The Boxing History Blog

Jose Napoles  After making six successful defences of his undisputed welterweight crown, Jose Napoles stepped up to middleweight to take on the reigning WBA and WBC champion Carlos Monzon at the Puteaux, Hauts-de-Seine, France on 9th February 1974. The champion was making the ninth defence of the championship he won off Nino Benvenuti in November 1970, in what was Ring Magazine ’s fight of the year.   . Monzon was born on 7th August 1942 in Santa Fe, founded in 1573 and located in the northeast corner of Argentina . The handsome South American was one of twelve children and grew up in the slums of San Javier, a city in the province where he was born. At six years old he started to deliver milk, shine shoes, and sell newspapers to make money and by his early teens began boxing at a local gym. His trainer, Amilcar Brusa , described Monzon as “a skinny kid with rage in his eyes.” In the ring, Monzon was cold, grim, expressionless and his personality understated, outside of i...

Jose Napoles   At the end of July 1971, eight weeks after regaining the undisputed welterweight title from Billy Backus, Jose Napoles returned to Mexico and stopped Puerto Rico’s David Melendez with a fifth-round TKO in a non-title bout. Twenty-three days later he kayoed Frenchman Jean Josselin in another non-title fight again in round five. On 16th October 1971 he featured in his third non-title contest, outsourcing Argentina’s Esteban Osuna over ten rounds. Napoles made the first defence of his second tenure as WBA and WBC champion on 14th December 1971, taking on America’s Hedgemon Lewis at the Forum, Inglewood, California, sharing top billing with undisputed bantamweight champion Ruben Olivares, who stopped Jesus Pimental with an eleventh round retirement.   Hedgemon Lewis started boxing aged twelve at the Northern Recreation Center, Detroit, Michigan. As an amateur he won the Detroit Diamond Belt in 1963. The following year he became the National Golden Gloves lightwei...