Kid Gavilan - head-to-head monster?

Quotes from 1961-08-04 The Dallas Morning News (page S1)

Rodriguez had been unable to tell reporters the name of his opponent for the Dallas fight last week after Rodriguez and his fellow passengers had returned to Miami following the Dallas-bound airliner highjacking incident.

Cokes later vowed that the Cuban champ would remember it when he left Dallas. And certainly Rodriguez must have remembered it every time Cokes slammed his punishing right hand to his head and body Thursday night.

Rodriguez previously had lost only one time in 41 fights, and that one to Emille Griffith, now the world's welter champion. And he never had been knocked down--not until he collapsed under a furious bombardment from Cokes' gloves in the fifth round Thursday night. Rodriguez managed to pull himself to his feet shaking his head frantically to erase the cobwebs as the bell ended the round.

Again in the ninth Cokes, whose biggest fault in previous fights had been the lack of aggressiveness, had the Cuban on the verge of a knockout. Again the bell was on Rodriguez side as his knees wobbled precariously under Cokes' two-fisted attack.

In fact, the fight belonged to Cokes after the second round. A good right hand to the head in the third appeared to convince the Dallas Negro that boxing fame was within his grasp. And indeed it was.

In the dressing room after his victory, someone suggested that now Cokes could quit his job at the bank.

"No, but maybe they'll give me a raise," he cracked.

"I really wanted the knock out. I thought I could take him out a couple of times but I was just too tired from throwing all those punches. I was surprised I was able to hit him as easy as I did. When he jabbed he would drop his arm a little and I could hit him with a set right. I guess I was able to get that right hand in about as good as I ever have. I weighed about four pounds more than usual and it definitely helped."

Rodriguez' Cuban manager, Ernesto Coral, said that his fighter had taken a much worse beating than Griffith had given him last December.

Folley, who has seen Griffith a number of times, said he thought a match between Cokes and the champ would be "a toss up." "This boy is a real fine fighter," appraised Folley. "He hits real hard for a welter, throws his punches straight and has great control of himself at all times."

Bill Swift, Folley's manager, called Cokes "a great fighter, definitely a championship possibility."

One wag at ringside may best have summed up the night's action however:

"I'll bet Rodriguez wished somebody had highjacked that last plane," he yelled amid a roar not heard at a Dallas ringside in many years.

 

Quotes from 1961-12-03 The Miami News (page C6)

The final bell was a sweet sound of revenge for Luis Rodriguez last night at the Miami Beach Convention Hall and indeed a pause that refreshes for Curtis Cokes.

Rodriguez, the world's fourth-ranking welterweight from Miami, punished Cokes, the fifth-rated welterweight from Dallas, with continuous and ripping attacks to the body to score a one-sided verdict in the co-featured 10-rounder preceding the nationally-televised Machen-Jones fight.

NOT A BLINK

Cokes upset Rodriguez in a 10-rounder in Dallas last August. It was only the second loss in his career for Rodriguez. In that bout, he was knocked down for the first time in his life.

Cokes didn't come close to dropping him last night. The few rights he landed didn't even make Rodriguez blink.

...

Rodriguez, outweighing Cokes almost six pounds 148 3/4-144, was stronger looking and did the stiffer punching to the body from the beginning.

 

Edit: Nevermind.

 

I'd give the following the best chances in no order (Robinson removed): Hearns, Leonard, Mayweather, Duran, Curry, Rodriquez, Napoles, Starling, Benitez, Whitaker, Burley and maybe Holman Williams/Cocoa Kid

I could see any of them potentially winning for different reasons

 

Cheers Pea, and fair point Lora.

 

Quotes from 1966-07-07 The Times-Picayune (page II8 )

Curtis Cokes, 146, Dallas, furnished a savage, surprise ending to a 15-round World Boxing Association - approved welterweight title elimination fight at the Municipal Auditorium Wednesday night when he finally opened up and beat Luis Rodriguez, 146 3/4, Miami, all around the ring in the final 15th round. Rodriguez' manager Angelo Dundee stopped the battering after exactly one minute by winging in the towel.

Rodriguez, a former welter champion, had been saved by the bell in the 14th round. The crowd of 5,005 paid roared as Cokes made a belated spurt after showing little in the early part of the fight.

After the 14th Rodriguez walked to his corner in a daze and appeared as if he might really be hurt after taking a severe pounding from both hands of Cokes who was potshotting him at the conclusion of the round.

The bout opened in an air of extreme caution with both boys appearing reluctant to make a break for the big punch. Rodriguez fought in ineffective flurries and Cokes was content to counter-punch with occasional stinging blows.

The fans were getting restless in the early part of the fight as few prolonged series of blows were struck by either boy.

At the end of the 14th round, all ring officials had Cokes ahead on points. Referee Pete Giarrusso had it Cokes, 8-3-3 while Herman Dutriex scored it 9-3-2 and Lucien Joubert, 7-5-2.

The crowd, which paid $17,586.50 gross and $15,363.15 net, got their action near the end of the fight.

There was only one knockdown in the fight and Rodriguez scored that in the fifth with a quick right which did not seem to hurt Cokes, who was up immediately. Rodriguez lost the round, however, when it was taken from him on a low blow.

The T-P card did not see the fight the same way as the officials, having Rodriguez ahead 8-5-1 when Cokes unleashed his winning attack. But Cokes erased all doubt when he battered Luis severely enough at the end of the 14th and at the beginning of the 15th to make Manager Dundee stop it. Rodriguez was definitely on slumber lane from the blows and Curtis had just begun to fight.

 

Thanks as well Senya :good

Exactly what you'd expect from Welters of that quality.

 

I think Gavilan is all wrong for Starling, PP. Points win for The Keed.

 

Basilio had a very close fight with him, maybe Basilio during with welterweight reign might beat him. I'd favour Napoles and Leonard.

 

"My boy likes to bang downstairs. The ref takes the round away and in doing so, took the fight from my guy. Cokes was wearing his trunks darn near his chin." -Angelo Dundee, Rodriguez' trainer, on the low blow penalized on Rodriguez in the 6th round and his fight plan.

Not that it's really an unbiased source.

 

You certainly used to talk him up back in the day. I agree, though, Griffith is one fighter I've always had trouble watching.

 

Does anyone know anything of the gavilan v ratford fights?

 

Not really. I think I read previously that Ratford outboxed and outfought Gavilan on the inside, but I'm not 100% sure.

But Doug Ratford beats Gavilan head-to-head, that much is obvious - and I think only one postor mentioned him.