Edwin Rosario

Template:Short description Template:Family name hatnote Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox boxer Edwin "Chapo" Rosario Rivera (Template:IPA; March 15, 1963 – December 1, 1997) was a Puerto Rican professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 1997. He was a world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBC lightweight title from 1983 to 1984, the WBA lightweight title twice between 1986 and 1990, and the WBA super lightweight title from 1991 to 1992.

Rosario was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.

Early life and career

Edwin Rosario was born in Candelaria barrio, Toa Baja, an extremely poor barrio on the north coast of Puerto Rico. Rosario's older brother Papo became a professional boxer, beginning what looked like a promising career. Edwin and Papo were the sons of Antonio Rosario and Elizabeth Rivera. They also had three sisters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

His boxing manager and coach (trainer), Manny Siaca Sr., had noticed the younger Edwin Rosario's talent when the boy was 8 years old. Inspired by his brother Papo, Chapo Rosario, as he became known in the world of boxing, had a stellar amateur boxing career.

Professional boxing career

Chapo's brother Papo died unexpectedly, purportedly due to drugs, two years after his entry into professional boxing. Rosario persevered, wanting to honor his brother's memory by winning a world championship. He scored big knockout wins over Young Ezzard Charles and Edwin Viruet. He beat Charles in three rounds on the Benitez-Duran undercard in January 1982 in Las Vegas. He also defeated Viruet in three rounds; that opponent had boxed 25 rounds against Roberto Durán-including a world lightweight championship bout-without being knocked out.

Rosario eventually gained a record of 21–0 with 20 knockouts. This led to talks of a title fight against World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Alexis Argüello, to be held in Miami. But Argüello relinquished the title in order to move up in weight to challenge junior welterweight champion Aaron Pryor.

Boxing champion

Template:External media Template:Main With Arguello moving divisions, Rosario was matched with Mexico's José Luis Ramírez on May 1, 1983 for the vacant WBC lightweight title. Rosario seemed to have the momentum over the first half of the fight, but tired down the stretch to make for a very close outcome. The judges, as well as most of the public present, felt Rosario had done enough to win. He became world lightweight champion by the unanimous score of 115–113 on all 3 judging cards. Rosario injured his hand during the fight and needed surgery, for which the World Boxing Council gave him a dispensation.

He didn't return to the ring until 1984. In his first defense of the title, he faced Roberto Elizondo, who had lasted 7 rounds with Argüello in a previous world title challenge and was expected to give him a tough fight. Rosario knocked out Elizondo in one round. Howard Davis Jr proved more of a challenge – Davis Jr was ahead on all scorecards with ten seconds remaining in the bout, but was dropped by Rosario for the second time in their fight at that point, and lost a split decision.

A rematch with Ramírez was scheduled, again in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on November 3, 1984. Rosario dropped Ramírez once in round one and again in the second, but the challenger got off the canvas to take Rosario's title away with a fourth-round TKO. This was Rosario's first defeat. Some fans felt he never fully recovered, although he won three more championships.

Rosario won a comeback fight against Frankie Randall, the future world champion, in London. He had to wait another year before an opportunity to regain the title. On June 13, 1986, he met the world champion Hector 'Macho' Camacho at Madison Square Garden in New York. The fight was televised by HBO, and although Rosario shook Camacho badly in the fifth round and rallied down the stretch, Camacho swept the middle rounds. The judges, in a split decision, awarded Camacho the fight.

Because of the closeness of that bout, the WBA gave Rosario a chance to challenge Livingstone Bramble, one of two other world lightweight champions (the other one being the International Boxing Federation's Jimmy Paul). Rosario went to Miami and defeated Bramble by knockout in the second round to become world lightweight champion for the second time. His pose, raising his arms after the fight, became The Ring magazine's cover for the next month — the only time Rosario was featured on its English-version cover.

Rosario defended the WBA lightweight title against fellow Puerto Rican Juan Nazario with a knockout in eight in Chicago.

In Rosario's next defense, he faced WBC super featherweight title holder Julio César Chávez, on November 21, 1987, in Las Vegas. Chavez moved up in weight to challenge for Rosario's title, and he battered the lightweight champion. By the tenth round, Rosario's left eye was completely shut. His right eye was swollen, and he was bleeding from the nose and mouth. Referee Richard Steele stopped the fight at 2:38 of the eleventh round at the request of Rosario's corner. At the time of the stoppage, Rosario trailed on the judges' scorecards by the following scores: Jerry Roth: 98-92. Bob Watson: 99-91. Albert Tramari 100-92 (2 rounds even).

