Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'

Thanks Red,

Can you imagine -

Nicolino Locche, Jose Napoles, Bruno Arcari and Rodrigo Valdez
in a 'Carousel Tournament' at 140 lbs. in early 1969.

 

Sunday - December 22, 1968

Arena Coliseo - Federal Distrct -Mexico City

Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles - 57-4-0 (37 KO's) - #1 WBA Light-Welterweight
vs.
Lennox 'The Guyanese Leopard' Beckles - 43-8-2 (13 KO's) - #7 WBA Light-Welterweight

The 28 year-old Napoles (148 lbs.) takes on the Guyanese Welterweight Champion -
28 year-old - 5' 7 1/2" - Lennox Beckles (146 lbs.), a solidly-built boxer-puncher from Guyana.

Both fighters are Top 10 ranked in the WBA as Light-Welterweights.

The Fight

Jose Napoles wastes little time, as he swarms over the solidly built, but light-punching
Beckles, and flails away with lefts and rights, backing Beckles into the ropes.

'Mantequilla' lands a hard right hand to the jaw, and Beckles falls to the canvas at the 1:17 Mark.
Beckles rises at the 5-Count, and tries to circle away.

But Napoles traps the Guyanan in a neutral corner, and bombs away with a 5-punch combination,
capped by a left-right to the head, which drops Beckles, where he is counted out at 2:02 of Round 1.

The Rumor Mill

It was reported that 22 year-old Colombian - Rodrigo Valdez had signed to come to Mexico City to fight
Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles, at a contract weight of (143 lbs.) - but was pulled out 2-weeks before the
bout, claiming an injury.

Lennox Beckles, was a 2-week replacement fighter.

 

September 2012

Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles (Age 72)

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January 3, 1969

Luis Santampiro

'The Last of the Great Cubans'

Sitting in the Arena Coliseo in Mexico City on a late Sunday Afternoon - December 22, 1968 -
I saw this great fighter by the name of Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles.

In less than 1-Round, this 'Mantequilla' destroyed a very talented Guyanese fighter by
the name of Lennox Beckles.

I was wondering, just who is this Jose Napoles that they call 'Mantequilla' ('butter'), and why is this
fantastic boxer fighting in relative obscurity in the likes of;

Mexico City, Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Los Mochis, Reynosa and Monterrey.

 

January 1969

Luis Santampiro

'The Last of the Great Cubans'

Looking into the Cuban's background, I find a converted Lightweight, who has been
forced into a higher weight class, as the 135 lb. and 140 lb. Champions will not
get into the ring with this fighting machine.

Up until now, I found that his highest fight purse was back on June 22, 1964 -
when Jose Napoles travelled to Caracas, Venezuela to fight the then #2 Lightweight
in the World - Carlos Hernandez in his own back-yard.

Of the $10,000 fight purse, Jose Napoles only received a small portion of that -
as he was forced to cover all expenses of an entire travelling team.

 

January 17, 1969

'Napoles Signs For A Bout With Akron Fighter'

Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles - 58-4-0 {38 KO's} - (144 lbs.)
vs.
Fate 'Akron' Davis - 33-5-1 {25 KO's} - (144 lbs.)

The 28 1/2 year - Jose Napoles, the #1 WBA Light-Welterweight takes on
Akron, Ohio's - 30 1/2 year-old Fate Davis, the #11 WBA Welterweight,
in a bout scheduled for Saturday Night - February 15th at the Arena Coliseo
in Mexico City.

Jose Napoles will receive a $5000 fight purse, and the American Welterweight
Davis will receive $2200.

A contract weight of 144 lbs. has been stipulated.

'Akron' Fate, at 5' 10" - is a tough and rugged, thin-bodied slashing-puncher, and a very
hard hitter. Davis is one who can slice up his opponents with his punches.

The thin-skinned (above the eyes) 'Mantequilla' will have to be very careful in this bout.

Fate Davis
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Tuesday Night - February 12, 1969

'Contracts Signed'

Welterweight Champion - Curtis Cokes and Jose Napoles sign
to meet on April 18, 1969 at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

The Champion will receive a fight purse of $80,000.

The Challenger will receive $20,000.

Note; The only thing Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles has to do, is 'not' lose to Akron's Fate Davis
in their scheduled bout on Saturday Night in 4-days on February 15th in Mexico City.

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Saturday Night - February 15, 1969

Arena Coliseo - Mexico City

Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles secured a bout for his long awaited challenge
for a World Championship, by stopping American Welterweight - Fate Davis
by a TKO 7.

'Mantequilla' Napoles (144 lbs.) used sharp left hands and straight right hands
to break down the 'tough and rugged' Akron, Ohio visitor, to score a TKO 7.

Fate Davis, at 5' 10" - used sharp left hands and slinging right hands to tag the
shorter 5' 7 1/2" Cuban during the first 2-Rounds. But Napoles was able to get
inside, and land his hard and quick combinations to shake Davis in Round 3.

Both Rounds 4 and 5 were fought on 'Even Terms', but Napoles was the more
sharper puncher, by using his short compact swings.

In early Round 6, Davis tried to slow down the Cuban Express, by winging right hands,
but by mid-way thru the round the American was beginning to fade.

Napoles landed an assortment of lefts and rights, and had Davis in bad shape over
the last 30-seconds, as he scored with 'three' solid left hands to the head.

As the bell for Round 7 rang, Fate Davis' corner waved it off, saying that their fighter
could not continue.

 

Before Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles signed to fight Curtis Cokes.

On January 30, 1969 at The Olympic Auditorium -

The #1 WBA Welterweight - Mexico's - Raul 'Chato' Rosario 40-12-1 (31 KO's)
tha hard-hitting knockout artist took on - #2 WBA Welterweight - California's -
Ernie 'Indian Red' Lopez 34-5-1 (15 KO's) -in a 12-Round Elimination Bout.

What was on the line. If Raul Soriano defeated Ernie Lopez, he would be signing a
contract (on February 12, 1969) to fight Welterweight Champion - Curtis Cokes
at the Mexico City Sports Palace on April 18, 1969.

The 29 year-old 'Chato' Soriano had defeated Ernie 'Indian Red' Lopez a year earlier,
on March 3, 1968 in Mexicali by a convincing 10-Round Decision.

In an upset, Ernie 'Indian Red' Lopez scored a knockout by a TKO 9.

This opened the 'door' for Carlos 'Cuco' Conde and Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles.

 

Red Cobra,

Little known fact, that Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles was 'not' the #1 WBA Welterweight
when he fought Welterweight Champion - Curtis Cokes.

California Fight Promoter - George Parnassus (The Forum) loved Jose Napoles, and saved
him from being an obscure fighter in Mexico, despite being the Top-Rated Light-Welterweight.

$80,000 got Curtis Cokes to The Forum.

 

Friday Night - April 18, 1969

The Forum - Inglewood, California

Attendance; 15,878

World Welterweight Championship

Curtis Cokes
Age.........31 years, 10 months
Height.....5' 9"
Reach.....73"
Weight....145 1/2 lbs.
Record....55-9-3 (27 KO's)

Jose Napoles
Age.......29 years, 0 months
Height....5' 7 1/2"
Reach....72"
Weight...143 lbs.
Record....59-4-0 (39 KO's)

The Champion - Curtis Cokes will be making his 6th Title Defense of the
Championship he won back on July 6, 1966.

The Challenger - Jose Napoles, the #1 WBA Light-Welterweight is moving
up in weight class, and this his first challenge for a World Title. Jose has
been competing since August 1958 (over 10 years), when he first fought
in Havana, Cuba.

This bout will set a California Indoor Live-Gate record of $198,480.