Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Kid Azteca: The Mexican Champion That Punched His Way Through Five Decades








Kid Azteca is one of Mexico’s legendary fighters. Azteca never won a world championship, but he was a top contender for the World welterweight title throughout most of the 1930s and 40s. He was one of Mexico’s earliest boxing stars, paving the way for the many great Mexican world champions who would take over many of the sport's lighter weight divisions from the 1950s onwards.

Born Luis Villanueva Paramo in Tepito, Distrito Federal, Mexico, Azteca’s birth date is generally given as being June 21, 1913, but some sources have placed his birth date as June 21, 1917, which would make him only 12 years old when he started his professional boxing career in 1929. Starting his career fighting under the name of ‘Kid Chino’ Azteca was a strong and fearless fighter, with a dynamite punch, that would score over 100 knockouts during his career. Some of the top names that Azteca fought, included fighters such as Battling Shaw, Tommy White, Eddie Cerda, Joe Glick, Eddie Frisco, Ceferino Garcia, Manuel Villa 1, Richie Mack, Young Peter Jackson, Baby Joe Gans, Cocoa Kid, Chief Parris, Fritzie Zivic, California Jackie Wilson, Charley Salas, and Sammy Angott.

Azteca won the Mexican Welterweight title on October 23, 1932, when he out-pointed David Velasco over 12 rounds. It was the beginning of a tremendous 16-year reign, which would see him defend the title successfully 11 times, before vacating it, undefeated champion, on March 1949. Azteca would try and regain his title 10 months later, on January 28, 1951, but was stopped in 10 rounds by El Conscripto. By this time, Azteca was in his late 30s and fading, yet he carried on fighting until 1961, going 28-2-2 in his last 32 contests, although against lesser opposition than he had fought in his prime.

Kid Azteca finally ended his career with a 1st round knockout of Alfonso Malacara, on February 3, 1961. Azteca ended his career having achieved the rare feat of fighting within 5 decades, and scoring over 100 knockouts, making him one of boxing’s most formidable punchers. Azteca’s final record was 192(114koes)-46-11. Kid Azteca died on March 16, 2002. 



Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

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