Альфредо "Эль Сальсеро" Эскалера: Пуэрториканский чемпион мира по боксу

Puerto Rican boxer (born 1952)
the Puerto Rican boxer

Alfredo "El Salsero" Escalera (born March 21, 1952) is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer and is the former World Boxing Council Super Featherweight world champion. A native of Carolina, his nickname was "Salsero" because he was a fan of Salsa music. Escalera is also a 2023 Florida Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee.

Escalera had his first professional bout on September 4, 1970, against Bob Payzant, in Portland. He won by a knockout in round four. He would suffer his first defeat in his third fight, when faced against Doug McClendon, who beat him by a decision in six rounds on January 26, 1971, in New York. He won five bouts in a row, and then lost by decision in eight rounds to future world title challenger Edwin Viruet. He began 1972 by losing to another future world title challenger, Diego Alcala, by knockout in round eight, but he won his three other fights that year. In 1973, he began, once again, by losing to another future world title challenger, Miguel Montilla, by a decision in ten rounds. Before the year was over, however, he was able to avenge that defeat, defeating Montilla by a knockout in round eight, and he won seven of his eight other fights that year. By 1974, he began climbing up the super featherweight rankings, going 8 2 that year. He beat his own future world title challenger Sigfredo Rodriguez by a knockout in round one, and former world champion Ricardo Arredondo by a disqualification in round eight.

On July 4, 1975, he fought the WBC super featherweight champion Kuniaki Shibata in Mito, Japan, knocking Shibata out in round two to become the WBC super featherweight champion. Coincidentally, Escalera won his world title the same day that Angel Espada won the WBA world Welterweight championship at a fight that took place in Puerto Rico; this was the first time two Puerto Ricans became world champions the same day and as a consequence, Puerto Rico, a country that had only produced two world boxing champions in its history, doubled their number of champions in one day with Escalera and Espada's victories. Escalera became a household name in Puerto Rico during his tenure as world champion. He appeared in television commercials and was a popular public figure. He defended his title ten times, including wins over Ray Lunny, Sigfredo Rodriguez and Tyrone Everett. Most observers consider the Everett "win" as one of the worst decisions in boxing history, as it appeared that Everett clearly won. A rematch was being negotiated when Everett was murdered. Escalera lost his title on January 28, 1978, to Alexis Argüello of Nicaragua by a technical knockout in round 13 in Bayamón. In this fight, Escalera suffered a broken nose and tooth, a cut on his tongue and above his left eye, and a closed right eye before submitting to Argüello. The first Arguello Escalera encounter has been dubbed as "The Bloody Battle of Bayamon". The fight was described as "brutal".

Escalera and Argüello had a rematch, on February 4, 1979, in Rimini, and Escalera held a small lead on the judges' cards after 12 rounds. However, he was knocked out in round 13 by Argüello. Shortly after drawing (tying) with Antonio Cruz in ten rounds in October of that year, he announced his retirement. In 1980, Escalera dedicated himself to the sport of professional wrestling, competing on the Puerto Rican professional wrestling circuit. However, in 1981, he launched a boxing comeback. He lost to future world light welterweight champion Gene Hatcher in San Antonio, but he beat former world title challenger Maurice Termite Watkins at "The Battle of the Champions'" undercard in Miami, to complete his 1982 boxing campaign. In 1983, he avenged his loss to Hatcher, scoring a ten round unanimous decision win at the Roberto Durán Davey Moore world title fight undercard in Madison Square Garden. On September 15 of that year he lost to future world title challenger Charlie White Lighting Brown.

