Ringside Report Looks Back at Former World Title Challenger Rafael Solis

[AdSense-A]

By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

For those of us in the United Kingdom with an interest in American politics, TV shows and the like we still have an unfirm grasp on the political status and legal entity that is Puerto Rico. Ironically it nestles next to the “British” Virgin Islands so there may be less of reason for us to be confused than most, but we do find the state that aint a state in a democracy where they aint got a vote thing, difficult to get our heads round.

We get Cuba but then again that is an independent country but when you have Puerto Rica provide exceptional boxers it is tough to decide if we have American fighters or fighters from a whole different part of the world!

But the ethnic melting pot that is the United States of America should not be so confusing – should it?

This week I delved into the Solis family – that of Enrique, Santos and Julian, but not one of those three was my focus but Rafael Solis 30-13-2, 20 KO’s.

He had caught my eye when I was looking at the career of Hector “Macho” Camacho. A junior lightweight, Rafael fought mainly down in the Latin American enclave and only managed 11 times to come out of there to fight – and that was mainly in the US.

He made his debut in 1974 when he got a 4 round points win in San Juan against Victor Arnau – it was Arnau’s debut too.

Unusually for a fighter he was involved in not one but two fights where the crowd played a part. On both occasions, not a positive role. On the 29th October 1977 in Inglewood when facing Ernesto Herrera fans threw debris into the ring forcing the end of the fight in the 9th round; it was declared a no contest.

Then in 1981, the 7th August, against Antonio Cruz, the referee was forced to call a halt in the 6th round due to bottle being hurled into the ring by the crowd; Cruz was hit on the knew by a bottle fragment and it was declared another no contest.

Despite this he managed to string together enough victories that by 1982 would see him win the FECARBOX super featherweight title as he knocked out Aquilino Asprilla in the 6th round at the Convention Center in Miami.

Hi 1983 saw four fights against lesser able opponents, all ending in wins as he kept busy for the chance in 1983 that would be the biggest of his career.

18th November 1983 he was in the ring and up against Hector Camacho for the WBC junior lightweight title. Camacho, like Solis was a Puerto Rican…

A week or so ago, I wrote about how having two Scottish fighters in the ring to scrap over a British title was an exciting addition to the Scottish boxing scene. Making the grade at a level that was not only halfway decent but for a belt that was so prestigious meant that it had a high water mark in the Scottish sporting calendar.

I can hardly imagine how it must have been for two compatriots to fight for a world title. Camacho and Solis were not fighting for an American title. These two proud Puerto Ricans were scraping over a world title. At the Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, that green belt stayed with Camacho after a brutal 5th round knockout. Camacho did not have it all his own way and left handed Solis, rocked Camacho in round three with a stunning uppercut. But in the 5th, Camacho knocked Solis to the floor so heavily twice, that in the second, Solis was unable to rise.

In 1984, Solis was to come back and win his next fight but that was his final win in his professional career. In the next 11 years he was in the ring a further 9 times as he faced Bobby Chacon, Robert Byrd, John John Molina and finally Victor Perez. Solis never heard the final bell in any of these contests.

For a boxer who up to that time had only lost twice it was a heavy and desperate set of results and despite my best efforts I can only unfairly speculate on the reasons behind an 11 year end of career swansong that was so desperate.

Solis did not set the boxing scene alight but what he did do was give Puerto Ricans a fitting hero to cheer and for that he is worthy of mention by the son of one small nation to the son of another.

[si-contact-form form=’2′]