WILLY SALAZAR

   Wilibaldo Salazar opened his professional career on Dec. 14, 1979 in his home town of Jalisco, Guadalajara Mexico with a 4 round decision loss to fellow Jalisco pro debuter Librado Moran.  He won his 2nd pro fight and then won his 3rd pro fight via knockout before being stopped his self in fight number 4.  His record stood at a non-de script 2-2 and he was not seen as anything "special" by local boxing fans.

   He was improving though, and ran off a 7-fight win streak including 5 wins by knockout. He then labored with an up-and-down career that saw 3 straight losses, leading to a streak of fights in which he went 6-9-1 against mostly local talent. His record stood at a respectable 20-12-1 when he got his first shot at a title belt.  It was for the Mexico National Flyweight title, and he went the 12-round distance to earn that title with a decision win over fellow Jalisco resident - Adolfo Anguiano.  That belt probably felt pretty good around the waist of Salazar, and from the way he performed as "champion" it seemed to improve him as a fighter too.

   After the win against Anguiano, Salazar went on a 5 fight winning streak (4 by ko) against opponents with a combined record of 86-16-5, and on June 27, 1987 he found his self with a winning record of 26-12-1, in possession of the Mexican National Flyweight title, and now was named as a contestant for the vacant NABF Lt. Flyweight title.  The fight was held at The Forum in Inglewood, California and it was a good night for Willy as he scored a 12-round majority decision win over unheralded Jose Manuel Diaz to pick up his 2nd title belt.

   Salazar was finally being seen as more than just an "easy" opponent, but rather as a respected journeyman fighter who would not be easy for anyone to defeat. He proved that he was a respectable champion with back-to-back knockout wins in defense of his Mexican National Flyweight title, and then successfully defended his NABF Lt. Flyweight title with a knockout win over Julio Cesar Cardona in Tucson, Arizona.

   Willy climbed in the ratings with those wins and title defenses, earning him a shot at his first world title. He traveled to Seoul, South Korea to meet undefeated WBA Light Flyweight Champion Myung Woo Yuh (25-0) for that title. Feb. 7, 1988 was the big night, just a little over 8 years from his pro debut loss, Salazar found his self fighting for the World title! Although Salazar performed well, he lost a respectable unanimous decision to the unbeaten champion by scores of  113-116, 112-117, and 110-118. It did nothing to hurt the challenger's reputation, in fact, it raised his worth in the boxing world. From here on out, his level of opposition was raised quite a bit, taking an "easy" fight every now and then, but for the most part, he was fighting a much higher caliber of boxer.

   That higher level started with a nice win in defense of his Mexican National Title against hot prospect Ricardo Mijares (15-1) by tko.  It was an even battle when the fight was stopped on a cut suffered by the favored Mijares. Salazar lost his Mexican National Title in his next title defense against Armando Velasco (15-8-1), but bounced back with a nice tko win to defend his precious NABF Lt. Fly title belt against Mexican fast-riser Ysaias Zamudio (12-1), halting the challenger in round 9. And just to add to his reputation, Salazar regained his Mexican National Flyweight title by knockout over Gonzalo Villalobos, and then defended it with 2 straight knockout title defense wins, stopping Valente Flores, and Fernando Varguez before dropping a 12-round decision to 59-fight veteran Javier "Suzuki" Diaz (38-19-2) to lose his Mexican National Fly Title.

   Salazar then traveled to San Diego, California where he lost his NABF Lt. Flyweight title to Home-town favorite Tony "Bazooka" DeLuca (15-2-3) via tough 12-round decision.  Willy now found his self without a title belt, but he wasn't finished adding titles to his collection.

   The Mexican Flyweight put together a 3 fight winning streak including a rematch win over Ysaias Zamudio, again, stopping Zamudio in round 9. Salazar stood at 38-16-1 had held 2 title belts, and was now put in against some of the best fighters in the division as he went 0-5 against fighters with a combined record of 84-22-5 including Alejandro "Cobrita" Soto, Alberto "Raton" Jimenez, and Miguel "Maikito" Martinez!  Even after losing 5 in a row, all it took was 1 big knockout win over respected Alfredo Virgen (14-9) to put him back into a title challenging bout.

