Alberto Davila
Encyclopedia
Albert "Alberto" Dávila is a Mexican-American boxer
who boxed during the 1970s and 1980s in the bantamweight
division. During parts of 1983 and 1984, he held the World Boxing Council
(WBC) championship. Dávila lost world bantamweight championships matches three times, and temporarily left the sport. After his return, he was given a fourth title fight, versus Kiko Bejines, in 1983. Trailing after 11 rounds, Dávila scored a knockout of Bejines to win the title, but Bejines died shortly afterward due to injuries suffered during the fight. Following one successful title defense, Dávila suffered back injuries, leading the WBC to strip him of his title. He later fought in two more world championship fights, losing both.
, Dávila took up boxing at the age of 12, and worked out daily at a boxing gym for six years. He graduated from Pomona Garey High School. In his professional debut, on March 1, 1973, Dávila defeated Carlos Villareal in a four-round bout decided on points. After 13 consecutive victories, he lost for the first time against Cecil Escobido in July 1974 by a split decision. Dávila boxed with many of the best boxers of the bantamweight division during the following years. He beat Lupe Pintor
by a 10-round decision in 1976, and lost to Wilfredo Gómez
by a knockout
in Puerto Rico
, the first fight in which he was knocked out. In 1978, Dávila challenged Carlos Zarate for the WBC's world title, losing by a knockout. Later that year, he fought for the World Boxing Association
championship against Panama's Jorge Lugan. The bout took place in the Louisiana Superdome
, and was part of the undercard for a world heavyweight championship fight between Muhammad Ali
and Leon Spinks
. The 15-round fight ended in a decision victory for Lugan. After Pintor beat Zarate for the WBC title, Dávila was given a second chance at that belt in a 1980 rematch with the Mexican
world champion, and lost by a 15-round decision. At one point, he retired from boxing for a time, working as a beer delivery man. Dávila was inactive for all of 1981, returning in early 1982 and going seven fights without a loss through April 1983.
, and most of it was described by Associated Press
sports writer Ken Peters as "uneventful". Bejines held a lead on two of the three judges' scorecards at the end of 11 rounds (the third had the fight even), and Dávila rushed out of his corner and attacked Bejines right away in round 12. With 25 seconds elapsed in the round, a right hand to Bejines' chin struck, followed by a pair of left hands and a right. Bejines fell to the floor and was counted out, giving Dávila the victory and WBC bantamweight championship. Unconscious after the fight, Bejines was airlifted to a nearby hospital and revealed to be in critical condition. He died as a result of his injuries. Dávila stayed at the medical center where Bejines was into the late night hours following the fight, and later said that he was "in mourning with (Bejines') family."
Enrique Sanchez
in Miami, in a fight held outdoors. The early rounds saw Sanchez take control of the contest; an eight-punch flurry by him in round two caused Dávila to stagger. However, the fight turned in round six, as rain fell onto the ring. Dávila scored a knockdown
near the end of round ten, and continued his attack on Sanchez at the start of the next round, earning a technical knockout to retain his title. After the fight, he compared to rain to "holy water", saying "It revived me. It was a miracle."
The WBC stated that Dávila would automatically give up his championship if he did not fight Pintor by August 15, 1984. A title defense was instead scheduled on September 14, 1984, versus Miguel Lora, but in a sparring
session two weeks before the fight date, Dávila injured his back. This led to a postponement. Later, he worsened his injury while doing yardwork, leading to a yearlong absence from fighting. As a result, his belt was stripped by the WBC.
and challenging Lora, but he lost a 12 round decision. He won a few fights after his loss to Lora, including a decision victory over Edel Geronimo in March 1987.
