Jose Antonio "El Gallo" Rivera Appreciation Thread

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:happy

 

there is NO reason for anyone to denigrate Rivera.

He ALWAYS fought his heart out, is a great family fan, worked full time (he took a few months off from work when he got his second title shot), is a staple of his community, and is a great role model. His second title victory over Garcia was a great performance. A guy that was good in ever area, but not great in anyone. Losses to Simms, Collazo and Santos are nothing to be ashamed of, and I'll miss him.

 

Very very good guy. He was actually in my cell phone until just a few days ago. Gave interview requests at the drop of a dime. Kept family (and work) first. I'm on this appreciation train and bought a first class ticket. He made a very good career for himself.

 

Aye. good guy always leaves it all in the ring, very fun to watch, Good luck and enjoy retirement

 

:thumbsup

 

I take it there's been no official retirement announcement yet, as he's still listed in the active boxrec rankings. Matter of time, I would presume.

 

I seem to remember reading a story somewhere that he did officially retire. I also had a talk with his trainer after his last defeat and he said he is most likely retiring. I feel it was about time, but no one can ever say he didn't bring it 100 percent every fight.

 

Jose is THE MAN... if you knew how hard he trained. how dedicated he was to training, to his fights, his career..... he fought as hard as he possibly could every time out, sometimes it was good enough sometimes not. But he ALWAYS came to win

 

Always came to fight. Tough as nails. Not the most talented, but many times just wanted it more. All the best to him....

 

I think the only reason he fought one more time was because he ill wife ask him to. They are having a rough time. God bless them!

 

Wow, really? And what a beating. That's quite sad actually.

 

:yikes

Unexpectedly, El Gallo is making a return to the ring as a middleweight on April 9th in his hometown of Worcester, MA. This follows what will have been a 32-month long retirement (or, you could say a 42 month retirement that got interrupted briefly...)

He actually did have one more fight since the last post in this thread. He won a UD over losing-record journeyman Clarence Taylor in Worcester back in August 2008.

His foe in April will be the younger, bigger, faster Abel "Truth Serum" (formerly "Jazzy") Perry. Much fresher - having fought six times since Rivera met Taylor - Perry began his career 9-0 before getting sparked by a perfect unseen hook in his first big step up against rising prospect James De La Rosa.

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He has since continued a pattern of winning the fights he ought to win on paper, and losing to prospects with better records.

It is a fight Rivera ought to be able to win - although not without some difficulty - if he has really trained hard and worked toward regaining some of his old form and fire. Reportedly, that is the case.

Jose is having a ticket giveaway contest on his Facebook page. You just have to "like" his fan page to enter.

I will be there at the Palladium either way (as a paying customer if necessary) - both to show my support for El Gallo and as an excuse to not be home and tempted to buy the ridiculous Maidana-Morales PPV.

 

The co-feature pits two Massachusetts-based cruiserweights against each other: Rich LaMontagne vs. Adam Harris.

See you there, New England posters? (ones with join dates prior to 2008, who actually remember Rivera - surely there are some left? )

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Don't tell me you have bigger boxing fish to fry that night, either.

Adamek-McBride? :dead

Maidana-Morales, one of the most despicable examples of unethical matchmaking in recent years...and for PPV money, no less?

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Guerrero-Katsidis and Wright-Macklin are interesting fights...but, whatever...Youtube. :good

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