Raúl Macías

Raúl Macías
RatonMacias.jpeg
Statistics
Real nameRaúl Macías Guevara
Nickname(s)Ratón Macías
Weight(s)Bantamweight
Height1.61 m (5 ft 3+12 in)
Reach1.61 m (63 in)
NationalityMexican
BornJuly 28, 1934
Mexico City, Mexico
DiedMarch 23, 2009(2009-03-23) (aged 74)
Mexico City, Mexico
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights43
Wins41
Wins by KO25
Losses2
Medal record
Representing  Mexico
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place 1951 Buenos Aires Flyweight

Raúl Macías Guevara (July 28, 1934 in Mexico City – March 23, 2009) was a Mexican professional boxer, actor and boxing trainer. He took the NBA World Bantamweight Championship on March 9, 1955. Widely known as "Ratón" Macías, or "Mouse" Macías, he won a bronze medal at the 1951 Pan American Games.

Early life and amateur career

Macias was born on July 28, 1934, in Tepito, Distrito Federal, Mexico, a suburb of Mexico City. Macías had always expressed pride at being Mexican.

Macias began his amateur career at age fourteen, winning the National Junior Flyweight, Flyweight and Bantamweight titles. He won a bronze medal at the Pan American Games, and represented Mexico as a bantamweight at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. In the Olympics, he first defeated Angel Amaya of Venezuela in a unanimous decision, then lost to Gennady Garbuzov of the Soviet Union

1952 Olympic results

Below is the record of Raul Macias, a Mexican bantamweight boxer who competed at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics:

  • Round of 32: defeated Angel Amaya (Venezuela) by decision, 3-0
  • Round of 16: lost to Gennady Garbuzov (Soviet Union) by decision, 0-3

Professional career

On January 1, 1953, Macias debuted as a professional boxer with a first round knockout win against Memo Sanchez in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. Exactly one month later and in only his second fight, Macias had his first ten-round bout, and he outpointed Chucho Tello in Culiacán, a feat he would duplicate in their rematch.

Macias piled up a record of 8–0 with 2 knockouts and then faced Beto Couray on October 17, 1953 in Mexico City, for the Mexican Bantamweight title, lifting the national championship from Couray with a 12-round decision win. After 6 more wins, he challenged Nate Brooks on September 26, 1954 for the continental, NABF Bantamweight championship, which he took with a twelve-round decision in Mexico City.

Macías was one of Televisa's first boxing stars. Many of his fights were shown live on Televisa during the 1950s.

Taking the NBA world bantamweight title, 1955

National Boxing Association World Bantamweight champion Robert Cohen refused to defend his title against Macías, so the NBA decided to declare the title vacant and have Macias and Chamroen Songkitrat fight for the championship. It was Macías' first attempt at the world title and first fight abroad. On March 9, 1955 in San Francisco, California, Macías knocked out Songkiktrat in round eleven, taking the NBA World Bantamweight championship. Macias demonstrated great speed, boxing skill, and a powerful punch in his victory. Macias floored Songkitrat twice in the sixth. From the sixth on, Macias dominated the bout. Songkitrat down for an eight count from a right in the eleventh. After he was down again from a right to the head, referee Fred Apostoli, a former world champion, ended the bout thirty seconds into round eleven.

Next followed a series of non-title fights. In a non-title bout on June 16, 1955, Macías suffered his first defeat when he was knocked out 2:29 into the third round by Billy Peacock in Los Angeles. The final blows were two left hooks that left Macias with a broken jaw. Macias, originally a 3-1 favorite, was down for a no count from a blow to his jaw earlier in the round. The bout would be Macías' only defeat by knockout, and left him hospitalized for two days.

Macías' popularity followed him to California and Texas, where he fought a number of times. On October 17, 1955, he defefated Cecil Schoonmaker in a ten-round decision in Corpus Christi, Texas. The non-title bout was considered drab by several ringsiders.

