Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

Jose Napoles,

Maybe the most 'under-rated' Great.

Starting as an 18 year-old - 5' 7" 126 lb. - Featherweight in Havana, Cuba
ran through a string of fairly impressive wins to go 20-1-0 (6 KO's).

Had the look of early brilliance, showing fast hands and great natural boxing skills.

Of course, in June 1961 - Mr. Napoles professional boxing career was stalled in Cuba,
and Jose soon found himself out of boxing for 1-year.

By July 1962, Mexico City was home.

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Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

Yes hes the most underrated great ever. Fought the majority of his young adult years in the lower weight classes and then produced one of the most dominant title reigns ever in a traditional 8 weight class. Pure legend, could have easily added names like flash elorde and sugar ramos if he wanted to, but was too busy beating up all the top welterweights and the 2 best junior welters.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

Fighting his 'first bout' in Mexico City, on Saturday Night - July 21, 1962 after a
1-year 'forced retirement',

The 22 year-old Jose Napoles (134 lbs.) scored a sensational knockout (KO 2) over
Mexico City 'Knockout-Artist' - Enrique Camarena 23-4-0 (21 KO's).

Jose was supposed to be an opponent, and turned the tables on Camarena.

That victory, moved Jos Napoles into the #9 Lightweight position.

Nobody had thought that this 'Cuban Lightweight' had that kind of power with his record of 20-1-0
(6 KO's).

The beginning of the Cuban-Mexico City Legend.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

Spectacular fighter, I like him the more I see him. Incredible ability and every attribute you could want in a fighter, excellent defensively, good counter-puncher, very quick hands and feet, and plenty of balls. His record and level of opposition is top quality to. Moving up two weights to fight a far bigger Monzon, and attempt to bring the fight to him was a brave move.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

As a Mexico resident, scored 3' straight wins, all by knockout in 1962.

November 10, 1962

The 22 year-old Jose Napoles at 23-1-0 (9 KO's) -

Then in a wild Saturday Night bout in Los Mochis, Sinalo, Mexico took
on 24 year-old Mexican Lightweight Tony 'La Perla' Perez 34-4-0 (23 KO's).

A wild 10-Round slug-fest, with Jose edging Perez by a close Decision,
which called for the two to have a rematch.

Jose, now was the #7 Lightweight, and was also the #10 Light-Welterweight.

Jose Napoles, would go on to compete in the 135 lb. Lightweight Division
thru 1964, and in several of his bouts up thru 1968, when he was age 28,
he was able to stay under 140 lbs.

I don't think it would be hard to say, that Jose Napoles would have had a
very good chance at winning a Lightweight and a Light-Welterweight Championship.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

I certainly concur that he's the most underrated great ever, maybe even more than Gene Tunney..in hypothhetical matches so many times in this forum, he's merely the Cuban Henry Cooper. Some posters have him getting cut as he's entering the ring practically, and I think this is bullshit. Napoles was a super brilliant fighter, as deadly as a snake and supremely talented. He could grind you into hamburger (Cokes) take you with one shot (Lopez, among others) or patiently outbox you (Griffith), and transform a truly deserving, dangerous foe like Adolph Pruitt and cut and batter him unmercifully for a quick tko stoppage. The guy was even better, it's scary to think about, as an upcoming lightweight and junior lightweight. Mantequilla is only behind SRR as a welterweight champ, IMO.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

Trying to dig up some results of Jose Napoles early Lightweight bouts.

January 5, 1963 (Saturday Night - Plaza de Toros 'Bull Ring', Sonora, Mexico)

Rematch with Jose Napoles 24-1-0 (9 KO's) vs. Tony 'La Perla' Perez 34-5-0 (23 KO"s)

A Split-Decision win for Tony Perez, who pounds Jose's body with left hooks, and
has him in some difficulty over the last 2-Rounds.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

March 30, 1963

Jose Napoles scores a win (W Dec 10) over Mexican Lightweight Champion
- Baby Vasquez, a 31 year-old veteran with a record of 93-28-3.

The victory even got a write up in the American Newspapers.

Jose moves his record to 26-2-0, and is a certified Top 10 Lightweight, setting up a
bout with the dangerous #4 World-rated Lightweight - Alfredo 'Canelo' Urbina 34-11-3 (21 KO's)
for April 27, 1963.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

By mid-November 1963,

The 23 1/2 year-old Jose Napoles at 31-3-0 (14 KO's) was as good as any
135 lb. Lightweight out there.

Despite a tough (L Dec 10) to Alfredo 'Canelo' Urbina on April 27, 1963 -

Jose bounced back with solid victories over Baby Vasquez and Pulga 'The Flea' Serrano.

A victory over (KO 3) over rival Tony 'La Perla' Perez on November 16, 1963 -
put Jose at the #4 World-ranked Lightweight.

Manager 'Cuco Conde', who also handled World Champion Featherweight - 'Cuban' Sugar Ramos,
was ready to put the charge into Jose, in a quest for a World Championship.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

Unfortunately he wouldnt get title shots because carlos ortiz wanted nothing to do with him.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

A dangerous fight.

November 30, 1963 (Caracas, Venezuela)

Just 2-weeks after the Tony Perez III bout.

Jose Napoles 31-3-0 (14 KO's)
vs.
LC Morgan 58-26-1 (37 KO's)

American Light-Welterweight from Ohio. - LC Morgan a 29 year-old - 5' 8" bomber
who can knock-out anyone who he hits. Morgan comes into the bout with '9' knockouts
in his last '10 bouts', and vows to knockout Jose Napoles.

LC has been campaigning in Mexico for the past 6-months, and has worked his way into
the Top 20 of the Light-Welterweight Division.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

There were guys like Kenny Lane, Ismael Laguna and Nicolino Locche amongst other contenders (like Elorde, Ramos, Bizarro) that Napoles could have hung around and fought if he really wanted to challenge Ortiz for the title.

Don't pretend that he somehow cleaned out the division of all other fighters bar Ortiz, making Carlos blatantly duck him. That's a fabrication.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

I think it would have been great had he did stay at junior welter for a while and did fight these guys. I think he would have beaten them all. Ortiz by a close decision, Locche by an equally close nod, Kenny lane by stoppage and he would have been too much for laguna as well with his superior firepower and skill...he would have beaten Laguna on points decisively.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

November 30, 1963

Jose Napoles 'knockout' (KO 7) over LC Morgan was supposed to 'thrust' Jose
into a Lightweight Championship with Carlo Ortiz for February 1964.

But it was not to be, as Carlos went to the Philippines to defend his
Championship versus World Super-Featherweight Champion - Gabriel 'Flash'
Elorde.

Re: Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'
 

I'd probably favour him over all those guys in one-off matches as well, but I highly doubt he runs that gauntlet undefeated if he had to face them all. There's some quality fighters in that bunch.

In some ways I think he would have had a better career if he hung around at 135/140 and tried to clean house there.

The quality of fighter in those divisions in the mid to late 60's was a step up from what was available at welterweight during that time imo.