The Official Alvaro Yaqui Lopez Appreciation Thread!!!

Best I Faced: Yaqui Lopez

By Anson Wainwright

Yaqui Lopez fought during the light heavyweight golden era in the 1970s. During that time, he unsuccessfully challenged five times for a world title, although he gave each champion a stern test.

Lopez was born under the bullring at the Plaza de Toros San Pedro in Zacatecas on May 21, 1951. His birth name was Alvaro Lopez and he grew up wanting to be a matador.

“I liked how the matadors dressed; it was glamorous, the people applauded them. I wanted to be one of those guys,” Lopez told The Ring. “One Sunday, when I was about 11 or 12 years old, there was a bullfight and we knew how to sneak in because we lived there.

“They left two bulls for the matadors to train. We snuck in and I grabbed a capote (cape used in bullfighting). I made a few passes and the bull caught me in the right ankle. It was very painful; it broke my ankle.

“Somebody picked me up and got me out. They called an ambulance and took me to the hospital. I was in for one day, they put a cast on it and I had crutches.”

With bullfighting no longer an option, Lopez relocated to Northern California. He came across boxing when he 18 years old and had a brief amateur career, going 13-3.

During that time Lopez won a domestic tournament by stopping the defending champion in Eureka, California. His trainer Jack Cruz was asked what tribe the fighter belonged to and Cruz told them that Lopez was from Yaqui (recognized tribe) descendancy, appeasing fans who began chanting, ‘Yaqui, Yaqui.’

Lopez made his professional debut in 1972, outpointing Herman Hampton. In his fourth fight, he met Jesse Burnett, for the first time in a four-fight series and dropped a decision. He rebounded and went on a winning streak that ended the following year against Al Bolden.

“(Bolden) knocked me down three times and I knocked him down three times,” Lopez recalled. “At the end of the fight we got more money from the fans than from the promoter. They threw money; I think we got $785 each and the promoter paid us $500.”

Lopez exacted revenge on Bolden, besting him by 10-round unanimous decision in October 1973. He then lost again to Burnett, although he managed to edge his foe in their next meeting.

That victory helped earn Lopez a WBC title shot against John Conteh. The two had been scheduled to fight on multiple occasions and finally faced off in Denmark in October 1976.

The fight was close after 10 rounds, but after shaking off 15 months of ring rust the classy Brit was able to pull away on the cards and retain his title on points.

“We left (California) about five days before the fight and that was very hard,” remembers Lopez. “But no excuses; John Conteh was a better boxer. He beat me – very close – but there’s nothing to take away from him. He was a better man that day, a great boxer. He was one of the most classy fighters I fought.

“When I fought John Conteh, boxing people knew I was capable of being a good contender who would give hell to the champions.”

In September 1977, Lopez travelled to Rome to face WBA titleholder Victor Galindez in the first of two meetings.

“The first fight, he was a dirty fighter. He hit me behind the head so many times, and the referee never took a point. He probably warned him once or twice,” Lopez lamented. “Galindez was very strong. Not too many people give him credit, but he can box. He can bob and weave, make you miss and make you pay.”

Lopez would lose a razor-thin unanimous decision, by a point on two of the scorecards, and two points on the third. The pair fought a rematch in May 1978 and another close battle ensued. However, once again, the champion edged the contest by a small margin.

“I think I beat Victor Galindez twice,” he said. “That’s life, God didn’t want me to be a champion.”

After defeating old rival Burnett, Lopez met Matthew Saad Muhammad for the NABF title in Philadelphia in October 1978. The pair fought to a standstill, but Muhammad prevailed in the 11th when Lopez was unable to continue due to cuts.

An unforgettable return fight took place in July 1980.

“(Muhammad) was a man of his word. When they stopped the first fight in the 11th round on cuts – he told me, ‘Yaqui, if I win the world title, I’ll give you a rematch’ and he did. He was a strong fighter, a good fighter. We put on a helluva fight, one of the best in history.”

And that is no exaggeration. The eighth stanza was The Ring Magazine Round of the Year and the bout itself was The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year. Muhammad was taken to the edge of defeat but, not for the first time, came roaring back to secure a 14th-round stoppage.

Unbowed, Lopez got back in the saddle against a then up-and-coming Michael Spinks in Atlantic City in October 1980.

“He was a great fighter,” acknowledged Lopez, who was stopped in seven. “I gave him hell for seven rounds. He knocked me down three times and the referee stopped the fight.”

Lopez would eventually move up to cruiserweight where he faced Carlos De Leon for the WBC cruiserweight title in 1983. Once again, an eye cut resulted in defeat, and a split decision loss to Bash Ali in September 1984 was the final fight in a terrific career. Lopez retired with a record of 61-15 (39 knockouts).

“I was more than pleased with the things I did in boxing,” said an emotional Lopez. “I never won the title, but I won the admiration of the people. People enjoyed my fights and they still remember me – I’m very happy for that. If I was born again, I’d do the same thing again.”

Lopez, now 67, lives in Stockton, California, with his wife, Beatrice, of 46 years. He has three children and one grandchild. He owns Fat City Boxing Club, a non-profit organization which keeps him busy.

The former five-time world title challenger graciously took time to speak to The Ring about the best he fought in 10 key categories.

BEST JAB
Jesse Burnett: He was very clever, he had the same style as [Floyd] Mayweather. He made me work hard because of his sneaky jab. To beat him, I had to put a lot of pressure on him. I think Jesse Burnett had the best jab – him and John Conteh. There were so many good light heavyweights in my era.

BEST DEFENSE
Victor Galindez: He bobbed and weaved. He was a pretty good fighter. A lot of people didn’t give him credit, but he was very smooth. Galindez was very good defensively; it was hard to catch him.

FASTEST HANDS
Matthew Saad Muhammad: He had pretty good speed. I countered, and he countered right back. He put a lot of pressure on me. I consider myself a good boxer, but he put so much pressure on and I stopped to mix it up with him.

BEST FOOTWORK
John Conteh: He was very sharp, good boxer, he moved good. He had everything. He had good moves, he had the best footwork, bottom line.

BEST CHIN
Saad Muhammad: I hit him hard, I caught him with terrific punches, right uppercuts, left hooks, he was hurt. We fought very hard in the ring.

SMARTEST
Michael Spinks: He was awkward, tricky, sharp. I expected the right hand and he came with the left hook. I expect the left hook, he came with the right, he tricked me.

STRONGEST
Galindez: I spent 30 rounds with him, he was a strong guy. I tried to push him, and he didn’t move.

BEST PUNCHER
Spinks: He’s an awkward puncher, he hit me on the temple and I went down. The referee counted, I didn’t hear, one, or two, or three, or four, you hear five and it felt very far away, six, seven. I thought time to get up, I looked at my corner and they tell me ‘eight, get up’. He knocked me down three times, he’s a puncher.

BEST BOXING SKILLS
Burnett: More than Spinks, nobody wanted to fight him. Burnett can fight, that’s why a lot of tough guys didn’t want to fight him.

BEST OVERALL
Spinks: In my time, they were all great in my era. They were all great light heavyweights, and it’s very hard for me to decide. I think, overall, the light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Michael Spinks. He deserves that from me. When I fought, I fought to the end.



https://www.ringtv.com/548077-best-i-faced-yaqui-lopez/

 

A very good interview (part I)

Thanks for the memories…Up close and personal with former Light heavyweight title challenger Alvaro Yaqui Lopez

By Bad Brad Berkwitt

Before I get into this interview, I want to tell you how, an interview that has eluded me for quite some time, came to be. Back in November 2000, I did an interview for the boxing website www.fightnews.com with former IBF Super Middleweight Champion Murray Sutherland who campaigned as Light Heavyweight before he dropped down to Super Middleweight. In that interview, I mentioned that Yaqui Lopez was also a boxer from Murray’s era who always came to fight, and if anyone had contact with Lopez, it would be honor for me to do an interview with him.

Fast Forward——June 2001, I receive an email from a wonderful young lady who read the Murray Sutherland interview when she found it by searching the internet when she typed in Yaqui’s name, which pulled up my interview with Sutherland. She was doing this for a tenth grade project she was working on. Well, that project happened to be on her Uncle who turned out to be Alvaro “Yaqui” Lopez. The young lady turned out to be Ashley Lopez, Yaqui’s very sweet niece.

I TRULY LOVE THE POWER OF THE INTERNET!!!!!!!

The Alvaro “Yaqui” Lopez story is a fascinating one which starts with his birth under a bull ring in the Plaza deToros San Pedro in Zacatecas, Mexico. He was raised for 14 years underneath the seats in an adobe garage of a famous Bullring in Zacatecas.

Young Lopez had dreams of becoming a Matador, but those dreams were shattered when in his teens, he got a shot at fighting a bull. After about four or five passes, the bull drove his horn into his ankle which shattered it. With that shattered ankle came shattered dreams of becoming a bullfighter.

Lopez always continued to dream about bigger and better things. Dreams turned to reality many years later when he met his soon to be father-in-law and manager, Jack Cruz. Cruz would take a young Lopez on a journey into boxing that few boxers ever will have a chance to experience.

It was a journey that saw Lopez challenge for the Light Heavyweight Title four times and the Crusierweight Title once. In three of those fights, many felt that Lopez should have won the belt against John Conteh and Victor Galindez (twice). All three of those bouts were lost by 15 round decisions and many as I said, felt the decisions should have gone to Lopez.

In his other attempt at a Light Heavyweight Title, he faced then Champion Matthew Saad Muhammad. The fight would go on to be the 1980 “Fight of the Year” by Ring Magazine. The first half of the fight was dominated by Lopez and in round eight (also named “Round of the Year”), Lopez pinned Saad Muhammad in a corner landing 20 consecutive blows. Muhammad somehow got out of that round, and stopped Lopez in the 14th round. If the fight would have been staged today, Lopez would have won by a TKO in the eighth round because they stop fights much sooner now, then back in his day.

