APRIL
April 1, 1961: Emile Griffith captures the world welterweight title for the first time by knocking out Benny “Kid’ Paret for the first time in Miami.
April 2, 1939: Puerto Rico’s first ever world champion, Sixto Escobar (“El Gallito”) defeats K.O. Morgan by a 15 round unanimous decision to retain the world bantamweight title.
WORLD BANTAMWEIGHT KING, SIXTO “El “Gallito” ESCOBAR
April 3, 1962: Benny “Kid” Paret dies in Roosevelt hospital in NYC after suffering a brutal 12th round knockout in his third fight with Emile Griffith at MSG on March 24, 1962.
April 4, 1961: Future Olympic gold medalist and world heavyweight champion, “Merciless” Ray Mercer is born.
April 5, 1915: Jess Willard knocked out Jack Johnson in the 26th round in Havana, Cuba to win the world heavyweight title.
April 6, 1987: After taking 31/2 years off, Sugar Ray Leonard returns to defeat “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler in Las Vegas and capture his undisputed world middleweight title.
April 7, 2001: Marco Antonio Barrera defeats Naseem Hamed by unanimous decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to win the IBO world featherweight crown.
MARCO ANTONIO BARERRA
April 8, 2006: Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeats Zab Judah by unanimous decision at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas to win the IBF/IBO welterweight title.
April 9, 1988: Evander Holyfield unified the WBC and WBA cruiserweight title by knockout out Carlos De León in 8 rounds at Caesars Palace, Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas.
April 10, 1965: Panama’s Ismael Laguna beats Carlos Ortiz by a 15 round majority decision in Panama City, Panama to win the WBA/WBC world lightweight titles.
ISMAEL LAGUNA
April 10, 2010: 47 year-old Evander Holyfield knocked out Francis Botha in round 8 to win the World Boxing Federation heavyweight title at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas
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