Eternal laurels. Horacio Agustín
"Tucumana Panther" Saldaño, bears range in hero recall to boxing. It is one of the few names that jump over the fame and the amplitude of the scrolls of other illustrious colleagues, of far greater pedigree and commitment, unanimously affections inferred from the fans in Argentina.
Unanimity is a word almost alien to the vocabulary and feel native. Hence the golden luster and the validity of his bronzes, because that fighter Saldaño-seventies, is one of the few names that knowledge prosaic recognizes a speech broadcast on coffee, in a round of mate in the office or at the entrance to the pitch and articulation with a natural wise Burrero a Kiosquero a tachero and in general, the man in the street. Any know baste the spontaneous speech that may be formed with the simple concatenation of the words "Panther Saldaño " and " A great! ."
is one of the beloved children's Estadio Luna Park, and consequently, the popular heart. may sound unfair not to note that, at different times, there are other names that are steeped in the same plank rutilancia: Prada , Gatica, Luis Federico Thompson , Pascual Pérez , Cacho Laudonio , Cirilo Gil, Eduardo Laussa , Andrés Selpa , Carlos Cañete, Pedro Rimovsky , Ramón La Cruz, Abel Cachazú , Peralta Avenamar and some others ...
But Saldaño was always one of the most sympathetic to the tastes of the masses. It was one of the top attractions at Luna Park in the seventies. A real Reventador localities. And even an outsider as Maradona boxing has ever known declare that Saldana was his favorite boxer. Saldaño idolatry was Champion Total popular, but other than that, never became a champion of anything.
Now many years of retirement, it would sound wonder with satisfaction: what would have served to Saldaño to become champion of something, sometime? Pantera Tucumana it was who found him a superior sense sacrifice and dedication of a lifetime, the effort and exhaustion, rigor, for receiving and beatings. This great tucumano
understood and demonstrated humility, that the fact of being stuck in an endless rolled her pineapple, bell to bell, compensation may have on the emotional ovation bath falling, of the four sides, to withdraw from the ring and always after in love inveterate people. That love never dies.
Saldaño born to be an idol of the people. Began to fight from 13 years and while still an amateur, was the major attraction of Tucuman defenders Club Villa Luján . Its passage from the sport "by the grace and honor of applause" to the office stable "live", was given with surprising ease and grace of the things in life that must be inexorably.
just met the minimum age was rented, because carrying a large amount promising demonstrations (47) and your name, town , highlighted at the top of the charts. Suggesting the unmistakable stamp of celebrities in the making. Welterweight was chubby but sacrificed. He had a smile from under the ring, he looked gigantic. Decubridor guided him his own, Mr. René Castro.
Saldaño A typical night at Villa Lujan, back in 1966-67, compressing an audience of 8,000 fans and still left many unable to enter. His rise in the levels of popularity was overwhelming. After his arrival in the metropolis, in 1968, defeating Brazilian Joao Merencio in a fight television, hardly needed three more fights to take over the highest grossing lineup of Luna Park, in boxing's brightest time of the land.
To give an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat happened with Saldaño, go to the numbers. Debuted at Luna Park on Wednesday May 15, 1968, with a record of 35 fights unbeaten. Appeared on television, putting the Brazilian KO João Merencio. 199,100 pesos was raised. A very mediocre in a time of great stability of our weight: 350 to the dollar all year, without a single variant. In a year when, for example, would be devoted champion Nicolino Locche and shining Bonavena, La Cruz, Carlos Cañete, Gregorio Peralta, and hinted Carlos Monzon ... Saldaño presented a month later (June 12) and returned to knock in a round. This time he fell was the Rosarion Raul Roldan. But the collection almost quintupled: 515,500 pesos, but fought on Wednesday night. In the third fight, a month later, before the Brazilian Jossue de Moraes, who left in the fifth, the numbers grew geometrically: 1,045,200 pesos were raised, although television. And when August 3 debuted on Saturday night against Leonardo Peralta, the two stands were filled, 20,000 people entered and fund rose like a rocket from Cape Kennedy to 9,337,900 pesos! In four matches, beat-collecting Cachazú Locche, scratched Bonavena-Carr and was only surpassed by Bonavena-Dávila (12,932,300 pesos) and Bonavena-Folley (27,215,800). And we have to keep in mind that, surely, the tickets to see Ringo cost far more than to see a rookie like Saldaño. ( " The Path of the Warrior" - The best interviews Carlos Irusta in Figure )
As bread and "Butter"
The confrontation of boxing idol Max Buenos Aires with the illustrious welterweight world champion, matured for reasons of historical necessity of his time.
1974, Saldaño and Naples were already enshrined in each of their worlds apart. Since the late sixties, one was the undisputed blockbuster figure locally, and the other the king divisional major ecumenical bodies then: WBA and WBC. Naples had made his coronation in April 1969 to Curtis Cokes . Then began a streak of impeccable defense against the same Coke, Emile Griffith (a Griffith had dropped 15 pounds for this fight, but that it was a historic medium that had fought 3 times Nino Benvenuti and still had to complete these 2 fights harsh with Monsoon), Ernie Lopez and Pete Toro . Then he had an unexpected setback to the New York lefty Billy Backus in December 1970, when he had to leave due to a sustained cuts in the fourth round of the fight. But regained the title against the same Backus, just six months later, returning the kindness of the cuts and technical knockout in eight rounds.
In the second period of his reign, Naples had made 6 solid defenses of his title at the elite welterweight then: Hedgemon Lewis , Ralph C h arles , Adolp h Pr Uitto (Nicolino Locche one rival in 1970), again with Ernie Lopez after Roger I netrey and finally Clyde Gray .
