Jose Napoles

Boxer José Nápoles was one of the greatest fighters of his era. Boasting an impressive professional record of 81 wins and only 7 losses, with 54 knockouts, Nápoles proved to be a formidable opponent in the ring. Over the course of his career, he won a total of six world titles at welterweight, and successfully defended his titles over 13 times. Nápoles was born in Havana, Cuba, and began his professional boxing career at the age of 18 in 1958.

He made his debut against Julio Rojas and won via a 1st round technical knockout. Following his debut, Nápoles went on to win six more consecutive fights, four of which ended in stoppages. Over the years, he fought some of the best boxers of his generation, including three Hall-of-Famers in Emile Griffith, Curtis Cokes, and Eddie Perkins. Other notable victories include wins over Adolph Pruitt, Ernie Lopez, Hedgemon Lewis, Horacio Agustin Saldano, Ralph Charles, and Billy Backus.

Nápoles had his first world title fight at the age of 29 on April 18, 1969 after 63 professional fights, against Curtis Cokes, for the welterweight World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and The Ring titles. It was a tough fight, lasting until the 13th round, but Nápoles eventually prevailed, winning via a technical knockout. With the win, Nápoles became the undisputed welterweight world champion.

Nápoles' record speaks for itself. He won 81 of his 88 fights, with 54 of those wins coming via knockout. He was a two-time undisputed welterweight world champion, winning six world titles at welterweight over the course of his career.

One of the highlights of his career was on June 4, 1971, when he became the undisputed welterweight world champion by defeating Billy Backus via an 8th round technical knockout. By this point in his career, Nápoles had already held the WBA, WBC, and The Ring welterweight titles, making him one of the most exciting boxers of his time.

In March 1972, Nápoles successfully defended his WBA, WBC, and The Ring welterweight titles against Ralph Charles, winning the fight via a 7th round knockout. He then went on to successfully defend his titles against Adolph Pruitt in June 1972, winning via a 2nd round TKO.

February 28, 1973, saw Nápoles successfully defending his welterweight titles against Ernie Lopez, winning via a 7th round knockout. He would defend his titles once again against Hedgemon Lewis on August 3, 1974, winning the fight via a 9th round TKO. Finally, on December 14, 1974, Nápoles successfully defended his WBA, WBC, and The Ring welterweight titles for the last time against Horacio Agustin Saldano, winning via a 3rd round KO.

Nápoles' last professional fight was at the age of 36, when he faced John H Stracey in a welterweight title defense bout on December 6, 1976. Unfortunately, this fight would not go as planned, and Nápoles lost via a 6th round technical knockout, losing his WBC and The Ring titles.

Despite his defeat in his final fight, Nápoles left behind an impressive legacy. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 1990, cementing his place in boxing history. His career highlights over his 18-year long career included his win over Curtis Cokes for his first world title, successfully defending his WBA, WBC, and The Ring welterweight titles, and becoming the undisputed welterweight world champion.

In conclusion, José Nápoles was an impressive fighter. His record speaks for itself, and his six world titles at welterweight prove that he was among the very best in his generation. Fans of boxing will always remember him as one of the sport's greats, and his influence on the sport will continue to be felt for many years to come.

José Nápoles Fight Record