His next fight came three months later against Frankie Duarte
, whom he had knocked out in a 1977 bout. The North American Boxing Federation
(NABF) bantamweight championship was at stake, along with California's title in the division. Despite a left eye that had a cut over it, Dávila was leading on the judges' scorecards entering the 10th round. With 51 seconds left in the round, a doctor stopped the bout due to the cut, giving a technical knockout win to Duarte. Dávila filed an official protest, seeking to have the result overturned. He claimed that an accidental headbutt
during round four caused the cut; under the rules of the NABF, fights halted after three rounds went to a judges' decision. The protest was voted on in July by California's State Athletic Commission
; the voters deadlocked 3–3, leaving the result unchanged. In a bout held at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California
on November 3, 1987, against Mexico's Juan Estrada, Dávila suffered an accidental headbutt and was given the victory through a technical decision
.
The NABF bantamweight championship was later vacated by the federation due to Duarte's "inactivity". Dávila was matched against Gil Contreras for the belt in April 1988, with a second WBC title match against Lora promised to him if he won. After scoring an eighth-round knockdown of Contreras, Dávila narrowly won a unanimous decision; all three judges had him ahead by either one or two points. The rematch versus Lora was scheduled at the Great Western Forum for August 1. Dávila, nearly 34 at the time, was the oldest bantamweight championship participant. For the second time, Dávila lost to Lora by a judges' decision after 12 rounds. Following the fight, he announced his retirement. His final win–loss record has been given alternately as 55–10–1 and 56–10 with one no contest
.
columnist Jim Murray
called Dávila "a picture boxer", saying that he fought "with his brains instead of his face." Murray credited Dávila's style to his childhood gym experience, when he discovered that he could avoid being punched if his opponent made the first move. Scott Ostler, another Los Angeles Times columnist, wrote of Dávila, "There's nothing marketable about him, except for one thing. He can fight." However, Dávila did attempt to gain support from Latino fans by fighting as Alberto Dávila, rather than using his given name, Albert.
, lost to Julio César Chávez
in a decision he disagreed with; he believed that Kamau would not have been able to win a decision, regardless of the circumstances. He later said, "I thought to myself, I can't do this to a fighter. I can't betray him, so I got out. Dávila then worked in Irvine, California
, as a laborer. As of 2007, he resided in Upland
. Dávila got married around 1985; he had met his wife, Roberta, in high school. The couple has six children: three sons and daughters each. One of ther daughters, Alyssa, played soccer at the University of Southern California
, and was a member of the Trojans
' 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association
Women's Soccer Championship
-winning team.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
who boxed during the 1970s and 1980s in the bantamweight
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
division. During parts of 1983 and 1984, he held the World Boxing Council
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
(WBC) championship. Dávila lost world bantamweight championships matches three times, and temporarily left the sport. After his return, he was given a fourth title fight, versus Kiko Bejines, in 1983. Trailing after 11 rounds, Dávila scored a knockout of Bejines to win the title, but Bejines died shortly afterward due to injuries suffered during the fight. Following one successful title defense, Dávila suffered back injuries, leading the WBC to strip him of his title. He later fought in two more world championship fights, losing both.
Early life and career
Originally from Olion, Texas, and later Pomona, CaliforniaPomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
, Dávila took up boxing at the age of 12, and worked out daily at a boxing gym for six years. He graduated from Pomona Garey High School. In his professional debut, on March 1, 1973, Dávila defeated Carlos Villareal in a four-round bout decided on points. After 13 consecutive victories, he lost for the first time against Cecil Escobido in July 1974 by a split decision. Dávila boxed with many of the best boxers of the bantamweight division during the following years. He beat Lupe Pintor
Lupe Pintor
Jose Guadalupe Pintor Guzman , better known as Lupe Pintor, is a former world boxing champion from Cuajimalpa, Mexico. Nicknamed El Indio De Cuajimalpa or The Indian From Cuajimalpa, he started boxing professionally in 1974...
by a 10-round decision in 1976, and lost to Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez , sometimes referred to as Bazooka Gómez, is a former boxer and three time world champion.-Biography:...
by a knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, the first fight in which he was knocked out. In 1978, Dávila challenged Carlos Zarate for the WBC's world title, losing by a knockout. Later that year, he fought for the World Boxing Association
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
championship against Panama's Jorge Lugan. The bout took place in the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
, and was part of the undercard for a world heavyweight championship fight between Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
and Leon Spinks
Leon Spinks
Leon Spinks is a former American boxer. He had an overall record of 26 wins, 17 losses and 3 draws as a professional, with 14 knockout wins, and was the former World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association heavyweight champion of the world...
