Raúl Macías Guevara (July 28, 1934 in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...

– March 23, 2009) was a Mexican

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

, actor and boxing trainer. He took the NBA World Bantamweight Championship on March 9, 1955. Widely known as "Ratón" Macías, or "Mouse" Macías, he won a bronze medal at the

1951 Pan American Games The 1951 Pan American Games (the I Pan American Games) were held in Buenos Aires, Argentina between February 25 and March 9, 1951. The Pan American Games' origins were at the Games of the X Olympiad in Los Angeles, United States, where officials ...

Early life and amateur career

Macias was born on July 28, 1934, in Tepito, Distrito Federal, Mexico, a suburb of Mexico City. Macías had always expressed pride at being Mexican. Macias began his amateur career at age fourteen, winning the National Junior Flyweight, Flyweight and Bantamweight titles. He won a bronze medal at the Pan American Games, and represented Mexico as a bantamweight at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. In the Olympics, he first defeated Angel Amaya of Venezuela in a unanimous decision, then lost to

Gennady Garbuzov Gennady Varfolomeyevich Garbuzov (russian: Геннадий Варфоломеевич Гарбузов, 11 September 1930 – 21 October 2009) was a Russian bantamweight boxer. He won a Soviet title in 1951 and an Olympic bronze medal in 1952. ...

of the Soviet Union

1952 Olympic results

Below is the record of Raul Macias, a Mexican bantamweight boxer who competed at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics: * Round of 32: defeated Angel Amaya (Venezuela) by decision, 3-0 * Round of 16: lost to

(Soviet Union) by decision, 0-3

Professional career

On January 1, 1953, Macias debuted as a professional boxer with a first round

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...

win against Memo Sanchez in

Culiacán Culiacán, officially Culiacán Rosales, is a city in northwestern Mexico, the capital and largest city of both the Culiacán Municipality and the state of Sinaloa. The city was founded on 29 September 1531, by the Spanish conquerors Lázar ...

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities and ...

, Mexico. Exactly one month later and in only his second fight, Macias had his first ten-round bout, and he outpointed Chucho Tello in Culiacán, a feat he would duplicate in their rematch. Macias piled up a record of 8–0 with 2 knockouts and then faced Beto Couray on October 17, 1953 in Mexico City, for the Mexican Bantamweight title, lifting the national championship from Couray with a 12-round decision win. After 6 more wins, he challenged Nate Brooks on September 26, 1954 for the continental, NABF Bantamweight championship, which he took with a twelve-round decision in Mexico City. Macías was one of

Televisa Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announce ...

's first boxing stars. Many of his fights were shown live on Televisa during the 1950s.

Taking the NBA world bantamweight title, 1955

National Boxing Association The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is the oldest and one of four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxi ...

World Bantamweight champion Robert Cohen refused to defend his title against Macías, so the NBA decided to declare the title vacant and have Macias and

Chamroen Songkitrat Chamroen Songkitrat (Thai: จำเริญ ทรงกิตรัตน์), born as Samroeng Srimadi, was a Thai boxer and policeman. Songkitrat was a champion Muay Thai fighter in Thailand with over 50 fights before becoming an orthodox bo ...

fight for the championship. It was Macías' first attempt at the world title and first fight abroad. On March 9, 1955 in

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for "Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, Macías knocked out Songkiktrat in round eleven, taking the NBA World Bantamweight championship. Macias demonstrated great speed, boxing skill, and a powerful punch in his victory. Macias floored Songkitrat twice in the sixth. From the sixth on, Macias dominated the bout. Songkitrat down for an eight count from a right in the eleventh. After he was down again from a right to the head, referee

Fred Apostoli Alfredo "Fred" Apostoli (February 2, 1913 – November 29, 1973) was a rugged, accomplished body punching middleweight, who was recognized as the world champion when he defeated Marcel Thil on September 23, 1937. Statistical boxing website BoxR ...

