| Paulino Uzcudun | |
| Nickname: | Basque Woodchopper |
| Weight: | Heavyweight |
| Height: | 1.780NaN0 |
| Nationality: | Spanish |
| Birth Date: | 3 May 1899 |
| Birth Place: | Errezil, Guipuzcoa Basque Country Spain |
| Style: | Orthodox |
| Total: | 69 |
| Wins: | 49 |
| Losses: | 17 |
| Draws: | 3 |
| Ko: | 33 |
Paulino Uzcudun Eizmendi (3 May 1899 – 5 July 1985) was a Basque Spanish heavyweight boxer, who is considered to be the greatest heavyweight from Spain. Uzkudun is the Basque spelling of his last name. He was the youngest of nine siblings. In his youth, he became an aizkolari or traditional competitive Basque wood chopper. Uzcudun, known as Paulino in the United States, was the European heavyweight champion, and he fought heavyweight champions Joe Louis, Max Baer, Max Schmeling (three times) and Primo Carnera (twice) during his career. The former butcher—nicknamed "the Basque woodchopper"—retired from boxing with a record of 49 wins (33 KOs), 17 losses and 3 draws.
Uzcudun was a rugged boxer with a crouched stance. He had a powerful left hook, and fought the toughest heavyweights of his time. He had only one opportunity at the world's heavyweight championship, but was defeated in a fifteen-round fight by Primo Carnera of Italy on October 22, 1933. Trainer Whitey Bimstein accompanied Uzcudun to the bout in Barcelona, Spain. Later in life, Bimstein gave an account in interview, of a scene more reminiscent of the cinema: "I remember one day we were at a sidewalk cafe. Just as I started to put my lips to a glass of vermouth a shot splintered the glass. Believe me, I got back to the hotel in nothing flat..." Much more grim was his description of the Civil War in Spain beyond such high drama: "It was nothing to walk along the streets covered with hundreds of dead, and you couldn't tell when the fighting would break out anew." Against this chaotic backdrop, Uzcudun's chance at the title took place.
Shortly before the fight, Carnera balked at the Spanish-made gloves chosen by the governing boxing commission. The champion, who had insisted upon American gloves, stated loudly and in Spanish that he would not fight. The commissioner, according to Bimstein, removed himself from the room, and "about a dozen soldiers walked toward Carnera." The champion "backed up hurriedly" and conceded the choice. As for the actual fight, Uzcudun went the 15 scheduled rounds and well enough, that "when the verdict was announced, the revolution started all over again." A riot, which included gunfire, commenced. Uzcudun, Bimstein, the other seconds and as many as "three hundred others" took refuge under the massive ring, until troops restored order—even with this, citizenry "continued rioting in the streets all night...." It was unfortunate for Uzcudun, whom Bimstein said "was the finest character among the fighters I ever met, square as they make 'em, game and tough, and in his prime a match for any of 'em."[1]
Uzcudun also "retired" the famed Harry Wills, when he stopped him in four rounds on July 13, 1927. The tough and durable Uzcudun was never knocked off his feet, or KO'd until his last professional fight. On December 13, 1935, Uzcudun made the mistake of coming out of retirement to meet Joe Louis. In the fourth round, Louis hit Uzcudun with a swift, powerful right uppercut that knocked him down causing the referee to stop the fight even though Uzcudun wanted to continue. His record was 49–17–3 with 33 knockouts.
In 1933–34, Uzcudun trained on the beach in Rocky Point, Long Island, New York. During a sparring session with Franklin Rosalia (1911–1972), who also summered in Rocky Point, Uzcudun received a punch that knocked him down flat. Some conjecture that this incident led to his subsequent retirement having been demoralized by this incident. In 1936, Uzcudun fought on the Nationalist (pro-Franco) side during the Spanish Civil War reportedly from the first day of the conflict as a member of the Falange Española de las JONS.[2]
All information in this section is derived from BoxRec,[3] unless otherwise stated.
