Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'

February 12, 1966

#1 Light-Welterweight - Jose Napoles 43-3-0 (25 KO's)
vs.
#3 Light-Welterweight - Johnny Santos 28-2-0 (10 KO's)

The 25 1/2 year-old Napoles takes on the slick-punching
22 year-old - 'Hawaii Phenom', Johnny Santos.

Johnny Santos, has been guaranteed a shot at the Light-Welterweight
Champion - Carlos Hernandez if he can upset Jose Napoles.

Both the Lightweight Champion and Light-Welterweight Champion
want 'nothing' to do with 'Mantequilla'.

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Easy KuRupt,

Pernell Whitaker was a tremendous boxer, and a super talent.

But, he just wouldn't have the guns to ward off Jose Napoles.

The mid-1960's 'Mantequilla' was a monster in the ring at 135 lbs.
or 140 lbs.

Jose 'destroyed' a fabulous fighter in Johnny Santos (KO 3) in February 1966.

Now, Johnny Santos would have given Pernell Whitaker one hell of a fight, because
he was just as fast.

Now, 'Sweet Pea' won fights, but he was not 'destroying' his opponents.

 

February 12, 1966

Hawaii News,

22 year-old 'Hawaii Phenom' - 5' 8" fast-handed boxer - Johnny 'Johnny Rod' Santos
the #3 World-rated Light-Welterweight was brought in to stop the #1 Light-Welterweight
- Cuban 'Mantequilla' Napoles streak towards the Light-Welterweight Championship.

Johnny, riding an unbeaten string of '22-bouts', has streaked to the Top of the 140 lb.
Division, which includes an 'upset' Decision win over the previously unbeaten Japanese
Light-Welterweight - Takeshi 'Paul' Fuji in his last bout.

Johnny, with a record of 28-2-0 (10 KO's), on paper appears to be too fast and too quick
for the power-punching Cuban. A win over 'Mantequilla' will guarantee Johnny a
World Championship bout with Venezuelan - Carlos Hernandez in April.

 

Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles

Following his 'annihilation' (KO 3) over Johnny Santos in February 1966

April 17, 1966

Jose brought his record up to 45-3-0 (27 KO's) with a stoppage (TKO 4) over
'Rock-Jawed' Los Angeles Light-Welterweight - Al Grant 19-8-3 (7 KO's).

Al Grant, had never been floored or stopped, until he faced Jose Napoles.
A barrage of punches in Round 4, left Al Grant a mess.

12-days later, on April 29, 1966 - Light-Welterweight Champion - Carlos Hernandez
was losing his Championship to Italian - Sandro Lopopolo.

Manager - Cuco Conde, could not secure a Light-Welterweight Championship bout for Jose,
as nobody wanted to come to Mexico to fight him.

 

Cannon,

Found the information on the Wednesday Night - July 27, 1966 bout.

Plaza De Toros Monumental Bull Ring - in Ciudad Juarez

The bout was held in front of 9000 fans.

Jose Napoles 45-3-0 (27 KO's) vs. Humberto Trottman 19-7-2 (4 KO's)

Humberto Trottman was a 26 year-old, 5' 8" fast-handed Panamanian, and stable-mate
of Ismael Laguna. Humberto was a lightning quick boxer, but with no real punch.

Rumors were being tossed out there that Ismael Laguna was coming into Mexico to
take on 'Mantequilla', but instead Ismael went to Los Angeles to take on Al Grant,
a previous Napoles 'knocked out opponent'.

'Mantequilla' was surprised in the opening round, as Humberto attacked instead of
boxing and moving. Humberto went toe-to-toe with Jose, and out-hit the slow starting
Napoles in the 1st-Round.

But, in Round 2, Humberto foolishly attacked, and mid-way through the round, Jose
crushed a left hook to Humberto's jaw, knocking him out at 1:42 of Round 2.

 

Red Cobra,

Unfortunately No.

They missed the man in the mid-late 1960's, when 'Mantequilla' was at
his best.

Coming up, the cut-eye 'Loss' to LC Morgan.

 

Monday Night - August 22, 1966

Arena Coliseo - Reynosa, Tamualipas, Mexico

Attendance; 2700

#1 Light-Welterweight - Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles - 46-3-0 {28 KO's}
vs.
Youngstown, Ohio - LC 'Langston Carl' Morgan - 88-31-2 {67 KO's}

The Skinny,

#1 Light-Welterweight - Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles, the 26 year-old Cuban looks to stay
busy, while waiting for his opportunity at the Light-Welterweight Championship. There is
discussion that Jose may go to Italy, to challenge the Champion - Sandro Lopopolo in
October 1966.

