Rodrigo Valdez

Rodrigo Valdez
Born
Rodrigo Valdez Hernández

(1946-02-22)February 22, 1946
Cartagena, Colombia
DiedMarch 15, 2017(2017-03-15) (aged 71)
Cartagena, Colombia
NationalityColombian
Other namesRocky
Statistics
Weight(s)Middleweight
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Reach70 in (178 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights73
Wins63
Wins by KO43
Losses8
Draws2

Rodrigo Valdez (February 22, 1946 – March 15, 2017) was a Colombian professional boxer who competed from 1963 to 1980. He was a two time middleweight champion, having held the WBC title from 1974 to 1976 and the undisputed WBA, WBC, and The Ring titles from 1977 to 1978. His rivalry with Carlos Monzón has long been considered among the most legendary boxing rivalries. Valdez was trained by International Boxing Hall of Fame coach Gil Clancy. Many people consider him, Antonio Cervantes and Miguel "Happy" Lora to be the three greatest boxers ever to come from that country. He is 29th on Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.