Boxing Only


Rodrigo Valdes

Rodrigo Valdes Profile Image
  • Nickname: Rocky
  • Date of Birth: 22nd December 1946
  • Died: 15th March 2017 (70 years old)
  • Career length: 17 years 1 months
  • Status: Deceased
  • Nationality: Colombia Flag Colombia
  • Birthplace: Cartagena, Colombia Flag Cartagena, Colombia
  • Residence: Rocha, Colombia Flag Rocha, Colombia
  • Division: Middleweight
  • Reach: 68.9"
  • Height: 5ft 10"
  • Stance: Orthodox
  • BoxRec: Rodrigo Valdes
  • Debut: 25th October 1963

Biography

Rodrigo "Rocky" Valdez Hernandez (1946-2017) emerged from Cartagena, Colombia, to become one of his nation's most accomplished boxers, ranking alongside Antonio Cervantes and Miguel "Happy" Lora in Colombia's boxing pantheon. Standing 5'8" with a 70-inch reach, Valdez combined technical skill with power that would earn him 29th place on Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers.

His 1963-1980 career trajectory moved from regional prominence to international acclaim under Hall of Fame trainer Gil Clancy. After early career setbacks against Rudy Escobar and Daniel Guanin, Valdez established himself in the U.S. market between 1969 and 1970. His 1971 victory over Bobby Cassidy at Madison Square Garden proved pivotal both professionally and personally. While winning via sixth-round TKO, he contracted hepatitis A from Cassidy but remarkably continued training and fighting through quarantine.

Valdez's defining rivalry with Carlos Monzon developed after he captured the NABF middleweight title from Bennie Briscoe in 1973. When Monzon initially declined to face him, the WBC stripped Monzon and Valdez, who claimed that portion of the title, by stopping Briscoe in their 1974 rematch. Their first meeting in 1976 occurred under tragic circumstances - Valdez fought just days after his brother's murder in a barroom incident, losing a unanimous decision despite being contractually unable to postpone.

Their 1977 rematch produced the only knockdown of Monzon's career when Valdez floored him in round two, though Monzon's late rally retained his titles before retirement. Valdez recaptured the unified championship against Briscoe but lost it to Hugo Corro in 1978, retiring in 1980 with a record of 63-8-2 (42 KOs). His March 2017 death from a heart attack in Cartagena prompted Mayor Manuel Duque to declare him among Colombia's greatest athletes.