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Lupe Aquino: Derailed Talent


BoztheMadman
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Lupe Aquino was a very capable and talented junior middleweight in the 80's, who even managed to capture the WBC title, but his career was seriously derailed after a drunken driving car accident which he went to jail for and was missing from the ring for 3 years. After he came back, his career was largely unsuccessful but he had a few notable fights against the likes of Verno Phillips and Bernard Hopkins. He is one of the few Mexicans to hold a world title above 147. He was a hard hitter and very durable guy who only got stopped twice in 64 fights. He also had decent technique for a Mexican.

 

Born Isaias Guadalupe Aquino in Chihahua, Mexico 23 January 1963, he started fighting professionally under the tutelage of Abel Sanchez, famous trainer, at the age of 18. At first he competed as a welterweight and won 17 fights before his first loss came 21 February '83, by a ten round split decision to Rudy Hernandez. He then won 6 fights and drew one before he was matched against the legendary defensive wizard Marlon "Magic Man" Starling 17 April '84 and lost a wide unanimous decision to him in a fight for the USBA and NABF titles. The experience and ring iq of Starling was simply too much for the 21-yearold Aquino. He then decided to move up to junior middleweight and hit a winning streak of 6 fights before his first significant victory 6 April '87 against former WBA champ Davey Moore. The fight was competitive and both guys got their licks in, Aquino was slightly ahead when the fight got stopped in the 5th due to a cut and Aquino proclaimed a winner by tko. This victory set him up for a fight against the reigning WBC champion, the Kronk-fighter Duane Thomas. Of course, the lesser known Aquino was a major underdog but pulled off a big upset when he decisioned Thomas and dropped him twice en route to a unanimous decision victory. Thomas had only lost once previously, to Buster Drayton.

 

However, this amazing and unexpected triumph wouldn't last long. On 2 October, less than 3 months after winning the title, Aquino was upset by the Italian Gianfranco Rosi, who would later become one of the longest reigning world champions in the division's history. The fight was held in Rosi's hometown of Perugia in Umbria and Rosi was victorious with a mostly narrow decision, 2 of the judges giving him the fight by a point. Thus, despite losing, it was an honourable loss and a good effort. On 3 January next year he agreed to fight Donald Curry above the junior middleweight limit, both fighters weighing 156 and 3/4. Curry won a lopsided 10-round decision. In April he scored another impressive victory against Curry's old adversary and rival, Milton McCrory. McCrory was taller and slicker, but Aquino put him down in the second and fifth round and went on to win by a majority decision after 10 rounds, despite getting a point taken away in the second. His career looked like it was heading in the right direction again after he also beat the 16-0 Royan Hammond for the NABF title, decking him four times before winning by UD12. However, then happened something that would have a major impact on his career and personal life. On 14 August that same year he was driving under the influence of alcohol when his car plunged off the San Diego Freeway and down a 30-foot embankment. The crash killed 2 passengers from Ventura, while Aquino himself and his girlfriend suffered minor injuries. Despite getting prosecuted for this, he was suprisingly allowed by the boxing authorities to fight for the inaugural WBO title against John David Jackson on 8 December. He had skipped a court hearing before that and an arrest warrant was issued for him. It was no surprise that he didn't look anything like his usual self in the ring and against the very slick Jackson he was completely dominated, getting dropped in the first round and quitting after the seventh. Just after the fight ended, he was aprehended outside the ring and arrested.

 

He was then sentenced to 6 years of prison. He still continued fighting until late '89 and beat the faded legend Pipino Cuevas by KO 2. He won 7 fights altogether before going to prison. Some of them were above 160. Upon his release 3 years later, he immiediately returned to the ring and in his first fight, he fought as a light heavyweight against the contender and later world title challenger Ernesto Magdaleno, who was 15-0. He did surprisingly well considering it was his first fight after the layoff and on one scorecard he was the winner, but the other had Magdaleno ahead and the third was even, resulting in a draw. He then beat the future Charles Brewer and Dariusz Michalczewski-challenger Joey De Grandis by TKO 4, which was another impressive victory, at super middleweight limit. He then won the Mexican middleweight title by KO 1 against Everardo Armenta and defended it against Eduardo Gutierrez by MD. However, he decided to go back down to 154 to fight for the vacant WBO title against the unknown but underrated Verno Phillips, 30 October that same year. The fight started well for Aquino as he dropped his younger opponent in the first round for a flash knockdown and was even until after the fifth round, when Phillips started landing more and in the seventh Aquino was seriously rocked and out on his feet when his cornerman jumped in to stop the fight. It was his second failure to capture that WBO belt. After that, he would never again fight at 154.

 

In February next year he again beat Royan Hammond, this time by KO2 and then faced the future legend Bernard Hopkins for the USBA middleweight title in May. Aquino was completely dominated but managed to last 12 rounds against Hopkins, which was a feat in itself. Despite being only 2 years younger, Hopkins had fought for only 5 years as a pro, while Aquino had been active as a pro for 10 and had started 13 years ago. He continued fighting after that but would never again fight in a significant fight and kept shifting between middleweight and super middleweight, until he finally retired in 1999, leaving behind a record of 53 wins with 36 knockouts, 9 losses and 2 draws. What is there to say about him? He could have achieved more perhaps, but one mistake ruined his career and his comeback, initially successful, could not amend that. 3 years in prison is enough to change a fighter forever, ask Tyson. He will still be remembered as an entertaining fighter who gave it all in the ring, except for that one fight against Jackson.

Edited by BoztheMadman
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