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< Panama, you've been missed >
In 1929 the world saw the very 1st crowning of a Latin American boxer.
Not only was it big news for the sport but it was huge for the country which he came from. Alfonso Teofilo Brown better known as Panama Al Brown captured the World Batamweight title to give the country of Panama their 1st world boxing champ. It would not be until '65 that Panama would see their next champ when Ismael Laguna captured the World Lightweight title as he defeated Carlos Ortiz.
Then the 70's rolled around and Panama was at the height of the boxing world with brilliant shining gems as Laguna recaptured the World Lightweight title adding to this was the great Ernesto Marcel who captured the WBA Feather title in '72 then the titles kept rolling for Panama. Alfonso Fraizer & Roberto Duran would both add titles this same year, Fraizer the WBA Light Welter title and Duran the WBA Lightweight title and to close out the year Enrique Pinder would go on to beat Rafael Herrera and become the World Bantamweight champion. Then in '75 Jaime Rios became the 1st Light Flyweight champ as he won the WBA title for the newly created division.
Alfonso Lopez would win a title in '76, Jorge Lujan in '77 and in '78 the great "Alacran" Eusebio Pedroza would capture his Featherweight title which he would go on to defend 19 times. Duran would go to unify the Lightweight div. and pick the WBC title vs. "Vita" Esteban De Jesus to close their great trilogy.
As the early 80's came the gems were still shining the great Hilario Zapata picks up titles as a Flyweight & Light Flyweight becoming one of the best in both divisions. Duran still adding belts to his career picks up the WBC Welterweight title from SRL and the WBA Light Middleweight title. Rafael Pedroza would win the WBA Super Flyweight title. Panamas last hurrah! of the 80's would come from none other then Duran as he went on to defeat Iran Barkley for the WBC Middleweight title also making him a 4 division champ yet another 1st for Panama. Since then things haven't been the same for Panama the champions have been few and apart. Victor Cordoba, Pedro Alcazar, Vicente Mosquera, Carlos Murillo, Roberto Vasquez and then Rafael Concepcion and Santiago Samaniego who were both Interim champs.
Now it seems like Panama has caught a second wind and although the gems at this moment in time might not be as brilliant as they were in the 70's I think the likes of Guillermo Jones, Celestino Caballero, Ricardo Cordoba and Anselmo Moreno can def. get some polish and make the Panamanian flag shine as bright as ever. In Jones we've got a guy who started off as a Welterweight and finally won his 1st title as a Cruiser, the guys rugged and can dish some punishment he IMO is the only one who's got a chance at beating Adamek and that's one fight I hope happens.
Celestino has been a champ for sometime now and he's def. a challenge for anyone built tall & lanky just like Panama Al Brown he posses the tools to beat just about anyone. The newcomers are Ricardo Cordoba and Anselmo Moreno who are both really good boxers they move well in the ring and can box with the best of them they both have lot's of potential and have the upperhand already over others in the their divisions. Cordoba holds a win over Caballero who's argueably #1 right now due to the inactivity of Rafa & Izzy and Moreno dethroned at that time the longest defending champ of his division in Sidorenko. With these guys along with some good prospects already making noise I think Panama looks to have a bright future. As bright as in the 70's? Well that's still remained to be seen...
Panama, you've been missed.
(Now here's hoping we get a Nicaraguan wave of champs someday)
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Originally Posted by SaddoBoxer
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