On This Day: Ten Valentine’s Day title fights, featuring Evander Holyfield and more

Evander Holyfield

10 โ€˜worldโ€™ title fights that took place on Valentineโ€™s Day. Here is the full list below:

JIMMY WILDE W RTD 12 JOE SYMONDS โ€“ 1916
Walesโ€™ Wilde claimed IBU flyweight honours in Covent Garden in his second win over Plymouthโ€™s Symonds.

SUGAR RAY ROBINSON W RSF 13 JAKE LaMOTTA โ€“ 1951
Robinson battered old rival LaMotta to become middleweight champion in Chicagoโ€™s St. Valentineโ€™s Day Massacre.

JOSE NAPOLES W RSF 15 ERNIE LOPEZ โ€“ 1970
Cuban Napoles retained his WBC and WBA welter belts for a third time by halting L.Aโ€™s Lopez in Inglewood.

LUIS ESTABA W UD 15 LEO PALACIOS โ€“ 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 โ€“ 1981
In his hometown of Panama City, Pedroza kept hold of his WBA featherweight strap for an 11th time after dominating Guyanaโ€™s Ford.

EVANDER HOLYFIELD W RSF 7 HENRY TILLMAN โ€“ 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 โ€“ 1988
Fighting in Warrenโ€™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 โ€“ 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 โ€“ 2009
Floridian Campbell lost his WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight straps on the scales, but won in his home state against South Africaโ€™s Funeka.

CRISTOBAL CRUZ W UD 12 CYRIL THOMAS โ€“ 2009
On away turf in France, Mexicoโ€™s Cruz successfully defended his IBF feather crown for the first time.

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