. The 15-round fight ended in a decision victory for Lugan. After Pintor beat Zarate for the WBC title, Dávila was given a second chance at that belt in a 1980 rematch with the Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
world champion, and lost by a 15-round decision. At one point, he retired from boxing for a time, working as a beer delivery man. Dávila was inactive for all of 1981, returning in early 1982 and going seven fights without a loss through April 1983.
Kiko Bejines fight
In March 1983, Pintor suffered a motorcycle accident and was forced into a lengthy absence, leaving the WBC bantamweight crown vacant. The WBC assigned its number one challenger, Dávila, to face its third-ranked fighter, Kiko Bejines, for the title. The fight was held in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, and most of it was described by Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
sports writer Ken Peters as "uneventful". Bejines held a lead on two of the three judges' scorecards at the end of 11 rounds (the third had the fight even), and Dávila rushed out of his corner and attacked Bejines right away in round 12. With 25 seconds elapsed in the round, a right hand to Bejines' chin struck, followed by a pair of left hands and a right. Bejines fell to the floor and was counted out, giving Dávila the victory and WBC bantamweight championship. Unconscious after the fight, Bejines was airlifted to a nearby hospital and revealed to be in critical condition. He died as a result of his injuries. Dávila stayed at the medical center where Bejines was into the late night hours following the fight, and later said that he was "in mourning with (Bejines') family."
WBC title reign
Dávila returned to the ring two months after the Bejines bout for a fight against Julio Rodrigues in which the WBC title was not at stake. In the summer of 1984, he defended the title against DominicanDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
Enrique Sanchez
Enrique Sánchez
Enrique José Sánchez León was a Mexican boxer in the Super Bantamweight division...
in Miami, in a fight held outdoors. The early rounds saw Sanchez take control of the contest; an eight-punch flurry by him in round two caused Dávila to stagger. However, the fight turned in round six, as rain fell onto the ring. Dávila scored a knockdown
Knockdown
Knockdown may refer to:*"Knockdown" , a song by Alesha Dixon* Knockdown, in full-contact combat sports, when a fighter is down or vulnerable, often preliminary to a knockout...
near the end of round ten, and continued his attack on Sanchez at the start of the next round, earning a technical knockout to retain his title. After the fight, he compared to rain to "holy water", saying "It revived me. It was a miracle."
The WBC stated that Dávila would automatically give up his championship if he did not fight Pintor by August 15, 1984. A title defense was instead scheduled on September 14, 1984, versus Miguel Lora, but in a sparring
Sparring
Sparring is a form of training common to many martial arts. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively 'free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to make injuries unlikely...
session two weeks before the fight date, Dávila injured his back. This led to a postponement. Later, he worsened his injury while doing yardwork, leading to a yearlong absence from fighting. As a result, his belt was stripped by the WBC.
Later career
In 1987, he attempted to become a world champion again by traveling to ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and challenging Lora, but he lost a 12 round decision. He won a few fights after his loss to Lora, including a decision victory over Edel Geronimo in March 1987.
His next fight came three months later against Frankie Duarte
Frankie Duarte
Frankie Duarte was an American boxer at Super Bantamweight.- Professional career :Frankie Duarte turned pro in 1993 and retired in 2010 after a decision loss to Casper....
, whom he had knocked out in a 1977 bout. The North American Boxing Federation
North American Boxing Federation
The North American Boxing Federation is a not-for-profit regional sanctioning body that awards regional boxing titles. It is a boxing federation within the World Boxing Council .-History:...
