ao link
Max Boxing
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
Snapchat
Insta
Search

Catching up with former super bantamweight world champion Paul Banke

The grit and determination that defined the tough and exciting California native would serve him well in life, both in and out of the ring.

Share on WhatsappTwitterFacebook
Paul Banke
Paul Banke

Paul Banke turned pro in the summer of 1985 and by the time he retired 8 years later he had a super bantamweight world championship on his resume. The grit and determination that defined the tough and exciting California native would serve him well in life, both in and out of the ring.

 

Banke would be 7-0 a year after he turned pro but would then suffer his first loss, dropping a points decision to undefeated Peter Solarez in Las Vegas. Never looking to take an easy route in the game, Banke would return for his next fight facing undefeated Andre Smith but would lose a MD to him in the spring of 1987. Banke would string together 3 wins before getting stopped by future world title challenger Jesus Poll in the summer of 1897, in a battle for the California state featherweight title, at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Banke would fight 5 of his next 6 fights at the Forum building a strong following there.

 

In June of 1989, he had earned his 1st word title shot, but Banke would lose a frustrating split decision to Mexican legend Daniel Zaragoza for the WBC super bantamweight strap. The bout would turn out to be the first of three battles with the legendary Mexican champion. After getting a couple more wins in 1989, Banke would stop Zaragoza to capture the world title in April of 1990 in their rematch.

 

Paul Banke, tough, gritty and always exciting in the ring, was now a world champion.

 

Banke would make one title defence in South Korea 4 months later against Ki Joon Lee. Banke won the fight on a late stoppage but it was a vicious war. Banke’s eye was closed and he was behind on the scorecards when he stopped the hometown challenger. In another give-and-take war, Banke would lose the title to Pedro Decima in his 2nd title defence back at home at the Inglewood Forum in November of that year. After picking up a win a year later, he got a 3rd shot at Zaragoaza but lost a UD to the champion.

 

In many ways, by the 3rd Zaragoza fight, the fight had literally and figuratively gone out of the former champ.

 

Now struggling with substance abuse, Banke would close out his career with 3 straight losses before leaving the ring for good at the end of 1993.

 

In his 8 years, and 30 fights, Banke would wrap a world title around his waist, defeat some very good, tough fighters and can always call himself a world champion.

 

As long time California trainer Jimmy Montoya said in an interview years ago, “When Paul Banke stepped into the ring, he didn’t just go in there to get paid. He went in there to fight his hardest and make people notice he was in the ring”.

 

Indeed he did.

 

After leaving boxing, Banke defeated his toughest opponent, knocking out a crippling substance addiction. Banke, clean and sober, caught up with MaxBoxing to share his memories of his title win, his career and how life is treating him these days.

 

Bill Tibbs: Always good to chat Paul. How are you?

Paul Banke: Doing good Bill, life is good, and I’m feeling good.

 

BT: I was actually looking at the record of Pedro Decima the other day and saw your name and thought I’d like to catch up.

 

PB: Oh yeah, Pedro, a tough guy, I never really wanted to fight him. (Laughs). He was a good fighter, and I knew he’d be a tough guy for me.

 

BT: Interesting to look at your record at 7-0 after you turn pro, and you drop one to Pete Solarez, then come back against another undefeated guy in Andre Smith who is 9-0. Most guys avoid undefeated guys on their way up let alone fight them back-to-back, especially after a loss.

 

PB: Oh yeah, Pete, I know him well, we are friends and we still keep in touch. I grew up with him from the amateurs. But, you know, back then we were happy to be fighting, and get a fight and get paid. That is what we did, we didn’t focus as much on staying undefeated. I mean, you want to win every fight and stay unbeaten if you can, but you get offered a fight, you fight.

 

BT: You then go 9-1 over the next 2 years, the only loss being to undefeated Jesus Poll. Then you get your world title shot in June of ‘89. How are you feeling going into that fight?