NBA bantamweight title defenses, and losing title

Macias had five victories before he defended his NBA world Bantamweight title for the first time against Leo Espinoza. He defeated Espinoza, father of Philippines world boxing champion Luisito Espinoza, before a crowd of 50,000 in a tenth-round knockout on March 25, 1956 in Mexico City. A blow to the ribs and a right to the head put Espinoza down for the full count 2:57 into the tenth round. Espinoza complained that the altitude of Mexico City robbed him of his full breathing capacity.

Top rated Italian bantamweight Gaetano Annaloro fell to Macias on November 21, 1956 in a decisive ten-round decision in San Antonio, Texas. The crowd of 4,500 shouted for more action in the carefully fought non-title bout. Macias used his left effectively, and though he sustained a slightly bruised hand in the fourth, it did not hinder him in the remaining rounds. Annaloro bobbed and weaved to maintain his defense, but was unable to gain an advantage over his opponent.

On February 10, 1957, Macias knocked out Juan Carcenas in Mexico City in the eighth round. In their non-title bout, Macias put Carcenas to the mat ten times before he was counted out 1:30 into the sixth round. Cardenas was down four times in the second, three in the third, once in the fifth and twice in the sixth.

After seven more non-title fight wins, Macias faced Dommy Ursua on June 15, 1957 in San Francisco in his second title defense. Macias was down for a four count from a left hook in the first, but retained his championship, knocking out Ursua in the eleventh before a crowd of 13,000. Macias took the lead after the third round, and used his five-inch height advantage to score with telling body blows. A cut above Ursua's eye slowed his progress after the sixth. Macias was called for a low blow in the eleventh, not long before unleashing a right and two handed combination that led to the referee ending the match.

On November 6, 1957, he faced Alphonse Halimi at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field in his last title bout. Halimi shook Macias with a hook to the jaw in the furious fourth round, though the bout featured no knockdowns. Macias lost his belt by a close and controversial 15-round split decision. Macias tried to close stronger in the final round, but was stopped by Halimi's offense.

Life after boxing

He retired from boxing in 1959 after outpointing Ernesto Parra in ten rounds in Mexico City. After a three-year break, he knocked out Chocolate Zambrano in the fifth as part of a charity event on October 13, 1962 in Guadalajara. The match was his last.

In retirement, Macías appeared in a number of Mexican telenovelas, most notably 1990's "Mi Pequeña Soledad" ("My Small Soledad"), alongside Verónica Castro. His best known movies included El Raton in 1957, La Culpa in 1966, and Llanto, risas e nocaut in 1974. The Black and White, El Raton, in which he starred, was directed by Chano Urueta.He co-starred with gifted boxer, four times world champion and Boxing Hall of Fame member, Ruben Olivares, ("el puas"), in Llanto, risas e nocaut.

After his participation in "Mi Pequeña Soledad", Macías dedicated himself to training boxers in a Mexico City gym. He compiled a professional boxing record of 41 wins and 2 losses, with 25 wins by knockout. He died at the age of 74.

