Rodrigo Valdéz

Rodrigo Valdez (born 22 December 1946 in Cartagena ( Colombia) ) is a former, a Colombian professional boxer and former world middleweight champion of the WBA and WBC. The BoxRec database lists him as number 35 of the best middleweight boxers of all time, the Ring Magazine placed him among the top 30, beating the strongest boxer of all time.

His three fights against Bennie Briscoe and his two matches against Carlos Monzón, belong to the rivalry classics of the 1970s.

Boxing career

He began his professional career at the age of 16 years and played 44 of his 73 fights in his native Colombia. In his ninth fight on October 2, 1965 he suffered the first defeat of his career; he lost by technical whacked in round 6 against the undefeated Juan Escobar. However, this remained the only, premature loss of his career. On April 2, 1967, he achieved a draw against Mario Rossito ( 45-9-5 ) and on 21 January 1968 Another draw against German Gastelbondo ( 33-7-5 ). His hitherto strongest opponent was defeated Eugenio Espinoza ( 51-5-4 ), whom he defeated on 5 March 1967 by points victory.

On February 16, 1969, he fought for the first time outside his home. He boxed in neighboring Ecuador against Daniel guanine ( 33-6-3 ) and thereby suffered his first defeat on points. Until then, he had won 22 of his 25 fights, 10 by knockout. On 6 August 1969, he boxed for the first time in the United States and won in Las Vegas by unanimous decision against Peter Cobblah. Also his next five fights in the U.S., he was able to win early, but in 1970 he suffered two more defeats points at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

His next 17 fights he won, including 14 by knockout. He also boxed for the first time in France. By 1973 he had indeed developed a remarkable fight record, but still boxed against niemandenen world-class, what he long denied a title shot. However, he had defeated several national champions from lower weight classes. On September 1, 1973, he finally won his first title in New Caledonia; he was by points victory against the hard-hitting Bennie Briscoe, North American champion at middleweight. On December 14, 1973, he defeated multiple Canadian champion Joey Durelle by Ko in Round 2

Since the Argentine Carlos Monzón prepared to win the WBA champion title and would incur no obligation title defense of his WBC champion belt, he was deprived of this and so vacant. Rodrigo Valdez and Bennie Briscoe were then chosen by the WBC to fight to the title. The battle was fought on May 25, 1974 in Monte Carlo. Valdez won the fight by technical knockout surprising in round 7 and added premature Briscoe thus its only defeat in 96 professional fights to. Valdez had thus established itself in the world elite of the middleweight and defended his world title then against the French champions and eventual winners Gratien Tonna, as well as against Ramón Méndez, Rudy Robles and Nessim Cohen, said he had to go through the full number only Robles.

Furthermore, as the number one middleweight, but was WBA champion Carlos Monzón, who had suffered no defeat for over eleven years. His fight record stood at 85 wins ( 59 by knockout ), three points defeats and nine draws. On 26 June 1976, the two met each other in Monte Carlo in a title unification fight. At that time, the WBA and WBC, the only two recognized world organizations in professional boxing, which gave the battle a prestigious dimension. Five days before the fight brother of Valdez was killed, which left its mark on this. So he was in the fight as very active and went on lap 14 to the ground. After the full 15 rounds Carlos Monzón was declared a unanimous points winner and united again as the world title of both associations.

On July 30, 1977, came to a rematch in Monte Carlo, the Monzón again won by unanimous decision. However Valdez in round 2 managed a precipitate, as the first and only one in Monzóns career. Then Monzón retired from boxing, where his two world title became vacant again.

On November 5, 1977, Valdez was finally able to secure the world title of the WBA and WBC after he again Bennie Briscoe was defeated by unanimous points victory in Italy. But in his first title defense, he lost his title by points defeat to Hugo Pastor Corro. In the rematch on 11 November the same year, he was beaten on points. In November 1980, he finished his career.