Ricardo Cardona 'WBA Super Bantamweight Champion'

Ricardo Cardona,

Another one of those 'talented' tall Columbian boxers.

Resembled the great Antonio 'Kd Pambele' Cervantes in style. Tall for his division at 5' 8", and with good
boxing skills, a sharp left-jab, and a ram-rod straight right hand.

Turned professional in September 1973, at age 20 1/2, and fought out of Venezuela.

By October 1976 had gone 16-3-1 (9 KO's), including a July 14, 1975 win {TKO 8} over 'talented'
Venezuelan - Ildenfonso Bethelmy

During his early run, Ricardo lost a 'close' 10-Round Decision to World-Rated and undefeated Oscar Arnal.

On November 7, 1976 - Ricardo improved to 17-3-1 (10 KO's) when he won the Columbian Super-Bantamweight
Championship, by stopping (TKO 7) World-Rated #6 WBC-ranked - 'undefeated' Rafael Montes 20-0-0 (10 KO's).

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Yes, the Columbian Cardona Brothers.

Ricardo copied his style after Antonio Cervantes, who he was a stablemate of.

Prudencio, one year-older, was the harder puncher, but campaigned as a Flyweight.

Both had excellent amateur careers.

By the end of 1977, Ricardo got to 20-4-1 (12 KO's) and was rated in the Top 10
by the WBA, and was seeking a bout with WBA Super-Bantamweight Champion - Soo-Hwan Hong.

Ricardo had just 'upset' #2 WBA-ranked 'knockout artist' Jesus Caicedo 17-0-0 (15 KO's)
by Decision on November 5, 1977 - who was next in-line.

 

May 7, 1978

#5 WBA-ranked Columbian - 25 year-old Ricardo Cardona scored a 'major upset'
by stopping (TKO 12) WBA Super-Bantamweight Champion -Soo-Hwan Hong,
in Seoul, South Korea.

The 5' 8" tall Columbian took over in the 3rd-Round, by cutting the left eye of the
28 year-old - Champion with slashing right-hands. Later in the round, Cardona closed the left eye
of Soo-Hwan with a hard right hand.

In Round 4, the Challenger floored Soo-Hwan Hong with a hard right-hand. From that
point on, Ricardo continued to land stiff left jabs and hard right hands on the shorter
Champion.

The Champion, fighting with the damaged eye, could not get his powerful offense in
gear, and was limited to an occassional right hand to the taller Challenger's body.

Mid-way through Round 12, the Champion told Referee Tony Perez that he could not
continue. The bout was stopped at 1:23 of Round 12, awarding Ricardo Cardona
with a TKO 12 victory.

Ricardo Cardona improves to 21-4-1 (13 KO's), and wins the WBA Super-Bantamweight
Championship.

Soo-Hwan Hong falls to 41-5-3. He was making the '2nd-Defense' of his Championship that he
won on November 26, 1977. Soo-Hwan is also a former WBA Bantamweight Champion.

Scorecards at the time of the stoppage, all scored for Ricardo Cardona.
Referee - Tony Perez......... 109-101
Judge - Jesus Celis............ 109-101
Judge - Kim-Kwang Soo...... 107-106

 

Flea Man,

Soo-Hwan Hong,,,,,,,he will be next.

After his loss to Ricardo Cardona, 'I have been fighting a long time. If I
can't get a rematch with Ricardo, I'll retire. After he closed my left eye
in the 3rd-Round, I couldn't see as I was walking into his right hands.'

Ricardo Cardona after the bout, 'I have been working on my right hand
with 'Kid Pambele' for 3-months. I was prepared, as I knew he was very strong.
Now my right hand can hurt anybody at 122 lbs.'

 

September 2, 1978

Cartagena, Columbia

WBA Super-Bantamweight Champion - Ricardo Cardona of Columbia defended his Championship
for the 'first time', with a Unanimous 15-Round Decision over 'countryman' #7 WBA-ranked
Ruben 'La Cobra' Valdez 31-4-1 (17 KO's).

The 25 year-old Champion, used his 2" height and 3" reach advanatge, to keep the
harder-punching Valdez at bay, building a solid lead on the scorecards thru the
first '6-Rounds'. The hard punching Challenger was only able land his dangerous hooks
in Rounds 7 thru 10, when the Champion backed to the ropes to slow the pace.