One side note to the Muhammad fight. I was at the Boxing Hall of Fame this weekend and in fact, ran into Matthew Saad Muhammad. When I mentioned I just interviewed Yaqui, his face lit up with a big smile. He said, “Brad, in my two fights with Yaqui, he made me a better fighter because of his huge heart and the tough fights he gave me both times.”

Shortly after his fight with Muhammad, Lopez moved up to crusierweight and challenged then Champion Carlos Deleon, who stopped him in four rounds. Lopez would go on to have one more fight as crusierweight, facing Bash Ali, dropping a 12 round decision. Both Lopez and Cruz felt it was time for Yaqui to retire and not go on as so many greats did before and after him, sometimes getting hurt.

From the very second Lopez and Cruz picked up the phone, I saw a closeness that you could hear when they spoke of their legendary run, which is still being written about today in boxing magazines.

When we finally got done with the interview, I chatted some more with Lopez and Cruz telling me some wonderful stories. Finally, as we hung up, Yaqui said, “Brad, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for remembering me. I really appreciated the interview.”

I was very moved by that and replied, “Yaqui, the honor was all mine. Thanks for giving {US} the fans, years of great excitement every time you stepped in the ring. Those memories will last a lifetime.”

BB: First of all, for the readers who talk about you as amongst the exciting Light Heavyweight’s of the 70’s and 80’s, tell them what you are up to today?

I am retired now from a sanitation company where I drove big trucks. With my retirement, I get to spend lots of time taking care of my family, which I enjoy.

BB: How did you first become involved in boxing?

I met my girlfriend, who would become my wife. She told me her father was a boxing promoter. I told her that I want to box. She was surprised when I said that, but took me to her father who got me started in the sport.

BB: In your five title attempts, you faced John Conteh, Victor Galindez (twice), Matthew Saad Muhammad and finally, you moved up to Crusierweight. There you faced then champion Carlos Deleon. Briefly tell me your recollections of each bout?

John Conteh: When I went to Copenhagen to face him, we got over there three days before the fight. The first day, I can’t sleep because of the time difference and very bad jet lag. My boxing equipment didn’t arrive with me because they put it on another plane.

In the tenth round, I hit him with a big punch and they gave him an eight count. The referee also was messing with my trunks to give Conteh more time to get over the punch. There was not supposed to be an eight count. When the fight was finally over, I lost by a split decision. I feel that I won the fight.

Victor Galindez I: We traveled to Italy for that fight, and this time around we had a little more experience, since I had already fought once for the title. This time we went over there about 15 days prior to the fight. We took our own sparring partners. I felt I did very good in that fight and if you know about Galindez, he always threw lots of dirty punches and had other dirty tactics. The referee never took a point from him for any of this.

Victor Galindez II: When I was jogging over here in my hometown, I pulled my tendons in my left ankle which is the same one that got shattered in the bull ring many years before. This happened about 15 days before the fight. I told my father-in-law that I didn’t want to back out of the fight. (This led to a great story told by Jack Cruz).

 

Part 2
“When Yaqui messed up his ankle, we tried everything to get the swelling down. In fact, one old guy took us to an old Filipino healer. We had to take a fifth of whiskey to him, and he drank some combined with some other stuff he mixed, and spit it on Yaqui’s leg while rubbing it with some type of powder.” Funny thing, it really worked. I was very competitive in this fight and again, dropped a decision which I thought I should have gotten.

Matthew Saad Muhammad: In this fight, I was winning the first half of the fight and in the eighth round I had him almost out, and then Commissioner Jersey Joe Walcott was screaming for the referee to stop the fight. Only problem, the ref had his back to Walcott and didn’t see him. Also, they told my corner we could not have smelling salts and after the fight, we went to his corner where they had about 15 broken capsules of smelling salts.

Carlos Deleon: I was in good shape and got caught by a good punch which stopped me.

These are all things that happen in boxing and not excuses, just recollections of those fights. I enjoyed each one and was honored to have had the chance to challenge as many times as I did.

BB: In your days, you fought for the title and had 15 rounds vs. today’s 12. Would you like to see the 15 brought back?

Yes! I think the 15 rounds show who is really in good shape and who is not.

BB: Do you remember of any big fights you were approached with but they didn’t pan out?

We were supposed to fight John Conteh again in Africa in what would have been a rematch. The fight was all set and the Emperor of Uganda killed a bunch of people. He was the guy backing the fight and when he did that, it canceled out the fight.

BB: If you had to take one of your fights to call a career best, which one would you pick?

When I fought Mike Rossman. We fought at Madison Square Garden and I was brought in to just be an opponent for him. Rossman at that time was number one. When I stopped him, I signed a contract that night to fight Galindez again. But what winds up happening is Rossman gets the shot instead, and beats Galindez.

BB: What do you think of Roy Jones, JR. as the premier Light Heavyweight of today? How do you think he would have done with the fighters from your era?

I think Jones has good skills but just doesn’t have the same finesse that the boxers did in my era. We went 15 rounds in my day and I think Jones just couldn’t hang, based on what I have seen him do today. I really think Michael Spinks could have beaten him.

BB: I heard that you did a little acting in some movies (Fat City and Valentino Returns). How come you didn’t pursue it more?

Yaqui said, with a chuckle, “I didn’t do such a good job acting. If I would have done a good job, they would have called me back.”

BB: If you could take any Light heavyweight from any era and put him in the ring with you in your prime, who would that be, and what do you think the outcome would be?

Willie Pastrano. I think I would have out boxed him and took a decision.

BB: Who are you top three favorite fighters of all-time and why?

Muhammad Ali. He was such a great Heavyweight Champion whose movement reminded me of welterweights I have seen fight. Also, he was very smart and can punch. Second, Jose Napoles. He was such a great defensive fighter. Finally, Carlos Monzon. He was not fast, but he would set you up with a right hand, and when he hit you, it was all over from that right.

BB: What is the greatest fight you have ever seen and why?

I have seen lots of great fights in my lifetime. But I want to tell you that the recent fight with Prince Naseem Hamed and Marco Antonio Barrera was the greatest fight to me.

Out of 30 sports writers I think only two picked Marco to win. Both my father-in-law and I picked Marco to win, before the fight. Barrera showed me such heart in the Morales fight, which I felt he won. We thought if he had anything left, he would expose Hamed’s weaknesses and he sure did. He put on a perfect fight, and it was so good to see him get the decision.

BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?

Brad, first of all, I think that is a very good question to ask. I think every fighter, after so many years, should have a pension coming in for all of his ring efforts. Lots of people don’t realize what we have to go through to get in shape for a fight. We endure lots of pain, daily.

When I started boxing, there were no light heavyweights in Stockton, California. We would travel to Oakland Monday – Friday, and it was about a 75 mile trip. We did this four years straight. On top of this, I worked in a cannery.

I would wake up at 4:00 AM in the morning and go jogging. Then I would come home take a shower and then go to work at the cannery. I would get home around 2:00 PM and then we would jump in the car and go to Oakland to work out. I would spar with the number one contender at the time, middleweight, George Cooper.

There were other top fighters there that I had to spar with. They used to kick the crap out of me in the first four months. After about five months, nobody would show up because I reversed the beatings.

The reason I mention all this is because boxers endure these things, and this is why we need a retirement fund. I consider what a fighter does to become world class a full-time job. You could take out a certain percentage from each fighter’s check and put it in the fund. I really hope this comes to be.

Bb: Now that you have been out of boxing for quite some time, how would you like your many fans to remember you?

I would like to be remembered by the way I retired. I knew when my legs were starting to go in my last fight, it was time to quit. I didn’t go on as so many do.

BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?

If you don’t work hard, you will not go anyplace.

Jack Cruz wanted to add the following to our interview:

Yaqui has never been the type to brag, but I want the boxing people to know, that he goes to the schools and always talks to the kids about staying in school. He is always doing things to better our society and we are very proud of him.

Interviewers closing remarks:

As many of you know, when I conduct an interview which is really special to me, I have no problem saying it. It truly was an honor to interview Yaqui, who indeed, is part of my childhood memories. It was a time when we had boxing on all the major networks, and Lopez’s image was forever forged in our boxing memories.

I would like to thank Ashley Lopez again for assisting me in making this interview possible, and in addition, Jack Cruz, Yaqui’s father-in-law and manager.

 

Another good interview (part 1)
Touching Gloves with…Alvaro Yaqui Lopez

By Dan Hanley



To explain what Yaqui Lopez brought to the table is quite simple and also, quite difficult. You see, boxing today is in an age of flux with MMA to contend with, not to mention a glut of safety-first fighters involved in the sweet science. So when I say that the sight of the name, ‘Yaqui Lopez’ in our quaint TV listings of the day would bring an excited shiver to my spine, I think some of the contemporary fans would either roll their eyes or stare quizzically at the text. But for those who lived through the ’70s and ’80s as fight fans, they know exactly what I’m on about. Because I’m talking sheer excitement here, baby.

DH: Yaqui, where in Mexico are you from?

YL: I’m from Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico.

DH: Tell me about family life growing up in Zacatecas.

YL: Well, there was no brothers or sisters, only me. We were very poor and my parents wanted to better ourselves by coming north.

DH: How old were you when you came to the U.S.?

YL: I was 14 or 15 and we settled in Linden, California. We were ‘field workers’ in those days.

DH: What got you interested in boxing?

YL: Well, I originally wanted to be a bullfighter. When I was in Mexico I would watch the matadors drive up in their expensive cars and they were always met with applause. I daydreamed of their fame and I wanted to be somebody too and decided to give their game a try.

DH: How did you make out?

YL: (laughing) I was gored in my right ankle when I was about 14 and my Mom begged me not to pursue it. We headed north shortly after that anyway and that was when I took up boxing.

DH: How did that come about?

YL: I was the only one of my friends who had a car and one of my friends asked me to drive him over to his girlfriend’s house. When we got there I saw his girlfriend’s sister and just said aloud, “Wow!” Her name was Beatrice Cruz, who was called Beno, and we dated for 4 years before we got married. But while dating I met her father Jack Cruz, who was training fighters, and asked her if he would teach me. And it took off from there.

