Rocky Valdez

Biography

Rocky Valdez was a Colombian boxer, two-time world middleweight champion. He was born in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia on December 22, 1946, and died on March 14, 2017. Rodrigo Valdez began his career with a victory over Orlando Pineda by decision in a 4-round fight on October 25, 1963 in Cartagena. Later he won the next eight fights and on October 2, 1965 he lost by knockout in a fight against Rudy Escobar.

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After the defeat, he maintained a record of 13 victories 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, managing to win seven fights and drawing two.

In his next match, which took place at Madison Square Garden in New York against Bobby Cassidy on August 9, 1971, Valdez won by knockout in the sixth round when the doctor decided that Cassidy could not continue due to a cut around the eye caused by a blow from Valdez. At that time nobody knew that Cassidy had hepatitis A. As a consequence of this, 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.

Valdez had consecutive victories until the match with Bennie Briscoe for the North American Boxing Federation middleweight title in Nouméa, New Caledonia, on September 1, 1973. He defeated Briscoe by decision in a 12-round fight which allowed him to become a contender for the world title held by Carlos Monzón.

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Valdez won two fights before the World Boxing Council set him as Monzón’s opponent, who did not accept the fight, which led him to lose the title, although he retained that of the World Boxing Association. Valdez and Briscoe met again to fight for the world middleweight title of the World Boxing Council on May 25, 1974 in Monte Carlo, which Valdez won by knockout in the seventh round. 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 fight in a bar 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 was contractually obliged to fight Monzón, so he remained in Europe and on June 26 Valdez lost the unification of the title by unanimous decision in a 15-round fight. Later Valdez won two fights before returning to Colombia.

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

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Monzón announced his retirement from boxing shortly after, which led to the title being vacant. On November 5, 1977 Valdez and Briscoe met again fighting for the world middleweight title in Campione d’Italia. Valdez regained the title by decision in 15 rounds. In his first defense on April 22, 1978 he lost it 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 victory in fifteen rounds retaining the title.

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

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

Tributes to Rocky Valdez

Sculpture in the Espíritu del Manglar park in Cartagena in honor of Rocky Valdez.

Coliseo Multifuncional – Unidad Deportiva Rocky Valdez

“Ídolo” song by Los Inéditos in homage to Rocky Valdez.