Miguel Angel Canto Solis (born January 30, 1948 in Mérida, Yucatán) is a former world boxing champion from Mexico. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Mérida ( Tiho' in Modern Maya) is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatan Peninsula. Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.
Contrary to many Mexican boxers, Canto was not a "slam-bang" type of boxer ("Slam-Bang" is a term that is used to describe boxers whose fights are usually action-packed; Mexican boxers are usually stereotyped as "slam-bangers"). He enjoyed using boxing techniques and knowledge instead of trying to score knockouts in most of his fights. Prove of this is that he only won fifteen fights by knockout, out of more than seventy professional bouts.
Canto began his professional boxing career on February 5, 1969. Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He became one of those rare cases in boxing, like Alexis Arguello, Henry Armstrong, Bernard Hopkins, and Victor Luvi Callejas and Wilfredo Vazquez, where a boxer loses his first fight and goes on to become a world champion. Pro career "The Explosive Thin Man" suffered an unavenged first round TKO loss in his 1968 professional debut but then won 36 of his next 38 bouts which then led him to Henry Jackson Jr ( December 12, 1912 - October 22, 1988) was a world Boxing champion who fought under the name Henry Armstrong Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins (born January 15, 1965, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American boxer Victor Callejas (born December 11, 1960) is a Puerto Rican former Boxingboxer who was World Junior Featherweight champion Wilfredo Vázquez (born 2 August 1960 is a boxer born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. He lost that day to Raul Hernandez, in Canto's hometown of Mérida, by a knockout in round three.
His first win came against Pedro Martinez, on May 5, 1969, by a four round decision, also at Merida. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Canto lost his next fight, but a streak of seven undefeated fights (he went 5-0-2, with 2 knockouts during that streak), led him to fight Vicente Pool on May 27 of 1970, for the Yucatan state Flyweight title. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Canto won his first professional belt when he outpointed Pool over twelve rounds. In his first defense, he retained the crown, with a twelve round decision over Jose Luis Cetina. After losing his next bout, a ten round, non title bout, on a decision, he went on to win 21 bouts in a row, including his first bout outside Merida (a two round knockout of Pedro Martinez in Cansahcab, Mexico), and a win over Constantino Garcia on January 22, 1972, by twelve round decision, to claim the Mexican Flyweight title. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On January 31, 1973, he fought to a ten round draw (tie) against perennial contender Ignacio Espinal. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar.
After a streak of twenty six fights without loss (including the tie against Espinal), he was given his first world title try, when he fought Betulio Gonzalez in Maracaibo, Venezuela, for the WBC world Flyweight title. Betulio Segundo González (born October 24, 1949) is a former boxer from Venezuela, who is considered a national hero in Venezuela Maracaibo is the second-largest city in Venezuela after the national capital Caracas and is the capital of Zulia state Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the The World Boxing Council was initially created by 11 countries the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, In what was also his first fight abroad, he was outpointed by the equally legendary Gonzalez, considered by many to be Venezuela's greatest fighter of all time, on August 4 of 1973. Events 70 - The Destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar.
Canto won six more fights, including two Mexican title defenses, and on January 8, 1975, he became the WBC world Flyweight champion by defeating then champion Shoji Oguma by a fifteen round decision at Sendai, Japan. Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Shoji Oguma (大熊 正二 born July 22, 1951 in Koriyama Japan was a Japanese Southpaw boxer at Flyweight. is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku (northeast region For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. His dream of becoming a world champion finally realized, Canto was a busy champion, mixing several non-title bouts with his title defenses. He beat Espinal in a rematch by a ten round decision, and his first four title defenses (including a third fight with Espinal, in which Canto retained the title by a fifteen round decision) were made in Mexico, but he eventually became a travelling world champion.
For his fifth title defense, he returned to Venezuela for a rematch with Gonzalez. The second time around, he beat Gonzalez by a fifteen round decision. and, one month later, he retained the crown against Orlando Javierto, once again by fifteen round decision, in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West
On April 24, 1977, he returned to Venezuela for a third time, retaining the title against Reyes Arnal by a fifteen round decision in Caracas. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Caracas (kaˈɾakas is the Capital and largest city of Venezuela. Two months later, he beat Kimio Furesawa by a fifteen round decision in Tokyo. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. Then, he and Martin Vargas fought the first of their two bouts: on September 17 1977, Canto outpointed Vargas in his hometown of Mérida. Martín Vargas Fuentes (born January 24, 1955 in Osorno) is a former boxer from Chile, who represented his native country at the Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec
It was Canto's turn to travel to Vargas' hometown of Santiago, Chile, for their rematch, held on November 30 of the same year. Santiago ( (litteraly in spanish Saint James) is the Capital of Chile, and the center of its largest Conurbation ( Greater Santiago Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Canto once again retained the title with a fifteen round decision.
In 1978, Canto retained his title three times, including two rematches with Shoji Oguma, both of them held in Japan, and another fifteen round points win over Facomrom Vibonchai, in a fight held at Houston, Texas. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar)
By this time, Canto's name had become a household name all over Latin America, thanks in part to The Ring En Espanol, which gave Canto's fights much coverage. The Ring En Español was a Spanish version of Boxing publication Ring Magazine.
On February 10 of 1979, he retained the title against a future world champion, Antonio Avelar, by a fifteen round decision, but, on March 18, his reign came to an end, when he lost a fifteen round decision to Chan Hee Park in South Korea. Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː
On September 9 of that same year, he tried to recover the title from Park, but, after fifteen rounds, the champion retained the title with a fifteen round tie. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian
Canto's career took a downward spiral after that. He went 4-4 in his last eight fights, including a loss and a win against future world champion Gabriel Bernal, a loss against Olympic Bronze medalist Orlando Maldonado of Puerto Rico and another loss against future world title challenger Candido Tellez. Gabriel Bernal (born 24 March 1956) in Guerrero, Mexico was a former WBC Flyweight Champion The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Orlando Maldonado (born May 21 1959 in Bayamon Puerto Rico) is a retired boxer from Puerto Rico, who won the bronze medal in Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}}
After losing by knockout in round nine to Rodolfo Ortega on July 24, 1982, Canto retired from boxing for good. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) He had a record of 69 wins, 9 losses and 4 draws (ties), with 15 knockout wins.
Honors
He is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall
Trivia
Canto successfully defended his title 14 times, once by a TKO win, and the other 13 times by going the 15-round distance--a record that may never be broken, in this era of 12-round championship bouts.
| Preceded by Shoji Oguma |
WBC Flyweight Champion 8 Jan 1975–18 Mar 1979 |
Succeeded by Chan-Hee Park |
References
- Boxing-Records
- International Boxing Hall of Fame Bio
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