Perico Fernandez 'I Got KO'd By A 2-Bout Pro'

Flea Man,

Back in 1974, 1975 and 1976

Perico Fernandez was the #1 Sports Personality in Spain.

The 'little guy' was 'big'.

Joe Martin' his trainer, said they wanted nothing to do with a 'rematch' with
Saensak Muangsurin for late-1975 or early-1976.

Though they were not impressed with Saensak's boxing skills, on punching power
Martin' said, 'the guy just hits too hard'.

 

Flea Man,,,

When Saensak Muangsurin 'demolished' Perico in July 1975, he did send him back down to the
Lightweight Division in 1976.

But in Spain and Europe, that was still no easy walk-in-the-park.

European Lightweights
* - Ken Buchanan.........(European Champion)
1 - Jim Watt................(British Champion)
2 - Gianfranco Usai........
3 - Percy Hayles...........(British-Commonwealth Champion)
4 - Andre Holyk............(French Champion)
5 - Jonathan Dele..........(British-Commonwelath Champion)
6 - Fernand Roelands......(Belgian Champion)
7 - Vincenzo Quero........(Italian Champion)
8 - Antonio Puddu..........

Spain Lightweights
* - Miguel Velasquez (Champion)
1 - Jose Ramon Gomez-Fouz
2 - Marcus Giminez
3 - Jeronimo Lucas
4 - Fernando Sanchez
5 - Miguel Molleda

 

Flea Man,

Miguel Velazquez, a 5' 7" tall, typical European stand-up style.

Good for the 'standard' straight 1-2.

Good boxing skills, technically sound and a smart fighter.

Another one of those Spain fighters, who was really a 135 lb. Lightweight that
moved up to Light-Welterweight.

By June 1976, the 31 1/2 year-old was ready to retire with a record of 64-3-3 (32 KO's).

As a send off, Enrique Soria got him a 'Title Shot' versus Saensak Muangsurin, when
Perico Fernandez 'by-passed the opportunity', so he could go after the European Lightweight Title.

As for his bout with Ken Buchanan in January 1970 for the European Lightweight
Championship. Personally, it was clearly Miguel who won the fight, by landing far more
cleaner punches than Ken. What made it close, was that Buchanan made a hard charge
down the stretch by landing the harder punches. But Velazquez won all of the early
rounds by sticking his sharp left jab in Buchanan's face, and mixing in an occassional quick
right hand (which floored Buchanan).

 

Flea Man,

I may start a thread on Miguel Velazquez later.

When he fought Saensak in July 1976, the 31 1/2 year-old Velazquez was
'past his prime', and was ranked as the #9 WBC Light-Welterweight.

Miguel was at his peak in 1969 and 1970 (ages 24 and 25).

Miguel only came in at 136 1/2 lbs. for the Title Fight, and looked thin compared to the 139 lb. Saensak.

In Round 1, Miguel Velazquez was able to score with light but 'accurate' left jabs, and quick
straight rights hands on Saensak. The Champion was content to let Velazquez work his
'light offense' without retaliation.

After a tentative start in Round 2, Saenak started winging his 'rock fists' at his smaller and less powerful opponent.
During the round, Saensak had the Spaniard in very bad shape, and eventually floored the Challenger for an 8-Count.

In Round 3, saensak moved forward like nothing or no one would stop him. Saensak started landing some hard
'piston-like straight rights' to Miguel's face (left eye), causing it to bleed. By the latter part of the Round,
Saensak was scoring with 'smashing shots', and Velazquez went down again. After receiving the 8-Count,
the Champion moved in with another assault.

In between Rounds, the Sports Palace fans started to cheer for their countryman, with cries of encouragement
for motivation.

In Round 4, Saensak was steady in his pursuit of Velazquez, like a 'tiger on the prowl'. The Champion raked
the weakening Velazquez with his usual mixture of right hooks and long straight left hands. Velazquez did
hang in there while absorbing the blows, and was able to come back with a light offense that in itself was
a remarkable accomplishment, seeing that he had been taking a brutal pounding.

Then the unthinkable. As the bell ended the round, Velazquez turned and Saensak unloaded a booming
left hand to the unprotected Velazquez, who fell wide-spread to the canvas and unconscious.

Immediatley, without hesitation, Mexican Referee - Abraham Chavarria 'disqualified' Saensak Muangsurin.

Mexican Referee, Abraham Chavarria may have been influenced in his decision to Disqualify
Saensak, as the 16,000+ pro-Velazquez 'Spanish' fans at the Sports Palace in Madrid, Spain
screamed 'foul' in full voice.

