Tony Ayala, Jr.
|
|
Tony Ayala is a former middleweight boxer. He began his professional career in 1980, and by 1982 he had compiled a record of 22 wins and zero losses, with 19 knockouts. His tough and aggressive fighting style earned him the nickname El Torito, the bull-calf. On one occasion, he spit on his opponent after knocking him to the ground. He also admitted to using heroin before a fight on three occasions. In the summer of 1981, Ayala was featured in a cover story of Sports Illustrated as a rising star in boxing. Muhammad Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee said he thought Ayala could have been one of boxing's greatest fighters. On September 14, 1981, he fought on the undercard of the legendary fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns. After defeating Carlos Herrera at the end of 1982, he was scheduled to fight champion Davey Moore.
The fight was not to be. On January 1, 1983, Ayala burglarized the home of his neighbor, a young schoolteacher, and sexually assaulted her. Although he was only 19 years old, Ayala had already been convicted twice of assaults against women. He had been given probation for these offenses. Under a repeat offender's law, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison. The prosecutor at trial argued the young boxer should serve the full term because he was a danger to the community. Ayala was paroled from prison in 1999 and resumed his boxing career, winning six fights and losing two. However, his troubles with the law continued. In 2000, he was shot in the shoulder by a young woman after breaking into her home. He received probation and a brief jail term for this offense. In 2003, Ayala was charged with having sex with a thirteen year old girl, but the charges were dismissed when the girl said she lied about it. Finally, in 2004 Ayala was sentenced to ten years in prison for repeated probation violations.