56 years ago

Date: 29th June 1969

Title: WBC World Welterweight Title

Referee: Ramon Berumen

Jose Napoles
( 60 - 4 - 0 )
Weight: 144¾ lbs

Curtis Cokes
( 55 - 10 - 3 )
Weight: 146¼ lbs

On June 29, 1969, at Mexico City's Monumental Plaza de Toros México, Jose Napoles solidified his welterweight supremacy with a second consecutive victory over Curtis Cokes, forcing another corner retirement after ten rounds of sustained punishment.

Ten weeks after claiming the title from Cokes in Los Angeles by 13th-round stoppage, Napoles (145 lbs) delivered an even more decisive performance against the 146-pound former champion. Under referee Ramon Berumen's supervision, Napoles systematically dismantled Cokes, swelling his right eye shut and reducing him to a compromised state that left him unable to mount any adequate defence.

The fight's conclusion mirrored their first encounter, with Cokes' corner intervening to save their fighter from further damage. When the bell rang for the eleventh round, a battered and bloody Cokes shook his head and remained seated, acknowledging defeat.

Cokes' post-fight assessment proved particularly telling, as he bluntly declared Napoles "a very good fighter - sure as hell is a better fighter than Curtis Cokes." 

The victory further validated Napoles' championship credentials, adding to a resume that included wins over former super lightweight champions Carlos Hernandez and Eddie Perkins in 1964 and 1965, respectively.