   The date was Feb. 24, 1995 - nearly 15 years after his first pro fight, Salazar found his self with a record of 39-21-1, and now challenging for his 3rd title belt - the WBC Continental Americas Super Flyweight Title held by defending champion Josefino Suarez (18-11-1). It was a grand evening for Salazar who ko'd Suarez in round 9 to win that championship and again feel a title belt around his waist! And then in his next fight Salazar defeated Noe Santillana (15-11) to win his 4th title belt - this time it was the Mexican National Super Flyweight championship! But, just two months later, he would lose both belts to Armando Salazar (34-7-4) via split decision loss.

   The up-and-down fortunes of Willy Salazar had one more big surprise to come.  On Sept. 8, 1995 IBF Flyweight World champion - Danny Romero Jr. (25-0) took what was supposed to be a "Tune-up" non-title bout against Willy who had a record of 41-22-1 at The Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada. Romero came in with a 5 pound weight advantage, and a huge reputation as a knockout artist, but as the rounds progressed it became clear that Salazar was ready to give Romero all he could handle.... and a little more! Salazar fought one of the best fights of his life as he punished the undefeated champion breaking the orbital bone of Danny's left eye causing the fight to be halted before the start of round 8. That fight was named as Ring Magazine's "Upset of the Year" and it was a stunner!

Salazar scores 1995 Upset of the Year against Romero

   That fight put Willy Salazar's name out there and he became the target of another big-time New Mexico flyweight fighter.

   With all of the talk about a possible matchup between New Mexico champions (Danny Romero vs Johnny Tapia) this was a perfect opportunity for Johnny Tapia's management team to present a comparison, and Salazar's incomprehensible upset win made him the obvious challenger for Johnny Tapia's WBO world title belt.

   Just 3 months after the huge upset win over Romero, Salazar stepped into the ring for a shot at the WBO Super Flyweight world title.  It wasn't the first time he had faced a fighter who was a current, former, or future world champion, but it was the second time he would face a World champion with their World Title at stake. And this time he wanted to leave the ring as Champion!  December 1st, 1995 was the date, Fantasy Springs Casino Resort ws the venue, it was held outside, on a cold night.The card was a pay-per-view event loaded with big names. Gabe Ruelas' rematch with Azumah Nelson, Stevie Johnston, John John Molina, even "Butterbean" Eric Esch were featured on the card. In an amazing turn of events, just as Romero was not allowed to come out for round 8 of their bout, it was Salazar who was battered and not allowed to come out for round 10 in this world title fight! It wasn't easy for the undefeated Tapia (now 33-0-2), but as well as Salazar performed, he was unable to win that coveted World title belt.

Willy's second shot at a world title against Johnny Tapia in 1995

   Salazar had pretty much reached the peak of his career with his 2 fights against the New Mexican Champions. He would fight for 2 more titles and ended his career fighting only ranked contenders. 2 fights later, he found his self in Thailand fighting for the WBU Flyweight World Title, being stopped in round 5 by another undefeated defending champion - Sornpichai Kratingdaenggym (8-0, 5 ko). In his next fight after the WBU title challenge, Willy fought for and regained the WBC Continental Americas Super Fly Title with a 9th round tko win over fellow Mexican Basilio Morales (23-6) in Tabasco, Mexico.


   In his 2nd to last outing, Salazar was unable to defend his newly won title belt, as he was stopped in round 9 by challenger Genaro "Poblanito" Garcia (12-1) in Salazar's home town of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

   Willy's last pro bout came on Nov. 14, 1997 when he traveled to Denmark and dropped a shutout unanimous decision to IBO and European Bantamweight Champion - Johnny Bredahl (34-1). That was it, the end of the nearly 18 year pro boxing career of a colorful and popular fighter.

   Willy Salazar's incredible boxing career finished with a final record of: 43 wins, 28 losses, 1 draw, and winning 30 by knockout. He held several titles, and even fought twice for world titles.

   Check out his complete pro ledger at Boxrec: WILLY SALAZAR COMPLETE PRO RECORD  



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RUDY ZAVALA

Rosemead, California's Rudy Zavala made his professional debut in march of 1990, opening with a unanimous decision win over Rafael Martinez.  Just 3 weeks later, they fought a rematch at the Forum in Inglewood, CA and this time Zavala stopped Martinez in round 3.

Just like that, the 21 year old was off to a 2-0 start, and he became a local favorite of The Forum as he ran his record to 11-0, 9 by KO before taking a big step-up fight against former WBC International Title challenger Virgilio Openo (18-2-4) of The Phillipines.  That bout was scheduled for 12 rounds, but it only took Zavala 6 to stop his first world class opponent. On that night, Rudy went from Prospect to Contender.

