Ricardo Moreno Escamilla (born February 7, 1937 in Chalchihuites

Chalchihuites

Alta Vista, or Chalchihuites, is a small Mesoamerican archaeological site in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, in the northwest of Mexico. The archaeological site of Alta Vista, at Chalchihuites, is located 137 miles to the northwest of the city of Zacatecas and 102 miles southeast of the city of...

, Zacatecas

Zacatecas

Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, deceased June 25, 2008) was a Mexican

Mexican people

Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....

 professional boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 in the Super Featherweight

Super Featherweight

Super featherweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 130 pounds or 59 kilograms....

 division. Moreno was ranked #76 on the The Ring

The Ring (magazine)

The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...

's list of 100 All time Greatest Punchers.

Early life

Moreno was born and raised in the mining town of Chalchihuites

Chalchihuites

Alta Vista, or Chalchihuites, is a small Mesoamerican archaeological site in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, in the northwest of Mexico. The archaeological site of Alta Vista, at Chalchihuites, is located 137 miles to the northwest of the city of Zacatecas and 102 miles southeast of the city of...

, Zacatecas

Zacatecas

Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

. He left school to work as a metal breaker at the mines. Later he went to Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

 where he worked as a parking lot attendant before turning to boxing. He did not fight as an amateur and turned professional at age 17 on June 16, 1954.

Professional career

Known as "Pajarito", Moreno was a heavy puncher, having won 19 of his first 20 fights with all 19 of his wins by kayo.

World Featherweight Title

His only shot at a World Championship was on April 1, 1958 Moreno fought the champion Hogan Bassey

Hogan Bassey

Hogan "Kid" Bassey MBE was Nigeria's first world boxing champion. He was born Okun Asuguo Bassey on the banks of the Cross River in Creek Town, Calabar, Nigeria. He took the name Hogan Kid Bassey when he turned professional as a boxer...

 in Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field (Los Angeles)

Wrigley Field was a ballpark in Los Angeles, California which served as host to minor league baseball teams in the region for over 30 years, and was the home park for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League as well as a current major league team, the later Los Angeles Angels, in their...

, Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Ricardo would lose this fight and it would also be Moreno's only shot at a world title due in large part to boxing politics.

After suffering two consecutive defeats in 1967, the 30 year old Moreno retired. His only victory that wasn't a knockout was a disqualification victory.

Due to his incredible knockout power, Moreno was named to the Ring Magazine's list of 100 Greatest Punchers.

Professional record

|- style="margin:0.5em auto; font-size:95%;"
|align="center" colspan=8|60 Wins (59 knockouts), 12 Losses , 1 Draw
|- style="margin:0.5em auto; font-size:95%;"
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Res.
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Record
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponent
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Type
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Rd., Time
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes
|-align=center
|Win || 7-1-0 ||align=left|  Jorge Herrera
|KO || 7 , (1:14) || December 26, 1954 || align=left| Guadalajara, Jalisco

Guadalajara, Jalisco

Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win || 6-1-0 ||align=left|  Fernando Garcia
|KO || 1 , (0:11) || November 11, 1954 || align=left| Acapulco

Acapulco

Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...

, Guerrero

Guerrero

Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win || 5-1-0 ||align=left|  Chato Monroy
|KO || 1 , (0:18) || October 23, 1954 || align=left| Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

|align=left|
|-align=center
|Loss || 4-1-0 ||align=left|  Nacho Escalante
|SD || 6 || September 4, 2010 || align=left| Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win || 4-0-0 ||align=left|  Antonio Coria
|KO || 4 , (0:32) || August 11, 1954 || align=left| Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win || 3-0-0 ||align=left|  Sergio Farias
|KO || 4 , (0:28) || July 24, 1954 || align=left| Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win || 2-0-0 || align=left|  Juancito Lopez
|KO || 1 , (0:14) || June 23, 1954 || align=left| Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win || 1-0-0 || align=left|  Oscar Diaz
|KO || 1 , (0:11) || June 16, 1954 || align=left| Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

|align=left|Pro debut
|-align=center

Life after boxing

Moreno starred in two films, he even had a relationship with Miss Universe

Miss Universe

Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....

 contestant and actress Ana Bertha Lepe

Ana Bertha Lepe

Ana Bertha Lepe is a Mexican actress and third runner up at the Miss Universe contest in 1953. She was born in Tecolotlán, Jalisco....

.

Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 still to this day mourns the life of the great Ricardo "Pajarito" Moreno, who as young boxer was turned on to cocaine by the jet set of Mexico. He was duped by movie star weasels, his wealth was stolen, eventually he died a depressed man at the age of 71 at a Rehabilitation Center in Durango

Durango

Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...

.

He is buried in his home town of Chalchihuites

Chalchihuites

Alta Vista, or Chalchihuites, is a small Mesoamerican archaeological site in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, in the northwest of Mexico. The archaeological site of Alta Vista, at Chalchihuites, is located 137 miles to the northwest of the city of Zacatecas and 102 miles southeast of the city of...

 in El Panteón Dolores.

External links