Jose Guadalupe Pintor Guzman (born
April 13, 1955), better known as Lupe Pintor, is a former world boxing
champion from Cuajimalpa, Mexico. Nicknamed El Indio De Cuajimalpa
or The Indian From Cuajimalpa, he started boxing professionally in
1974. Pintor is a double World Champion, having held the WBC World
Bantamweight Championship from 1978 until 1983 and the WBC World Super
Bantamweight Championship from 1985 to 1986. He was involved in some
of the most spectacular and controversial contests in boxing history
and retired in 1995.
Early life & career
Lupe Pintor was
born into a poor, working class family in Cuajimalpa, just outside
Mexico City in 1955 and is alleged to have had an extremely violent
relationship with his father, eventually forcing him to run away.
He lived for a time on the city streets, learning how to look after
himself and began boxing professionally in 1974.
He opened his
account with a second round knockout of Manuel Vazquez and immediately
stepped up to ten round bouts, claiming a decision over Francisco
Nunez on his next outing. He suffered his first loss three fights
later, when disqualified against Margarito Lozano, but claimed victory
in his next eight bouts, seven by knockout, including wins over notalbles
Juan Diaz, Rocky Mijares and Willie Jespen.
Pintor first boxed
future World Bantamweight Champion Alberto Davila on February 25,
1976, losing a decision over ten rounds then embarked on a winning
streak of some twenty two fights in a row. Amongst the fighters he
beat during this period were Gerald Hayes - who later conquered Juan
Laporte - and Antonio Becerra, one of the few men ever to get the
better of Salvador Sanchez.
He then travelled to Puerto Rico,
where he lost a ten round decision to Leo Cruz - himself a future
world champion. Returning to Mexico, Pintor lost for the second time
in a row, carelessly dropping a decision to journeyman Jose Luis Soto.
Another winning streak, comprising five fights in a row, all by way
of knockout and he was ready for a shot at the world title.
World
Champion
Carlos Zarate was Pintor's stable mate and a fellow Mexican.
He was an outstanding champion and continues to be rated one of the
very best of all Bantamweights. The records however, show that Pintor
edged a very close and controversial split decision, following a remarkable
contest that saw him hit the canvas in round four. But the judges
were so at variance when recording their verdict, that (like already
stated) the contest remains a matter of controversy today. Naturally,
the new World Champion's relationship with Zarate - already strained
- took another hit and Zarate retired in disgust.
Pintor was
a busy champion and he began his reign by engaging in three non title
bouts, beating Aucencio Melendez by a knockout in the first and avenging
his loss to Jose Luis Soto before losing a rematch with Manuel Vazquez
by a knockout in six. Then he began to defend his title in earnest,
retaining it with a knockout in twelve over Alberto Sandoval in Los
Angeles and drawing over fifteen with Eijiro Murata in Tokyo.
His
next bout brought a touch of tragedy to his career. He defended against
Johnny Owen of Wales in Los Angeles. Many of the fans present and
the authors of The Ring's Boxing in The 20th Century, have agreed
that the fight should have been stopped during round ten. But it carried
on until the close of the twelfth, when Pintor unleashed a savage
right hand, knocking his opponent out cold. Owen failed to regain
consciousness, lapsed into a coma and died seven weeks later.
Saddened,
Pintor encouraged by Owen's family resumed his career by avenging
his loss to Davila, retaining the title by unanimous decision. He
went on to retain the belt against Jose Uziga again by decision and
Jovito Rengifo, by a knockout in eight. He stopped Hurricane Teru
in the fifteenth and final round to close 1981 and began 1982, by
retaining the title against Seung-Hoon Lee with an eleventh round
knockout.
