Teak-tough Marcelo Dominguez rose from the streets of Argentina to win the WBC cruiserweight title within the Nineteen Nineties.
Dominguez was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 15, 1970.
“We had been lower-middle class,” Dominguez advised The Ring via Mauricio Gonzalez. “I had an older brother; I used to be within the center and I had a youthful sister. My father labored as a taxi driver and a safety guard.
“Our household was collectively till I used to be 13-years-old. Then my dad and mom separated. My brother and I lived with my father, my sister with my mom. On the age of 13, I left college and began working. I offered [things] on the road for just a few days, however rapidly I labored in {a magazine} writer, then I labored in a restaurant kitchen.”
At 14, Dominguez visited an area health club with buddies who wished to field. Initially he simply wated to train however he discovered one thing he loved doing and mixed that along with his work.
“I did 40 authorized fights however one other 15 that I fought with out my license,” he stated. “In Argentina it was robust as a result of my weight class isn’t one that’s actually managed. I needed to combat in three weight classes, mild heavy, heavy and tremendous heavy. I solely misplaced three fights and three attracts.
“I participated in 5 nationwide tournaments and received 4 of them and the opposite I used to be within the ultimate.
“I used to be going to the eliminator for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. I received it however sadly, they didn’t ship me as a result of the man that misplaced to me within the ultimate ended up going there. They thought I used to be too small for that weight class. They by no means paid consideration to my coronary heart, my mentality and people had been the massive issues I had.”
Marcelo Dominguez in his first job
Dominguez turned skilled with a fourth-round stoppage in October 1991. In simply his seventh combat he was matched with vastly extra skilled compatriot Nestor Giovanni for the nationwide cruiserweight title.
“All people was saying that my supervisor was loopy and that he was taking me to lose however my supervisor stated, ‘Hearken to me, I do know what I’m speaking about. If we exit from the primary bell and also you’re aggressive with this man, he’s not going to love it, he’s not going to take it.’ and that was my finest fashion of combating,” he recalled.
“I all the time listened to my nook as a result of I knew he was a boxer with loads of expertise however I used to be youthful and sooner. So, I listened and went proper for it and I believe he acquired a bit determined and didn’t know what to do, so first he hit me with an elbow. The combat went on. The following spherical he hit me twice with headbutts. That gave me a second lower and disqualified him.”
After the win, his supervisor wished him to cease working however Dominguez had different concepts.
“I recommended that he give me a job in his workplace with hours that would coincide with my coaching,” he stated. “I didn’t need anybody to offer me the cash, I needed to earn it.”
It was throughout this time he was afforded the chance to behave as chaperon to a legendary mild heavyweight champion of the previous.
“I used to be fortunate to have the ability to spend virtually every week with Archie Moore in Uruguay,” he fondly recalled. “There was a fortieth anniversary commemoration of his combat towards Dogomar Martinez. They are saying it was a violent and nice combat received by Moore.
“They had been doing a homage to him. I helped him with every little thing. He advised me many, many tales. He wouldn’t let anybody contact him; he wouldn’t even shake palms wiith you whenever you met him. It solely occurred with me, I’d assist him stroll and we’d go arm in arm. I consider he noticed himself in me as a result of I used to be an unknown boxer.
“He was one of the best in his weight class in historical past however everyone knows what occurred when he went to heavyweight. I ponder how it might have been had there be cruiserweight throughout his time? He was an incredible individual, I all the time ask myself, what did he see in me that he selected me, he might have talked or walked with anyone however he selected me.”
All of the whereas Dominguez personal profession was progressing properly. He made two profitable defenses of his nationwide title and stayed lively in between with non-title bout earlier than he was rewarded with a shot at WBC cruiserweight titleholder Anaclet Wamba in Salta, within the north of Argentina, in December 1994.
“Osvaldo Rivero, who was companions with Wamba’s managers, [the Acaries Brothers,]” he stated. “I keep in mind the lead up properly. They introduced the combat at a press convention. I stood up and let Wamba know, ‘That is going to be your final combat. I’m going to retire you.’ It was like that, he didn’t combat, he retired.
