Wilfred Raleigh Pastrano (November 27, 1935 – December 6, 1997) was an American former

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

who competed from 1951 to 1965. He held the

undisputed Undisputed may refer to: Film * ''Undisputed'' (film), a 2002 action-thriller-drama film ** ''Undisputed'' (soundtrack), the soundtrack to the film * Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, a 2006 American martial arts film * Undisputed III: Redempt ...

WBA, WBC, and ''The Ring''

light heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

titles between 1963 and 1965.

Early life

Pastrano was born in New Orleans. Pastrano's best friend,

Ralph Dupas Ralph Dupas (October 14, 1935 – January 25, 2008) was an American boxer from New Orleans who won the world light middleweight championship. Early boxing career Dupas was the second of eleven children of a New Orleans fisherman, Peter Dupas. H ...

started training in boxing at a local gym. Pastrano, who weighed over 250 pounds, decided to start working out with his friend. As Willie lost weight, he realized two things. First, he loved boxing. Second, he hated getting hit. So, Pastrano developed a style of boxing in which he hardly got hit, and in return, tried not to hurt his opponent as well. Pastrano was already married as a teenager, and by 1962, he and his wife Faye had five children: John (born 1955), Donna (1957), Frank (1959), Nicholas (1960), and Angelo (1962).

Pro career

Pastrano began his career at the age of 16. He fought many heavyweights and outpointed heavyweight contenders

Rex Layne Rex Gessel Layne (June 7, 1928 in Lewiston, Utah – June 7, 2000) was a former heavyweight professional boxer. Sometimes termed the "Lewiston Larruper," the top rated Layne never fought for the heavyweight title, but notched victories over su ...

Brian London Brian Sidney Harper (19 June 1934 – 23 June 2021), known professionally as Brian London, was an English professional boxer who competed from 1955 to 1970. He held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight title from 1958 to 1959, and twice ch ...

, and Tom McNeeley. The talented Pastrano won the world light heavyweight championship when he outpointed the great Harold Johnson on a close 15-round decision. He successfully defended his crown by stopping

Gregorio Peralta Gregorio Manuel Peralta (May 8, 1935 – October 3, 2001), better known as Gregorio "Goyo" Peralta, was a top Argentine boxer. Peralta enjoyed success as both a light heavyweight and a heavyweight, one of a select group Latin American Heavywei ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

on a TKO, and by coming back from a certain defeat on points to KO English challenger Terry Downes in 11 rounds in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

, England. Pastrano lost his crown when he was TKOed by

José Torres José ("Chegüi") Torres (May 3, 1936 – January 19, 2009) was a Puerto Rican-born American professional boxer. As an amateur boxer, he won a silver medal in the junior middleweight division at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. In 1965, he d ...

in 10 rounds (the same fight where the ringside doctor asked if he knew where he was, leading to Pastrano's legendary line of "You're damn right I know where I am! I'm in Madison Square Garden getting the shit kicked out of me!"). In the Torres fight, Pastrano was knocked down for the only time in his career by a powerful left hook to the liver. Pastrano retired after that match and never fought again. Managed by the legendary

Angelo Dundee Angelo is an Italian masculine given name and surname meaning "angel", or "messenger". People People with the given name * Angelo Accattino (born 1966), Italian prelate of the Catholic Church * Angelo Acciaioli (bishop) (1298–1357), Italian ...

, Pastrano was a smooth, quick boxer with a great left hand. He was a stablemate of

Cassius Clay Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

and often sparred with the future champion early in Clay's career. His talent was dissipated by his aversion to training and a fondness for partying and carousing. His success was also limited by his lack of punching power, hence his record of only 14 knockout wins in his 84 fights. Nevertheless, he defeated most of the light heavyweight challengers of his generation. He also outpointed former light heavyweight champion

Joey Maxim Giuseppe Antonio Berardinelli (March 28, 1922 – June 2, 2001) was an American professional boxer. He was a World Light Heavyweight Champion. He took the ring-name Joey Maxim from the Maxim gun, the world's first self-acting machine gun, based ...