LC Morgan looks to be a 'safe opponent', as Napoles has stopped the 31 1/2 year-old American
'journeyman' twice before, by (KO 7 in November 1963) and (KO 3 February 1965).

LC Morgan, comes into the bout with '12' straight knockout wins, while campaigning the small
arena's in Mexico. His last loss was in December 1965. One thing, LC is not afraid to bomb away,
and that always makes him a dangerous opponent.

The Fight;

Round 1 -

'Mantequilla' starts off with a steady one-two attack, and shakes Morgan with a left-right late in
the Round. But 'LC' hangs tough, and whips in a wild left hook near the end of the round, that
opens a small cut over Jose's right eye.

Round 2 -

'LC" comes out aggressively, and starts winging his bomb-hooks, and catches Napoles with another
left hook, that rips open the cut over the right eye. Napoles, with blood coming down his face, attempts
to get close to 'LC', and bangs away with ferocious punches.

Morgan is shaken, but fights back with 'zinging hooks', and a right hook past the mid-way point in the
round, slices Napoles over his left eye.

Napoles is not hurt, but blood is pouring down his face. Morgan sensing trouble, attacks like a 'Wild Bear',
and rips hooks at Napoles eyes until the Round ends.

Round 3 -

Napoles, knowing he's in trouble, goes after 'LC' with bombs, but he cannot trap the 'smart journeyman',
as 'LC' ties him up every time he gets close. 'LC' is just biding time, waiting for an opening as he covers up.

'LC' lands a couple of counter left jabs, that do further damage to the cuts.

Napoles tries to go to the body, in hopes of bringing Morgan's hands down, but the opening never comes as
the bell ends Round 3.

Round 4 -

Jose comes out for Round 4, as blood is pouring down his face from cuts over both eyes. Napoles tries several
hard punches, but leaves himself open. 'LC' waits, and lands a perfect counter left hook, and an overhand right,
which splits Jose's cut over the left eye wide open, as blood pours everywhere, as the Arena Coliseo fans scream
for a stoppage.

Referee - Gustavo Saleraez waits, but cannot let it go any further, and stops the bout at 1:31 of Round 4.

LC Morgan is awarded a TKO 4 victory.

LC Morgan
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Sunday - October 30, 1966

Arena - San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Attendance; 3100

Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles, returns to the ring after 2-months, after
suffering a cut-eye (L TKO 4) to American - LC Morgan.

The 26 year-old - 'Mantequilla' has dropped from the #1 to the #5
Light-Welterweight, as a result of the loss.

Jose was supposed to fight LC Morgan in a rematch, but the American was
stopped (L KO 6) by Battling Torres in Reynosa, Mexico on October 1st.

Jose's 'return-to-the-ring' opponent, is a replacement - 27 year-old California
tough-guy, Jimmy 'Buckskin' Fields, a steel-chinned Lightweight with a
deceiving record of 16-12-5 (6 KO's). Jimmy Fields has never been floored
or stopped in his 7-year, '33' bout career, and warns 'Mantequilla' that he's
here to finish what LC Morgan started.

The Fight;

In the 1st-Round, 'Buckskin' (135 lbs.) makes his clam come true, when he floors
Jose Napoles (140 lbs.), with a sharp right-hand counter. Napoles is up at the 3-Count,
and his somehwhat stunned, but gathers his wits within a few seconds, and
boxes out of harms way, as Fileds pursues.

It takes Napoles a few Rounds to figure out the straight right-hand counter
punches from the surprisingly strong Fields, but by Round 5, 'Mantequilla'
slowly takes over.

In Round 8, Napoles buckles the legs of Fields with a barrage of punches, and
has the Californian hanging on throughout the last 40-seconds of the Round.

Napoles, who has a small cut over his left eye, from a right-hand by Fields in
Round 8, stalks a hurt Fields, and rakes him over with 3-punch assualts, and
pins the fading Californian along the ropes. With 20-seconds left in Round 9,
Jimmy Fields takes a knee (the first time in his career he's ever been down).

Fields gets up at the 8-Count, and survives until the bell.

In the 'final round', Napoles attacks with a steady assortment of left-rights to
both the head and body. Fields does all he can to hold on, but he takes a battering
as he is kept pinned along the ropes. As the round comes to a close, Fields is
helpless as Napoles scores with hard punches on his head, finally dropping him
onto the lower rope strand, when the Referee stops the bout with 5-Seconds left at
2:55 of Round 10.

Jose Napoles improves to 47-4-0 (29 KO's)