Arturo Frias

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Arturo Frias
ArtFrias1.tiff
Born (1955-10-27) October 27, 1955 (age 69)
Other namesArt
Statistics
Weight(s) Lightweight
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Reach67 in (170 cm)
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights33
Wins28
Wins by KO8
Losses5

Arturo Frias (born October 27, 1955) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1975 to 1985. He held the WBA lightweight title from 1981 to 1982.

Contents

Boxing career

Frias began his professional boxing career on February 7, 1975, one month and a half after he had turned eighteen years old. He beat Alfredo Medrano by a six round decision in San Diego that night. He made his Los Angeles debut defeating Victor de La Cruz on March 17 of that year. On his third fight, Frias obtained a six round technical decision win over Eddie Murray, who quadrupled Frias' experience, having held eight fights before their bout, compared to Frias' two fights. Murray was undefeated before losing to Frias.

On Frias' eighth bout, he won once again by a technical decision, defeating Basilio Onate in two rounds, on September 2, 1976, also in Los Angeles. Frias' first knockout victory came on his tenth fight, when he defeated Canelo Salinas in the second round on December 16 of that year.

On February 26, 1981, Frias entered the WBA's top ten rankings at the Lightweight division, with a ten round decision win over Jaime Nava, in Los Angeles. On May 30, he held his first fight abroad, and suffered his first professional defeat, at the hands of former world champion Ernesto España, who outpointed Frias over ten rounds in Caracas, Venezuela.

Despite suffering his first professional defeat, Frias was not dropped from the WBA's rankings at the Lightweight division, and, after two more wins, he received his first world title try, against WBA lightweight champion Claude Noel, on December 5 of 1981, in Las Vegas. [1]

Frias, who was not generally known as a heavy hitter, became world champion when he knocked Noel out in the eighth round. On his first defense, held on January 30, 1982, in Los Angeles, he avenged his defeat to former world champion España, beating the Venezuelan by a nine round technical decision. [2]

Frias then signed to defend his crown against Ray Mancini. An unclarified incident happened weeks before the fight, when some armed men came looking for Mancini at his hotel room as he trained for his challenge of Frias in the city of Tucson, Arizona. Frias himself was never signaled as a suspect in the incident, and Mancini-Frias took place on May 8, 1982, in Las Vegas. In what was often called the best first round in boxing history (until Marvin Hagler beat Thomas Hearns three years later), Frias wobbled Mancini and bloodied the challenger's nose in the fight's opening minute, only to have Mancini drop him and win the fight by knockout in the last minute of the first round.

On July 18 of that year, Frias bid for the USBA Lightweight title, losing by a fifth round knockout to Ruben Muñoz Jr., in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Frias obtained four more victories before facing former world title challenger Kelvin Lampkins, on December 13, 1984, in Bakersfield. He lost by a ninth round knockout to Lampkins.

His next fight was also highly anticipated, as he faced former two division world champion and fellow Chicano Bobby Chacon, on August 15, 1985, in Sacramento. Despite dropping Chacon in the first round, Frias lost by a seventh round knockout.

Arturo Frias retired after that bout, with a record of 28 wins and 5 losses in 33 bouts, with 8 wins by knockout. He currently resides in Whittier, CA.

Professional boxing record

33 fights28 wins5 losses
By knockout84
By decision201
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
33Loss28–5 Bobby Chacon TKO7 (10)1985-08-15 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, U.S.
32Loss28–4Kelvin LampkinTKO9 (10)1984-12-13 Civic Auditorium, Bakersfield, California, U.S.
31Win28–3Jose TorresUD10 (10) 1984-06-15 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
30Win27–3Jerry LewisTD4 (10)1983-08-04 Circle Star Theatre, San Carlos, California, U.S.
29Win26–3Javier RiosTKO3 (10)1983-04-12County Fairgrounds, Ventura, California, U.S.
28Win25–3Joe PerezUD10 (10)1983-02-09 County Fairgrounds, Ventura, California, U.S.
27Loss24–3Ruben Munoz JrTKO5 (12)1982-07-18 Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.For vacant USBA lightweight title
26Loss24–2 Ray Mancini TKO1 (15)1982-05-08 Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Lost WBA lightweight title
25Win24–1 Ernesto España TD9 (15)1982-01-30Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.Retained WBA lightweight title
24Win23–1 Claude Noel KO8 (15)1981-12-05 Showboat Hotel & Casino Sports Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.Won WBA lightweight title
23Win22–1Juan GracianoTKO5 (10)1981-10-29Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
22Win21–1Rosendo RamirezUD10 (10)1981-08-27Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
21Loss20–1 Ernesto España MD10 (10)1981-05-30Caracas, Venezuela
20Win20–0Robert PerezKO2 (10)1981-04-30Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
19Win19–0Jaime NavaPTS10 (10)1981-02-26Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
18Win18–0Guillermo ArreolaPTS10 (10)1980-08-14Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
17Win17–0Juan SanchezKO1 (10)1980-06-26Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
16Win16–0Fidel FraijoPTS10 (10)1978-05-18Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
15Win15–0Ray SaldivarUD10 (10)1977-12-01Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
14Win14–0Juan ArcosKO3 (6)1977-07-28Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
13Win13–0Enrique PazKO1 (6)1977-03-10Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
12Win12–0Raul MongePTS6 (6)1977-02-24Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
11Win11–0Eduardo ParraPTS6 (6)1977-02-10Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
10Win10–0Canelo SalinasTKO2 (5)1976-12-16Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
9Win9–0Jesus MonrrealPTS4 (4)1976-10-28Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
8Win8–0Basilio OnateTD2 (?)1976-09-02Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
7Win7–0Rafael PreciadoUD7 (7)1975-11-15Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
6Win6–0Martin AvilaPTS5 (5)1975-10-25Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
5Win5–0Isidro SalinasPTS6 (6)1975-09-20Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
4Win4–0Jorge MejiaPTS4 (4)1975-06-20 Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
3Win3–0Eddie MurrayTD6 (6)1975-05-01Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
2Win2–0Victor de la CruzPTS6 (6)1975-04-17 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1Win1–0Alfredo MedranoUD6 (6)1975-02-07Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S.

See also

References

  1. "FRIAS CAPTURES TITLE AS NOEL FALLS IN 8TH". The New York Times. 6 December 1981. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  2. "World Boxing Association lightweight champion Arturo Frias, battered and..." United Press International. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
Sporting positions
World boxing titles
Preceded by WBA lightweight champion
December 5, 1981 – May 8, 1982
Succeeded by