Angel 'Cholo' Espada

Saint Pat,,,,,,,

Angel 'Cholo' Espada

A pretty good Puerto Rican amateur boxer in the mid-1960's, who won
the Puerto Rican Golden Gloves at Lightweight in 1965 and 1966.

Listed amateur career at {76-7-8}

Turned 'professional' in August 1966, at age 18 1/2.

Big things were expected for the 5' 9 1/2" - 140 lb. fighter, from Salinas, Puerto Rico.

His career start did not go well, as he was 'over-matched' at Light-Welterweight, and did not win
a single bout in his first '6-bouts', going 0-2-4.

Included were losses to;
* February 11, 1967 - {L Dec 6} to Josue Marquez (who went on to fight Antonio Cervantes in 1973)
* July 10, 1967 - {L Dec 6} to Chris Fernandez (a 24 year-old prospect who was 15-0-2 at the time)

On January 10, 1968 - did suprise a few by holding Chris Fernandez {16-1-2} to a 6-Round Draw
in a 'rematch'.

At the time, was Managed by Pete Martinez and Trained by Saso Betancourt, who were also handling
Dominican Republic - Carlos 'Teo' Cruz, the WBA/WBC Lightweight Champion.

 

Friday Night - September 27, 1968

Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Angel 'Cholo' Espada at 2-3-4 (2 KO's) is sent out to California, to fight on
the undercard of the Carlos 'Teo' Cruz vs. Mando Ramos 'World Lightweight Championship'
and Raul Rojas vs. Shozo Saijo 'WBA Featherweight Championship'.

In front of 21,000+ boxing fans,

In a 6-Round 'preliminary' Light-Welterweight bout, Angel 'Cholo' Espada gets floored, and
decisioned (L Dec 6) by California 'Lightweight-prospect' Jimmy Robertson 5-1-0.

Angel 'Cholo' Espada falls to 2-4-4 (2 KO's).

The 20 1/2 year-old 'one-time prospect's career' looks bleak.

 

Angel 'Cholo' Espada

Angel turns his 'slow-starting' career around,

Following the 'loss' to Jimmy Robertson on September 27, 1968 - 'Cholo' Espada
takes '7-months' off, and regroups with a new Manager 'Yamil Chade'.

From April 14, 1969 thru October 10, 1970, and fighting 'exclusively' in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Fighting primarily at 145 lbs.

'Cholo' Espada wins '15-straight' bouts, including '8' knockouts, to improve his record to 17-3-4 (10 KO's).

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One of the things that developed with Angel Espada,

He was a 'pure boxer' when he first started professional boxing in 1966.

But in 1969, under the 'managerial direction' of Yamil Chade,
'Cholo' Espada started to stay a bit more stationary, and loaded-up more on his punches.

And 145 lbs. was his 'perfect weight' for his 5' 9 1/2" frame.
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Many give Angel 'Cholo' Espada a 'hard time' for getting 'clocked' by an 'unknown' 18 1/2 year old
Pipino Cuevas, but

Pipino Cuevas was well known and 'super popular' in Mexico, and had a 'huge' young following.
It came as no suprise to many Mexicans, when Pipino won the WBA Welterweight Championship
in 1976.

 

Saturday - November 7, 1970

Angel 'Cholo' Espada 17-3-4 (10 KO's)...{Unranked}
vs.
Matt Donovan 21-2-1 (12 KO's)...{#15 WBC Light-Middleweight}

The 22 1/2 year-old 'Cholo' Espada (riding a 15-bout winning streak) takes on his toughest opponent,
Matt Donovan, a 27 year-old, 5' 11" boxer-puncher with a good right-hand from Trinidad & Tobago.

Matt Donovan is the Trinidad & Tobago (Welterweight / Light-Middleweight and Middleweight Champion)

Matt Donovan comes to Puerto Rico (Hiram Bothorn Stadium) as the visiting challenger,
in a scheduled 10-Round bout for something called the 'Latin-Caribbean Welterweight Championship'.

