Luis Manuel Rodríguez (17 June 1937 – 8 July 1996) was a Cuban professional boxer. Known as "El Feo", he began his career in pre-Castro Havana. In Cuba, he twice defeated the ill-fated future welterweight champion Benny Paret. He held the Undisputed Welterweight Championship in 1963, and challenged once for the WBA, and WBC middleweight titles in 1969.

After the Cuban Revolution, Rodríguez campaigned in the United States. Fighting out of Miami, Rodriguez decisioned top welterweights such as Virgil Akins and Rudell Stitch.

Professional career He was unbeaten in 36 fights before losing a split decision to Emile Griffith in a 1960 non-title fight. In 1963, Rodriguez and Griffith fought twice for the lineal welterweight title. Rodriguez defeated Griffith by a unanimous decision to win the title, but Griffith regained it three months later with a split decision. Their fourth and final meeting came in 1964, with Griffith retaining the welterweight title with a split decision.Luis Manuel Rodriguez. cyberboxingzone.com. Retrieved on April 2, 2016.

Rodriguez was trained by Angelo Dundee at the old 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach alongside Ralph Dupas, Willie Pastrano, Florentino Fernández and Pinklon Thomas.Angelo Dundee To Enter Florida Hall Of Fame. Thesweetscience.com (November 10, 2009). Retrieved on 2016-04-02.

Rodriguez was ringside and provided ancillary television commentary for the nationally televised Thursday night, 21 March 1963 Dodger Stadium featherweight championship bout between reigning champ Davey Moore and Sugar Ramos, won after ten rounds by technical knockout (TKO) by Ramos and resulting within the hour in a comatose state for Moore, and ultimately his death on 25 March. He had just beaten Griffith (who had himself fought Benny Paret in another tragic fight) for the world Welterweight title in the same program. Moore's death was memorialized by recording artist Bob Dylan in his long-unreleased (but widely bootlegged) song, "Who Killed Davey Moore?" (the complete telecast of the fight is available on YouTube, as are several of Dylan's various performances of the song.)

In November 1969, Rodriguez challenged Nino Benvenuti in Rome, Italy, for the middleweight world title. In the 11th round, slightly ahead on points but tiring and badly cut, Benvenuti suddenly landed a perfect left hook that left Rodriguez on the floor for 5 minutes.

Rodriguez retired in 1972Luis Rodriguez. www.ibhof.com. Retrieved on April 2, 2016. after losing to Donato Paduano in Montreal. He died on 8 July 1996 at South Shore Hospital in Miami Beach.

He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2009 The Ring magazine ranked Rodriguez as the third-greatest Cuban boxer of all time, behind Kid Gavilán and Kid Chocolate.10: Greatest Cuban boxers of all time – Ring TV . Ringtv.craveonline.com (January 11, 2009). Retrieved on 2016-04-02.

Eastern Airlines Flight 202 Rodriguez and his trainers were among 33 passengers on Eastern Airlines flight 202 from Miami to Dallas, Texas, when that flight got hijacked and taken to Cuba on July 24, 1961. Rodriguez was fearful for his life since he had escaped from Cuba recently. However, Cuban authorities allowed the plane and its passengers to return to the United States without further incident. Rodriguez was on his way to a fight versus Curtis Cokes, which he eventually lost by split decision some days later, on August 3.

