Esteban De Jesus

Esteban de Jesús was a Puerto Rican world lightweight champion boxer whose professional boxing career spanned over 11 years, from 1969 to 1980. He made his professional boxing debut at the age of 17 on February 10, 1969, defeating El Tarita with a second-round KO. Following his debut, Esteban won 25 more consecutive fights, including 17 wins via stoppage, establishing himself as one of the most promising boxers in the region.

Esteban de Jesús' record is remarkable, winning 58 fights and losing only five. He never drew any fight, and his record includes no-contests. As of his stats, Esteban had a total of 63 fights during his career, out of which he won 58 fights. Winning 33 fights via knockout, he won a total of 1 world title in his career. He defended his title three times, with all of the title fight KO wins coming in world title fights.

Esteban de Jesús' talent in the ring quickly became evident as he began to challenge some of the top prospects in the sport. In 1971, he claimed the Puerto Rican national Lightweight title by beating Josue Marquez in a twelve-round decision. He then challenged the former world title challenger, Leonel Hernandez, in Caracas, Venezuela, and won the ten-round match via unanimous decision. He subsequently suffered his first loss to Antonio Gomez via ten-round unanimous decision in Caracas in 1972.

Despite his surprising loss, de Jesús bounced back to win six fights in a row in 1972, successfully retaining his Puerto Rican Lightweight title. His victory paved the way for his next fight, which would be one of the biggest fights of his career.

On January 21, 1978, de Jesús and Roberto Durán, the then newly crowned world's Lightweight champion, faced off in a highly anticipated fight. De Jesús dropped Durán in the first round, marking the first time Durán had been knocked down in his professional career. This set the tone for an intense and closely contested fight that saw De Jesús go the distance but ultimately lose by way of a twelfth-round knockout.

De Jesús would later lose two more times, both times via KO, to Durán in world-title bouts, including their third fight in 1978 in Las Vegas. However, De Jesús' record remains impressive, with the distinction of winning world titles and defeating significant opponents.

Another milestone in his career was when Esteban won the WBC lightweight title from Guts Ishimatsu on May 8, 1976, beating him via a 15 round unanimous decision. He retained the title against Hector Medina with a knockout in round seven, marking the high point of his career.

De Jesús was a talented fighter who fought with an Orthodox stance. He competed in the Lightweight and Light welterweight weight classes, with a height of 1.64 m (5 ft 4+1⁄2 in) and a reach of 170 cm (67 in).

Unfortunately, Esteban de Jesús' professional career was mired in controversy, problems, and scandals. He struggled with drug addiction issues, admitting publicly to using drugs during his boxing career, including cocaine and heroin. Despite these issues, de Jesús exhibited incredible skill and determination in the ring, earning loyalty and admiration from his fans.

De Jesús' last professional fight was on July 7, 1980, against Saoul Mamby, for Mamby's super-lightweight WBC title. He lost the fight via 13th round TKO. De Jesús retired from professional boxing with a remarkable record of 58-5, which included 33 knockout wins and three losses via knockout, and one title win.

In conclusion, Esteban de Jesús was an incredible boxer whose career was marked by both triumph and tragedy. Though he struggled with addiction and faced some setbacks, his remarkable record spoke for itself. He had some of the most memorable fights during his time, including the close encounters with Roberto Durán. Esteban will always be remembered for his indomitable spirit and his willingness to put everything on the line in the ring.

Esteban de Jesús Fight Record