Hulu’s new Spanish boxing series La Máquina It may not be directly based on a true story, but there are plenty of real-life inspirations behind the series, so here’s the context viewers need before diving into the critically acclaimed show. Although boxing has been a topic covered in all kinds of iconic films and TV shows like Rocky, Raging Bulland more, La Máquina Looks like the world of Mexican boxing and crime overlap. The tense boxing storyline of the show is incredibly interestingAnd here are the real-life events surrounding Mexican boxing that inspired Hulu’s La Máquina.
La Máquina Comes from frequent collaborators Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, who have appeared together in iconic projects like I do mom Tambien. The duo’s latest collaboration sees an aging boxer and his manager get caught up in a criminal scandal when they make a deal with a gangster who promises they will die if the boxer doesn’t lose his next match. Although the story of Gael Garcia Bernal’s Esteban “La Máquina” Osuna may not be based on one true person, it has some interesting connections to the real world of Mexican boxing.
La Máquina is not a real life boxer
He may be inspired by a variety of sources
As it turns out, Gael Garcia Bernal’s Esteban “La Máquina” Osuna shares his name with a real-life boxer named Esteban Osuna. However, this is where the similarities end. The real-world Esteban Osuna was an Argentinian boxer who was active from 1960 to 1979, with him being seemingly successful throughout his fighting career. However, the real Esteban Osuna has no known ties to the criminal underworld, with the story of Gael Garcia Bernal’s Esteban “La Máquina” Osuna being completely unrelated, although it is not known if the series intentionally chose the shared name.
Although the true inspirations for Esteban “La Máquina” Osuna have yet to be revealed, It can be assumed that the character pulls from a variety of real-world Mexican boxers. in La MáquinaEsteban is considered an underdog, with his age leading many to believe he has been washed up. Diego Luna’s Andy has trouble finding matches for Esteban, with this being the key factor in which the duo turns to the criminal underworld of Mexican boxing. So, while the actual boxers who inspired Esteban remain a mystery, we can look at a few real-life underdogs from the world of Mexican boxing.
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Although it has not yet been confirmed to be a direct inspiration, José Valenzuela is a recent story from the world of Mexican boxing that resembles the protagonist of La Máquina. Valenzuela was an underdog who ended up winning the super lightweight world championship by winning against Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, something that was completely unexpected.
Another Mexican boxer who resembles Esteban Osuna is Luis Villanueva Páramo, also known as Kid Azteca. Despite his name, Kid Azteca quickly became known for his age, as his professional boxing career spanned four decades. Over time, his age really became a factor in getting matches and who would fight him, similar to Esteban’s situation at the beginning of La Máquina. However, these are just two of the many incredibly famous Mexican boxers that could have served as inspirations for La Máquina When the series was written.
Boxing has a long history with corruption
As is depicted in many movies
Boxing has been associated with corruption for an incredibly long time, With the sport and criminality almost went hand in hand. While this obviously doesn’t apply to every person involved in the world of boxing, many professional boxing leagues and professional boxers have engaged in various acts of corruption, with things like rigging matches and intentionally throwing fights often seen.
Boxing’s previous ties to organized crime and other nefarious activities had a hand in giving the sport its reputation. Many of the most prominent boxing movies and television shows have depicted this issue, with series like Daredevil And movies like Pulp fiction Featuring stories similar to La Máquina In which a fighter is forced to throw a fight in order to help the crowd. Stories about boxers who are forced to take a dive after refusing to become a trope in the boxing sports genre, with La Máquina Being the best recent example of this.
Things haven’t gotten much better in recent years. in 2022, McLaren Global Sports Solutions released an independent investigation by the International Boxing Association, with the investigation finding evidence of corrupt officials, secret signals between people in and out of the ring, alleged corrupt numbers, and more. In 2019, the International Olympic Committee suspended its recognition of the IBA due to corruption among other issues, with them refusing to reinstate the organization in 2023 after they did not find enough improvements. So, the state of the modern boxing world is still not great, which is why corruption over La Máquina Is not a surprise to see.
Boxing’s dark history with organized crime explained
The two have been tied together for ages
Boxing’s history with corruption has already been touched on, but the history of boxing’s ties with organized crime is even more important. The boxing brand boxraw Has a fantastic breakdown of some of the most famous stories of organized crime overlapping with boxing, highlighting how groups like the mafia have helped the sport to develop.
One of the most famous stories of the mob’s connection to boxing centers on fighter Jake LaMotta, with the story chronicled in Martin Scorsese’s film Raging Bull. LaMotta was a talented boxer who unfortunately had a difficult relationship with the mob, with him being asked to throw a match against Billy Fox in 1947. The suspicious events surrounding LaMotta’s loss and the strange gambling patterns throughout the fight raised A lot of eyebrows, with The New York State Athletic Commission investigated and suspended LaMotta. In 1960, LaMotta was a witness against the mob, highlighting their role in the boxing world.
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The world of organized crime has specifically overlapped with the world of Mexican boxing as well. One famous incident was in 1983, in which a 77-year-old trainer named Roberto ‘Uncle’ Jimenez was shot as he walked into the ring to congratulate a fighter. It was suspected that Jimenez’s murder had direct ties to organized crime, with them potentially losing money on the fight due to Jiminez’s involvement (UPI). The story is very similar to the story of La MáquinaAlthough the Hulu show goes in a lot of interesting and fresh directions.
Sources: Boxraw, McLaren Global Sports Solutions