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes121Loss Donato PaduanoSD10Apr 12, 1971 120Loss107–12 Mike LankesterMD10Mar 16, 1971 119Win107–11 Dave HiltonUD10Nov 30, 1971 118Win106–11 Mike PadgettKO2 (10)Nov 1, 1971 117Loss105–11 Rafael GutierrezTKO6 (10)Aug 3, 1971 116Loss105–10 Bunny SterlingPTS10May 25, 1971 115Win105–9 Tony MundineKO1 (10)Aug 7, 1971 114Win104–9 Bobby CassidySD10Jan 26, 1971 113Win103–9 J C PonderKO5 (10)Dec 1, 1970 112Win102–9 Jose GonzalezUD12Sep 24, 1970 111Win101–9 Fraser ScottMD10Aug 20, 1970 110Loss100–9 Jose GonzalezPTS10Jul 31, 1970 109Win100–8 Baby Boy RolleTKO5 (10)Jun 27, 1970 108Win99–8 Willie WarrenUD10Apr 14, 1970 107Win98–8 Joe CokesTKO4 (10)Mar 17, 1970 106Win97–8 Porter RolleKO4 (10)Feb 10, 1970 105Loss96–8 Nino BenvenutiKO11 (15)Nov 22, 1969 104Win96–7 Tom BetheaUD10Sep 23, 1969 103Win95–7 David BecklesTKO2 (10)Aug 12, 1969 102Win94–7 Eddie OwensKO7 (10)Jul 8, 1969 101Win93–7 Rafael GutierrezTKO6 (12)Mar 31, 1969 100Win92–7 Bobby WilliamsTKO7 (10)Feb 20, 1969 99Win91–7 Doug HuntleyUD10Jan 21, 1969 98Win90–7 Joe ShawUD10Nov 15, 1968 97Win89–7 Rudy RodriguezTKO4 (10)Sep 4, 1968 96Win88–7 Vicente RondónUD10Jul 18, 1968 95Loss87–7 Vicente RondónUD10Jun 3, 1968 94Win87–6 Ted WrightUD10May 5, 1968 93Win86–6 Carl MooreUD10Mar 26, 1968 92Win85–6 Charley AustinTKO6 (10)Feb 6, 1968 91Win84–6 Bennie BriscoeUD10Dec 15, 1967 90Win83–6 Candy McFarlandPTS10Nov 16, 1967 89Win82–6 Percy ManningTKO1 (10)Nov 6, 1967 88Win81–6 Phil RobinsonKO3 (10)Sep 29, 1967 87Win80–6 Ferd HernandezUD10Sep 7, 1967 86Win79–6 Jimmy LesterUD10Jun 28, 1967 85Win78–6 Juan Carlos RiveroUD10Jun 4, 1967 84Win77–6 Bennie BriscoeUD10Mar 20, 1967 83Win76–6 Esteban Alfredo OsunaPTS10Feb 18, 1967 82Win75–6 Manuel AlvarezKO8 (10)Jan 20, 1967 81Win74–6 Ruben OrricoTKO4 (10)Sep 24, 1966 80Win73–6 Juarez de LimaKO3 (10)Sep 9, 1966 79Loss72–6 Curtis CokesTKO15 (15)Jul 6, 1966 78Win72–5 Tommy CaldwellTKO2 (10)May 7, 1966 77Loss71–5 Percy ManningSD10Apr 11, 1966 76Win71–4 George BentonTKO9 (10)Mar 7, 1966 75Win70–4 Joey LimasTKO4 (10)Jan 25, 1966 74Win69–4 Fred McWilliamsTKO9 (10)Jan 18, 1966 73Win68–4 Joe Louis MurphyKO4 (10)Dec 20, 1965 72Win67–4 Eddie PaceUD10Dec 2, 1965 71Win66–4 Cecil MottTKO4 (10)Nov 16, 1965 70Win65–4 Johnny MorrisTKO2 (10)Oct 4, 1965 69Win64–4 Rubin CarterUD10Aug 26, 1965 68Win63–4 Charley AustinUD10Aug 3, 1965 67Win62–4 Jose AssuncaoUD10Jul 26, 1965 66Win61–4 Memo AyonRTD3 (10)Jul 16, 1965 65Win60–4 Rip RandallUD10Apr 21, 1965 64Win59–4 John Henry SmithKO10 (10)Mar 26, 1965 63Win58–4 Rubin CarterUD10Feb 12, 1965 62Win57–4 LC MorganKO2 (10)Nov 14, 1964 61Loss56–4 Emile GriffithSD15Jun 12, 1964 60Win56–3 Jesse SmithUD10Apr 4, 1964 59Win55–3 Holley MimsUD10Mar 20, 1964 58Win54–3 Wilbert