Pipo Cuevas v Carlos Palomino

Gil Clancy said Cuevas was the hardest punching welterweight since Ray Robinson, he swung his left hook like a sledge hammer. Cueves by mid or late round kayo.

 

Here's Carlos Palomino in the episode of Taxi where he played a champion boxer. Tony Danza (who boxed as a middleweight back then) spars with him and drops the champ with a body shot. He finds out later that Palomino faked it.

What's funny is, about 20 minutes in, Danza and Palomino fight in the dressing room, and it appears that Palomino hits Danza with a real left hook. Because you can see Palomino panic momentarily like, "Oh damn, I actually connected. Sorry."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNwAW4UL8Uk

 

He pretty much kept his left hook at home for Billy Backus, winging right leads from the opening bell to fracture the southpaw's eye socket and end his career. One of the most intelligent opening round blowouts I've seen.

Palomino had good boxing skills, more precision, and his body attack is what dropped and stopped Stracey for his title. Add that to his toughness and stamina, and I think Pipino's just too crude to pull this one off. If their chins cancel out the bone fracturing power of the other, I think Carlos is more likely to successfully bypass the chin of Cuevas by going downstairs with superior placement.

Also, Palomino was a good counter-puncher, and capable of backing up effectively when the situation called for it. I sometimes think of him as the definitive boxer-puncher of the mid 1970's.

 

In addition to being able to take a punch very well, Carlos Palomino had far more boxing skills than the relatively crude Pipino Cuevas, who admittedly had a tremendous left-hook. Taking everything into account, I think it is very likely that Palomino, a fine puncher in his own right, would have stopped Cuevas.

- Chuck Johnston

 

I'd go with the savvier, methodical Palomino to win down the stretch, possibly by a 14th round tko.

 

Danza didn't have the best of chins either.
I loved that program and remember the episode.the whole cast was good, I've always liked red heads so marilu henner was a bonus.
I had a bomber jacket exactly like palomino's, I wish I hadthat left hook to the body too, when I boxed.
I couldn't imagine any welter ever being able to stop Palomino

 

Palamino!

His fight against Duran is a favorite of mine.

 

That era for welters was probably its best ever.

 

Yes! I remember Duran making the jump and seeing that he still had "it"!
Admittedly, I was bummed when he not only beat but also beat up Palamino.
Tommy Hearns was out of this world! Leonard was Sugar Ray! Beneitez sèemed as good as he wanted to be! And that was just the tip level guys.

 

Win or lose, Palomino intended Duran to be his final bout.

Carlos had his degree (courtesy of the GI Bill, and thank you for your service in the US Army, Champatriot), a well known goal of being retired before turning 30, and a budding career in acting. The drive and hunger were no longer there, but he's got all his marbles, and is a proficient enough marathon runner to have posted a time as low as 3:04, a serious addict of the sport. His abortive comeback in his late 40's was respectable enough, and it will remain a matter of record that he was never stopped.

 

Palomino's title defenses couldn't have been any more handpicked and soft. Best he fought was Muniz on the downside and he almost lost twice. Mohatar? Azevado? Ryu? Davey Boy? Get serious.....Cuevas took on much better opposition. I think Carlos would have gotten mugged and maybe seriously hurt. He couldn't have hurt Cuevas with a ball bat in 77-79.

 

Factor in the additional thing about Cuevas starting like a house afire and Palomino starting slow, and I'm more sure now that Cuevas stops him.

 

I’d expect Cuevas to slaughter him. Maybe you had to live through that era but when I watch Palomino’s film I just don’t see why some of you are as big on him as you are.

 

Me too!