Whatever Happened To Alfredo Evangelista, The Lynx of Montevideo?
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
The most famous heavyweight fighter to come out of Uruguay was Alfredo Evangelista. Known as ‘The Lynx of Montevideo’, Evangelista compiled a career record of 61 wins, 13 defeats and four losses, with 41 knockouts, Evangelista, fighting out of Spain, was a formidable force in the heavyweight division between his best years 1975 and 1985, winning the European Heavyweight title and receiving two shots at the world heavyweight crown. Footage from Evangelista’s fights with Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Greg Page and Leon Spinks still exists. These fights were not wins but the bouts were well televised.
Evangelista vs. Ali press conference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbPC_7LcX58
Evangelista vs. Muhammad Ali highlight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvXSzkElKfs
Evangelista Ali highlight reel two http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T3j-L8-Hag
Evangelista Ali Legendary Nights HD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD-MmzAb5tE
Evangelista vs. Ali full fight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWY-wJ1EwUI
Evangelista versus Larry Holmes clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81CsxeO9Q6g
Evangelista versus Leon Spinks clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCqvbcd3sd8
Evangelista versus Greg Page clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCqvbcd3sd8
Evangelista is perhaps best known for his game but losing efforts against Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes in his attempt to win the WBC and WBA world heavyweight titles. Evangelista won split decisions over Renaldo Snipes and Jody Ballard, but lost to Greg Page, Leon Spinks, Steffan Tangstad, Pierre Coetzer, and Adilson Rodrigues. Evangelista drew twice with Spanish champion Felipe ‘Pantera’ Rodriguez, beat Louis Pergaud twice, knocked out Jean-Pierre Coopman, Lucien Rodriguez and Rudi Lubbers, but lost twice to Lorenzo Zenon. Evangelista still held the European Heavyweight title in 1987, and finished his career in April 1988 with a second round knockout over Arthur Wright in Madrid.
Evangelista’s problem was not hard work. Evangelista’s problem was he could not win an ‘A’ level fight, the exceptions being his ten round split decision upsets of Renaldo Snipes and Jody Ballard. During his 13 year career, Evangelista traveled round the globe, from Ohio to Michigan to France, from South Africa to Denmark, from Resorts Casino Atlantic City to Brazil. He won fights in Nevada, Andalucia, Madrid, Madison Square Garden in New York City, Aruba, the Bahamas, the Canary Islands, Florida, Trinidad and Tobago, and Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas.
Evangelista’s wins over Coopman, Lubbers and Lucien Rodriguez, well known fighters in Europe who fought Ali and Holmes, were clearly lesser level fights against overhyped names. Evangelista went the 15 round distance with Ali, but got kayoed in seven against Holmes. The Renaldo Snipes, Leon Spinks, Greg Page and Jody Ballard fights were also clearly big money fights, following Evangelista’s bouts with Ali and Holmes. All which can be deduced is Evangelista gave it his best against world class fighters, but fell short of the mark in championship fights. Sort of the 1970’s and 1980’s Latin American successor to Argentina’s Oscar Bonavena, Evangelista fought four past, present or future world champions. Evangelista got ahold of the somewhat coveted European heavyweight title off and on, but it was his Rocky Balboa like 15 round effort against a showboating but faded Muhammad Ali in May 1977 which made him world famous, probably because he at least went the distance. Muhammad Ali’s last seven bouts went the full ten or 15 round distance for a total of 95 televised rounds. Evangelista, in his fighting prime, was part of the show.
Evangelista at one time owned a discotheque, but later served five years in prison for drug trafficking. Evangelista works today as a boxing trainer in Spain where he lives, and still stays in shape in the gym. Today Evangelista notes “I have my health,” which in the world of sports is always fortunate.
A one hour documentary in Spanish of Evangelista’s life, and also the former WBC World Light Welterweight champion Perico Fernandez of Spain, can be found on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNhK1pCwA_4
English