José Isidro "Pipino" Cuevas González (born December 27, 1957 in
Santo Tomás de los PlátanosSanto Tomás de los Platanos is a town and governmental seat of the municipality of Santo Tomás, located in the center-west of Mexico State, in Mexico...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
) is a
MexicanThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
former world champion
boxerBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
at the welterweight division.
Cuevas turned professional at age fourteen, he won only seven of his first twelve bouts but eventually put together an eight bout winning streak before losing to
Andy Price- Selected Credits :*Law & Order: UK*Robin Hood*The Inspector Lynley Mysteries*David Starkey’s Elizabeth-Awards & Nominations:*2000 - BAFTA *2002 - Christopher Whelan Award - Won...
. On July 17, 1976, he received a shot at the
WBAThe World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. It is also the most major title out of the four. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
welterweight title against champion
Angel EspadaAngel Espada is a former boxer from Puerto Rico. He was the WBA's world Welterweight champion. A music lover, Espada also organized, during the late 1970s, a salsa orchestra...
.
José Isidro "Pipino" Cuevas González (born December 27, 1957 in
Santo Tomás de los PlátanosSanto Tomás de los Platanos is a town and governmental seat of the municipality of Santo Tomás, located in the center-west of Mexico State, in Mexico...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
) is a
MexicanThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
former world champion
boxerBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
at the welterweight division.
Cuevas turned professional at age fourteen, he won only seven of his first twelve bouts but eventually put together an eight bout winning streak before losing to
Andy Price- Selected Credits :*Law & Order: UK*Robin Hood*The Inspector Lynley Mysteries*David Starkey’s Elizabeth-Awards & Nominations:*2000 - BAFTA *2002 - Christopher Whelan Award - Won...
. On July 17, 1976, he received a shot at the
WBAThe World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. It is also the most major title out of the four. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
welterweight title against champion
Angel EspadaAngel Espada is a former boxer from Puerto Rico. He was the WBA's world Welterweight champion. A music lover, Espada also organized, during the late 1970s, a salsa orchestra...
. Cuevas pulled off an upset victory by knocking Espada to the canvas three times in the second round. Cuevas then defended his title against Shoji Tsujimoto.
One of the greatest wins of his career was against Argentinian Miguel Angel Campanino who boasted an impressive record (84-4-4), including a thirty-two fight winning streak. Once again, Pipino disposed of his challenger before the end of the second round.
On June 8, 1977, he faced veteran Clyde Gray who had only been stopped twice in his entire career which included fifty-eight wins. Yet again, Cuevas pulled off another second round knock out. A few months later, Cuevas returned to the ring for a rematch against Espada. This time Cuevas defeated Espada in the eleventh round after he sustained a broken jaw. On March 4, 1978, he disposed of
Harold WestonHarold Weston was an influential American modernist painter whose work included impressionism, realism and abstraction, as well as a highly regarded political activist.- Early life :...
in the ninth round after Weston also sustained a broken jaw like Cuevas' previous challenger. Cuevas then defeated former champion
Billy BackusBilly Backus, born March 5, 1943 in Canastota, New York, is a former world boxing champion. In the summer of 2006 Backus retired from his correctional facility job and moved to South Carolina.- Early boxing career :...
in one round. On September 9, 1978, he defeated hometown favorite
Pete RanzanyPete Ranzany was an amateur boxer who represented the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1973. He defeated future welterweight champion Carlos Palomino at the 1972 Olympic Trials, but lost to eventual gold medalist Sugar Ray Seales in the finals.A conventional boxer with a solid jab and vicious left hook he...
(40-2-1) in
Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California, and the county seat of Sacramento County. Located along the Sacramento River and just south of the American River's confluence in California's expansive Central Valley. With a 2007 estimated population of 460,242, it is the seventh-largest...
via a second round knock out. He defeated Scott Clark (28-1-0) in another second round knock out. Cuevas made another title defense against Randy Shields(33-5-1). On December 8, 1979, he faced Espada for a third time, defeating him once again. Cuevas then defeated South African national champion Harold Volbrecht.
Cuevas finally lost his title in 1980 to the undefeated and up-and-coming hometown hero
Thomas HearnsThomas "Hitman" Hearns , is an outstanding American 8-time world champion professional boxer in six different categories or weights.Hearns became the first ever quadruple world champion in boxing history....
in
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
. The much taller and lankier Hearns was able to use his reach to his advantage as he kept Cuevas at a distance and knocked him out in the second round. Cuevas' talent began to decline after that loss, the most notable opponent he faced was
Roberto DuranRoberto Durán is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all-time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career....
, who stopped him in the fourth round in the spring of 1983. He also lost to former world title challenger Jun Sok-Hwang and future or former world champions
Jorge VacaJorge Vaca Jorge Vaca Jorge Vaca (born December 14, 1959 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, was a professional boxer in the welterweight (147lb) division.Vaca turned pro in 1978 and captured the WBC Welterweight Title by beating Lloyd Honeyghan via 8th round technical decision in 1987, but lost the...
and
Lupe AquinoIsaias Guadalupe Aquino , was a professional boxer in the super welterweight division.Aquino, known as "Lupe", turned pro in 1981 and won the WBC Light Middleweight Title in 1987 with a decision over Duane Thomas. He lost the title in his first defense via a close decision to Gianfranco Rosi...
before finally retiring in 1989.
Pipino Cuevas finished with a career record of 35 wins, 15 losses, 0 draws, with 31 knockouts. He fought during a period when an unusual number of accomplished welterweights were active:
Sugar Ray LeonardSugar Ray Leonard is a retired American professional boxer . Named Fighter of the Decade for the 1980s, he is widely considered to be one of the best boxers of all time, winning world titles at multiple weights and engaging in contests with such celebrated opponents as Wilfred Benitez, Thomas...
, Wilfredo Benitez,
Carlos PalominoCarlos Palomino is a Mexican former boxer who was a world champion. Palomino is also an actor who has been featured in a few movies. He achieved a considerable amount of fame during the 1970s, especially among Mexican and Southern California fans...
,
Thomas HearnsThomas "Hitman" Hearns , is an outstanding American 8-time world champion professional boxer in six different categories or weights.Hearns became the first ever quadruple world champion in boxing history....
, and
Roberto DuranRoberto Durán is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all-time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career....
, although his reign had nearly come to an end as Leonard, Benitez, Hearns, and Duran emerged as welterweight champions. Cuevas successfully defended his welterweight title eleven times over a four year span. During his reign as champion, Cuevas fought the best opposition available to him. In total, the opponents he faced throughout his career had a combined record of 505-70-29. In 2003, Ring Magazine listed Cuevas as number thirty-one on their list of the 100 greatest punchers of all-time. In 2002, Cuevas became a member of the
International Boxing Hall of FameThe modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
.
Retirement
Cuevas is the owner of a restaurant and a security company in Mexico City. At one point of his career, he was also the owner of a famous sports and luxury car collection, and he was one of the first boxers to sport a golden tooth. Most people probably know him for his nickname
Pipino, which is far more used to refer to him than
Jose by fight commentators and magazine writers.
He ran into trouble with the law in 2001 when he was accused of racketeering in Mexico, in connection with a Mexican mayor. But he was declared innocent in 2002.
His record as a boxer was of 35 wins and 15 losses, with 31 wins by knockout.
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