Sixto Escobar

He started boxing at the age of 17 and campaigned both in Puerto Rico and Venezuela, where he got his first championship try, a 12 round decision loss to Jose T. Rosales[?] for the Venezuelan Bantamweight title.

in 1936, in Montreal he made history by knocking out Mexican Baby Casanova[?] in Montreal to become Puerto Rico's first world champion ever. There would be no other Puerto Rican world champion until almost 30 years later when Carlos Ortiz won the Jr Welterweight title, and Escobar inmediately became a national hero in Puerto Rico. The next year he unified the title beating the other world champion, Tony Marino[?] , who would sadly die as a consequence of blows received on another bout in 1939.

Escobar reigned 3 times in the Bantamweights[?], losing his title to and recovering it against both Harry Jeffra[?] and Lou Salica[?]. Along the way, he beat tough challengers like Mexico's Indian Quintana[?] in what was the first time ever a Puerto Rican champion won a world title bout by knockout in the first round.

Once his fighting days were over, Escobar, who participated in an era where boxers gained small purses in comparison to today's era, had to earn his living selling liquor around Puerto Rican bars, and during that time, it was common for liquor salesmen to drink a little bit of the product they sold in front of potential customers, so Escobar unfortunately developed an alcohol problem, one that would ultimately take him to the graveyard at the age of 66.

Escobar was, however, always a hero in Puerto Rico, and he was always thankful of his adoring fans. He felt charmed about being a celebrity.

It is reported that his record was 42 wins and 21 losses, with 21 wins by knockout, but the record isn't clear, because during his era, boxers used to engage in many unsanctioned paid bouts, so he might have had more wins or losses as a professional.

After his death, Escobar became the first world boxing champion in history to have a statue erected, his town of Isabela[?] giving him that honor.

Escobar is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame.

It should be added that Escobar was never, thought his career, knocked down or out in a professional boxing fight