Carlos Palomino
Encyclopedia
Carlos Palomino a retired Mexican
professional boxer
. Palomino is a former WBC
Welterweight
Champion and member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame
. Palomino is also an actor
who has been featured in several television shows and films. He achieved a considerable amount of fame during the 1970s, especially among Mexican
and Southern California
fans.
Palomino was discharged from the Army later that year and enrolled at Orange Coast College
and later Long Beach State, where he obtained a degree.
) in 1973.
In 1974, Palomino went through an increment in quality of opposition. He won six fights and lost one. He beat David Arellano
twice, by a decision in ten and by knockout in nine, as well as Tommy Howard, by decision in ten, but he lost to Andy Price
, who was a title contender at the time, by decision in ten in San Diego
.
In 1975, he won four fights, and drew in two. He and Zovek Baraja had two bouts that year, the first one resulting in a ten round draw and the second one being a nine round knockout win for Palomino. He also drew with Hedgemon Lewis
.
world Welterweight champion John H. Stracey
, a British boxing teacher who had dethroned José Nápoles
as world champion. Palomino became a world champion on the night of June 22 of that year at Wembley Arena
, after Stracey eventually succumbed to a blistering body attack and was put on the canvas twice from left hooks to the liver. Many Mexicans who viewed Nápoles, a Cuba
n born resident of Mexico, as another countryman, saw this as a revenge from Stracey.
He waited six months for his next fight, against another very popular boxer of Mexican background: cross-town rival Armando Muñíz
. This was a fight that had many fans guessing who'd win it for months before it happened, but it also made history in the boxing books: When Palomino and Muñíz met, on January 21 of 1977, it was the first time in boxing history two college graduates met for a world title. Palomino earned a degree in recreation administration from Long Beach State, while Muniz had graduated from Cal State Los Angeles, where he majored in Spanish and minored in math, and was working toward a graduate degree in administration. Palomino and Muniz (now a high school teacher in California) fought what the book The Ring: Boxing in the 20th. Century has described as one of the best fights of 1977. After 14 rounds, all three judges had the fight tied on their scorecards, but Palomino scored two knockdowns in the fifteenth and final round and he retained the world title by a knockout in that final round. A return to London resulted in an 11th round knockout victory over Dave Boy Green
, after which he defended against Everaldo Acosta Azevedo and Jose Palacios, Azevedo being defeated by decision in fifteen and Palacios by knockout in thirteen.
In 1978, he defended his crown with a win over Ryu Sorimachi by a knockout in seven, a knockout in nine over Mimoun Mohatar, and a decision in fifteen in his long awaited rematch with Muniz.
His championship run ended in 1979, when he traveled to Puerto Rico
, where he was defeated on January 13 by hometown boxer Wilfred Benítez
via a controversial fifteen round split decision.
on June 22 of that year at Madison Square Gardens, in another nationally televised bout, as part of the Larry Holmes
–Mike Weaver world Heavyweight championship bout's undercard. Palomino lost to Duran by decision in ten rounds, and he announced his retirement from boxing right away.
by a knockout in round nine. He won four fights that year. including one over former world champion Rene Arredondo
, but when he lost by decision in ten to former Oscar De La Hoya
world title challenger Wilfredo Rivera on May 30 of 1998, he decided to retire for good, and has stayed in retirement ever since.
beer, signed Palomino as a spokesman as part of a television commercial campaign that also included Walt Frazier
and many other noted athletes. Palomino not only was able to keep in the public's eye as a consequence of this, but he discovered that he enjoyed acting as well, and, because of that, he decided to launch a career as an actor.
On March 14, 1980, his younger brother, Paul Palomino, was killed in the crash of LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007
as a member of the U.S. boxing team on its way to Poland for a competition. He participated in a number of movies and television series, before deciding to launch a boxing comeback at the age of 48, in 1997.
Palomino was elected as chairman of the California State Athletic Commission, where he performed for a few years. He is now involved in charity work, most notably Tony Baltazar
's charity organization, and he travels around the United States to attend charity events and do autograph
shows.
on January 8, 2004. He was inducted on June 13.