, a former world champion, ended the bout thirty seconds into round eleven. Next followed a series of non-title fights. In a non-title bout on June 16, 1955, Macías suffered his first defeat when he was knocked out 2:29 into the third round by Billy Peacock in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

. The final blows were two left hooks that left Macias with a broken jaw. Macias, originally a 3-1 favorite, was down for a no count from a blow to his jaw earlier in the round. The bout would be Macías' only defeat by knockout, and left him hospitalized for two days. Macías' popularity followed him to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

and Texas, where he fought a number of times. On October 17, 1955, he defefated Cecil Schoonmaker in a ten-round decision in Corpus Christi, Texas. The non-title bout was considered drab by several ringsiders.

NBA bantamweight title defenses, and losing title

Macias had five victories before he defended his NBA world Bantamweight title for the first time against Leo Espinoza. He defeated Espinoza, father of

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

world boxing champion Luisito Espinoza, before a crowd of 50,000 in a tenth-round knockout on March 25, 1956 in Mexico City. A blow to the ribs and a right to the head put Espinoza down for the full count 2:57 into the tenth round. Espinoza complained that the altitude of Mexico City robbed him of his full breathing capacity. Top rated Italian bantamweight Gaetano Annaloro fell to Macias on November 21, 1956 in a decisive ten-round decision in San Antonio, Texas. The crowd of 4,500 shouted for more action in the carefully fought non-title bout. Macias used his left effectively, and though he sustained a slightly bruised hand in the fourth, it did not hinder him in the remaining rounds. Annaloro bobbed and weaved to maintain his defense, but was unable to gain an advantage over his opponent. On February 10, 1957, Macias knocked out Juan Carcenas in Mexico City in the eighth round. In their non-title bout, Macias put Carcenas to the mat ten times before he was counted out 1:30 into the sixth round. Cardenas was down four times in the second, three in the third, once in the fifth and twice in the sixth. After seven more non-title fight wins, Macias faced Dommy Ursua on June 15, 1957 in San Francisco in his second title defense. Macias was down for a four count from a left hook in the first, but retained his championship, knocking out Ursua in the eleventh before a crowd of 13,000. Macias took the lead after the third round, and used his five-inch height advantage to score with telling body blows. A cut above Ursua's eye slowed his progress after the sixth. Macias was called for a low blow in the eleventh, not long before unleashing a right and two handed combination that led to the referee ending the match. On November 6, 1957, he faced

Alphonse Halimi Alphonse Halimi (February 18, 1932 – November 12, 2006) was a French boxer. He took the World Bantamweight Championship on April 1, 1957, in Paris, and the European Bantamweight Championship three years later. Early life He was born in Constan ...

at Los Angeles'

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago W ...

in his last title bout. Halimi shook Macias with a hook to the jaw in the furious fourth round, though the bout featured no knockdowns. Macias lost his belt by a close and controversial 15-round split decision. Macias tried to close stronger in the final round, but was stopped by Halimi's offense."Halimi Bags Split Nod Over Macias", ''The Los Angeles Times'', Los Angeles, California, pg. 71, 7 November 1957

Life after boxing

He retired from boxing in 1959 after outpointing Ernesto Parra in ten rounds in Mexico City. After a three-year break, he knocked out Chocolate Zambrano in the fifth as part of a charity event on October 13, 1962 in Guadalajara. The match was his last. In retirement, Macías appeared in a number of Mexican

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ( ...

s, most notably 1990's "

Mi Pequeña Soledad ''Mi pequeña Soledad'' (''My little Soledad'') is a Mexican telenovela produced by Verónica Castro for Televisa in 1990. Verónica Castro starred as protagonist, while Rosa María Bianchi, Salvador Pineda, July Furlong and Roberto Balle ...

" ("My Small Soledad"), alongside

Verónica Castro Verónica Castro (), full name Verónica Judith Sáinz Castro (born 19 October 1952), is a Mexican actress, singer, producer, former model and presenter. She started her career as a television actress, where she met comedian Manuel Valdés, f ...