“When my combat with Wamba had completed in Argentina, the Acaries gave me a hug and stated, ‘I’m going to offer you one other probability on the title.’ I believe that claims every little thing concerning the end result with Wamba.”
Dominguez, who was 10-years-younger than Wamba, fought properly however misplaced a 12-round majority determination.
“El Toro” beat two journeymen and was supplied the possibility to combat Akim Tafer for the WBC Interim title within the south of France in the summertime of 1995.
“I acquired that combat when Norbert Ekassi was harm and he was the one who was going to combat for the title,” he recalled. “It was a tricky combat; it was a really even combat. I keep in mind my coach was telling me, ‘You’re going to get cash or eat shit.’ In different phrases, one thing or nothing. Within the eighth spherical, I used to be feeling exhausted and that’s when my coach advised me, to get it accomplished. Within the ninth spherical, I got here out like a bullet and gave him three straight proper palms within the impartial nook, [he went down] and didn’t stand up.”
Dominguez fought in entrance of his individuals in Argentina and likewise in his promoter Michel Acaries homeland of France. He turned again Reinaldo Gimenez (TKO 12) and Sergey Kobozev (SD 12) in “interim” title defenses earlier than Wamba formally retired and the proud Argentine was upgraded to full champion. Additional defenses adopted towards Patrice Aoussi (TKO 10), Jose Arimatea da Silva (TKO 8) and Tafer (UD 12) in a rematch.
“I’ve nice reminiscences of all of them,” he stated. “After I received the world title the coaching classes grew to become a lot more durable, particularly for the primary protection. It was in my nation and I wished to current myself in one of the best situation. The referee stopped the punishment and I received by TKO. Then comes the protection that for a lot of was one of the best towards Kobozev, he was the No. 1 contender. Everybody believed he would beat me. I fought with a damaged rib from Spherical 4 however I used to be in a position to get via it.
“Then got here a combat the place I used to be not superb [against Aoussi.] They modified my dates a number of occasions and I wasn’t at my finest however I received. I beat the Brazilian (Da Silva) in my fourth protection. I used to be superb in that combat and received with out issues. In opposition to Tafer in a rematch, I used to be in a position to placed on an incredible combat.”
Nevertheless, Dominguez dropped his title to proficient Cuban Juan Carlos Gomez in Argentina February 1998 and misplaced a rematch a 12 months later in Gomez adoptive homeland of Germany.
“These fights had been superior,” he stated. “The primary combat in Mar Del Plata was a really even combat. I fought Gomez just a few days after turning into a father for the primary time.
“I went in with an harm [in the rematch] and that’s no excuse as a result of Gomez was an incredible champion and I take into account myself to have been the boxer who introduced him probably the most issues. I really feel high-quality that I misplaced to him as a result of he was among the finest within the weight class. He couldn’t knock me out in both combat.”
Dominguez stayed lively over the subsequent couple of years earlier than he was rewarded with a combat towards WBO titlist Johnny Nelson in Sheffield, England in July 2001.
“It was a superb combat; I used to be very ready bodily,” he stated. “I used to be in nice form; I believe you could possibly see that the primary half of the combat I used to be successful. There was a scenario that occurred to me that made me lose the combat after the primary half. Psychologically it wasn’t my finest second in life. I had points with Argentinean Federation. I had a smaller promoter. I needed to go to Uruguay to combat for a few occasions for little or no cash, whereas I’m grateful for Uruguay and the individuals for supporting me, it was robust.
“Nelson ended up successful. Within the twelfth spherical, I used to be on the level of giving up however I mustered up some sort of psychological fortitude and was in a position to come via. Being native you don’t lose these selections. I acquired out of the ring, crying and stated I used to be going to retire. Mentally that was a tricky one.”
After a while away from boxing, Dominguez returned as a heavyweight. He received the South American title and made a few defenses earlier than he was supplied a combat with future heavyweight titlist Nicolay Valuev.
