If you want to see an equal 'match-up' of what a Jose Napoles vs. Pernell Whitaker bout would look like at 140 lbs. Check out the result of the December 17, 1966 bout between 26 year-old 'Mantequilla' and the great Ecuadorian - Eugencio Espinoza. Espinoza was a 28 year-old 5' 5" 'dynamo', with a record of 51-4-4 (23 KO's) against the best South American - Lightweights and Light-Welterweights. Before facing Napoles, Espinoza was the #3 Light-Welterweight, and was unbeaten in '18-straight'. This bout meant everything to the Ecuadorian, as if he had defeated Jose Napoles, he would have gotten a Light-Welterweight Championship bout versus Sandro Lopopolo. 'Mantequilla' tore Eugencio apart, and left him battered in the corner for a (TKO 6) stoppage. Nobody could take those 7-punch barrages from a 'Prime' Jose Napoles.
Saturday Night - December 17, 1966 El Toreo - Mexico City Attendance; 15,000 Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles - 47-4-0 (29 KO's) - #4 Light-Welterweight vs. Eugenio 'Electrico' Espinoza - 51-4-4 (23 KO's) - #3 Light-Weltwerweight The winner is supposed to get a shot at Light-Welterweight Champion - Sandro Lopopolo in March 1967. The 26 year-old 'Mantequilla' swarms over the 5' 5" - 28 year-old swift-moving Espinoza over the early rounds, and pounds away with hard left and right punches to both the head and body in Rounds 1, 2 and 3. Espinoza, a fantastic fighter, is able to get off in Round 4, and scores with his quick 3-punch flurries, and edges the round. But, Eugenio cannot keep the bull-charging Napoles off of him, as Jose is just too strong. By the end of Round 5, Espinoza is in 'bad-shape' as Jose is employing his famous 7-punch assaults, while Eugenio tries to box with his back to the ropes. Napoles drops Eugenio with a hard left hook to the chin early in Round 6. Espinoza gets up at the 4-Count, and manages to hang on for another minute, but another barrage from 'Mantequilla' has him reeling around the ring in pain, forcing the Referee to call a halt to the one-sided fight, awarding 'Mantequilla' a TKO 6 win.
Eugenio Espinoza, Lost a hometown 10-Round Decision to Rodrigo Valdez in his next bout in Columbia. Eugenio went on to defeat, Flash Elorde, Ismael Laguna and Antonio Herrera. 'El Electrico', slaps 'Sweet Pea' all over the place in Quito, Ecuador.
Elorde and Herrera were absolutely done and funnily enough, he fought Laguna a couple of months after their first fight in Panama and near on got shut out. Perhaps you're right though, Whitaker would get slapped around in Equador... by the judges.
'El Electrico' would have no problem finiding 'Sweet Pea' in Ecuador, as he would be in the opposite corner with the 'straws' sticking out his nostrils. 'Sniff-Sniff'.......:rasta
The thing about Napoles, as pointed out in an ancient edition of Boxing Illustrated, was that he could snake through an opponent's guard a pinpoint accurate shot that had knockout drops in it. The best, and most well known example of this was his rematch vs ernie Lopez, but there were many other cases of this, and I wish I had that old BI edition to elaborate more.
Red C, Cuco Conde ('Mantequilla's Manager) could not lock down a shot for Jose at the Light-Welterweight Championship in the first half 1967. Italian - Sandro Lopopolo would not give him a chance, as Sandro opted for more 'Yen' when he took on Takeshi 'Paul' Fuji in Tokyo in April 1967. Jose Napoles waited for 6-months at a 'promised' bout, but 'No Luck'.
Mid-1967 Light-Welterweight Rankings *** Takeshi 'Paul' Fuji #1 - Willie Quartuor #2 - Nicolino Locche #3 - Jose Napoles #4 - Eddie Perkins #5 - Sando Lopopolo #6 - Lester Beckles #7 - Joao Henrique #8 - Carlos Hernandez #9 - Marcel Cerdan #10-Fel Pedranza I think Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker would have made it into the bottom '5' of this group. Don't think he would have defeated Eddie Perkins.
KuRupt, Can't you just see Lou Duva jumping up and down in Italy, after 'Sweet Pea' got jobbed out of a Decision to Sandro Lopopolo. That would be worth 'Ten Million Lira' alone just to see Lou Lou.
Dos't surprise me. Lopopopopopolo wouldn't have seen round 4 with Napoles. Fuji would have been dispatched within 6...I would have loved a Napoles-Locche bout.