To say mild heavyweight champion Willie Pastrano was not probably the most enthusiastic or Spartan-like of athletes is a little bit of an understatement. In accordance with his coach, Angelo Dundee, Pastrano’s ordinary phrases as he headed in for his exercise have been, “I’m on my strategy to hell,” and his acknowledged profession goal was to earn sufficient cash to “dynamite the gymnasium.”
Away from coaching camp and the ring he indulged himself, feasting on Italian meals and, regardless of his being married with 5 youngsters, partying it up with each keen younger lady he might discover. A reporter as soon as remarked to Willie that along with his glorious footwork he should be an excellent dancer. “What’s your favorite dance?” requested the scribe. “The horizontal tango,” replied the pugilist.
Thus, holding Willie Pastrano in situation and out of hassle was a full-time job. His weight fluctuated to such a level that this former featherweight even campaigned for some time as a heavyweight however, as he put it years later to Peter Heller, “After I noticed Sonny Liston come on the scene, I stated ‘I’m going again down the place I belong.’”
In 1963 a shot on the mild heavyweight championship fell in Pastrano’s lap when two slated opponents backed out and the organizers of Harold Johnson’s title protection have been wanting underneath rocks for somebody to combat him. Willie capitalized on his golden alternative, boxing Johnson in his clean, stick-and-move type and taking an in depth and considerably controversial fifteen spherical choice.
Pastrano’s folks have been conscious that with the brand new champion’s aversion to gymnasium work and curiosity within the women it was vital to maintain him busy. Lower than two months after his large victory he was again within the ring with a non-title win over journeyman Ollie Wilson, and simply three weeks after that he met Argentine contender Gregorio Peralta in one other non-title scrap. However one thing didn’t go in line with plan in these three weeks as Pastrano regarded stale and timid and the judges gave the choice to the Argentine. “I took him too frivolously,” admitted Willie.
Now it was time for the rematch, with the championship belt on the road, and a win was crucial. Pastrano’s folks organized for the bout to be in his dwelling metropolis of New Orleans and so they bought their man in form. In the meantime, Willie, who was by no means recognized for his punching energy, was anxious sufficient to go prowling round at night time, not within the metropolis’s brothels or dance golf equipment, however in previous church buildings and graveyards, on the lookout for an edge that was supernatural.
“I went to the grave of an previous well-known witch,” he recounted later. “Received them ardour plant flowers, birds of paradise, put it on her grave. I says, ‘Give me a proper hand.’ My buddy that took me thought I used to be loopy.”
However his buddy possibly didn’t assume so come combat night time. Peralta was a devoted physique puncher and Pastrano’s technique was to counter with arduous pictures to the face, conscious of the truth that Gregorio had an inclination to chop. As Dundee acknowledged earlier than the bout, “We bought Willie hitting flat-footed, as a result of this man busts up straightforward.” Ringsiders would later remark that they’d by no means seen Pastrano punch with such drive. For 3 rounds they traded at a livid tempo, Peralta touchdown to the physique, Pastrano connecting upstairs, and within the fourth a proper hand opened up a ugly minimize, virtually two inches lengthy, over Peralta’s left eye. “All that blood,” stated Pastrano afterwards, “gave me a wonderful goal.”
Realizing the combat would doubtless be stopped, Peralta attacked with fury within the fifth, attempting for the knockout, however Pastrano countered with sharp jabs and rights and by the tip of the around the Argentine was a gory mess. The referee declared Peralta unfit to proceed and stopped the match earlier than the beginning of spherical six. Reporters requested Pastrano why the result was so completely different the second time round. “Tonight,” stated Willie, “I cared.” He didn’t point out flowers on a witch’s grave.
Along with his spectacular win Pastrano had earned a break from “hell” and he took it, not combating once more till seven months later when he traveled to England and stopped Terry Downes in eleven rounds. However after that he defended in opposition to Jose Torres in New York Metropolis. The Puerto Rican put Pastrano down with vicious physique punches within the sixth and this time it was Pastrano who was deemed unfit to proceed after the ninth.
That was it. No extra journeys to hell for Willie Pastrano. He by no means did dynamite the gymnasium, however he walked away from it when he was solely thirty and by no means set foot in it ever once more.
— Michael Carbert
