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Ayala's death was confirmed by Henry Rodriguez, a long-time
friend and business associate. After his release from prison,
Ayala was seen as a mentor to a generation of Texas boxers,
Rodriguez said.
"He was working with kids, teaching them a talent and passing it
on to them," Rodriguez said.
Ayala's cause of death was not yet known.
Ayala was born to a prominent San Antonio boxing family with his
father and two brothers being prize fighters.
Known as "El Torito," Ayala faced off against some of the best
middleweights of his era and was looking for a title shot. By
the age of 19, he had a record of 22-0 with 19 knockouts.
Shortly after that, he was arrested in 1983 for raping a woman
at knife-point in New Jersey and sentenced to 35 years in
prison.
He was released in 1999 and mounted a brief comeback, compiling
a 9-2 record, with eight knockouts, according to web site Box
Rec.
"He was one of the greatest," Rodriguez said. "If you ask
anybody in the boxing world, his potential was amazing."
(Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott)
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