Jose Manuel Urtain facts for kids

{{Infobox person | name = José Manuel Ibar Azpiazu | image = Urtain.jpg|border | caption = Urtain | birth_date = (1943-05-14)14 May 1943 | birth_place = Aizarnazabal, Spain | death_date = 21 July 1992(1992-07-21) (aged 49) | death_place = Madrid, Spain

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José Manuel Ibar Azpiazu (born May 14, 1943 – died July 21, 1992) was a famous Spanish boxer. He was also known by his nickname, Urtain. He became the European heavyweight boxing champion in 1970 and again in 1971.

The Life of Urtain

Early Life and Sports

José Manuel was born in a town called Aizarnazabal in Spain. He got the nickname Urtain from the name of the house where he grew up in Zestoa.

When he was young, he loved traditional Basque sports. These sports are known as Herri Kirolak. He was especially good at two of them. One was aizkolaritza, which is wood-chopping. The other was harri-jasotze, which means stone lifting. He was very strong from these sports before he started boxing.

Becoming a Boxing Champion

Urtain began his professional boxing career in 1968 in Ordizia. He quickly became very successful. He won his first 27 fights in a row! All of these wins were by knock-out, meaning his opponents couldn't continue the fight.

In 1970, Urtain achieved a big dream. He became the European Boxing Union (EBU) heavyweight champion. This happened in Madrid, where he defeated the German boxer Peter Weiland. Urtain won the fight in the seventh round.

Losing and Regaining the Title

Urtain's first time as champion didn't last very long. On November 10, 1970, he lost his title. He fought against Britain's Henry Cooper at Wembley Stadium in London.

But Urtain was determined. The very next year, in 1971, he fought again for the European EBU champion crown. He won it back by defeating Jack Bodell. However, he lost the title again in 1972 to Jurgen Blin.

He tried one more time to get the title back in 1977. This fight was in Antwerp against Jean Pierre Coopman. But Urtain was not able to defeat the Belgian boxer that time.

Urtain's Boxing Record

Urtain's boxing career lasted from 1968 to 1977. During this time, he took part in 68 professional fights. He won 53 of these fights, with 41 of his wins being by knock-out. He lost 11 fights and had 4 fights that ended in a draw.

See also

In Spanish: José Manuel Urtain para niños