McClureUD10Dec 27, 1963 57Win53–3 Wilbert McClureUD10Oct 18, 1963 56Win52–3 Denny MoyerTKO9 (10)Aug 17, 1963 55Loss51–3 Emile GriffithSD15Jun 8, 1963 54Win51–2 Emile GriffithUD15Mar 21, 1963 53Win50–2 Joey GiambraUD10Jan 19, 1963 52Win49–2 Mel CollinsUD10Dec 12, 1962 51Win48–2 Santiago GutierrezTKO3 (10)Nov 6, 1962 50Win47–2 Ernest BurfordTKO7 (10)Aug 29, 1962 49Win46–2 Gene ArmstrongTKO8 (10)Jun 3, 1962 48Win45–2 Yama BahamaTKO3 (10)May 5, 1962 47Win44–2 Ricardo FalechTKO3 (10)Mar 17, 1962 46Win43–2 Luis Federico ThompsonUD10Jan 27, 1962 45Win42–2 Curtis CokesUD10Dec 2, 1961 44Win41–2 Jose GonzalezTKO7 (10)Oct 24, 1961 43Win40–2 Guy SumlinTKO5 (10)Sep 13, 1961 42Loss39–2 Curtis CokesSD10Aug 3, 1961 41Win39–1 Alfredo CotaKO4 (10)May 13, 1961 40Win38–1 Alvaro GutierrezTKO5 (10)Apr 15, 1961 39Win37–1 Johnny GonsalvesUD10Mar 22, 1961 38Win36–1 Lyle MackinTKO5 (10)Feb 21, 1961 37Loss35–1 Emile GriffithSD10Dec 17, 1960 36Win35–0 Johnny GonsalvesUD10Nov 28, 1960 35Win34–0 Yama BahamaMD10Nov 16, 1960 34Win33–0 Mel CollinsUD10Oct 24, 1960 33Win32–0 Basil CampbellKO5 (10)Aug 17, 1960 32Win31–0 Virgil AkinsUD10Jul 6, 1960 31Win30–0 Alfredo CotaKO2 (10)May 26, 1960 30Win29–0 Alvaro GutierrezTKO4 (12)Apr 7, 1960 29Win28–0 Chico VejarUD10May 2, 1960 28Win27–0 Carl HubbardKO4 (10)Feb 10, 1960 27Win26–0 Garnet HartUD10Dec 23, 1959 26Win25–0 Isaac LogartUD10Oct 21, 1959 25Win24–0 Larry BakerUD10Oct 3, 1959 24Win23–0 Rudell StitchSD10Aug 26, 1959 23Win22–0 Virgil AkinsUD10Jun 17, 1959 22Win21–0 Cecil ShortsKO9 (10)May 9, 1959 21Win20–0 Joe MiceliTKO5 (10)Feb 21, 1959 20Win19–0 Juan PadillaPTS10Nov 22, 1958 19Win18–0 Kid FichiqueUD12Sep 20, 1958 18Win17–0 Benny ParetSD10Aug 9, 1958 17Win16–0 Charley ScottKO9 (10)Jul 26, 1958 16Win15–0 Tony ArmenterosPTS10Apr 19, 1958 15Win14–0 Rolando RodriguezKO4 (10)Mar 29, 1958 14Win13–0 Benny ParetUD10Feb 8, 1958 13Win12–0 Rolando RodriguezPTS8Nov 16, 1957 12Win11–0 Gomeo BrennanPTS8Sep 28, 1957 11Win10–0 Guillermo DiazDQ6 (8)Jul 20, 1957 10Win9–0 Guillermo DiazPTS6Jun 22, 1957 9Win8–0 Vicente ReyesPTS6May 18, 1957 8Win7–0 Vicente ReyesPTS6Mar 23, 1957 7Win6–0 Guillermo DiazPTS6Feb 16, 1957 6Win5–0 Jose HernandezKO5 (6)Jan 12, 1957 5NC4–0 Jose HernandezNC2 (6)Dec 15, 1956 4Win4–0 Pablo CardenasTKO2 (6)Nov 24, 1956 3Win3–0 Julian YanezPTS4Oct 20, 1956 2Win2–0 Vicente ReyesPTS4Jul 21, 1956 1Win1–0 Lazaro Hernandez KessellKO3 (4)Jun 2, 1956

Titles in boxing Major world titles NYSAC welterweight champion (147 lbs) WBA welterweight champion (147 lbs) WBC welterweight champion (147 lbs)

The Ring magazine titles The Ring welterweight champion (147 lbs)

Undisputed titles Undisputed welterweight champion

See also

List of world welterweight boxing champions

References

External links