“El Neverito de La Lagunilla” – World Boxing Association

A number of weeks in the past, after we printed our chronicle concerning the nice figures within the historical past of Mexican boxing, a bunch nice figures indisputably led by Julio César ” The Emperor” Chávez, to which we added names akin to Rubén “El Púas” Olivares, Ricardo “Finito” López, Raúl “Ratón” Macías, José “Pipino” Cuevas, amongst dozens of others, we additionally additionally point out, Rodolfo Casanova from Guanajuato, nicknamed indistinctly “El Chango”, “Child” and “El Neverito de La Lagunilla”, the title we selected for this text.

Undoubtedly, Casanova occupies a really particular place in Mexican boxing historical past as a result of he was the principle attraction within the early 1930’s and mid 40’s, as Macías, Olivares and Chávez have been later, and immediately, the extremely debated Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez.

That place of idol, thought-about by followers and consultants of the time, was earned by “El Chango” for his aggressiveness and braveness within the ring, for the facility of his punches and, as well as, for his distinctive items of humility and friendliness. Connoisseurs acknowledge that within the annals of Mexican boxing, there had by no means been a fighter who aroused a lot idolatry within the land of Benito Juárez earlier than him.

However “El Neverito de La Lagunilla”, a nickname he earned for having labored as a modest worker of an ice cream parlor within the neighborhood of that title, northwest of the capital, the place he lived since he was a baby, squandered his distinctive boxing expertise together with his loopy and bohemian life exterior the ring, in nights of limitless partying with girls and buddies, profusely watered with bottles and bottles of alcohol, sleeping immediately in a single mattress, tomorrow in one other, in that well-known and unsure path adopted, earlier than and after him, by a whole lot of many different boxers, each in Mexico and around the globe..

CHAMPION WITHOUT A CROWN 

It’s value mentioning that Casanova’s private and sporting life served as a mannequin for the film “Campeón sin corona”, filmed and screened in 1945, thought-about a jewel of the “Golden Age” of Mexican cinema, directed by Alberto Galindo with David Silva within the position of Child Terranova, the real-life Casanova’s alter ego.

Child Terranova-Rodolfo Casanova offscreen-is the boxer who finally ends up a failure and forgotten opposite to his virtues within the ring.

The nickname Chango, a time period utilized in Mexico to seek advice from an ape, got here to him and his brother Carlos from his childhood days in La Lagunilla (northeast of the historic heart of the Mexican capital) due to his lengthy, dangling arms.

“El Chango” entered the boxing world on the age of 17 after a short while in novice boxing, on 9/5/32. He debuted with a win in 4 over Paco Villa, on the Area Nacional, after which added 11 in a row, 7 earlier than the restrict, and a disqualification.

In November of that yr, the Filipino Speedy Dado (Diosdado Posadas), with a file of 72-12-13, stopped the teen’s march. Casanova avenged Dado within the rematch with a knockout in December after which added one other 6 wins in a row.

Younger Tommy beat him on factors on the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, in July of the next yr, however in August the Mexican knocked him out in 5, in Mexico Metropolis. Between that yr and April of the next yr he beat Harry Fierro, Johnny Zavala, Child Palmore, Juan Rivero, Dado once more, Chris Pineda, Willie Davies and Little Dempsey. Of those, solely Dado completed on his ft.

On Could 29, ’34 he confronted the American veteran Freddie Miller, NBA featherweight world champion (later WBA) in a 10-round struggle and failed on factors on the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. For Miller it was a pyrrhic triumph as a result of on his approach to the dressing room he fainted and needed to be handled urgently, crushed by the punishment obtained from Casanova, who on January 1/36 took revenge by unanimous determination on the Plaza El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos within the capital.

By then the wasted life, alcohol, amorous affairs, staggering dwelling when the solar was rising, was an on a regular basis factor and the physique was starting to cross the invoice.