DH: How did you progress as an amateur?

YL: Well, I only had about 16 fights. But I was taught by such great trainers as Jack, Benny Casing, Danny Dagampat and even Beno’s uncle Frank Guzman, who taught me how to block and roll. I entered the Eureka, California Diamond Belt championships and won the tournament by beating Junior Albers, who was the last year’s champion.

DH: Wasn’t it as an amateur that you picked up the nickname, ‘Yaqui’?

YL: Yeah, we were fighting in a show in front of a lot of Indians in Eureka and this crowd had had a lot to drink. So when one of them came up to Jack and asked him what tribe I was from, he thought fast and said, “He’s a Yaqui, from Mexico.” (laughing) It was the only tribe Jack knew, but it worked and they treated me as one of their own.

DH: Shortly before turning pro you picked up a role in John Houston’s ‘Fat City’. How did that come about?

YL: Jack was good friends with Leonard Gardner, who was the writer of ‘Fat City’. Anyways, when filming started Leonard asked me if I wanted to be in the boxing scenes. So I said, yeah, why not? But, you know, I watched that recently and, my God, (laughing) I really looked awful when I was just starting out.

DH: You turned pro in ’72 and embarked on a very busy schedule. By ’74 you were 16-2 and signed to fight old pro Andy Kendall in his stomping grounds of Portland, Oregon. This was a real step up in class, so you must tell me about that fight.

YL: I’ll tell you a funny story about this one. I signed the contract for that fight but never bothered to look at who I was fighting. I trusted Jack on everything. Anyway, I went to the gym and a friend of mine in the gym was looking at the contract I brought in. (laughing) I’ll never forget how his eyes widened and he sputtered, “Hey, you signed to fight Andy Kendall!” And I’ll tell you, Andy was one rough guy. But I listened to my corner and was using combinations I had practiced and I stopped him in five rounds.

DH: That same year you picked up the California 175 lb. title, but somewhere along the way you also picked up Nevada and Texas state titles. How and when did that happen?

YL: (laughing) Oh, that would have been against Joe Cokes, who was Curtis Cokes’ brother. He happened to have both titles and I beat him over 12 rounds, which gave me all three state titles.

DH: Your first real test against a viable contender came in May of ’75 when you took on Mike Quarry in Stockton. Tell me about that fight.

YL: Mike was a pretty good boxer, but I went out there and did my job. They told me to cut the ring on him and I made him fight. I dropped him in the 6th and won the decision.

DH: Who was promoting you in Stockton at this time?

YL: Jack Cruz.

DH: Whoa! Your manager was your promoter? That wasn’t exactly legal was it?

YL: (laughing) No, it was. See, we never had a contract. I didn’t want to sign one. We dealt with a handshake, so technically, he wasn’t my manager.

DH: Shortly after the Quarry fight you took on old opponent Jesse Burnett and split a pair of close decisions. What did Burnett have that was giving you trouble?

YL: Jesse Burnett was like Floyd Mayweather. Very clever and hard to catch clean. I think it was the third fight – the first I won against him – my corner said to me towards the end of the fight, “Go get ‘em, champ, he’s tired.” (laughing) And I turned to my cornerman and said, “Hey, I’m tired too.” So if there was one good thing that came out of that series was that I really started to run. And I mean a lot. I didn’t want to be tired in a fight again.

DH: By 1976 you were the top contender at 175 and in October of that year you were signed to fight John Conteh for the WBC light heavyweight title in Copenhagen. But, I gotta ask you. How many times was this fight scheduled?

YL: (laughing) About 4 or 5 times. At one point we were going to fight in Uganda, but one week before the fight President Idi Amin cancelled the fight. Finally we settled in Copenhagen, Denmark.

DH: How did the fight unfold?

YL: Well, it took me about 4 days to get used to the time difference. You know, I was actually doing roadwork at 2:00 am. But I went the 15 rounds and actually thought I had him in the 7th if not for the referee interfering. But regardless, he got the decision.

DH: Could you explain what happened in that 7th round?

YL: During that round I caught Conteh with two very hard left hooks and the referee jumped in between us. I actually thought he was stopping the fight in my favor, but he started warning me and Conteh. I don’t know, but it seemed like he was stalling to give Conteh a chance to clear his head.

DH: Back home in Stockton, who were you working with in the gym?

YL: I had a recurring set of sparring from some excellent professionals. There was George Cooper, ‘Indian’ George Davis, Terry Lee, Joe Gonsalves and Erwin Williams. Jack would always have me go three rounds each with them, and when I was starting out they would beat the hell out of me. After awhile, when I had learned the ropes, they would come around and peek in the door first to see if I was there. (laughing) Hey, if I was a little rough it was because I always remembered that they never took it easy on me.

DH: In ’77 you entered a tournament called The World Television Championships and you were matched with Lonnie Bennett in Indianapolis. What happened in that fight?

YL: I had him down in the 2nd, but he butted me in the 3rd, slicing open my forehead. They stopped it and gave him the fight. I was so disappointed. They clearly saw it was a butt.

DH: I understand you sued to reverse the result. But wasn’t there also something about money?

YL: Yes, we were to receive $7,000 and the promoter Don Elbaum fronted us $1,000 and a check after the fight with the balance. Well, the check bounced and I had absolutely no luck in court. Y’know, I could have used that money. Purses back then were small, which is why I fought so often and why I always worked construction between fights.

DH: Things turned around for you in September of ’77 when you received your second title shot. This time against WBA champ Victor Galindez. But what I remember most of this fight was the repeated warnings for Galindez’ rabbit punching.

 

Part 2
YL: Dan, my neck was so swollen after this fight we had to hold ice-packs to it. This fight took place over in Italy and the referee kept warning him and warning him for 15 rounds, but never took a point. And I lost a very close fight over the distance.

DH: Fair play to Galindez, he said you deserved a rematch and gave you one in May of ’78. But prior to that you went to New York to fight Mike Rossman. It almost seemed like you were there to benefit Rossman’s chances of a title shot.

YL: (laughing) They wanted to feed a fish to Rossman, but that fish wasn’t dead yet.

DH: You received no favors from the referee. I recall him jumping in and giving Rossman a standing eight count when you got him in trouble in the 6th. And there was no such rule in New York allowing a standing eight.

YL: Dan, he was their boy and they were giving him every chance. But it was the body shots that got to Rossman and they ended it after the 6th.

DH: Your rematch with Galindez was again held in Italy. Was the rematch any different?

YL: While training for this bout, I took a spill in Victory Park while running and ended up with ligament damage. We wanted to postpone but Bob Arum wouldn’t do it. I had absolutely no mobility during the fight and he won again over 15.

DH: After another win over Jesse Burnett in October of that year you journeyed to Philadelphia to take on Matthew Saad Muhammad for the NABF title. Tell me about that fight.

YL: That fight took place in the Philadelphia Spectrum and it was a terrific fight. It was stopped in his favor in the 11th round on a cut. He was a great fighter and a man of his word. He said at the time if he won the title that he would give me a title shot and he did.

DH: Several years back I was present for Matthew’s induction in the World Boxing Hall of Fame and I recall you two getting into a friendly discussion of who was the North American champion going into that fight. Matthew said he won it from Marvin Johnson, yet you also held recognition.

YL: That’s right. I won it from Jesse Burnett. That last fight of ours was fought over 15 rounds. Even WBC President, Jose Sulaiman, who was present at the Burnett fight, said I held the North American title. (laughing) So, I think my claim was stronger.

DH: You went on another winning streak after that and participated in the novelty of fighting in Rahway State Prison in New Jersey against inmate James Scott. Tell me how that came about.

YL: When the offer came through Jack did not want me to take it. Not that there was an issue going to the prison, but I just wasn’t ready. I insisted, however, because the offer was $40,000. I just would not turn down that kind of money. As for the fight, I have to tell you that something was wrong. I know the feel when I hit someone and when I hit Scott to the body he didn’t budge. I suspected what went on after the fight when I took the post fight urine test, because he refused to take it. Why? And why even administer the test if you’re not going to enforce it?

DH: By 1980 Matthew Saad Muhammad was the light heavyweight champ and signed to defend his title against you for your 4th crack at the whip. Tell me about 1980s fight of the year.



Yaqui Lopez (right) against Matthew Saad Muhammad in his July 13, 1980 challenge for the WBC light heavyweight title. (photo courtesy of Getty Images)

YL: You know, I thought I had him in the 8th, but he got his second wind and I didn’t. The better man won. Matthew and I became friends and I never forgot him when he passed away. I even attended his funeral in Philadelphia when he passed. I just felt I had to be there.

DH: You were also stopped in your next fight against Michael Spinks and it really looked like the end of the career. But then you got a new lease on life at cruiserweight. Was 175 a struggle?

YL: I had outgrown the division. I could still make 175 but I was killing myself to do it. Cruiserweight was much more comfortable, but on the other hand, my skin was letting me down by this time. I was just cutting so easily.

DH: During your run at cruiserweight you traveled to Australia and took on Tony Mundine, who was one of the top contenders at that weight. I understand he really went at you early.

YL: Yes, he did. And like the Rossman fight, I was again the ‘Pescaro’. But this fish still wasn’t dead. I really tore into his body and knocked him out in three rounds. And it was funny, because again like the Conteh and Rossman fights, he had help from the referee.

DH: Could you explain?

YL: (laughing) Well, the referee counted him this way, “1…2…Tony, get up…3…4…”

DH: You carried on with great success until receiving your 5th shot at a world title. This time against Carlos De Leon for his cruiserweight title. Was it just not there anymore?


YL: That’s exactly what it was. I wanted to do the things I used to but the legs weren’t willing.

DH: You had one more fight, a loss in ’84 to Bash Ali, a man you had previously outclassed. Was it a difficult decision to pack it in?

YL: No! The decision itself was difficult, but my wife, my parents and my father-in-law all sat me down and told me that I don’t have anything to be ashamed of and that made the decision easy. I was still getting offers, including a nice one from Australia, but I didn’t want to become a stepping-stone.

