Hilario Zapata (born August 19, 1958) is a
Panama
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
nian former
professional boxer
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...
who competed from 1977 to 1993. He is a
world champion in two weight classes, having held the
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation ...
(WBC)
light flyweight title twice between 1980 and 1983, and the
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is an international professional boxing organization based in Panama. The WBA awards its world championship title at the professional level.
Founded ...
(WBA)
flyweight
Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing up to and including 51 kg (112 lb) for a title fight.
Professional boxing
The flyweight division was the last of boxin ...
title from 1985 to 1987.
Professional career
Zapata began his professional
boxing
Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
career in 1977, beating
Victor Lopez by a
knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...
in the second round. He had 2 wins in '77.
He had a fast ascent to the top, starting in 1978. By his fifth bout, on July 1, he was meeting former world Flyweight champion
Juan Guzmán in
Panama City
Panama City, also known as Panama, is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has a total population of 1,086,990, with over 2,100,000 in its metropolitan area. The city is located at the Pacific Ocean, Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, i ...
, beating Guzman by a decision in ten. His next fight, against
Yong-Hwang Kim, in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, was his first fight abroad; he gave himself a twentieth birthday present by beating Kim by a 10-round decision on August 19. Then, he met former world Flyweight champion
Alfonso Lopez, for the vacant
Latin American
Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America).
Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...
Jr. Flyweight belt. Zapata suffered his first loss in the fight against Lopez, when he was beaten by a decision in 12.
He started 1979 with a fight against
Ramon Perez in
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, winning by a knockout in nine. He had three more wins in 1979, including one over the two time world Flyweight champion
Freddie Castillo, and by the end of that year he was ranked number one in the world among Jr. Flyweight challengers by the
WBC.
Zapata went to Japan in March 1980, and on the 24th day of that month he beat defending world champion
Shigeo Nakajima to become world Jr. Flyweight champion. He defended his title against
Chi-Bok Kim, winning a 15-round unanimous decision in South Korea, against
Hector Rey Melendez in
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
, winning also by a 15-round decision, against Nakajima in a Tokyo rematch, winning by knockout in 11, and against
Reynaldo Becerra in Venezuela. He closed out 1980 win a 15-round decision win over Becerra.
In 1981, he and future world Flyweight champion
Joey Olivo fought what was the only Jr. Flyweight title bout ever broadcast on American national
TV live until
Michael Carbajal
Michael Carbajal (born September 17, 1967) is an American five-time world boxing champion of Mexican descent. His nickname was "Little Hands of Stone" after his favorite boxer, "Hands of Stone" Roberto Durán.
Amateur career
Carbajal had an amat ...
came along nine years later. Zapata beat Olivo by a knockout in round 13 to retain his belt, and then, he went to
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
to retain the crown once again, with a 15-round decision over
Rudy Crawford. On August 15, and back home in Panama City, he beat Mexican
German Torres
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ger ...
by a decision in 15 to retain his belt, and then he faced former world Jr. Flyweight champion
Netrnoi Sor Vorasingh, retaining the belt by a knockout in 10.
In his next fight, on February 6, 1982, Zapata lost the world title by knockout in two at the hands of ''
Amado Panterita Ursua'', but Ursua in turn would lose it to
Tadashi Tomori. On July 20, Zapata regained the world title by beating Tomori on a 15-round decision in Japan. Then, he beat future world champion and Zapata-conqueror
Jung-Koo Chang by a decision in 15 in
Chonju, and he closed out the year with a rematch against Tomori in Tokyo, knocking Tomori out in eight rounds.
On March 26, 1983, Zapata and Chang met again in South Korea, and this time, Chang became world champion by knocking Zapata out in the third round. Then, on November 9 at
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, on the
Marvin Hagler vs. Roberto Durán
Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Marvin Hagler vs. Roberto Durán was a professional boxing match contested on November 10, 1983 for the World Boxing Association, WBA, World Boxing Council, WBC, International Boxing Federation, IBF and The Ring (magazine) ...
's undercard's week, Zapata was beaten by a knockout in 10 by
Harold Petty.
His career seemingly over, he quickly recovered from those back to back losses and began winning again, but this time as a Flyweight. By the end of 1984, he was ranked number one by the
WBA among Flyweights, and on December 8 of that year, he challenged world Flyweight champion
Santos Laciar
Santos Benigno Laciar (born January 31, 1959), known familiarly as Santos Laciar and nicknamed Falucho, is an Argentine who was boxing's world flyweight and super flyweight champion.
Biography
Laciar was born in Huinca Renancó, in the provinc ...
of
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
at
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
' legendary
Luna Park
Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks. They are named after, and partly based on, the first Luna Park (Coney Island, 1903), Luna Park, which opened in 1903 during the heyday of large Coney Islan ...
. Zapata lost a 15-round decision that night, but in 1986, after Laciar had vacated the crown, the WBA gave him a second chance, and he beat
Alonzo Gonzalez to win the WBA world Flyweight championship. He then beat
Javier Lucas to retain the belt. He retained the title also against
Shuichi Hozumi,
Dodie Penalosa,
Alberto Castro and
Claudemir Calvalho, all by decision, before losing it to
Fidel Bassa of
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
, also by a decision.
In 1993, he tried to become a world champion once again, but was knocked out in the first round by the WBC world Jr. Bantamweight champion
Sung-Kil Moon. A win against Moon would have made Zapata a member of the exclusive group of world boxing champions in three different weight categories or more.
It can also be added that Zapata's first pair of boxing gloves, when he was 12, came as a present from Duran himself.
Panamanian newspaper ''
El Panama America'' declared on one of their editorials that Zapata, according to their opinion, should be inducted to the
International Boxing Hall Of Fame
The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, right next to exit 34 of the New York State Thruway, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected on ballots cre ...
soon. Zapata eventually was voted into the Hall of Fame, in December 2015, and was inducted during June 2016.
Zapata had a record of 43 wins and 10 losses, with 1 draw, and 14 wins by knockout.
Professional boxing record
See also
*
List of southpaw stance boxers
This is a list of southpaw stance boxers. Southpaw is a boxing term that designates the stance where the boxer has his right hand and right foot forward, leading with right jabs, and following with a left cross right hook. Southpaw is the normal s ...
*
List of world light-flyweight boxing champions
*
List of world flyweight boxing champions
This is a list of world flyweight boxing champions, as recognized by the four major sanctioning organizations in boxing:
* The World Boxing Association (WBA), established in 1921 as the National Boxing Association (NBA). The WBA often recognize up ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zapata, Hilario
1958 births
Living people
Panamanian male boxers
Boxers from Panama City
Southpaw boxers
World Boxing Council champions
World Boxing Association champions
World light-flyweight boxing champions
World flyweight boxing champions
Super-flyweight boxers
International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees