This day in boxing. A look back.

**TitoFan** · 04-01-2018 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by Spicoli

Originally Posted by TitoFan

3-30-97: Wilfredo Vazquez defends his WBA World Featherweight title against Yuji Watanabe in Japan. Not only one of the great Puerto Rican champions, but one who, like back in those days, would typically travel to any country from early on, to take on challenges in their own backyards.

http://www.asianboxing.info/videos/y...lfredo-vazquez

Fantastic spirited fighter. Box or brawl he could do it. Thought he did enough over Galaxy and Cermeno, definitely not Rios. His loss to Contreras was nuts. He risks number one rank to face current wbo 118 champ who was a last minute replacement. Shocking fight for Sr. but he would again rebound.

He probably had more stamps on his passport in those days than a lot of other fighters. After his loss to Contreras, he beat Raul Perez in '92 in Mexico for the WBA Super Bantamweight title, then defended the title 9 times everywhere but in Puerto Rico, until losing to Cermeno in '95. Curiously, the fight was in Puerto Rico. He was doing better abroad.

In this day and age, where many fighters either balk or outright refuse to leave their own backyards, that is certainly refreshing. Another memorable fight was in '96, when he took the WBA Featherweight title from Venezuelan Eloy Rojas in Las Vegas. Two years later he would lose by TKO to Naseem over in England.

**Spicoli** · 04-07-2018 08:54 PM

Khaosai Galaxy made his 17th defense of his wba 115 belt. So many decent and very capable fighters went unseen by the masses then. Galaxy aka The Thai Tyson would defend twice more and retire with a record of 47-1 (41) in January 1992. Love to see his wrecking ball body shots in todays 'Super Fly' sequels! Also Hagler v Leonard in 1987. Watching it later on 'Superbouts' from ESPN had I Leonard winning

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