(NABF) bantamweight championship was at stake, along with California's title in the division. Despite a left eye that had a cut over it, Dávila was leading on the judges' scorecards entering the 10th round. With 51 seconds left in the round, a doctor stopped the bout due to the cut, giving a technical knockout win to Duarte. Dávila filed an official protest, seeking to have the result overturned. He claimed that an accidental headbutt
Headbutt
A headbutt is a strike with the head, typically involving the use of robust parts of the cranium as areas of impact. Effective headbutting revolves around striking a sensitive area with a less sensitive area, such as striking the nose of an opponent with the forehead...
during round four caused the cut; under the rules of the NABF, fights halted after three rounds went to a judges' decision. The protest was voted on in July by California's State Athletic Commission
California State Athletic Commission
The California State Athletic Commission regulates professional boxing, professional and amateur kickboxing and professional mixed martial arts throughout the State by licensing all participants and supervising the events....
; the voters deadlocked 3–3, leaving the result unchanged. In a bout held at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
on November 3, 1987, against Mexico's Juan Estrada, Dávila suffered an accidental headbutt and was given the victory through a technical decision
Technical decision
A technical decision is a term used in boxing when a fight has to be stopped because of a headbutt.In boxing fights, referees have to pay deep attention to the action going on between the fighters, especially when the two combatants are fighting close to each other...
.
The NABF bantamweight championship was later vacated by the federation due to Duarte's "inactivity". Dávila was matched against Gil Contreras for the belt in April 1988, with a second WBC title match against Lora promised to him if he won. After scoring an eighth-round knockdown of Contreras, Dávila narrowly won a unanimous decision; all three judges had him ahead by either one or two points. The rematch versus Lora was scheduled at the Great Western Forum for August 1. Dávila, nearly 34 at the time, was the oldest bantamweight championship participant. For the second time, Dávila lost to Lora by a judges' decision after 12 rounds. Following the fight, he announced his retirement. His final win–loss record has been given alternately as 55–10–1 and 56–10 with one no contest
No contest (boxing)
No contest is a technical term used in some combat sports to describe a fight that ends for reasons outside the fighters' hands.-Boxing:...
.
Fighting style
Dávila was not considered a powerful puncher during his career, with fewer than half his career wins coming by knockout. Instead, he was thought of as a strong technical boxer. Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
columnist Jim Murray
Jim Murray (sportswriter)
James Patrick Murray was an American sportswriter at the Los Angeles Times from 1961 to 1998.Many of his achievements include winning the NSSA's Sportswriter of the Year award an astounding fourteen times...
called Dávila "a picture boxer", saying that he fought "with his brains instead of his face." Murray credited Dávila's style to his childhood gym experience, when he discovered that he could avoid being punched if his opponent made the first move. Scott Ostler, another Los Angeles Times columnist, wrote of Dávila, "There's nothing marketable about him, except for one thing. He can fight." However, Dávila did attempt to gain support from Latino fans by fighting as Alberto Dávila, rather than using his given name, Albert.
Later life and personal life
Following his career as a boxer, Dávila began to work as a trainer. However, he quit in 1995 after one of the fighters he trained, David KamauDavid Kamau
David Nganga Kamau is a Kenyan professional boxer in the Light Middleweight division and has only had four losses.-WBC Light Welterweight Championship:...
, lost to Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer.He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world...
in a decision he disagreed with; he believed that Kamau would not have been able to win a decision, regardless of the circumstances. He later said, "I thought to myself, I can't do this to a fighter. I can't betray him, so I got out. Dávila then worked in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, as a laborer. As of 2007, he resided in Upland
Upland, California
Upland is a city in San Bernardino County, California, located at an elevation of 1,242 feet . As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 73,732, up from 68,393 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on May 15, 1906, after previously being named North Ontario.-History and culture:Upland...
. Dávila got married around 1985; he had met his wife, Roberta, in high school. The couple has six children: three sons and daughters each. One of ther daughters, Alyssa, played soccer at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, and was a member of the Trojans
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
' 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Women's Soccer Championship
NCAA Women's Soccer Championship
NCAA Women's Soccer Championships are divided into three divisions. This article lists NCAA Women's soccer championships.-Division I:The NCAA began conducting a Women's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1982 with a 12-team tournament...
-winning team.