In the full commemoration of boxer's day, Argentine boxing is in mourning after the death of former world champion Horacio Accavallo, a charismatic legend in that country.
Born on October 14, 1934 in Villa Diamante, Lanús, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, he belonged to a humble family and from a very young age he worked collecting cardboard with his brothers and on March 1, 1966 he made one of the most remembered fights from the history of Argentinian boxing by defeating the Japanese champion Katsuyoshi Takayama by split decision to become WBA and WBC flyweight world champion, the second behind the pioneer Pascual Pérez in 1954 by coincidence both triumphs in Tokyo, Japan.
From a bottle collector, a shoe shiner and a trapeze artist, he became a world boxing champion.
He represented Argentina at the 56 Melbourne Olympic Games, being defeated in the final by Abel Laudonio, who won the bronze medal in Rome in 1960.
At the age of 33, he retired with a record of 75 wins, 2 losses and 6 draws, being the WBC and WBA flyweight world champion.
After his retirement, he managed to invest his profits, becoming a successful businessman, never forgetting his origins and becoming an extraordinary example of life by facing adversities in his life.
Accavallo was battling Alzheimer's Disease, a progressive disease that wears down memory and mental function.
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