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The surprising rise and dramatic fall of Arturo Pineda and Zovek Barajas

A boxers career can be filled with amazing highs, and tremendous lows

By John J. Raspanti

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Tury the fury-Zovek
Tury the fury-Zovek

One survives, riding a bicycle to work, and living in a dilapidated shack.

 

The other does not, swallowed up by alcohol and depression.

 

For a while in the 1970s, they were both the talk of Los Angeles boxing scene.

 

In 1971, Arturo Pineda, barely 19, from the poor streets of Mexico, began his career with an explosive stoppage over Jewell Chappell at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA.

 

Knock out after knock out followed, until a year later, Pineda, now nicknamed, “Tury the Fury,” due to his fierce style, signed to fight another undefeated teenaged sensation, with dynamic power, Danny “Little Red” Lopez.

 

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A few months before Pineda fought Lopez, Hilpolito Barajas Ayala laced on the gloves for the first time. He won his first six fights, scoring five knockouts, before losing to Julio Figueroa.

 

It was evident from the beginning that Barajas Ayala could crack. He beat favored Tony Lopez at the Olympic. Given a week to prepare, Barajas Ayala traveled to Hawaii to fight once-beaten Young Kennedy. He blew away Kennedy in three rounds. Now known as “Zovek” (after a Mexican magician and escape artist) Barajas, lost a decision to Johnny Gant, again in Hawaii. He then returned to the Olympic to face ranked Gil King.

 

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In early 1972, Pineda threw hands with Lopez—who had starched all 10 of his opponents. Pineda had sent 11 to dreamland. A buzz, mixed with cigar smoke, hovered above the Olympic ring as Lopez and Pineda waited for the action to commence. Nobody had to wait long. Barely a minute into the match, two bombs from Lopez sent Pineda into the ropes. A follow-up left hook stunned him. The shorter man fought back, stopping Lopez in his tracks with the old one-two.

 

Pineda came back ferociously in the next stanza. He staggered Lopez with right hands and left hooks. Lopez, lighter than Pineda, absorbed the blows and rallied in the next round. He rattled Pineda with right hooks to the chin, while the quicker Pineda fought back with his own crunching punches.

 

Entering round four, the sold-out crowd was losing its collective voice from screaming. Who would win? Both fighters had hurt the other. A Pineda left hook stunned Lopez. The red-headed stringbean did what he would do his entire career. He fought back, driving Pineda to the ropes with blows. A stiff jab from Pineda snapped back Lopez’ head. Pineda followed up with a lead right hand from his corner. Lopez countered with a perfect left hook, which sent Pineda crashing to the canvas where his undefeated record stayed.

 

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Bararas was expected to lose to Gil King. Many predicted the Canadian fighter, winner of 33 of 36 fights, would handle Barajas. Zovek was still something of a mystery. King was mystified all night as Barajas battered him into submission. The rising Barajas knocked out his next three opponents, including Kennedy in a rematch. Boxing people noticed. Stories started popping up about the lanky welterweight with the whirlwind style.

 

In October 1973, Barajas faced his toughest test in Armando Muniz. The slugging Muniz had recently recorded his biggest victory, stopping Ernie Lopez. Barajas used his advantages in height and reach to score points with jabs and uppercuts. He kept Muniz off balance by switching from conventional to southpaw. Barajas stunned Muniz in round six, only to have iron-chinned Muniz rally back in the next few rounds. The fight was up for grabs as both men tore into each other in the last stanza.

 

Many called it the “Fight of the Year”

 

One ringside official scored the brawl a draw, but was overruled by the other two judges, who had Barajas the winner by a point. Barajas had pulled off the biggest win of his short career, but within four months, everything would change.

 

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After his dramatic loss to Lopez, Pineda was back in the ring three months later. He won four-in-a-row before being matched with another phenomenal fighter on the rise.

Baby-faced assassin Bobby Chacon had rolled to 15 consecutive wins, with 14 knockouts. He was fast, clever, and powerful. Pineda had won 17 of 18. Chacon was slightly favored. The fight was reminiscent of Pineda’s war with Lopez. Each staggered the other. Chacon floored Pineda in the opening round and knocked him out in five.

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After upsetting Muniz, many figured Barajas would get a title shot. Instead, he fought journeyman Jose Roberto Sosa, holder of a less-than-five hundred win-loss record. Barajas won by stoppage, but reportedly, didn’t look good.

 

A month later, he faced unheralded Billy Lloyd, who entered the fight having lost his last three bouts. Lloyd, though, could punch. He starched Barajas in two jarring rounds. The loss was considered a fluke, so a rematch was immediately scheduled. The word was that Barajas was out of shape. The rematch went two rounds longer, with Lloyd putting away Barajas in round four.

 

What had happened? In less than a year, Barajas had fought his way to the top of the welterweight division, only to tumble from the sky like a falling star. Rumors swirled.