Saensak Muangsurin vs. Miguel Velazquez

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Miguel Velazquez

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Flea Man,

The 'Disqualification' of Saensak Muangsurin was 'justified', as the
Champion did blatantly nail Miguel Velazquez on the head after the bell,
possibly by a good '3' seconds.

There was 'no low blow'.

No doubt that he was on his way to a KO or TKO stoppage in another
two rounds (at the most). But 'a foul is a foul' as WBC President
Jose Sulaiman stated at ringside.

The 'big issue' is that Mexican Referee - Abraham Chavarrio immediately
disqualified Saensak, without consulting with the Spain ABC commission,
or WBC representatives.

Saensak later stated, 'that he just didn't hear the bell', and thought that
Velazquez was turning away because he was hurt.

Saensak did state that he would respect the WBC's decision of 'disqualification',
and the loss of his WBC Chamionship Belt.

WBC President - Jose Sulaiman, stated that there would be a 'rematch'
as soon as Miguel Velazquez is cleared by physicians.

 

Lester,,,,,

NO

Saensak nailed an 'unprotected' Miguel Velazquez in the head after the
bell ended Round 4.

In defense of Saensak, he did not hear the bell. Miguel had turned after
hearing the bell, and the Champion let go with a booming left hand -
a good '3' seconds after the bell.

Mexican Referee - Abraham Chavarria
WBC President - Jose Sulaiman was at Ringside.

The Thailand contingent wanted the bout ruled a 'No Contest', but
Jose Sulaiman over-ruled their petition.

 

Me sorry,,,,,,,

After the bout, WBC President - Jose Sulaiman, immediately went into the
ring and 'hugged' the new Champion - Miguel Velazquez, which was
somewhat of 'a stick in the eye to Saensak'.

The oddity, is that he won the crown by getting badly battered, and
truly didn't 'earn the victory', but was awarded the Championship Belt.
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Friday Night - January 30, 1976 (Barcelona, Cataluna, Spain)

Getting back to 23 year-old - Perico Fernandez - with a record of 35-4-9 (20 KO's), Perico is now
ranked as the #6 WBC Lightweight.

He had a 'bizarre' fight with fellow Spaniard - 24 year-old - Jose Ramon Gomez-Fouz 37-5-2 (14 KO's)
on Friday Night - January 30, 1976.

Jose Ramon Gomez-Fouz is ranked as the #11 WBC Light-Welterweight, and both fighters
agree to a 137 lb. contract weight.

The Fight

Perico comes out like a lion, and scores '2' knockdowns in the 1st-Round. Later in the round, Perico
has Gomez-Fouz in all sorts of trouble, and the Referee steps in an issues a 'standing 8-count' on
Gomez-Fouz.

(According to Spain ABC rules, the bout should have been ruled an automatic TKO), but the Referee does
not stop the bout).

Perico stays in control for the first-half of the bout, but Jose Ramon Gomez-Fouz starts to make his
comeback drive at the mid-way point.

Over the second-half of the bout, it is Gomez-Fouz who is the aggressor, and Perico has his hands full,
in trying to hold Gomez-Fouz off.

The Judges scored the bout a 10-Round Draw.

Later, Perico Fernandez complained that the bout should have been stopped in the 1st-Round, where he would
have been awarded a TKO 1.

Perico stated, after I got robbed by not getting a '1st-Round Knockout', I lost focus in the ring and had
no desire in putting in my full 100% of skills. Jose Ramon Gomez-Fouz is a good fighter, but he is not of
my skill. I wish him well, and maybe we will meet again in the future.

 

July 1975

El Mundo Deportivo

Reported that Perico Fernandez (after losing his WBC Light-Welterweight Championship)
left Bangkok, Thailand alone, when he returned home to Madrid, Spain.

He did not travel home with his Manager - Martin Miranda.

A reported 'violent riff' between the two developed after the fight. Perico claimed that
his Manager had accepted the $60,000 fight purse to face Saensak Muangsurin without
having full knowledge of Munagsurin's punching ability.

Perico stated, that he was told by his Manager (Martin Miranda) that Saensak was a
'2-Bout' Professional, who had gotten 'lucky' in his '2' knockout wins over Rudy Barro and Lion Furuyama.

Perico further stated, that he was told that Saensak had no boxing skills, other than some power and
a good chin. We had only '2' tapes of him fighting, and I couldn't tell anything at all about his talent.
When I got to Bangkok and saw Saensak close up, he looked so big and had long arms.

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