 

PB: OH, man, I was excited. I thought this guy is an old man compared to me. I thought I would just be able to take him out. I didn’t think he’d be able to beat me. He seemed like an old man compared to me. I was young, I was cocky. But, he schooled me. He beat me. I just didn’t do enough to win the fight. A tough, tricky, veteran who, like I said, he schooled me in that fight. It was the same thing years later when he fought Wayne McCullough. Wayne was undefeated and hungry, and everyone thought he’d be too much for this old guy. Guess what? Same thing, Zaragoza beat him.

 

BT: You get 2 more wins and then you get another shot at Zaragoza. How are you feeling going into this fight? Were you a bit more cautious having lost in the 1st fight?

 

PB: Not so much cautious but I was really confident and focused. I had seen him before, so now I wasn’t as unsure as I had been in the first fight going into my first world title shot. Now I knew him, and I really trained seriously and was very ready for him. I was in great shape and very confident going into that fight. I was very ready not just physically but mentally as well. I’d been there before, and I was excited for the 2nd fight.

 

BT: Four months later you have your 1st title defence against South Korean fighter Ki Joon Lee.

 

PB: A tough fighter, the toughest fight of my career. It was a long, gruelling fight.

 

BT: Then you have a tough fight in your 2nd title defence against Argentinian fighter Pedro Decima. You get stopped in the 4th. What do you recall about that fight?

 

PB: I didn’t want to fight Decima. He had been in there with Louie Espinoza and I didn’t think it was good fight for me, didn’t think it was good style for me. That was also 4 months after the tough fight with the Korean. I should have taken more time off. I needed to rest up. He was a tough guy to fight so soon after the South Korean.

 

BT: You’re off almost a year, and then you get a win. Then 2 months later come back for a title shot against your old foe Zaragoza in December of 1991.

 

PB: Yeah, it was good to get another world title shot. But, I wasn’t anywhere close to 100% for that fight. I was training and everything, but I wasn’t disciplined and dedicated away from the gym; you know what I’m talking about. That lifestyle took its toll and caught up with me. I wasn’t at my best for that fight.

 

BT: You have a book out, (Staying Positive – The Paul Banke Story, By Paul Zanon), it’s very good.

 

PB: Yeah, the book is out. I read the introduction by Ray Mancini but I couldn’t read beyond that. You know you look at all the pictures from the past and everything and there are things about myself I guess I just don’t wanna read. So, strangely enough I haven’t read my own book (laughs).

 

BT: Toughest fight?

 

PB: My first title defense against the South Korean, Ki Joon Lee. I should have taken some time off after that bout. It was a tough fight. That was a real war and I should have taken a rest after that fight before going into the ring again, given myself time to heal up.

 

BT: Greatest memory in boxing?

 

PB: Well, of course winning the world title was great. But, also looking back at my amateur career also. I went to 12 countries all around the world. Travelling with my fellow amateur fighters, it was great. I’m just a young kid from California and here I am travelling all over the world. Amateur boxing took me all over the world.

 

BT: How are your dogs?

 

PB: (Laughs). I love those dogs; they are with me 24/7. My daughter said to me recently, ‘Dad, you have more video and pictures of your dogs than of your kids’ (laughs).

 

BT: Paul, always great to chat and we’ll talk soon

 

PB: Anytime Bill. Thank you, brother.

 

 

 

 

Share on WhatsappTwitterFacebook

SecondsOut Weekly Newsletter

YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
Snapchat
Insta
© 2000 - 2018 Knockout Entertainment Ltd & MaxBoxing.com
(function (document, window) { var c = document.createElement("script"); c.type = "text/javascript"; c.async = !0; c.id = "CleverNTLoader49067"; c.setAttribute("data-target",window.name); c.setAttribute("data-callback","put-your-callback-macro-here"); c.src = "//clevernt.com/scripts/565df2e089764bf79d00a9d4c6731a71.min.js?20210312=" + Math.floor((new Date).getTime()); var a = !1; try { a = parent.document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0] || document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; } catch (e) { a = !1; } a || ( a = document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0] || document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]); a.parentNode.insertBefore(c, a); })(document, window);