Boxer pays ultimate price

Published 11:33 am Friday, February 29, 2008

It was a small item in the sports section, no more than a paragraph long.

As I was skimming through the headlines I thought I recognized a name.

Villalta.

The name sounded familiar.

It couldn’t be the guy I had seen fight and talked to last July at a card in Tacoma.

The news brief was about a fighter who had collapsed after a bout in Miami and was reported to be in critical condition.

Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me.

As it turned out, I was wrong.

The boxer in question, Luis Villalta, was the same individual I saw defeat Edmonds native Martin O’Malley to win the North American Boxing Association lightweight title last summer at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma.

Villalta might have been regarded by some observers as a potential rising star in the lightweight ranks after the decisive victory over O’Malley.

But about seven months following the biggest victory over his career, Villalta found himself in the fight of his life.

The 35-year-old Peruvian collapsed in his dressing room after losing his NABA championship via unanimous decision to Ricky Quiles. Villalta knocked Quiles down in the first round but apparently tired in the later rounds.

Villalta reportedly pointed to the top of his head and vomited before collapsing in his dressing room. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery for head trauma and then was placed on a respirator.

Villalta’s final fight, however, did not last long.

He did not respond to the treatment and four days after being admitted to the hospital, Villalta died without ever regaining consciousness on March 4.

Villalta left behind a wife, a 13-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son.

Three years ago, Villalta moved to Hillsborough, N.J., to pursue his dream of a world championship title. His family stayed back in Peru and never had the opportunity to see him fight in the United States.

Anthony Toresco, Villalta’s manager, said that every time Villalta tried to have his family visit him, their visa applications were denied.

“Our family got to know his family through videos, phone conversations and pictures,” Toresco said in an interview in the Miami Herald. “Luis was big into pictures. He took pictures of everything so his family would know all about his life in the United States.”

Villalta’s wife and his father obtained emergency visas and were present when Villalta died.

O’Malley, the boxer who Villalta soundly beat last July, will be featured in a nationally televised bout against Juan Diaz on NBC this Saturday. O’Malley was understandably shaken up when he heard the news of Villalta’s death. But he nevertheless is returning to the ring.

I spent probably no more than 15 minutes talking to Villalta through an interpreter after his victory over O’Malley.

But he still left quite an impression on me.

I remember thinking Villalta was an incredible physical specimen. Villalta weighed 135 pounds and most of it, from what I could see, was muscle. This man obviously took care of his body. I don’t know if Villalta had many, if any, street fights in his life, but he gave off that kind of a tough aura.

During the bout, Villalta appeared to be almost taunting O’Malley at times en route to a 97-91 victory on all three judges’ scorecards.

I was curious what he would have to say about O’Malley and just what kind of a guy he was. Would he be arrogant? Would he dis O’Malley?

No on both counts.

I found the Spanish-speaking Villalta to be respectful and almost humble about his victory. He praised O’Malley, saying he was brave and had a lot of heart.

As for his antics, Villalta claimed he heard people booing and that he only pointed to O’Malley to meet him in the center of the ring so that they could give people a good fight.

The future looked bright for Villalta, whose handlers hoped his victory might help him land a major fight on HBO or Showtime.

Those fights never materialized.

Boxing may be the cruelest of all sports. Maybe that is why I find it to be the most compelling.

Though most people don’t think about it, every time two boxers step into the ring, they are literally putting their lives on the line.

Every sport has its risks.

But boxing is unique in that the goal is not to score a touchdown or to sink a 3-pointer. The goal is to punch your opponent in the head and knock him to the canvas.

And sometimes the consequences can be tragic. David Pan is sports editor for The Enterprise Newspapers. Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to entsports@heraldnet.com, by fax to 425-774-8622 or by mail to Sports editor, The Enterprise, 4303 198th St. SW., Lynnwood, WA 98036.