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On this date again in 1982, Wilfredo Gomez and Lupe Pintor helped write one other thrilling chapter within the lengthy saga of wonderful violence that’s the rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico. No record of the best fights between these two nice pugilistic nations, nor of probably the most thrilling clashes of the Eighties, is full with out this basic: Gomez vs Pintor, a barn-burner from the opening bell, testing each warriors to the utmost and leaving struggle followers limp after nearly fourteen full rounds of livid, continuous, back-and-forth fireworks.
Gomez of Puerto Rico, one of many biggest super-bantamweights of all-time, was rebounding from a crushing upset loss the yr earlier than to Corridor of Fame Mexican featherweight champ Salvador Sanchez. He had already recorded a busy 1982, scoring 5 wins together with three profitable defenses of his world title. He knew capping the yr with a victory over Mexican bantamweight champ Pintor would go an extended strategy to restoring his fearsome status after his thrashing by the hands of Sanchez.
Mexico’s Pintor, having loved a collection of title wins since his controversial victory over the great Carlos Zarate in 1979, was seeking larger recreation. A victory over Gomez meant an enormous step up by way of status and incomes energy and Pintor was decided to win his second divisional title. A showdown between dominant champions, astonishingly this assured thriller was not the primary occasion on Don King’s “Carnival of Champions” card on the Louisiana Superdome; as an alternative Thomas Hearns vs Wilfred Benitez would function the anti-climax after Gomez and Pintor had waged their unforgettable struggle. On reflection how might anybody have anticipated Hearns vs Benitez to not be upstaged by this nice Mexico vs Puerto Rico match-up?
Gomez acquired off to a quick begin, jolting Pintor with an uppercut within the opening spherical and dominating the second. It appeared Wilfredo had seized the initiative and his increased punch output alongside along with his benefits in dimension and energy would carry the day. However the third spherical, one of many nice motion rounds of the yr, noticed Pintor reverse the momentum. After absorbing a shellacking on the ropes for a full minute, the challenger abruptly took the play from Gomez, touchdown with each fingers. The 2 traded heavy photographs, toe-to-toe, till the bell, with Pintor getting the higher of it.
And as soon as Pintor started connecting, the flesh round Gomez’s eyes instantly started to swell, harking back to “Bazooka’s” battle with Sanchez. Nonetheless, Gomez by no means stopped attacking, taking the fourth spherical on pure aggression, earlier than the Mexican rebounded within the fifth, staying off the ropes in that spherical and utilizing his left lead successfully. The subsequent three rounds belonged to Gomez who continued to assault, expending extra power than the challenger as he sought to overwhelm the smaller man. Against this, Pintor fought patiently, ready for alternatives to return. And are available they did.
Gomez vs Pintor was already a fast-paced, all-action struggle, however the true drama started within the later rounds. The ninth and tenth belonged to the surging Mexican, who clearly had extra power than the tiring Puerto Rican, each in his legs and in his punches. It was now clear that the longer the competition lasted, the more severe it might be for Gomez as his cheekbones continued to puff up, his nook frantically making use of ice between rounds. However time seemed to be in Pintor’s nook because the blistering, back-and-forth motion solely intensified.
Spherical eleven was one other slugfest, each warriors having their moments, however with Gomez’s larger energy edging it. Pintor’s resilience was rising because the story of the struggle as, astonishingly, he appeared unmarked and amazingly contemporary after eleven rounds of a brutal battle. However he wanted all of his toughness and braveness to outlive the following spherical as a determined Gomez unloaded the whole lot he had in a last-ditch bid to complete it. To the Puerto Rican’s dismay, the round-ending bell noticed Pintor nonetheless on his ft, nonetheless firing again, after which gorgeous Gomez with a left hook, and it was Wilfredo who needed to be helped again to his nook by his workforce.
Had it been scheduled for twelve rounds, Gomez vs Pintor would most definitely have ended with the defending champ taking the choice, however there have been 9 minutes extra to go and “Bazooka” appeared fully spent, no ammunition in reserve. Spherical 13 was the slowest of the match, and with the Puerto Rican’s eyes now nearly fully closed, Pintor had the momentum. Which made the end all of the extra shocking.
In spherical fourteen, a frantic Gomez as soon as once more attacked with all he had, and this time his determined fusillade inflicted some severe harm on the powerful Mexican. The champion, who might barely see, and later confessed to be combating strictly on intuition, lastly struck dwelling with probably the most telling blow of the struggle, a vicious left to the physique, adopted by a proper to the top, the blows ensuing within the first knockdown of the epic wrestle. Amazingly, Pintor rose, however he was completed; that arduous left to the liver had determined the competition. Gomez chased a harm Pintor to the ropes the place the Mexican went down once more after taking one other laborious left hand, this one to the jaw, and the referee instantly halted what nonetheless stands as maybe the best of all the good Mexico vs Puerto Rico battles in boxing historical past. — Robert Portis
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