Best I Faced: Wilfredo Rivera

Wilfredo Rivera was a mainstay within the white-hot welterweight division within the mid Nineteen Nineties-early 2000s. Throughout that point, the gifted Puerto Rican challenged for a world title on three events in opposition to two superstars – Pernell Whitaker (twice) and Oscar De La Hoya – and fought a number of different massive names of the period, together with Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas.

Rivera was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Could 4, 1969. His early years had been significantly tough.

“My mom raised us alone, and there was no ASUME (government-sponsored baby help). My father was not obliged to provide us [assistance], and we went hungry,” Rivera informed The Ring. “To make issues worse, my mom is schizophrenic, and once they put her away, they divided us into totally different properties and I didn’t hear from my brother or sister once more till Mother got here out to select us up. I suffered from mistreatment; everybody gave me lashes to make me respect them, and on prime of that they punished us, hardly giving us meals.”

The teenager discovered boxing accidentally when he was 8 years outdated.

“My dad took my brother and me to stay in the home of an older brother [of his] who was proper subsequent to a boxing fitness center,” he recalled. “Enjoying round, I noticed that there was a noise, like bursts of pictures, and out of curiosity I went to see what it was. I entered – there have been males hitting a big bag, others leaping rope, others lifting weights. A world unknown to me and apparently enjoyable. 

“I began going on daily basis, and coach Don Eusebio noticed my curiosity in studying and being a part of his staff of boxers. I had my first struggle with him and I gained.”

Rivera (left) defeated former 140-pound titleholder Lonnie Smith in 1993 en path to successful a welterweight match on the Discussion board in Inglewood, California. (Photograph by Holly Stein /Allsport by way of Getty Pictures)

Rivera had a profitable beginner profession, successful nationwide titles from the youth to senior stage and represented Puerto Rico in 4 worldwide tournaments, the place he claimed a bronze and a gold medal. 

He gained a match to qualify for the Seoul Olympics in 1988. Nevertheless, the Puerto Rican boxing Federation selected one other boxer to compete in his weight class.

Rivera, who went 51-6 as an beginner, turned skilled at 18 as a junior light-weight, scoring a fourth-round stoppage over fellow debutant Ivan Centeno in April 1988. He gained 5 extra fights and was then matched in opposition to future light-weight titlist Leavander Johnson. On the conclusion of 4 rounds, the struggle was dominated a draw. 

Rivera moved up in weight as his physique matured. He maintained his unbeaten report and impressively gained three fights in opposition to Ariel Chaves (RTD 6), former junior welterweight titleholder Lonnie Smith (UD 10) and skilled campaigner Stephan Johnson (UD 10) on his approach to claiming first place within the Budweiser 147-pound match on the Discussion board in Inglewood, California, in 1993.

Pernell Whitaker made an enormous impression on Rivera throughout their two fights. (Photograph by Al Bello /Allsport by way of Getty Pictures)

“I gained the welterweight match that was supposed to provide me the chance to struggle for the title in or earlier than six months, and it wasn’t till 1996 that I acquired it,” he revealed. He says he was additionally speculated to obtain $50,000 and a Grand Marquis automotive, however these rewards had been additionally elusive. “They solely gave me $5,000 and I by no means noticed the automotive. Some charlatans!”

Automobile or not, Rivera grew to become the No. 1 ranked fighter within the IBF, WBA and WBC. The chance to turn into a world champion in one in every of boxing’s showpiece divisions arrived within the type of WBC titlist and pound-for-pound No. 1 Pernell Whitaker. They’d face off on the tropical Caribbean Island of Saint Martin in April 1996, with the struggle televised on HBO.

“Saint Martin, it was a lovely journey, its charming seashores and nice climate. Similar to the city of Loiza in Puerto Rico, the place we even have seashores and even rivers. It was an unforgettable expertise.”

Though the supremely gifted Whitaker was the pre-fight favourite, Rivera had youth on his aspect and boxed the struggle of his life.

“You’ll discover that I dominated him in his boxing, as a result of I did the identical factor to him that he did to all his opponents –  struggle in opposition to him – and that annoyed him,” mentioned Rivera, who misplaced a hotly contested 12-round cut up resolution. “[He] maliciously headbutted [me] and brought on a deep wound on my brow. I used to be bleeding from the second spherical to the top. The referee was bothering me all through the struggle and even deducted some extent from me.”

Whitaker claimed {that a} case of the flu had hindered his efficiency, and as a result of closeness of the primary struggle they met in a direct rematch in Miami in September 1996.

“I used to be the aggressor and I [pushed] Whitaker backwards on a regular basis, and never as a result of he was boxing. Even when he was combating me, my bodyshots damage him and he began to complain,” Rivera mentioned. “I knocked him to the bottom 3 times due to how robust I felt, although referee Frank Santore Jr. very [wrongly] didn’t [deliver a count] for 2 of the three knockdowns, in apparent favoritism and following orders from their selling bosses.

“In the previous couple of rounds, Whitaker was already wanting drained and sore, very totally different from the Whitaker he at all times sorted his fights with the others. If the referee had counted even another fall from the three I gave him, it will have been a draw on one card and a win for me on the opposite two. Nonetheless, the choice was solely by a number of factors on the three judges’ scorecards.”

Rivera’s struggle in opposition to De La Hoya was his third try and win a world title. (Photograph by Tom Mihalek/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)

Rivera  licked his wounds and rebounded with 4 wins over the following 15 months to earn a 3rd world title tilt in opposition to Whitaker’s conqueror, unbeaten four-division titleholder Oscar De La Hoya, in Atlantic Metropolis.

