Punchers from the Past: Jesus “Little Poison” Pimentel

Jesus “Little Poison” Pimentel

Born (one of twins)17 February 1940 Sayula, Mexico

No real success as an amateur

Record: 82 fights, 75 wins, 7 losses 67 wins by KO/TKO giving him an 89.33 % of wins inside the distance.

Turned pro 18 July 1960

-Won his first ten fights, six in the first round. Lost on points to Trini Savala in July 1961.

-Did not lose again until December 1965 when he floored Joe Medel but was down twice himself and beaten on points. The loss ruined plans for Pimentel to challenge for the world title.

-His record before he lost to Medel had climbed to 47-1 due to a run of 37 consecutive wins including in that run 27 wins by KO/TKO in a row between July 1961 and March 1964

– His big breakthrough had come in August 1963 when he stopped Jose Lopez who had a 28-1 record at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium and in October he had gained revenge with a second round kayo of Trini Savala

-After the Medel loss Pimentel scored wins over:

Cowboy Billy Smith, Jackie Burke, Katsuo Saito Manuel Flores, Mimoun Ben Ali, Ray Jutras, Rollie Penaroya and Ushiwakamura Harada (the brother of Fighting Harada)

-Lost major fights against  Yoshio Nakane, Chucho Castillo (who would go on to beat Olivares)  and   Kazuyoshi Kanazawa

– After his loss to Kanazawa Pimentel won his next 15 fights,13 by KO/TKO

-In December 1971 he challenged Ruben Olivares for the WBA and WBC bantamweight titles-Olivares’ record before the fight was 68-1-1 and Pimental lost on a stoppage in the eleventh round

Pimentel retired after the Olivares fight. In one review Ring Magazine listed Pimentel as No 60 in the list of the 100 Greatest Punchers in boxing History and he was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

His twin brother Jose Luis Pimentel also fought as a pro and had a 18-3-2 record including a second round kayo loss against Shozo Saijo for the WBA featherweight title and nephew Fino Pimentel also boxed. A noted photo saw Jesus and his manager Harry Kabakoff posed as Batman and Robin Jesus made a good Robin and the rotund Harry made two good Batmans

After retiring , Pimentel, a father of four and a grandfather, had his own landscaping and gardening business and felt he retired at the right time and only rued that the one title shot he had came against one the greatest fighters in boxing history when Olivares was in his prime and Jesus was past his.