Professional record

41 Wins (25 knockouts, 16 decisions), 2 Losses, 0 Draws
Res. Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Win 41–2 Mexico Chocolate Zambrano TKO 5 (8) 1962-10-13 Mexico Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Win 40–2 Mexico Ernesto Parra UD 10 1959-02-28 Mexico Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win 39–2 United States Carmen Iacobucci KO 2 (10) 1959-02-08 Mexico Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Win 38–2 Mexico Luis Trejo KO 8 (10) 1959-01-25 Mexico Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Win 37–2 Mexico Kid Irapuato UD 10 1958-11-10 Mexico Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Loss 36–2 France Alphonse Halimi SD 15 1957-11-06 United States Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, California, United States Lost NBA bantamweight title
Win 36–1 Mexico Pastor Gonzalez KO 5 (10) 1957-09-07 Mexico Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Win 35–1 Philippines Dommy Ursua TKO 11 (15) 1957-06-15 United StatesCow Palace, Daly City, California, United States Retained NBA bantamweight title
Win 34–1 Spain Juan Cardenas KO 6 (10) 1957-02-10 MexicoArena Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win 33–1 Tunisia Gaetano Annaloro UD 10 1956-11-21 United States San Antonio, Texas, United States
Win 32–1 United States Johnny Hand KO 1 (10) 1956-11-13 United States El Paso, Texas, United States
Win 31–1 Mexico Ramon Young KO 2 (10) 1956-11-03 Mexico Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico
Win 30–1 Mexico Hector Ceballos KO 4 (10) 1956-10-27 Mexico Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Win 29–1 Philippines Larry Bataan KO 6 (10) 1956-09-05 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win 28–1 Philippines Tanny Campo UD 10 1956-06-30 Mexico Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win 27–1 Mexico Adrian Kiriz KO 3 (10) 1956-05-26 Mexico Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Win 26–1 Mexico Mike Hernandez KO 4 (10) 1956-04-21 Mexico Merida, Yucatán, Mexico
Win 25–1 Philippines Leo Espinosa KO 10 (15) 1956-03-25 Mexico Plaza Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico Retained NBA bantamweight title
Win 24–1 Mexico Joe Chamaco KO 4 (10) 1956-01-29 Mexico Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
Win 23–1 Mexico Lucio Torres KO 6 (10) 1956-01-15 Mexico Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Win 22–1 Mexico Arturo Ruiz TKO 6 (10) 1955-12-11 Mexico Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
Win 21–1 Mexico Pedro Soto KO 6 (10) 1955-11-21 Mexico Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico
Win 20–1 United States Cecil Schoonmaker UD 10 1955-10-17 United States Memorial Auditorium, Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Loss 19–1 United States Billy Peacock TKO 3 (10) 1955-06-15 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win 19–0 United States Moe Mario TKO 5 (10) 1955-05-12 United States San Antonio, Texas, United States
Win 18–0 Mexico Memo Sanchez KO 6 (10) 1955-04-10 Mexico Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Win 17–0 Thailand Chamroen Songkitrat TKO 11 (12) 1955-03-09 United States Cow Palace, Daly City, California, United States Won vacant NBA bantamweight title
Win 16–0 United States Nate Brooks UD 12 1954-09-26 Mexico Plaza Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico Won North American bantamweight title
Win 15–0 Mexico Fili Nava UD 12 1954-05-22 Mexico Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico Retained Mexico bantamweight title
Win 14–0 Mexico Fili Nava UD 12 1954-04-10 Mexico Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico Retained Mexico bantamweight title
Win 13–0 United States Billy Peacock TKO 7 (10) 1954-03-13 Mexico Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win 12–0 Chile Alberto Reyes UD 10 1954-01-16 Mexico Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win 11–0 United States Lalo Gayosso TKO 3 (10) 1953-12-23 Mexico Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win 10–0 Chile Alberto Reyes TKO 3 (10) 1953-11-21 Mexico Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win 9–0 Mexico Beto Couary UD 12 1953-10-17 Mexico Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico Won Mexico bantamweight title
Win 8–0 Mexico Genaro Serafin UD 10 1953-09-12 Mexico Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win 7–0 Mexico Otilio Galvan UD 12 1953-08-01 Mexico Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win 6–0 Mexico Trini Ruiz UD 10 1953-05-13 Mexico Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win 5–0 Cuba Manuel Armenteros UD 10 1953-04-15 Mexico Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win 4–0 Mexico Giraldo Bacho KO 4 (10) 1953-03-26 Mexico Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
Win 3–0 Mexico Memo Sanchez TKO 5 (10) 1952-12-15 Mexico Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win 2–0 Mexico Chucho Tello UD 10 1952-11-22 Mexico Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win 1–0 Mexico Chucho Tello UD 10 1952-11-01 Mexico Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico professional debut.

See also


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