Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Carlos Palomino (born August 10, 1949) is a
Mexico|Mexican former Boxing|boxer who was a world
champion and also a college degree holder.
Palomino is also an Acting|actor who has been
featured in a few movies. He achieved a
considerable amount of fame during the 1970s,
especially among Mexican and South California
fans. He moved to Los Angeles, California|Los
Angeles from his native Mexico when he was eight
years old, and as a result, many fans actually
considered him to come from California, despite
the fact he had been born in Mexico.

On September 14 of 1972, he began his professional
boxing career with a four round decision win over
Javier Martinez. His next fight, three weeks
later, was against the same rival and ended up the
same way. On November 16 of that year, he drew
(word used in boxing for tie) with Ted Liggett in
four rounds.

In 1972, his name was becoming more well known in
California.This was likely caused by the number of
his fights taking place there. He won five fights
(one by Knockout|knockout) in 1973. 

In 1974, Palomino went through an increment in
quality of opposition. He won six fights and lost
one. He beat David Arellano twice, by a decision
in ten and by knockout in nine, as well as Tommy
Howard, by decision in ten, but he lost to Andy
Price, who was a title contender at the time, by
decision in ten in San Diego, California|San
Diego. 

In 1975, he won four fights, and drew in two. He
and Zovek Barajas had two bouts that year, the
first one resulting in a ten round draw and the
second one being a nine round knockout win for
Palomino. He also drew with Hedgemon Lewis.

After winning two fights in 1976, Palomino found
himself and his trainers travelling to London,
where an internationally Television|televised
world championship bout awaited him against World
Boxing Council|WBC world Welterweight champion
John H. Stracey, a United Kingdom|British boxing
teacher who had dethroned Jose Napoles as world
champion. Palomino became a world champion on the
night of June 22 of that year at Wembley Arena,
when a right hand of his landed on Stracey, who
went down and was counted out. Many Mexicans who
viewed Napoles, a Cuba|Cuban born resident of
Mexico, as another countryman, saw this as a
revenge from Stracey.

He waited six months for his next fight, against
another very popular boxer of Mexican background:
cross-town rival Armando Muniz. This was a fight
that had many fans guessing who'd win it for
months before it happened, but it also made
history in the boxing books: When Palomino and
Muniz met, on January 21 of 1977, it was the first
time in boxing history two college graduates met
for a world title. Palomino and Muniz (now a beer
salesman for an important beer company) fought
what the book The Ring: Boxing in the 20th.
Century has described as one of the best fights of
1977. After 14 rounds, all three judges had the
fight tied on their scorecards, but Palomino
scored two knockdowns in the fifteenth and final
round and he retained the world title by a
knockout in that final round. A return to London
resulted in an 11th round knockout victory over
Dave Boy Green, after which he defended against
Everaldo Acosta Azevedo and Jose Palacios, Azevedo
being defeated by decision in fifteen  and
Palacios by knockout in thirteen.    

In 1978, he defended his crown with a win over Ryu
Sorimachi by a knockout in seven, a knockout in
nine over Mimoun Mohatar, and a decision in
fifteen in his long awaited rematch with Muniz.

His championship run ended in 1979, when he
travelled to Puerto Rico, where he was defeated on
January 13 by Wilfredo Benitez, who won a fifteen
round split decision over Palomino. 

In his next fight, Palomino met legendary Roberto
Duran on June 22 of that year at Madison Square
Gardens, in another nationally televised bout, as
part of the Larry Holmes-Mike Weaver world
Heavyweight championship bout's undercard.
Palomino lost to Duran by decision in ten rounds,
and he announced his retirement from boxing right
away. 

In 1980, however, Miller Lite List of beers|beer,
signed Palomino as a spokesman as part of a
television commercial campaign that also included
Walt Frazier and many other noted athletes.
Palomino not only was able to keep in the public's
eye as a consequence of this, but he discovered
that he enjoyed acting as well, and, because of
that, he decided to launch a career as an actor.
He participated in a number of movies and
television series, and then, in the middle 1990s,
he was elected as chairman of the California State
Athletic Commission, where he performed for a few
years until he decided to launch a boxing comeback
at the age of 38, in 1997.

Palomino began his comeback on January 10, beating
Ismael Diaz by a knockout in round nine. He won
four fights that year. including one over former
world champion Rene Arredondo, but when he lost by
decision in ten to former Oscar De La Hoya world
title challenger Wilfredo Rivera on May 30 of
1998, he decided to retire for good, and has
stayed in retirement ever since.

He is now involved in charity work, most notably
Tony Baltazar's charity organization, and he
travels around the United States to attend charity
events and do Autograph|autograph shows. 

Palomino was selected to the International Boxing
Hall of Fame on January 8, 2004. He was inducted
on June 13.

He had a boxing record of 31 wins, 4 losses and 3
draws, with 19 wins by knockout.