On December 19, 2008 his wife Daliene Ingram was featured in an episode of Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?, and he was given recognition.
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....
professional boxer
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...
. Palomino is a former WBC
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...
Welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
Champion and member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
. Palomino is also an actor
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
who has been featured in several television shows and films. He achieved a considerable amount of fame during the 1970s, especially among 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....
and Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
fans.
Early life
He moved to Los Angeles, California from his native Mexico when he was eight years old.Amateur boxing career
Palomino was an All-U.S. Army champion in 1971 and 1972. As an amateur, Palomino won the 1972 National AAU Light Welterweight Champion at 137 lb., defeating eventual Olympic gold medalist Ray Seales.Palomino was discharged from the Army later that year and enrolled at Orange Coast College
Orange Coast College
Orange Coast College is a community college in Orange County, California. It was founded in 1947, with its first classes opening in the fall of 1948. It provides two-year associate of art and science degrees, certificates of achievement, and lower-division classes transferable to other colleges...
and later Long Beach State, where he obtained a degree.
Professional boxing career
In 1972, his name was becoming better known in California. This was likely caused by the number of his fights taking place there. He won five fights (one by knockoutKnockout
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 1973.
In 1974, Palomino went through an increment in quality of opposition. He won six fights and lost one. He beat David Arellano
David Arellano
David Alfonso Arellano Moraga was a Chilean footballer. He is credited as a founding member of the Colo Colo football club.- Career :...
twice, by a decision in ten and by knockout in nine, as well as Tommy Howard, by decision in ten, but he lost to Andy Price
Andy Price
Andy Price is a British television and film composer. He has scored over fifty films for television and over twenty-five productions for theatres around the country, including the Bristol Old Vic, National Youth Theatre and the RSC....
, who was a title contender at the time, by decision in ten in San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
.
In 1975, he won four fights, and drew in two. He and Zovek Baraja had two bouts that year, the first one resulting in a ten round draw and the second one being a nine round knockout win for Palomino. He also drew with Hedgemon Lewis
Hedgemon Lewis
Hedgemon Lewis is a former American professional boxer and trainer. Lewis began boxing at the age of 12, out of the Northern Recreation Center in Detroit. As a young, aspiring fighter he boxed as part of the same camp as renowned coach Emmanuel Steward...
.
WBC Welterweight Championship
After winning two fights in 1976, Palomino found himself and his trainers travelling to London, where an internationally televised world championship bout awaited him against WBCWorld 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...
world Welterweight champion John H. Stracey
John H. Stracey
John H. Stracey is a former professional boxer who was world Welterweight champion. He also had, at one point, a boxing school in London....
, a British boxing teacher who had dethroned José Nápoles
José Napoles
José Ángel Nápoles, nicknamed Mantequilla , is a Cuban-Mexican boxer and former world welterweight champion, who is frequently ranked as one of the greatest fighters of all time in that division...
as world champion. Palomino became a world champion on the night of June 22 of that year at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, after Stracey eventually succumbed to a blistering body attack and was put on the canvas twice from left hooks to the liver. Many Mexicans who viewed Nápoles, a Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n born resident of Mexico, as another countryman, saw this as a revenge from Stracey.
He waited six months for his next fight, against another very popular boxer of Mexican background: cross-town rival Armando Muñíz
Armando Muñíz
Cruz Armando Muñíz Hurtado is a retired Mexican professional boxer and the former NABF Welterweight Champion. Muñíz is a member and current president of the World Boxing Hall of Fame.-Amateur career:...
. This was a fight that had many fans guessing who'd win it for months before it happened, but it also made history in the boxing books: When Palomino and Muñíz met, on January 21 of 1977, it was the first time in boxing history two college graduates met for a world title. Palomino earned a degree in recreation administration from Long Beach State, while Muniz had graduated from Cal State Los Angeles, where he majored in Spanish and minored in math, and was working toward a graduate degree in administration. Palomino and Muniz (now a high school teacher in California) fought what the book The Ring: Boxing in the 20th. Century has described as one of the best fights of 1977. After 14 rounds, all three judges had the fight tied on their scorecards, but Palomino scored two knockdowns in the fifteenth and final round and he retained the world title by a knockout in that final round. A return to London resulted in an 11th round knockout victory over Dave Boy Green
Dave Boy Green
Dave "Boy" Green is a former British welterweight boxing champion and businessman. Born in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, a small fenland town, he boxed as the "Fen Tiger".-Early years:...
