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Three Golden Rules for Surviving a Boxing Gym

The Spanish word “maromero” comes from “maroma” (somersaults) and means “acrobat,” “somersaulter,” “body flipper,” or even “trickster.” Jorge Adolfo Febles Paez, a native of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, grew up in a family of wandering and suffering circus performers. Paez preferred clown and acrobat roles in the circus to boxing. Regarding the more than $100,000 he would receive for defending his International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight title against Lupe Gutierezz in Reno, Nevada in 1989, “El Maromero” Paez is reported as saying:

I used to be in a bad situation. I’ve made it to the summit. It took a lot of effort to get there” (“Paez Faces Gutierezz” in “Schenectady Gazette,” December 9, 1989). The development and marketing of the family circus was undoubtedly one of Jorge Paez’s objectives for earning money. The First Match Of historical significance, the Paez-Grove fight would be the final big international 15-round professional title bout to be aired in the United States. Protests against the dangers of boxing undoubtedly contributed to the eventual reduction of professional boxing matches to twelve rounds.

Maromero Paez’s meteoric climb to popularity was one-of-a-kind, spectacular, and historically significant. Before his debut fight in the United States, Paez was largely unknown outside of Mexico’s boxing circles, where he earned the nickname “Maromero.” Paez fought primarily in Mexicali (the state capital and a combination of “Mexico” and “California”) and Tijuana, both in the state of Baja California. He battled in Mexico City and San Luis Colorado on occasion. Paez had a good boxing record of 25 victories (19 by knockout), two defeats, and one draw despite being completely untested by international competition prior to his forays into the United States. Paez’s two losses came early in his career. VR injuries

On January 23rd, at Gamaches, Somme, France, African-American Calvin Grove, 25, dethroned Puerto Rican Antonio Rivera, whose last fight was on August 30th, 1986, when he dethroned Korea’s Ki-Young Chung for the IBF flyweight title. Grove, who had gone undefeated in 32 previous fights since beginning his professional boxing career in 1982, knocked Rivera out in the fourth round of a scheduled 15-round match. Calvin Grove, a tall and skinny American boxer, was known for his quickness, talents, and ability to dodge strikes, earning the moniker “Silky Smooth.” Grove successfully defended his new championship on April 17th, 1988.

Against Myron Taylor of the United States. On August 4th, 1988, the following combat will take place with Paez. Grove was the favourite, although Paez had the better knockout ratio. Paez was about to battle in front of his local audience, who were rooting for him. The humidity in Mexicali is normally mild, but the temperatures in July and August can reach the triple digits Fahrenheit! On August 4th, 1988, the temperature in Mexicali reached 105 degrees Fahrenheit, with a low of 86 degrees! vs. Jorge Adolfo Paez: Calvin Grove vs. Jorge Adolfo Paez

The IBF featherweight championship match was keenly awaited by a sold-out audience at the Plaza de Toros Calafia. The ring of a bullfighting arena was exceptionally large, which would play a role in the combat. Given Grove’s status as a hit-and-run fighter, it would very certainly give him the upper hand in terms of space. Paez was more of an ambush and close-range boxer who preferred to close the distance between himself and his opponents or corner and bash them. Regrettably, there are no strict legal limitations on the size of a boxing ring.