Juan Olaguivel

Juan Olaguíbel Pedrós, the son of Juan Olaguível & Juana Olaguível Pedrós, became a big man and, in times of economic difficulty in his region, started earning money as an amateur boxer. He was trained by the French Casalonge (who had trained Georges Carpentier), at 13 Peña y Goñi, San Sebastian, the tourist beach resort of the Basque region. There, he was known as Juanito Olaguibel, possibly because of his younger age than most boxers. He was acquainted and became friends with Paulino Uzcudum,who would become the Spanish heavyweight champion, and met with success in an American tour. Back to Spain, on the morning of November 30, 1930, Uzcudun trained street running in Barcelona with his companion Juan Olaguivel, and in the evening he saw him lose his fight against Primo Carnera on the last round after having dominated all the other rounds, in a controversial match at the Olympic Stadium, Montjuïc (Barcelona, Spain). Uzkudun continued his career, and with him went Olaguivel: Paris (1930), New York City and Nevada (1931), Spain (1932), New York City (1933). Olaguivel went to Los Angeles where he boxed, while Uzkudun returned to Europe in May 1933, pursuing his wish of regaining his title of Champion of Europe, which was not to be. Olaguivel official record as a boxer ends in that year. While based in Los Angeles, Olaguivel got his earlier (uncredited) film part as a guard holding a halberd by the side of an Oriental beauty in the American film Anything Goes (1936) with locations in Honolulu and a cruise ship. With a Spanish passport, he was living in 1400 Avenida de Mayo, Buenos Aires (Argentina) in 1942, and in 19-02-1943 he applied for a temporary visa to work in Brazil, as a "lutador" (meaning both boxer and wrestler). He was still a bachelor, with no children. Juan Olaguibel wrestled Jaime Orezzoli at the Sports Palace, Havana, Cuba, on June 15, 1951, and he wrestled in the Grand Prix of Hanover Freestyle Tournament, April 18/May 18, 1952, of which the results of his matches are on record: 1952-05-07 defeated Hans Lerche 1952-05-08 defeated Erich Koltschak 1952-05-09 defeated Leif Rasmussen 1952-05-10 defeated Black Green (Antonio Moralino) 1952-05-12 defeated by Josef Vavra (ended 2nd place) 1952-05-13 defeated by Fritz Müller Jr. (ended 3rd place) 1952-05-14 defeated by Harry Pinetzki (ended 1st place) 1952-05-15 defeated by Max Walloschke Valentin Maldonado's "History of Pro Wrestling in Spain" mentions Olaguivel as "The man of the cloak", because he wore one in his way to the ring, and he also mentions him as Argentinean, an error derived from the fact he may have lived there at least since pre-WWII. Olaguivel was one of the wrestlers featured in a 1950's set of Wrestling Trading Cards for collectors. He is said to have married the actress and costume designer Rene Olaguível. Between wrestling tours, his physic and fighting ability led him into other films needing stunt scenes or impressive bad guys. He reappears in small film roles in the early 1950's (USA and Venezuela), and the many action movies and scenes in dramas or thrillers made in Spain, or the Spanish co-productions with Italy, Germany, and the USA. Mostly they were non speaking parts, and often he remained uncredited.