Vicente Saldivar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vicente Saldívar |
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Saldivar after the bout with Raul Rojas in 1965
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Vicente Samuel Saldívar García |
| Nickname(s) | Zurdo de Oro |
| Rated at | Featherweight Super featherweight Lightweight |
| Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) |
| Reach | 1.70 m (67 in) |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Born | March 5, 1943 Mexico City, Mexico |
| Died | July 18, 1985 (aged 42) |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 40 |
| Wins | 37 |
| Wins by KO | 26 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
Vicente Samuel Saldívar García (born May 3, 1943, died July 18, 1985) was a famous professional boxer from Mexico. He was a champion in the Featherweight division, winning titles from the WBC and the WBA. Many boxing experts consider him one of the best featherweight boxers ever.
He holds records for the most wins and longest time as a unified featherweight champion. Vicente Saldívar once fought in front of 90,000 people at Estadio Azteca. This was one of the biggest crowds ever for a boxing match. He is also known as one of the finest left-handed boxers of all time.
Contents
Early Life and Childhood
Vicente Saldívar grew up in a poor part of Mexico City. He was one of seven children in his family. He often got into fights at school and on the streets. His father saw this energy and thought boxing would be a good way to use it. His father loved boxing, like many people in Mexico, so it made sense for Vicente to try it. He learned to box from Jose Moreno, an experienced trainer at a gym in Mexico City.
Saldívar's Unique Fighting Style
Vicente was a southpaw, meaning he fought with his left hand forward. He was a very exciting boxer to watch. He could either box carefully or fight aggressively. He often tired out his opponents by hitting their bodies hard. One of his best strengths was his amazing stamina. He won seven of his fights by knockout after the 7th round. Saldívar had a very slow heart rate and pulse. He believed this was his secret to keeping up such a fast pace in the ring.
Amateur Boxing Career
Saldívar had a very successful amateur boxing career. He won a Mexican Golden Gloves title in the bantamweight division. When he was seventeen, he joined the 1960 Olympic team. However, he was knocked out in his first fight by Ernst Chervet.
Professional Boxing Journey
Saldívar became a professional boxer in 1961. He won the Mexican featherweight title on February 8, 1964. He knocked out Juan Ramírez in the second round to win this title. His first big victory came on June 1, 1964. He defeated Ismael Laguna, who later became a lightweight champion. Before fighting for a world title, Saldívar had a record of 25 wins and only 1 loss. He later got revenge for that one loss by knocking out the opponent.
Winning the Featherweight Championships
On September 26, 1964, Saldívar won the WBA and WBC Featherweight titles. He surprised many by defeating fellow Mexican boxer Sugar Ramos. He won by knockout in the 11th round after a very tough fight. His first time as champion lasted three years. During this time, Saldívar successfully defended his title eight times. A highlight of this period was his three fights against Howard Winstone.
In his first title defense, he beat future champion Raul Rojas. On September 7, 1965, he defeated Winstone for the first time. He won by decision after 15 rounds. After that win, he knocked out Floyd Robertson in the second round. He then beat Mitsunori Seki in two fights in a row. On June 15, 1967, Saldívar defeated Winstone again by decision. Their second fight was named one of the 100 greatest title fights of all time by Ring magazine. In their final fight, he knocked out Winstone in the 12th round. Saldívar announced his retirement after this fight in October 1967.
Coming Back to the Ring
After being away from boxing for 21 months, Saldívar returned on July 18, 1969. He won a 10-round decision against José Legra, another former featherweight champion. Then, on May 9, 1970, he won back the featherweight title. He beat Johnny Famechon by a 15-round decision. However, this time as champion did not last long. Saldívar lost the title seven months later to Kuniaki Shibata.
Retirement and Final Comeback
He fought one more time before retiring again in 1971. But the desire to box was too strong. He returned at age 30 after more than two years away. He tried for another title on October 21, 1973. His opponent was Éder Jofre, who was 37 years old. Jofre had also come out of retirement to win the featherweight title. Saldívar's boxing skills were not as sharp as they used to be. Jofre won the fight by knockout in the fourth round in Brazil. After this fight, Saldívar retired from boxing for good.
Death
Vicente Saldívar died of cancer on July 18, 1985. He was only 42 years old. In 1999, he was honored by being added to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Images for kids
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Saldivar after the bout with Raul Rojas in 1965
