Horacio Accavallo is dead: the back room of that memorable night in Tokyo and his three defenses at Luna Park

Is dead Orazio AccavalloOne of the biggest boxers of the history of Argentine sport. And as happens with popular idols, his departure brings to mind the memorable nights, the fights in which the Argentine flag flew in the ring to celebrate epic triumphs.

In 1965 the world flyweight champion was the Italian Salvatore Burruni, who had already beaten Accavallo with a controversial failure in Cagliari. Burruni accepted a $ 30,000 scholarship for a rematch with the Argentine at Luna Park, but without putting the title on the line. The Argentine devastated him in that fight and Burruni preferred that his challenger to the crown be someone else.

The World Association took away his title -Burruni went to the emerging World Council- and ordered a fight between 1st and 2nd in the standings, Hiroyuki Ebihara Japanese and Accavallo. It was agreed for February 1966 in Tokyo and the Argentine delegation went there: Accavallo, Tito Lectoure, the coach Juan Aldrovandi, Dr. Luis Mancuso, the manager Héctor Vaccari (later Mayor of Chivilcoy).

But in full preparation for the fight, Ebihara was wounded. The WBA then ordered Acavallo to stay in Japan and fight with the 3rd classified, also from that country: Katsuyoshi Takayama. The condition? The winner had to accept Ebihara as the first challenger.

On March 1, 1966, an Accavallo who struggled to set the category limit (50,800 kg.) Arrived at the Kuramae stadium, the same where, twenty-two years earlier, the unforgettable Pascualito Pérez had become the first (and until then the only) Argentina to get a boxing world title. Even among the flies. The referee was also the same, the American Nick Pope, a former naval officer who had fought in Pearl Harbor.

“They changed my gloves already in the third round his knuckles were shattered. The fight was tied until the eighth, then I blew Nakayama into awe. And if I could not put him out of action, it was because, with every blow, my hands hurt “, recalled the Argentine. The truth is that he had accumulated advantages and between the 10th and the 15th round he had to perform a perfect strategic management Two of the cards gave him the victory: 73-69 by Pope and 74-66 by Argentine Eloy González, the other went to Takayama (71-70, by compatriot Ko Tayama).

It was a historic day for Argentine sport and Accavallo celebrated it in the Embassy with empanadas and wine where, coincidentally, there was also a guitar virtuoso like Eduardo Falù (on tour in Japan) and accompanied the celebrations.

Even more apotheotic was the return to Buenos Aires: crowds in the streets, from Ezeiza to Luna Parkcheering the champion.

Accavallo obeyed the agreement and granted his first defense to Ebihara, who he defeated on points on June 15 of that year at the Luna Park. Harder was his second challenger, Mexican Efren “Alcarán” Torres in December, who was also able to overtake. It was a dramatic fight, even at the Moon, where Accavallo he came to kiss the canvas and ended up very bleeding.

Ebihara visited Luna Park again on August 12, 1967, once again losing on points to the Argentine. Third and last defense, victorious. Soon after he decided to retire..