This piece was first written years in the past and initially revealed in a Caracas newspaper. With some notable edits, we convey it again now for the followers of yesterday, however particularly for the brand new followers of the candy science—lots of whom know little or nothing about that memorable battle, one which carved its place not solely in boxing historical past, however within the very soul of Venezuelan boxing. On September 2, it’ll mark 54 years since that unforgettable evening.
Let’s make a journey down reminiscence lane to Tokyo’s Korakuen Gymnasium—also referred to as the Metropolitan Fitness center—the mecca of Japanese boxing throughout the Nineteen Seventies and 80s. The world was filled with keen Japanese followers and a small band of Venezuelans, perhaps a dozen at most. Amongst them had been Delio Amado León, Carlitos González, Oswaldo “Gato” Sánchez, and Sixto Dorta—the one names I nonetheless recall. The primary three are now not with us.
Because the opening bell rang, we noticed in our thoughts’s eye the Venezuelan challenger from Cumaná, Antonio Gómez, crouched and firing his very first punch: a protracted, explosive, pinpoint jab to the chin of the reigning featherweight world champion of the WBA, 24-year-old Shozo Saijo. The champion’s head snapped again from the affect.
It was simply previous 7:00 p.m. on a Thursday evening in Tokyo, and again house in Venezuela, it was barely dawn.
After that stiff left hand, Gómez stepped to the facet whereas Saijo stretched his arms and rolled his neck as if attempting to shake off the shock. From each corners got here the same old shouts of warning and encouragement. In Gómez’s nook, coach Hely Montes and supervisor Ramiro Machado urged calm, whereas the American technician Willie Ketchum—introduced in by Machado for the event—watched stone-faced. Seconds into the spherical, Gómez fired off his fast jab three, 4, 5 extra instances. Then, after a type of punches landed, the defending champion unexpectedly staggered and went down, boots pointing skyward.
The dozen Venezuelans within the crowd leapt with pleasure, although referee Alfredo Garzo—a Spaniard who had turn into a Japanese nationwide—dominated it a slip. The bell rang quickly after, ending a spherical that already felt like an omen. To the Japanese crowd, these opening moments certainly hinted at an undesirable and violent ending in favor of the customer from afar.
As for us, from the very first moments, there was not a single doubt that Gómez would notice his dream—and the dream of 1000’s of Venezuelan followers following from a distance of 1000’s of miles.
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A Lengthy Street to Glory
For Saijo, this was his sixth protection of the belt he had gained from Mexican-American Raúl Rojas three years earlier. A kind of defenses got here in opposition to Pedro Gómez—Antonio’s older brother—whom Saijo had outpointed in his very first title protection.
For Antonio Gómez, this was his first crack at a world title in a division that Venezuelan boxing had chased in useless for years. Nice names had pursued the featherweight crown, most with out ever getting the possibility. Amongst them: Simón Chávez, the beloved “Pollo de la Palmita,” a conqueror of champions and Venezuela’s first undisputed boxing idol within the Thirties and 40s; Oscar “Torpedo” Calles, a misplaced promise murdered in a mindless avenue battle close to the Palo Grande church in Caracas; and Víctor Adams, “Sonny León,” each beloved and hated within the 50s and 60s, who years later died forgotten within the streets of Caracas, penniless and damaged.
Guided properly by Machado, Gómez had left Venezuela a few years earlier, basing himself in Los Angeles and Tijuana as a launchpad for his profession. To earn his ticket to Tokyo, Gómez dismantled a lineup of powerful Mexicans: Fernando Sotelo in 9 rounds, Julio Segura in 5, Ray Vega in seven, and Vicente García in only one. Solely “Centavito” Hernández and Puerto Rican Juan Collado lasted the gap in opposition to him.
Figuring out the hazard Gómez posed, Saijo prevented him for so long as potential with excuse after excuse, till the WBA lastly ordered the protection. The date was set: September 2, 1971. Fifteen rounds for the world featherweight crown.
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The Proper Hand of Future
(Again to the Korakuen)
It will be dishonest to assert I keep in mind each element of that battle. Time clouds reminiscence. For the remainder of the story, I flip to an previous AFP report that learn:
“Antonio Gómez’s thunderous proper hand introduced Venezuela a brand new world championship as we speak—the WBA featherweight crown—after practically 5 rounds of probably the most thrilling fights ever seen in Tokyo. The decisive blow got here within the fifth spherical, because the champion Shozo Saijo was relentlessly punished by the Venezuelan’s proper. The primary knockdown got here simply 30 seconds into the ultimate spherical. Saijo rose on the depend of eight, however Gómez swarmed him, chasing him across the ring and touchdown three extra crushing rights to finish it.”
What the AFP didn’t point out—however I do keep in mind—is that earlier than the referee might step in, Saijo’s nook threw within the towel. The Japanese warrior, simply 24 years previous, had fought like a wounded lion, however the evening belonged to Gómez.
Antonio Gómez, a modest 26-year-old from Cumaná, educated by the legendary “maestro” Hely Montes, had reached the summit each fighter goals of. He was the perfect 126-pounder on the planet, the undisputed No. 1 featherweight. Even with Vicente Saldivar nonetheless holding the WBC model of the belt, consultants knew the Mexican was no match for the Venezuelan.
That evening, Gómez joined Vicente Paúl Rondón (mild heavyweight) and fellow Cumanese Alfredo Marcano (tremendous featherweight) as Venezuelan world champions. A fourth, Betulio González, would be a part of the listing simply months later.
For us who had been there, masking the battle for El Nacional, there was absolute certainty: simply as Hemingway as soon as wrote of Paris, on September 2, 1971, Venezuela was a celebration.
