Oscar Bonavena facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oscar Bonavena |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Oscar Natalio Bonavena |
| Nickname(s) | Ringo |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 5 ft 10+1⁄2 in (1.79 m) |
| Reach | 73 in (185 cm) |
| Born | September 25, 1942 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Died | May 22, 1976 (aged 33) Mustang, Nevada, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 68 |
| Wins | 58 |
| Wins by KO | 44 |
| Losses | 9 (1 KO) |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 0 |
Oscar Natalio "Ringo" Bonavena (born September 25, 1942 – died May 22, 1976) was a famous Argentine heavyweight boxer. He was known for his strong punches and exciting fighting style. People called him "Ringo" because his haircut looked like those of The Beatles. He had a great career, winning 58 fights. He is especially remembered for his tough matches against boxing legends Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali.
Contents
Oscar Natalio Bonavena was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His parents were immigrants from Italy. He became a professional boxer and won titles in Argentina and South America. He was also a popular TV personality in Argentina.
Starting His Boxing Career
Bonavena began his professional boxing career in New York City in 1964. He quickly won many fights by knockout. Early in his career, he sometimes fought twice a month. In February 1965, he lost a fight to the experienced boxer Zora Folley. Oscar was still quite new to boxing then. However, three years later, with more experience, he beat Folley in a rematch.
After his early fights in New York, he went back to Argentina. There, he continued his winning streak. In 1966, he returned to New York. Oscar was known for his lively personality outside the ring. He often made headlines with his bold statements before fights.
Big Fights and Famous Opponents
Oscar Bonavena became widely known after beating Canadian champion George Chuvalo. He showed off his improved boxing skills in that fight. Later, he faced the powerful young boxer Joe Frazier. In their first fight, Bonavena knocked Frazier down twice in the second round. This showed how strong and dangerous Bonavena was.
Chasing the World Title
In 1967, the World Boxing Association (WBA) held a tournament. This was to find a new heavyweight champion after Muhammad Ali lost his title. Bonavena fought well in this tournament. He defeated the European champion Karl Mildenberger in Germany. But then, he lost to Jimmy Ellis in the semi-finals. Ellis went on to win the tournament.
Fighting for the World Championship
In 1968, Bonavena got a second chance to fight Joe Frazier for the heavyweight title. This big fight took place in Philadelphia. It was a very tough match that lasted fifteen rounds. Bonavena fought defensively but lost the fight by decision. He left the ring with a very bruised face. In 1969, he had a draw (a tie) in a rematch with Gregorio Peralta. Bonavena had beaten Peralta four years earlier for the Argentine title.
The Fight Against Muhammad Ali
In December 1970, Bonavena fought Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden. This was Ali's second fight after a long break from boxing. Bonavena took many punches but fought bravely. He landed some good punches to Ali's head and body.
In the final round, Ali knocked Bonavena down with a strong left hook. Bonavena got up, but he was unsteady. Ali then knocked him down two more times very quickly. The fight was stopped because of the "three knockdown rule." This meant Ali won by technical knockout (TKO). Some people thought the ending was unfair. Ali did not go to a neutral corner after the first knockdown, which is usually required. This allowed him to quickly knock Bonavena down again.
Later Fights
After his loss to Ali in 1970, Bonavena had a very difficult fight against Alvin Lewis. He was knocked down several times but eventually won by disqualification. Bonavena continued to box on and off for a few years. He enjoyed life, which sometimes affected his training for fights.
He lost to Floyd Patterson in 1972 and Ron Lyle in 1974. These losses lowered his ranking as a top contender. In the Patterson fight, he broke his left hand early on. Despite this, he kept fighting strongly until the end. In 1976, Oscar Bonavena had his last fight. He won a ten-round decision against Billy Joiner in Reno.
His Sad Passing
On May 22, 1976, Oscar Bonavena was shot and killed. He was 33 years old. This happened near Reno, Nevada, after an argument with the owner of a ranch. His body was brought back to Argentina. Thousands of people, about 150,000, came to say goodbye at the Luna Park sports arena in Buenos Aires. He was buried in La Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires.