, and boxed a draw with the legendary

Archie Moore Archie Moore (born Archibald Lee Wright; December 13, 1913 – December 9, 1998) was an American professional boxer and the longest reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion of all time (December 1952 – May 1962). He had one of the longest ...

. He retired with a record of 63 wins (14 by KO), 13 losses and 8 draws. Perhaps in the high point of his career, Pastrano appeared on the cover of March 22, 1965, issue of ''Sports Illustrated'' with the caption reading "Light Heavyweight Willie Pastrano Ready to Defend His Title".

Life after boxing

After he retired from boxing, Pastrano became a spokesman for a local Miami, Florida milk company. On August 30, 1966 in the

Milwaukee Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currentl ...

, it was reported that Pastrano had been secretly training for a comeback, but an auto injury had sidelined it. In 1967, Pastrano became the official host of the Presidential Steak House in Miami Beach, Florida. However, urged on by his good friend, singer Steve Alaimo, Pastrano embarked on a film career which spanned from 1967 to 1971. In 1964, Pastrano appeared on the '' Jackie Gleason Show''. Pastrano's best regarded acting role was in the "B" motorcycle gang film, ''The Wild Rebels'', which starred Steve Alaimo. Pastrano said in a 1980 interview he was a heroin addict from 1966 to 1969. In the same interview, he claimed to have robbed to support his drug addiction. He became a drifter. Owen Thomas helped him out in his time of need. He worked as a host in a restaurant in Reno, Nevada; a chip runner in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

, and a bouncer in a strip-club in Miami His well-documented party life-style led to health problems, and Pastrano's film career ended. While living in Las Vegas in the early 1970s, he claimed to be training for a comeback when interviewed for the book, ''In This Corner''. Pastrano was reported to be boxing in Puerto Rico in 1972, but a fighter was using a name similar to the former champion, Willie Pastrana. Pastrano never made a comeback. In 1980, Pastrano was the manager for pro-boxer, Chubby Johnson in New Orleans. After many years of failing health, Pastrano died of liver cancer on December 9, 1997 at the age of 62.Willie Pastrano, 62, Boxing Champ in 1960's
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Professional boxing record

, Jun 11, 1957 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 49 , Win , 40–4–5 , align=left, Neal Welch , UD , 10 , May 14, 1957 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 48 , Win , 39–4–5 , align=left, John Holman , UD , 10 , Feb 20, 1957 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 47 , Win , 38–4–5 , align=left, Charley Norkus , UD , 10 , Dec 26, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 46 , Win , 37–4–5 , align=left, Pat McMurtry , UD , 10 , Aug 24, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 45 , Win , 36–4–5 , align=left, Chuck Spieser , SD , 10 , May 30, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 44 , Win , 35–4–5 , align=left, Johnny Arthur , UD , 10 , Apr 4, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 43 , Draw , 34–4–5 , align=left, Chuck Spieser , PTS , 10 , Jan 27, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 42 , Win , 34–4–4 , align=left,

, UD , 10 , Dec 19, 1955 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 41 , Win , 33–4–4 , align=left, Joey Rowan , UD , 10 , Nov 18, 1955 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 40 , Win , 32–4–4 , align=left, Paddy Young , UD , 10 , Oct 3, 1955 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 39 , Win , 31–4–4 , align=left, Chuck Spieser , UD , 10 , Jul 27, 1955 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 38 , Win , 30–4–4 , align=left,