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | Loss | 49–17–3 | Joe Louis | TKO | 4 (15), | Dec 13, 1935 | |||
| 68 | Loss | 49–16–3 | Max Schmeling | PTS | 12 | Jul 7, 1935 | |||
| 67 | Draw | 49–15–3 | Max Schmeling | MD | 12 | May 13, 1934 | |||
| 66 | Loss | 49–15–2 | Primo Carnera | UD | 15 | Oct 22, 1933 | |||
| 65 | Win | 49–14–2 | Don McCorkindale | PTS | 10 | Jul 1, 1933 | |||
| 64 | Win | 48–14–2 | Pierre Charles | SD | 15 | May 13, 1933 | |||
| 63 | Win | 47–14–2 | Hans Schönrath | PTS | 10 | Apr 16, 1933 | |||
| 62 | Win | 46–14–2 | Ernst Guehring | KO | 2 (10) | Mar 18, 1933 | |||
| 61 | Win | 45–14–2 | Salvatore Ruggirello | PTS | 10 | Feb 3, 1933 | |||
| 60 | Win | 44–14–2 | Giacomo Bergomas | KO | 1 (10) | Jan 24, 1933 | |||
| 59 | Loss | 43–14–2 | Ernie Schaaf | PTS | 15 | Jul 25, 1932 | |||
| 58 | Loss | 43–13–2 | Mickey Walker | UD | 10 | May 26, 1932 | |||
| 57 | Win | 43–12–2 | Jack Gagnon | KO | 7 (10) | Apr 4, 1932 | |||
| 56 | Loss | 42–12–2 | King Levinsky | MD | 10 | Jan 15, 1932 | |||
| 55 | Loss | 42–11–2 | Tommy Loughran | SD | 10 | Nov 13, 1931 | |||
| 54 | Win | 42–10–2 | Max Baer | PTS | 20 | Jul 4, 1931 | |||
| 53 | Win | 41–10–2 | Les Kennedy | TKO | 4 (10), | Mar 10, 1931 | |||
| 52 | Loss | 40–10–2 | Primo Carnera | SD | 10 | Nov 30, 1930 | |||
| 51 | Win | 40–9–2 | Maurice Griselle | TKO | 5 (10) | Oct 18, 1930 | |||
| 50 | Loss | 39–9–2 | Johnny Risko | PTS | 10 | Jun 19, 1930 | |||
| 49 | Win | 39–8–2 | Otto von Porat | PTS | 10 | Jan 10, 1930 | |||
| 48 | Loss | 38–8–2 | Tully Griffiths | MD | 10 | Nov 29, 1929 | |||
| 47 | Loss | 38–7–2 | Max Schmeling | PTS | 15 | Jun 27, 1929 | |||
| 46 | Win | 38–6–2 | Francisco Cruz Coelho | KO | 1 (10), | Mar 24, 1929 | |||
| 45 | Win | 37–6–2 | KO Christner | PTS | 10 | Feb 22, 1929 | |||
| 44 | Win | 36–6–2 | Jack Renault | UD | 10 | Dec 25, 1928 | |||
| 43 | Win | 35–6–2 | Bill Hartwell | PTS | 10 | Dec 3, 1928 | |||
| 42 | Win | 34–6–2 | Otto von Porat | PTS | 10 | Nov 11, 1928 | |||
| 41 | Loss | 33–6–2 | Big Boy Peterson | DQ | 2 (10) | Oct 19, 1928 | |||
| 40 | Win | 33–5–2 | Ludwig Haymann | KO | 11 (12) | Jul 7, 1928 | |||
| 39 | Loss | 32–5–2 | George Godfrey | PTS | 10 | Feb 28, 1928 | |||
| 38 | Win | 32–4–2 | Quintín Romero Rojas | KO | 3 (15) | Jan 29, 1928 | |||
| 37 | Win | 31–4–2 | Ed Keeley | TKO | 2 (10), | Jan 16, 1928 | |||
| 36 | Win | 30–4–2 | Pat Lester | TKO | 7 (10) | Jan 2, 1928 | |||
| 35 | Loss | 29–4–2 | Johnny Risko | PTS | 10 | Nov 25, 1927 | |||
| 34 | Draw | 29–3–2 | Tom Heeney | PTS | 15 | Sep 8, 1927 | |||
