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Alvaro Lopez
Pseudo Indian whose warpath style delights coast fans
by Lew Eskin
Like most of the "Indians" you see in the movies and on television, "Indian Yaqui" Lopez is not for real.
The Mexican born Lopez picked up the nickname while an amateur boxing in Eureka, Calif, before a crowd
made up mostly of Indians. They liked his hard fighting style and asked if he was an "Indian" - his handlers
knowing it would make help make him more popular said : "Yes," and when he asked what tribe, could only
recall the "Yaquis" as being from Mexico and the nickname stuck.
Alvaro Lopez was born in Zacatecas, on May 21, 1951, the son of Raul and Raquel Lopez. He was very poor as
a youngster and went to work early hustling papers in teh street and often had to fight other kids for the best
spots.
Although he played soccer as often as he could his ambition was to be a bull fighter and when he was 12 years
old he sneaked into the bull ring and before he the startled guards could make a move, he jumped into the
arena, waving his shirt at a bull who promptly charged Alvaro and tossed him into the air. Luckily, he only
suffered minor wounds on
his legs, the scars which he carries proudly. That, however, was the beginning and the end of his career as bull
fighter.
When Alvaro was 14 he and his family came to the United States to work in the fields at Linden, Calif. on the
ranch of Eddie Maruglano, who took a liking to the husky 5'9", 140-pound lad who loved to work.
Eddie taught Alvaro to operate all of the machines used in the growing and picking of walnuts and even
enrolled him at Linden High School but Alvaro, who had but six years of schooling in Mexico, and spoke very
little English at the time had to drop out after a few months.
When he was 17, he drove a friend over to visit a Miss Judy Cruz, and it was then that Alvaro met Beatrice
"Beno" Cruz, Judy's sister. Although she spoke very little Spanish and Alvaro very little English, they hit it off
fine, and in no time they were teaching each other the other's language and a few years later they were
married.
Soon after his meeting with "Beno", Alvaro found out that her father (now his father-in law) was a fight manager
and trainer, and was the matchmaker for the D.A.V. Al Jordan Chapter #15 in Stockton and he soon was at the
gym learning to be a fighter.
While he showed little in the way of skill, he had great desire and managed to win 15 of 18 amateur fights,
capturing the novice Golden Glove title in San Francisco and the Diamond Belt crown at Eureka. It was during
that later tournament that he picked up his nickname.
If you saw John Huston's grest fight film "Fat City", then you saw Lopez; he played the role of Manuel Rosales.
During the filming he sparred with Jeff Bridges and was given a close once over by veteran trainer A1 Silvani
who was in charge of the boxing scenes. Silvani was impressed by Lopez and predicted big things for him and
to date it looks as if he will live up to those predictions.
Lopez suffered his first pro loss in his fourth fight when he dropped a decision to Jesse Burnett in his firtst eight
rounder.
Alvaro came back to win his next six in a row, the last five of them via kayos before meeting Al Bolden in
Portland, Oregon on March 15, 1973.
It was voted the "fight of the year", Lopez losing the decision after 10 torrid rounds during which both boys were
on the floor.
That was the last time that Alvaro was to lose, since then he has rolled to 12 straight victories, raising his
record to 21-2, with 13 kayos.
Among those whom Lopez has halted are Ronnie Wilson, Dave Rogers, Buddy- Brooks, and Andy Kendall.
Lopez has defeated Bolden in a rematch, Willi Warren, Hildo Silva and Joe Cokes.
The five round kayo over Kendall on Feb. 14, 1974 earned Lopez the Pacific Northwest light-heavyweight title,
And he gained the California state crown with the victory over Silva last may 10.
Lopez, who is now a solidly muscled 175 pounds on a six foot two inch frame, has terrific stamina and drive,
which he well may have inherited from his great-grandfather on his mother's side who died at the age of 106,
and worked right up until the time of his death.
Lopez is managed and trained by Benny Casting, who was a top bantamweight of the late fifties and early
sixties, who, himself, was managed by Jack Cruz and Danny Dagampat who act as advisors to Lopez.
"Yaqui" is employed by Tri Valley #4 Growers plant as a fork-lift operator. He is very popular with his fellow
workers and recently he was presented with a beautiful robe by plant manager George Lerner on behalf of his
co-workers, who always turn out in large numbers when he tights.
The presentation was made at a special luncheon in honor of Lopez, who has been working on a seasonal
basis for the past five years. Lopez likes the job as it gives him time to spend with his family and to train.
He and his wife have recently purchased a home in Stockton and Lopez is still a very "hungry" fighter with his
eyes on the title. While still far from a polished boxer, he has great stamina, desire and is always in tip top
condition. He does a lot of running and walking, plays tennis, chops wood and squeezes a rubber ball to
strengthen his tigers. Lopez has exceptionally long fingers, in fact when he boxed the rematch with Al Bolden,
he had to wear 10 ounce gloves (Bolden wore 8 ounce ones) because his fingers were too long to fit into the
smaller gloves.
Lopez may not be a real Indian but there is no question about him being a "Warrior" in' the old Tradition.