, UD , 10 , Jun 28, 1955 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 37 , Draw , 29–4–4 , align=left, Willie Troy , PTS , 10 , Apr 22, 1955 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 36 , Win , 29–4–3 , align=left, Al Andrews , UD , 10 , Mar 23, 1955 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 35 , Win , 28–4–3 , align=left, Tony Johnson , UD , 10 , Mar 1, 1955 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 34 , Win , 27–4–3 , align=left, Bobby Dykes , UD , 10 , Nov 23, 1954 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 33 , Win , 26–4–3 , align=left, Jackie LaBua , SD , 10 , Sep 14, 1954 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 32 , Win , 25–4–3 , align=left, Jimmy Martinez , PTS , 10 , Aug 24, 1954 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 31 , Win , 24–4–3 , align=left, Tommy Bazzano , TKO , 8 (10) , Aug 9, 1954 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 30 , Win , 23–4–3 , align=left, Tommy Hatcher , KO , 1 (10) , Jun 18, 1954 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 29 , Win , 22–4–3 , align=left, Jacques Royer-Crecy , UD , 10 , Apr 12, 1954 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 28 , Win , 21–4–3 , align=left, Jimmy Martinez , UD , 10 , Mar 29, 1954 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 27 , Loss , 20–4–3 , align=left, Italo Scortichini , SD , 10 , Nov 30, 1953 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 26 , Win , 20–3–3 , align=left, Elmer Beltz , MD , 8 , Oct 5, 1953 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 25 , Draw , 19–3–3 , align=left, Elmer Beltz , PTS , 10 , Sep 22, 1953 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 24 , Loss , 19–3–2 , align=left,

Del Flanagan Del Flanagan (November 6, 1928 – December 26, 2003) was a middleweight professional boxer from Minnesota, USA. Personal life Flanagan was a native of St Paul. He and his brother Glen were known as the Fighting Flanagan Brothers. Both have been i ...

, SD , 8 , Jul 14, 1953 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 23 , Loss , 19–2–2 , align=left, Johnny Cesario , MD , 8 , May 25, 1953 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 22 , Win , 19–1–2 , align=left, Chato Hernandez , UD , 8 , Apr 6, 1953 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 21 , Win , 18–1–2 , align=left, Roger Trevino , UD , 8 , Mar 16, 1953 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 20 , Win , 17–1–2 , align=left, Chick Boucher , TKO , 3 (10), , Mar 3, 1953 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 19 , Win , 16–1–2 , align=left, Emerson Butcher , UD , 8 , Feb 24, 1953 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 18 , Win , 15–1–2 , align=left, Alfredo LaGrutta , UD , 8 , Jan 26, 1953 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 17 , Draw , 14–1–2 , align=left, Alvin Pellegrini , MD , 8 , Dec 15, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 16 , Win , 14–1–1 , align=left, Alvin Boudreaux , TKO , 2 (6), , Nov 24, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 15 , Win , 13–1–1 , align=left, Alvin Pellegrini , UD , 6 , Nov 17, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 14 , Win, , 12–1–1, , align=left, Lonnie Rylant , KO , 3 (6), , Oct 14, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 13 , Loss , 11–1–1 , align=left, Alvin Pellegrini , PTS , 6 , Oct 6, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 12 , Win , 11–0–1 , align=left, Johnny Capitano , PTS , 6 , Sep 8, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 11 , Win , 10–0–1 , align=left, Sonny Luciano , PTS , 8 , Aug 19, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 10 , Win , 9–0–1 , align=left, Sonny Luciano , PTS , 8 , Aug 5, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 9 , Win , 8–0–1 , align=left, Jimmy Carter , KO , 4 (6), , Jul 28, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 8 , Win , 7–0–1 , align=left, Al McCoy , KO , 2 (6) , Jul 22, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 7 , Win , 6–0–1 , align=left, John Chaney , PTS , 6 , Jul 8, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 6 , Win , 5–0–1 , align=left, Buzz Brown , KO , 2 (4), , Jul 1, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 5 , Draw , 4–0–1 , align=left, Alvin Pellegrini , PTS , 4 , Apr 21, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 4 , Win , 4–0 , align=left, Alvin Boudreaux , PTS , 4 , Apr 1, 1952 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 3 , Win , 3–0 , align=left, Jimmy Conino , PTS , 4 , Oct 1, 1951 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 2 , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Frankie Speed , PTS , 4 , Sep 17, 1951 , align=left, , align=left, , - , 1 , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Domingo Rivera , PTS , 4 , Sep 10, 1951 , align=left, , align=left,

References

External links