In Round 11, the Champion then brought the fight to center-ring, where he was able
to land long-range right hands to the head of the slowing Valdez.

Ricardo Cardona had the 23 year-old Challenger on 'wobbly legs' in the last '2-Rounds',
as the sharp right hands began to take their toll.

All '3' officials scored the bout for the Champion by a 'solid' margin.

The Associated Press scored the bout for the Champion 146-141 (9-4-2 in Rounds).

Ricardo Cardona improves to 22-4-1.

Ruben Valdez, the #7 WBA-ranked Challenger falls to 31-5-1.

 

November 12, 1978

ChangChung Gymnasium - Seoul, South Korea

WBA Super-Bantamweight Championship

Champion - Ricardo Cardona (Columbia) retained his Title with a 15-Round Split-Decision
over #1 WBA-ranked Challenger - Soon-Hyun Chung (South Korea).

The 25 year-old Champion was making the 'second defense' of his title. Cardona
started off fast, by scoring with his long left jab, and straight right hands to the
Challengers face. Cardona appeared to win the first '6-Rounds', including
cutting the left-eye of Soon-Hyun in Round 6 with a hard right hand.

The 24 year-old Chung, fighting from a crouching-stabnce, started to make his move
in Round 7, as he was cheered by his home-country fans in front of a capacity crowd
of 8000 at the ChangChung Gymnasium.

Soon-Hyun in Rounds 8, 9 and 10, backed the Champion to the ropes, where he attacked
the Columbian's body with a steady two-fisted attack.

The Champion sensing the fight was getting too-close, started to open up in Rounds
11 and 12, by scoring with left-rights, to keep the hard-charging Soon-Hyun at a
distance.

Cardona fought defensively over the last 3-Rounds by jabbing and moving, as Soon-Hyun
attempted to get inside to score with body punches. The last '3-Rounds' were very close
rounds, and neither fighter seemed to have an edge.

Scorecards;
Referee, Luis Sulbaran........147-145 (5-3-7 in Rounds) - Ricardo Cardona
Judge, Marty Denkin...........145-143 (7-5-3 in Rounds) - Ricardo Cardona
Judge, Kim-Chun Kuk..........150-145 (5-0-10 in Rounds) - Soon-Hyun Chung

After the Split-Decision was announced in favor of the Champion -Ricardo Cardona,
the South Korean fans went wild, and pelted the ring with cups, and threw bottles.
Ricardo Cardona ran to his corner, and put his stool on top of his head. The Champion
and his cornermen had to be escorted by Police to their locker room, where they
bolted the door. The Cardona Team stayed in the locked room for two-hours, until
the Gymnasium area was safe to leave, with a Police escort.

The Associated Press scored the bout for the Champion 146-144 (6-4-5 in Rounds).

By Rounds, The AP gave the Champion Rounds.........2, 3, 5, 6, 11 and 12.
The Challenger Soon-Hyun Chung received Rounds....8, 9, 10 and 15.
The AP scored the following rounds Even................1, 4, 7, 13 and 14.

The WBA officials stated there were many close rounds over the last '9-Rounds',
but the Champion did enough to earn the decision, based upon his large points lead
over the first '6-Rounds'.

The WBA suspended South Korean Judge Kim-Chun Kuk from being an official in any
WBA Championship bouts, after his ridiculous scorecard.

The Champion improves to 23-4-1, and has has '13' knockouts.
The Challenger drops to 15-3-0, and he has '5' knockouts.

 

June 23, 1979

"The Night of the Scissors and Knives Fight"

WBA Super-Bantamweight Championship

ChangChung Gymnasiusm - Seoul, South Korea

A rematch between WBA Champion - Ricardo Cardona (Columbia) versus
home-country #1 WBA Challenger, Soon-Hyun Chung (South Korea).

Their previous bout, on November 12, 1978 in this same arena ended in a riot, as
unruly fans pelted the ring with cups and bottles afer a Split-Decision was
announced in favor the 'defending' Champion- Ricardo Cardona.

To get Ricardo Cardona 'back' to South Korea to face the tough and durable
Soon-Hyun Chung, the promoters offer Ricardo Cardona and his Manager - Ramiro
Machado an unheard of $200,000 fight purse, which they happily agree.

To insure proper scoring, the WBA Ofiicials place Stanley Christodulou (South Africa)
in charge as the Referee, and have scoring Officials - Jesus Celis (Venezuela) and Rodolfo Hill (Panama).
No South Korean will be a scoring official.