Rosario was inactive for seven months then went 7–0 with 6 KO's in his next fights. After Chavez vacated the title in 1989, Rosario came back and won it again, beating Anthony Jones, a tough Kronk prospect for the championship.

Rosario joined a small group of men who had become world champions three times in the same division. This time, however, he didn't hold the title for long. When he gave Nazario a 1990 rematch at Madison Square Garden, he was defeated on cuts in the 8th round.

Rosario moved up a weight class to the junior welterweight division, and defeated defending world champion Loreto Garza in three rounds in Sacramento's Arco Arena to become a world champion for the 4th time.

However, personal problems started to take their toll. In his first defense, against Japanese Akinobu Hiranaka in Mexico City on April 10, 1992, he lost by a 1st-round TKO. He later lost a rematch to Frankie Randall, by technical knockout in seven rounds.

Later career and death

Rosario disappeared from the boxing scene. Years later he received media attention after being arrested for stealing beer from a supermarket. He vowed to stay clean and went into a program to achieve this.

In 1997, he won two comeback fights, then won the Caribbean welterweight title by beating Roger Benito Flores of Nicaragua in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, in a twelve-round decision. Once an HBO staple, Rosario was then fighting on small cards without any TV showings. He was ranked #10 among Oscar De La Hoya's challengers at the welterweight division after his win over Flores, making him an official world title challenger once again.

He defeated Sanford Ricks at Madison Square Garden. In his final fight on September 25, 1997, Rosario knocked out Harold Bennett in two rounds at Bayamon. He died before fighting again.

On December 1, 1997, Rosario visited the home of his ex-wife and four daughters, but he cut his visit short an hour later, saying he felt ill.<ref>"Edwin Rosario Is Dead at 34, Troubled Boxing Champion", New York Times, December 3, 1997</ref> After returning home where he lived with his parents, Rosario was later found dead in his bed by his father. He was found to have died of an aneurysm on December 1, 1997, with fluid accumulated in the lungs. Doctors said that his history of narcotics and alcohol abuse was a factor.

Many celebrities and dignitaries attended his funeral, and a group of Puerto Rican world boxing champions were among the pallbearers. More than 5,000 people came to the funeral or watched from their homes as the coffin was driven from the funeral home to the cemetery.

