Ceferino Garcia

Ceferino Montano Garcia (August 26, 1906 – January 1, 1981) was a Filipino professional boxer, born in Naval, Biliran, Philippines, who held the NYSAC world middleweight title from 1939 to 1940, winning the title by knocking out Fred Apostoli at Madison Square Garden and later lost it to Ken Overlin. Garcia is regarded as one of the most successful Filipino boxers of his era, holding the most victories ever achieved by a Filipino boxer with a professional record of 120 wins, 30 losses and 14 draws, including 76 knockout victories. He is also the only boxer from the Philippines to become world champion in the middleweight division. Garcia is commonly credited to as the first well known user of the bolo punch, which was later popularized by Cuban fighter Kid Gavilán. He was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1977 and the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1989.

Early life Ceferino Garcia was the son of Fortunato Garcia and Pascuala Montano and was the oldest of six children. He never completed first grade, and by age 15 he took in the streets for odd jobs in sugar cane fields, as a blacksmith, and indulged rather frequently in gambling. At 17, he was feared by so many that nobody would take him in a street fight. While working at a bakery in Cebu City, Garcia met a boxing promoter. This was where his career as boxer started.

Boxing career On September 23, 1937 at the Polo Grounds in NY, Garcia first had a shot for a world title in the welterweight division opposing for the third time Barney Ross, who bested him by unanimous decision. Ross won the three bouts on points.

Ceferino Garcia fought twice legendary bouts with Henry Armstrong in 1938, which he lost by decision, and in 1940, this time with the referee declaring the fight a draw.

On October 2, 1939, Garcia fought Fred Apostoli for the world Middleweight title in the United States and won it by TKO in the 7th round. He defended that title three times until he lost to Ken Overlin on points. He was managed, during the final years of his career by George Parnassus.

Bolo punch Garcia is still generally associated with the bolo punch, an unorthodox punch whose motion has been compared to the swinging action of a Filipino bolo knife used in cutting vegetation. The punch is generally described as a wide, circular blow combining elements of a hook and an uppercut, often thrown with a looping arm motion. Garcia has often been credited with popularizing the bolo punch in professional boxing, and some accounts have described him as its inventor. Other sources, however, have noted that an earlier Filipino boxer, Macario Flores, was reported using a similar punch in the 1920s. Later fighters associated with the punch included Kid Gavilán, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Roy Jones Jr. He was also employed for a time by actress Mae West as her chauffeur and bodyguard.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Garcia lived on 1042 S. Rowan St., in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Garcia died on January 1, 1981, while in San Diego, California. His grave is located at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood, California.

Professional boxing record