At the height of its prestige, in late 1973, Naples had the arrogance to challenge the legendary middleweight champion Carlos Monsoon. Monzon was two categories above its weight. but still, Naples had put Argentina in the predicament of having to choose between immediately accept the challenge and therefore having to give up his title medium WBC (and the chance to circumvent mandatory that had the first ranked Rodrigo Valdez ) or delay the response to this affront to "butter" at a cost of pride and blunt zaherir credentials and unified undisputed champion.
had even started rumors that he was afraid Monsoon Naples and these comments forced the outcome to the dilemma. Unfortunately for Naples and welcome of Valdez, Monsoon took up the gauntlet of challenge and the February 9, 1974 in Puteaux (France), which thrashed the dark so that Angelo Dundee forced to withdraw in haste to his ward after the end of the sixth round, to prevent a massacre or May.
This defeat was the biggest misstep of the career of "Butter", but at the same time, was the seed for the fight with Saldaño. Naples and its surroundings wanted to wash the humiliating fall as soon as possible and if possible to an Argentine. As a Mexican, the Naples team saw this clash as highly attractive.
The fight was agreed to on 14 December '74, at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, would be in play both titles (WBA / WBC) held in Naples.
Opportunity viewed from the Argentine side, had the best time of Saldaño. In 1974, Saldana had reached the roof of their development at the local level. He was an awesome experience of 63 professional fights, of which half were knockouts. Had established a reputation for powerful puncher. Their wins outright, used a historical average of just 3 rounds and a half to knock out opponents. He was tanned and combative. As such became the subject of bitter quarrels and sometimes indecipherable to the jury, as he had with Leonardo Peralta , Jaime Giné or Abel Cachazú (all draws). Had other anthologies, as the three held with veteran Ramón La Cruz : a tie, one loss and a win KO2 categorical.
of those unforgettable spanking, born a lasting and intimate friendship between Saldaño and La Cruz, which after his retirement, the latter would to be the coach of "The Panther" and later also the sponsor and the trainer and Poldy Carolina, the daughters and followers the work of the great Horace Saldaño.
In its long history, Saldaño had played some fights from drawing. It had a couple of them with Brazilian Joao Merencio , as already mentioned, and Jossue De Moraes. There was a Peruvian named Carlos Chávez , a Mexican Ruben Vazquez Zamora, and a few American names Walter Kelly, Ronnie Harris and Vernon Mason. None of them had played too much threat to Saldaño couple fighting in their local community. He had won all but a Mason with the Luna who tied after 10 rounds.
In view of the background, some felt that the chances of Saldaño against the formidable Cuban-Mexican could imagine from the solid punch, if it was a war of stick by stick, or from protracted resistance Biava, if the battle was stretched near the limits of those endless 15-round World Cup of yesteryear.
Anyway, one of the architects of the realization of the fight, Juan Carlos Lectoure, did not entertain any exaggerated confidence.
Tito knew the quality and curriculum of "Butter" by what she was reluctant to expose who was one of the top stars of his troupe , on a dubious adventure try perverting the course of a good thing seemed to pitch from the start. To increase the doubts, the mentioned resistance tucumano recently tasted the gall of a sudden knockout, the first of his career, at the Buenos Aires Mario Omar Guillotti (ko8).
Saldaño
But I felt the physical fulfillment of its 25 years, and exulted at the prospect of mind to get to put on the belt of "Butter", which really was one of the most prestigious of the story, and everyone hurried to jump on the bandwagon of hope.
Under the aegis of the strict control of Lecture, everything went as best as possible until it is less than a week before the fight came the worst. Sparring with the sparring, Saldaño pulled his right shoulder and was evicted. You could request a postponement of the fight, but there was a risk of losing definitely that chance. Saldaño then begged Lectoure keep up the fight and went ahead with the preparation, half, with one hand, as he could.
When I left the locker room to the ring, I burst into tears. He knew he could not win in any way. I thought of my son Horace, and I bit of anger, indignation, it's as if they throw you in a room with a lion and the only weapon you have is a chair. What are you doing? How could beat Naples with one hand? Was infiltrated, but just barely. Lost to Naples and then I was worse ... ( " The Path of the Warrior" - The best interviews Carlos Irusta in Figure )
The fall did not mean no butter to psychological trauma for the Argentine boxer. In the end, defeat, fit in all previous calculations. But the right shoulder injury as melted down to a painful ordeal, and practically, to his retirement from the rings.
was inactive for all 1975 and $ 15,000 from the bag of "Butter" he disappeared into the long treatment for recovery. He fell into a pit of depression that led him to be left until weigh about 100 kilos. Like an angel from heaven, to stop the free fall, it crossed paths with the doctor Roberto Cacho Paladino, close to Lectoure, who literally l or returned to the ring life. In January 1976, returned to the path of success, and since then won five straight fights.
Apart from enormous triumph in adversity, who had wanted to bring down after the injury before the last fight of 1974, his right hand was never the same. Offering a decisive handicap reduction, Saldaño continued boxing until final withdrawal in 1983.
None of the significant and impressive references to the '80s that Saldana had to "suffer" at the time, whether they Miguel Angel Campanino , Carlos Maria Gimenez , Jorge Eduardo Yanni or Uby Nestor Sacco had to face as a Horacio Saldaño in full fitness.
would have been much larger share of sight in which they had cooked these delicacies. The fire cooking, as always, had been kind enough to Saldaño, the name continued to heat and bronze .
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