Paulie Ayala

Last updated
Paulie Ayala
Born
Paul Anthony Ayala

(1970-04-22) April 22, 1970 (age 54)
NationalityAmerican
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height5 ft 5+12 in (166 cm)
Reach66 in (168 cm)
Stance Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights38
Wins35
Wins by KO22
Losses3

Paul Anthony "Paulie" Ayala (born April 22, 1970) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2004. He was a multiple-division World champion who held the WBA bantamweight title and The Ring Magazine super bantamweight title. In 1999 he was voted "Fighter of the Year" by The Ring magazine for his first bout against Johnny Tapia, which also won "Fight of the Year" honors. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Professional career

Ayala began his professional fighting career with a six-round decision win over Jaime Olvera on November 27, 1992. He had seven fights in 1993, including one against future NABO champion and world title challenger Jesse Magana. Ayala won all seven of those bouts, four by knockout. Magana was knocked out in the fourth round, after which Ayala went on to score wins over prospects Evgeny Novoselov and George Acevedo.

In 1994, he won all four of his bouts, including one over veteran Lee Cargle. Cargle was knocked out by Ayala in round three. 1995 was a productive year for Ayala, who won all five of his fights, including his first regional championship bout. By defeating Mike Espinoza by knockout in three rounds at the Fort Worth Convention Center, Ayala claimed the NABF bantamweight title. He defended it twice before the end of the year, beating Mario Diaz and Sergio Millan, both by decision in 12 rounds.

Ayala only had two fights in 1996, both of them successful defenses of his NABF title. In the first, he knocked out Roland Gomez in seven rounds but was forced to take a seven-month layoff due to a broken Hand. Returning to the ring in September, Ayala defeated Ivan Alvarez by a decision in twelve to retain the NABF bantamweight title.

He began 1997 by defeating Cuauhtemoc Gomez by decision in twelve, once again retaining his belt as the headliner at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Ayala won three more bouts that year, defeating heavy-handed puncher Nestor Lopez in a co-main event feature on an HBO pay-per-view card, headlining at The Orleans in Paradise, Nevada with a fifth-round knockout over Roberto Lopez to retain the NABF belt. This was followed by another HBO PPV appearance, in which Ayala won a unanimous decision against Ricardo Medina.

At the beginning of 1998, Ayala was very close to a world championship bout. Fighting two more bouts, he received his first chance at a world title by becoming the mandatory contender for the WBC belt. Ayala then traveled to Japan to challenge WBC bantamweight champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi on August 23. Ayala lost the fight by a sixth-round technical decision when the fight was stopped due to a cut. Tatsuyoshi came out fast in the opening rounds, but Ayala rallied back to win the fifth and sixth rounds unanimously. During the fight, an accidental clash of heads caused a cut and Ayala was docked 2 points. The fight was stopped in round seven due to the severity of the cut, sending the decision to the scorecards and thereby handing victory to Tatsuyoshi. [7]

WBA bantamweight title

After a win against Ivan Salazar, Ayala began 1999 by beating David Vazquez by a decision ten. Unable to secure a rematch with Tatsuyoshi, Ayala nonetheless got his second chance at becoming a world champion, this time against WBA bantamweight champion Johnny Tapia. The fight took place in Las Vegas on June 26. [8] Ayala handed Tapia his first career loss and became world champion by winning a twelve-round unanimous decision, in what turned out to be both Ayala's Showtime debut and The Ring magazine's Fight of the Year for 1999. [9]

Ayala retained his title against WBA #1 contender Sithai Condo before the end of that year, earning The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year honours. In his second title defense, he defeated Johnny Bredahl via a twelve-round decision. On October 7, 2000, Ayala and Tapia met in a rematch for the vacant IBA featherweight title, at a catchweight of 124 lbs. As with the first fight, this took place on Showtime. Due to Tapia being unable to make the bantamweight limit, Ayala's WBA bantamweight title was not at stake. Ayala defeated Tapia once again by a twelve-round unanimous decision, a result which was seen as controversial. [9]

On March 30, 2001, Ayala recovered from a fourth-round knockdown to retain his WBA bantamweight title with a twelve-round decision against Hugo Dianzo in an ESPN telecast bout. Ayala then vacated his title to move up in weight.