| 33 | Loss | 29–3–1 | Jack Delaney | DQ | 7 (10), | Aug 11, 1927 | |||
| 32 | Win | 29–2–1 | Harry Wills | KO | 4 (15), | Jul 13, 1927 | |||
| 31 | Win | 28–2–1 | Tom Heeney | PTS | 10 | Apr 1, 1927 | |||
| 30 | Win | 27–2–1 | Knute Hansen | PTS | 10 | Feb 25, 1927 | |||
| 29 | Win | 26–2–1 | Homer Smith | TKO | 7 (10) | Jan 21, 1927 | |||
| 28 | Win | 25–2–1 | Antolín Fierro | KO | 1 (10) | Jan 15, 1927 | |||
| 27 | Win | 24–2–1 | Martin O'Grady | KO | 1 (12) | Jan 1, 1927 | |||
| 26 | Win | 23–2–1 | Erminio Spalla | PTS | 12 | May 18, 1926 | |||
| 25 | Win | 22–2–1 | Harry Drake | KO | 1 (10), | Mar 23, 1926 | |||
| 24 | Draw | 21–2–1 | Franz Diener | PTS | 10 | Feb 12, 1926 | |||
| 23 | Win | 21–2 | Soldier Jones | KO | 1 (12) | Feb 9, 1926 | |||
| 22 | Win | 20–2 | Constant Barrick | TKO | 4 (10) | Jan 29, 1926 | |||
| 21 | Win | 19–2 | Hans Breitenstraeter | KO | 9 (10) | Dec 1, 1925 | |||
| 20 | Win | 18–2 | Marcel Nilles | KO | 3 (10) | Nov 7, 1925 | |||
| 19 | Win | 17–2 | Constant Barrick | TKO | 6 (12) | Oct 16, 1925 | |||
| 18 | Win | 16–2 | Fernand Delarge | TKO | 1 (10) | Oct 10, 1925 | |||
| 17 | Win | 15–2 | Phil Scott | KO | 6 (12) | Sep 6, 1925 | |||
| 16 | Win | 14–2 | Jack Humbeeck | PTS | 12 | Jul 11, 1925 | |||
| 15 | Win | 13–2 | Fernand Delarge | PTS | 12 | Jun 7, 1925 | |||
| 14 | Win | 12–2 | Jack Humbeeck | TKO | 4 (10) | Dec 20, 1924 | |||
| 13 | Win | 11–2 | Louis Piochelle | KO | 2 (10) | Oct 5, 1924 | |||
| 12 | Win | 10–2 | Frank Goddard | TKO | 6 (10) | Sep 7, 1924 | |||
| 11 | Loss | 9–2 | George Cook | PTS | 15 | Jul 29, 1924 | |||
| 10 | Loss | 9–1 | George Cook | PTS | 10 | Jul 3, 1924 | |||
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Jose Teixidor | KO | 3 (10) | Jun 14, 1924 | |||
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Arthur Townley | KO | 1 (10) | Jun 1, 1924 | |||
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Marcel Nilles | KO | 5 (12) | May 17, 1924 | |||
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Paul Journee | KO | 1 (10), | May 11, 1924 | |||
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Laurent Mahieu | KO | 1 (10) | Apr 19, 1924 | |||
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Alex Touroff | KO | 2 (10) | Apr 4, 1924 | |||
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Herman Sjouwerman | TKO | 5 (10) | Jan 2, 1924 | |||
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Paul Journee | PTS | 10 | Sep 26, 1923 | |||
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Alex Touroff | KO | 3 (10) | Sep 16, 1923 |