Raul Rojas (November 5, 1941 – May 20, 2012) was an American featherweight boxer.[1] He accumulated a record of 38 wins (24 by KO), 7 losses and 2 draws. On March 28, 1968, Rojas defeated Enrique Higgins to win the WBA Featherweight Title, which Vicente Saldivar had vacated after announcing his retirement.[1] He lost the title on September 27, 1968 to Shozo Saijo. Rojas was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame.[1]
Raul Rojas | |
|---|---|
 Rojas c. 1968 | |
| Born | November 5, 1941 San Pablo, California, United States |
| Died | May 20, 2012 (aged 70) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Featherweight |
| Height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) |
| Reach | 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 47 |
| Wins | 38 |
| Wins by KO | 24 |
| Losses | 7 |
| Draws | 2 |
Rojas who was of Mexican descent grew up as a gangster, leading the group "Little Roy's Gang". Two of his brothers were sent to San Quentin State Prison, while Rojas spent time at the California Division of Juvenile Justice. He once said that "If it were not for boxing, I'd probably either be in San Quentin or would already have made the trip to the gas chamber." He died of natural causes at the age of 70. He was survived by daughters Rebecca and Guadalupe.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Pugmire, Lance (May 25, 2012). "Raul Rojas dies at 70; L.A. gang member turned boxing champion". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
External links
edit- Boxing record for Raul Rojas from BoxRec (registration required)
- Raul Rojas at IMDb