PANCHO VILLA?S 117TH BIRTHDAY AUGUST 1
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 01 Aug 2008
LOS ANGELES, California ? The first Asian world boxing champion, Francisco "Pancho Villa" Guilledo, was born 117 years ago (August 1, 1901) in Ilog, Kabankalan, Negros Occidental in the Philippines.
Villa was world flyweight champion from May 18, 1923 to Jul 4, 1925.
Touted as ?the greatest flyweight of the century? by the Associated Press, the 5 feet and one inch Ilonggo boxer was also the first world champion from the Philippines.
He was one of only four Asians enshrined into the New York-based International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994. He was also inducted to the World Boxing Hall of Fame. Villa began his boxing career in 1919 and adopted the name Pancho Villa after a famous Mexican revolutionary.
After his successful bids in the Philippines, he went to New York in pursuit of international bouts. Known for his whirlwind style, Villa, then 22, knocked out reigning world flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde of England in the 7th round at New York's Polo Grounds on May 18, 1923.
Villa (91-8, 25 KOs) lost on points to future welterweight champion Jimmy McLarnin at the Oaks Ballpark in Emeryville, California in his farewell fight. He died of tooth infection 10 days later.
Frankie Genaro, a former Olympic gold medalist, was the only fighter to beat Villa three times in four fights with one no contest.
The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) proclaimed Genaro as Pancho Villa?s successor although a fourth meeting between them never happened.
In his first fight in the United States, Villa lost by 12-round decision to Abe Goldstein at the Oakland AA, Jersey City, New Jersey on June 7, 1922. He avenged the defeat on points on Nov. 16, the same year at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
Among his knockout victims in the United States were Sammy Cohen, Johnny Hepburn, Johnny Buff, Frankie Mason, Henry Kid Wolfe, Jackie Feldman, Donnie Mack, and Henny Catena.
He was married to Gliceria Concepcion.
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