Ángel Espada

Ángel Luis "Cholo" Espada Mangual (born February 2, 1948) is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer. He was the WBA's world Welterweight champion in 1975-76. A music lover, Espada also organized, during the late 1970s, a salsa orchestra.

Biography

Early career Espada began his professional boxing career on March 11, 1967, with a defeat at the hands of future Antonio Cervantes world title challenger Josue Marquez, on a six-round decision, at San Juan. His next two fights were declared draws (ties). Both were against Luis Vinales.

After another defeat and a draw (both against Chris Fernandez), Espada got his first win. On April 1, 1968, he knocked out Linfer Contreras in the first round in San Juan. After one more win, he fought outside Puerto Rico for the first time, losing on points after six rounds to future Roberto Durán world title challenger Jimmy Robertson, on September 27, 1969, at Los Angeles, California.

His next fight would be against Bobby Joe Hughes, April 9, 1969 in San Juan. Hughes was disqualified for using illegal tactics during the fight, and this victory marked the beginning of a fifteen fight winning streak for Espada. On November 7 of 1970, the streak was stopped by Matt Donovan, who beat him on points over ten rounds. Shortly after, Espada would beat former Emile Griffith world title challenger Manuel Gonzalez and lose to former world champion Eddie Perkins, both times, on points after ten rounds.

Between 1972 and 1975, Espada posted twelve wins in a row, including a victory over perennial world title challenger Armando Muniz, and a win in Panama. He was beaten by Luis Acosta in Caracas by decision in ten rounds to stop that winning streak, but he avenged the defeat against Acosta with a ten-round win over him in a rematch held in San Juan.

Champion Espada became a world champion in a situation that could be described by some as bizarre: the undisputed world Welterweight champion of the era, José Nápoles, was to fight Carlos Monzón for the world's Middleweight title. The WBC kept recognizing Nápoles as their world Welterweight champion, but the WBA, feeling that Espada deserved a chance at Nápoles' crown, decided to strip Nápoles of the world championship because Nápoles went ahead as planned and fought Monzon. Thus, on June 28, 1975, Espada became the WBA's world Welterweight champion, and Puerto Rico's fourth world boxing champion in history, by outpointing the well known Canadian, Clyde Gray, over fifteen rounds in San Juan. Coincidentally, Espada won his world title the same week that Alfredo Escalera won the WBC world Junior Lightweight championship at a fight that took place in Japan; this was the first time two Puerto Ricans became world champions the same week and as a consequence, Puerto Rico, a country that had only produced three world boxing champions in its history, almost doubled their number of champions in one week with Espada and Escalera's victories. (In Spanish)

He retained the title with a fifteen-round decision over Johnny Gant, and won a non-title fight with an eighth-round knockout over Alfonzo Hayman.

On July 17, 1976, Espada fought what would have been the start of a Mexican boxing tour. Espada, looking forward to meeting Miguel Campanino, was instead faced with a boxer who had a record of 16-5 and who was named José Cuevas. Cuevas lifted the WBA world Welterweight title away from Espada with a second-round knockout."Cuevas Scores KO in 2nd, Wins Welter Crown", Los Angeles Times, July 19, 1976, p. III-4 They would fight again twice more, with Cuevas retaining the title by ten and eleven-round knockouts.

Retirement from the Ring Towards the end of his career, Espada, realizing his best days as a boxer had probably passed him by, announced on the Vea magazine that he was putting together a salsa orchestra. The "Cholo Espada orchestra" had some success in Puerto Rico, appearing on television shows constantly during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Espada lost his last important fight, against Thomas Hearns, by a knockout in round four at the Joe Louis Arena, in Detroit, on March 2 of 1980. He then retired for a short period of time. Espada wanted to retire as a winner, however, and, after one year of inactivity, he made a one fight comeback, knocking out Julio Alfonso in four rounds, on December 10, 1981, in San Juan.

After retiring from boxing, Espada became a boxing trainer, and he has remained in that position ever since. Espada had a record of 44 wins, 11 losses and 3 draws, with 27 wins by knockout.