“I misplaced resulting from an absence of excellent preparation with Oscar De La Hoya,” he mentioned. “There was by no means any certainty that this struggle would happen till three weeks earlier than the struggle … and I began coaching very late. I used to be in the midst of a divorce; my ex-wife’s attorneys had been already asking for half! That didn’t permit me to organize like once I confronted Whitaker.

“When the boxers are going to place the wraps on their palms, as a basic rule a coach representing every nook have to be current to see the opponent’s wrapping. The De La Hoya staff was current once they put the wraps on me, however one in every of my coaches was not allowed to see Oscar De La Hoya’s wraps! No person mentioned or did something.

“He lower my proper eyebrow with the primary blow he might give me. I stood up and fought him, successful rounds 5, six and 7, on all three scorecards, however within the eighth, Oscar threw a flurry of punches, hitting me with none and referee Joe Cortez stopped it for no purpose. Actually, if I had been ready like Whitaker, I’d have knocked him out!”

Rivera acquired again to successful methods in his subsequent struggle, besting veteran Carlos Palomino (UD 10) earlier than his subsequent massive alternative got here in opposition to Shane Mosley in September 1999.

“I [didn’t have] the preparation [that I had] for Whitaker,” mentioned Rivera. “I used to be going by means of an unfair divorce, for which I used to be stripped of all the cash earned, because the courtroom freezes the accounts till the case is resolved in an effort to divide the shared belongings. The divorce took 4 years to resolve the shared belongings. For that purpose, I agreed to struggle for less than $125,000.”

Rivera was forward on one scorecard when he was stopped by Mosley in Spherical 10. 

Rivera did nicely on the scorecards in opposition to Shane Mosley however was stopped within the tenth spherical. (Photograph by Donald Miralle /Allsport by way of Getty Pictures)

He wasn’t completed, nevertheless, and gained two fights earlier than assembly former junior middleweight titlist Fernando Vargas on two weeks’ discover in Could 2001.

Though Rivera dropped Vargas early within the struggle, “El Feroz” rebounded and stopped him within the sixth spherical.

The Vargas loss signaled the house stretch of Rivera’s profession, and he fought for the ultimate time in July 2005. He retired with a report of 35-7-1 (21 knockouts).

“I retired and labored driving vehicles; I labored as a safety guard in warehouses,” he mentioned. “My ex-wife took all my cash and that’s why I used to be homeless. I ended up sleeping and residing in my automotive.

“The honorable mayor Ramón Luis Rivera Cruz of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, known as me to provide me the large alternative to work on what I’m most keen about and what I do know greatest, which is to be a boxing coach.”

Rivera, now 55, has 5 kids, who all stay within the U.S. He lives in Bayamon. He graciously took time to talk to The Ring about the very best he fought in 10 key classes. 

Followers of Candy Pea gained’t be shocked by his selections …

BEST JAB

Pernell Whitaker: “The jab is an important punch for each boxer. Whitaker was a southpaw and used his jabs very fluently to hit very exhausting.”   

BEST DEFENSE

Whitaker: “His protection was based mostly on the flexibility to maneuver across the ring, in addition to having good motion on the waist. A boxer who can transfer, punch and dodge on the similar time is a tricky boxer to hit, and that’s what Pernell Whitaker did. That gave him time to dodge his opponents’ blows and instantly counterattack, making himself untouchable. The man was a defensive grasp.”

BEST FOOTWORK

Whitaker: “Whitaker was fast along with his palms and toes, shifting with ease and pace within the ring. He performed with most boxers, together with the good Mexican champion Julio Cesar Chavez. The footwork was unbelievable, the angles he would create by means of motion.”

FASTEST HANDS 

Whitaker: “Whitaker was very quick. His pace was one thing else, and likewise the angles he would use. And once I tried to counterattack, he’d be proper on prime once more.”

SMARTEST 

Whitaker : “I used to be boxing since I used to be 8 years outdated, and once I acquired in there with Whitaker, I noticed a man that knew simply as a lot as me, if no more. In his actions, counterattack, the ring generalship, his protection, pace … I used to be very impressed by the pedigree; the man was an all-around basic. I hadn’t ever skilled anybody within the ring so in tune with every little thing.”

STRONGEST 

Shane Mosley: “Mosley was very robust. I used to be hitting him with issues and he saved coming ahead. I simply felt he was the strongest all-around.”

BEST CHIN

Whitaker: “I went 24 rounds with that man and hit him with every little thing. Certain, he went down, however he did get again up. Regardless of the very fact [that Felix] Trinidad knocked him to the bottom; he couldn’t end it by knockout. That’s why Whitaker will get credit score for having a jaw of metal.”

BIGGEST PUNCHER

Cassius Clay Horne (April 1995, Las Vegas): “When he hit me with a left hand, I used to be virtually out on my toes. The ache wouldn’t go away, even after I knocked him out within the eighth spherical. If I keep in mind appropriately, I felt the ache in my face, which acquired higher once I lastly acquired to Puerto Rico!”

BEST BOXING SKILLS

Whitaker: “Ability-wise, he was unbelievable. His ring generalship, he could be dancing whereas boxing. He’s a lefty, however he’d transfer the other method and throw a jab and nonetheless hit you. He’d hit you to the physique and go up prime.”

BEST OVERALL

Whitaker: “He was the very best all-around. His conditioning was unbelievable, he was a lefty, he was quick, the agility, had a chin and a never-give-up angle. Whitaker was an excellent champion, identical to Sugar Ray Leonard was.”

Mauricio Gonzalez helped translate and make this function potential. The Ring appreciates his help.

Questions and/or feedback will be despatched to Anson at [email protected].

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