Rodrigo Valdez

Rodrigo Valdez (born December 22, 1946) is a former boxer from Colombia who was a two time world Middleweight champion and whose rivalry with Carlos Monzon has long been considered among the most legendary boxing rivalries. Valdez was trained by International Boxing Hall of Fame coach Gyl Clancy. Many in Colombia consider him and Antonio Cervantes to be the two greatest boxers ever to come from that country.

Related Topics:
December 22 - 1946 - Boxer - Colombia - Carlos Monzon - Boxing rivalries - International Boxing Hall of Fame - Gyl Clancy - Antonio Cervantes

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Rodrigo Valdez began his professional boxing career with a win over Orlando Pineda by a four round decision on October 25, 1963, at Cartagena. He won his next eight bouts, but on October 2, 1965, he lost his undefeated record, beaten by knockout in six by Rudy Escobar.

Related Topics:
Orlando Pineda - October 25 - 1963 - Cartagena - October 2 - 1965 - Knockout - Rudy Escobar

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After that defeat, he went on another undefeated streak of fifteen fights, of which he won thirteen and drew (tied) two. However, on his first fight abroad, February 16 of 1969 in Ecuador, he lost by a ten round decision to Daniel Guanin. After one more fight in Cartagena, he moved to the United States. Trying to gain more recognition, he campaigned, from 1969 to 1970, in the states of New York, Nevada and California, winning seven fights and losing two. Then, he returned to South America for four more fights in his homeland, winning all.

Related Topics:
February 16 - 1969 - Ecuador - Daniel Guanin - United States - 1970 - New York - Nevada - California - South America

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Something unexpected happened during his next match, held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City. When matched with Bobby Cassidy on August 9, 1971, Valdez won by knockout in round six, because the fight doctor deemed Cassidy not fit to continue from a cut around his eye which had been ruled as produced by a Valdez punch. What nobody knew at the time, was that Cassidy had Hepatitis. As a consequence of this, Valdez also became affected by the disease. Given a quarantine, he refused to quit boxing periodically and continued training during his time of illness. Separated from most of the world, he was fit enough to win two more fights within three months of his initial diagnose of Hepatitis.

Related Topics:
Madison Square Garden - New York City - Bobby Cassidy - August 9 - 1971 - Hepatitis

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Valdez had nineteen wins in a row when he met Philadelphia legend Bennie Briscoe for the NABF middleweight title, in Noumea, New Caledonia, on September 1, 1973, beating Briscoe by a twelve round decision to capture the regional championship and allowing Valdez to become a world ranked Middleweight contender. After this win, Valdez claimed for a world title shot at Monzon.

Related Topics:
Philadelphia - Bennie Briscoe - Noumea - New Caledonia - September 1 - 1973

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He won two more fights, and the WBC made him their number one contender at Monzon's title. But Monzon did not feel like fighting the Colombian at that moment, so the WBC stripped Monzon of the world title (Monzon kept being world champion with the WBA) and made Valdez and Briscoe rematch, this time with the WBC world Middleweight title on the line. And so, on May 25, 1974, at Monte Carlo, Valdez became a world champion for the first time, by knocking Briscoe out in seven rounds. Valdez subsequently retained his title against Rudy Valdez, Gratien Tonna and Max Cohen, until Monzon finally agreed to meet him.

Related Topics:
WBC - WBA - May 25 - 1974 - Monte Carlo - Rudy Valdez - Gratien Tonna - Max Cohen

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One week before the longly awaited match-up, on June 19, 1976, Valdez's brother was murdered during a bar room fight back in Colombia. Already in Monte Carlo for the fight, Valdez wanted to pull out of it to join his family in that moment of mourning. But he was contractually obliged to fight Monzon, so he had to stay in Europe, and so, on June 26, Valdez, who to many observers seemed rather uninterested, lost in the unification bout to Monzon by a fifteen round unanimous decision. Valdez won two more fights after returning to Colombia.

Related Topics:
June 19 - 1976 - Europe - June 26

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The WBA and WBC, recognizing that Valdez probably wasn't in the best of moods to fight during his first confrontation with Monzon, ordered a second fight between the archenemies, and so they fought again, on July 30, 1977, once again at Monte Carlo. This time around, Valdez knocked down Monzon in the second round, becoming only the second man to send the Argentine to the floor in Monzon's long career. Valdez was leading after seven rounds, but Monzon mounted a late rally that allowed him to keep the title by a close decision.

Related Topics:
July 30 - 1977

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Monzon announced his retirement from boxing afterwards, and so Valdez and Briscoe were matched once again, on November 5 of 1977, for the vacant undisputed world Middleweight championship, in Campione d' italia, which belonged back then not to Italy, but actually to Switzerland. Valdez recovered the world Middleweight championship, with a fifteen round decision of Briscoe. This time around, however, he would lose his title on his first defense, on April 22 of 1978, by points in fifteen rounds to another Argentine, Hugo Corro, in San Remo, Italy.

Related Topics:
November 5 - Campione d' italia - Italy - Switzerland - April 22 - 1978 - Hugo Corro - San Remo

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In November 11 of that same year, they had a rematch, at Buenos Aires' Luna Park Stadium, and Corro repeated his fifteen round victory to retain the world title.

Related Topics:
November 11 - Buenos Aires - Luna Park Stadium

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Valdez fought only twice more, winning both fights by knockout. After beating Gilberto Amonte on November 28, 1980, in the first round, he retired from boxing for good.

Related Topics:
Gilberto Amonte - November 28 - 1980

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Valdez had a record of 63 wins, 8 losses and 2 draws as a professional boxer, with 42 wins by knockout.

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