Near disaster for 'Cholo' Espada, as he walks into a right-hand near the end of Round 1, and is floored for a '7-Count.

For the next '4-Rounds', Matt Donovan beats a steady 1-2 on the dazed 'Cholo'.

In Round 6, 'Cholo' slowly starts to come back, and uses his faster hands to outbox
the slower Donovan. Angel Espada edges Donovan out in Rounds 6, 7 and 8.

Angel starts out Round 9 in the same boxing-style, but Matt Donovan who has been
coasting for the 3-Rounds, comes out winging, and staggers 'Cholo' with a left-hook,
and continues to pound him throughout the Round.

Behind entering Round 10, 'Cholo' boxes with jabs and edges out the Round, but it is
Matt Donovan who earns the victory.

Scorecards ( 97-95 / 97-94 / 95-95 ) - Matt Donovan by 10-Round Majority Decision

Matt Donovan

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Saint Pat,

Not too much on 'the finer details' of the following bouts;

5-Months after the 'disappointing loss' to Matt Donovan, Angel 'Cholo' Espada makes his 'first'
appearance in New York, in a Main Event at the Felt Forum.

Saturday Night - April 12, 1971

Attendance; 4200

Angel Espada 17-4-4 (10 KO's)...{Unranked}
vs
Edmundo Lieto 33-6-7 (11 KO's)...{#28 Welterweight}

A 'Main Event' at the Felt Forum, New York City.

The 23 year-old 'Cholo' Espada wins a 'questionable' 10-Round Majority-Decision over 'veteran', 29 year-old Brazilian
Welterweight - Edmundo Leite.

Scorecards ( 5-4-1 / 6-3-1 / 5-5-0 )

Though the decision was well-received by the pro-Puerto Rican fans, the boxing press felt that
Brazilian - Edmundo Leite was the recipient of a 'Bad-Decision'.

Edmundo Leite countered 'Cholo' Espada throughout the 10-Round bout, and kept the young
Puerto Rican swinging at air. Though Angel Espada was the aggressor, he was unable to land anything
hard on the 'cagey' Brazilian, and 'Cholo' was not effective with his two-fisted attack.
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Saturday - June 10, 1971 (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Angel Espada 18-4-4 (10 KO's)...{#26 Welterweight}
vs
Dino Del Cid 40-8-2 (30 KO's)...{Unranked}

Angel 'Cholo' Espada stops (KO 3) 26 year-old, 6' 0" tall 'Panamanian' Dino Del Cid.

Though Dino Del Cid is listed at 40-8-2 (30 KO's) his record cannot be substantiated.

'Cholo' Espada wasted no time going after Del Cid, as he overwhelmed him with right-hand bombs and
left hooks, flooring Del Cid in both the 2nd and 3rd Rounds.

 

Saint Pat,,,,,,

Thanks,,,,,,,,,Glad you enjoy the information.

Yamil Chade (Manager), also handled Wilfredo 'Bazooka' Gomez.
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Saturday Night - August 21, 1971 (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Angel 'Cholo' Espada 19-4-4 (11 KO's)...{#19 Welterweight}
vs.
Manuel Gonzalez 57-20-6 (19 KO's)...{#12 Welterweight}

23 year-old 'Cholo' Espada takes on his toughest and most experienced opponent,
32 year-old veteran Manuel Gonzalez (Odessa, Texas).

Gonzalez was the #1 Welterweight only 1-year earlier (July 1970), but '3' losses have
pushed him out of the Top 10. Manuel is a smart technical fighter, who has a 'lightning quick'
left-jab, and good right-hand counters. Defensively, the 5' 9" veteran is solidly built, has a 'rock-jaw',
and is one durable 'Hombre'.

Cholo' Espada, showing his improving skills, speeds though an an 'impressive' 10-Round Decision,
by mixing up solid left jabs, and swift combinations to cruise to a solid 10-Round Decision win over
the experienced veteran Manuel Gonzalez.

