Arturo Frias (born October 27, 1956) is a Chicano who was a world champion boxer. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Chicano (feminine Chicana) is a politically-loaded word for a Mexican American (in the sense of native-born Americans of Mexican ancestry as opposed to Mexican Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, He is a native of Montibello, California.
Boxing career
Frias began his professional boxing career on February 7, 1975, one month and a half after he had turned eighteen years old. Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He beat Alfredo Medrano by a six round decision in San Diego that night. He made his Los Angeles debut defeating Victor de La Cruz on March 17 of that year. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger On his third fight, Frias obtained a six round technical decision win over Eddie Murray, who quadrupled Frias' experience, having held eight fights before their bout, compared to Frias' two fights. A technical decision is a term used in Boxing when a fight has to be stopped because of a headbutt Murray was undefeated before losing to Frias.
On Frias' eighth bout, he won once again by a technical decision, defeating Basilio Onate in two rounds, on September 2, 1976, also in Los Angeles. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Frias' first knockout victory came on his tenth fight, when he defeated Canelo Salinas in the second round on December 16 of that year. Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion
On February 26, 1981, Frias entered the WBA's top ten rankings at the Lightweight division, with a ten round decision win over Jaime Nava, in Los Angeles. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The World Boxing Association (WBA is a Boxing organization that sanctions official matches and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level On May 30, he held his first fight abroad, and suffered his first professional defeat, at the hands of former world champion Ernesto España, who outpointed Frias over ten rounds in Caracas, Venezuela. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Ernesto España was a Venezualan boxer who held the World Boxing Association Lightweight championship in 1979 and 1980 Caracas (kaˈɾakas is the Capital and largest city of Venezuela.
Despite suffering his first professional defeat, Frias was not dropped from the WBA's rankings at the Lightweight division, and, after two more wins, he received his first world title try, against WBA world Lightweight champion Claude Noel, on December 5 of 1981, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Claude Noel (born October 31, 1955 in Kirkland Lake, Ontario) is a former Canadian Ice hockey player who was the head coach Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally
Frias, who was not generally known as a heavy hitter, became world champion when he knocked Noel out in the eighth round. On his first defense, held on January 30, 1982 in Los Angeles, he avenged his defeat to former world champion España, beating the Venezuelan by a nine round technical decision. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the
Frias then signed to defend his crown against Ray Mancini. Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini (born Raymond Michael Mancino; March 4, 1961) is an Italian-American former boxer. An unclarified incident happened weeks before the fight, when some armed men came looking for Mancini at his hotel room as he trained for his challenge of Frias in the city of Tucson, Arizona. Boxing training is the training method that boxers use in order to get more fit for their sport Tucson (ˈtuːsɒn is the seat of Pima County Arizona, United States, located 118 miles (188 km) southeast Frias himself was never signaled as a suspect in the incident, and Mancini-Frias took place on May 8, 1982 in Las Vegas. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) In what was often called the best first round in boxing history (until Marvin Hagler beat Thomas Hearns three years later), Frias wobbled Mancini and bloodied the challenger's nose in the fight's opening minute, only to have Mancini drop him and win the fight by knockout in the last minute of the first round.
On July 18 of that year, Frias bid for the USBA Lightweight title, losing by a fifth round knockout to Ruben Muñoz Jr. Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, , in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Frias obtained four more victories before facing future world champion Kelvin Lampkins, on December 13, 1984 in Bakersfield. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) He lost by a ninth round knockout to Lampkins.
His next fight was also highly anticipated, as he faced former two division world champion and fellow Chicano Bobby Chacon, on August 15, 1985, in Sacramento. Bobby Chacon (born November 28, 1951) in Sylmar, CA USA and was a two time world boxing champion Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Despite dropping Chacon in the first round, Frias lost by a seventh round knockout.
Arturo Frias retired after that bout, with a record of 28 wins and 5 losses in 33 bouts, with 8 wins by knockout. He currently resides in Whittier CA
| Preceded by Claude Noel |
WBA Lightweight Champion 5 Dec 1981– 8 May 1982 |
Succeeded by Ray Mancini |
External links
List of WBA world champions is a table showing the world champions certificated by World Boxing Association (WBA Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini (born Raymond Michael Mancino; March 4, 1961) is an Italian-American former boxer. BoxReccom is a website dedicated to keep updated records of professional boxers, both male and female.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic