Ben Villaflor facts for kids

Benjamin Villaflor (born November 10, 1952) is a former professional boxer from the Philippines. He was a two-time world champion in the super-featherweight division. He held titles from the WBA and The Ring magazine between 1972 and 1976.

Ben Villaflor's Boxing Journey

Starting Young

Ben Villaflor started his professional boxing career very young. Records show he began fighting on October 1, 1966, when he was just thirteen years old! He won his first fight against Flash Javier. Many details from his early fights are not well recorded.

Ben won his first twelve fights, with eight knockouts. A knockout (KO) happens when a boxer is hit so hard they can't continue. His first loss was against Roger Boy Pedrano in July 1967. Ben had seven draws (ties) in his career, which is quite a lot for a boxer.

At first, Ben only fought in the Philippines. This made it hard for him to become famous in other countries. In the early 1970s, he lost two fights in a row.

Becoming a World Champion

After those losses, Ben Villaflor went on an amazing winning streak! He won his next seventeen fights, with eleven of them by knockout. To get more attention, he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, in the United States. He liked Honolulu so much that he still lives there today!

His first fight outside the Philippines was in Honolulu in April 1971. He won by knockout in the first round. He also beat former world champion Raul Cruz in November 1971.

On April 25, 1972, Ben got his first chance to fight for a world title. He faced Alfredo Marcano from Venezuela. Ben won the fight after fifteen rounds, becoming the WBA and Lineal Jr. Lightweight (now called super-featherweight) world champion!

Defending His Titles

After winning his title, Ben fought in some non-title matches. He also defended his title against Victor Echegaray, which ended in a draw.

In March 1973, Ben lost his title for the first time to Japan's Kuniaki Shibata. But Ben didn't give up! After winning two more fights by knockout, he had a rematch with Shibata in October 1973. Ben won back his WBA world Jr. Lightweight championship with a first-round knockout!

He continued to defend his title. In March 1974, he fought Apollo Yoshio to a draw in Japan. Later that year, he knocked out future world champion Yasutsune Uehara in the second round. Ben also fought in the mainland United States for the first time in November 1974. That fight ended in a technical draw because of a cut on his head.

Ben Villaflor defended his title two more times. His last two professional fights were against Samuel Serrano. Their first fight in April 1976 was a controversial draw. The WBA ordered a rematch. Ben traveled to Puerto Rico for the second fight in November 1976. Serrano won that fight, and it was Ben Villaflor's last professional boxing match.

Life After Boxing

After retiring from boxing, Ben Villaflor stayed involved in the sport. He now helps manage the careers of other boxers. He also holds a special position as the Sergeant At Arms for the Hawaii State Senate. This means he helps keep order and security for the Senate.

Professional boxing record

Ben Villaflor had a long and successful career. He fought a total of 68 professional matches. He won 54 of them, with 31 victories coming by knockout. He lost only 6 fights and had 6 draws.

See also

• List of super featherweight boxing champions
• List of WBA world champions