Professional boxing record

Template:Abbr	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Age	Location	Notes
53	Template:Yes2Win	47–6	Harold Bennett	KO	2 (10)	Sep 25, 1997	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
52	Template:Yes2Win	46–6	Sanford Ricks	KO	8 (8), Template:Small	Aug 23, 1997	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
51	Template:Yes2Win	45–6	Roger Flores	PTS	12	Jul 17, 1997	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
50	Template:Yes2Win	44–6	Calvin Moody	DQ	3 (8), Template:Small	Jun 7, 1997	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
49	Template:Yes2Win	43–6	Maurice Roberson	TKO	4 (10), Template:Small	May 22, 1997	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
48	Template:No2Loss	42–6	Frankie Randall	TKO	7 (10), Template:Small	Jan 30, 1993	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
47	Template:Yes2Win	42–5	George Kellman	TKO	5 (10)	Aug 11, 1993	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
46	Template:No2Loss	41–5	Akinobu Hiranaka	TKO	1 (12), Template:Small	Apr 10, 1992	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
45	Template:Yes2Win	41–4	Loreto Garza	TKO	3 (12), Template:Small	Jun 14, 1991	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
44	Template:Yes2Win	40–4	Dwayne Swift	MD	10	Aug 23, 1990	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
43	Template:No2Loss	39–4	Juan Nazario	RTD	8 (12), Template:Small	Apr 4, 1990	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
42	Template:Yes2Win	39–3	Anthony Jones	TKO	6 (12), Template:Small	Jul 9, 1989	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
41	Template:Yes2Win	38–3	Larry Benson	RTD	5 (10)	Mar 16, 1989	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
40	Template:Yes2Win	37–3	Jesus Gallardo	TKO	8 (10), Template:Small	Feb 9, 1989	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
39	Template:Yes2Win	36–3	Juan Minaya	KO	4 (10), Template:Small	Oct 27, 1988	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
38	Template:Yes2Win	35–3	Felipe Angulo	TKO	2 (10)	Sep 3, 1988	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
37	Template:Yes2Win	34–3	Rafael Gandarilla	TKO	3 (10), Template:Small	Aug 11, 1988	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
36	Template:Yes2Win	33–3	Javier Cerna	KO	1 (10), Template:Small	Jul 31, 1988	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
35	Template:Yes2Win	32–3	Ramiro Lozano	TKO	3 (10)	Jun 2, 1988	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
34	Template:No2Loss	31–3	Julio César Chávez	TKO	11 (12), Template:Small	Nov 21, 1987	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
33	Template:Yes2Win	31–2	Juan Nazario	KO	8 (15), Template:Small	Aug 11, 1987	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
32	Template:Yes2Win	30–2	Roger Brown	KO	2 (10), Template:Small	Mar 7, 1987	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
31	Template:Yes2Win	29–2	Livingstone Bramble	KO	2 (15), Template:Small	Sep 26, 1986	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
30	Template:No2Loss	28–2	Hector Camacho	SD	12	Jun 13, 1986	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
29	Template:Yes2Win	28–1	Roque Montoya	KO	7 (10), Template:Small	Dec 27, 1985	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
28	Template:Yes2Win	27–1	Frankie Randall	PTS	10	Jun 16, 1985	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
27	Template:Yes2Win	26–1	Alberto Ramos	KO	2 (10), Template:Small	Apr 15, 1985	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
26	Template:Yes2Win	25–1	Eduardo Valdez	TKO	3 (10), Template:Small	Mar 13, 1985	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
25	Template:No2Loss	24–1	José Luis Ramírez	TKO	4 (12), Template:Small	Nov 3, 1984	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
24	Template:Yes2Win	24–0	Howard Davis Jr.	SD	12	Jun 23, 1984	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
23	Template:Yes2Win	23–0	Roberto Elizondo	TKO	1 (12), Template:Small	Mar 17, 1984	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
22	Template:Yes2Win	22–0	José Luis Ramírez	UD	12	May 1, 1983	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
21	Template:Yes2Win	21–0	Edwin Viruet	TKO	3 (10), Template:Small	May 30, 1982	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
20	Template:Yes2Win	20–0	Dennis Quimayousie	TKO	1 (10), Template:Small	Mar 21, 1982	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
19	Template:Yes2Win	19–0	Ezzard Charles Adams	KO	3 (10), Template:Small	Jan 30, 1982	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
18	Template:Yes2Win	18–0	Ernesto Herrera	KO	3 (10), Template:Small	Dec 10, 1981	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
17	Template:Yes2Win	17–0	Roberto Garcia	KO	2 (10), Template:Small	Nov 14, 1981	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
16	Template:Yes2Win	16–0	James Martinez	UD	10	Sep 16, 1981	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
15	Template:Yes2Win	15–0	Rodrigo Aguirre	KO	8 (10), Template:Small	Jul 18, 1981	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
14	Template:Yes2Win	14–0	Refugio Rojas	KO	2 (10), Template:Small	Jun 25, 1981	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
13	Template:Yes2Win	13–0	Jose Resendez	TKO	6 (8), Template:Small	May 23, 1981	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
12	Template:Yes2Win	12–0	Tony Tris	TKO	4 (10)	Apr 10, 1981	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
11	Template:Yes2Win	11–0	Javier Flores	TKO	9 (10), Template:Small	Aug 22, 1980	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
10	Template:Yes2Win	10–0	Jose Luis Lara	TKO	2 (10)	Jul 7, 1980	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
9	Template:Yes2Win	9–0	Pascual Polanco	TKO	4 (10)	Mar 10, 1980	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
8	Template:Yes2Win	8–0	Leopoldo Frias	KO	2 (8)	Feb 18, 1980	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
7	Template:Yes2Win	7–0	Pancho Muletta	KO	2 (8)	Sep 22, 1979	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
6	Template:Yes2Win	6–0	James Sowell	KO	2 (8)	Aug 1, 1979	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
5	Template:Yes2Win	5–0	Jose Villegas	RTD	5 (8)	Jul 20, 1979	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
4	Template:Yes2Win	4–0	Julio Miranda	KO	4 (8)	May 12, 1979	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
3	Template:Yes2Win	3–0	Enrique Maldonado	KO	3 (8)	Mar 27, 1979	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
2	Template:Yes2Win	2–0	Juan Caro	KO	1 (8)	Mar 4, 1979	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
1	Template:Yes2Win	1–0	Jorge Ortega	KO	2 (8)	Mar 3, 1979	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small

Legacy and honors

• He won three world championships in the same division.
• On January 12, 2006, Rosario was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the sixth Puerto Rican inducted into the hall.
• According to Ring Magazine, Edwin Rosario ranks #36 on the list of "100 Greatest Punchers of All Time."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• List of world lightweight boxing champions
• List of world light-welterweight boxing champions
• List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions
• Sports in Puerto Rico
• List of Puerto Ricans

External links

• Template:Boxrec

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