Ben Villaflor facts for kids

Benjamin Villaflor (born November 10, 1952) is a famous Filipino former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1966 to 1976. Ben 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: A Boxer's Early Days

Ben Villaflor started his professional boxing career very young. He was only thirteen years old when he had his first fight. This was on October 1, 1966. He won that first fight against Flash Javier.

In his early career, Ben won twelve fights in a row. Eight of these wins were by knockout. His first loss was against Roger Boy Pedrano in July 1967. After winning his next fight, he faced Pedrano again and lost.

Ben had his first officially recorded fight on February 1, 1968, in Manila. This fight ended in a technical draw (a tie) after four rounds. Ben had seven draws in his career, which is quite a lot for a boxer.

Moving to the World Stage

For a while, Ben only fought in the Philippines. This made it hard for him to become well-known around the world. In 1970, he lost two fights in a row.

But then, Ben won his next seventeen fights! Eleven of these were by knockout. To get more attention, he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. He liked Honolulu so much that he still lives there today. His first fight outside the Philippines was in Honolulu on April 13, 1971. He won by knockout in the first round. He also beat former world champion Raul Cruz by knockout in November 1971.

Becoming a World Champion

On April 25, 1972, Ben Villaflor got his first chance to fight for a world title. He faced Alfredo Marcano from Venezuela. Ben won the fight by a decision after fifteen rounds. This made him the WBA and The Ring Jr. Lightweight world champion!

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

Losing and Winning Back the Title

On March 12, 1973, Ben lost his world title for the first time. He was beaten by Japan's Kuniaki Shibata in Honolulu. But Ben didn't give up! After two more knockout wins, he had a rematch with Shibata. On October 17, 1973, also in Honolulu, Ben won back his WBA world Jr. Lightweight championship with a first-round knockout!

More Title Defenses and Challenges

Ben then had a big fight against Apollo Yoshio from Japan on March 14, 1974. This fight ended in a fifteen-round draw. After another win, Ben fought future world champion Yasutsune Uehara in Honolulu. Ben knocked out Uehara in the second round.

Ben then fought in the mainland United States for the first time. He had a technical draw with Ray Lunny III. The fight ended early because Ben got a cut on his head from a headbutt.

Ben defended his title two more times. Then, on April 13, 1976, he fought Samuel Serrano for the first time. This fight in Honolulu ended in a controversial draw. Because of the controversy, the WBA ordered an immediate rematch.

Final Fight and Life After Boxing

After winning another non-title fight, Ben traveled to Puerto Rico for the rematch with Samuel Serrano. The fight took place on November 16, 1976, in San Juan. Serrano won the fight by decision after fifteen rounds. This was Ben Villaflor's last professional boxing match.

Today, Ben Villaflor helps manage the careers of other boxers. He also works as the Sergeant At Arms for the Hawaii State Senate. This is a special job he is chosen for each year.

Ben Villaflor's Boxing Record Summary

See also

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