Pete Melendez Local El Paso Boxer 1933-2009
Pete Melendez boxeador local de El Paso 1933-2009

Pete Melendez Local El Paso Boxer 1933-2009

" Award winning sports journalist Ray Sanchez wrote in his column back in 1996 the following: “Every time I think of Pete Melendez I think of electricity. When he was boxing, he was taut as a wire, quick as the speed of light, explosive as a lightning bolt.” Ray was correct as Pete’s record is absolute proof that the truth is better than fiction. From his first fight in 1949 at the CYO in downtown El Paso to his last fight in 1956 Pete would establish a record fit for a king. And a king he was. Fighting at 112 pounds he established one of the most improbable amateur records in history ringing up 372 wins against only eight losses. Along his magnificent and fabled journey he captured four Regional Golden Gloves Championships, two Texas Golden Gloves State Championships, two National Golden Gloves Championships (1953, 1956) and in 1956 he was the Flyweight victor for the Chicago Golden Gloves Champions versus the New York Champions in the annual inter-city duel. He really was electric and he is an El Paso ‘Hero’"

Area: Out of Area / Out of Area

Source: Tom McKay

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

Robert Lujan - 1953

Robert Lujan in Korea in the year 1953. Resident of El Paso, ...

Margarita Atilano - 1947

Margarita Atilano at the age of sixteen - in Juarez, Mexico in ...

Margarita Atilano - 1944

Margarita Atilano at the age of thirteen -- in Juarez.

Pedro Lerma Sr. & Jovita Nicasio Lerma

Wedding photograph in the 1940's of Mr & Mrs. Pedro Lerma Sr.

Race - Track - Cleveland - 1970

Winners Circle - Apolonio Valenzuela is the jockey in the middle ...

Ismael 'Milo' Valenzuela - 1958

Milo won his first Kentucky Derby in 1958 on Tim Tam. Milo is ...

Ismael "Milo" Valenzuela - 1968

Ismael "Milo" Valenzuela holds the trophy after winning the ...

Joe & Polo Valenzuela - 1965

Joe & Polo Valenzuela in 1965 -- photograph taken in Juarez.

Saleemah & Savannah

Daughter & Grandaughter

Beautiful Mural on Sacred Heart Catholic Church

Most popular murals of Segundo Barrio, This mural has so much ...

Segundo Barrio

The famous "Segundo Barrio" mural Painted 8-5-75

Balderas

I came across a small functioning building that looks beat down, ...

1966 Texas Western Players

Celebration at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland, site ...

1966 Texas Western Team Players

Celebration at Cole Field House, College Park, Maryland on ...

Final Four Houston 2016

Richard Daniel, VP of the UTEP Alumni Association and Joe Gomez, ...

Final Four in Houston 2016

Tina Hill, Michelle Hill, Jordan Sheffield and Joe Gomez at ...

Final Four Houston 2016

Joe Gomez with the three Texas Western Basketball team captains, ...

The Woman's Club of El Paso - 1919

American women gain the right to vote! Passed by Congress on ...

THE MORGAN CLAN. July 1995

James R Morgan, Anna M Morgan, Johnnie, McCarthy, James "Fluff", ...

Joe Gomez with El Paso's Jennifer Han World Champion

Jennifer Han and Joe Gomez after her induction into the El Paso ...

Harper Baylor Lee - 1910

GILLETT, JAMES HARPER [HARPER BAYLOR LEE] (1884–1941). James ...

Blue Angels Flight Team - 1955

Blue Angels Flight Team - Date taken - 9-12-55 - NAS Pensacola, ...

Banquet Offered By General Orozco - 1912

Banquet Offered By General Pascual Orozco - to Juan Sarabia.

home.search_collection