DH: Was the James Scott fight the largest purse of your career?

YL: No, but it was right up there. My largest purse was $50,000 for the title fight with Matthew in New Jersey.

DH: A silly question seeing as how your record reads like a who’s who in boxing, but was there any fight out there you wanted that couldn’t be made?

YL: Ahhh…maybe just one. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad – who was Eddie Gregory at the time – was training for a fight in Lake Tahoe when his opponent pulled out. I was also training for a fight and the promoters suggested me as a replacement, but Eddie turned it down. I don’t know why, we were both in shape. But Jack said to me, “Eddie doesn’t like busy fighters.”

DH: What did you get into after retiring from the ring?

YL: I worked in waste management for about 11 years until my back went out and had to retire.

DH: You had such a remarkable career and you came so close so many times. Is there anything you would have done differently if you could do it all again?

YL: No! I had such a great team, I met so many people and I traveled to so many places that I have no room for regret. Of course, I really wanted the world title, but I don’t think God wanted me to be world champion. I think I did achieve what I started out to do when I wanted to be a matador. Remember, I just really wanted to be somebody. Well, if you want to be somebody in this life you have to give 100%. And believe me, I left a lot of blood and sweat in those rings I fought in.

DH: How is life today for Yaqui Lopez?

YL: Well, I have been married to Beno for 43 years and we have 2 kids and 2 grandkids. And outside of some back pain, I would say…so far, so good.

 

Nice article from 2011
Yaqui Lopez: Stockton Is Fat City



By Robert Mladinich June 9, 2011

Former light heavyweight contender Alvaro “Yaqui” Lopez is giving back. A fan favorite during the1970s and early ‘80s, he got it on with Michael Spinks, Victor Galindez (twice), John Conteh, Mike Rossman, Matthew Saad Muhammad (twice), and Carlos DeLeon.

Growing up in Zacatecas, Mexico, Lopez, now 60, dreamed of being a bullfighter, but that dream turned into nightmare when he was gored by a bull at the age of 12. His right leg still bears the scars of that goring.

Yaqui’s family moved to Stockton, California, where they found seasonal work picking fruit and vegetables. He dropped out of school before completing the 10th grade and joined his family working in the fields. Off-season Yaqui was working in a local cannery. He met a lovely girl there named Beatrice Cruz. When he learned that her father was a boxing promoter, he asked to be introduced.

“I remember thinking,” said Jack Cruz, now deceased, Lopez’s father-in-law and longtime manager, “that at 6-foot-2, he was tall for a Mexican.”

Cruz put Lopez to work. Although he only had 16 sanctioned amateur bouts, Yaqui fought in smokers at a nearby prison.

In 1971, at the age of 19, Yaqui married Beatrice. A year later he had his first pro fight. Within the year he was headlining main events across Northern California and beyond.

With his record at 30-3, and after beating such stalwart contenders as Mike Quarry, Willie Warren, and Canadian champ Gary Summerhays, in 1976 Lopez challenged Conteh for the WBC 175-pound title in Copenhagen, Denmark. Conteh captured a unanimous decision to retain his title.

Eight fights later, Lopez lost a heartbreakingly close decision to WBA titlist Galindez in Rome. Three victories later he destroyed number-one contender Rossman in Madison Square Garden.

Lopez fought Galindez a second time less two months later and lost a unanimous decision.

The first of his two epic battles with Matthew Saad Muhammad (known as Matthew Franklin at the time) was in Philadelphia on October 1978 for Muhammad’s NABF title. Although Lopez was TKO’d in the 11th round, the fight was a classic.

The two men fought 21 months later. Saad Muhammad had not only changed his name, he had also won the WBC title. In a dynamic eighth round, Lopez hit Saad Muhammad with more than 20 unanswered punches and looked well on his way to winning a title. But the champion managed to stay on his feet and came back to stop Lopez in the 14th round. “He got his second wind,” Lopez said, “and I didn’t.”

In October 1980, Lopez fought Michael Spinks in Atlantic City. Although Spinks stopped Lopez in seven rounds, he told him he had never been hit harder by another fighter. Lopez asked him, “Then why didn’t you go down?”

Lopez beat several lower-tier heavyweights, but lost a WBC cruiserweight title fight to DeLeon in 1983.

Lopez retired in 1984 with a record of 65-15 (40 KOs). He never won a title, and his highest purse was $50,000 for the second fight with Saad Muhammad.

“We live in a different era today,” said Lopez. “The fighters today are not the same caliber as they were in the ‘60s and ‘70s. They were real good, and took nothing for granted. You couldn’t sneak your way into a title shot back then. You had to earn it.”

“A lot of people don’t realize just how talented Yaqui was,” his wife Beatrice explained. “He was like a ballet dancer in the ring. People remember all the blood, but that was because his skin cut so easily. He looked like he was hit hard, but he rolled with most of the punches and they slid across his neck. He slipped a lot more punches than he took, against many great fighters at their peaks. All you have to do is listen to him today to see that he didn’t take too many beatings.”

Cruz said that Lopez “could have been a doctor if he chose. He’s brilliant. He learned English by himself. To be as sharp as he is with all the fights he had, imagine of he had no fights and went to college instead.”

“For some reason, God didn’t want him to be a champion,” added Beatrice, “it just wasn’t in the books. Yaqui loved fighting, but always said the family had more fun than he did during his career. I’m sure he’s right. I remember busloads of people going to watch him fight. The Hell’s Angels would be in the back, the drinkers in the middle, and the quiet old people in the front. They would all be eating my mother’s tamales. Life is nothing but memories, and we have so many. Not a day goes by we don’t thank the Lord for all we have to be grateful for.”

Lopez has all his marbles and no regrets. And in February the former contender and longtime Stockton resident has opened Yaqui Lopez Fat City Boxing Club in Stockton. At first the extremely modest and humble Lopez was genuinely surprised at how much publicity it generated.

“I can’t believe they remember me,” he told Bob Highfill, the sports editor of the Stockton Record.

The innately decent Lopez went on to explain how grateful he was to be able to provide local youngsters with an alternative to the sordid temptations of the streets. In Lopez’s heyday, he was a fixture in the top-ten light heavyweight rankings, much like the Stockton of today is a perennial top-ten contender for America’s most crime-ridden city.

Having come up under the most hardscrabble of circumstances, Lopez has a lot of knowledge and wisdom to impart on the youth of today.

“Before I leave this world,” he told Highfill as his voice cracked with emotion, “I want to show somebody what I learned because it is very tough in this world.”

 

Another good read from 2011 (Part 1 of 3)
ALVARO “YAQUI” LOPEZ: THE ZACATECAS MATADOR

By Austin Killeen
ALVARO “YAQUI” LOPEZ: THE ZACATECAS MATADOR

By Austin Killeen

Sitting in the comfort of Yaqui’s living room, I asked if he could relate a story from his early childhood. I was curious how this legendary contender from the 70’s and 80’s got his start in boxing. “I was born in Zacatecas, which is located in north central Mexico. My home was a couple of small rooms beneath a bull ring in the center of town.” That wasn’t the type of ring I was thinking of when I asked my question, but I wasn’t about to stop such an imposing figure.

Apparently, there were bull fights every Sunday at the stadium, but they were canceled one day due to rain. Noticing that two bulls had been left in the ring the following morning, Yaqui decided to forego school and launch his career as a matador. Borrowing a cape from a worker at the bull ring, Zacatecas’ newest matador approached one of the bulls. Little Alvaro picked the wrong bull, as it had considerably more experience that the aspiring 12 year old. It didn’t take the bull long to penetrate Yaqui’s right shin with one of its horns. Judging from the scars he showed me, commemorating his debut in the arena, all the blood in the sand belonged to the young matador. It appears that hiding behind his cape didn’t fool the more experienced bull. You’ll win a lot of bar bets, knowing that Yaqui was TKO’d his first time in the ring.

“When my mother and father found out what happened they decided on a change of scenery. They didn’t want me playing with the bulls. So we moved to Linden, California about 10 miles from Stockton (Yaqui was an only child). I went to school for six months, but didn’t like it. “Everybody made fun of me, my English was very poor.” I can’t imagine making fun of even a “little Yaqui”; apparently school insurance was very inexpensive.

As a result, Yaqui started working in the fields around the Stockton area, driving farm equipment and picking fruit. One day, a friend asked Lopez if he would give him a ride to his girlfriend’s house. This would prove to be a life changing experience for the retired matador. Yaqui discovered his pal’s girlfriend had a beautiful sister named Beatrice. It didn’t take long for Lopez to realize he was in love. For the next four years Beatrice and Yaqui dated, but quality time together was a scarce commodity. Beatrice’s mother or father would usually chaperon the young lovers on their dates. At age 21 Yaqui took Beatrice as his wife. I forgot to ask if any of her family members accompanied them on their honeymoon.

By now I knew of his failed attempt in the bull ring and the love of his life, but nothing of his introduction to boxing. Attempting to get back to the purpose of the interview, I asked the obvious question: how was he introduced to the squared circle? “My girlfriend Beatrice’s father, Jack Cruz, was a boxing promoter in the Stockton area.” This quickly led to Alvaro’s entrance into amateur competition where he compiled a record of 13 and 3. When asked if he was a banger in the amateurs, he laughed. “They tried to get me to jab, move side-to-side, but you just want to go.” Noticing the length of his arms, I asked if we could measure up. I certainly have a decent arm length but one of Yaqui’s arms was over 4″ longer than mine. Throughout his amateur and pro career Alvaro would voluntary give up his incredible reach advantage, preferring to work on the inside.

When I asked Yaqui if his nickname was the result of his Native American heritage, he replied “no”. “My future father-in-law had me fight for the Diamond Belt Championship in Eureka, California. I knocked the champion out to win the title. There were a lot of Indians in the crowd and one of them asked Jack Cruz if I was Indian. When Jack said yes, he wanted to know what tribe. He replied Yaqui because that’s all he could think of. I’m Mexican, with no Indian blood in me.” That night, Alvaro not only won an amateur title, but he also knocked out the defending champ and got a moniker he would be known by for the rest of his life.