Before the bout, the ChangChung Gymansium of 8000 pro-Soon-Hyun Chung fans are at high-tension,
with expectations that their home-country hero will deliver a Championship in the rematch.

Entering the bout, the 26 1/2 year-old Champion- Ricardo Cardona will bring a record of 23-4-1 (13 KO's).
Cardona will be making his '3rd-Defense' of his WBA Championship. Ricardo has not fought since the
'controversial bout' with Soon-Hyun Chung on November 12, 1978 (7-months earlier).

Soon-Hyun Chung, the 24 1/2 year-old #1 WBA Challenger, will bring in a record of 17-3-0 (6 KO's).
Soon-Hyun is still the OPBF Super-Banatamweight Champion, and 6-weeks earlier had defeated
Thailand's - Thanomchit Sukothai in a WBA-Elimination bout, for the right to challenge the Champion.

 

That was Soon-Hwan Hong, another tough South Korean.

That was back on May 7, 1978 - that bout was also in South Korea.

Read the 'next post' on the Cardona vs Soon-Hyun Chung rematch.

 

In the rematch at ChangChung Gymnasium, in front of 8000 crazed Soon-Hyun Chung
fans.

Part 1

The Champion - Ricardo Cardona, opened up by utilizing his formidable left jab,
and controlled the bout over the first '4-Rounds' over the charging but ineffective
Challenger.

In Round 5, Soon-Hyun Chung started to use rough-house tactics to inside the
taller Champion's long reach, and started whacking Cardona's ribs.

During several times in the round, Referee Stanley Christodulou would call break,
during clinches in which the Champion tied up the Challenger. But Soon-Hyun would still
whack away.

Late in Round 5, Christodulou stopped the action, and warned Soon-Hyun for his constant fouling,
when suddenly one of Soon-Hyun's cornerman jumped into the ring with scissors and tried to stab
Christodulou in the neck, but missed and stabbed him in the upper-arm.

All hell broke lose, as blood ran down Christodulou's arm, and ringside security seized
the cornerman, and arrested him, while removing him from the Arena.

Amazingly, after a recess, Stanley Christodulou returned with his arm wrapped in a
gauze-banadage and a blood drenched shirt. And then called for the fighters to resume.

Soon-Hyun Chung was penalized 1-point for his corners action in round 5.

In Round 6, Ricardo Cardona again kept the charging South Korean at bay, again with
his sharp left jab.

After '6-Rounds', the Champion had an incredible '7-Point' lead.

 

Part II

In Round 7, just like in the 'first bout', Soon-Hyun Chun's aggressiveness
started to pay-off, as he was finally able to reach the Champion, and score
with hard body punches to win the round.

In Round 8, 'All Hell Broke Lose', as the round started, a crazed South Korean
fan attacked Panamanian Judge, Rodolfo Hill with a knife. The fan had overhead
Mr. Hill's scoring of the bout, and went crazy, stabbing the Panamanian in the ribs.

With that, security rushed in to subdue the fan, and remove him from the arena.
The tensions were heightening in the Arena, as Soon-Hyun made another charge to win Round 8.

In Round 9, Ricardo Cardona was able to get his left jab working again, and neutralized Soon-Hyun's
rushes, and controlled the majority of the round.

At the end of Round 9, a Columbian band 'The Black Quinteros' who were brought to South Korea to accompany
The Champion by Manager- Ramiro Machado, started playing music after Cardona's successful round.

Well this infuriated the 8000 South Korean fans, who pelted the band members with cups.

With that, another crazed South Korean fan came down to ringside, and attacked Tabaquito Sanz,
one of Ricardo Cardona's cornermen with a knife.

Amidst the craziness, Referee Stanley Christodulou kept the combatants focused on the fight, after
another round delay.

The Champion - Ricardo Cardona fighting with one-eye on his opponent Soon-Hyun Chung, and the
other on a 'wild-and-unyielding' crowd, jabbed cautiously with his left hand over the last '6-Rounds'.

Under orders from his corner, Ricardo was told to 'hold back', and do not try to 'knockout' Soon-Hyun,
as there was fear that they would not get out of the ChangChung Gymnasium alive.

Over the last rounds, Soon-Hyun Chung was aggressive and swinging wildly in an attempt to 'knockout'
the more defensive Champion, who was content to jab and move.