Rocky Valdez

PROFILE

Full name: Rodrigo Valdez

Nickname: Rocky Valdez

Place of birth: Cartagena de Indias, Colombia

Birthdate: December 22, 1946

Date of death: March 14, 2017

BIOGRAPHY

Rocky Valdez fue un boxeador colombiano, dos veces campeón mundial de los pesos medianos. Nació en Cartagena de Indias, Colombia el 22 de diciembre de 1946, y falleció el 14 de marzo de 2017, Rodrigo Valdez comenzó su carrera con una victoria sobre Orlando Pineda por decisión en un combate a 4 asaltos el 25 de octubre de 1963 en Cartagena. Posteriormente ganó los ocho siguientes combates y el 2 de octubre de 1965 perdió por nocaut en un combate contra Rudy Escobar.

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After the defeat, he maintained a record of 13 wins and two draws in fifteen fights. However, in his first international fight on February 16, 1969 in Ecuador, he lost by decision against Daniel Guanin. After this defeat he moved to the United States and between 1969 and 1970 he appeared in rings in New York, Nevada and California, winning seven fights and drawing two.

In his next bout, which took place at New York's Madison Square Garden against Bobby Cassidy on August 9, 1971, Valdez won by sixth-round knockout when the doctor decided that Cassidy could not continue due to a cut around his eye. produced by a blow from Valdez. At that time, no one knew that Cassidy had hepatitis A. As a result, Valdez contracted the disease and went into quarantine during which he did not stop training, which allowed him to win two more fights, three months after being diagnosed with the disease. disease.

Valdez had consecutive victories until reaching the meeting with Bennie Briscoe for the middleweight title of the North American Boxing Federation in Noumea, New Caledonia, on September 1, 1973. He won Briscoe by decision in a 12-round bout. which allowed him to become a contender for the world title in the hands of Carlos Monzón.

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Valdez won two matches before the World Boxing Council named him as Monzón's opponent, who did not accept the fight, which led him to lose the title, although he retained the World Boxing Association title. Valdez and Briscoe met again to fight for the World Boxing Council middleweight world title on May 25, 1974 in Monte Carlo, which Valdez won by seventh-round knockout. He later defended the title against Rudy Valdez, Ramón Méndez, Gratien Tonna and Max Cohen until Monzón finally agreed to fight him.

A week before the match, on June 19, 1976, Valdez's brother was murdered during a bar fight in Colombia. Valdez, who was already in Monte Carlo, tried to withdraw from the fight to return to his country and accompany his family, but he was contractually obligated to fight Monzón, so he remained in Europe and on June 26, Valdez lost the title unification by decision. unanimous in a 15-round fight. Valdez later won two matches before returning to Colombia.

The Association and the Council considered holding a second fight between Valdez and Monzón, which took place on July 30, 1977, again in Monte Carlo. On this occasion Valdez took Monzón to the canvas in the second round, becoming the first man capable of sending the Argentine to the ground in his entire career. Valdez led after seven rounds, but Monzón overcame and managed to keep the title by decision.

Monzón announced his retirement from boxing shortly after, which led to the title being vacated. On November 5, 1977, Valdez and Briscoe met again fighting for the world middleweight title in Campione d'Italia. Valdez regained the title via 15-round decision. In his first defense on April 22, 1978 he lost against the Argentine Hugo Corro in San Remo, Italy.

On November 11 of the same year they met again at the Luna Park stadium in Buenos Aires where Corro repeated his fifteen-round victory, retaining the title.

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Valdez had two more fights, both of which he won and retired after defeating Gilberto Amonte on November 28, 1980 in the first round.

Valdez has a record of 63 wins (42 of them by knockout), 8 losses and two draws. He was ranked 29th in Ring Magazine's ranking of the 100 greatest punchers of all time.

TRIBUTES TO ROCKY VALDEZ

Sculpture in the Cartagena mangrove spirit park in honor of Rocky Valdez.

GALLERY