He turned pro against the infamous Herman Hampton, best known for having both his first and last names begin with the same letter. But unlike most prospects that are carefully matched to ensure lots of wins, mostly by stoppage, young Alvaro was matched tough. In his fourth pro bout he lost an eight round decision to Jesse Burnett, a future world contender in his own right. Ultimately they would split four bouts over the next six years.

Bouncing back from his first pro setback, Lopez won five in a row, four by stoppage. In March of 73′ Alvaro traveled to Seattle, Washington to face West Coast gatekeeper Al Bolden. Like Jesse Burnett, Bolden’s list of opponents included world champs and top contenders. After ten hard rounds, Yaqui would have a second loss on his record. “We were the walkout bout for Boone Kirkman. I got knock downed in the first round and the people started walking out. I got up and knocked down Bolden in the second round. By the end of the fight we had each scored three knock downs. The people started throwing money into the ring; both bills and coins. We got on our knees and started picking it up. Back in the dressing room we counted $785 dollars, plus I got $500 for the fight itself.”

He was now 8 and 2 with 6 KO’s, but more importantly he was learning his craft thanks to his father-in-law’s tough selection of opponents. Over the next two and a half years Yaqui would ring up eighteen straight wins, half by stoppage, and capture the California State Light Heavyweight Title. His victims included Hildo Silva (3), Ron Wilson (2), Al Bolden, Andy Kendall, Willie Warren, Joe Cokes, Terry Lee and Mike Quarry. This impressive streak resulted in Lopez being ranked 2nd in the world by Ring Magazine.

I asked Yaqui when he first realized that he was pretty good at this and could make a living boxing. He responded; “When I knocked out the number 4 ranked contender Andy Kendall in five rounds, I think I got a chance to make it.” The Kendall bout was in the mist of his win streak and ascent up the Ring Magazine ratings, so he must have been right.

On July 5, 1975, Lopez put his state title and win streak on the line in a rematch with Jesse Burnett at the Stockton Civic Auditorium. Burnett won the first two rounds landing quick combinations to the head. In the third round, Lopez picked up the action somewhat, but continued missing with wild punches. In the fourth round, Yaqui started finding the range and appeared to have Jesse in a little trouble after a good flurry. Burnett rallied in the fifth round, getting the best of the infighting in a relatively lackluster round.

In the next two rounds the momentum seemed to shift in favor of Alvaro, although neither seemed to be in any trouble at this stage of the fight. The eighth stanza was the best action round of the fight. Lopez appeared to have Burnett in trouble with counter punches to the body when he trapped his opponent on the ropes.

The champ appeared to come on strong during the next two stanzas, whereas the tiring challenger appeared hurt from stinging lefts and rights. In the eleventh and twelfth rounds, Burnett employed an effective defense to hold off Yaqui’s barrages. At the final bell both combatants appeared weary, having left everything in the ring. The hometown crowd was surprised when Burnett captured a majority decision in Lopez’s back yard. The win streak was over and Burnett was now 2 and 0 against Yaqui.

 

Part 2 of 3
Just two months after losing his state title, Lopez was back in the ring with his crafty nemesis. The bout was a war from start to finish, with Burnett opening a cut over Yaqui’s right eye in the first round. The cut would prove to be a problem for the challenger throughout the bout. Once again the LA visitor would build an early lead after three rounds. Although looking much sharper offensively than in their last fight, Alvaro never seem to figure out an answer to Jesse’s stinging, cobra like left jabs. In the sixth round, the visitor was penalized a point for a low blow. This seemed to get the hometown boy to shift into a higher gear. The seventh was Lopez’ best of the fight, but Burnett answered with his own rally in the eighth, only to have Yaqui come back in the ninth. During the next two rounds, momentum continued to shift back and forth between the bitter rivals. The twelfth was the exclamation point to an outstanding fight where the fans more than received their money’s worth. The verdict was a split decision and the title was once again in the possession of the Stockton lad. The series was now 2 to 1 favor of Burnett, but Lopez had just broken serve.

Four more wins later, Yaqui was awarded the prize he was seeking: a shot at the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World. He would be facing the defending WBC champ, John Conteh, in a 15 round bout in Copenhagen, Denmark on October 9, 1976. The early rounds were dominated by the excellent left jab of Conteh. The American never seemed to find his stride and was unable to establish a body attack. “He was a better fighter than me. I think we put up a good show, but I never felt right since I arrived.” Lopez’s training in Denmark was disrupted when his equipment failed to turn up. In spite of the prefight problems the challenger faced, the bout was fought at a fast pace and both combatants were drained by fight’s end.

Returning to America, Yaqui had eight fights over the next eight months, going 7 and 1 with all his wins coming early. His lone setback was to Lonnie Bennett on cuts. This resulted in his second opportunity at the big prize versus defending champion Victor Galindez in Rome, Italy. Unlike the Conteh fight, the quick handed Lopez showed an excellent body attack which was overwhelming his opponent.

As for the fight itself, Lopez did everything needed to win the title, except score the bout. Unfortunately for the Stockton native, that was probably the only way he would have won the title. When the verdict was announced, Galindez was awarded an unpopular but close unanimous fifteen round decision. Yaqui controlled the action throughout the fight with an excellent left jab that the champ seemingly had no answer for. He was clearly the crowd favorite as they chanted “Lopez, Lopez” throughout the match. The bull-like Galindez was effective when he threw his heavy handed combinations but appeared to not have done this enough. Throughout the bout, Victor rapidly struck Alvaro with rabbit punches, which the referee apparently didn’t see. Amazingly, in the seventh round, he warned Lopez for a low blow. It was nice to see the WBA was giving work to the sight impaired. Interestingly, Jerry Quarry was one of the ringside announcers. Although I didn’t always agree with his assessment of the fight, his vocabulary and commentary were excellent.

In typical Lopez fashion, he returned to California and scored three KO’s to solidify his ranking as the top challenger in the light heavyweight division. This resulted in a match with hard hitting Mike Rossman in Madison Square Garden Felt Form. On paper, it looked like guaranteed fireworks and the fight was all of that and more. If you could only see one Yaqui Lopez fight, this would be the one.

From the opening bell both boxers were throwing bombs in an attempt to end it early. By the end of the first round the visitor from the West Coast was bleeding over both eyes. The rangy Lopez had a significant advantage in both height and reach, but seemed content to work on the inside. This worked well for the Jewish Bomber as he was able to unload his own combinations to the body and head of Alvaro. The ringside announcers, Cus D’Amato and Don Dunphy were having their own verbal exchange while calling the fight. Cus felt that Rossman, who was already promised a shot at the title, would gain valuable experience in facing Lopez. Dunphy questioned the wisdom of Rossman’s brain trust for taking on such a dangerous opponent.

Although Yaqui was more than holding his own, his corner was unable to stop the cuts from bleeding between rounds. Dunphy was concerned that the fight would be stopped due to the bleeding of the West Coast visitor. In the sixth, Lopez, with his quick hand speed, was landing heavy combination to both the head and body of the New Jersey native. It appeared Rossman was about to test the canvas, when he was given a reprieve by referee Petey Vella. The third man administered an illegal standing eight count over Rossman, stopping Lopez’s assault. Saved by the bell, Rossman staggered back to his corner, only to have his father ask the doctor to stop the bout. The elder Rossman’s compassion might have saved his son’s career. As for Lopez, he was awarded a second shot at Victor Galindez’s title.

Except for the location of the fight in Italy, Viareggio Sports Hall instead of Rome, Galindez/Lopez II was much like their first fight. The aggressiveness of Lopez made him a favorite with the fans. It was a question of the heavy combinations of Galindez versus the rapid-fire left jabs of Lopez. The American took the initiative in the first round and never gave up. He was the aggressor, harassing Galindez despite a punishing attack by the champ. By the eleventh round the Argentinean’s left eye was closed, to the delight of the partisan challenger’s crowd. Once again after fifteen rounds, Galindez was awarded a close but unanimous decision. As in their previous bout in Rome, the verdict was met with a chorus of boos. For the disappointed challenger, the count was now zero for three in title fights.

 

Part 3 of 3
Returning to the friendly confines of Stockton, California, Yaqui hooked up with familiar adversary Jesse Burnett for the fourth time. Once again, the meeting proved to be one of the best fights of the year. Could their meetings turn out any other way? Lopez forced the match from the opening bell, with Burnett countering his aggressiveness. In trying to cut the ring on Burnett, Alvaro had to deal with his adversary’s excellent left jab.

In the third round, Yaqui was stopped in his tracks from a low blow, but finished the round strong. In the sixth, the pride of Stockton landed a left hook than nearly dropped Burnett. In the eighth, Lopez was cut on the bridge of his nose; the bloody split would be a factor in the remainder of the fight. Inspired by the sight of his opponent’s blood, Burnett staged a rally and seemingly appeared to be leading at the end of twelve rounds. In the thirteen, the tide shifted once again, with Lopez’ furious body attack leaving Burnett hanging on at the bell.

The final two rounds found both boxers bloodied and exhausted but still seeking victory in a brutal fight. Lopez appeared to carry the fourteenth and the final round saw the fans on their feet cheering both combatants’ efforts. Left hooks to the head appeared to favor Yaqui in the fifteenth. Scores of 144-142, 145-141, and 146-146 awarded Alvaro a majority decision and evened the series at 2 and 2.

Yaqui’s win resulted in a trip across the country to face a rising Philly star, Matthew Franklin at the Philadelphia Spectrum. Once again it would be an amazing performance ending in bitter disappointment. For the record, the match was for the North American Boxing Federation Light Heavyweight Title and scheduled for twelve rounds.

