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Paulino
Uzcudun was a
Basque
heavyweight
boxer, who is considered to be the greatest
heavyweight from
Spain.
Uzcudun, known as Paulino in the
United States,
was the European heavyweight champion, and he fought
heavyweight champions
Joe Louis,
Max Baer,
Max Schmeling
(thrice) and
Primo Carnera
during his career. The former butcher – incorrectly
named 'the Basque
woodchopper'
– retired from boxing with a record of 50 wins
(34KOs), 17 losses and 3 draws.
Uzcudun was a very rugged boxer
who fought out of a crouch. He had a powerful left
hook, and fought the toughest heavyweights of his
time. He was afforded only one opportunity at the
world's heavyweight championship, but was outpointed
in a fifteen round fight by Primo Carnera of
Italy
on
October 22,
1933.
Uzcudun also "retired" the
famed
Harry Wills,
when he stopped him in four rounds on
July 13,
1927.
The tough and durable Uzcudun was never knocked off
his feet, or kayoed until his last professional fight.
On
December 13,
1935,
Uzcudun made the mistake of coming out of retirement
to meet Joe Louis. In the fourth round, Louis hit
Uzcudun with a swift, powerful right uppercut that
knocked him down and out. |
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