Ramón La Cruz, the boxer who attracted the crowd at Luna Park, has died

Owner of a career as long as it is dotted with popular loves in historic evenings at the legendary Luna Park, Ramón La Cruz He left an indelible mark on Argentine boxing fans. And he will fight for the world title in 1968. “El Matador”, born in Chaco, is already a legend, because The former Argentine and South American champion has died at the age of 84.

Between his first professional fight, on March 11, 1959, against Roque Castro, who he knocked out, and his last draw against Luis Salvucci on September 5, 1975 at General Roca, almost 16 and a half years passed.

A life above the ring for La Cruz, the welterweight born on August 29, 1939 in Resistencia who finished with a record of 104 victories (62 knockouts), 14 defeats and 19 draws. Yes, there were 137 fights of this daring boxer who enlivened the evenings when boxing attracted crowds.

On October 21, 1968, the moment long awaited by every boxer arrived: fight for the world title. The occasion was at the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans, in the United States, against the Texan Curtis Cokes. The Association and World Council titles were on the line and he was defeated by unanimous decision, after suffering a torn left arm mid-fight.

The American would lose the title on April 19, 1969 when he was knocked out by José Ángel “Mantequilla” Naplesthe Mexican nationalized Cuban who on February 9, 1974 rose to the middleweight category to aspire to Carlos Monzón. In the Paris suburb of Puteaux, the Santa Fe native demolished him with a sixth-round technical knockout.

As Carlos Irusta and Osvaldo Príncipi, journalists specializing in boxing with numerous evenings behind him, recall, La Cruz shone in the 60s and 70s fighting against all the best welterweights of the time: Esteban Osuna, Miguel Angel Castellini, Oscar Miranda, Juan Carlos Velárdez, Manuel Álvarez, Aníbal Di Lella and Mario Guillotti, among others.

But there were two rivals with whom he made Luna Park delirious. Of his seven duels against Abel Cachazu between 1963 and 1972 he won five and lost two. And against Tucumán Horacio Saldaño He fought three times, with a draw on June 6, 1970, a points victory on July 3, 1971, and a second-round knockout loss on August 5, 1972.

The relationship with Saldaño lasted a lifetime, beyond boxing, because La Cruz came to train the two daughters of “La Pantera”. A great national boxer.