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 checklist of the most effective fights between these two nice pugilistic nations, nor of essentially 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 battle followers limp after virtually fourteen full rounds of livid, continuous, back-and-forth fireworks.
Gomez of Puerto Rico, one of many best super-bantamweights of all-time, was rebounding from a crushing upset loss the 12 months 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 12 months with a victory over Mexican bantamweight champ Pintor would go a protracted method to restoring his fearsome repute after his thrashing by the hands of Sanchez.
Mexico’s Pintor, having loved a sequence of title wins since his controversial victory over the nice Carlos Zarate in 1979, was in quest of greater sport. A victory over Gomez meant an enormous step up when it comes to repute 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 principle occasion on Don King’s “Carnival of Champions” card on the Louisiana Superdome; as a substitute Thomas Hearns vs Wilfred Benitez would function the anti-climax after Gomez and Pintor had waged their unforgettable battle. On reflection how may anybody have anticipated Hearns vs Benitez to not be upstaged by this nice Mexico vs Puerto Rico match-up?
Gomez bought 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 greater punch output alongside along with his benefits in measurement and energy would carry the day. However the third spherical, one of many nice motion rounds of the 12 months, 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 palms. The 2 traded heavy pictures, 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, paying homage 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 following three rounds belonged to Gomez who continued to assault, expending extra vitality 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 battle, however the actual drama started within the later rounds. The ninth and tenth belonged to the surging Mexican, who clearly had extra vitality 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 will 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 better energy edging it. Pintor’s resilience was rising because the story of the battle as, astonishingly, he appeared unmarked and amazingly recent 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 every part 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 toes, nonetheless firing again, after which beautiful Gomez with a left hook, and it was Wilfredo who needed to be helped again to his nook by his crew.
Had it been scheduled for twelve rounds, Gomez vs Pintor would probably 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 virtually fully closed, Pintor had the momentum. Which made the end all of the extra stunning.
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 may barely see, and later confessed to be combating strictly on intuition, lastly struck dwelling with essentially the most telling blow of the battle, a vicious left to the physique, adopted by a proper to the pinnacle, the blows ensuing within the first knockdown of the epic battle. Amazingly, Pintor rose, however he was completed; that onerous 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 exhausting left hand, this one to the jaw, and the referee instantly halted what nonetheless stands as maybe the best of all the nice Mexico vs Puerto Rico battles in boxing historical past. — Robert Portis