Super bantamweight

On August 4, 2001, Ayala challenged world champion Clarence Adams, who had vacated his WBA super bantamweight title to face Ayala for the vacant IBO title. Ayala defeated Adams via split decision. In a rematch of their closely contested bout, Ayala successfully defended his IBO title by defeating Adams in a wide unanimous decision. Both bouts were featured on HBO telecasts.

Featherweight

Continuing his rise in weight, on November 16, 2002 Ayala met world champion Erik Morales for the vacant WBC featherweight title, this time winding up on the losing end of a twelve-round unanimous decision. [10]

Ayala returned to the ring on November 15, 2003, dropping back down to super bantamweight and defeating Edel Ruiz in a ten-round unanimous decision in Fort Worth, Texas. On June 19, 2004 in Los Angeles, Ayala once again ventured into the featherweight division. In a losing effort against fellow former world champion Marco Antonio Barrera, Ayala was knocked out in ten rounds. [11] In September of that year, Ayala surprised many of his boxing fans by announcing his retirement from the sport. [12]

Punching Out Parkinson's

Following retirement, Ayala has contributed to helping those who suffer from Parkinson's disease. In Fort Worth, Texas at his University of Hard Knocks gym, Ayala started a program to help Parkinson's patients. [13] Using his expertise, he teaches non-contact boxing techniques to regain coordination, strength and balance to improve the quality of life for his students and create an environment of camaraderie. [14]

Professional boxing record

38 fights35 wins3 losses
By knockout121
By decision232
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
38Loss35–3 Marco Antonio Barrera TKO10 (12), 2:34Jun 19, 2004 Home Depot Center, Carson, California, U.S.
37Win35–2Edel RuizUD10Nov 14, 2003Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
36Loss34–2 Erik Morales UD12Nov 16, 2002Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.For vacant WBC featherweight title
35Win34–1 Clarence Adams UD12Feb 23, 2002Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained IBO super bantamweight title;
Won vacant The Ring super bantamweight title
34Win33–1 Clarence Adams SD12Aug 4, 2001Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Won vacant IBO super bantamweight title
33Win32–1Hugo DianzoUD12Mar 30, 2001Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.Retained WBA bantamweight title
32Win31–1 Johnny Tapia UD12Oct 7, 2000MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
31Win30–1 Johnny Bredahl MD12Mar 4, 2000Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBA bantamweight title
30Win29–1Anupong Saohin SrisukUD12Oct 23, 1999Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.Retained WBA bantamweight title
29Win28–1 Johnny Tapia UD12Jun 26, 1999 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Won WBA bantamweight title
28Win27–1David VazquezUD10Feb 20, 1999Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
27Win26–1Ivan SalazarKO4 (8)Nov 14, 1998 County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas, U.S.
26Loss25–1 Joichiro Tatsuyoshi TD6 (12), 3:00Aug 23, 1998 Arena, Yokohama, JapanFor WBC bantamweight title
25Win25–0Antonio RamirezTKO7 (10)May 16, 1998 Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S.
24Win24–0Elias PaulinKO4 (10), 0:47Feb 11, 1998Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
23Win23–0Ricardo MedinaUD10 Sep 13, 1997 Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
22Win22–0Roberto LopezTKO5 (12), 2:43Aug 8, 1997 Orleans Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained NABF bantamweight title
21Win21–0Nestor LopezUD10 Apr 12, 1997 Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
20Win20–0Cuauhtemoc GomezUD12Jan 11, 1997 Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained NABF bantamweight title
19Win19–0Ivan AlvarezUD12Sep 28, 1996Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.Retained NABF bantamweight title
18Win18–0Roland GomezTKO7 (12), 1:00Feb 22, 1996Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.Retained NABF bantamweight title
17Win17–0Jose RangelTKO3 (10)Dec 6, 1995Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
16Win16–0Sergio MillanUD12Sep 9, 1995Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.Retained NABF bantamweight title
15Win15–0Mario DiazUD12Jun 20, 1995 Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.Retained NABF bantamweight title
14Win14–0Miguel EspinozaTKO3 (12), 2:27Mar 10, 1995Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.Won vacant NABF bantamweight title
13Win13–0Juan MendozaUD10Jan 26, 1995Expo Hall, Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
12Win12–0Juan Francisco SotoUD10Dec 2, 1994Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
11Win11–0Julian FloresUD10Aug 23, 1994 Cowtown Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
10Win10–0Lee CargleTKO3 (8), 1:52Apr 16, 1994Country Palace, Moore, Oklahoma, U.S.
9Win9–0Javier DiazUD8Feb 17, 1994Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
8Win8–0George AcevedoPTS6Dec 9, 1993 Paramount Theatre, New York City, New York, U.S.
7Win7–0Enrique GomezTKO1 (8)Nov 11, 1993 Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
6Win6–0Arturo EstradaUD6Oct 13, 1993 Marriott Riverwalk, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
5Win5–0Marcos FloresKO1 (4)Aug 28, 1993Gorman's Super Pro Gym, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
4Win4–0Evgeny NovoselovUD6Jun 24, 1993 Villa Roma Resort, Callicoon, New York, U.S.
3Win3–0Manuel RoblesTKO2 (?)Apr 2, 1993Dallas, Texas, U.S.
2Win2–0Armando MoradoTKO4 (6)Mar 5, 1993Rocket Fiesta Palace, Dallas, Texas, U.S.
1Win1–0Jaime OlveraPTS6Nov 27, 1992Dallas, Texas, U.S.

