List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions

In Puerto Rico, boxing is considered a major sport, having produced more amateur and professional world champions than any other sport in its history. [cite web| url=http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?chid=4&schid=1018&secid=1025&cid=849609| title=Puerto Rico, país de tradición boxística| publisher=Univision| language=Spanish| date=2007-09-13| accessdate=2008-10-08] Puerto Rico is located in the third place for most boxing world champions per country in the world and is the only location to have champions accredited in all of the current divisions.cite web| url=http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=286871| title=Fábrica de campeones| author=José Torres| publisher=ESPN Deportes| language=Spanish| date=2004-12-15| accessdate=2008-10-06] [cite web| url=http://espanol.sports.yahoo.com/31072008/54/deportes-consejo-mundial-boxeo-rinde-homenaje-pe-agar-cano-chade.html| title=El Consejo Mundial de Boxeo rinde un homenaje a Peñagarícano y Chade| publisher=Yahoo!| language=Spanish| date=2008-07-31| accessdate=2008-10-08] This number also places the archipelago in the global lead in terms of champions per capita. February 9, 2008 marked the first time that boxers from Puerto Rico had held three of the four major welterweights titles (World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization) when Carlos Quintana defeated Paul Williams to join Miguel Cotto and Kermit Cintron as champions in the division. [cite web| url=http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=686423&s=box&type=column| title=La época dorada| author=Sebastián Contursi| publisher=ESPN Deportes| language=Spanish| date=2008-06-08| accessdate=2008-08-15]

Individually, Puerto Rican world champions have reached numerous achievements. These include: Wilfredo Gómez's record for most defenses in the super bantamweight division and for most successive knockouts by a titleholder. On September 3, 1994, Daniel Jiménez established a world record for the quickest knockout in a championship fight, defeating Harald Geier in 17 seconds.cite book| title=En un dos por tres| author=José A. Sánchez Fournier| publisher="El Nuevo Día"| language=Spanish| chapter=Deportes| location=Puerto Rico| date=2008-10-06| pages=97] Juan Manuel López also holds the fifth place in this category, having defeated César Figueroa in 47 seconds during his first defense. Ossie Ocasio was the first WBA cruiserweight champion, winning it on February 13, 1982. This accomplishment was mimicked in other organisms: Jose De Jesús, José Ruiz Matos, John John Molina and Héctor Camacho did it in their respective divisions in the WBO, while Ángel Almena was the first pugilist to win the International Boxing Organization's super flyweight title.

Boxing in Puerto Rico

The sport of boxing was introduced to Puerto Rico during Spain's colonial government, when it was practiced in a clandestine manner.Fonseca et al., p.314] Fights were organized in haciendas among workers of sugar and cofee plantations, with the objective being to determine the best fighter among the employees. Following the culmination of the Puerto Rican Campaign and Spanish–American War, soldiers that established residence in the main island practiced the sport. During World War I, a championship known as "Campeonato Las Casas" as part of the military training of military personnel. Nero Chen, the first Puerto Rican boxer to gain recognition began in these tournaments. CMTC followed this example organizing activities named "Los Campeones del Campamento", which were received with enthusiasm by the young recruits. Most of these events were celebrated without restriction due to jurisdictional limits, although prohibitions were in place for the civilian population. Illegal matches were organized in the rooftops of residences in Old San Juan, empty terrains in El Condado and in hippodromes. In 1924, several young men were taught how to box by Gregario Rosa, a boxer that had won the featherweight championship of the Atlantic Fleet while serving in the Navy. Rosa also established "Jack Dempsey Physical Culture and Boxing Club", a gym where he continued instructing students. The local police department would arrest several boxers that were participating in a card. They were surprised to discover that several members of law enforcement agencies and the government were involved, a group of police officers including a coronel, two members of the governor's cabinet, numerous legislators and a judge. The charges were archived, the decision was justified with a statement saying: "How will we have a boxing world champion if we don't let the boys learn how to box?"

In 1926, a boxing venue was opened in a military facility known as "Cuartel de Ballaja", with card being organized weekly. Legislator Lorenzo Coballes Gandía would redact a proposal to legalize boxing, which was signed by governor Horace Mann Towner on May 1927.Fonseca et al., p.315] Consequently the "Primera Comisión Atlética de Boxeo" was created, this would become the first organization dedicated to sanction boxing in Puerto Rico. "Estadio Universal" became the first venue to organize legal boxing cards. The first event had a fight between Enrique Chaffardet and Al Clemens in the main event, which was declared a draw by the judges. New stadiums were built in Bayamón, Caguas, Mayagüez, Ponce, Aguadilla and San Juan. The first Puerto Rican to win a world championship was Sixto Escobar, who did it on June 26, 1934. In the 1960s and 1970s there was a improvement in the ammount of pugilist reaching this recognition.Fonseca et al., p.14-16] Including Wilfred Benítez who on March 6, 1976, became the youngest world champion in history at 17 years old. This tendency continued during the following two decades, reaching a peak between 1980 and 1990, while experiencing a slight reduction in the 1990s, with Félix Trinidad serving as an exception to the rule.Fonseca et al., p.17] The 2000s brought another increase, with over a dozen boxers winning world championships.

