R.I.P ‘EL ALACRÁN’
Daniel Herbert pays tribute to a great champion
Paying tribute to one of the featherweight greats, Eusebio Pedroza
THE irony about Eusebio Pedroza, who died of pancreatic cancer aged 62 on March 1, is that most British and Irish fans will remember him for a fight he lost rather than those he won.
The brilliant Panamanian figured in an unforgettable occasion in June 1985 when Barry Mcguigan toppled him in front of 26,000 fans at Loftus Road football ground, plus millions more watching live on BBC television.
Yet it would be a grave disservice to reduce Pedroza to that one night, when youthful dynamism overcame his experience. His reign as WBA featherweight champion lasted seven years, remarkable in an era when the existence of only two titles (the WBC was the other) made it difficult to avoid dangerous challengers.
To put things in perspective, in the seven years preceding Pedroza’s stint no fewer than seven men held that WBA 126lb belt.
Pedroza retained his title a divisionrecord 19 times, many on the road – he defended in Puerto Rico, Japan, the USA, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, Venezuela, and Italy (plus the UK of course).
And this was in the days of 15-round title fights, not to mention same-day weigh-ins. That was significant for a man who in his later career struggled to make weight, being tall for 9st (126lbs) at 5ft 9ins.
Remarkably, his first world title shot had come down at bantam (118lbs) in 1976, still only 20 and less than three years after his pro debut. In his first fight outside Panama, he travelled to Mexico and was wiped out inside two rounds by big-hitting WBA king Alfonso Zamora.
When his next fight brought a six-round KO loss to Oscar Arnal in Venezuela, it seemed Eusebio lacked the resilience for the top level. Yet it would prove his last defeat for nine years.
Three victories in 1977, plus Panama’s influence with the WBA, helped secure a crack at Cecilio Lastra for that body’s 126lb belt in April 1978. Pedroza knocked out the Spaniard in 13 rounds and proved a far greater champion than anyone could have imagined.
His height and long arms enabled him to outbox rivals with an educated left hand backed by hurtful hooks and crosses. Nicknamed “Alacran” (Spanish for scorpion), Pedroza won 10 of his 13 first defences inside schedule – and when weight-making woes increased, he became a master at conserving his energy, using his experience to outlast opponents. He was also an expert at the darker arts: his use of elbows, shoulders, low blows and kidney punches led this magazine’s then-editor Harry Mullan, in his preview of the Mcguigan fight, to call Pedroza “the dirtiest fighter in the modern game”.
Disappointingly, the sport’s politics
IT WOULD BE A GRAVE DISSERVICE TO REDUCE PEDROZA TO ONE NIGHT
scuppered superfights against rival WBC champions Danny Lopez, Salvador Sanchez and Azumah Nelson. Yet Pedroza’s quality could be seen in two successful defences against future champions Rocky Lockridge and Juan Laporte. Lockridge died last month.
And don’t forget that Pedroza’s 13th-round KO of Pat Ford came five months after the quality Guyanese had lost to Sanchez only via majority decision for the WBC crown.
But by the mid-1980s Pedroza was wearing down. Slippery Bernard Taylor held him to a draw in 1982 and he managed only two fights in each of the next two years. In the summer of 1985 Pedroza was persuaded to risk his crown against rising Mcguigan.
Mullan called Pedroza “one of the outstanding modern champions”, adding that his 19 defences “entitled him to be ranked with the legends of his division”. Yet he felt the time was right for a changing of the guard – and was vindicated when the swarming Mcguigan dropped the champ in round seven en route to a wide unanimous decision. Pedroza was under severe pressure in the closing stages, but showed a champion’s pride to reach the final bell.
The glory days were over. After a break, Pedroza returned at lightweight to lose two of his remaining five fights, the last in 1992 at Detroit’s Holy Redeemer High School gymnasium, of all places, leaving his record at 42-6-1 (25) 1NC. The exceptional Panamanian had earned his place in the sport’s pantheon.
Mcguigan paid tribute, saying: “Eusebio Pedroza gave me my greatest night in boxing.
“What a champion he was, one of the greatest featherweights in the history of boxing - seven years a champ, 19 unbeaten defences.
“It is so sad he has died at 62 after a long illness. He made an indelible mark on our sport and will never be forgotten.”
‘HE MADE AN INDELIBLE MARK AND WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN’