The "Siri" is one of the last great idols of Mexican boxing and not for being an extraordinary boxer, nor a tremendous knockout, much less a technical prodigy, but for being the synonym of a warrior, that gladiator who wears his helmet , takes his shield, his sword and goes out to fight if necessary, alone against 10 men or against a Dragon. That was the Siri, a fighter with barely correct technique, great physical strength, a claw and a couple of you know ... that a Grizzly Bear would envy. Without being a knockout knocker, he had a hard punch in both fists, a great fit, he knew how to define a fight when he felt that his rival was in inferior conditions and he knew how to withstand the storm when things did not go well.
Salido was born in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico, on November 16, 1980, in November 2006, by defeating the "ghost" Robert Guerrero on points. Thus he is crowned world champion of the Feathers, in IBF version, but shortly after the title is withdrawn by testing positive for nandrolone (a substance that exists in the body naturally, but can also be injected in its synthetic form, to improve the strength, power and explosiveness). Salido, who claimed to be innocent, underwent a second test, which showed him clean, testing negative. He likewise did not punish it, but neither was his crown restored.
In 2010, fighting in his hometown, he once again became IBF world champion against his compatriot Cristobal Cruz, whom he defeated in a wide UD. Cruz had beaten him a time before, also with the title at stake, in a very close fight and through a very controversial ruling, where many had seen Siri the winner. In his next fight he faced the WBA champion, the Cuban Yuriokis Gamboa, who defeats him by UD in 12 rounds, in a dirty fight, where the Cuban commits countless infractions, rabbit blows, head butts (one of them opens a very ugly cut on the face of the Mexican), and other fouls, which are forgiven by referee Joe Cortez. In this way, Salido loses his title again.
For 2011, one of the most important fights of his life would come, when in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, he faced the local, undefeated and cited as the next great Puerto Rican idol, Juanma López, for the WBO World title, in a real war since the first chime. Salido gives the big blow and defeats the champion by TKO at his house, to the amazement of his fans. That same 2011 Siri would defend his crown twice at home, in his Mexico beloved of him, winning both by KO. So comes 2012 and the long-awaited rematch against Juanma López. On March 10, Saludo knocked out López again, this time in the tenth round, retaining his crown and confirming that the first fight had not been a coincidence. With this, he definitely jumps to idol status and practically ends the Puerto Rican career.
Salido would not shake the world of Boxing only by erasing Juanma López from the map, but shortly after he would be in charge of leaving him undefeated and surprising everyone, when on January 25, 2013 he defeated the phenomenal player on points in a very close ruling. Vasyl Lomachenko, who entered professionalism as the next great star of the boxing firmament. In the previous year (2013), he had lost his crown to Mickey García, when after a clash of heads, the fight was stopped and by the cards, García took the ruling. Shortly afterwards Siri would regain that title by liquidating Puerto Rican Orlando Cruz in seven laps.
In 2014, Siri faced the Thai Terdsak Kokietgym, in a fight that was a candidate for fight of the year and in which the Mexican went to the canvas three times, (rounds 1, 2 and 5) and Terdsak Kokietgym four times ( rounds 1,4,7 and 11). The Thai did not rejoin in round 11 and Salido took the WBO interim super featherweight belt in front of his audience at the Fausto Gutiérrez Moreno Municipal Auditorium, Tijuana, Mexico. His career would continue with some ups and downs, until his retirement after being defeated by Miguel Román in 2017, leaving a great legacy and earning the respect not only of Mexicans but of all fans of good boxing.
Perhaps there is not a single word that can fully describe what Orlando ‘Siri’ Salido triggered every time he stepped into a ring. A true man-show, a Pitbull as we say here in Golden Era, a warrior who took whatever challenge was offered to him, a grown man who, instead of wearing gloves when he went to get into the ring, bathed in courage, drama and bravery, to make fans worth every dollar paid to watch him fight. He was a boxer of those who today are surprised, that far from so many poodles that today, they refuse fights, avoid rivals, move up in the category looking for some bulk with which to continue inflating their gray and inconsequential career, instead of seeing their faces with the lions of his weight.
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