Professional boxing record
| 58 Wins (44 Knockouts), 9 Defeats, 1 Draw | |||||||
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Type | Rd., Time | Date | Location | Notes |
| Win | 58-9-1 |  Billy Joiner |
UD | 10 | 1976-02-26 | Reno, Nevada |
|
| Win | 57-9-1 |  Reinaldo Gorosito |
PTS | 10 | 1975-11-01 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 56-9-1 |  Mani Vaka |
TKO | 5 (10) | 1974-11-12 | International Center Arena, Honolulu |
|
| Win | 55-9-1 |  Oliver Wright |
KO | 9 (10) | 1974-10-18 |  Rome |
|
| Win | 54-9-1 | Bob Mashburn |
KO | 2 (10) | 1974-09-21 | Rome |
|
| Win | 53-9-1 |  Larry Renaud |
KO | 3 (10) | 1974-07-13 | Rome |
|
| Win | 52-9-1 | Larry Middleton |
UD | 12 | 1974-05-21 | Capital Centre, Largo, Maryland |
|
| Loss | 51-9-1 | Ron Lyle |
UD | 12 | 1974-03-19 | Denver, Colorado |
|
| Win | 51-8-1 | Terry Sorrell |
TKO | 2 (8) | 1973-11-20 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
|
| Win | 50-8-1 | Lou Bailey |
UD | 10 | 1973-08-15 | Denver, Colorado |
|
| Win | 49-8-1 | Roy Wallace |
TKO | 6 (10) | 1973-08-06 | Las Vegas, Nevada |
|
| Win | 48-8-1 | Leroy Caldwell |
TKO | 2 (10) | 1973-07-23 | Circus Circus Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada |
|
| Loss | 47-8-1 | Floyd Patterson |
UD | 10 | 1972-02-11 | Madison Square Garden, New York City |
|
| Win | 47-7-1 | Alvin Lewis |
DQ | 7 (10) | 1971-10-04 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Loss | 46-7-1 | Muhammad Ali |
TKO | 15 (15) | 1970-12-07 | Madison Square Garden, New York City |
NABF Heavyweight title fight. |
| Win | 46-6-1 |  Luis Pires |
RTD | 8 (10) | 1970-10-29 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 45-6-1 | James J Woody |
KO | 5 (10) | 1970-07-04 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 44-6-1 |  Manuel Ramos |
KO | 1 (10) | 1970-05-09 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 43-6-1 | José Menno |
KO | 2 (8) | 1970-04-24 |  Montevideo, Montevideo |
|
| Win | 42-6-1 | Santiago Lovell |
KO | 7 (10) | 1970-03-21 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Loss | 41-6-1 | Miguel Angel Paez |
DQ | 7 (10) | 1970-01-10 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 41-5-1 | Santiago Lovell |
TKO | 8 (10) | 1969-12-13 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Draw | 40-5-1 | Gregorio Peralta |
PTS | 10 | 1969-08-08 | Palacio Peñarol, Montevideo, Montevideo |
|
| Win | 40-5 |  Wilhelm Von Homburg |
TKO | 3 (10) | 1969-06-20 | Sportpalast, Berlin |
|
| Win | 39-5 | Luis Pires |
RTD | 8 (10) | 1969-03-05 | Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires |
|
| Loss | 38-5 | Joe Frazier |
UD | 15 | 1968-12-10 | Spectrum, Philadelphia |
NYSAC Heavyweight title fight. |
| Win | 38-4 | Jim Fletcher |
KO | 1 (10) | 1968-11-09 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 37-4 | Leotis Martin |
UD | 10 | 1968-09-07 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 36-4 | Zora Folley |
MD | 10 | 1968-07-06 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 35-4 |  Roberto Davila |
UD | 10 | 1968-06-01 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 34-4 | Lee Carr |
KO | 3 (10) | 1968-04-20 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 33-4 | Alberto Benassi |
KO | 3 (10) | 1968-03-08 | La Rioja, La Rioja |
|
| Win | 32-4 | Felipe Pedro Marich |
TKO | 6 (10) | 1968-02-16 | Córdoba, Córdoba |
|
| Loss | 31-4 | Jimmy Ellis |
UD | 12 | 1967-12-02 | Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky |
WBA Heavyweight title eliminator. |
| Win | 31-3 | Karl Mildenberger |
UD | 12 | 1967-09-16 | Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Hesse |
