On April 23, 1990—exactly 35 years ago—WBC super bantamweight world champion Daniel Zaragoza was knocked out by a 24-year-old kid with olive skin and vaguely Asian eyes. That kid, whose name is Paul Banke, would enjoy glory only briefly, before gaining a tragic form of notoriety as the first professional boxer to publicly disclose an AIDS diagnosis. From youthful promise to the nightmare of addiction, from a world title triumph to life on the streets, from a cruel disease to a comeback—his is a raw and dramatic story, though not devoid of hope and redemption. On the anniversary of that unforgettable night, we’ve decided to recount Banke’s journey.
The Highest Highs and the Lowest Lows
Is lying in a dumpster thanking the heavens for finding an almost-whole sandwich the lowest point in a man’s life? No—not if that man is about to be diagnosed with AIDS. Is being cheered by a frenzied crowd after knocking out a legendary champion and claiming a world title the highest point in a man’s life? No—not if that man will one day rise again from the depths of drug addiction.
As a young man, Paul Banke already showed talent and potential. He missed out on the Olympics after suffering a panic attack during the qualifiers but was a regular on the national team, even becoming friends with future superstars like Mike Tyson. His move to the pros, however, coincided with the arrival of a sly and terrible companion: drugs. Banke began using just about everything, and naturally, his performances suffered.
“The Real” Paul Banke
A quick glance at Banke’s record up to 1987 might suggest he was just an average fighter. But stepping into the ring in those years was a young man whose body had been worn down by drug use. Things reached a low point before his fight against Jesus Poll, when he hid his meth stash in a sock and used it in the locker room before walking to the ring: the KO loss was the inevitable result. The turning point came thanks to manager Bob Richardson, who saw him spar one day and decided to help the world meet the “real” Paul Banke. From that moment on, “The Real” became his nickname. Closely watched on his new mentor’s lakeside estate, Banke didn’t quit drugs entirely, but the brutal workouts at “All Heart Boxing” were enough to get him back on track. Within a year and a half, Banke had climbed the world rankings and earned a shot at the prestigious WBC super bantamweight title.
Second Time’s the Charm: The Miraculous Title Win
Banke’s first world title shot didn’t go his way. He fought in bursts, overwhelmed by emotion, and the more experienced Zaragoza managed to control him. Still, the champion was knocked down in the ninth round, and one judge scored the bout differently from the other two—enough, along with the exciting action, to secure a rematch.
It was April 23, 1990, and this time Banke was deadly serious. He was ready to die before giving up. He traded punches like a madman, absorbed devastating shots, and when he dropped Zaragoza with a left hand in the ninth round, it felt like déjà vu. But this time, the challenger had no intention of leaving it to the judges—who, meanwhile, all had him trailing. He dug deep, summoned one last superhuman effort, and found the KO punch! Banke didn’t even have the strength left to celebrate: he let himself be lifted while tears of emotion streamed down his face.
A Lost Arturo Gatti
His first title defense in South Korea proved that the new champion was genetically wired to thrill. Local idol Ki Joon Lee, a massive figure for the weight class, charged at him like a battering ram, relentlessly swarming him with low blows and headbutts. Banke took the punishment and endured, as his right eye swelled shut like a tennis ball. By the end of the tenth round, he was trailing on the scorecards. But once again, the Californian dug deep and dropped his opponent three times in the final two rounds, forcing a technical knockout with just a minute to go.
Had he stayed away from alcohol and drugs, Banke might have become “another Arturo Gatti”—a fighter capable of igniting arenas with one breathtaking war after another. But being champion only made him more vulnerable to the pull of his old vices. In no time, he lost the title—and everything else came crashing down. His career unraveled, the money ran out, and his addiction became relentless.
The Toughest Battle
Banke retired at just 29 and began living on the margins. He slept in his van and spent short stints in jail. One of those arrests led to a devastating revelation: blood tests were conducted in jail, and Banke tested positive for AIDS. Many began to avoid him; even some old friends refused to shake his hand. One notable exception was the great Mike Tyson—every time he saw Paul, Iron Mike would rush to hug him, and that meant the world to Banke.
Convinced he was close to death, Banke sporadically continued treatment but spiraled even deeper into drug abuse. The turning point came in 2014: paranoid and delusional, he believed the FBI was watching him. At one point, he even searched a social worker, thinking they were hiding a wiretap… Realizing he was on the verge of madness, something clicked. Banke reached out to Alcoholics Anonymous, and step by step, he began to climb out of the abyss.
Today, Paul Banke is a new man: he hasn’t touched alcohol or drugs in years, he works as a boxing coach, has a partner, has reconciled after decades with his daughter, and has written and published his autobiography: Staying Positive: The Story of ‘The Real’ Paul Banke.
His old rival, Mexico’s Daniel Zaragoza, is now remembered as one of the greatest super bantamweights in history. And yet, once upon a time, when Zaragoza was chasing his misbehaving son Daniel Jr. around the house to punish him, the boy yelled out, “Stop, or I’ll call Paul Banke!” A funny little anecdote that speaks louder than a thousand words.