“After they supplied me that combat, I used to be considering of retiring,” he stated. “So, I used to be coaching at residence, within the again. I didn’t spar for that combat. I picked the heavy bag as much as over 2 metres and hit it.
“Earlier than the burden in, I advised him, like I’d inform different opponents, ‘I’m not going to take a dive.’ I used to be right here to win. Whoever noticed that combat is aware of who received that combat. The referee was on me the entire time however even then, they weren’t in a position to cease me.”
After shedding to then unbeaten Cengiz Koc (UD 8), he notched three wins at residence and was supplied a combat with Enzo Maccarinelli on the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales in July 2006.
Cruiserweight titlist Marcelo Dominguez (left) meets legendary mild heavyweight champ Archie Moore
“I’ve unusual ideas on that combat. I take into account it certainly one of my finest fights, although I misplaced,” he stated. “I labored very exhausting to get again to cruiserweight. It took me a 12 months of labor and planning. Within the eighth spherical, I actually thought I had him beat. I actually thought I harm him. I sat down and thought, ‘This combat is mine.’ One punch from Enzo [in round 9] modified every little thing.
“As I used to be leaving the stadium, me and Enzo crossed paths and Enzo confirmed me the suitcase the belt is available in. He stated, ‘I’m not world champ due to this belt, I’m champ as a result of I used to be the one one who was in a position to KO Dominguez.’ A world champion saying these phrases was big for me.
“That basically was the top of my profession, although I fought after that. I simply did it, it wasn’t to grow to be world champ however extra to get the final little bit of boxer out of me.”
“Since 2006, I’ve been working as a coach,” stated Dominguez (48-8-1, 25 knockouts). “I’ve been fortunate sufficient to have many Argentinean champions, South American champions and Latino champions.”
Dominguez has been very busy with a number of different initiatives, together with writing an autobiography, ‘The Day that we had been champions.’ He additionally took courses in Sports activities Psychology; which he graduated in. He labored with the Argentinean Olympic committee. He has labored on radio and TV, some movie work, TV sequence for a few seasons. He has labored with the Ministry of Sport for Argentina. He’s the chief coach for all trainers from completely different programmes in sports activities and heads a division the place they begin sports activities at a younger age for teenagers, known as Initiation of Sports activities.
Dominguez, now 53, is married, has two kids and lives in Ramos Mejia, a province within the west of Buenos Aires.
He graciously took time to talk to The Ring about one of the best he fought in 10 key classes.
BEST JAB
Akim Tafer: “His jab was robust and it took me some work to get the space however I lastly did it and I used to be in a position to KO him.”
BEST DEFENSE
Johnny Nelson: “He had nice palms at distance and wouldn’t let me get inside.”
BEST FOOTWORK
Nelson: “He was very coordinated along with his palms and ft. A really athletic man, who was in a position to maintain me at bay.”
FASTEST HANDS
Juan Carlos Gómez: “He had an uncommon quantity of velocity along with his mixtures.”
SMARTEST
Gómez: “His beginner expertise, the Cuban college of boxing or possibly every little thing was pure for him.”
STRONGEST
Sergei Kovozev: “That man was only a canine till he confronted me. He was nonetheless the strongest.”
BEST CHIN
Miguel Morales: “I noticed different boxers hit him with every little thing. I additionally hit him with every little thing and I couldn’t transfer him [Laughs.]”
BIGGEST PUNCHER
Enzo Maccarinelli: “Gomez and Tafer made me really feel their blows loads, however the one one who really managed to harm me was Enzo.”
BEST BOXING SKILLS
Gómez: “I believe many issues: Beautiful boxing, good boxing abilities and an incredible punch. I believe he knew how you can remedy conditions and outline them.”
BEST OVERALL
Gómez: “He was one of the best fighter I fought in my profession. He beat me twice and improved between each fights. He is without doubt one of the finest cruiserweights in historical past.”
Mauricio Gonzalez helped translate and make this characteristic potential. The Ring appreciates his help.
Questions and/or feedback will be despatched to Anson at [email protected].
Observe @AnsonWainwright
