Vicente Samuel Saldivar García (born May 3, 1943 in
Mexico CityMexico 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...
, Distrito Federal,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, died July 18, 1985) was a
MexicanMexican 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....
boxerBoxing, 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...
in the
FeatherweightFeatherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
division and was a part of the 1960 Mexican Olympic team. He was a former
WBCThe 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...
and a two-time
WBAThe 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...
Featherweight Champion. Saldivar has frequently been ranked amongst the greatest in the history of that division by many noted boxing historians and critics. Vicente fought in front of the fourth largest crowd ever, 90,000 in
Estadio AztecaEstadio Azteca is a stadium in Santa Ursula, Mexico City, Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team Club América.The stadium was the venue for football soccer in the 1968 Summer Olympics....
, and has also regularly been cited as one of the finest left-handed fighters of all time.
Childhood
Saldivar was born in one of the many poor quarters of
Mexico CityMexico 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...
and is one of seven children. He used to get in fights on the streets and in school, so his father decided to channel the misguided energy into boxing. Like many other Mexicans his father was a big boxing fan, so it was a logical move. Vicente was taught by Jose Moreno, a veteran trainer of a near by Mexico City boxing gym.
Fighting style
As a southpaw, Vicente Saldivar was a dynamic fighter in the ring. He could box or brawl, and often softened opponents with a brutal body attack. Among his greatest assets was his stamina; he scored seven knockouts after the 7th round. Saldivar had an unusually slow heart and pulse rate, which he claimed was the secret of the phenomenal pace he was able to maintain in the ring.
Amateur career
Saldivar had a successful amateur career, crowned with a Mexican Golden Gloves title at bantamweight. At seventeen years old, he surprised most by making the 1960 Mexican Olympic team, but lost a very disputed decision to Ernst Chervet. Having defeated the best Mexican amateurs, Saldivar turned pro in 1961 at the age of 17.
Professional career
Saldivar turned pro in 1961 and won the Mexican
featherweightFeatherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
title with a second-round knockout of
Juan RamírezJuan Ramírez or Juan Ramirez may refer to:*Juan Andrés Ramírez , Uruguayan politician and lawyer*Juan Andres Noguera Ramirez, Paraguayan football player who is currently playing for Pelita Jaya...
on February 8, 1964. His first major victory came on June 1 of that same year when he defeated future
lightweightLight-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
champion and hall of fame member
Ismael LagunaIsmael Laguna Meneses was a professional boxer. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001.Known as "El Tigre Colonense", Laguna was the Panamanian Featherweight Champion from 1962-63...
. Before challenging for a world title, he accumulated a record of 25-1, with his sole loss coming via a contested disqualification, which he later avenged by knock out.
WBC & WBA Featherweight Championships
On September 26, 1964, Saldivar won the WBA and WBC Featherweight titles by upsetting fellow Mexican fighter and future hall of famer
Sugar RamosUltiminio Ramos is a Cuban-Mexican boxer who is better known as Sugar Ramos. Ramos fought out of Mexico where he was adopted as a national hero...
with an 11th-round knockout in an extremely bloody battle. His first reign as champion would last three years, in which Saldivar made eight successful title defenses. The reign was highlighted by his trilogy with
Howard WinstoneHoward Winstone, MBE was a Welsh world champion boxer, born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. As an amateur, Winstone won the Amateur Boxing Association bantamweight title in 1958, and a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff-Boxing style:In his early...
.
In his first title defense, he defeated future champion
Raul RojasRaul Rojas is a retired Mexican American featherweight boxer.He accumulated a record of 38 wins , 7 losses and 2 draws. On March 28, 1968, Rojas defeated Enrique Higgins to win the WBA Featherweight title, which Vicente Saldivar had vacated after announcing his retirement. He lost the title on...
. On September 7 1965, he defeated Winstone in their first meeting with a 15-round decision . Following that victory, he defeated Floyd Robertson by second round knock out. He then defeated Mitsunori Seki in two consecutive bouts. On June 15, 1967, Saldivar defeated Winston once again by a 15-round decision. In 1996, Ring magazine included their second meeting on their list of the 100 greatest title fights of all-time. In the final installment of their trilogy, he defeated Winston by 12th round knock out. Saldivar announced his retirement after that contest in October 1967. Three months later, Winstone won recognition as
WBCThe 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...
featherweight champion, claiming the belt left vacant by Saldivar, by defeating Mitsunori Seki with a 9th-round stoppage due to a cut right eye.
Return to the ring
After 21 months of inactivity, Saldivar returned to the ring on July 18, 1969 and won a 10-round unanimous decision over another former as well as future Featherweight champion,
José LegraJose Legrá is a former professional boxer in the Featherweight division.Legrá is a former two time WBC World Featherweight Champion.-Professional career:...
. Then on May 9, 1970, he regained the featherweight title with a 15-round unanimous decision over
Johnny FamechonJohnny Famechon, born 28 March 1945, is a former Australian featherweight boxer, who was born as Jean-Pierre Famechon in Paris, France.He moved to Australia in 1950 at the age of five. Over his twenty-year career he developed a reputation for being a skilled boxer whose strength was his defence...
. This reign, however, was short-lived. Saldivar lost the crown seven months later in his first defense against
Kuniaki ShibataKuniaki Shibata is a former Japanese professional boxer. He is a former WBC and WBA super featherweight champion.- Biography :...
.
Retirement & comeback
He would fight once more before retiring again in 1971, however, the lure of the ring was too strong. He returned at the age of 30 after 2 years and 3 months of inactivity for another title attempt on October 21, 1973. His opponent was fellow Hall of Famer and former
bantamweightBantamweight 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...
champion
Éder JofreÉder Jofre is a retired Brazilian boxer and former bantamweight and featherweight champion .-Amateur career:Jofre represented his native country at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.-Olympic Results:*1st round bye...
. Jofre, who was 37, had won the Featherweight crown after coming out of his own retirement (albeit a brief 7 month one). Saldivar's skills had greatly diminished and Jofre won the contest with a fourth-round knockout in
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. After the fight, Saldivar retired for good.
Death
He died of cancer on July 18, 1985, aged only 42. He was inducted into the
International Boxing Hall of FameThe 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...
in 1999.
See also
External links