The 100 Years of the “Mono” Gatica: Life, Fable and Work of a Unique Character

José María Gatica, a professional boxer without any championship registration, power, at every moment, the popular myth and the fable of his life. The centenary of his birth is celebrated with a very special sensation; reserved only for those immovable of the passion culture and folklore of a country that keeps it in force. Immortal, documenting the steps of his discola sap, hard and difficult, or arguing fantasies of all kinds, where the boom a…

He wasn't even called "Monkey" or "Monito" when, at age 7, he was getting into fistfights with older kids who wanted to take his job as a shoeshine boy in Constitución. That's how José María Gatica, born in Villa Mercedes, San Luis, exactly 100 years ago, earned respect. His family—with his mother and brother, who came to the capital on a freight train—was poor among the poor, and to earn a living, he was a man of his own. Source: Pagina12

Without a doubt, he is among the greatest in our boxing despite not being the world’s champion. His popularity and tragic death undermine any statistic.