By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

As a young boy back in the early 1960’s, I met an older man who intrigued me 다운로드. He would come in to get his haircuts at my father’s barber shop – his name was Tim Cobos.

He knew boxing very well from his era which started in the 1920’s 다운로드. I never forgot that he told me the three greatest boxers he had ever seen (I can’t remember the order) were Benny Leonard, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Joe Louis 능엄신주. Those were his greatest, but his favorite was a local Santa Barbara, California boxer, Albert Lopez Padilla, who was nicknamed Shorty.

Tim knew Shorty personally and attended many of his fights from 1946 to 1949 다운로드. Shorty fought at such Southern California venues as the historic Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium, Santa Monica Ocean Park Arena, San Diego Coliseum, San Bernardino Arena, Whittier Arena / Pico Rivera, and the Mission Arena in Santa Barbara 컴퓨터 바둑게임 다운로드.

Shorty was born in Pueblo, Colorado, on May 19, 1925, the youngest of four brothers and one sister. His family migrated from city to city to earn a living. They settled in Brawley for a time and in 1928 made their home in Goleta, California, a small community north of Santa Barbara.

In 1940, at the age of fifteen, Shorty began to box locally in amateur tournaments.

After the United States entered World War II in 1941, Shorty joined the Navy and began serving in the Seabees in 1943. This is where his boxing career really took off.

Shorty became champion of the Hawaiian Islands while stationed in Honolulu. He then went on to win fights and titles in the Marianas, Okinawa, Saipan, and Algiers, New Orleans. At 19 years of age, he had accumulated 32 wins in his 43 bouts.

Shorty was honorably discharged from the Navy on Christmas Eve 1945, and shortly thereafter began a professional boxing career. Louie Molina became his trainer. On June 10, 1946 at the age of twenty-one, he had his first professional fight, a four round decision win over Jim Brinkman at the light heavyweight limit.

During Shorty’s career he also worked construction and would mentor young boys at St. Mary’s seminary in Santa Barbara. He was involved in many benefit and fund-raising events, under the supervision of Father Kelly.

Shorty retired from boxing at the age of 24 in 1949. On September 11 of that same year, after a courtship of five years, his marriage to Conception Lopez took place in Santa Barbara.

Sadly, on December 10, 1951, at the age of 26, Shorty was killed instantly in an auto accident near Guadalupe, California. On that fatal day, Shorty was sitting on the passenger side of his car. A friend was driving the car and another friend was sitting in the middle. A truck driven by a sixteen-year-old youth failed to stop at a posted stop sign, hitting the right side of the car and spinning it around. The door flew open, and Shorty was ejected.

Shorty’s life ended at such a young age, and he was loved by so many. He was survived by his wife Conception and their one year, 10 month old daughter, Jeanette.

Shorty Padilla’s life is a microcosm of Chicano history – from a humble beginning he was able to rise above many obstacles and attain recognition in his chosen profession – boxing!