To say mild heavyweight champion Willie Pastrano was not probably the most enthusiastic or Spartan-like of athletes is a little bit of an understatement. In line with his coach, Angelo Dundee, Pastrano’s ordinary phrases as he headed in for his exercise have been, “I’m on my strategy to hell,” and his acknowledged profession goal was to earn sufficient cash to “dynamite the fitness center.”
Away from coaching camp and the ring he indulged himself, feasting on Italian meals and, regardless of his being married with 5 youngsters, partying it up with each prepared younger lady he may discover. A reporter as soon as remarked to Willie that along with his wonderful footwork he should be an excellent dancer. “What’s your favorite dance?” requested the scribe. “The horizontal tango,” replied the pugilist.
Thus, conserving Willie Pastrano in situation and out of hassle was a full-time job. His weight fluctuated to such a level that this former featherweight even campaigned for some time as a heavyweight however, as he put it years later to Peter Heller, “Once I noticed Sonny Liston come on the scene, I mentioned ‘I’m going again down the place I belong.’”
In 1963 a shot on the mild heavyweight championship fell in Pastrano’s lap when two slated opponents backed out and the organizers of Harold Johnson’s title protection have been wanting underneath rocks for somebody to struggle him. Willie capitalized on his golden alternative, boxing Johnson in his clean, stick-and-move fashion and taking a detailed and considerably controversial fifteen spherical resolution.
Pastrano’s individuals have been conscious that with the brand new champion’s aversion to fitness center work and curiosity within the girls it was vital to maintain him busy. Lower than two months after his large victory he was again within the ring with a non-title win over journeyman Ollie Wilson, and simply three weeks after that he met Argentine contender Gregorio Peralta in one other non-title scrap. However one thing didn’t go in accordance with plan in these three weeks as Pastrano regarded stale and timid and the judges gave the choice to the Argentine. “I took him too evenly,” admitted Willie.
Now it was time for the rematch, with the championship belt on the road, and a win was crucial. Pastrano’s individuals organized for the bout to be in his house metropolis of New Orleans they usually acquired their man in form. In the meantime, Willie, who was by no means recognized for his punching energy, was anxious sufficient to go prowling round at evening, not within the metropolis’s brothels or dance golf equipment, however in previous church buildings and graveyards, on the lookout for an edge that was supernatural.
“I went to the grave of an previous well-known witch,” he recounted later. “Obtained them ardour plant flowers, birds of paradise, put it on her grave. I says, ‘Give me a proper hand.’ My buddy that took me thought I used to be loopy.”
However his buddy possibly didn’t assume so come struggle evening. Peralta was a devoted physique puncher and Pastrano’s technique was to counter with exhausting pictures to the face, aware of the truth that Gregorio had a bent to chop. As Dundee acknowledged earlier than the bout, “We acquired Willie hitting flat-footed, as a result of this man busts up straightforward.” Ringsiders would later remark that they’d by no means seen Pastrano punch with such pressure. For 3 rounds they traded at a livid tempo, Peralta touchdown to the physique, Pastrano connecting upstairs, and within the fourth a proper hand opened up a ugly lower, virtually two inches lengthy, over Peralta’s left eye. “All that blood,” mentioned Pastrano afterwards, “gave me a fantastic goal.”
Figuring out the struggle would seemingly be stopped, Peralta attacked with fury within the fifth, making an attempt for the knockout, however Pastrano countered with sharp jabs and rights and by the top of the around the Argentine was a gory mess. The referee declared Peralta unfit to proceed and stopped the match earlier than the beginning of spherical six. Reporters requested Pastrano why the result was so totally different the second time round. “Tonight,” mentioned Willie, “I cared.” He didn’t point out flowers on a witch’s grave.
Along with his spectacular win Pastrano had earned a break from “hell” and he took it, not preventing once more till seven months later when he traveled to England and stopped Terry Downes in eleven rounds. However after that he defended towards Jose Torres in New York Metropolis. The Puerto Rican put Pastrano down with vicious physique punches within the sixth and this time it was Pastrano who was deemed unfit to proceed after the ninth.
That was it. No extra journeys to hell for Willie Pastrano. He by no means did dynamite the fitness center, however he walked away from it when he was solely thirty and by no means set foot in it ever once more.
— Michael Carbert