Pseudo Indian whose warpath style delights coast fans
by Lew Eskin
Like most of the "Indians" you see in the movies and on television, "Indian Yaqui" Lopez is not for real.
The Mexican born Lopez picked up the nickname while an amateur boxing in Eureka, Calif, before a crowd
made up mostly of Indians. They liked his hard fighting style and asked if he was an "Indian" - his handlers
knowing it would make help make him more popular said : "Yes," and when he asked what tribe, could only
recall the "Yaquis" as being from Mexico and the nickname stuck.
Alvaro Lopez was born in Zacatecas, on May 21, 1951, the son of Raul and Raquel Lopez. He was very poor as
a youngster and went to work early hustling papers in teh street and often had to fight other kids for the best
spots.
Although he played soccer as often as he could his ambition was to be a bull fighter and when he was 12 years
old he sneaked into the bull ring and before he the startled guards could make a move, he jumped into the
arena, waving his shirt at a bull who promptly charged Alvaro and tossed him into the air. Luckily, he only
suffered minor wounds on
his legs, the scars which he carries proudly. That, however, was the beginning and the end of his career as bull
fighter.
When Alvaro was 14 he and his family came to the United States to work in the fields at Linden, Calif. on the
ranch of Eddie Maruglano, who took a liking to the husky 5'9", 140-pound lad who loved to work.
Eddie taught Alvaro to operate all of the machines used in the growing and picking of walnuts and even
enrolled him at Linden High School but Alvaro, who had but six years of schooling in Mexico, and spoke very
little English at the time had to drop out after a few months.
When he was 17, he drove a friend over to visit a Miss Judy Cruz, and it was then that Alvaro met Beatrice
"Beno" Cruz, Judy's sister. Although she spoke very little Spanish and Alvaro very little English, they hit it off
fine, and in no time they were teaching each other the other's language and a few years later they were
married.
Soon after his meeting with "Beno", Alvaro found out that her father (now his father-in law) was a fight manager
and trainer, and was the matchmaker for the D.A.V. Al Jordan Chapter #15 in Stockton and he soon was at the
gym learning to be a fighter.
While he showed little in the way of skill, he had great desire and managed to win 15 of 18 amateur fights,
capturing the novice Golden Glove title in San Francisco and the Diamond Belt crown at Eureka. It was during
that later tournament that he picked up his nickname.
If you saw John Huston's grest fight film "Fat City", then you saw Lopez; he played the role of Manuel Rosales.
During the filming he sparred with Jeff Bridges and was given a close once over by veteran trainer A1 Silvani
who was in charge of the boxing scenes. Silvani was impressed by Lopez and predicted big things for him and
to date it looks as if he will live up to those predictions.
Lopez suffered his first pro loss in his fourth fight when he dropped a decision to Jesse Burnett in his firtst eight
rounder.
Alvaro came back to win his next six in a row, the last five of them via kayos before meeting Al Bolden in
Portland, Oregon on March 15, 1973.
It was voted the "fight of the year", Lopez losing the decision after 10 torrid rounds during which both boys were
on the floor.
That was the last time that Alvaro was to lose, since then he has rolled to 12 straight victories, raising his
record to 21-2, with 13 kayos.
Among those whom Lopez has halted are Ronnie Wilson, Dave Rogers, Buddy- Brooks, and Andy Kendall.
Lopez has defeated Bolden in a rematch, Willi Warren, Hildo Silva and Joe Cokes.
The five round kayo over Kendall on Feb. 14, 1974 earned Lopez the Pacific Northwest light-heavyweight title,
And he gained the California state crown with the victory over Silva last may 10.
Lopez, who is now a solidly muscled 175 pounds on a six foot two inch frame, has terrific stamina and drive,
which he well may have inherited from his great-grandfather on his mother's side who died at the age of 106,
and worked right up until the time of his death.
Lopez is managed and trained by Benny Casting, who was a top bantamweight of the late fifties and early
sixties, who, himself, was managed by Jack Cruz and Danny Dagampat who act as advisors to Lopez.
"Yaqui" is employed by Tri Valley #4 Growers plant as a fork-lift operator. He is very popular with his fellow
workers and recently he was presented with a beautiful robe by plant manager George Lerner on behalf of his
co-workers, who always turn out in large numbers when he tights.
The presentation was made at a special luncheon in honor of Lopez, who has been working on a seasonal
basis for the past five years. Lopez likes the job as it gives him time to spend with his family and to train.
He and his wife have recently purchased a home in Stockton and Lopez is still a very "hungry" fighter with his
eyes on the title. While still far from a polished boxer, he has great stamina, desire and is always in tip top
condition. He does a lot of running and walking, plays tennis, chops wood and squeezes a rubber ball to
strengthen his tigers. Lopez has exceptionally long fingers, in fact when he boxed the rematch with Al Bolden,
he had to wear 10 ounce gloves (Bolden wore 8 ounce ones) because his fingers were too long to fit into the
smaller gloves.
Lopez may not be a real Indian but there is no question about him being a "Warrior" in' the old Tradition.
