Has there been a greater win by a 19 year old?

Didn’t pipino Cuevas win a title as a teenager ? Not sure

 

Yes, he was 18 when he beat Angel Espada in 1976.

 

I thought Edwin Rosario kayo of Edwin Viruet, albeit a faded one, was highly impressive.

 

The Rose win over Harada is definitely the template for all wunderkinds. However, Tony Canzoneri wasn't too shabby either. I was looking at his record and was amazed that at 18 he beat Andre Routis, Bushy Graham and California Joe Lynch before fighting a draw with Bud Taylor for the bantamweight title and then won the vacant NYSAC world featherweight title from Johnny Dundee. At 19 he beat Bud Taylor in a non-title and then unified the featherweight title by winning the NBA title from Benny Bass. Not too bad at all.

 

I see Midget Wolgast in that light, too. He was beating guys like Izzy Schwartz at 16 (who would become Ring Champion the same year), Willie Davies at 17, and Bill (then #1 at 112) at 19.

 

How do you know that ? I've never heard that anywhere ..

 

I looked it up when you mentioned it because I had never heard it before, either. It's written by Jose Corpas, a historian I've known for awhile. He penned the book on Panama Al Brown and focuses a lot of Latin boxers. He's someone I trust.

Here is a direct quote and link to the article:

"When Lou Duva of Garden Promotions sponsored the National AAU tournament between the US amateur team and the Puerto Rican national team at the Paterson Armory just before Christmas 1972, the bantamweight was reported as '16-year-old sensation, Wilfredo Benitez.' When he boxed for the first time as a professional in New York in 1974, his reported age was 18. That would’ve made him 19 or 20, depending on his birth month, when he became champion after defeating Antonio Cervantes in 1976.

The story goes that the 'Wilfred-o' Benitez who was billed as 16 in 1972 and 18 in 1974 really was Wilfred – without the 'O' – and that he was born on September 12, 1958. Never mind that Gregorio called him Wilfredo and not Wilfred because, he said, it was easier for him to pronounce. Never mind too that the few available records from the now-closed PS 124 show a Wilfredo Benitez born in 1956 rather than a Wilfred born in 1958. September 12, 1958 is the date his family celebrates. It’s the date that makes him 17 when he defeated Cervantes and justifies the sign in front of his home that reads, 'Campeon Mas Joven 17' – the youngest champion. It was a fake baptismal certificate with the misspelled name that caused the confusion according to Gregorio. Those backyard sessions at whatever age Benitez was helped create a fighter Jose Torres wrote was 'Willie Pep, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Joe Louis all in one.' Those sessions undoubtedly contributed to the poor state of health he was in shortly after his career ended."

 

On itself it is just numbers, literally anyone with the right match making can be 23-0 at 19; hell they could be 230-0!

 

That would be my pick.

 

This takes the cake!

 

Jorge Armando Arce was 19 when he became 1998 the first time world champion. In his second reign was he maybe 21 or so and had like ten title-dences.