. His best known movies included ''El Raton'' in 1957, ''La Culpa'' in 1966, and ''Llanto, risas e nocaut'' in 1974. The Black and White, '' El Raton'', in which he starred, was directed by Chano Urueta.He co-starred with gifted boxer, four times world champion and Boxing Hall of Fame member, Ruben Olivares, ("el puas"), in ''Llanto, risas e nocaut''. After his participation in "Mi Pequeña Soledad", Macías dedicated himself to

training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...

boxers in a Mexico City gym. He compiled a professional boxing record of 41 wins and 2 losses, with 25 wins by knockout. He died at the age of 74.

Professional record

, align="center" colspan=8, 41 Wins (25 knockouts, 16 decisions), 2 Losses, 0 Draws , - style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Res. , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Record , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Opponent , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Type , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Round , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Date , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Location , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Notes , -align=center , Win , 41–2 , align=left, Chocolate Zambrano , TKO, , 5 , , 1962-10-13 , align=left,

Guadalajara, Jalisco Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Mexico, while the Guadala ...

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 40–2 , align=left, Ernesto Parra , UD, , 10 , , 1959-02-28 , align=left,

Mexico City, Distrito Federal Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of Mex ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 39–2 , align=left, Carmen Iacobucci , KO, , 2 , , 1959-02-08 , align=left,

Mexicali, Baja California Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area is home to 1,000,0 ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 38–2 , align=left, Luis Trejo , KO, , 8 , , 1959-01-25 , align=left, Ensenada, Baja California,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 37–2 , align=left, Kid Irapuato , UD, , 10 , , 1958-11-10 , align=left,

Tijuana, Baja California Tijuana ( ,"Tijuana"
(US) and < ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 36–2 , align=left,

, SD, , 15 , , 1957-11-06 , align=left,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 36–1 , align=left, Pastor Gonzalez , KO, , 5 , , 1957-09-07 , align=left,

Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Ciudad () is the Spanish word for City Ciudad may also refer to: *La Ciudad (archaeological site), Hohokam ruins in Phoenix, Arizona *La Ciudad, district of Durango City, Mexico *''La ciudad'', novel by Mario Levrero 1970 *La Ciudad ''The City'' ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 35–1 , align=left, Dommy Ursua , TKO, , 11 , , 1957-06-15 , align=left,

Cow Palace The Cow Palace (originally the California State Livestock Pavilion) is an indoor arena located in Daly City, California, situated on the city's northern border with neighboring San Francisco. Because the border passes through the property, a po ...

Daly City, California Daly City () is the second most populous city in San Mateo County, California, United States, with population of 104,901 according to the 2020 census. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, and immediately south of San Francisco (sharing its ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 34–1 , align=left, Juan Cardenas , KO, , 6 , , 1957-02-10 , align=left,

Arena Mexico An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 33–1 , align=left, Gaetano Annaloro , UD, , 10 , , 1956-11-21 , align=left,

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 32–1 , align=left, Johnny Hand , KO, , 1 , , 1956-11-13 , align=left,

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 31–1 , align=left, Ramon Young , KO, , 2 , , 1956-11-03 , align=left,

Ciudad Obregon, Sonora Ciudad () is the Spanish word for City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 30–1 , align=left, Hector Ceballos , KO, , 4 , , 1956-10-27 , align=left,

Hermosillo, Sonora Hermosillo (), formerly called Pitic (as in ''Santísima Trinidad del Pitic'' and ''Presidio del Pitic''), is a city located in the center of the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is the municipal seat of the Hermosillo municipality, th ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 29–1 , align=left, Larry Bataan , KO, , 6 , , 1956-09-05 , align=left,

Olympic Auditorium The Grand Olympic Auditorium is a former sports venue in southern Downtown Los Angeles, California. The venue was built in 1924 at 1801 South Grand Avenue, now just south of the Santa Monica Freeway. The grand opening of the Olympic Auditorium ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 28–1 , align=left, Tanny Campo , UD, , 10 , , 1956-06-30 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 27–1 , align=left, Adrian Kiriz , KO, , 3 , , 1956-05-26 , align=left,

