At 84, Manolo del Rio is something of a legend in Spanish boxing, having spent more than 65 years training some of the country’s best fighters and still pledging to keep on until he drops.
Del Rio spends 12-14 hours a day in the gym in Madrid’s working class Vallecas neighborhood. At weekends, he accompanies boxers to their fights. He got a warning note to slow down last week when he was admitted to a Madrid hospital suffering from exhaustion.
His past pupils include Pedro Carrasco, European champion in 1967 and world lightweight champion in 1971, and Jose Manuel Urtain, European heavyweight champion in 1970 and 1971.
Most recently, he trained Gabriel Campillo, the 2009 world light heavyweight and European Union super middleweight champion.
Del Rio is surprisingly agile and swift with both his feet and fists as he teaches pupils that could be his grandchildren, or great grandchildren.
He laments the wane in popularity of boxing in Spain and attributes it to the unchallengeable attraction of soccer and the fact that boxing has almost vanished from the mainstream media.
“Nowadays in Spain there are no boxing idols who are able to move crowds,” he says. “There are more distractions for young people nowadays.”
But del Rio admits modern technology has helped boxing too.
“Every boxer can watch on the internet how their idols perform. … They can see old and modern fights, study them, learn and copy techniques,” he says. “In the old days, we sometimes only saw how our opponent was when we got inside the ring.”
A one-time amateur boxer himself, he gave up competing after he had to face his brother in a regional tournament, choosing to become his coach instead.
These days, he believes technique more than punch strength is paramount.
“Although boxing is a violent sport it is also an art in itself,” he says. “You have to learn how to move. … A clever movement can avert you being punched, so you can strike and move away without being hurt. This is technique!”
In this Monday, April 25, 2016 photo, boxing coach Manolo del Rio, right, talks to his young pupil Mario Andres Ciobanu, 8, during a training session at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Friday, April 29, 2016 photo, boxing coach Manolo del Rio holds a pair of old style boxing gloves at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Thursday, May 19, 2016 photo, boxing coach Manolo del Rio poses for a photograph inside the ring at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. At 84, Manolo del Rio is something of a legend in Spanish boxing circles, having spent more than 65 years training some of the country’s best fighters and pledging to keep on going until he drops. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Friday, April 29, 2016 photo, boxing gloves lie on a boxing ring as boxers work out at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Saturday, April 23, 2016 photo, boxing coach Manolo del Rio, left, takes off a bandage from the hands of his pupil Esther Alcarazo, 32, after a boxing fight at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Friday, April 22, 2016 photo, boxing coach Manolo del Rio, right, talks to one of his pupils during a training session at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. At 84, Manolo del Rio is something of a legend in Spanish boxing circles, having spent more than 65 years training some of the country’s best fighters and pledging to keep on going until he drops. He spends 12-14 hours a day at the gym in a working class neighborhood of Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Saturday, April 23, 2016 photo, boxer Esther Alcarazo, top right, competes during a boxing fight at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Monday, April 25, 2016 photo, young boxer Mario Andres Ciobanu, 8, right, works out during a training session at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Wednesday, April 20, 2016 photo, boxing coach Manolo del Rio, right, talks to his pupils during a training session at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Monday, April 25, 2016 photo, boxing coach Manolo del Rio, centre, 84, talks to his pupil Mohammed Naamane, 19, left, during a training session at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Wednesday, April 20, 2016 photo, boxers work out inside a ring during a training session at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Friday, April 22, 2016 photo, young boxer Mario Andres Ciobanu, 8, works out during a training session at El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
In this Wednesday, May 18, 2016 photo, boxing coach Manolo del Rio, 84, has a meal during a lunch break in a restaurant near his daily working El Rayo boxing gym in Madrid. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Spotlight is the blog of AP Images, the world’s largest collection of historical and contemporary photos. AP Images provides instant access to AP’s iconic photos and adds new content every minute of every day from every corner of the world, making it an essential source of photos and graphics for professional image buyers and commercial customers. Whether your needs are for editorial, commercial, or personal use, AP Images has the content and the expert sales team to fulfill your image requirements. Visitapimages.comto learn more.
Written content on this site is not created by the editorial department of AP, unless otherwise noted.
AP Images is the world’s largest collection of historical andcontemporary photos. AP Images provides instant access to AP's iconic photos and adds new content every minute of every day from every corner of the world, making it an essential source of photos and graphics for professional imagebuyers and commercial customers. Whether your needs are for editorial, commercial, or personal use, AP Images has the content and the expert sales team to fulfill your image requirements. Visit apimages.com to learn more.
View more posts
AP Images Blog 