Jose Napoles 'The Mark of Brilliance'

Sunday - June 4, 1967

Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles does something nobody else had done.

27 year-old 'Mantequilla' knocks down, and stops (KO 7) 'Kansas' Johnny Brooks 38-16-5 (7 KO's).

Johhny Brooks, the 28 year-old Nevada State Weltwerweight Champion had never
been floored, and has only been stopped once before, in his 7-year / 59-bout career.

Both fighters weigh in at 141 lbs., and 'Mantequilla' turns it on in Round 5, against the
tough Mid-West journeyman. Jose, rips combinations in Rounds 5 and 6, putting
Johnny down in each round.

Round 7, one more time 'Kansas' Johnny is pounded to the canvas, where he is
counted out.

A super impressive win for La Marvela Cubana.

Next up for Jose Napoles, a '4th-bout' with 'American' Knockout Artist - LC Morgan.

 

If Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker tried to campaign as a fighter in Mexico in the
mid-late 1960's,

He would have gone broke, because his style of slap and run, wouldn't have drawn
anybody to those Plaza de Toros 'Bull Rings'.

The Mexican Fans wanted 'bloody wars', not Patty-Cake.

The Mexican Fight Promoters, would have sent him to..............Argentina.

 

Monday Night - June 7, 1967

Plaza De Toros - Tijuana, Mexico

Attendance; 5200

#3 Light-Weltetwerweight -Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles 'blows away' (KO 2) American
'Knockout-Artist' - LC Morgan.

The scheduled 10-Rounder was just settling in after an 'Even' feeling out 1st Round.

'The Great Cuban caught the American with a tremendous left-hook in Round 2,
flooring LC Morgan for the 'full-count' at 0:41 of the Round.

Napoles who improves to 50-4-0 (32 KO's), received a fight purse of $5000.

The 32 year-old veteran - LC Morgan, who owns a TKO victory over Napoles,
drops to 90-38-2, received $1100.

 

August 18, 1967

'Archie Moore, Not Sure If Jose Napoles Is Championship Material'

The former World Light-Heavyweight Champion is not so sure that the
Great Cuban Light-Welterweight - Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles is the
calibre of Championship material.

Archie stated that though 'Mantequilla' can punch, he doubts whether
'La Marvela Cubana' has the overall skills to be a Champion.

The 27 year-old Napoles, with a record of 50-4-0 (32 KO's) recently
refused to come fight in Los Angeles, in fear of not getting a fair
decision by officials scoring a bout.

Archie, is bringing his fighter, 29 year-old Johnny Depeiza, a 5' 8" 145 lb.
stylish-boxer from Trinidad and Tobago to Ciudad Juarez, to test the
powerful 5' 7 1/2"" Cuban in 'two-weeks'.

Johnny Depeiza, with a record of 43-9-2 (14 KO's) is a fast-handed boxer,
who Archie has stated will box circles around Napoles.

We Will See

Johny Depeiza
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Monday Night - June 22, 1964

Nuevo Circo 'Bull Ring' - Caracas, Venezuela

Attendance; 11,000

#1 Lightweight - Jose Napoles - 35-3-0 (18 KO's)
vs.
#2 Lightweight - Carlos Hernandez - 34-3-3 (22 KO's)

In what was supposed to be a 'Lightweight Elimination' bout between
the Top 'two' 135 lb. Lightweights, with the winner to get World Lightweight
Champion - Carlos Ortiz in September 1964.

Napoles, the 24 year-old - 5' 7 1/2" @ 137 lbs. 'Mantequilla' is the visitor.

Hernandez, the 25 year-old - 5' 10" @ 136 lbs. 'Morocho' is the hometown favorite.

'Mantequilla', the smooth as butter boxer-puncher.
versus
'Morocho', the tall lightning quick bomber with power in each fist.

The Fight

Carlos Hernandez had power in each hand, and went all out in the first '3' Rounds
in an attempt to take to out Jose Napoles.

But Napoles, avoided getting hit with any long-range bombs from the Venezuelan,
and started to counter well in Round 4.

Napoles slowly built up pressure, and worked his way inside the longer arms of 'Morocho',
and by the 6th Round, 'Mantequilla' was hurting Hernandez with his 3-punch assaults.

'Morocho' was leg weary at the end of Round 6, and only his heart and courage let him
escape the fists of Napoles.

'Morocho' put in one last assault in the opening moments of Round 7, but Napoles turned
it on after that, and pounded Hernandez with a relentless assault, leaving him defenseless
until the Referee stopped it at 1:49 of Round 7.

'Mantequilla' wins by a TKO 7.

Fight Purses -
Jose Napoles...............($10,000 - U.S. Dollars)
Carlos Hernandez.........($15,000 - U.S. Dollars)

 

In September 1964,

Both Jose Napoles and Carlos Hernandez would have taken Lightweight
Champion - Carlos Ortiz.

Carlos 'Morocho' Hernandez, kind of like Alexis Arguello.

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Monday Night - September 11, 1967

Plaza De Toros - Ciudad Juarez

Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles (146 lbs.) made a believer out of Archie Moore, when he
starched his fighter Johnny Depeiza (142 lbs.) in only 2:04 of Round 1.

Right hand bombs dropped the Caribbean fighter 'twice' for 8-Counts, and a
barrage of punches followed by a left hook finished off DePeiza in the opening
round.

Cuco Conde, 'We might as well take Jose up to Welterweight, as nobody in the
Light-Welterweight Division wants to fight us anymore. The Japanese fighter
(Takeshi 'Paul' Fuji / Light-Welterweight Champion) won't fight us, and the
Argentinian fighter (Nicolino Locche) won't risk his #1 Ranking by fighting
'Mantequilla'.

 

Sunday - December 3, 1967

Plaze De Toros- Merida, Yucatan

Capacity; 5000

Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles - "La Marvela Cubana'
vs.
Charles Watson - "El Motivo Peleador"

Jose Napoles was already being proclaimed as the 'Uncrowned King'
of the Light-Welterweights. The 27 year-old, with a record of 51-4-0
and (33 KO's) was the #2 WBA Ranked 140 lb. boxer.

Charles Watson, the 23 year-old Welterweight from Phoenix, Arizona -
a 'club-fighter' with a record of 16-16-1 (6 KO's).

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In nothing more than a 'work-out', Jose Napoles entertains the 'Bull Ring' fans with
a smooth boxing performance of jabbing and moving for 5-Rounds.

After giving the Yucatan fans an education on the 'Art of-Boxing', Napoles opens
up Round 6 with a '13-punch barrage' flooring the tough Arizona club-fighter.
Charlie Watson rises up at the 7-Count, but is too dazed to continue.