3 more fights against good solid mid-level opponents netted 3 more KO wins, and now with an impressive record of 15-0, 13 by KO, Zavala traveled to Phoenix, Arizona for a big 8-Round fight against ranked contender Johnny "The Torch" Vasquez (17-2) in Vasquez's home town.  It went the distance and it was ruled a Majority Draw with 1 of the Judges scoring it 78-74 for the local favorite, and the other 2 Judges seeing it at 76-76. It was a very unsatisfying result for both of these rising fringe contenders, and 2 months later, they were at it again, but this time, there was much more at stake.  The rematch was held at The Hacienda Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Scheduled for 12 rounds with the Vacant NABF Jr. Featherweight Title belt going around the waist of the winner.

April 18, 1992 was the date and the fight was televised nationally by Univision network. It went the full 12 rounds and when the final scores were read by ring announcer Danny Valdivia, it was Rudy Zavala remaining unbeaten, and picking up his first title belt on scores of: 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111 for the unanimous victory.

Even though it was a bruising war to defeat Johny Vasquez in the rematch, just two months later, Zavala was in with a ranked contender as he squared off with Pedro Decima (29-3) on the undercard of Evander Holyfield vs Larry Holmes at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Zavala shined again as he dropped the former World Champ 3 times before stopping him stopping him on a cut for the 6th round TKO win.

Incredibly just a little over a month later, Zavala was in the ring making a defense of his NABF title against former WBA & IBC World Champion - KO artist Jesus "Hawaiian Punch" Salud (41-5). It was a huge matchup, but it was Salud who handed Zavala his first defeat as a pro, and took the NABF title belt away from him via 8th round TKO in a war.

Zavala's management slowed the pace of matches just a little, but just 3 months later, Rudy was back in the ring where he stopped Freddy Hernandez (13-11) in 3 rounds by knockout. Rudy took another "tune-up" bout before taking on highly regarded veteran Jerome Coffee (35-7-1) in a bid for the vacant USBA Jr. Featherweight Championship. Zavala looked as good as ever in KO'ing Coffee in 5 rounds to win that coveted 2nd title belt.  Rudy Zavala now stood at 20-1-1, with the USBA title belt added to his collection.  World Ranked, and ready to take on the world.

Zavala took a "Stay Sharp" bout before making his first title defense of the USBA Title belt against Colorado's highly respected Max Gomez (11-3) at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, CA.  The showdown lived up to its billing but ended in a 3-way split draw with one judge having it 116-112 for Gomez, one judge saw it 116-112 for Zavala, and the deciding judge had it scored at 114-114. With a draw, Zavala retained his title, but would relinquish it to go after a much bigger prize just over 3 months later!

Rudy Zavala defends his USBA title belt with a draw against Max Gomez

Rudy Zavala got the call he had been waiting for.  He was named as the challenger for the IBF Jr. Featherweight World Title held by former U.S. Olympian Kennedy McKinney (23-0-1). The fight was held at The Pyramid arena in Memphis, TN.  The champion was just too much for Rudy that night, as Mckinney dominated from the start and referee Chris Wolleson stopped the fight at 2:08 of round 3.  Zavala was denied of the world title, but he was not deterred in his effort to get another shot at a world title.

Rudy decided to move up a half divison to Featherweight, and immediately got to challenge for the WBC Continental Americas title against defending champion James "Corky" Lonaker (21-1).  Zavala came out all business and knocked the champion out in round 2 to win his 3rd title belt.

Nearly 2 months later, Zavala was defeated in totally shocking fashion as he lost a 10-round split decision in what was supposed to be an easy bout against Mexico's unheralded Juan Francisco Soto (1-9) before a shocked crowd at the Airport Marriott in Burlingame, California.

Zavala was very disappointed in his performance against Soto, but just 3 weeks later, he was in the ring with another world ranked contender in Philadelphia's former State Champion - Tony Green (22-3-1). Zavala looked more like his old self, even knocking Green down in round 2, but in the end he dropped a close 10-round decision to the Philadelphia star.

He came back with back-to-back knockout wins, and then took on a battle of California favorites when he stepped into the ring against Jesse "El Cuervo" Magana (11-3-2) at the Forum.  The fans roared as these two banged it out, Zavala was dropped in the first, and second rounds, but got up to continue bringing the war to his skilled opponent.  Zavala was finally stopped in the 5th round by a cut.