Scorecards { 6-2-2 / 7-3-0 / 7-2-1 }

The victory improves Angel 'Cholo' Espada to 20-4-4, and moves him up to the #11 Welterweight.

Manuel Gonzalez
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Tuesday Night - October 19, 1971 (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Angel 'Cholo' Espada 20-4-4 (11 KO's)...#11 Welterweight
vs.
Eddie Perkins 62-15-2 (20 KO's)...#2 Light-Welterweight

Former World Light-Welterweight Champion, 34 year-old Eddie Perkins won a
clear-cut Unanimous 10-Round Decision over 'fast rising' 23 year-old Puerto Rican Welterweight
Angel 'Cholo' Espada last night in San Juan, and in front of 5000 Espada fans.

Perkins, the former 140 lb. Champion (1962 thru 1965) continually used crisp punches to
keep the taller Espada (5' 9 1/2") at bay. Perkins at 5' 5" and at 147 lbs., was the stronger
fighter tonight, and nailed the 'swift' 144 lb. 'Cholo' Espada with hard left jabs, hooks and
upper-cuts throughout the contest.

The former Light-Welterweight Champion has been campaigning at 147 lbs. (Welterweight) for
the past year, and may challenge Champion Jose Napoles next year.

Angel 'Cholo' Espada has been on the rise in the Welterweight Division, and this loss will slow down
his quest for a quick-shot at the Welterweight Championship.

Scorecards { 6-3-1 / 7-3-0 / 6-2-2 }

5' 5" Eddie 'Power-Pak' Perkins

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Following the loss the 'classy veteran' Eddie Perkins in October 1971 -

Angel 'Cholo' Espada takes 7 1/2 months off, before returning on June 12, 1972
in a bout at the Felt Forum, New York.

In a Monday Night 'Main Event', the 24 year-old 'Cholo' Espada will take on another
experienced Welterweight in 30 year-old - Dario Hidalgo (Dominican Republic).

'Cholo' Espada 20-5-4 (11 KO's) has dropped to the #14 Welterweight.

Dario 'Escalona' Hidalgo 41-5-1 (8 KO's), is ranked as the #6 Welterweight. The 5' 7" Dominican,
is a 'superior boxer', with fast hands and quick footwork. Dario is considered as one of the 'trickiest'
Welterweights out there, and is one 'fast moving cutie' who is extremely difficult to hit.
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The Fight

The fast-moving (150 lb.) 'slickster' Dario Hidalgo baffles the young (146 lb.) Puerto Rican Espada over the 'first' 4-Rounds,
by scoring with quick left-rights, and counter-punch rights hands, sweeping all '4' Rounds.

In Round 5, 'Cholo' Espada finally catches 'Esacalona' Hidalgo with a short left-hook, and quick right-hand,
that drops Hidalgo for a '3-Count'. The 30 year-old Dominican gets on his 'bicycle' and jabs and dances
out of harms way for the 'second half' of the bout, as 'Cholo' Espada chases.

'Cholo' Espada tries to pin the elusive Hidalgo down time and again, but cannot land anything significant
throughout the rest of the bout, as Dario Hidlago escapes with a 'narrow' Split-Decision victory.

Scorecards { 6-4-0 / 4-5-1 / 6-4-0 ] for Dario 'Escalona' Hidalgo.

Dario 'Escalona' Hidalgo
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Saint Pat

World Welterweight Champion, Jose Napoles gave up his WBA version of the Championship in May 1975.

Jose Napoles had 30-Days to sign to defend his WBA Championship, after defeating Armando Muniz on March 30, 1975.

WBA ranked Welterweights - #1 Clyde Gray and #2 Angel Espada were 'selected' to fight for the 'vacant' WBA Welterweight Championship.

 

NO,

Jose Napoles didn't not have to forfeit the WBA version until May 1975.

He fought Carlos Monzon in February 1974.