MEXICO MOURNED HIS FAILURE

The month after the primary conflict with Miller, “Chango” obtained the chance for the struggle of his life. He traveled to Canada for his first likelihood on the NBA (now WBA) bantamweight belt held by Puerto Rican Sixto “El Gallito” Escobar, the primary Puerto Rican common sovereign. The struggle was staged on the Montreal Discussion board on June 26, 1934 and marked the start of the historic boxing rivalry between the 2 nations, which have produced some 300 world champions since these days till now, with unforgettable battles akin to these of Salvador Sanchez vs Wilfredo Gomez; the latter vs. Carlos Zarate; “Pipino” Cuevas-Angel “Cholo” Espada; Edwin “Chapo” Rosario-Jose Luis Ramirez; Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito, amongst many others…

Within the aforementioned Montreal struggle, Casanova went up as a press favourite and 8-5 within the betting, particularly due to the media feedback that praised the “manito’s” bodily situation, the facility of his punches, his fixed offensive type of combating, versus the technicality of the champion, his solely advantage superior to these of the challenger.

Few folks knew, in fact, that “Chango” had escaped from the lodge the night time earlier than and was discovered within the early morning, drunk and misplaced, in a random avenue. Escobar, who was not distinguished by his punch (he had solely 7 wins by knockout in 31 performances), overwhelmed the challenger in virtually each spherical, knocked him down within the third with a proper hand and dispatched him on a full depend within the ninth of the 15 rounds with a left hook and an uppercut to the chin.

After the setback, in mourning for the Mexican individuals who have been positive of his victory and who wept for his defeat – inscribed in historical past as one of many biggest disappointments in boxing and in sports activities generally in his nation – Casanova went again on the highway, though together with his followers already disenchanted and his idolatry ostensibly battered.

He added many different victories (53) of relative shine and accrued 18 setbacks. Among the many successes was the conquest of the nationwide bantamweight belts towards Alberto Child Arizmendi (formally the primary Mexican world champion) in June 1935 and the featherweight belt towards Juan Zurita (who would later change into world light-weight champion), a loser. 4 out of 5 towards Casanova. To those two belts he added the light-weight belt towards Joe Conde, his worst enemy, who knocked him out in a single spherical within the rematch, in November 1937.

On August 4, 1948, Rodolfo Chango Casanova, the Mexican idol the ultimate till then, left boxing perpetually. He did it with another victory, as he began his profession, towards Folly Villegas within the Coliseo Area of the capital. Between 1932 and 1948 he accrued a file of 81 wins (51 by KO), 22 defeats (9 by knockout) and three attracts in 106 bouts.

In that lengthy 16-year journey on the ring, “El Chango” confronted, defeated and misplaced to the perfect of boxing in Mexico,  U.S.A. and different nations. No taller than 5′ 3½″, he fought within the bantamweight, featherweight, light-weight and welterweight divisions, and was nationwide champion within the first three. 

Amongst his a whole lot of opponents have been the aforementioned Juan Zurita, whom he dominated in 4 of 5 fights, between 1934-38, 3 by KO and one KO towards; the legendary Child Azteca (Luis Villanueva Paramo), who fought between 1932-1961, in 4 completely different decades-as did Archie Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Roberto “Manos ‘E Piedra” Duran and George Foreman-and Rodolfo Casanova additionally fought the immortal Henry Armstrong, towards whom he clashed 2 occasions for a win by disqualification and a KO3 towards and Panchito Villa (Francisco Contreras, with none hyperlink to Francisco Guilledo, higher referred to as Pancho Villa, an Asian boxing legend), whom he confronted 4 occasions for 2-2, two KO’s in his favor and a couple of choices towards him, His struggle towards “Child Azteca” on March 1925 was known as by the press “The Struggle of the Century of Mexico”, received by “Chango” on factors in 12 rounds.

EPILOGUE

To conclude, allow us to say that “El Chango”, the “Child”, “El Neverito de La Lagunilla”, was born in Leon, Guanajuato, on Could 21, 1915. He died on the age of 65 on November 23, 1980. Shortly earlier than his demise, he was seen begging within the neighborhood of the well-known Garibaldi Sq. and it was reported that he was out and in of hospitals a number of occasions, together with his thoughts misplaced.

His sad life resulted in a shelter for the indigent aged in Mexico Metropolis. Earlier than going to mattress he chatted for some time with a bunch of his fellow victims, loved a frugal dinner of a few tortillas and went to mattress to sleep. He by no means awoke.