On this day... January 26th

1914 - Wales' Percy Jones, claimant to the as yet not officially recognised flyweight title, retains the crown with a twenty round win over Bill Ladbury in London.

Appropriately, Rhondda's Percy Jones was born on Boxing Day, 1892, into a typical south Wales mining family. Raised in Porth - just a few miles down the road from Tylorstown, where another great Welsh flyweight grew up - Percy Jones is one of Wales unsung boxing greats. For he was the very first Welshman to hold a version of any world title when he took the World Flyweight championship from Bill Ladbury in 1914.

Percy Jones held the World title for only a short time; and boxed in an era that included probably the greatest flyweight of all time in Jimmy Wilde - who, as stated, lived just up the road in Tylorstown. Tragically, Percy died at a young age, he was just 29 years old when he succumbed to Trench fever.

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1947 - Miguel Angel Castellini born.

miguel angel castellini:

Castellini began his professional career on May 28, 1965 in San Miguel de Tucumán against Domingo Gerez. Castellini scored a second round knock out over Gerez to record his first win. He remained undefeated over his first thirteen fights before suffering his first loss to Hermogenes Quintela. Quintela knocked Castellini out in the tenth round of their fight on September 9, 1966.

On November 4, 1972 Castellini won his first championship by beating Hector Ricardo Palleres to claim the Argentina Light Middleweight title. Castellini fought for the first time outside of his native Argentina on 25 May 1974, he travelled to Monaco to beat Carlos Alberto Salinas. During his career Castellini also fought in Italy, Puerto Rico, Denmark, Nicaragua and Spain.

It was while in Spain that Castellini challenged for the WBA World Light Middleweight title, then held by Jose Manuel Duran, in front of a sell out crowd of 12,000. Duran, who was making the first defence of his title, was knocked down in the third round by a left hand to the jaw. Although the champion rose from the canvas, he was outworked by the faster challenger and lost his title via a split decision in a fight where both boxers finished with bloody faces.

Castellini's championship reign only lasted one fight as he lost it in his first defence to Eddie Gazo on March 5, 1977. Gazo, fighting in his hometown of Managua, Nicaragua, defeated Castellini via unanimous decision with scores of: 144-149, 144-148 and 143-148. This defeat was avenged, however, in a non-title bout on September 20, 1980. On this occasion Gazo travelled to Argentina to take on Castellini. Castellini won the fight by knockout in the ninth round in what was to be his final professional fight.

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1952 - Vic Toweel W 15 Peter Keenan, Johannesburg. Retains world bantamweight title.

Vic Toweel Ring Magazine cover:

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1959 - Salvador Sanchez born.

Salvador Sanchez Santiago (January 26, 1959- August 12, 1982), better known as Salvador Sánchez, was a Mexican boxer born in the small town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Mexico.

Sánchez started his career very young, as a teenager, and he started piling up wins against tough Mexican opposition. His first fight of note came against the Mexican featherweight champion Antonio Becerra, and Becerra proved far too experienced for the young Sánchez, dropping him in the first round , en route to a 12 round unanimous decision. This would turn out to be Sánchez's last knockdown and loss suffered during his career.

Sánchez kept on fighting and moved to the Featherweight division. Soon he had beaten people like the Puerto Rican Featherweight champion Felix Trinidad Sr., on his way to securing a title shot at world champion Danny "Little Red" Lopez, a popular tv fighter of the late 1970s who was an impressive fighter and had won some spectacular fights against the likes of former world champion David Kotey (twice), Juan Malvares and Mike Ayala. Confident and hard to beat, Lopez was beaten by Sánchez, who knocked out the defending champion in 13 rounds in Phoenix, Arizona. Thinking it was just a case of 'beginner's luck' (as it was Sánchez's first world title fight ever) Lopez looked for a rematch and this he got, in Las Vegas. This time he lasted one more round.

After defeating the young future world champion Juan Laporte, Sánchez embarked on a string of defenses against men like Patrick Ford and Roberto Castanon, retaining his title each time. Then World Jr Featherweight champion Wilfredo Gomez went up in weight and challenged Sánchez. Sánchez retained the crown by a knockout in round eight on August 21, 1981 in Las Vegas, and Gómez had to return to the Jr. Featherweight division.

With that victory, Salvador Sánchez was an unknown to the casual boxing fan no more. He became a household name all over America that night.

Two fights later, his defense vs unheralded Jorge 'Rocky' Garcia was the first fight featuring two featherweights ever to be televised by HBO. He beat Garcia punch after punch, but the challenger gave honor to his nickname, an unknown fighter who lasts the distance with the world champion.

