Luis Manuel RodrÃguez
Luis Manuel Rodríguez ( born June 17, 1937 in Camaguey, Cuba, † July 9, 1996 in Miami) was a Cuban boxer.
Career
Rodriguez 1956 professional in Cuba where he struck two times Benny "Kid" Paret. From 1959 he lived in Miami and trained with Angelo Dundee, his protégé Muhammad Ali later tried to copy his style of counter- boxing.
In December 1960, he was defeated for the first time just after points Emile Griffith. Overall, he was to meet four times on Griffith in his career. A few months later he also lost on points against the eventual champion Curtis Cokes.
On March 21, 1963 then succeeded him in the fight for the United Welterweight World Champion title a points victory over Griffith, however, it remained his only success against him, in a direct rematch, he had to give back the title to him. Also another title shot in the fourth and final encounter with Griffith on June 12, 1964, he could not use.
The middleweights Rubin Carter in 1965 he defeated twice. Also, Bennie Briscoe, another very well-known and powerful boxer in the middleweight division, he defeated 1967 twice. George Benton, Holley Mimms, Tom Bethea and Bobby Cassidy were other well-known opponents.
In 1969 he got a last World Cup chance, as he was allowed to fight in Italy against the defending champion Nino Benvenuti to the United middleweight title. He countered the counter- boxer first skillfully until he was hit with a single left hook KO.
1972 Rodriguez ended his career.
The " Ring Magazine " evaluate it "only" as the third- best Cuban professional boxer of all time (after Kid Chocolate and Kid Gavilan ), but as the best pure technician. 1997 was Rodriguez induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.