It’s incredible and extremely sad to think that more than 40,000 people have been killed in Mexico in that country’s drug wars over the past five years. A person’s age, sex, occupation, and status doesn’t appear to matter to the vicious drug cartels down there. Anybody can be a victim. One of the latest was 25-year-old professional boxer Rafael ‘El Chocho’ Guzman, who was gunned down outside his home in Guadalajara on Oct. 17.
Guzman had a fine record of 28-3-1 with 20 KOs. Throughout his career he was crowned the WBC Mundo Hispano Lightweight king, the WBC Fecarbox Lightweight Champion, and the WBC Fecarbox Super Featherweight titleholder. His last bout took place on Aug. 20 when he battled to a majority draw with Venezuela’s Rafael Hernandez (13-3-2 11 KO’s) for the WBF’s vacant super featherweight crown. Most fans hoped to see the two warriors go at it again in a rematch, but Guzman’s next fight was scheduled for Nov. 19 in South Africa against Malcolm Klassen, a former IBF super featherweight champion.
Guzman had spent the night of Oct. 17 celebrating his father’s birthday with the rest of his family. However, things turned tragic when two gunmen saw him in front of his house while he was reportedly putting license plates on his car. At least eight shots rang out and found Guzman’s body. He then he managed to stagger several steps before collapsing on the sidewalk in front of his residence in the Colonia el Retiro neighborhood. Guzman’s family and friends rushed outside in time to see the killers escape the scene driving a white Nissan Tsuru.
The horrific sight of seeing Guzman lying in the street might not have completely surprised his family and friends though as an attempt was on his life also made just over a year ago. On June 15, 2010 Guzman was shot, this time while he was in his car. Luckily, he survived while receiving arm and chest wounds. Guzman’s brother Roberto wasn’t quite so lucky though as he was executed just a few months after on Oct. 5. His lifeless body was discovered wrapped in several plastic bags. On his body was a card with a message on it courtesy of the Jalisco drug Cartel, the group who claimed responsibility for his murder.
It’s an unfortunate fact of life that gun violence has affected the Mexican people in a very negative way. Just two days before Guzman’s assassination, Marco Fabian, a Mexican soccer player for Chivas, celebrated scoring a goal by pretending to shoot his teammate in the head. The incident also took place in Guadalajara, where Guzman was gunned down.
Television broadcasters and other heavily criticized Fabian’s execution-style celebration, but the player seemed to be unaware how it might have affected fans watching the game. He said he didn’t really think what spectators would be thinking after witnessing it. He received a yellow card from the referee for the celebration and his club released a press release to apologize for his actions.
It was considered a classless act by most people, especially considering soccer players and thousands of fans ran for cover across the pitch of a stadium in Torreon in August. Television viewers were horrified when numerous gunshots could be heard during the game and the players fled the field. Fans then hid for cover and eventually scrambled across the field to escape.
Fortunately, the shots were coming from outside of the stadium. But unfortunately, members of a drug cartel were attacking a police station, which seems to be an all-too common occurrence these days.
Guzman had a fine record of 28-3-1 with 20 KOs. Throughout his career he was crowned the WBC Mundo Hispano Lightweight king, the WBC Fecarbox Lightweight Champion, and the WBC Fecarbox Super Featherweight titleholder. His last bout took place on Aug. 20 when he battled to a majority draw with Venezuela’s Rafael Hernandez (13-3-2 11 KO’s) for the WBF’s vacant super featherweight crown. Most fans hoped to see the two warriors go at it again in a rematch, but Guzman’s next fight was scheduled for Nov. 19 in South Africa against Malcolm Klassen, a former IBF super featherweight champion.
Guzman had spent the night of Oct. 17 celebrating his father’s birthday with the rest of his family. However, things turned tragic when two gunmen saw him in front of his house while he was reportedly putting license plates on his car. At least eight shots rang out and found Guzman’s body. He then he managed to stagger several steps before collapsing on the sidewalk in front of his residence in the Colonia el Retiro neighborhood. Guzman’s family and friends rushed outside in time to see the killers escape the scene driving a white Nissan Tsuru.
The horrific sight of seeing Guzman lying in the street might not have completely surprised his family and friends though as an attempt was on his life also made just over a year ago. On June 15, 2010 Guzman was shot, this time while he was in his car. Luckily, he survived while receiving arm and chest wounds. Guzman’s brother Roberto wasn’t quite so lucky though as he was executed just a few months after on Oct. 5. His lifeless body was discovered wrapped in several plastic bags. On his body was a card with a message on it courtesy of the Jalisco drug Cartel, the group who claimed responsibility for his murder.
It’s an unfortunate fact of life that gun violence has affected the Mexican people in a very negative way. Just two days before Guzman’s assassination, Marco Fabian, a Mexican soccer player for Chivas, celebrated scoring a goal by pretending to shoot his teammate in the head. The incident also took place in Guadalajara, where Guzman was gunned down.
Television broadcasters and other heavily criticized Fabian’s execution-style celebration, but the player seemed to be unaware how it might have affected fans watching the game. He said he didn’t really think what spectators would be thinking after witnessing it. He received a yellow card from the referee for the celebration and his club released a press release to apologize for his actions.
It was considered a classless act by most people, especially considering soccer players and thousands of fans ran for cover across the pitch of a stadium in Torreon in August. Television viewers were horrified when numerous gunshots could be heard during the game and the players fled the field. Fans then hid for cover and eventually scrambled across the field to escape.
Fortunately, the shots were coming from outside of the stadium. But unfortunately, members of a drug cartel were attacking a police station, which seems to be an all-too common occurrence these days.
