▁long ▁road ▁for ▁M ina . ▁He ▁began ▁life ▁in ▁a ▁rural ▁African - Per uv ian ▁community , ▁was ▁a ▁child ▁worker ▁in ▁Ch in cha , ▁Peru ▁and ▁strugg led ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁man ▁in ▁Lima ▁before ▁becoming ▁a ▁professional ▁box er . ▁As ▁his ▁career ▁and ▁fame ▁progress ed , ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁to ast ▁of ▁the ▁city , ▁the ▁hope ▁of ▁Peru ▁and ▁a ▁national ▁symbol ▁in ▁a ▁fragment ed ▁society . ▁As ▁an ▁amateur ▁he ▁obtained ▁the ▁Latin ▁American ▁championship ▁in ▁the ▁middle weight ▁division ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁in ▁Lima , ▁Peru . ▁He ▁started ▁box ing ▁profession ally ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 2 ▁defe ating ▁Chile an ▁Manuel ▁V arg as ▁in ▁ 1 0 ▁r ounds ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁After ▁a ▁few ▁f ights ▁in ▁Lima , ▁he ▁had ▁his ▁first ▁loss ▁against ▁Lu iz ▁Ig na cio , ▁in ▁São ▁Paulo . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁loss ▁to ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁M ina ▁won ▁five ▁straight ▁f ights ▁before ▁challeng ing ▁Uruguay an ▁Dog om ar ▁Mart ine z ▁for ▁the ▁South ▁American ▁Light ▁He avy weight ▁Title ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁The ▁fight ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁Monte video , ▁Uruguay ▁and ▁Mart ine z ▁came ▁out ▁a ▁vict orious ▁on ▁a ▁close ▁decision ▁to ▁retain ▁his ▁title . ▁ ▁After ▁that ▁fight , ▁M ina ▁would ▁not ▁lose ▁again ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁eight ▁years ▁of ▁his