Esteban 'Vita' De Jesus 'Forgotten WBC Lightweight Reign'

Esteban 'Vita' De Jesus,

Known for his '3' battles with Roberto Duran, avoided a trip to Japan, and was able
to finagle a home country challenge in May 1976 -

Unable to defeat Roberto Duran for the WBA Lightweight Championship on March 16, 1974
in Panama - and unable to 'dethrone' WBA Light-Welterweight Champion - Antonio Cervantes
on May 17, 1975 also in Panama -

Manager/Trainer Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez was able to convince the WBC Lightweight Champion
- Japan's Ishimatsu 'Guts' Suzuki to leave the comforts of home, and defend his WBC Championship
in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Of course, this cost the promoters $200,000 to get the WBC Champion to leave Japan.

The Champion, (age 26 years, 11 months) - Ishimatsu 'Guts' Suzuki stood at 5' 7 1/2", and
was a powerfully built Lightweight with a 67 1/2" reach, and who relied on his strength and
stamina.

Ishimatsu, with a record of 31-11-6 (17 KO's), and was making the 6th-Defense of his WBC
Lightweight Championship that he had won on May 11, 1974.

The 24 1/2 year-old - Esteban, a 5' 5" 'power-pak', carried an impressive 46-3-0 (26 KO's) record,
and was positioned as the #1 WBC-ranked Challenger.

 

Saturday Night - May 8, 1976

Before a packed house of 12,500 at the Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico -

Esteban De Jesus took immediate control of the WBC Lightweight Championship bout, and backed
Champion - Ishimatu 'Guts' Suzuki to the ropes, where he unleashed a consistent 'two-fisted' attack.

The 24 1/2 year-old Puerto Rican, fighting before his home country fans, kept hitting the 27 year-old
Japan fighter with ease throughout, enroute to winning a one-sided 15-Round Decision.

It appeared that the #1 WBC Challenger won every round as witnessed by the ringside observers.

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Suprisingly, the boxing critics called this bout a 'Toss-Up'.

Many felt that Ishimatsu 'Guts' Suzuki was,
A) The harder puncher
B) More aggressive
C) Had more stamina
D) A better body puncher

Early predictions had the boxing press voting for the Champion to defeat the
Puerto Rican Challenger by a 10th Round Knockout.

Ishimatsu 'Guts' Suzuki, 'I'm too big and too strong. I am a big Lightweight,
and De Jesus is just a little guy. After 7 or 8 Rounds, he won't be able to
take my body punches. I will stop him in the 10th Round.'

POW !!!!

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B-L-T

Both of Esteben De Jesus Championship bouts in 1976 were held in Puerto Rico at
the Loubriel Stadium.

May 8, 1976 vs. WBC Champion - Ishimatsu 'Guts' Suzuki

Esteban took control from the opening bell, and dominated the bigger Suzuki, by
landing hard left jabs and left hooks for the first 6-Rounds.

In Round 7, Esteban had the Champion in bad shape, and almost toppled him with
a left hook to the jaw, after staggering Suzuki with an overhand right.

From Round 8 thru Round 14, it was non-stop Esteban, as he went to a left-right
attack, and kept the Champion along the ropes for the majority of the rounds.

In Round 15, the Champion made a 'last-ditch effort', and tried to go for broke by
winging hard right hands at Esteban's head. It was the Champion's best round of the
fight, but Esteban came back at the end of the round with some heavy left hands to
push the beaten Champion backwards.

Referee - Harry Gibbs

Scorecards;
* 150-135 (15-0-0 in Rounds)
* 150-137 (13-0-2 in Rounds)
* 148-137 (13-2-0 in Rounds)
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Esteban De Jesus 'first defense' of his WBC Lightweight Championship.

September 10, 1976 vs. #3 WBC-ranked - Hector Julio Medina (Dominican Republic)

Record 28-0-0 (24 KO's)

Hector Medina was a 22 year-old, 5' 8" tall, dangerous hard-punching challenger,
and had a 3" height and 3" reach advantage over Esteban.

Esteban's handlers were very worried about Medina's early round power, and over the first
'4-Rounds', they were right, as Medina went right after Esteban and pushed him
backwards, while landing long-range right hand bombs that snapped the Champion's
head back.

But in Round 5, Esteban was able to get inside and under Medina's arms, and pounded
away with hard left hooks to the body, to slow the Dominican-bomber down.

In Round 6, Esteban turned the fight around, and worked Medina's body and slowly broke
him down. By the end of the Round, Medina was hurt from the body punches, and
looked in bad shape at the bell.

In Round 7, the Champion went non-stop with a two-fisted attack on Medina's body, and
after hurting the Dominican, followed up with a wicked left hook to the ribs, which
floored him for the 10-Count. Esteban wins by TKO 7 at 1:45.

 

January 1977

Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez stated that he wanted Roberto Duran for a 'rubber match
with Esteba De Jesus, but not in Panama.

'Once in New York, and once in Panama. Now he has to come to Puerto Rico, to give
us a fair deal.'

Roberto Duran replied, 'I'm not going to fight a Puerto Rican in Puerto Rico, with a
Puerto Rican promoter, Puerto Rican judges and a Puerto Rican referee. I hate
those dirty cockroach loving people.'

 

February 12, 1977

WBC Lightweight Champion - Esteban De Jesus 49-3-0 (27 KO's) makes the
'2nd-Defense' of his Championship versus Honolulu-based Japan's - Shinichi 'Buzzsaw' Yamabe

The 5' 4" - 'Buzzsaw' a 25 year-old southpaw, and perenial title challenger posts a
record of 26-5-2 {18 KO's}, and has just come off of a knockout {TKO 8} over
Arturo 'Tury the Fury' Pineda in a WBC-Elimination bout.

 

Flea Man,

I think most will agree, that Roberto Duran had a tendency to 'sugar coat' his thoughts.