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Sixto Escobar (March 23, 1913 - November 17, 1979)
was Puerto Rico's first world boxing champion.

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 immediately
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. After winning the championship for the first
time, Escobar was received by many at San Juan,
Puerto Rico|San Juan's dock; Jack Dempsey and Ring
Magazine editor Nat Fleischer were among those
that received him.

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. Deciding to
move his family to New York City, Escobar became a
spokeperson for liquor and beer companies. After
retiring Escobar went back to his native land of
Puerto Rico for the battle of his life with
diabetes, one that would ultimately take him to
the grave 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 Barceloneta, Puerto
Rico|Barceloneta giving him that honor. In 2003,
controversy surrounding this statue surfaced
because the government of the city of Barceloneta
decided to bring the statue down and build a park
in the area instead.

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

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

On March of 2005, Escobar was honored again, when
a new statue of him was revealed in the "Sixto
Escobar Stadium" in San Juan. Among the
celebrities that attended the revealing of the new
statue were former world champion boxers Julian
Solis (who also held the world Bantamweight title)
and Alfredo Escalera.

==See also==

*List of famous Puerto Ricans