, after which he defended against Everaldo Acosta Azevedo and Jose Palacios, Azevedo being defeated by decision in fifteen and Palacios by knockout in thirteen.
In 1978, he defended his crown with a win over Ryu Sorimachi by a knockout in seven, a knockout in nine over Mimoun Mohatar, and a decision in fifteen in his long awaited rematch with Muniz.
His championship run ended in 1979, when he traveled to 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...
, where he was defeated on January 13 by hometown boxer Wilfred Benítez
Wilfred Benitez
Wilfred Benítez , is a Puerto Rican boxer. He is remembered best as a skilled and aggressive fighter with exceptional defensive abilities who won world championships in three separate weight divisions, and was the youngest world champion in boxing history at the age of 17...
via a controversial fifteen round split decision.
Palomino vs. Durán
In his next fight, Palomino met legendary Roberto DuránRoberto Durán
Roberto Durán Samaniego is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career....
on June 22 of that year at Madison Square Gardens, in another nationally televised bout, as part of the Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
–Mike Weaver world Heavyweight championship bout's undercard. Palomino lost to Duran by decision in ten rounds, and he announced his retirement from boxing right away.
Boxing comeback
Palomino began his comeback on January 10, 1997, beating Ismaél DíazIsmael Diaz
-Club career:Nicknamed el Cisco, Díaz played for C.D. Dragón before joining the Juan Francisco Barraza-managed Águila.-International career:Díaz played for his country's Olympic team in the 1972 and 1976 qualifiers and represented El Salvador in 3 FIFA World Cup qualification matches-References:...
by a knockout in round nine. He won four fights that year. including one over former world champion Rene Arredondo
Rene Arredondo
Rene Arredondo was a Mexican professional boxer. He competed in the welterweight division.-Personal life:...
, but when he lost by decision in ten to former Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
world title challenger Wilfredo Rivera on May 30 of 1998, he decided to retire for good, and has stayed in retirement ever since.
Acting career
In 1980, however, Miller LiteMiller Lite
Miller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager brand sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life.-History:...
beer, signed Palomino as a spokesman as part of a television commercial campaign that also included Walt Frazier
Walt Frazier
Walter "Clyde" Frazier is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He was blessed with a unique combination of court vision, quickness, and size for a guard...
and many other noted athletes. Palomino not only was able to keep in the public's eye as a consequence of this, but he discovered that he enjoyed acting as well, and, because of that, he decided to launch a career as an actor.
On March 14, 1980, his younger brother, Paul Palomino, was killed in the crash of LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007 crashed near Okęcie Airport in Warsaw, Poland, on 14 March 1980, due to mechanical failure as the crew aborted a landing and attempted to go-around. All 87 crew and passengers died.- The aircraft :...
as a member of the U.S. boxing team on its way to Poland for a competition. He participated in a number of movies and television series, before deciding to launch a boxing comeback at the age of 48, in 1997.
Palomino was elected as chairman of the California State Athletic Commission, where he performed for a few years. He is now involved in charity work, most notably Tony Baltazar
Tony Baltazar
Antonio Baltazar is a former Mexican-American boxer. He competed in the Lightweight division. After an amateur career where he won various titles, he turned professional in the late 1970s, and has boxed the likes of Robin Blake, former world champion Roger Mayweather, Hector Macho Camacho and...
's charity organization, and he travels around the United States to attend charity events and do autograph
Autograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
shows.
IBHF
Palomino was selected to the International Boxing Hall of FameInternational Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
on January 8, 2004. He was inducted on June 13.
On December 19, 2008 his wife Daliene Ingram was featured in an episode of Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?, and he was given recognition.
See also
- List of Mexican boxing world champions
- List of WBC world champions
- List of welterweight boxing champions