10 ‘world’ title fights that took place on Valentine’s Day. Here is the full list below:
JIMMY WILDE W RTD 12 JOE SYMONDS – 1916
Wales’ Wilde claimed IBU flyweight honours in Covent Garden in his second win over Plymouth’s Symonds.
SUGAR RAY ROBINSON W RSF 13 JAKE LaMOTTA – 1951
Robinson battered old rival LaMotta to become middleweight champion in Chicago’s St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
JOSE NAPOLES W RSF 15 ERNIE LOPEZ – 1970
Cuban Napoles retained his WBC and WBA welter belts for a third time by halting L.A’s Lopez in Inglewood.
LUIS ESTABA W UD 15 LEO PALACIOS – 1976
In the second of 11 successful WBA light-flyweight title defences for Estaba, the Venezuelan triumphed in his home country.
EUSEBIO PEDROZA W KO 13 PAT FORD – 1981
In his hometown of Panama City, Pedroza kept hold of his WBA featherweight strap for an 11th time after dominating Guyana’s Ford.
EVANDER HOLYFIELD W RSF 7 HENRY TILLMAN – 1987
Holyfield retained his WBA cruiser crown by hammering his 1984 US Olympic team-mate in Reno, Nevada.
BUDDY McGIRT W RSF 12 FRANKIE WARREN – 1988
Fighting in Warren’s Texas backyard, New Yorker McGirt secured a revenge win, as well as the vacant IBF super-lightweight belt.
ROBERT QUIROGA W UD 12 CARLOS MERCADO – 1992
Italy was the setting as Texan Quiroga made the fourth triumphant defence of his IBF super-flyweight title.
NATE CAMPBELL W MD 12 ALI FUNEKA – 2009
Floridian Campbell lost his WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight straps on the scales, but won in his home state against South Africa’s Funeka.
CRISTOBAL CRUZ W UD 12 CYRIL THOMAS – 2009
On away turf in France, Mexico’s Cruz successfully defended his IBF feather crown for the first time.
