San Antonio, TX (May 12, 2015)– Junior middleweight contender Tony Ayala Jr., also called ‘El Torito’, whose promising boxing career never realized a world championship due to troubles with the law, dropped dead of cardiac arrest in the Ayala family’s Zarzamora Street Gym in San Antonio Texas, on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, at age 52. Ayala was released from prison on April 25, 2014, after serving ten years in prison for violation of probation. He lived one year after release.
He was allowed to attend his father Tony Ayala Sr.’s funeral in Texas several weeks before his last prison sentence ended. Ayala spent the last thirteen months of his life training young boxers, telling them to learn from his mistakes, providing them with encouragement.
According to his close friend Henry Rodriguez, Ayala sought redemption in his final days, telling him, “I’m doing my best to do the right thing.” Ayala was considered the best boxing prospect never to win a world title. His career record was 31 wins and two losses, with 27 knockouts. He boxed 1980 to 1982, and 1999 to 2003.
Tony Ayala Jr. vs Mario Maldonado, March 28, 1981, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New Jersey
Ayala comes off the canvas in the first round, came back to win against Maldonado
Ayala was pulled over in his vehicle for speeding, and also charged with driving without a license, possession of pornography and possession of heroin, all violations of the terms of his probation. In 2000, he was shot in the shoulder by a young woman after breaking into her home, and received a short prison term and probation for the offense.
In 1983, Ayala burglarized the home of his neighbor, a young school teacher, and brutally assaulted her. Only 19 years old, Ayala already had two convictions for assault against women. One of the attacks took place in the restroom of a drive in theatre, and left the victim with a broken back. Sentenced to 35 years in prison, Ayala served sixteen years and was paroled in 1999. In the process, Ayala, 22-0 as a professional boxer, blew a scheduled 1983 world title shot at the then World Boxing Association Junior Middleweight champion Davey Moore.
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