 

Six weeks after his loss to Chacon, Pineda went to Mexico - not to rest, but to fight. Three bouts in three months. He was eventually informed that his next fight would be against former two-time lightweight champion, Mando Ramos.

 

Ramos’ career began at the Olympic three days after his 17th birthday. He was wildly popular (especially with the ladies) and loaded with talent. Gifted with a great jab, Ramos could box, but preferred mixing it up. His fights were rarely boring, and occasionally bloody.

 

At 20, Ramos, now a bona fide rock star in the Los Angeles area, stopped Carlos Teo Cruz to capture the WBC lightweight title. He lost his title to Ismael Laguna, but recaptured it by defeating Pedro Carrasco in 1972.

 

Ramos was rolling in money, but drowning in self-destruction. Some said his training regime consisted of running from bar to bar. He lost his title three months after winning it, brutally stopped by Chango Carmona. Rumors again flew about his lack of preparation.

 

He had been inactive a year when he faced Pineda again at the Olympic. For a few rounds, Ramos looked like his old self. He popped his jab and kept the wild swinging Pineda off balance.

 

Old is the key word. Ramos, not yet 25, was essentially done. Pineda got to him in round five and knocked him out. The tough fights and hard-living had caught up with him.

Pineda and Barajas should have taken notice, but didn’t. Pineda fought undefeated Jimmy Heair at the Sports Arena a few months after defeating Ramos. Pineda went toe-to-toe with Heair, until a combination put him down for the count. He lost his next fight, but won three in a row. A title shot beckoned him to Japan to fight hometown champion, Guts Ishimatsu in 1974. Pineda, bleeding from cuts over both eyes, fought his heart out for 15 rounds. The decision, in the hands of three Japanese officials, was judged a draw.

 

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After his back-to-back losses to Lloyd, Barajas, 23, was suspended for six months by the California State Boxing Commission. The reason given was Barajas was suffering from a social disorder, and mononucleosis. Barajas admitted later he was experimenting with drugs and engaging with prostitutes.

 

After his suspension, he won a comeback fight and faced the rising Carlos Palomino.

 

“He was long and tricky,” Palomino told me over the phone a few weeks ago. The exciting fight was judged a draw. A month later, they fought again, with Palomino winning by stoppage. Barajas won a fight in 1976, and faced Muniz in another rematch. The fight was no-contest. Muniz battered and stopped Barajas in four.

 

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Pineda faced Ishimatsu again in 1975. The fight was very similar to their first affair, with Pineda the aggressor and seemingly landing the harder blows. No matter. Ishimatsu won the match by unanimous decision. The result hurt Pineda deeply.

 

He would never be the same. But, he had to fight.

 

Two months later, he faced undefeated Randy Shields back at the Olympic. Shields won the bout by wide decision, but it wasn’t as easy as it appeared.

 

“Every round was a fight,” said Shields on the phone a few days ago.

 

Like Barajas, Pineda’s star was tumbling. He won a fight, but apparently a gatekeeper at the ripe old age of 23, he was matched against a number of hard-punching veterans and prospects. He lost them all, the worse being against one Rafael Nunez on August 8, 1977.

 

Boxing scribe Dan Handley was ringside for the fight.

 

“I remember the Nunez fight as well,” Handley said in a email. “Pineda was a shot fighter by then and Nunez wouldn’t have lasted three rounds with a prime Tury. Tury started fast and dropped Nunez early. But that was it and Nunez won every ensuing round.

 

“Jim Healy at the mic was embarrassed for Tury and he lauded Jimmy Lennon for not announcing the lopsided scores. Jimmy simply said, “the winner by unanimous decision, Rafael Nunez.”

 

Pineda was washed up at 25.

 

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Barajas was on a similar road to oblivion. He dropped eight fights, one to a boxer with 49 losses on his record. He finally quit in 1984.

 

Pineda had his final fight in 1980. The opponent didn’t matter. Pineda was knocked out in the second round. He drifted away from the sport he loved, burying himself in a bottle. Soon he was on the streets, a has-been who had once been a star. Some remembered, most didn’t. He died in 2001, his body broken along with his spirit.

Barajas bounced from job to job, sometimes living at the place he worked. He went back to Mexico, and now, at 68, lives in a tiny shack. His regrets are etched on his lined face.

 

Is there a lesson in the rise and fall of Tury Pineda and Zovek Barajas?

 

Perhaps, but it’s one that’s complicated in the brutal world of boxing, where some managers steal from fighters obsessively, and set up bouts fully knowing their man isn’t ready. It’s all about money. And greed.

 

Don’t get me wrong, the fighters aren’t blameless. The old saying "You can’t save some from themselves" is at play here.

 

Some boxers believe the money will keep coming, until it doesn’t.

 

Then what? What do they do?

 

Hopefully they aren’t broke, searching for answers in a cruel world.

 

They’ll likely not find them, at least, in boxing.

 

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