Rudy went out big. His last 4 bouts saw him face off with some pretty big names: Juan Carlos Rubio, Ruben Castillo, Troy Dorsey, and his final bout against Tracy Harris Patterson.  He went 1-3 in that stretch before calling it a career.

Rudy Zavala was pure excitement in the ring and is remembered fondly by boxing fans, especially in the L.A. area where his ring wars are often remembered and talked about with great affection.  He finished his glorious campaign with a final record of: 25 wins, 8 losses, 2 draws, and winning 21 by knockout!

Check out Rudy's complete ledger: RUDY ZAVALA record on boxrec.com

Contact me: The Boxing Guru via e-mail

ED DONALDSON

   Mobile Alabama Police Officer Ed Donaldson turned professional in May of 1992 with an impressive 1st round knockout over fellow Alabama boxer Ben Green.

   Donaldson was then stepped up to a tougher opponent in Michigan's Warren Williams who came in with an impressive record of 6-1, with 4 wins by knockout.  It was a tough battle, but Donaldson got the split decision win over 4 rounds to move to 2-0, and gain a little attention from boxing insiders.

   

  The "Fighting Policeman" from Mobile, Alabama was then put in against a highly regarded boxer named James Gaines (1-0).  Although Gaines appeared overweight and not to be in great shape, he was in fact a very highly skilled boxer who would go on to fight some big names, score some upsets, and fight for a minor title belt.  Gaines came through and handed Donaldson his first loss in this battle of young fringe prospects.  It was a split decision loss for Donaldson that put his record at 2-1.

   They eased back on his level of competition, and Donaldson performed well running off a 4 knockout win streak, again finding his self in a battle of contenders, this time against Canadian amateur standout Kirk Johnson who was 2-0 and the favorite, but expected to be tested against Ed Donaldson.  The bout was on the undercard of Tommy Morrison vs Tim Tomashek at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, MO. It was Kirk Johnson scoring the 5th round stoppage of Donaldson, and while Donaldson took his 2nd loss, his reputation was solid in giving a top prospect a good test.

   Ed returned to the friendly confines of Mobile, Alabama and blasted out Florida's David Farnham in 2 rounds to get back on the winning track, and securing an April 14, 1994 showdown fight with undefeated Quinn Navarre (10-0-1) of Slidell, Louisiana.  The fight was a co-feature along with Bert Cooper vs Larry Donald.  Donaldson not only "tested" the unbeaten Navarre, but scored a shocking 2nd round knockout over the favored undefeated fighter!  It was a huge win for Ed Donaldson who moved his record to 8-2 and now was considered more than just a "test" for the bigger named contenders, but he was now an actual "threat" to these prospects, and was now a bit of a prospect his self!

   Donaldson scored two more easy knockouts over unheralded opponents, and brought his 10-2 record into a pretty big showdown fight with former NABF Heavyweight Champion, and world ranked contender - "The San Fernando Hammer" Alex Garcia (35-4-1, 26 KO).  The evening was a "Night of Heavyweights" in Albuquerque, New Mexico that featured Garcia/Donaldson in the main event along with Tim Puller, Marion Wilson, Mike "The Bounty" Hunter, Jimmy Thunder, Sean McClain, and some other contending heavyweights.  Garcia was coming off of his rematch win over Mike Dixon, which had avenged Garcia's first loss, and was looking for a big win over the respected Donaldson, to get back into title contention.  The fight went the full 10 rounds, and was a very close fight.  When the final bell rang, and the judges scorecards were tallied up, it was Garcia getting the unanimous decision nod on scores of: Rocky Burke 98-94, Albert Gutierrez 96-95, and my own scorecard also 96-95 for Garcia.

  

Donaldson battles Alex Garcia in a 10-round main event

   Less than a month later, Donaldson stepped right back into the ring against another world ranked contender, as he was stopped in round 2 by heavy handed James Thunder in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi in a nationally televised bout.  Donaldson probably came back a little too soon after the greuling bout with Garcia, but losing to some bigger names in the division didn't hurt his popularity with fans or promoters.

   Just 5 months later, Donaldson returned to the ring in front of his Mobile, Alabama fans, and scored what would be his final victory with a 10 round decision win over Memphis Tennessee's Mike Faulkner.