Then came Azumah Nelson at Madison Square Garden. The unknown Nelson came from Ghana and would later become a 3 time world champion and a future hall of famer. He was unknown however, and was expected to only go a few rounds with the champ. It was an intense battle, with Sánchez managing to drop his young charge in the 7th round. After that they engaged in violent exchange after violent exchange. In the 15th, Sánchez broke out finally, connecting with a serious combination that dropped the challenger almost outside the ring. Referee Tony Perez had to stop the fight seconds later.

Ironic as life is, that round 15 would be not only the last of that fight, but also the last round of Sánchez's life. As he was training for a rematch with Laporte set for September, he crashed on the early morning of August 12, 1982, dying instantly. All of Mexico and Latin America mourned the fallen champion. He was only 23.

At the time of his death, there were talks about a rematch with Gómez or a challenge of world lightweight champion Alexis Arguello. Tragically, it will never be known what could have happened in any of these fights.

He is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame, alongside Gómez and Arguello.

'Tribute to Sanchez' poster:

An historic poster signifying the passing of the torch. Thirty-three days previous the masterful Featherweight Champion, Salvador Sanchez, died in a tragic automobile accident. Only twenty-three years old, the brilliant Sanchez had already completed ten successful title defenses. This night Juan LaPorte, who had been on the losing end of one those title defences two years earlier, would knock out Mario Miranda in the tenth round and become the successor to the departed champion.


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1972 - Dana Rosenblatt born.

dana rosenblatt:

Rosenblatt became a professional boxer in 1992, at the age of 20. He made $500 for his first fight, which was in Pikesville, MD.

During his career he beat former U.S. Olympian Howard Davis Jr. and former junior middleweight champion Terry Norris.

In 1993, for Rosenblatt's 15th fight, he wore a pair of trunks with the Star of David symbol sewn into them, harkening back to the legendary Jewish fighters of the 1930s like Benny Leonard and Barney Ross who started the practice. Today those trunks are on display in Philadelphia at the National Museum of American Jewish History.

He started garnering serious attention after his first round KO of "The Irish Express," Sean Fitzgerald, 29–2–2, for the New England Middleweight Title on December 16, 1993. He then beat Frank Savannah, 15–1–1, by TKO for the World Boxing Council Continental Americas Middleweight Title. Next, he met Chad Parker in 1995 for the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title. Rosenblatt knocked out Parker in the first round.

His only professional loss came when 5-time former champion Vinny Pazienza knocked him out in the 4th round during a 1996 fight.

At a press conference to announce a rematch, Pazienza's comments included demeaning references that even extended to Rosenblatt’s manhood. Rosenblatt later beat Pazienza in the 1999 rematch in a split decision, winning the vacant International Boxing Organization Super Middleweight Title.

During Rosenblatt's fight against Glenwood Brown in January 1997, he broke his hand. Rosenblatt won the fight, but spent the next 14 months recuperating before he could box again.

On September 25, 1998, he defeated former 3-time WBC super welterweight champion "Terrible" Terry Norris in a unanimous 12-round decision, to capture the International Boxing Association World Middleweight Title.

He defeated Will "Kid Fire" McIntyre, 36–4–1, in October 2000. Then, a torn right shoulder rotator cuff, a separated left shoulder and torn labrum, a hand fracture, and several scheduling problems kept him inactive and caused him to drop out of the world rankings. He did not fight again until June 28, 2002.

He retired from boxing in August 2003. He retired with a record of 37–1–1 (23).

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1991 - Robert Quiroga W 12 Vicenzo Belcastro, Capo d’Orlando. Retains IBF super-flyweight title.

The International Boxing Federation will review the disputed split-decision victory awarded to American Robert Quiroga in a super-flyweight title bout last month, it announced today. Quiroga retained his title with the victory Jan. 26 over Italian challenger Vincenzo Belcastro in Capo D'Orlando, Sicily. Belcastro's manager, Rocco Agostino, called the decision "a scandal."

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1998 - Former World Featherweight Champion Hogan (Kid) Bassey, 65, dies.

Hogan Kid Bassey v Davey Moore:

Hogan "Kid" Bassey MBE (1932-06-03 – 1998-01-26) was Nigeria's first world boxing champion. He was born Okun Asuguo Bassey on the banks of the Cross River in Creek Town, Calabar, Nigeria. He took the name Hogan Kid Bassey when he turned professional as a boxer. He possessed a tremendous heart in and out of the ring and that rarest of boxing skills - a true knockout punch.

