Ángel Espada
Ángel Espada | |
---|---|
Statistics | |
Nickname(s) | Cholo |
Weight(s) | Welterweight |
Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
Nationality | Puerto Rico |
Born | Salinas, Puerto Rico | February 2, 1948
Stance | orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 59 |
Wins | 44 |
Wins by KO | 27 |
Losses | 11 |
Draws | 4 |
No contests | 0 |
Ángel Espada (born February 2, 1948) is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer. He was the WBA's world Welterweight champion in 1975-76.[1][2] A music lover, Espada also organized, during the late 1970s, a salsa orchestra.
Biography[]
Early career[]
Espada began his professional boxing career on March 11, 1967, with a defeat at the hands of future Antonio Cervantes world title challenger Josue Marquez, on a six-round decision, at San Juan. His next two fights were declared draws (ties). Both were against .
After another defeat and a draw (both against ), Espada got his first win. On April 1, 1968, he knocked out in the first round in San Juan. After one more win, he fought outside Puerto Rico for the first time, losing on points after six rounds to future Roberto Durán world title challenger , on September 27, 1969, at Los Angeles, California.
His next fight would be against , April 9, 1969 in San Juan. Hughes was disqualified for using illegal tactics during the fight, and this victory marked the beginning of a fifteen fight winning streak for Espada. On November 7 of 1970, the streak was stopped by , who beat him on points over ten rounds. Shortly after, Espada would beat former Emile Griffith world title challenger and lose to former world champion Eddie Perkins, both times, on points after ten rounds.
Between 1972 and 1975, Espada posted twelve wins in a row, including a victory over perennial world title challenger Armando Muniz, and a win in Panama. He was beaten by Luis Acosta in Caracas by decision in ten rounds to stop that winning streak, but he avenged the defeat against Acosta with a ten-round win over him in a rematch held in San Juan.
Champion[]
Espada became a world champion in a situation that could be described by some as bizarre: the undisputed world Welterweight champion of the era, José Nápoles, was to fight Carlos Monzón for the world's Middleweight title. The WBC kept recognizing Nápoles as their world Welterweight champion, but the WBA, feeling that Espada deserved a chance at Nápoles' crown, decided to strip Nápoles of the world championship because Nápoles went ahead as planned and fought Monzon. Thus, on June 28, 1975, Espada became the WBA's world Welterweight champion, and Puerto Rico's fourth world boxing champion in history, by outpointing the well known Canadian, Clyde Gray, over fifteen rounds in San Juan.
He retained the title with a fifteen-round decision over , and won a non-title fight with an eighth-round knockout over .
On July 17, 1976, Espada fought what would have been the start of a Mexican boxing tour. Espada, looking forward to meeting , was instead faced with a boxer who had a record of 16-5 and who was named José Cuevas. Cuevas lifted the WBA world Welterweight title away from Espada with a second-round knockout. [3] They would fight again twice, with Cuevas retaining the title by ten and eleven-round knockouts.
Retirement from the Ring[]
Towards the end of his career, Espada, realizing his best days as a boxer had probably passed him by, announced on the Vea magazine that he was putting together a salsa orchestra. The "Cholo Espada orchestra" had some success in Puerto Rico, appearing on television shows constantly during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Espada lost his last important fight, against Thomas Hearns, by a knockout in round four at the Joe Louis Arena, in Detroit, on March 2 of 1980. He then retired for a short period of time. Espada wanted to retire as a winner, however, and, after one year of inactivity, he made a one fight comeback, knocking out in four rounds, on December 10, 1981, in San Juan.
After retiring from boxing, Espada became a boxing trainer, and he has remained in that position ever since. Espada had a record of 44 wins, 11 losses and 3 draws, with 27 wins by knockout.
