He was essentially the most feared and averted Filipino fighter earlier than Manny Pacquiao – and the winningest ever, even right this moment. And he was additionally the “bolo punch” grasp that impressed Child Gavilan.
Ceferino Garcia, born on a day like right this moment 106 years in the past, was all that – after which some.
Ceferino Montano Garcia was born in Naval, Biliran, Philippines on August 26, 1906. Because the oldest of six kids in a low-income household, he often ran away from college to bask in avenue preventing and playing, amongst different issues.
He made his professional debut on the age of 16 in 1923, and after 9 years of treading water in his native nation he moved to the States the place he made his debut with a win in 1932 on the fabled Olympic Auditorium. He took on all comers, going through individuals like Younger Corbett III and Freddie Steele and accumulating as many as 22 fights in a single 12 months (1933). He had three losses towards the nice Barney Ross, the final one being in 1937 with the Ring welterweight championship at stake. He had a 10-fight successful streak after that loss, incomes one other alternative on the title this time within the arms of all-time nice Henry Armstrong, who additionally defeated Garcia in 15 rounds.
Ten extra fights later, he would meet Fred Apostoli for a portion of the middleweight championship again within the day (NYSAC model), successful by stoppage in seven rounds on October 1939 after which defending it twice, together with a draw towards Armstrong in a struggle that might have netted the nice “Hammerin’ Hank” an unprecedented fourth simultaneous title in as many divisions.
After shedding that belt to Ken Oberlin in 1940, Garcia had ten extra fights earlier than retiring for good, holding the excellence of being the one boxer from the Philippines to put declare to any model of the middleweight championship. He received 120 bouts, essentially the most by a Filipino boxer in historical past.
Garcia died on January 1, 1981 in San Diego, California.