See also

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References

  1. Tim Graham, ESPN.com, Good guy Ayala gets overlooked, Accessed June 9, 2014
  2. Jeff Zimmerman, Fight News, Paulie Ayala's Punching Out Parkinson's Biggest Fundraiser to Date: Hall of Famer Terry Norris and Dewey Bozella will be guest speakers Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine , Accessed June 9, 2014,
  3. Rodger Mallison, August 6, 2013, Star-Telegram, Former Boxing Champ Paulie Ayala, Accessed June 9, 2014
  4. Mac Engel, Star-Telegram, January 13, 2013, Former boxing champion Paulie Ayala stays busy in retirement, Accessed June 9, 2014
  5. James Slater, June 6, 2014, Eastside Boxing, Erik Morales: an appreciation, Accessed June 9, 2014
  6. Emily White Youree and Joan Kurkowski-Gillen, May. 18, 2014, in the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, a book entitled Legendary Locals of Fort Worth, New & Notable: Fort Worth in the spotlight, Accessed June 9, 2014
  7. "The Japanese Jinx".
  8. "Paulie Ayala, from Champion to Boxing Promoter! - Interview".
  9. 1 2 Ayala-Tapia Rematch Seeks Same Flair as the Original – Los Angeles Times
  10. Erik Morales Vs. Paulie Ayala: Morales too strong for gallant Ayala Archived 2006-02-13 at the Wayback Machine eastsideboxing.com
  11. Marco Antonio Barrera Floors Paulie Ayala Archived 2007-08-05 at the Wayback Machine infiniteboxing.com
  12. Rafael, Dan (2004-06-20). "Barrera knocks out Ayala in ninth round". USA Today .
  13. Former Boxing Champ Takes On Parkinson's
  14. Punching Out Parkinsons UHK Boxing Program
Sporting positions
Regional boxing titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Wayne McCullough
NABF bantamweight champion
March 10, 1995 – 1998
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Adan Vargas
Minor World boxing titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Simon Ramoni
IBO super-bantamweight champion
August 4, 2001 – 2002
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Zolani Marali
Major World boxing titles
Preceded by WBA bantamweight champion
June 26, 1999 – August 7, 2001
Stripped
Vacant
Title next held by
Eidy Moya
Vacant
Title last held by
Wilfredo Gómez
The Ring super-bantamweight champion
February 23, 2002 – May, 2004
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Israel Vázquez
Awards
Previous:
Ivan Robinson vs.
Arturo Gatti I
The Ring Fight of the Year
vs. Johnny Tapia I

1999
Succeeded by