By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart
As America emerged out of the fight against fascism – the first time – and the Second World War, optimism must have been high. If there was ever evidence of the beginning of a new world phase and that the American people had at their fingertips an opportunity to lay the foundations of global standards as a country to be admired, it would have been then. Hitler was defeated. The Japanese had been sent back into their country. America had been first to unleash terrible terror and show that they had the capacity to back up whatever mean words were needed. And Europe, the previously fervent leader of thinking and global dominance through Empire was in tatters.
It could be argued that at that time America dropped the ball more than the bomb. With the specter of the likes of Joe McCarthy in the wings, the conscience of the Civil Rights Movement with Malcom X, Muhamad Ali and Martin Luther King Jr about to challenge the idea of how wonderful the American Dream was the country had plenty to contemplate.
But for the moment, and this might be the time that the MAGA supporters think was when it was a great nation, America was at its pinnacle. And in that shadow, in New York City, in October 1948, future Olympian David Vasquez, 19-15, 6 KOs, was born.
As a native New Yorker, Vasquez will hold with some pride the fact that he is the only American boxer who won Golden Gloves titles at the old and at the new Madison Square Garden. He reigned supreme for three years at flyweight from 1967 to 1969.
In the middle of that distinguished amateur reign, he also went to Mexico in 1968 to represent his country at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. His appearance at the Olympics was short lived but the gold medalist, Mexico’s own Ricardo Delgado was to go on and turn professional, as did Vasquez. What happened when they met twice in a professional ring is told later, but Vasquez, unlike many Olympians today, had no red-carpet ride towards riches.
In fact, whilst he was boxing even as a professional, he worked for his city’s Parks and Recreation Department, training at the St Mary’s Center, South Bronx. You can also see him, if you can spot him, in films Saturday Night fever, Serpico and The French Connection.
At the Olympics, Vasquez faced and beat the Italian, Filippo Grasso before coming up against Uganda’s Leo Rwabwogo. The Ugandan was to go on and claim a bronze whilst Vasquez went home, gave the Golden Gloves one last go and then turned pro.
And so, in the all-new Madison Square Garden on the 21st of November 1969, Vasquez began his pro career with a points win over Eddie Garces. By April 1971, Vasquez was at the Felt Forum stopping Chuck Spencer in the 7th round to win the NABF bantamweight title. Spencer was profusely bleeding from his nose. Back at the Forum on the 24th of May in the same year he successfully defended his title by stopping Arlindo Borges in the 6th round, as Borges was unable to continue due to cuts over both of his eyes.
By this time Vasquez had already tasted defeat in a professional ring. It was a majority decision loss in MSG against the gold medalist from Mexico City – Ricardo Delgado. It had been in only his 6th professional contest. Revenge, however, was delivered on the 12th of July in 1971, when at MSG Vasquez got all the judges to rule him the winner. Delgado hit the canvas twice in the 5th and 6th rounds.
But 1971 was to end with Vasquez without his title, lost in October to Enrique Pinder, at the Felt Forum, he rematched Pinder in November in the Garden but again lost, both on points. From there he never quite made it to any real summit, and from 1975 onwards, in 12 contests, he won 3.
Losses included a points loss to Joe Guevara for the Californian bantamweight title in Sacramento in February, 1975; in San Juan, in June of 1975, a points loss to Francisco Villegas for the IBF USBA bantamweight title; a points loss to Richard Rozelle in the US Championship Tournament in Annapolis in February 1977; a majority decision loss to Sean O’Grady in the Garden in June of 1977; a trip to Wales to be beaten by Johnny Owen on points in Ebbw Vale; and his final fight, after a slow 1980s, on the 6th of August 1982, at the Felt Forum, New York when Hector Sanchez knocked him out.
And so, the career of an Olympian, from the state of New York came to an end. It’s an interesting story because as we look across to Paris and the most recent iteration of the Olympics, we ask, who will be suited to the professional ranks? The gold medalists? The medalists overall? The also rans? The grueling pathway to just get into an Olympics is tough enough, and perhaps like David Vasquez, that appearance should be enough to make their name shine in recognition for their sport.
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