   The popular fighter from Mobile would end his career with 3 losses, against top names in the heavyweight division.  Larry Holmes, Michael Grant, and Keith McKnight had a combined record of 108-6, and they were the final trio that Ed Donaldson would face.  He was stopped in the 3rd round

Ed Donaldson's final bout against Keith McKnight

against red-hot unbeaten contender Michael Grant (18-0), and took both legendary former champion Larry Holmes (61-5), and top prospect Keith McKnight (29-1) - the full 10-round distance.

   Eddie Donaldson finished his pro campaign with a record of 11-7 scoring 9 knockouts. He never fought for a title belt, but took on some big names in the heavyweight division, and became a respected journeyman professional boxer that was loved by his fans in Mobile, Alabama, and picked up quite a few fans around the world in his wars with some pretty big names in the heavyweight division!

Check out Ed Donaldson's complete record on Boxrec: ED DONALDSON'S complete record

Contact "The Boxing Guru" via E-Mail: The Boxing Guru

DELMAR PAISAN

   Venezuela's Idelmar Jose Paisan opened his pro boxing career on March 5, 1979 with a decision victory over undefeated (4-0) Luis Godoy.
   He was moved along quickly and was put into a 6-rounder in his 3rd fight, an 8-rounder in his 4th fight, and by his 5th pro fight he was fighting in a scheduled 10-round fight!
   Paisan was staying busy on the venezuelan pro boxing circuit, and by Sept. of 1982 he held a record of 15-3, 13 wins by knockout, and was coming off of a 10-fight knockout win streak when he was put in against popular fellow Venezuelan Felix Mendez (17-3-4) in a 10-round showdown.  Paisan won by decision victory, and was becoming the talk of the Venezuelan boxing world.
   His winning streak continued and on Nov. 7, 1993 he got a shot at the Venezuelan national Lightweight title belt against defending champ Ramon Cotua (20-1, 17 KO). The battle of sluggers was expected to end in a knockout by either man, but instead, Paisan earned a decision win over 12 tough rounds to win the national title.
   Delmar then fought a pair of bouts against Venezuelan new-comer Junel Rodriguez, winning a 12 rounder and then losing the rematch in 12 rounds both by decision. Those 2 fights were both defenses of his Venezuelan national Lightweight title belt.  His record now stood at 22-4-1, 15 by ko. He was battle tested, and looked like it was time to step up, way up, in class.
   It was Jan. 12, 1985 when Paisan fought for the first time outside of his home country, he traveled to the island nation of Aruba to square off against a talented up-and-coming contender from Detroit, Michigan USA.  Jimmy "The Ringmaster" Paul was 20-1, with 17 knockouts and he would go 10 rounds against Paisan.  It was a unanimous decision win for the American rising star, but Paisan gave him all he could handle and proved that he was ready to contend.
   Paisan bounced back with a 5th round tko victory over Orlando Orozco to win the Venezuelan national Jr. Welterweight title belt. Having won 2 national titles, Paisan set his eyes on a bigger prize, and in his next fight he moved up in weight and challenged another popular countryman in Juan Rondon (21-3-2) for his  WBA Fedalatin Welterweight title belt.  That bout ended in the 9th round as a "No Contest" and even though Paisan was denied a 3rd title belt, his reputation as a warrior remained intact, and his ranking wasn't diminished.
   He then won the rematch with Orlando Orozco who was better prepared, but still lost by decision over 10 rounds to Paisan.
   Just 1 month later, Paisan really stepped things up and accepted the challenge of Panama's undefeated and world ranked contender - Rodolfo Aguilar (15-0).  The fight took place in Turmero, Venezuela, and after 10 rounds of war, the fight ended in a draw!  6 fights later, Aguilar would get a WBA world title shot against legendary Juilio Cesar Chavez, and 3 fights later Paisan would face another undefeated contender in Colombia's Rafael Pineda (12-0, 12 ko).  Delmar traveled to the undefeated hot-shot's home town, and was the first fighter to go the distance, albeit in a losing effort, over 10 blood-and-guts rounds.
   His showings against top level opposition raised his value, and from then on, his level of opponents was top-of-the-line prospects, contenders, or champions only.
   His next 5 fights included: Jose Barboza (11-1), Tracy Spann (23-0), Darryl Tyson (30-4), and a meeting with former WBC Jr. Welterweight World Champion "The Black Mamba" - Roger Mayweather (35-6) for Mayweather's WBA Americas Jr. Welter Championship.  Paisan went 1-4 in that murderous stretch (taking a 10-round decision over Barboza), but again, showed his skill and remained a viable contender.