Surprisingly the bout turned out to be more of a tactical chess match, with both fighters operating behind strong left jabs. Yaqui started slowly, allowing Franklin to gain an early lead over the first three rounds. In the third, the visitor was rocked by powerful left hook. While Alvaro’s legs were doing funny things, Matthew failed to follow up his obvious advantage. Instead, he pumped both arms in the air allowing his dangerous adversary time to recover. The hometown boxer paid for his foolish behavior, as Lopez won the 4th. Over the next three rounds the fight became more competitive, but Lopez’s left eye started seeping claret in the seventh. In the eighth, Lopez exploded with an overhand right and had a big round. In the ninth Yaqui’s right eye started to bleed as well as swell shut. Hampered by poor vision, Lopez lost the tenth as well. At the end of the eleventh Franklin exploded an overhand right, causing Lopez’ left eye to pour blood. Referee Frank Capcino immediately waved his arms to signal the end of the bout.

Not easily discouraged, the unsinkable Zacatecas matador won six of his next seven bouts. His only setback was a decision to James Scott at Rahway State Prison in New Jersey. Scott would probably be regarded as the home town boy as he would be residing inside the prison walls for the next 30 to 40 years. Maintaining a furious pace in the nationally televised bout, the prison yard’s favorite inmate captured a unanimous decision. Many of boxing’s prognosticators were now writing Yaqui off as a shot fighter.

In July of 1980, Alvaro was awarded his fourth shot at the light heavyweight crown against Matthew Saad Muhammad, formerly known as Matthew Franklin. If his career was finished, somebody forgot to show the memo to Lopez. The aggressor from the opening bell, the Stockton banger had a commanding lead after seven rounds. The eighth round would prove to be Ring Magazine’s round of the year. Lopez landed over 20 unanswered punches, but somehow Matthew remained upright. In the ninth it appeared that Yaqui had punched himself out. It looked like a replay of DeMarco/Basilio II, with Lopez in the ill fated roll of DeMarco. The dream ended for the exhausted pride of Stockton in the fourteenth round. Like DeMarco/Basilio II, it would be selected as Ring Magazine’s fight of the year, an award few would contest.

Three months later, Yaqui was back in the ring against one of boxing’s newest stars Michael Spinks. Spinks was one of the stars of the 1976 Olympics, having won a gold medal. Sadly, it looked to be an often played out script of a rising prospect against a fading veteran with name value. As in his last fight, Lopez exploded form his corner surprising the younger Spinks. In spite of his best intentions, the Olympic hero found himself behind in the fight after six action packed rounds. Alvaro’s blistering combination to the head and body seemed to be setting the stage for an amazing upset. But it was not to be, a powerful left hook ended Yaqui’s dream of an upset in the seventh. The referee stopped the proceedings to protect the Stockton veteran from further punishment.

Lopez would have sixteen more bouts over the next three and a half years including a devastating stoppage of top prospect Tony Mundine in Australia. However twelve years competing against boxing’s elite had taken its toll and Yaqui wisely retired after losing a split decision to a fighter he defeated five years earlier.

In interviewing Yaqui, I was impressed with his intelligence. Although his formal schooling was limited, if given the opportunity I have no doubt that he could have been a doctor. In the ring he was a hurricane but outside he’s a humble man. He places great importance on loyalty, and his career illustrates it. He started boxing under the guidance of his future father-in-law, Jack Cruz. Along with Benny Casing (trainer/cutman), Danny Dagampat (trainer), Frank and Joe Guzman (equipment/training camps) and Hank Pericle (general fitness) guided Lopez’s career both amateur and pro. Unlike other pros that change their brain trust more often than their underwear, Alvaro remained loyal to these people his entire career. There was no written contract, just a hand shake between friends. It was a relationship based on trust and its sum proved to be greater than its parts.

When his father-in-law’s health started to decline, Yaqui refused to have his friend and mentor placed in a nursing home. He made a daily trip to Jack’s home to take care of his physical needs; food, clothing, doctor visits and health issues. It was important that his father-in-law not be robbed of his dignity in his final months.

Alvaro’s greatest challenge was the birth of his granddaughter Gabriela. Her biological parents where both addicted to crystal meth and the state placed the child in foster care. Devastated, Yaqui and Beatrice petitioned the court to legally adopt their granddaughter. After three months, the court going along with the wishes of his son and his girlfriend, granted the Lopez’s request. The state of California, after all this time, finally did an evaluation of the baby; she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.

Starting with massages three times a day, the loving grandparents worked tirelessly to meet the baby’s needs. I met soon to be 4 year old Gabriela while doing this interview and her progress is remarkable. She’s learned to sign, recognizing over twenty words and can walk without assistance. She’s had ear and eye surgery to improve both her hearing and sight. She is scheduled to have a throat operation which may allow her the gift of speech. Yaqui’s son and his ex-girlfriend are both in recovery and play a loving role in their child’s life.

Today Yaqui runs a successful gym in Stockton, with over fifty amateur boxers participating. In addition, he runs a special program called “The Peace Keepers” for at risk kids who have a history of gang involvement. When they finish their training for the day, they have mandatory classes in life skills. The instructor is Yaqui’s son. Who better to teach them that mistakes in life can be corrected, and that the future is in their own hands?

Yaqui and Beatrice are beautiful people who give so much to the community. If there’s a heaven then they surely have first class accommodations and a direct flight to the pearly gates.

 

More recent 2016
ALVARO "Yaqui" LOPEZ

Alvaro Lopez was born in Zacatecas, Mexico. He earned the nickname "Yaqui" when his trainer was asked if he was of Native American decent at an amateur event. The trainer was caught off guard, and answered "Yes - Yaqui Indian"... the nickname stuck even though Lopez was actually Mexican! The man who dreamed of becoming a bullfighter began boxing in the amateur ranks and after a 13-3 amateur record he turned professional on April 24, 1972 in Stockton, California. Lopez won his first 3 bouts but lost in his 4th pro bout against a young unbeaten fighter named Jesse Burnett who would later fight for the World Title. Lopez and Burnett would face each other 3 more times.

After 2 years and some great wars, Lopez built up a reputation as an action fighter who many were mentioning as a possible future world champion. May 10 1974 saw Lopez in his first title fight as he challenged Hildo Silva (26-5-4) for his California State Light Heavyweight Title Belt. It was said to be a war, and when the dust settled, Lopez had his hand raised and was now the California State Champion.

As always happens when you win any title, the competition level was stepped up each time out, and Lopez managed to put together a very impressive 7 fight win streak which included victories over ranked contenders Joe Cokes (19-4-1, 11 ko's), a rematch victory over Hildo Silva, Mike Quarry (48-5-3), and Gary Summerhays (23-7-2) leading to a defense of his California Title in a rematch against the man who handed him his first defeat - Jesse Burnett. Lopez lost a very close majority decision, and demanded a rematch and a chance to regain his title. It was granted and took place less than 2 months later. It was the third time to face Jesse Burnett, and it was the charm as Lopez won another tough split decision to regain his California State Championship.

Lopez put together 4 more wins after the fights with Burnett, he rose in the world rankings and on October 9, 1976, found his self in Copenhagen, Denmark fighting John Conteh (28-1, 21 ko) for his WBC Light Heavyweight World Title. It was a war (as all Yaqui Lopez fights were) that ended with Conteh retaining his world title by unanimous decison. Scores were 148-146, and 149-145 x 2.

Yaqui went right back to work putting together a 7-1 streak, with the only loss coming on a cut which stopped the fight against Lonnie Bennett (27-3, 23 ko) in Indianapolis, IN. His performance kept him in the top 10 of both governing bodies, and he was given a second chance at the world title, this time for the WBA belt, but he had to travel to Italy and face one of the most feared fighters in the world - Victor Galindez. It was Sept. 17, 1977 and the fans were treated to a brutal slugfest which ended in a razor close 15 round decision for the Champion Galindez on scores of 148-146, 147-146, and 146-145

Again, Lopez was world ranked but without a world title which his fights with Conteh and Galindez proved that he was worthy of. He would go back to California and start another campaign hoping for another shot at the title. After impressive wins against mid level opponents, he scored a huge win over fellow world ranked contender "The Jewish Bomber" Mike Rossman (32-3-3, 19 ko) via 6 round tko. Earning his self a 3rd shot at the Light Heavyweight World Title, and a rematch against Victor Galindez for the WBA version again in Italy. After 15 more brutal rounds, another decision loss for the title. Scores were 148-145, 148-146, and 146-144 for Galindez.

In his next fight, Lopez faced Jesse Burnett for a fourth and final time. Winning a hard fought 15 round majority decision in Alvaro's adopted home town of Stockton, CA putting him right back in line for a title shot and in his next fight he traveled to Philadelphia, PA to face legendary Matthew Saad Muhammad (21-3-2, 14 ko)(who was known as Matt Franklin at the time) for the NABF Light Heavyweight Championship. Lopez was stopped in round 11 of another of many incredibly brutal wars.

Lopez went right back to business and put together another string of 6 wins and 1 loss, which included a win over Bash Ali, and the loss coming to popular James Scott (17-0-1, 10 ko) by decision in a bout held at Rahway State Prison, NJ.

The win streak and performance against Scott earned Alvaro his final shot at the Light Heavyweight World Championship. It was July 13, 1980 and he would face Matthew Saad Muhammad for the 2nd time, but now he was the WBC World Champion. Lopez fought another close bruising battle, ending with Lopez being stopped in round 14 of what became the 1980 Ring Magazine fight of the year!

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, in his next fight Lopez squared off with an up and coming contender, an undefeated former olympic gold medalist named Michael Spinks (13-0, 8 ko). Spinks stopped Lopez in round 7 of their battle.

4 straight knockout wins later, Alvaro Yaqui Lopez got one more shot at the NABF Title. July 24, 1981 vs defending champion S.T. Gordon (20-5, 18 ko) having moved up in weight, this was for the Cruiserweight championship. Lopez started good and was ahead on all 3 scorecards when he was caught, and stopped by the hard punching champion in round 7.