Monterrey, Nuevo León Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anc ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 26–1 , align=left, Mike Hernandez , KO, , 4 , , 1956-04-21 , align=left, Merida, Yucatán,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 25–1 , align=left, Leo Espinosa , KO, , 10 , , 1956-03-25 , align=left,

Plaza Mexico A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 24–1 , align=left, Joe Chamaco , KO, , 4 , , 1956-01-29 , align=left,

Irapuato, Guanajuato Irapuato is a Mexican city (and municipality) located at the foot of the Arandas Hill (in Spanish: ''Cerro de Arandas''), in the central region of the state of Guanajuato. It lies between the Silao River and the Guanajuato River, a tributary of the ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 23–1 , align=left, Lucio Torres , KO, , 6 , , 1956-01-15 , align=left,

Veracruz, Veracruz Veracruz (), known officially as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located along the coast in the central pa ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 22–1 , align=left, Arturo Ruiz , TKO, , 6 , , 1955-12-11 , align=left,

Acapulco, Guerrero Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 21–1 , align=left, Pedro Soto , KO, , 6 , , 1955-11-21 , align=left,

Orizaba, Veracruz Orizaba () is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It is located 20 km west of its sister city Córdoba, and is adjacent to Río Blanco and Ixtaczoquitlán, on Federal Highways 180 and 190. The city had a 2005 censu ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 20–1 , align=left, Cecil Schoonmaker , UD, , 10 , , 1955-10-17 , align=left, Memorial Auditorium, Corpus Christi, Texas,

, align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 19–1 , align=left, Billy Peacock , TKO, , 3 , , 1955-06-15 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 19–0 , align=left, Moe Mario , TKO, , 5 , , 1955-05-12 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 18–0 , align=left, Memo Sanchez , KO, , 6 , , 1955-04-10 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 17–0 , align=left,

, TKO, , 11 , , 1955-03-09 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 16–0 , align=left, Nate Brooks , UD, , 12 , , 1954-09-26 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 15–0 , align=left, Fili Nava , UD, , 12 , , 1954-05-22 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 14–0 , align=left, Fili Nava , UD, , 12 , , 1954-04-10 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 13–0 , align=left, Billy Peacock , TKO, , 7 , , 1954-03-13 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 12–0 , align=left, Alberto Reyes , UD , , 10 , , 1954-01-16 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 11–0 , align=left, Lalo Gayosso , TKO , , 3 , , 1953-12-23 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 10–0 , align=left, Alberto Reyes , TKO , , 3 , , 1953-11-21 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 9–0 , align=left, Beto Couary , UD , , 12 , , 1953-10-17 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 8–0 , align=left, Genaro Serafin , UD , , 10 , , 1953-09-12 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 7–0 , align=left, Otilio Galvan , UD , , 12 , , 1953-08-01 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 6–0 , align=left, Trini Ruiz , UD , , 10 , , 1953-05-13 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 5–0 , align=left, Manuel Armenteros , UD , , 10 , , 1953-04-15 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 4–0 , align=left, Giraldo Bacho , KO , , 4 , , 1953-03-26 , align=left,

Puebla, Puebla Puebla de Zaragoza (; nah, Cuetlaxcoapan), formally Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza, formerly Puebla de los Ángeles during colonial times, or known in English simply as Puebla, is the seat of Puebla Municipality. It is the capital and largest city ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 3–0 , align=left, Memo Sanchez , TKO , , 5 , , 1952-12-15 , align=left, Culiacan, Sinaloa,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Chucho Tello , UD , , 10 , , 1952-11-22 , align=left, Culiacan, Sinaloa,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Chucho Tello , UD , , 10 , , 1952-11-01 , align=left, Culiacan, Sinaloa,

, align=left,

References

External links

*
sports-reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macias, Raul 1934 births 2009 deaths Deaths from cancer in Mexico 20th-century Mexican male actors Boxers from Mexico City Boxers at the 1952 Summer Olympics Olympic boxers of Mexico Mexican male boxers Mexican male telenovela actors Pan American Games bronze medalists for Mexico Pan American Games medalists in boxing Boxers at the 1951 Pan American Games Bantamweight boxers Medalists at the 1951 Pan American Games