Paulino Uzcudun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Paulino Uzcudun |
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| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | Basque Woodchopper |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Born | 3 May 1899 Errezil, Guipuzcoa Basque Country Spain |
| Died | 5 July 1985 (aged 86) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 69 |
| Wins | 49 |
| Wins by KO | 33 |
| Losses | 17 |
| Draws | 3 |
Paulino Uzcudun Eizmendi (born May 3, 1899 – died July 5, 1985) was a famous Spanish heavyweight boxer. Many people consider him the greatest heavyweight boxer to ever come from Spain. He was known by the nickname "the Basque Woodchopper." Paulino fought against some of the biggest boxing legends of his time, like Joe Louis and Max Schmeling.
Contents
The Basque Woodchopper: Paulino Uzcudun
From Wood Chopper to Boxer
Paulino Uzcudun was born in a place called Errezil, in the Basque Country of Spain. He was the youngest of nine children in his family. When he was young, Paulino was an aizkolari. This is a traditional Basque sport where people compete to chop wood very quickly.
Later, Paulino became a professional boxer. He was known for his strong fighting style. He often fought in a crouched position and had a very powerful left hook punch. He was nicknamed "the Basque Woodchopper" because of his past.
Fighting the Best Boxers
Paulino Uzcudun became the European heavyweight boxing champion. During his career, he fought against many of the most famous boxers in the world. These included legends like Joe Louis, Max Baer, Max Schmeling (three times), and Primo Carnera (twice).
Paulino was a very tough boxer. He was known for being hard to knock down. In fact, he was never knocked off his feet or knocked out (KO'd) until his very last professional fight. He finished his boxing career with a record of 49 wins, 17 losses, and 3 draws. He won 33 of his fights by knockout.
The World Title Challenge
Paulino Uzcudun had one chance to fight for the world heavyweight championship. This big fight was against Primo Carnera of Italy. It happened on October 22, 1933, in Barcelona, Spain.
Before the fight, there was a disagreement about the boxing gloves. Carnera, the champion, wanted American-made gloves, but the Spanish boxing officials chose Spanish ones. After some tension, Carnera agreed to use the Spanish gloves.
The fight itself lasted all 15 scheduled rounds. Paulino fought very well. When the judges announced the winner, the crowd reacted strongly. There was a lot of noise and excitement, and some people even started a riot. Paulino and his team had to take shelter under the boxing ring until order was restored. Even with all the chaos, Paulino was known as a very fair and tough fighter.
Memorable Fights and Retirement
Paulino Uzcudun also fought and defeated the famous boxer Harry Wills. He stopped Wills in four rounds on July 13, 1927.
His final professional fight was on December 13, 1935. Paulino came out of retirement to face the legendary Joe Louis. In the fourth round, Louis landed a powerful punch that knocked Paulino down. The referee stopped the fight, even though Paulino wanted to continue. This was the only time in his career that he was knocked out.
After his boxing career, Paulino Uzcudun joined a group called the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
See also
In Spanish: Paulino Uzcudun para niños