Lopez remained in the Cruiserweight division and fought on. His last 2 pro bouts were both title bouts. Sept. 21, 1983 saw Lopez stopped in round 4 of a contest for the WBC World Cruiserweight Championship against Carlos "Sugar" Deleon (35-3, 24 ko). And in his final professional fight, Lopez lost in a rematch against Bash Ali (23-9) for a chance at the California State Cruiserweight Title belt. It was a very close 12 round split decision loss on scores of 117-112 Lopez, 118-112 Ali, and the deciding judge saw it a 1 point win for Bash Ali at 115-114.

Alvaro Yaqui Lopez had a glorious career, he faced the best of an era of greatness in the Light Heavyweight division, and although he did not win the world title, he is considered a great among boxing fans, and is a member of the California Boxing Hall of Fame. Yaqui Lopez ended his pro boxing career with a record of: 61 wins, 15 defeats, and 39 wins by knockout.

 

2017 article
Gilbert: Pound-for-pound Yaqui Lopez is still one of the nicest men, ever

By Lori Gilbert

When Deborah Merola was looking to do some background on boxing for a production of “Golden Boy,” Clifford Odets’ 1937 play about a young New York violinist-turned-boxer that she planned to stage, her husband happened to read an article in the New York Times about Leonard Gardner.

The writer talked about Fat City, about his friend, Alvarao “Yaqui” Lopez and the Fat City Boxing Gym the former light heavyweight fighter opened in Stockton.

“We live in Berkeley and he said, ’we’ve got to go down and meet Yaqui Lopez,” Merola said. “I got the book and read it and we went down and met Yaqui.”

They took videos and photos of the 66-year-old Lopez and watched him work with young boxers.

Then when they prepared to stage the show — in Katmandu, Nepal, where Merola first visited as a Fulbright Scholar in 2003 and returned in 2011 on a Fulbright and remained five years as artistic director of a theater company — she invited Lopez to make the trip.

“I had the idea to build a boxing ring, a replica of a boxing ring, and to stage all the boxing scenes and scenes related to the boxing world in it,” Merola said.

And, if you’re going to invest in that much authenticity, you ought to have actors who look like they’re actually boxing. So she enlisted Lopez’s help.

Actually, she enlisted the help of Lopez’s wife of 45 year, Beatrice, who talked her husband into making the trip.

“She asked me if I wanted to go to Nepal and I said, ‘not really,’” Lopez said.

Traveling isn’t really his thing. He fought in Italy, twice, Copenhagen, Denmark, and Australia, but his last overseas trip was to Queensland in 1981 for a bout with Tony Mundine, which Lopez won.

Beatrice prevailed, though and in late August, Lopez headed to Nepal. Beatrice had to stay home with 10-year-old Gabriella, the granddaughter with cerebral palsy the couple is raising. Instead, a cousin, Anna, traveled with Lopez.

They flew to China, then on to Nepal, where Lopez not only trained the actors, but also visited young men in different boxing clubs in the country’s capital.

“We went to a new gym and they were watching my fights: Mike Rossman, (Michael) Spinks, Matthew Saad Muhammad,” Lopez said. “There were 40 or 50 there in the new gym. I was impressed with it.”

Lopez said the young men in the gym didn’t know much about boxing, that it may be relatively new to the country.

“They found out my name,” Lopez said of kids he met in a smaller gym, “how it was spelled and they found out about me. They said, ‘Yaqui Lopez, Oh.’ They were all on cellphones. They’re poor over there, but everyone has phones, just like the rest of the world.”

As for his mission to Nepal, to train the actors to whom he lent old gloves and shoes for the production, Lopez spent a week at rehearsals.

“They are actors. They don’t know that much,” Lopez said. ” I got them in a stance, (taught) them do this or do that to make it more realistic. They were happy with it.”

He saw the performance twice and thought “they looked good. I think it helped a little bit.”

Still fit and trim and looking like he could get back in the ring, Lopez remains a humble, thoughtful man.

He doubts the kids who asked for his autograph, who looked up who he was on their phones, considered him a celebrity.

There’s no doubt, though, he is. In boxing circles, he remains a beloved figure. He was a fierce competitor who fought for world championships five times. His brutal fight against Saad Muhammad is still considered one of the sport’s greatest ever. Former boxers make their way to Stockton every year to be guests at his club’s annual boxing fundraiser, because they love him.

Fame and glory weren’t what Lopez cared about. His father-in-law, Jack Cruz, served as his manager throughout his career. They never had a contract and even when big name trainers came around, including Angelo Dundee, Lopez was never tempted to part ways with Cruz.

Now he works with young men, teenagers and some older, who want to box.

“I tell them I don’t make any money,” Lopez said. “I do it because I like boxing.”

Lopez did return from Nepal with a story that he had not shared with his family.

The last day he was in Katmandu, he was having breakfast in a restaurant with Merola and her husband when an African-American man, who lives in Nepal, approached their table.

“Are you Yaqui Lopez?” he asked.

Turns out, the New York-native grew up watching Lopez fights on television with his father.

He took photos and got an autograph.

Lopez just smiled as Merola told the story.

 

2018 article
Yaqui Lopez is sharing his skills as a world-class boxer and person with the next generation

By Lori Gilbert

The letter, dated Sept. 10, made Yaqui Lopez tear up, just a little.

The mother of one of his former boxers wrote to thank Lopez and his wife, Beno, for what they had done for her son, Mickey.

The son had been one of Lopez’s fighters at his Fat City Boxing Gym in Stockton. He had been committed and won the Northern California Golden Gloves Championship. Before he fought for the state title, however, something changed.

He was knocked out within seconds of the title match, and not by a blow that should have knocked him out.

Mickey stopped showing up at the club and finally told Lopez his girlfriend was pregnant.

The teenager was determined to take care of his new family. He stopped showing up to box. In time, Mickey’s girlfriend left and took the baby.

Mickey showed up at the gym, promising he was ready to get back in the ring and work. He was homeless. His parents had moved out of town.

“I told him I’d charge him $40,” Lopez said, giving him a break on the $70 monthly fee but forcing him to make a true commitment.

That was in May and Lopez never saw Mickey again. Then, the letter came.

His family had refused to take him in because of the downward path Mickey was taking. Finally, members intervened, said he could move in with them if he cut off all ties with Stockton friends and settled down.

Mickey’s brother-in-law told him, “Do you want to be remembered as the fighter that was trained by the great Yaqui Lopez, or the guy that was trained by Yaqui that threw away his boxing career, and then ended up in prison?”

Mickey earned his GED and joined the U.S. Army. He will graduate from basic training later this month and begin Airborne training, his mom reported.

“I want you both to know that your support and training helped to teach and prepare him for his future. It not only gave him the wits of how to fight or defend in the boxing ring, but it has given him the strength and courage to fight and defend his country. I am so very grateful to the both of you,” his mother wrote.

It’s heartfelt and honest, but really, not surprising.

Yaqui Lopez, 67, is devoted to helping kids, hoping he can keep them on the straight and narrow. He hasn’t seen any fighters come through his facility on Miner Street that look like the champion contender he was in his day.

“There’s only one Yaqui Lopez,” he said.

He’s not bragging. He’s way too humble for that. He just means that the fight game has changed. He fought as a light heavyweight in the 1970s and ’80s when there were two sanctioning world bodies with eight weight classes. Now, there are six and each has 24 or more divisions.

Lopez worked at a cannery from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. and would get up at 3 a.m, run around Victory Park, then head to the YMCA to train. After work, his father-in-law and manager, Jack Cruz, and trainer Bennie Casing, would drive him to Oakland to spar with five different guys, three rounds each.

“We did that five days a week for four years,” Lopez said.

That was the heart and dedication it took to be a champion contender, and Lopez had it.

It earned him an unheard-of five title fights, the most notorious being the 1980 bout against Matthew Saad Muhammad. The fight, rematch, was voted Fight of the Year, the eighth round the round of the year.

As Lopez remembered it, “I feel hot on my forehead above my eye. I know there is blood. I know I’m cut. I don’t know how big the cut is. If this is a dangerous cut, I have to go for it.”

In their previous bout, the fight was stopped in the 11th round because Lopez was cut and bleeding heavily. He was afraid that would happen again, so “I opened up. We both did. It was now or never. I survived. He got his second wind and I didn’t get my second wind.”

Saad Muhammad knocked him out in the 14th round.

The two remained friends until Saad Muhammad’s death. Lopez’s friendships with boxers he fought, including Michael Spinks, and even those he didn’t, allow him to stage annual fundraising events for the boxing club he opened in 2011. The latest one was on Saturday and featured Danny “Little Red” Lopez and Carlos Palomino When Lopez’s son, Yaqui Jr. calls to invite boxers, the answer is always “I’ll do anything for your dad.”

Lopez is soft spoken, humble and caring. Before he started helping kids, he helped take care of Jack Cruz when his health began to decline. Cruz died in 2005.

Lopez found another outlet for his giving heart. He and Beno are raising their special-needs granddaughter, Gabriella, and he’s teaching young people to box.

When 12-year-old Jaden Ortegon said he wanted to box, in part to defend himself against three older brothers, his dad, Martin, said “it was my decision where to take him. No other place was good enough.”

Martin Ortegon grew up in Stockton and remembers seeing Lopez on television.

“I never knew him personally. He always had a good reputation,” Martin Ortegon said. “He enjoys teaching kids and I can see what they get out of it.”

When Lopez was Jaden Ortegon’s age, he wanted to be a bullfighter. Born in Zacatecas, Mexico, he and his parents lived under a bullring there.

“I liked to see the bullfighters, their fancy dress, nice cars and (hear) all the people applaud,” Lopez said. “I wanted to be one of those guys.”

One Sunday when he was 11 or 12, he sneaked into the ring during a practice session, grabbed a cape and made a couple passes. A bull gored him in the leg and he raises the bottom of his right pants leg to show the scar that starts above the ankle and goes down to his foot.

He never became a bullfighter. His parents moved to Linden and when he was 17 he met Beno Cruz, daughter of a fight promoter.

Lopez asked if Cruz would teach him to box. He’s never forgotten what Cruz, who became his father-in-law in 1972 when he married Beno, did for him.