WBA Heavyweight title eliminator. |
| Win | 30-3 | Carlos Vazquez |
TKO | 3 (10) | 1967-08-05 | General Roca, Río Negro |
|
| Win | 29-3 | Luis Pires |
RTD | 6 (10) | 1967-07-22 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 28-3 | Pablo Sagrispanti |
KO | 2 (10) | 1967-06-23 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 27-3 | Hubert Hilton |
TKO | 10 | 1967-04-08 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 26-3 | Jose Giorgetti |
KO | 9 (10) | 1967-01-21 | Estadio Bristol, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 25-3 | Roberto Veliz |
KO | 4 (10) | 1966-12-01 | Asociación Mendocina de Boxeo, Mendoza, Mendoza |
|
| Win | 24-3 | Alberto Benassi |
TKO | 5 (10) | 1966-11-18 | Rosario, Santa Fe |
|
| Win | 23-3 | Amos Johnson |
UD | 10 | 1966-10-22 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 22-3 | Alberto Benassi |
KO | 5 (10) | 1966-10-07 | Estadio Bristol, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires |
|
| Loss | 21-3 | Joe Frazier |
MD | 10 | 1966-09-21 | Madison Square Garden, New York City |
|
| Win | 21-2 | George Chuvalo |
MD | 10 | 1966-06-23 | Madison Square Garden, New York City |
|
| Win | 20-2 | Jose Giorgetti |
UD | 10 | 1966-04-16 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Loss | 19-2 | Jose Giorgetti |
DQ | 8 (10) | 1966-03-12 | Estadio Bristol, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 19-1 | Bruno Segura |
KO | 2 (10) | 1966-02-12 | Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 18-1 | Billy Daniels |
KO | 1 (10) | 1965-11-13 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 17-1 | Hector Wilson |
KO | 2 (10) | 1965-10-22 | Concepción, Tucumán |
|
| Win | 16-1 | Pablo Sagrispanti |
TKO | 1 (10) | 1965-10-09 | Rosario, Santa Fe |
|
| Win | 15-1 | Gregorio Peralta |
UD | 12 | 1965-09-04 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
Won Argentinian Heavyweight title. |
| Win | 14-1 | Alberto Gonzales |
KO | 2 (10) | 1965-08-06 | Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut |
|
| Win | 13-1 | Eduardo Cartelli |
KO | 1 (12) | 1965-07-23 | Córdoba, Córdoba |
|
| Win | 12-1 | Rodolfo Diaz |
TKO | 4 (10) | 1965-06-26 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 11-1 | Rogelio Gregorutti |
KO | 2 (10) | 1965-05-28 | San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán |
|
| Win | 10-1 | Carlos Vazquez |
KO | 3 (10) | 1965-04-30 | Salón de los Deportes, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires |
|
| Win | 9-1 | Rene Sosa |
KO | 2 (10) | 1965-04-16 | Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires |
|
| Loss | 8-1 | Zora Folley |
UD | 10 | 1965-02-26 | Madison Square Garden, New York City |
|
| Win | 8-0 | Billy Stephan |
TKO | 6 (10) | 1964-12-18 | Madison Square Garden, New York City |
|
| Win | 7-0 | Dick Wipperman |
UD | 10 | 1964-11-13 | Madison Square Garden, New York City |
|
| Win | 6-0 | Tom McNeeley |
TKO | 5 (8) | 1964-08-21 | Madison Square Garden, New York City |
|
| Win | 5-0 |  Byron Stoimenides |
KO | 1 (8) | 1964-05-29 | Madison Square Garden, New York City |
|
| Win | 4-0 | Leslie Borden |
TKO | 3 (10) | 1964-05-05 | Sunnyside Garden, Queens, New York |
|
| Win | 3-0 |  Wendell Newton |
TKO | 5 (6) | 1964-03-10 | Sunnyside Garden, Queens, New York |
|
| Win | 2-0 | Everett Copeland |
KO | 1 (6) | 1964-02-04 | Sunnyside Garden, Queens, New York |
|
| Win | 1-0 | Lou Hicks |
TKO | 1 (4) | 1964-01-03 | Madison Square Garden, New York City |
|
Images for kids
-
Bonavena with actress Susana Giménez in 1970.
See also
In Spanish: Ringo Bonavena para niños
- Luis Ángel Firpo
- José María Gatica
- Justo Suárez