After 14 contests in Nigeria, Bassey went to Liverpool, England in 1952 and before long had impressed everyone with his pleasant manner outside the ring and his powerful punching in the ring.

After winning the Empire featherweight championship he also won the world crown by his defeat of French Algerian Cherif Hamia in Paris, France in 1957. He lost the title to U.S. fighter David S. "Davey" Moore on March 18, 1959.

During his career he fought Billy "Spider" Kelly, Percy Lewis, Tommy Profitt, Sammy McCarthy, Ricardo Moreno, and Willie Pep.

In 1959 he was awarded the MBE following his world title win and went on to become a respected coach in Nigeria who awarded him the country's highest honour in 1973. He died peacefully in the early hours of January 26, 1998 at his home in Apapa, Lagos.

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2002 - Vernon Forrest W 12 Sugar Shane Mosley, NYC. Wins World Welterweight Title.

forrest vs. mosley (video):

Vernon Forrest is the undefeated man with the right hand. Forrest destroyed Sugar Shane Mosley, and the year of the major upset has now extended through January 2002.

Vernon Forrest's dominating performance got off to a very slow start. He landed only 7 of 60 punches in the first round and was ripped with a hard left hook and a terrific right hand. He absorbed the punches extremely well, but Mosley easily took the first round by doing the better boxing.

The second round was the story of the fight. Shane started the round strong like he did in the first. He looked fast and sharp. Thirty seconds into the round there was a terrific clash of heads as Forrest darted in for a right to the body. Both fighters wobbled slightly. As Forrest ran around the ring holding his head, Shane stood there slightly stunned, pawing a nasty cut on his hairline. The referee aggravated the cut when he examined it, and Blood flowed down Shane's face. The cut was not in a place where the blood flowed into his eye, but Mosley seemed to tighten up a bit, and he made a critical mistake. He briefly turned southpaw, turning the cut away from Forrest. When he quickly switched back to his normal stance, he momentarily positioned his shoulders at too severe an angle to Forrest with his hands down. Forrest whipped across a beautiful straight right to Shane's jaw. A dream punch. A heat seeking missile that determined the outcome of the fight. Mosley stumbled backwards badly hurt, and Forrest pounced on him like a tiger. He drove Shane into the ropes where he landed a jab and straight right high on the head. He followed with a left hook and a perfect right uppercut that had Shane out on his feet. A grazing left hook, and a hard right hand to the temple followed. Mosley went down for the first time in his life. He tried hard to keep from touching the canvas, but as he squatted low, nearly on the floor, another right ripped into the side of his head and knocked him sprawling. Shane had never been knocked down before and got up quickly. He seemed very unsteady. After the eight-count Forrest attacked ferociously, determined to put Mosley down for the count. After Forrest landed a grazing right, Mosley stumbled, grabbed, and was pushed to the canvas by Forrest. Referee Steve Smogger counted it as a second knockdown and the bell mercifully rang before action could resume. A 10-7 round for Forrest. Wow!

A badly shaken Mosley survived a determined hammering in rounds three, four and five. Forrest's right hand was harder, faster, more compact and sharper than I've ever seen it before. Shane scored with occasional quick jabs, hooks, and right hands, but a smart boxing Forrest easily dominated each round. Shane was looking to land hard shots, but Forrest never gave him a chance. In round six Forrest put on a masterful display of jabbing as Shane looked for a punch to turn the fight around. Shane seemed to pull himself together somewhat in round seven, but lost the round and any reasonable chance to win on points. Mosley did win the eighth round and managed an even round in the ninth. Trainer Ronnie Shields cautioned the coasting Forrest to pick up the pace after the ninth.

Vernon put on an awesome display body punching in the tenth. He drove Shane to the ropes and ripped powerful left hooks to the body. Two tremendous hooks landed several inches below the belt and had Shane out on his feet. Forrest followed with a vicious right uppercut to the chin and a gritty Mosley was surviving on instinct. Steve Smogger totally missed the low blows and Shane barely survived a horrific battering. Strangely, Mosley's father Jack and the rest of his corner was very calm about things. Way too calm, considering this was the fight of Shane's life, and a unified world championship was slipping away. Jack told his son not to get too excited. The lack of a sense of urgency in the Mosley corner was deafening.

Shane came back somewhat in the 11th round and managed to win the 12th with some quick fisted boxing. His corner told him to raise his hands and act like he won the fight. It was not something that Shane was happy to do, but he raised his hands half-heartedly. Mosley knew he lost the fight by a mile and a half, and was a gracious loser. He said Forrest deserved the win, and that he was happy Vernon got his chance for glory. He said he wanted a rematch, and unlike Oscar De La Hoya, he will follow through on it.

