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
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