Pedro Lovell
Pedro Lovell (born June 8, 1945) is a retired Argentine heavyweight boxer, a knockout artist with a promising career in the 1970s. He is also known for his role as Spider Rico in the films Rocky (1976) and Rocky Balboa (2006).[1]
| Pedro Lovell | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | KO King The LA Bomber One Punch Spider Rico |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Nationality | Argentine |
| Born | June 9, 1945 Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 23 |
| Wins | 18 |
| Wins by KO | 14 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 2 |
| No contests | 0 |
Life and career
Lovell was born in Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina. His father, Santiago Alberto Lovell, who was the brother of former boxer Guillermo Lovell, came from an Afro-Argentine and English Argentine family, and his mother came from an Italian Argentine family.
He was a citizen of Argentina who decided to make his professional career in the United States. Lovell traveled to California, where, after only a few fights, he became a big drawing card.[2]
While his brother, Alberto, Jr., was fighting in Argentina and knocking out the likes of Jose Manuel Ibar Urtain, Pedro racked up a string of nine straight knockouts. However, Pedro's career was hampered by physical injuries and prostate problems.[2]
In 1973, Lovell was stunningly upset by Texan knockout king Terry Krueger. Lovell had been winning the fight. He bloodied Krueger's nose and seemed headed for an easy stoppage. However, Krueger let go with a wild left hook, and Pedro Lovell's undefeated streak ended. He was unconscious for more than three minutes.[3]
A few months later the pair were rematched, and Lovell broke Krueger's jaw on the way to scoring three knockdowns and a first round victory. Lovell went on to defeat former heavyweight contender Billy Daniels in one round.[3]
Lovell was on the road to a title fight. He played the part of Spider Rico in the 1976 movie Rocky.[1] He appeared in The Ring magazine and on television. He took his impressive record of knockouts into a nationally televised fight with Ken Norton. After a competitive first three rounds, Norton took control of the fight in the fourth, and knocked out Lovell in fifth round.[1] A short time later, Lovell drew a fight against unbeaten Leroy Jones and two fights later lost a unanimous decision to future world champion Mike Weaver and announced his retirement.[1][3]
Lovell was at times referred to as "KO King",[1] "The LA Bomber", "The Jawbreaker", and "One Punch".[4]
Some 30 years after the first Rocky film, Lovell reprised his role as Spider Rico for the film Rocky Balboa in 2006.[1]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Rocky | Spider Rico | |
| 1979 | Rocky II | Flashback | |
| 2006 | Rocky Balboa |
References
- "Spider Rico's Real Life Brawl in 1976: Pedro Lovell vs Ken Norton". Total Rocky. August 13, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- "Boxer Phenom Pedro Lovell: Spider Rico from the ROCKY Movies!". Silver Screen Artists. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- Slater, James (December 31, 2006). "A Look At Pedro Lovell – AKA Spider Rico". Boxing247.com. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- IMDb Biography