By Carlos Aira
On November 26, 1954, an entire country came to a standstill. In the distant Korakuen Baseball Stadium, Pascual Perez defeated the local Yoshio Shiari on points, establishing himself WBA Flyweight world champion. The little giant crystallized the old dream of Argentine sport pursued since that fight between Firpo and Dempsey in 1923. The champion’s 14 centimeters were no problem for Pérez, a small giant of 1,50 that got stuck the short distance. After 15 rounds, the cards gave the Argentine the winner unanimously. Luis Elías Sojit approached the champion and held out the microphone to him. Pascual Pérez’s words shook a country: “I won for Perón, for my country and for Argentina“.
Pascual Pérez was born in Rodeo de la Cruz, Mendoza, on May 4, 1926. Son of Francisco Pérez Sáez and Elisa Alonso. The best of nine brothers from a family dedicated to grape harvesting. Boxing captured Pascual since he was a child. He began at the age of 18 and his career was notable: Mendoza and Argentine champion of novices in 1944; of the Salta open in [1945; Latin American in 1946; of the Vintage and Latin American in 1947 and Pre-Olympic champion in 1948. He achieved the long-awaited gold medal (sixth in the history of this sport) at the London Olympic Games. 1948in the Fly category, by beating the Italian Spartaco Baldinelli on points at the Empire Pool at Wembley. In May 1950Pascual Pérez won the South American Championship. In 1951Pascualito won the Pan American Fly gold. On December 5, 1952, Pascual Pérez entered the rented field. In Avellaneda he defeated José Ciorino by abandonment. After 21 fights, with 20 victories before the final bell, the Mendoza achieved the argentine championship on November 11, 1953. It was time to aspire to the world championship.
The engineering was carried out by the company Luna Park together with the government of Juan Domingo Peron. On July 24, 1954, Pascual Pérez tied with the Flyweight world champion, the Japanese Yoshio Shirai, without the title at stake. What came next was the fight for the title and the glory of Argentine boxing.
Gustavo Nigrellijournalist for Planeta Boxing, pointed out in Abrí la Cancha: “The Firpo-Dempsey fight was a before and after. Not only for boxing, but also for Argentine radio. Since 1923, boxing had the thorn of the world title. At the beginning of the 50s, Argentine boxing had great boxers, but they left the country and lost. Some poorly trained, like José María Gatica against Ike Williams.”
Pascual Pérez’s career was marked by Peronism. Gustavo Nigrelli told us: “Perez’s gold medal in London 1948 was a success for the FAB, which operated on the chancery so that all the selected boxers could travel. In 1954, he himself President Peron The possibility of Pascual Pérez’s world championship was shouldered. Together with Luna Park they made arrangements for Pascualito to face the champion Yoshio Shirai at Luna. Pascual Pérez actually won, but they gave a political tie to win the World Cup chance in Japan. In Tokyo, Pascualito won on points after throwing the champion three times.”
“I am not a fan of Pascual Pérez. Technically he was not good, but he had innate natural conditions for the category and he had eggs to spare. Pascual Pérez endured and hit like a Liviano when he weighed 49,500,” Nigrelli told us.
After the 1955 coup, Pascual Pérez was left without political support. He remained world champion, but his fights in Argentina were few. His presence motivated that from the stands the proscribed march emerged in chorus. “When Perón was in exile, Pascual gave him part of his purses as a boxer to help him financially. At that time, Perón had been stripped of his retirement as president,” said journalist Osvaldo Jara on Radio Gráfica.
In his extensive career as a professional, Pascual Pérez won 84 fights (57 by knockout), had 7 losses and one draw. Life was not pleasant for him in his last years. Pascualito died on January 22, 1977 as a result of a hepatorenal infection. He was 50 years old. The only Argentine boxer who was an amateur, Argentine, South American, Olympic and world champion was leaving. To this day he is considered the hardest-hitting Flyweight in the history of world boxing.
Journalist / Opened the Court.
