tommy and Joseph was one of the biggest sporting events of the time. It took place on October 6, 1934. The day before the country's leading newspaper, La Nation, dedicating a large space to the event, most of the writing only spoke of Loughran and made a brief and laudatory mentions Carattoli, printing and graphic picture showed a huge ... Tommy Loughran. It is understandable: boxing at that time attracted crowds everywhere, the big newspapers and radios were outstanding in this sport, and the American was one of its biggest stars. In short: the fight began with José Carattoli little nervous and Tommy Loughran plumbing and trying than usual in him take over the center of the ring, moving without allowing an opponent who brushed and wrapped the strategy to go full of wisdom, but when Tommy threw a blow, against her left Carattoli noted that there was a routine combat as well as in his first encounter with Monzón, Benvenuti asking his corner "What they put in front? What is it? " Loughran looked at theirs as saying "And this? Where did it come? Why do not they tell me? ", Other times the left of Carattoli was coming and to be felt, and was gaining in confidence and tranquility, while Loughran, overcoming the surprise, had to appeal to their perfect defensive knowledge to complete the twelve rounds. When the decision was that no one imagined before the fight, but then her viewers waited with quiet joy, José Carattoli unanimous decision clearly had beaten the great Tommy Loughran ... .jpg)
The former world champion was not satisfied with what happened and called for revenge, and immediately gave it Carattoli. Thus, the February 21, 1935 returned to face the two giants, but this time in the early rounds, Joseph began to feel strong pain in his famous left every time you answered less, and should appeal, he too, to how much he had learned boxing knock apart, and in doing so, despite his injury (he had fractured his left hand) arrived at the draw, though a jury voted for the winner Carattoli. There was no doubt: Carattoli belonged to the same hierarchy of Tommy Loughran. The breakage forced Joseph to be almost a year inactive until, apparently spare, decided to come back, and he did nothing less than the very difficult and European champion Spain José Martínez Valero, the famous "Tigre Martinez Alfaro, Emilio Victor Bernasconi (KO 2), Accurate Merlo, Luis Logan , the brilliant Chilean Antonio Fernández, "Fernandito", and three ties with the Greek champion Anton Christoforidis. Again, the left again Carattoli fracture shortly after the fight started, and despite this major handicap, managed a draw. After the fight, because of repeated injuries to his most important weapon, José Carattoli decided to retire, at which point surely was the best light heavyweight in the world. Carattoli
Great died in December 1973. Serve these lines to rediscover and honor him in a pleasant anniversary: \u200b\u200ba century of his birth.