   Delmar Paisan continued his campaign for nearly 10 more years after the Mayweather fight.  Becoming a popular "gate-keeper" against some of the top names in the divisions.  Vinny Burgese, Ricky Meyers, Wilfredo Rivera, Pedro Sanchez (twice), Alberto Cortes, Otilio Villareal, Juan Martin Coggi, and others, before finishing with his final fight in April of 2000 in Spain for the TWBA Jr. Middleweight Championship against undefeated Spaniard Jorge Araujo (9-0-1).  Paisan lost that final match by decision over 12 rounds.
   It was an amazing journey that spanned nearly 21 years of fighting! Delmar Paisan ended his pro boxing career with a record of 29 wins, 18 losses, and 3 draws. Winning 19 of those by knockout, and picking up 2 national titles.

Check out his complete record on Boxrec: IDELMAR "Delmar" PAISAN

Checkout Paisan's fight vs Tracy Spann:
DELMAR PAISAN vs TRACY SPANN

CHRIS SANDE

Nickname: "Binwa"

Sande battles Colorado's undefeated Earl "The New Generation" Jackson

   After winning the bronze medal at the 1988 olympic games Kenya native Chris Sande moved to the United States and began hir professional boxing career.
   October 10, 1989 was the night of his first pro fight which he won via 4 round unanimous decision over John Tunstall at Bally's in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sande battles James Patterson.

   After 3 more wins, Sande at 4-0 was pitted against another unbeaten prospect in 5-0 Willie Kemp of New York.  It was a good fight that ended in a split decision win for Sande, that win moved his record to 5-0.
   Two more nice wins for Sande (7-0) found him in another face-off with a fellow undefeated prospect. This time it was South Carolina's Lamar "Kidfire" Parks who was 9-0 with 8 by knockout. It was a very interesting battle, but the pure power of Parks was too much and Sande tasted his first professional defeat via 5th round technical knockout.
   Chris bounced back with a pair of wins over solid competition in Steve Langley, and Roger Orlaineta, both by unanimous decisions. At 9-1, Sande again found his self matched against a highly regarded prospect, this time it was against New Mexico's Daniel "Pit Bull" Perez (6-1) in Perez's hometown of Albuquerque. It was another good contest, but when the scorecards were read, it was Perez taking the unanimous decision on scores of 59-55, and 58-56 x 2.
   The former Olympian was now 9-2, but his management still felt they had a potential champion and he was put in with fellow fringe prospects as he continued his campaign in the middleweight division.
  He ran off a 4-fight win streak against fighters with a combined record of 27-5-4, including Sonny Brennan (9-1), and Colorado's Earl Jackson (7-0-2).
   With a shiny record of 13-2, Chris Sande was put in against another toughie when he faced off with Marvin Hagler look-a-like - Warren Williams out of Houston, Texas.  Sande dropped a close but unanimous decision over 8 rounds on scores of 76-74 x 2, and 77-73.  Williams would go on to win the NABF Supermiddleweight title.
   Sande came back with a fight that ended in a "No Decision" in the first round against James Rivas, and then a month-and-a-half later came back with a convincing decision win against Rivas.
   Chris campaigned on, and this is where his career started to decline.  It was streaky from here on out.  After a win over Otis Pimpleton (4-4-2), he dropped a decision to undefeated Rodney Toney, and then traveled to Wales for his first shot at a title belt.
   Sande took his 15-4 record into the ring to challenge local favorite, and champion Nicky Piper (17-2-1) for his WBA Penta-Continental Supermiddleweight title.  It was the champion's night as he stopped Sande in the 9th round in front of a roaring local crowd.
   As he had done in the past, Chris bounced back with a string of 3 knockout wins, before being stopped his self by Long Beach, California's Ray McElroy (17-3) in round 4 of a bout set for 8 rounds at the Aladdin Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
   After a 4 round loss to popular Art Serwano, Sande scored a very hard fought 6-round majority decision win over Clarence White (15-5) in Lake Tahoe, NV.  It was thought to be a big win for Chris, but as it turned out, this would be his final victory inside the ropes.
   Chris Sande fought on for 7 more years, but went 0-12-2 in those years, with his final fight coming on July 6, 2001 losing via 4th round tko to local favorite Alejandro Garcia (13-0) in Tijuana, B.C. Mexico.
   Sande's 12 year run saw him finish with a final tally of 19 wins, 19 losses, and 2 draws.  The once promising former Olympian was always a warrior, and even on the downside of his career, he was considered worthy of testing up-and-coming young prospects.
   Chris's name is still associated with high quality boxing, and fans around the world fondly remember the ring days of "Binwa" - Chris Sande.