Héctor García, Dommys Delgado Berty, Francisco Varcárcel and José Peñagaricano have served as presidents of the Puerto Rico Boxing Commission. This organism gained more prominence in 1985 when it received full control as the sactioning body in any professional fight organized in Puerto Rico.Fonseca et al., p.317] In 2000, the commission's reglamentation was revised to exclude professional wrestling, which up to that point had been under its scope. This was Peñagaricano's first proposal upon taking office, since he considered professional wrestling "a spectable instead of a sport like boxing". During the following decades the Puerto Rico Boxing Commission took initiative in certain aspects when compared to other entities. It was the first governing body in the world to have a female president, when Delgado Berty served from 1986 to 1988.Fonseca et al., p.320] Becoming the first commission to demand pre-fight weigh-ins brought some critisms at first, but this measure was soon adopted by other bodies as well.Fonseca et al., p.326] In 2007, David Bernier, then Secretary of Recreation and Sports, approved a new article in the reglamentation which prohibited the signing of any pugilist younger than 18 years old as a professional.Fonseca et al., p.328]

List of world champions

"† indicates boxer of Puerto Rican heritage that is recognized by the commission due to parent's nationality, residence or other circumstances ."

Current titleholders

ee also

*List of current world boxing champions
*List of boxing triple champions
*List of boxing quadruple champions
*List of boxing quintuple champions
*List of boxing sextuple champions
*List of WBC world champions
*List of WBA world champions
*List of IBF world champions
*List of WBO world champions
*List of IBO world champions

References

Footnotes

Notes

:I:boxrec|id=41270|name=Sixto Escobar:II:boxrec|id=8387|name=Carlos Ortiz:III:boxrec|id=23151|name=Jose Torres:IV:boxrec|id=2191|name=Angel Espada:V:boxrec|id=009519|name=Alfredo Escalera:VI:boxrec|id=2552|name=Samuel Serrano:VII:boxrec|id=000438|name=Wilfred Benitez:VIII:boxrec|id=008683|name=Esteban De Jesus:IX:boxrec|id=002542|name=Wilfredo Gomez:X:boxrec|id=003743|name=Julian Solis:XI:boxrec|id=8657|name=Carlos De Leon:XII:boxrec|id=864|name=Ossie Ocasio:XIII:boxrec|id=2570|name=Juan La Porte:XIV:boxrec|id=000610|name=Edwin Rosario:XV:boxrec|id=000607|name=Hector Camacho:XVI:boxrec|id=459|name=Mark Medal:XVII:boxrec|id=3044|name=Harry Arroyo:XVIII:boxrec|id=1143|name=Victor Callejas:XIX:boxrec|id=822|name=Carlos Santos:XX:boxrec|id=003646|name=Antonio Rivera:XXI:boxrec|id=00627|name=Wilfredo Vazquez:XXII:boxrec|id=48944|name=Jose Ruiz:XXIII:boxrec|id=8492|name=John John Molina:XXIV:boxrec|id=36198|name=Jose De Jesus:XXV:boxrec|id=2640|name=Juan Nazario:XXVI:boxrec|id=5798|name=Orlando Fernandez:XXVII:boxrec|id=1538|name=Santos Cardona:XXVIII:boxrec|id=4917|name=Danny Garcia:XXIX:boxrec|id=8541|name=Rafael Del Valle:XXX:boxrec|id=4268|name=Felix Camacho:XXXI:boxrec|id=5845|name=Josue Camacho:XXXII:boxrec|id=1261|name=Daniel Jimenez:XXXIII:boxrec|id=003254|name=Felix Trinidad:XXXIV:boxrec|id=4171|name=Alex Sanchez:XXXV:boxrec|id=1380|name=Jake Rodriguez:XXXVI:boxrec|id=591|name=Sammy Fuentes:XXXVII:boxrec|id=6840|name=Angel Almena:XXXVIII:boxrec|id=5180|name=Angel Manfredy:XXXIX:boxrec|id=5666|name=Frank Toledo:XL:boxrec|id=017669|name=Jose Antonio Rivera:XLI:boxrec|id=8208|name=Lou Del Valle:XLII:boxrec|id=1380|name=Eric Morel:XLIII:boxrec|id=7981|name=Daniel Santos:XLIV:boxrec|id=007530|name=Nelson Dieppa:XLV:boxrec|id=4655|name=John Ruiz:XLVI:boxrec|id=15878|name=Alex Trujillo:XLVII:boxrec|id=7261|name=Angel Chacon:XLVIII:boxrec|id=041357|name=Ivan Calderon:XLIX:boxrec|id=14602|name=Manny Siaca:L:boxrec|id=14602|name=Miguel Cotto:LI:boxrec|id=020231|name=Luis Collazo:LII:boxrec|id=053617|name=Kermit Cintron:LIII:boxrec|id=023664|name=Carlos Quintana:LIV:boxrec|id=93086|name=Orlando Cruz:LV:boxrec|id=335130|name=Victor Fonseca:LVI:boxrec|id=291928|name=Juan Manuel Lopez

Sources

*

External links

* [http://sports.yahoo.com/box;_ylt=AkBwgnKqSJgNrDBiXnnEvUOUxLYF Yahoo! Sports - Boxing]
* [http://www.ibhof.com/ International Boxing Hall of Fame]