By Eric Armit
ON an emotional night in Mexico, Mauricio Lara’s victory last Friday allowed him to release a burden that he was carrying. ‘Bronco’ Lara defeated Pedro Delgado by technical knockout in seven rounds, and emotions ran high, causing the former world champion to cry and lose his voice.
“The truth is we know about the little engine I have there,” he said in reference to his daughter. After being questioned about a night of many emotions with hugs, tears and joy, he added, in a broken voice: “I had a burden, a very heavy burden, as I said later, a very bad depression that I had. Thank God I got out of it.”
This week, the former WBA featherweight champion revealed that he suffered from depression for over a year, and there are even times when he still has ups and downs, and he explained why.
“I think preparation (was the biggest challenge),” he stated. “As I said, a year of silly depression trying to be a better son, a better father, a better friend, better at work. I think it was very hard for me, but I gave a great show with the people, with my people, and I think things worked out.”
After his victory over ‘Yeyo’ Delgado and already in the locker room, Bronco embraced his father in a warm hug and then with various team members.
After conceding his world title first on the scales and then in the ring last year against Leigh Wood, Lara struggled to a draw with the unheralded Daniel Lugo in February, as the rebuilding process stalled.
Leigh Wood and Mauricio Lara go to war in Nottingham on February 18, 2023 (Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)
According to BoxRec, victim Pedro Alejandro Delgado, who was dissected by body shots, arrived with a patchy 11-12-1 record and some interesting previous flashpoints. In February, he defeated Oscar Ortega, and the result noted, “During the weight-in [sic] the matchmaker was tampering with the scale.”
Three fights before this incident, he lost a technical decision to Ricardo Soto and the result was asterisked by this nugget: “Alejandro Delgado Chable hit Ricardo Bladimir Soto low blows and rabbit punches to Ricardo Bladimir Soto in the 6th round and the local commission decided to go to the scorecards.
“The ambulance took Soto because with the illegal blows he went out of the ring and was taken to the hospital and Alejandro Delgado became disruptive and became an imminent threat to the public, the judges and the commission.”
Losing to Mauricio Lara, it seems, is the least eventful contest of his recent career.