Check out:
CHRIS SANDE'S COMPLETE PRO LEDGER ON BOXREC.COM

CHRIS SANDE vs EARL JACKSON (on YouTube)

Contact me: via E-mail

RICHARD FOWLER

Nickname: TIGER



 Albuquerque's Richard "Tiger" Fowler started his pro boxing career with back-to-back losses, being stopped in 2 rounds by a very skilled Jerry Martinez, and then losing a 4 round decision to Randy McNurlin.

   Fowler didn't give up on his dreams and put together a 3 fight win streak on local undercards in Albuquerque.  At 3-2 he was put in against an undefeated hot prospect out of San Diego, California named "Sweet" Irving Mitchell who was 12-0 with 11 KOs.  Fowler lost a unanimous decision, but he proved his toughness going the full 8 rounds against an undefeated fighter who would go on to challenge for the USBA and WBA titles.

   Richard's showing against Irving Mitchell earned him a reputation as a tough guy who could test a prospect, and he was then put in against another undefeated prospect - Fort Worth TX's Steve Cruz - who was 6-0 winning all 6 by knockout. Fowler was stopped in 2 rounds by the young prospect. Cruz would go on to win the WBA World title with a shocking 15 round decision win over Barry McGuigan.

   Fowler was now looked upon as a gatekeeper for up-and-coming prospects.  He returned to New Mexico and scored a decision win over fellow Albuquerque boxer Frank Cordova.  He then lost 2 fights in a row: being stopped in 3 rounds by Adrian Arreola at the Olympic auditorium in Los Angeles, and then dropping a close majority decision to Ramon Flores in El Paso, Texas.

   With a 4-6 record Richard went on an impressive 7-fight win streak with 3 knockout wins in that mix.  He now had a winning record at 11-6 and was starting to be looked at as a fringe contender. 

   Richard was put in tough against the USBA champion - Jimmy "Ringmaster" Paul in a non-title bout. The fight was held at Joe Louis arena in Paul's hometown of Detroit, Michigan on the undercard of Thomas Hearn's title defense against Luigi Minchillo, and Matthew Saad Muhammad's NABF title fight against Willie "Sandman" Edwards.  It was a big stage for Fowler who was put into a 12 round non-title fight against a world ranked USBA Champion in that champion's home town. Richard was tko'd in the 9th round by Paul.

   From that point on, Fowler would go on to face some of the best fighters in the world.  He went through an 0-7-1 stretch which included losses to - Lester Ellis (11-0), Ricky Lehman (11-1), Robert Guy (5-0), Courtney Hooper (15-1), Kamel Bou-Ali (26-3-1), Meldrick Taylor (16-0-1), and he earned a 10-round Draw against Arizona's Joey Medina (11-3) in Phoenix Arizona. 

   Fowler then scored a shocking upset against Denmark's undefeated Lars Lund Jensen (7-0) via 5th round Technical Knockout IN DENMARK!  That was probably Richard's greatest win, but not his last!

   "Tiger" Fowler engaged 6 more top names from the boxing world and lost 6 in a row against - Floyd Havard (16-0), Luca De Lorenzi (20-1), Lupe "Little Guns" Gutierrez (17-1), Jose Lupe Lopez (5-1), Tony Pep (19-4), and Sergio Vela (11-2-1), ALL in the opponent's back yards!  Fowler had earned a reputation as a gate-keepr for the division, but he never said no to any fight offered to him, and he earned his respect as an outstanding journeyman pro.

   May 7, 1993 saw Richard "Tiger" Fowler earn his final victory against free swinging mexican slugger Leobardo Mancillas.  The bout went the full 6 rounds, and ended with scores of: Larry Chavez 59-56, Roger Smith 60-56, and my own scorecard of 59-56, all in favor of Albuquerque's "Tiger" Fowler.

   After a 2 year layoff, Fowler returned to the ring for a farewell bout against fellow Albuquerque favorite Rick Ortega.  This time I was one of the 3 judges who all had it in favor of Ortega. 60-54 x 2, and 60 - 56.

See Fowler's final match here: RICHARD FOWLER vs RICK ORTEGA - Full Fight

    Albuquerque's Richard Fowler ended his career with a final record of: 13 wins, 20 defeats, and 1 draw, winning 5 by knockout.  A bit of a deceiving record when you consider the level of opposition the man faced over his 20 year career!