I scored the fight 118 to 109. It was a brutally one-sided fight, and a totally dominant performance. I gave Forrest a three point round in the second and a two point round in the tenth.

After a ten-year wait, the undefeated and unheralded Vernon Forrest has arrived. He showed the world what a great fighter is all about. He complimented Mosley profusely and promised him a rematch. This is how champions who are class acts conduct themselves. The rematch should be an even better fight.

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2002 - Arturo Gatti KO 4 Terron Millett, NYC. Gatti re-establishes himself as a top contender at super-lightweight.

gatti vs. millet (video):

Arturo Gatti possibly booked his place for another world title shot by destroying St Louis’s Terronn Millett with a devastating fourth round knockout on the undercard of the Shane Mosley vs Vernon Forrest world title showdown at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

The Former IBF super-featherweight champion entered the ring to the theme tune from the cult-boxing movie Rocky and proved yet again that he is one of the most exciting fighters in the world and can never be written off.

Gatti’s career in the top flight looked all but over, following a fifth round stoppage loss to Oscar De La Hoya last March, but yet again the incredibly tough and durable Canadian born fighter pulled out all the stops, out-toughing Millett in a real heavy duty scrap.

A delighted Gatti said afterward: The goal was to be calm in the ring and hit when it’s time to hit. After the first it was a slugfest and I did thank god. This is my first fight at 140lbs and I felt great. I’m definitely going to be a world champion again.

The 29 year-old Gatti meant business from the opening bell, as he stunned former IBF junior-welterweight champion Millett with a straight right. Gatti followed up with another big right and left hook but Millett took the shots well and even fired back with some bombs of his own. Both stood their ground in the second, in some fearsome exchanges, and although Millett was happy to stand and trade, Gatti’s superior natural toughness and greater pedigree in the big fights soon started to chip away at Millett’s increasingly fragile exterior.

The second round again saw good exchanges from both men as they traded freely in the centre of the ring. As they both ripped into each other, the signs appeared that Gatti could hurt Millett when he placed a left hook underneath the American’s ribcage. He didn’t go down or buckle but did feel the pain and after a few more choice shots on the button, cracks were starting to appear.

Gatti’s breakthrough came in the third when he floored Millett with a left to the head, followed by right hand. Millett made the count and was allowed to continue, but Gatti, spurred on by his earlier success, again rocked Millett, so badly that the fight should have been stopped there and then. The referee, however, decided to let the action go on, until the decision was taken out of his hands.

The end came after 2min 32sec of the fourth when Gatti rushed in to connect with a left hook and right uppercut, flush on the chin, followed by another left hook to floor Millett for the full count.

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2008 - Chris John KO 7 Roinet Caballero, Senayan, Indonesia. Retains WBA Featherweight Title.

john vs. caballero (video):

(C) 606v2 2012 - Please do not reproduce without permission.

January 26th through the years.

Why is this not a sticky any more?

I remember watching Mosley v Forest and sitting in absolute disbelief when Forest rocked Mosley. I just presumed up until about round 7 or 8 that Mosley would come back and get the stoppage.

9/10 times fights go the way you expect them to but every once and a while something like that happens.

SugarRayRussell (PBK) wrote:Why is this not a sticky any more?

Wasn't really getting the views or comments to justify the work that goes in, seeing if moving it to the main board changed this.

rowley wrote:

SugarRayRussell (PBK) wrote:Why is this not a sticky any more?

Wasn't really getting the views or comments to justify the work that goes in, seeing if moving it to the main board changed this.

It's a shame really. If only this time a year ago Manny, Floyd and Arum called each other names it would probably get 6 pages of comments.

It never fails to impress the work that goes into these types of articles. Was particularly interested in Salvador Sanchez, but we tend to be drawn to tragedy

There are always some great articles in these things. Shame if it goes, but it does look like a hell of alot of effort.

Great article, like the poster above, really enjoyed reading at Sanchez.

Superb stuff Union, hope the lack of comments doesn't put you off continuing with this, good work pal.

Todays history...

cracking read thanks. I have one question how can you copy rite other peoples you tube videos?

Dana Rosenblatt. There is a name from the past that I had forgotten.

I remember back in the day Bob Arum claiming he would go on to be the greatest ever Jewish fighter (move over Benny Leonard and Barney Ross), and that he had a vision of him meeting Oscar De La Hoya and splitting the first ever $1 billion dollar purse.

Nothing wrong with having a dream but Bob got that one wrong.