▁career . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁he ▁was ▁proc laimed ▁South ▁American ▁Light ▁He avy weight ▁Champion , ▁a ▁title ▁he ▁held ▁until ▁he ▁vac ated ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁new ▁talent ▁that ▁arrived ▁on ▁the ▁U . S . ▁box ing ▁scene ▁in ▁the ▁ 6 0 s . ▁Mau ro ▁M ina ▁had ▁become ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁light ▁heavy we ights ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁by ▁fighting ▁exclus ively ▁in ▁South ▁America . ▁Just ▁one ▁more ▁obst acle ▁stood ▁between ▁him ▁and ▁international ▁st ard om . ▁He ▁continued ▁box ing ▁and ▁winning ▁during ▁the ▁ 6 0 s ▁in ▁f ights ▁against ▁Greg orio ▁" Go yo " ▁Per al ta , ▁Fred die ▁Mack , ▁Sug ar ▁Boy ▁N ando , ▁Gu ill ermo ▁D utsch mann , ▁Henry ▁H ank , ▁Edd ie ▁Cot ton ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁he ▁won . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁won ▁a ▁fight ▁against ▁future ▁champion ▁Bob ▁F oster , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁after ▁defe ating ▁Edd ie ▁Cot ton ▁by ▁decision ▁in ▁ 1 0 ▁r ounds ▁in ▁Lima , ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁ranked ▁the ▁number ▁one ▁cont ender ▁by ▁the ▁pr estig ious ▁Ring ▁Magazine . ▁He ▁was ▁ready ▁for ▁a ▁shot ▁at ▁the ▁Light ▁He avy weight ▁title ▁held ▁by ▁Harold ▁Johnson ▁but ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁a ▁ret inal ▁injury ▁acquired ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁previous ▁f ights ▁( al