RICHARD FOWLER'S COMPLETE RECORD ON BOXREC

COURAGE TSHABALALA

Nickname: No Limit

   South Africa's Courage Tshabalala was a legendary amateur star for his country with a reported (but unconfirmed) amateur record of 71-1 ...with 70 wins by knockout!
   He turned professional in Feb. of 1993 and got off to a quick start in South Africa, going 5-0 winning all 5 by knockout.  He then traveled to the United States hoping to get some bigger recognition, and face off against tougher competition.
   His winning ways continued as he fought in different states around the USA, and began to get notice as a heavyweight to watch.  Courage was 11-0 before tasting his first decision victory, August 1995 in Albuquerque, New Mexico against Houston's Carl McGrew.  He won via unanimous decision, but McGrew made it tough for Tshabalala.
   His next fight was also a decision win, against Jessie Henry in Atlantic City, and suddenly, the "South African Knockout Machine" had back-to-back decision wins on his record.  He was still undefeated though, and stood at 13-0, 11 KO, and his name was still buzzing in the boxing world.
  

  
   Courage bounced back with a pair of knockout wins, and everything seemed to be "back on track" for the heavyweight prospect. But in May of 1996, Tshabalala was taken to a Split Decision victory against journeyman Tim Noble who had a 7-9 record. The Judges had it 78-73 for Tshabalala, 78-73 for Noble, and the deciding Judge had 76-75 for Tshabalala whose undefeated record remained intact by a single point!
   Tshabalala ran off 3 more knockout wins against fighters with a combined record of  16-14, and it was felt by his managers that it was time to step him up in quality of opposition.  It was time to "make the move" into contention.

   Tshabalala would next face the very respected Brian Scott (21-3) in a bout that was televised nationally in the USA.  The fight took place at the Convention Center in Atlantic City, and was expected to be a "showcase" bout for the powerful South African KO machine, but Scott was not impressed, and was ready for Tshabalala, stopping Courage in round 2.  It was Tshabalala's first loss, and he took it graciously, but now with a shocking knockout loss in what was considered a pretty major upset, his career was on an uncertain trajectory.
   Courage was put in easy to get his winning ways back on track and he had no problem knocking out 7-13 Stanley Hughey.  His managers felt confident that if they could get him in against a fellow prospect/contender, he would shine, and the loss to Scott would be all but forgotten.
   June of '97 found Courage "No Limit" Shabalala being tested at a high level again, this time it was against the powerhouse - Darroll Wilson (18-1-2).  This showdown took place at The Blue Horizon in Philadelphia, PA.  Wilson was considered a little more dangerous than Brian Scott was going in.  And it turns out he was.  In what was a great war that saw Wilson go down in rounds 1 & 3, he (Wilson) came off the deck to stop Tshabalala in round 4 of a red-hot slugfest.
   This 2nd loss was a pretty heavy set-back for Tshabalala.  He would be put in with some good journeymen opponents in his next 3 fights: 79 fight veteran - Danny Wofford, Rugged Tony LaRosa (24-11), and Joe Ballard (12-3).  Courage knocked all 3 out and again, was put in with a face-off bout against another fighter that looked like an up-and-comer when he traveled to Russia to square off with Oleg Maskaev (12-2, 8 KO).  This time Courage made it to round 9, but was stopped in that round by the heavy handed Russian.

Tshabalala's showdown with Oleg Maskaev in Russia.

   Courage was now 23-3, and even though some of the luster had come off of that shiny coating, he was still considered as a man that could one day threaten for a title belt.  He struggled to win a split decision over 6 rounds against tough journeyman Lenzie Morgan (14-25-3).
   He then scored 2 quick knockout wins, and then finished his career with a final showdown against another highly regarded prospect in Robert Wiggins (19-4-1).  It was a bruising fight for 4 rounds, and Tshabalala was not able to come out for round 5.  In an exciting career that spanned about 12 years, Tshabalala is remembered as the hard punching warrior who never got a shot at a title of any kind!  He finished with a record of 26-4, winning 22 by knockout!  Courage is a highly respected member of the boxing community, and remains active in the sport he loves.  His humble attitude about his whole boxing experience brings a smile to boxing fans world wide.
  
Check out his record on Boxrec.com: Professional Record of COURAGE TSHABALALA