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes59Win44–11–4Julio AlfonsoKO4 (?)Dec 10, 198158Loss43–11–4Thomas HearnsTKO4 (12)Mar 2, 198057Loss43–10–4Pipino CuevasTKO10 (15)Dec 8, 197956Win43–9–4Fitzroy EdwardKO5 (?)Jun 16, 197955Win42–9–4Sam HailstockKO9 (10)Feb 18, 197954Win41–9–4Kevin MoefieldKO4 (10)Oct 28, 197853Win40–9–4Nikita TarhockerKO2 (10)Sep 9, 197852Loss39–9–4Pipino CuevasRTD11 (15)Nov 19, 197751Win39–8–4Ray HammondUD10Aug 27, 197750Win38–8–4John MorganKO2 (?)May 21, 197749Win37–8–4Augustin EstradaKO4 (?)Sep 10, 197648Loss36–8–4Pipino CuevasTKO2 (15)Jul 17, 197647Win36–7–4Alfonso HaymanTKO8 (10)Apr 27, 197646Win35–7–4Johnny GantUD15Oct 11, 197545Win34–7–4Clyde GrayUD15Jun 28, 197544Win33–7–4Luis AcostaPTS10Apr 12, 197543Loss32–7–4Luis AcostaPTS10Mar 15, 197542Win32–6–4Hector RivasKO2 (?)Nov 15, 197441Win31–6–4Armando MuñízPTS10Jul 29, 197440Win30–6–4Dave OropezaKO4 (10)May 10, 197439Win29–6–4Alvin AndersonKO2 (10)Apr 15, 197438Win28–6–4Mario SaurennannPTS10Nov 19, 197337Win27–6–4Prince Jimmy HammKO1 (12)Sep 8, 197336Win26–6–4Al CookTKO3 (10)Jul 14, 197335Win25–6–4Jack TillmanUD10May 29, 197334Win24–6–4Roscoe BellPTS10Feb 15, 197333Win23–6–4Roscoe BellKO2 (10)Jan 16, 197332Win22–6–4Felipe CariacoKO9 (10)Dec 12, 197231Win21–6–4Alfonso AguirreTKO3 (10)Oct 24, 197230Loss20–6–4Dario HidalgoSD10Jun 12, 197229Loss20–5–4Eddie PerkinsUD10Oct 19, 197128Win20–4–4Manuel GonzalezPTS10Aug 28, 197127Win19–4–4Dino Del CidKO3 (?)Jul 10, 197126Win18–4–4Edmundo LeiteMD10Apr 12, 197125Loss17–4–4 Matt DonovanMD10Nov 7, 197024Win17–3–4Jose GabinoKO3 (10)Oct 10, 197023Win16–3–4Julio CruzKO2 (?)Aug 5, 197022Win15–3–4Frankie LewisKO6 (?)May 10, 197021Win14–3–4Juan RamosKO5 (?)Mar 28, 197020Win13–3–4Raul RodriguezKO2 (10)Mar 21, 197019Win12–3–4Frankie LewisPTS10Feb 27, 197018Win11–3–4Frank SteelePTS10Feb 7, 197017Win10–3–4Fate DavisPTS10Dec 12, 196916Win9–3–4Jerry GraciPTS10Nov 2, 196915Win8–3–4Roland PryorPTS10Nov 1, 196914Win7–3–4 Claude SoumelPTS8Sep 27, 196913Win6–3–4Ingemar JonesKO4 (?)Aug 2, 196912Win5–3–4Roscoe BellKO2 (8)Jul 21, 196911Win4–3–4Enrique PazTKO5 (8)Jun 7, 196910Win3–3–4Bobby Joe HughesDQ6 (?)Apr 19, 19699Loss2–3–4Jimmy RobertsonPTS6Sep 27, 19688Win2–2–4Embijao CarrionKO3 (?)Apr 15, 19687Win1–2–4Linfer ContrerasKO1 (6)Apr 1, 19686Draw0–2–4Chris FernandezPTS6Jan 10, 19685Loss0–2–3Chris FernandezPTS6Jul 10, 19674Draw0–1–3Luis VinalesPTS6Jun 4, 19673Draw0–1–2Luis VinalesPTS6Apr 8, 19672Loss0–1–1Josue MarquezPTS6Feb 11, 19671Draw0–0–1Andres MattaPTS6Aug 20, 1966

Ángel Espada

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