He may not produce title contenders in Fat City Boxing Gym, although he holds out hope that he will.

Said Lopez: “I’d like to have another boxer represent Stockton, San Joaquin County, the way I did.”

 

And just to celebrate perhaps the greatest round in boxing history? Or at the very least a great one!!!!

Great rounds of boxing history: Saad Muhammad v López II, round eight (Part 1 of 2)

Great rounds of boxing history: Saad Muhammad v López II, round eight


Even by the standards of the traditionally harrowing back stories of rags-to-riches-to-rags prizefighters, the early years of the great light heavyweight, Matthew Saad Muhammad, are particularly heart-rending. He was 27 years old by the time he knew his birth name and recollections of his time on earth as Maxwell Antonio Loach remained hazy until the day he died this May.

He could not recall the death of his mother or the disappearance of his father, or the time he and and his elder brother spent living in poverty with their aunt in South Philadelphia. Presumably his sub-conscious made the executive decision that no good could come from a child carrying around memories from such a start to life.

What he does remember is running after his brother when he was around five years old. I say around because his date of birth is known to the nearest three months rather than the nearest minute like most of us born in the second half of the 20th century. His brother’s legs proved too long and they soon disappeared from view. Little Maxwell was left lost, alone and helpless beside the busy Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a six-lane stretch of road that slices through the heart of Philadelphia and a stone’s throw from the steps Sylvester Stallone would immortalise in the Rocky movies.

He would later learn that this was the plan. His aunt couldn’t cope with the extra mouths to feed and the law of last in, first out decreed that Maxwell had to go. Found sleeping on the steps of the Cathedral Basilica by police and frightened into a near catatonic state, the Catholic Social Services in the form of a Sister Bernadette were called and took him in. The nuns also named him: Matthew, meaning chosen one, and Franklin, after the Parkway. This appellation lasted longer than his original title, right through until a 1979 conversion to Islam.

Though thankfully lacking a comparable bite of tragedy, Álvaro López’s childhood is no less interesting. Born in a two-room hovel under a plaza de toros in Zacatecas, in north Mexico, he always presumed it would be duelling with Bos Taurus in the bullring, rather than his own species in the boxing ring, that would bring him fame and fortune.

With this in mind, 12-year-old Álvaro skipped school one Monday morning to enter the redondel and test himself against a beast that had been spared the estocada the day before when inclement weather cancelled that Sunday’s weekly fight to the death. Mercifully, the bull went easy on him and decided a short, sharp goring of the right shin would be sufficient to pierce any dangerous delusions of grandeur and send Álvarito out of the arena for good.

His parents then ratified the bovine’s judgement by moving to Stockton, California, and a relatively bull-free existence. They sent their only son to the local school but his English was limited and after six months of relentless teasing from classmates, Álvaro opted for a life driving farm machinery and picking fruit in surroundings straight out of a John Steinbeck novel.

At this point, almost 3,000 miles apart on opposite sides of the United States, neither boy had set foot in a boxing ring. But that was to change in 1968.

It was love that drew Álvaro to the game. His sweetheart’s father, Jack Cruz, was a local boxing promoter whose eyes lit up when he saw the long-armed, rangy-yet-robust physique of his future son-in-law. It was a win-win situation for Cruz. If the Mexican farm labourer turned out to be a decent boxer he would be set to make a few bucks. And if not, at least he’d get to see the boy attempting to relinquish the innocence from the apple of his eye get beaten up every other month.

Predictably, Matthew’s route into the dark trade was more to do with survival than love. Now living with adoptive parents, his daily commute to school included daily beatings from the 13th Street gangs that menaced South Philadelphia. Unable to beat them, Matthew joined them and began administering beatings of his own. Substance abuse and reform school inevitably followed and it was there he was encouraged to channel his aggression in the Jupiter Gym.

Temerarious styles meant neither man excelled in short amateur careers. Matthew lost four of his 29 bouts and Álvaro lost three of his 16. Both were cut from a cloth not best suited to the amateur game and their brief apprenticeships were served with an impatience that rendered futile any didactic intentions from managers or trainers. Indeed, in a 2011 interview, Álvaro laughed as he spoke of how his team tried to get him to work on jabbing and moving in and out of range. “You just want to go,” was how he described his mindset in the ring.

By the time Álvaro made his professional debut a few weeks before his 21st birthday, his style may not have changed, but his name had. Following a victory in front of a predominantly Native American audience, his father-in-law decided to play to that crowd and announced that the full-blooded Mexican was in fact of Indian origin. When pushed for more information on which tribe exactly, Cruz blurted out “Yaqui” and the moniker stuck.

Matthew Franklin was still Matthew Franklin when he first met Yaqui López in a 12-round contest for the NABF Light Heavyweight title in 1978. He already had three losses and two draws on his record but was in the middle of an 18-fight winning streak in which he would claim the WBC world title. Yaqui was even more familiar with the bitter taste of defeat, largely down to very tough matchmaking early in his career, and when Franklin stopped him at the end of the bloody 11th round, it was the eighth time he had lost out.

 

Part 2 of 2
The Mexican had earned the American’s respect, however, and Matthew promised the defeated man a shot at the world title if he ever held it. True to his word, barely a year on from claiming the WBC strap in the 1979 fight of the year war with Marvin Johnson, the recently converted Matthew Saad Muhammad gave Yaqui his opportunity in McAfee, New Jersey. Once again it turned out to be a bit special.

It is not uncommon for boxing matches to abruptly change direction midway through the contest. What makes the about-turn in Muhammad v Yaqui II unique, however, is that the pivot on which the bout rotated 180 degrees was not the traditional flash-knockdown or flurry of mean activity from the eventual victor. In fact, throughout the watershed moment, a brutal eighth round in which a referee with a weaker stomach than Waldemar Schmidt may have called a halt to proceedings, the punishment being meted out to the eventual winner continued and even intensified to the point where it looked like his end was nigh. That these three minutes served as the launch pad for Muhammad’s victory simply beggars belief.

More than in any of his previous 58 bouts, Yaqui was adhering to a gameplan that demanded lateral movement and snapping out piston-like left jabs in order to leverage his height and reach advantage in a concerted effort to control the tempo of the night. But circumspection is a relative quality and even the most cautious of Mexican fighters tend to be as heedful of physical consequences as a suicidal lemming on a trip to the Cliffs of Moher. It is difficult to teach an old perro new tricks and when the leather of Muhammad’s gloves entered Yaqui’s nostrils, he reacted much like the Mexican bull had all those years ago when Álvarito taunted him with a red cape in Zacatecas: he looked to pierce skin and draw blood.

This he did as early as the second round, in which he had Muhammad already backing and covering up. He may not have won the third, fourth or fifth outright but he didn’t lose them, as his varied attack and a pace more akin to a welterweight contest kept the champion guessing throughout.

As they traded in the sixth, an uppercut from the gates of hell buzzed Muhammad and some complementary hooks to the body left the champion open-mouthed and hungry for air. A vicious, rising left hook to Yaqui’s jaw in the seventh did nothing to stop his momentum and he rose confidently early and prowled to the neutral corner for the beginning of the eighth.

Until this point in the contest, Yaqui had been giving a masterful display. He switched from head to body, brawled then danced, probed with multiple jabs then suddenly led with a bomb. His performance appeared to be slowly but surely building to a crescendo that Beethoven himself would have been proud to compose. And if this bout had been a piece of classical music, the eighth round would undoubtedly have an fff notation alongside it to signify fortississimo.

The champion started off well. He marched down Yaqui and at ringside they spoke of the famed Saad Muhammad second wind that had carried him away from danger and safely home so often in the past. Sanguine rivulets of blood flowed slightly swifter from cuts between and over the challenger’s eyes and helped render him flat-footed against the ropes and shipping punches for the first time that night.

From that unfavourable position, a minute and a half into a round he was losing, he unleashed a furious attack of around forty unanswered blows. There were rights and lefts that both Muhammad’s zygomatic arches would have nightmares about for years to come. The champ grinned but he was fooling no one. This was the most visceral theatre of visible psychomachy since his childhood scraps on 13th Street and few watching on were backing his body to triumph. Had in-play online betting been around, there wouldn’t have been enough zeros on the internet to offer appropriate odds on him retaining his belt.

Yet when Yaqui finally paused for breath, presumably confident that his opponent would do nothing more threatening than breathe heavily into his ear and hang on for a few seconds of respite before being put out of his misery, Muhammad immediately came back to life. If this was a movie we’d all be panning it for the unacceptable levels of implausibility.

But it is there, see for yourself. Yaqui threw a couple of stalling hooks to keep him honest, and was moving forward and landing a fizzing straight right as the bell called time on the greatest three minutes of 1980, but somehow the course of the narrative had been irrevocably removed from his gloved fists. Though it was Yaqui’s round and he was still up on all scorecards and yet to be truly troubled, simply by staying upright, Muhammad had wrestled the initiative and belief and momentum from the Mexican.

Yaqui didn’t win another round. As an offensive force he was spent bar some sporadic bursts that caught the observer’s eye more than his opponent’s attention. Every report you read will tell you he punched himself out: that it was physical exhaustion that cost him. But it was deeper than that. A psychological exhaustion cloaked him like a wet quilt and his soul drowned before his body followed into the depths. Muhammad’s ability to withstand 24 minutes of his most articulate violence broke his spirit. All that was left for the champ was to finish off the tiring flesh and bone that circled, at times totally innocuously, away from him in the remaining seven rounds.

Yaqui didn’t win another round. As an offensive force he was spent bar some sporadic bursts that caught the observer’s eye more than his opponent’s attention. Every report you read will tell you he punched himself out: that it was physical exhaustion that cost him. But it was deeper than that. A psychological exhaustion cloaked him like a wet quilt and his soul drowned before his body followed into the depths. Muhammad’s ability to withstand 24 minutes of his most articulate violence broke his spirit. All that was left for the champ was to finish off the tiring flesh and bone that circled, at times totally innocuously, away from him in the remaining seven rounds.

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