By Ken Hissner: Argentina’s WBA world middle champ Carlos Monzon, 87-3-9 with 59 knockouts, unified, defeating the WBC champ Rodrigo Valdes, 58-4-2 from Colombia. He had won the title by stopping Nino Benvenutti, 82-4-1. He was inducted into the IBHOF.
WBO Fly and Super Fly champ Omar Narvaez, 49-4-2 with 29 knockouts, defended his title a record 27 times. Light welter champ Nicolino Locche, 117-4-14 with 14 knockouts and was an IBHOF inductee. Olympic Gold Medalist and World Fly champ Pascual Perez, 84-7-1 with 57 knockouts and was an IBHOF inductee.
Brazil’s world Bantam and Feather champ Eder Jofre, 72-2-4 with 50 knockouts, was 47-0-3 when he lost to Japan’s world Bantam champ Fighting Harada, 38-3. He was an IBHOF inductee.
In Central America, Panama’s 4-division world champ Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran, 103-17 with 70 knockouts, won the light title by stopping Ken Buchanan, 43-1. He defeated welter champ “Sugar” Ray Leonard, 27-0, but lost to him twice. He stopped Davey Moore, 12-0, for the super welter title and defeated Iran “The Blade” Barkley, 25-4, for the middle title.
Nicaragua’s 3-division world champ Alexis Arguello, 77-8 with 62 knockouts, stopped Ruben Olivares, 78-4-1, for the feather title, stopped Alfredo Escalera, 40-7-2, for the super feather title and stopped Jim Watt, 38-7, for the light title.
In Mexico, the Mini and Light Fly world champ Ricardo Lopez, 51-0-1 with 38 knockouts, was 47-0 when he drew with Rosendo Alvarez, 24-0 whom he defeated in the rematch. He had 24 defenses and was an IBHOF inductee.
Mexico’s 4-division champ Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 58-2-2 with 39 knockouts and is the current super middle champ. He drew and defeated middle champ Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin twice, and his first loss at 42-0-1 to Floyd Mayweather, Jr., 44-0.
Mexico’s 3-division world champ Julio “J.C.” Cesar Chavez, Sr., 107-6-2 with 85 knockouts, was 89-0-1 when he lost to Frankie “The Surgeon” Randall, 48-2-1, whom he defeated in a rematch for the super light title. He stopped Mario Martinez, 33-1-2, for the super feather title, stopped Edwin Rosario, 31-2, for the light title, and stopped Roger Mayweather, 34-5, for the super light title. He was an IBHOF inductee.
2-division world champ Ruben Olivares, 89-13-3, with 79 knockouts, stopped Lionel Rose, 34-2, for the bantam title and stopped Zensuke Utagawa, 25-4, for the vacant feather title. He was an IBHOF inductee.
2-division world champ Julian “The Hawk” Jackson, 55-6 with 49 knockouts from St.Thomas, Virgin Islands, stopped Chul Baek, 41-1, for the vacant super welter world title and won the vacant middle title stopping Herol Graham, 43-2.
Cuba’s world junior light champ Kid Chocolate, 136-10-6, with 51 knockouts, won the NBA world title by stopping Benny Bass, 138-27-7. He lost to Tony Canzoneri, 85-9-8, for the light and junior welter titles. He stopped Davey Abad, 60-31-14, for the world junior light title. He was an IBHOF inductee.
Welter champ Kid “The Cuban Hawk” Gavilan, 108-30-5 with 28 knockouts, defeated Johnny Bratton, 44-16-2, for the NBA title. He defeated Billy Graham, 91-6-6, and Carmen Basilio, 35-10-5. He lost to middle champ Carl “Bobo” Olson, 60-6. He lost twice to “Sugar” Ray Robinson, 87-1-1. He was an IBHOF inductee.
Welter champion Luis Rodriguez, 107-13 with 49 knockouts, won the title defeating Emile Griffith, 35-3, though losing to him four times. He defeated George Benton, 53-9-1, and Joey Giambra, 65-8-2, but was stopped in a world middle title fight with Nino Benvenutti, 79-3-1. He was an IBHOF inductee.
Welter champ Jose “Mantequilla” Napoles, 81-7 with 54 knockouts born in Cuba, where he was 20-1, before moving to Mexico. He won the welter title, stopping Curtis Cokes, 55-9-3. He defeated Emile Griffith, 60-10, and Ernie “Red” Lopez, 39-5-1. He lost to Billy Backus, 29-10-4, but won the rematch. He defeated Hedgemon Lewis, 40-3, Ralph Charles, 39-3, and Clyde Gray, 40-2-1, but lost to middle champ Carlos Monzon, 81-3. He lost to John H Stracey, 42-3-1. He was inducted into the IBHOF.
3-division world champ Puerto Rico’s Felix “Tito” Trinidad, 42-3 with 35 knockouts, won the welter title, stopping Maurice Blocker, 34-3. He defeated Hector “Macho” Camacho, 43-2, Luis Campas, 56-0, Oba Carr, 30-0, Larry Barnes, 39-1, Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, 40-2-1, and Oscar “Golden Boy” De La Hoya, 31-0. He won the super welter title defeating David “American Dream” Reid, 14-0, defeated IBF champion Fernando Vargas, 20-0. He stopped middle champ William Joppy, 32-1-1, before losing to middle champ Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, 39-2-1, in a unified match.
4-division world champ Miguel “Junito” Cotto, 41-6 with 33 knockouts, won the vacant WBO super light title stopping Kelson Pinto, 21-0. He won the welter title, stopping Carlos Quintana, 23-0, defeated “Sugar” Shane Mosley, 44-4, and lost to Ricardo Margarito, 36-5. He won the super welter title by stopping Yuri Foreman, 28-0, but lost to Floyd Mayweather, Jr., 42-0. He won the middle title, stopping Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, 51-2-2, but lost to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 45-1-1.
Carlos Ortiz, 61-7-1, with 30 knockouts, won the light title defeating Joe “Old Bones” Brown, 102-22-12. He lost and defeated Ismael Laguna, 38-2. He stopped Sugar Ramos 50-2-3 but lost to Carlos Teo Cruz, 35-12-2. Olympic Silver Medalist Jose Torres, 41-3-1, with 29 knockouts, won the light heavy title stopping Willie Pastrano, 62-12-8, but lost to middle champ Dick Tiger, 53-17-3.
2-division champ Dominican Republic’s Joan Guzman, 34-1-1 with 21 knockouts, won the vacant super bantam title by stopping Fabio Oliva, 18-0. He won the super feather title defeating Jorge Barrios, 46-2-1.