Juan Laporte
Encyclopedia
Juan Laporte is a former boxer who was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico
.
Sub-Novice Championship. He defeated Long Island
's Ricky Brown in the finals. Laporte was defeated by Joseph Nieto of the Police Athletic Leagues Lynch Center in the 1977 118 lb Open Championship. Laporte trained at the Lunar Boys Club in Brooklyn, New York. He had an amateur record of 29-6, according to the March 1983 The Ring
magazine.
critics didn't consider to be material to become a world champion earlier in his career.
Laporte built a number of wins, combined with 1 loss,including a 7 round knockout of Jean Lapointe. But he still was an unknown when given his first chance at a world championship on December 1980 in San Antonio, Texas
.
He met legendary Mexican world Featherweight champion Salvador Sánchez
there. Laporte made Sanchez work hard and won a handful of rounds
. He lost to Sanchez by a 15 round unanimous decision.
Laporte then fought future world champion Rocky Lockridge
in 1981 at Las Vegas
, scoring a second round knockout to become the United States Featherweight champion.
Given a second title shot, this time by the WBA
, Laporte met the also legendary World featherweight champion Eusebio Pedroza
in 1982, losing a close and controversial split decision. The fight was so close that WBC
president José Sulaimán
decided to give Laporte a rematch vs Sanchez for the World Boxing Council
's world title.
This rematch wasn't going to happen, because Sanchez died in a car accident the morning of August 12, in Mexico City
. Then, the WBC
decided to put Laporte vs. Colombia
n Mario Miranda
for the vacant world title in a fight held at the Madison Square Garden
. Laporte dropped Miranda in the eighth round and Miranda quit on his stool before the start of the 11th. Juan Laporte, the tough kid from New York who couldn't figure to become a world champ versus the legendary champions of the day, had become a world champion.
Laporte defended his title twice, vs Ruben Castillo and Johnny De La Rosa, both 12 rounds decision wins, then lost it to another Puerto Rican
world champion, the legendary Wilfredo Gómez
.
In 1985, he went to Ireland, where he lost a ten round decision to future world champion Barry McGuigan
.
In 1986, Laporte fought Julio César Chávez
at the Madison Square Garden
, and many thought Laporte should've deserved the 12 round decision that night, but he lost a majority decision in a contest for Chavez's WBC world Jr. Lightweight title.
His career went on and off after that day, and in 1989, his son died in a drowning accident. Laporte buried his title belt along with his son.
Upon hearing this, Sulaiman sent him a new world title belt to show him support and respect from the boxing community. Laporte lost another disputed decision, this time to former world Jr Welterweight champion Billy Costello
in 1999 and then finally retired from boxing.
Guayama, Puerto Rico
Guayama is a municipality of Puerto Rico founded on January 29, 1736 and located on the Southern Coastal Valley region, bordering the Caribbean, south of Cayey; east of Salinas; and west of Patillas and Arroyo. Guayama is spread over 9 wards and Guayama Pueblo...
.
Amateur career
Juan Laporte won the 1976 112 lb New York Golden GlovesNew York Golden Gloves
The New York Golden Gloves is a boxing tournament considered by many boxing aficionados as one of the three most elite Golden Gloves titles, along with the Chicago Golden Gloves....
Sub-Novice Championship. He defeated Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
's Ricky Brown in the finals. Laporte was defeated by Joseph Nieto of the Police Athletic Leagues Lynch Center in the 1977 118 lb Open Championship. Laporte trained at the Lunar Boys Club in Brooklyn, New York. He had an amateur record of 29-6, according to the March 1983 The Ring
The Ring (magazine)
The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...
magazine.
Professional career
Juan Laporte moved to New York at a young age, where he grew up into a pretty well known contender, but one that many boxingBoxing
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...
critics didn't consider to be material to become a world champion earlier in his career.
Laporte built a number of wins, combined with 1 loss,including a 7 round knockout of Jean Lapointe. But he still was an unknown when given his first chance at a world championship on December 1980 in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.
He met legendary Mexican world Featherweight champion Salvador Sánchez
Salvador Sánchez
Salvador Sánchez Narváez was a Mexican boxer born in the town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Estado de México. Many of his contemporaries as well as boxing writers believe that, had it not been for his premature death, Sanchez could have gone on to become the greatest Featherweight boxer of all time...
there. Laporte made Sanchez work hard and won a handful of rounds
Salvador Sanchez vs. Juan Laporte
The Salvador Sánchez vs. Juan Laporte fight was a boxing encounter that took place on December 13, 1980, in El Paso, Texas, for the WBC world Featherweight title.-Before the fight:...
. He lost to Sanchez by a 15 round unanimous decision.
Laporte then fought future world champion Rocky Lockridge
Rocky Lockridge
Rocky Lockridge , is a former boxer and world champion. As a professional, he is perhaps best known for handing Roger Mayweather his first defeat, in a first-round knockout for the WBA super featherweight championship.-Amateur career:...
in 1981 at Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, scoring a second round knockout to become the United States Featherweight champion.
Given a second title shot, this time by the WBA
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...
, Laporte met the also legendary World featherweight champion Eusebio Pedroza
Eusebio Pedroza
Eusebio Pedroza is a native of Panama who holds two records in boxing: His 19 defenses as world featherweight champion are a record for that division, and his seven years as world champion non-stop are a division record too...
in 1982, losing a close and controversial split decision. The fight was so close that 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...
president José Sulaimán
José Sulaimán
José Sulaimán Chagnón is a Mexican boxing official of Lebanese-descent. He is the president of the World Boxing Council....
decided to give Laporte a rematch vs Sanchez for 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...
's world title.
This rematch wasn't going to happen, because Sanchez died in a car accident the morning of August 12, in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Then, the 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...
decided to put Laporte vs. Colombia
Colombia
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...
n Mario Miranda
Mario Miranda
Mario Miranda is an Indian cartoonist based in Loutolim in the Indian state of Goa. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and Padma Shri in 1988....
for the vacant world title in a fight held at the Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. Laporte dropped Miranda in the eighth round and Miranda quit on his stool before the start of the 11th. Juan Laporte, the tough kid from New York who couldn't figure to become a world champ versus the legendary champions of the day, had become a world champion.
Laporte defended his title twice, vs Ruben Castillo and Johnny De La Rosa, both 12 rounds decision wins, then lost it to another Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
world champion, the legendary Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez , sometimes referred to as Bazooka Gómez, is a former boxer and three time world champion.-Biography:...
.
In 1985, he went to Ireland, where he lost a ten round decision to future world champion Barry McGuigan
Barry McGuigan
Finbarr Patrick McGuigan MBE , known as Barry McGuigan and nicknamed The Clones Cyclone, is a former Irish and British professional boxer who became a world featherweight champion.-Background:...
.
In 1986, Laporte fought 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...
at the Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, and many thought Laporte should've deserved the 12 round decision that night, but he lost a majority decision in a contest for Chavez's WBC world Jr. Lightweight title.
His career went on and off after that day, and in 1989, his son died in a drowning accident. Laporte buried his title belt along with his son.
Upon hearing this, Sulaiman sent him a new world title belt to show him support and respect from the boxing community. Laporte lost another disputed decision, this time to former world Jr Welterweight champion Billy Costello
Billy Costello
Billy Costello was a professional boxer in the United States.-Early Life:...
in 1999 and then finally retired from boxing.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- French immigration to Puerto RicoFrench immigration to Puerto RicoThe French immigration to Puerto Rico came about as a result of the economic and political situations which occurred in various places such as Louisiana , Saint-Domingue and in Europe....
- List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions