Mate Parlov boxer

Mate Parlov boxer
bouts
29
won
24
lost
3
draw
2
Status
inactive
Division
light heavyweight
Debut
1975-05-31
Height
6′ 2″/188cm
Reach
-
Age
59
Born
1948-11-16
Death
2008-07-29
Nationality
Croatia

Mate Parlov (16 November 1948 – 29 July 2008) was a Croatian-Yugoslavian boxer, Olympic gold medalist who was European and World Champion as an amateur and as a professional.Mate Parlov was born in Split, the youngest of four children in a Croatian family originally from Imotski. In 1958, the family moved to Pula.In his amateur career he participated in 310 matches and lost 13. He was eight-time champion of Yugoslavia in the light heavyweight category (1967–1974), five-time champion of the Balkans (1970–1974), two-time champion of Europe (1971 in Madrid, and 1973 in Belgrade), and world champion at the inaugural 1974 World Championships in Havana, Cuba. He won the Golden Glove award twice, in 1967 and 1969. He participated in the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight division.Parlov won twelve of his first thirteen fights as a professional boxer before successfully challenging for the European light-heavyweight title. In 1976, he faced the future world champion Matthew Saad Muhammad. In their first fight in Milan, scheduled for eight rounds, he was defeated following the referee's decision. In a rematch, he and Muhammad struggled to a ten-round draw. After successfully defending the European title three times, he met Miguel Angel Cuello in Milan for the WBC world light-heavyweight title in January 1978. The two men had been scheduled to meet in the quarter-finals at the Munich Olympics, but Cuello withdrew due to an injury. Parlov knocked out Cuello in the ninth round to become the first professional world champion from a communist country. Parlov lost the title on his second defense and would later challenge for the World cruiser-weight title without success.In retirement, Parlov ran a coffee bar in Pula. He returned to boxing as coach of the Yugoslavian Olympic team prior to the 1984 Olympics, when Yugoslav boxers achieved their best results ever: one gold, one silver and two bronzes. He later moved to Fažana near Pula, away from boxing and the public. In March 2008, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and died four months later.

Date Opponent Last Opponents' Results Place Result
1980-03-31 Marvin Camel WWWWWD Caesars Palace, Las Vegas LOST
Unanimous decision
1979-12-08 Marvin Camel WWWWWW Sportski Centar Gripe, Split DRAW
Points
1979-09-26 Tony Mundine WWWWWW Gorizia WIN
Unanimous decision
1979-07-28 Joe Maye LLLLLL Munich WIN
KO
1978-12-02 Marvin Johnson WWWWLW Palazzo Dello Sport, Marsala LOST
Technical knockout
1978-06-17 John Conteh WWWWWW Red Star Stadium, Belgrade WIN
Split-decision
1978-04-28 Tony Greene WWWDDL Sarajevo WIN
Technical knockout
1978-01-07 Miguel Angel Cuello WWWWWW Palasport di San Siro, Milan WIN
KO
1977-08-21 Leo Kakolewicz LWLLWD Rijeka WIN
Technical knockout
1977-07-09 Harald Skog WWLLWD Basel WIN
Unanimous decision
1977-04-29 Francois Fiol LWWWWW Morges WIN
Points
1977-03-05 Christian Poncelet WWWWWL Velenje WIN
Points
1976-12-03 Matthew Saad Muhammad DWWWWL Trieste DRAW
Points
1976-10-15 Aldo Traversaro WWWWWW Palasport di San Siro, Milan WIN
Points
1976-09-11 Al Bolden WWLLLL Zagreb WIN
Technical knockout
1976-07-10 Domenico Adinolfi WWWWDW Belgrade WIN
Technical knockout
1976-05-21 Matthew Saad Muhammad WLWWDW Palasport di San Siro, Milan LOST
Points
1976-03-20 Maile Haumona WWWLWW Windsor Regis Hotel, Melbourne WIN
Points
1976-03-06 Sentiki Qata WLLWLW Hordern Pavilion, Sydney WIN
Points
1976-02-06 Macka Foley LLWLLL Trieste WIN
Technical knockout
1975-12-26 Onelio Grando WWWWLW Reggio Emilia WIN
Points
1975-11-22 Billy Freeman LLWWWL Skopje WIN
Points
1975-10-30 Karl Zurheide LLWLLW PalaLido, Milan WIN
KO
1975-10-06 Johnny Griffin LLLLLL Zagreb WIN
Technical knockout
1975-09-13 Jose Evaristo Gomez DLLLL Pula WIN
Points
1975-08-22 Jose Galvez WLLDDW Split WIN
Points
1975-07-12 Horst Lang LLWLLW Arenzano WIN
KO
1975-06-20 Robert Amory LLWWLW Milan WIN
Technical knockout
1975-05-31 Dante Lazzari LLLLLL Opatija WIN
Technical knockout