The US mainstream sports media likes to proclaim certain athletes as good or bad 'role models', but they're almost single minded in their obsession with winning. Great NBA players like John Stockton, or NFL players like Dan Marino are criticized for never having won 'the big one'.
The mainstream sports media also likes to depict boxing as a repository of sleaze, but the reality is that more so than other sports 'the sweet science' cares about 'how the game is played'. Boxing pundits place great emphasis on the competitive quality of a fight--great fights like the Morales-Barrera trilogy, Hagler-Hearns or Hagler-Leonard are considered such for the heart and resolve shown by the fighters, not because of who won. The 2004 fight between current 'pound for pound' king Manny Pacquaio and Juan Manuel Marquez is a perfect example--despite breathtaking action from start to finish the fight was ultimately ruled a draw.
Fighters can even be criticized for not having any losses on their record. While the highest level fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Rocky Marciano are certainly exceptions, an undefeated record can often suggest a poor level of opponent as much as it does fistic superiority. A glossy won/loss record alone isn't enough to cement a legacy of greatness in the glorious history of boxing--that has to be earned inside the ring with heart, skill, toughness and character.
Carlos Palomino was a fighter who earned the respect and admiration of fight fans both for his championship skills as well as how he played the game. A native of Sonora, Mexico, Palomino was the welterweight champion of the world for over two years during the mid to late 70s. During this time, he became the first world champion boxer to earn a college degree (from Long Beach State University in California).
Palomino came to the United States when he was ten and, like many Mexican immigrants, started to train as a boxer during his teenage years. He displayed a good deal of skill at an early age, but delayed becoming a professional until after a 2 year stint in the Army where he was the All-Army Welterweight Champion. He also won the national AAU championship in 1972 before turning pro later that year. He was brought along slowly and steadily despite a decision loss to Andy Price in 1974. By the middle of the decade he had put himself into championship contention and finally won the title in June 1976. Palomino scored a TKO victory over Englishman John Stracey in a very hostile environment (London, England) and became the WBC Welterweight Champion. He defended his title seven times over the next two years, before dropping the belt to a hall of fame level opponent in Wilfred Benitez in a split decision (January 1979). He lost his next bout to another hall of fame fighter in Roberto Duran and decided to hang up his gloves. He made a short comeback in the late 1990s, posting a 4-1 record before retiring for good.
Palomino got into acting after his boxing career came to a close, and has worked steadily both in television and film. He's also done a number of commercials, most famously the early Miller Light Beer 'tastes great/less filling' TV spots.
In the ring, Palomino wasn't the typical Mexican fighter stereotype. He was an intelligent, very tactically sound fighter with underrated power and a lethal left hook. More typically, however, he was a fighter who'd break his opponent down slowly with a punishing body attack. Despite not being a typical straight ahead power puncher like so many of his countrymen, he's no doubt among the greatest Mexican boxers in history. - 29772
The mainstream sports media also likes to depict boxing as a repository of sleaze, but the reality is that more so than other sports 'the sweet science' cares about 'how the game is played'. Boxing pundits place great emphasis on the competitive quality of a fight--great fights like the Morales-Barrera trilogy, Hagler-Hearns or Hagler-Leonard are considered such for the heart and resolve shown by the fighters, not because of who won. The 2004 fight between current 'pound for pound' king Manny Pacquaio and Juan Manuel Marquez is a perfect example--despite breathtaking action from start to finish the fight was ultimately ruled a draw.
Fighters can even be criticized for not having any losses on their record. While the highest level fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Rocky Marciano are certainly exceptions, an undefeated record can often suggest a poor level of opponent as much as it does fistic superiority. A glossy won/loss record alone isn't enough to cement a legacy of greatness in the glorious history of boxing--that has to be earned inside the ring with heart, skill, toughness and character.
Carlos Palomino was a fighter who earned the respect and admiration of fight fans both for his championship skills as well as how he played the game. A native of Sonora, Mexico, Palomino was the welterweight champion of the world for over two years during the mid to late 70s. During this time, he became the first world champion boxer to earn a college degree (from Long Beach State University in California).
Palomino came to the United States when he was ten and, like many Mexican immigrants, started to train as a boxer during his teenage years. He displayed a good deal of skill at an early age, but delayed becoming a professional until after a 2 year stint in the Army where he was the All-Army Welterweight Champion. He also won the national AAU championship in 1972 before turning pro later that year. He was brought along slowly and steadily despite a decision loss to Andy Price in 1974. By the middle of the decade he had put himself into championship contention and finally won the title in June 1976. Palomino scored a TKO victory over Englishman John Stracey in a very hostile environment (London, England) and became the WBC Welterweight Champion. He defended his title seven times over the next two years, before dropping the belt to a hall of fame level opponent in Wilfred Benitez in a split decision (January 1979). He lost his next bout to another hall of fame fighter in Roberto Duran and decided to hang up his gloves. He made a short comeback in the late 1990s, posting a 4-1 record before retiring for good.
Palomino got into acting after his boxing career came to a close, and has worked steadily both in television and film. He's also done a number of commercials, most famously the early Miller Light Beer 'tastes great/less filling' TV spots.
In the ring, Palomino wasn't the typical Mexican fighter stereotype. He was an intelligent, very tactically sound fighter with underrated power and a lethal left hook. More typically, however, he was a fighter who'd break his opponent down slowly with a punishing body attack. Despite not being a typical straight ahead power puncher like so many of his countrymen, he's no doubt among the greatest Mexican boxers in history. - 29772
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a well known writer specializing in combat sports including boxing, MMA and pro wrestling. He contributes UFC news to a number of online and broadcast media outlets. He is a frequent sports radio guest and MMA news blog contributor. He's currently working on a biography of pro wrestling announcer Gordon Solie.
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