No. (Number)ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes70Loss53–14–3Charlie BrownUD10 (10)1983 09 1569Win53–13–3Victor BabiloniaTKO5 (10)1983 08 1268Win52–13–3Gene HatcherUD10 (10)1983 06 1667Win51–13–3Martin RojasUD12 (12)1983 05 1366Win50–13–3Trad ThompsonKO3 (10)1983 03 2565Loss49–13–3Sergio MedinaUD10 (10)1983 01 2964Win49–12–3Maurice WatkinsUD10 (10)1982 11 1263Win48–12–3Guillermo FernándezPTS10 (10)1982 09 1862Win47–12–3Johnny LiraMD10 (10)1982 07 0261Win46–12–3Jesús NavaKO7 (10)1982 05 2160Loss45–12–3Gene HatcherUD10 (10)1982 04 0959Win45–11–3Clemente MunozPTS10 (10)1982 03 0858Loss44–11–3Angel CruzSD10 (10)1982 01 2257Win44–10–3Johnny TorresKO8 (10)1981 11 2156Win43–10–3Ruby OrtizPTS10 (10)1981 10 1655Draw42–10–3Antonio CruzPTS10 (10)1979 10 1354Loss42–10–2Alexis ArgüelloTKO13 (15)1979 02 0453Loss42–9–2Julio ValdezUD10 (10)1978 10 2752Win42–8–2Larry StantonTKO3 (10)1978 07 2651Win41–8–2Rogelio CastañedaUD10 (10)1978 06 0350Loss40–8–2Alexis ArgüelloTKO13 (15)1978 01 2849Win40–7–2Sigfrido RodriguezUD15 (15)1977 09 1048Win39–7–2Carlos BecerrilKO8 (15)1977 05 1647Win38–7–2Ronnie McGarveyTKO6 (15)1977 03 1746Win37–7–2Tyrone EverettSD15 (15)1976 11 3045Win36–7–2Ray Lunny IIIRTD12 (15)1976 09 1844Win35–7–2Buzzsaw YamabeUD15 (15)1976 07 0143Win34–7–2Buzzsaw YamabeTKO6 (15)1976 04 0142Win33–7–2Jose FernandezTKO13 (15)1976 02 2041Win32–7–2Sven Erik PaulsenTKO9 (15)1975 12 1240Win31–7–2Gaétan HartKO6 (10)1975 11 1739Draw30–7–2Leonel HernandezSD15 (15)1975 09 2038Win30–7–1Kuniaki ShibataKO2 (15)1975 07 0537Draw29–7–1Francisco VillegasPTS10 (10)1975 03 3136Win29–7Mario RománTKO3 (? )1975 02 2435Loss28–7Mario RománTKO2 (? )1974 12 1434Win28–6Rodriguez ValdezKO1 (? )1974 11 2933Loss27–6Memo CruzPTS10 (10)1974 10 2832Win27–5Eleuterio HerrnandezTKO8 (10)1974 10 1831Win26–5Omar Ruben RealecioTKO5 (10)1974 09 0930Win25–5Ricardo ArredondoDQ8 (10)1974 08 0329Win24–5Armando MendozaTKO8 (10)1974 05 3028Win23–5Jorge RamosTKO5 (10)1974 04 0127Win22–5Sigfrido RodriguezKO1 (10)1974 03 0326Win21–5Stanley YanachekKO2 (? )1974 02 0425Win20–5Johnny CopelandTKO5 (10)1973 12 1724Win19–5Miguel MayanKO4 (? )1973 11 3023Win18–5Antonio AmayaPTS10 (10)1973 11 1222Win17–5José Luis LópezTKO6 (? )1973 09 1521Win16–5Frankie OteroTKO5 (10)1973 08 2120Win15–5Leo RandolphKO2 (? )1973 07 2119Win14–5Miguel MontillaTKO8 (10)1973 07 1418Win13–5Carlos GilKO1 (? )1973 05 0817Loss12–5Gino FebusPTS10 (10)1973 04 2816Win12–4Rocky OrengoPTS10 (10)1973 03 3115Loss11–4Miguel MontillaPTS10 (10)1973 03 0314Win11–3Miguel MoralesPTS10 (10)1972 09 1813Win10–3Carlos PensonKO1 (? )1972 07 1412Win9–3Alejandro FalconKO7 (? )1972 06 1211Loss8–3Diego AlcalaKO8 (10)1972 02 1610Win8–2Henry OcasioPTS8 (8)1971 10 269Loss7–2Edwin ViruetPTS8 (8)1971 09 238Win7–1Reynald CantinPTS10 (10)1971 09 147Win6–1Eddie JamesMD6 (6)1971 09 026Win5–1Henry OcasioPTS4 (4)1971 07 265Win4–1Richie LugoPTS6 (6)1971 03 304Win3–1Jimmy JaynesPTS6 (6)1971 03 243Loss2–1Doc McClendonPTS6 (6)1971 01 262Win2–0Red WalshUD4 (4)1970 12 021Win1–0Bob PayzantTKO4 (4)1970 09 24

After the Brown fight, Escalera announced his retirement from boxing once again. Shortly after, it was discovered that he had eyesight problems and had been fighting almost blinded for his last few fights. Escalera now enjoys the fruits of his career in his farm in Puerto Rico. His son, Alfredo Escalera Jr., was once a boxer himself, who is based in Florida.

The avid autograph signer left a boxing record of 53 wins, 14 losses and 3 draws, with 31 wins by knockout. His two fights with Argüello are considered by many to be boxing classics, Argüello Escalera I making The Ring magazine's list of 100 greatest fights of all time at number 67, and Argüello Escalera II making it at number 40.