Jose Manuel Urtain

Several of Spain's greatest boxers were of Basque ethnicity. This was the case with Paolino Uzcudun and is the case with Kerman Lejarraga who fights today. And was also the case with Jose Manuel Urtain. After Uzcudun, he was Spain's greatest heavyweight and fought in one of the best eras for the division-the 1970's. Standing 5'11 he was a small heavyweight but possessed knockout power, scoring 38 ko's in 53 wins, as well as exceptional physical strength. Urtain never fought for the world title due to losing some key bouts, but won the European title twice. Without further redue, let's take a look at his career.

Born Jose Manuel Ibar Azpiazu, 14 May 1943 in the small town of Aizarnazabal, Basque Province of northern Spain, Urtain was raised on a farm. He had five brothers and four sisters. As a youth he tended sheep and competed in the sport of rock-lifting, which was popular in the Basque region. He became the champion of Spain in this sport, undefeated between ages 14 and 25. He was able to lift 220 pounds with one arm and 400 pounds with both arms, showing his natural strength. He got married young in 1962 and had three children. Urtain turned professional in December 1968 and proved his strength also translated into punching power, scoring 27 straight knockouts! In April 1970 he won the European heavyweight title by knocking out Peter Weiland of Germany in 7 rounds in Madrid. He thus became the first Spaniard to hold a heavyweight European title in a very long time. On 22 June that year he made his first defence against noted German Juergen Blin; although he was down once in the fight, he went on to win by a 15-round decision in Barcelona. He was 28-0 when he was disqualified for a low blow in 3 rounds and lost for the first time to Alfredo Vogrig of Italy. He still had his title however since this was not a title bout and defended it for the second time against Henry Cooper. This time he had to go to England to fight their national legend Cooper on Wembley, 10 November '70. Cooper was already 36 but defied the odds when he stopped the 9-years younger Spaniard by TKO 9. It was a case of experience and doggedness prevailing against youth and strength.

After this defeat, Urtain was not the same fighter anymore. He did score a few good wins, notably against Croatian former Euro light heavyweight champion Ivan Prebeg by KO 3 and he won the Spanish title by TKO 2 against Benito Canal, but he again lost against Argentinian Gregorio Peralta, one of their best heavyweights back then, by TKO 8, 8 October '71. It seems that when he was unable to bully and knock out his man, Urtain failed. Peralta was known for his toughness and tenacity, having once gone the distance against George Foreman and given him trouble too. Urtain scored his last impressive victory when he fought Jack Bodell, another Brit, for the European title on 17 December '71, this time in Madrid. Urtain stopped Bodell in 2 rounds by TKO, recapturing the title. However, in his next fight against tough journeyman Leroy Caldwell from USA, he fought to a disappointing draw against the 11-10-1 Caldwell. He then lost to the even-smaller Jose Roman of Puerto Rico on points in 10 rounds, at Hiram Bithom Stadium in San Juan, 3 April '72. He fought Blin in a rematch, in his first defense of the Euro title and this time lost by a close unanimous decision, losing his belt for the last time. He had a few easier fights after that and in his second comeback fight he decisioned former WBA light heavy champion Vicente Rondon by UD10. He also drew against Jose Roman in a rematch on 1 March '74, this time in Madrid. Not long thereafter, he scored his last victory of note when he faced the English Richard Dunn, who fought Ali once. Dunn at 6'3 was significantly taller and weighed 12 pounds more, but Urtain knocked him out in 4, 22 May '74.

He then had another disappointing loss to the unheralded Rocky Campbell, originally from Antigua and Barbuda but based in England. Urtain had to retire after 5 rounds in his corner. Even worse, in his next fight he was knocked out in 3 rounds by Argentinian Alberto Santiago Lovell, once a promising fighter but by then just a stepping stone. Next year he managed to avenge his first loss to Vogrig, knocking out the Italian in 2 rounds. However, shortly after that he was suspended by the Spanish boxing federation under the suspicion that Vogrig threw the fight, having gone down too easily. The suspension was lifted rather soon however. Urtain continued fighting but was far from his old self and in his last significant fight he was stopped by Alfredo Evangelista of Uruguay, then a world class contender, by TKO 5. On 12 March '77 he had his last fight where he tried once again to recapture the European belt against Jean-Pierre Coopman of Belgium, but lost by KO 4 and then retired, finally realizing he would never reclaim his former stature. He was almost 34 by then and left a record of 53 wins, 11 losses and 4 draws.

He tried to come back in 1986 but the Spanish federation didn't allow it because of his age. Tragically, on 21 July 1992, Urtain alledgedly fell out of a hotel window and was killed. Some claimed it was a suicide, since he was on the 10th floor. He was 49. Urtain was a major star in Spain and even the dictator Franco was a great fan of his. Spanish government even offered Joe Frazier over a million dollars to defend his world title against Urtain in Spain, reportedly. He was even hailed as "the new El Cid", after the historical El Cid who liberated Spain from the Moors. In 1971 he made the cover of The Ring magazine. Their editor Nat Fleischer said:"No man who ever held the world heavyweight title could match his feats of strength." Once, Muhammad Ali was in Spain to fight in an exhibition against Gregorio Peralta, when Urtain entered the ring and approached Ali, lifting him above his head. He certainly was physically one of the strongest boxers that ever boxed professionally.

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