Niño Valdés
| Niño Valdés | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Geraldo Ramos Ponciano Valdés |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Reach | 78 in (198 cm) |
| Nationality | Cuban |
| Born |
December 5, 1924 Havana, Cuba |
| Died | June 3, 2001 (aged 76) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 70 |
| Wins | 48 |
| Wins by KO | 36 |
| Losses | 18 |
| Draws | 3 |
| No contests | 0 |
Niño Valdés (born Geraldo Ramos Ponciano Valdez) (December 5, 1924 – June 3, 2001) was the Cuban heavyweight boxing champion in the 1940s and 1950s. Statistical boxing website BoxRec rates Valdés as the 6th best Cuban boxer ever across all weight divisions.[1]
Professional career
Heavyweight contender
Valdés was a top contender for the heavyweight title during the mid 1950s, although he never received a shot due to his mixed results in the ring. Ring Magazine ranked Valdez as high as the #2 contender in its annual rankings for 1958 and he was highly ranked in several other years.[2]
After a string of four losses to notable fighters such as Harold Johnson, Archie Moore, and Bob Baker in 1952 and 1953, he went undefeated in an impressive run of 11 consecutive victories which saw him defeat Ezzard Charles and Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson. However, the streak came to an end when he lost a rematch to Moore by a fifteen-round unanimous decision on May 2, 1955. He lost another fight to Bob Satterfield three months later. After beating former title contender Don Cockell, he lost a ten-round unanimous decision to Bob Baker on December 7, 1955, costing him a potential title bout against Rocky Marciano.
Later career and retirement
He continued boxing, losing to heavyweight contenders Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, and Sonny Liston. After defeating contender Brian London in December 1959, Valdez retired due to eye problems.
After retirement, he worked as a security guard and a bouncer.
Notable bouts
| Result | Opponent | Type | Rd., Time | Date | Location | Notes[3] |
| Win |  Brian London |
TKO | 7 (10) | 1959-12-01 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London |
|
| Loss |  Sonny Liston |
KO | 3 (10) | 1959-08-05 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
|
| Win | Danny Hodge |
TKO | 8 (10) | 1959-04-28 | Forum, Wichita, Kansas |
|
| Loss | Charlie Powell |
TKO | 8 (10) | 1959-03-04 | Miami Beach, Florida |
|
| Win |  Joe Erskine |
KO | 1 (10) | 1957-02-19 | Earls Court Arena, Kensington, London |
|
| Win | Dick Richardson |
TKO | 8 (10) | 1956-12-04 | Harringay Arena, Harringay, London |
|
| Loss | Zora Folley |
UD | 10 | 1956-09-25 | Softball Park, Phoenix, Arizona |
|
| Loss | Eddie Machen |
KO | 8 (10) | 1956-07-11 | Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida |
|
| Loss | Eddie Machen |
UD | 10 | 1956-04-16 | Cow Palace, Daly City, California |
|
| Loss | Bob Baker |
UD | 10 | 1955-12-07 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
|
| Win | Don Cockell |
RTD | 3 (10) | 1955-09-13 | White City Stadium, White City, London |
|
| Loss | Bob Satterfield |
UD | 10 | 1955-08-17 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
|
| Loss | Archie Moore |
PTS | 15 | 1955-05-02 | Cashman Field, Las Vegas, Nevada |
For World Heavyweight Title (Nevada Version) |
| Win | Tommy Jackson |
TKO | 2 (10) | 1954-07-14 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York |
|
| Win | .svg.png){kind=small} Karel Sys |
TKO | 4 (10) | 1954-05-22 | Palais des Sports, Brussels |
|
| Win |  Heinz Neuhaus |
KO | 4 (10) | 1953-11-15 | Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Nordrhein-Westfalen |
|
| Win | Ezzard Charles |
UD | 10 | 1953-08-11 | Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida |
|
| Loss | Bob Baker |
UD | 10 | 1953-05-21 | Radio Center Arena, Huntington, West Virginia |
|
| Loss | Archie Moore |
UD | 10 | 1953-03-11 | Saint Louis Auditorium, Saint Louis, Missouri |
|
| Loss | Harold Johnson |
UD | 10 | 1952-11-24 | Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York |
|
References
- ↑ All-Time Pound-for-Pound Rankings (Cuba). BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2014-05-18.
- ↑ "Ring Magazine rankings".retrieved Feb. 27,2014
- ↑ Nino Valdes' Professional Boxing Record. BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2014-05-18.