Professional boxing record[]
59 fights | 44 wins | 11 losses |
---|---|---|
By knockout | 27 | 4 |
By decision | 16 | 7 |
By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
Draws | 4 |
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
59 | Win | 44–11–4 | ![]() |
KO | 4 (?) | Dec 10, 1981 | ![]() |
|
58 | Loss | 43–11–4 | ![]() |
TKO | 4 (12) | Mar 2, 1980 | ![]() |
For vacant USBA welterweight title |
57 | Loss | 43–10–4 | ![]() |
TKO | 10 (15) | Dec 8, 1979 | ![]() |
For WBA welterweight title |
56 | Win | 43–9–4 | ![]() |
KO | 5 (?) | Jun 16, 1979 | ![]() |
|
55 | Win | 42–9–4 | ![]() |
KO | 9 (10) | Feb 18, 1979 | ![]() |
|
54 | Win | 41–9–4 | ![]() |
KO | 4 (10) | Oct 28, 1978 | ![]() |
|
53 | Win | 40–9–4 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) | Sep 9, 1978 | ![]() |
|
52 | Loss | 39–9–4 | ![]() |
RTD | 11 (15) | Nov 19, 1977 | ![]() |
For WBA welterweight title |
51 | Win | 39–8–4 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | Aug 27, 1977 | ![]() |
|
50 | Win | 38–8–4 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (?) | May 21, 1977 | ![]() |
|
49 | Win | 37–8–4 | ![]() |
KO | 4 (?) | Sep 10, 1976 | ![]() |
|
48 | Loss | 36–8–4 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (15) | Jul 17, 1976 | ![]() |
Lost WBA welterweight title |
47 | Win | 36–7–4 | ![]() |
TKO | 8 (10) | Apr 27, 1976 | ![]() |
|
46 | Win | 35–7–4 | ![]() |
UD | 15 | Oct 11, 1975 | ![]() |
Retained WBA welterweight title |
45 | Win | 34–7–4 | ![]() |
UD | 15 | Jun 28, 1975 | ![]() |
Won vacant WBA welterweight title |
44 | Win | 33–7–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Apr 12, 1975 | ![]() |
|
43 | Loss | 32–7–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Mar 15, 1975 | ![]() |
|
42 | Win | 32–6–4 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (?) | Nov 15, 1974 | ![]() |
|
41 | Win | 31–6–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Jul 29, 1974 | ![]() |
|
40 | Win | 30–6–4 | ![]() |
KO | 4 (10) | May 10, 1974 | ![]() |
|
39 | Win | 29–6–4 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) | Apr 15, 1974 | ![]() |
|
38 | Win | 28–6–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Nov 19, 1973 | ![]() |
|
37 | Win | 27–6–4 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (12) | Sep 8, 1973 | ![]() |
Won vacant WBA Fedelatin welterweight title |
36 | Win | 26–6–4 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | Jul 14, 1973 | ![]() |
|
35 | Win | 25–6–4 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | May 29, 1973 | ![]() |
|
34 | Win | 24–6–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Feb 15, 1973 | ![]() |
|
33 | Win | 23–6–4 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) | Jan 16, 1973 | ![]() |
|
32 | Win | 22–6–4 | ![]() |
KO | 9 (10) | Dec 12, 1972 | ![]() |
|
31 | Win | 21–6–4 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | Oct 24, 1972 | ![]() |
|
30 | Loss | 20–6–4 | ![]() |
SD | 10 | Jun 12, 1972 | ![]() |
|
29 | Loss | 20–5–4 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | Oct 19, 1971 | ![]() |
|
28 | Win | 20–4–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Aug 28, 1971 | ![]() |
|
27 | Win | 19–4–4 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (?) | Jul 10, 1971 | ![]() |
|
26 | Win | 18–4–4 | ![]() |
MD | 10 | Apr 12, 1971 | ![]() |
|
25 | Loss | 17–4–4 | ![]() |
MD | 10 | Nov 7, 1970 | ![]() |
|
24 | Win | 17–3–4 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (10) | Oct 10, 1970 | ![]() |
|
23 | Win | 16–3–4 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (?) | Aug 5, 1970 | ![]() |
|
22 | Win | 15–3–4 | ![]() |
KO | 6 (?) | May 10, 1970 | ![]() |
|
21 | Win | 14–3–4 | ![]() |
KO | 5 (?) | Mar 28, 1970 | ![]() |
|
20 | Win | 13–3–4 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) | Mar 21, 1970 | ![]() |
|
19 | Win | 12–3–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Feb 27, 1970 | ![]() |
|
18 | Win | 11–3–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Feb 7, 1970 | ![]() |
|
17 | Win | 10–3–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Dec 12, 1969 | ![]() |
|
16 | Win | 9–3–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Nov 2, 1969 | ![]() |
Exact date unknown |
15 | Win | 8–3–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Nov 1, 1969 | ![]() |
|
14 | Win | 7–3–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 8 | Sep 27, 1969 | ![]() |
|
13 | Win | 6–3–4 | ![]() |
KO | 4 (?) | Aug 2, 1969 | ![]() |
|
12 | Win | 5–3–4 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (8) | Jul 21, 1969 | ![]() |
|
11 | Win | 4–3–4 | ![]() |
TKO | 5 (8) | Jun 7, 1969 | ![]() |
|
10 | Win | 3–3–4 | ![]() |
DQ | 6 (?) | Apr 19, 1969 | ![]() |
|
9 | Loss | 2–3–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | Sep 27, 1968 | ![]() |
|
8 | Win | 2–2–4 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (?) | Apr 15, 1968 | ![]() |
|
7 | Win | 1��2–4 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (6) | Apr 1, 1968 | ![]() |
|
6 | Draw | 0–2–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | Jan 10, 1968 | ![]() |
|
5 | Loss | 0–2–3 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | Jul 10, 1967 | ![]() |
|
4 | Draw | 0–1–3 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | Jun 4, 1967 | ![]() |
|
3 | Draw | 0–1–2 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | Apr 8, 1967 | ![]() |
|
2 | Loss | 0–1–1 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | Feb 11, 1967 | ![]() |
|
1 | Draw | 0–0–1 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | Aug 20, 1966 | ![]() |
See also[]
References[]
- ^ http://www.factophile.com/show.content?action=view&pageid=816
- ^ Nat Fleischer and Sam Andre. An Illustrated History of Boxing. p. 281.
- ^ "Cuevas Scores KO in 2nd, Wins Welter Crown", Los Angeles Times, July 19, 1976, p. III-4
External links[]
- 1948 births
- Living people
- People from Salinas, Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rican musicians
- World boxing champions
- Puerto Rican male boxers
- Welterweight boxers
- Salsa musicians
- 20th-century Puerto Rican male singers