PANCHO Villa, whose real name was Francisco Guilledo, became the first Filipino and Asian World Boxing champion when he battered an aging, but heroic Jimmy Wilde to win the world flyweight title at the Polo Grounds in New York on June 19, 1923.
The World Boxing Council website reminded boxing fans that on that date (Manila time), Villa “defeated the brilliant, but aging Jimmy Wilde from Wales. Jimmy lost only three fights during his entire career. Pancho and Jimmy are considered two of the best flyweights in all boxing history.”
Magazine in January, 1923.
Cyber Boxing Zone reported that it was one of the first times Wilde fought on American soil. “When the fight started, Wilde understood the consequences of aggressively approaching the younger, quicker and stronger Villa and ‘The Mighty Atom’ dominated on long range. Wilde continued in the second round until a vicious right hand (after the bell rang, according to most sources who observed the bout) flattened him. The not so mighty ‘Atom’ was badly dazed and fought purely on courage. The pounding continued until an exhausted and battered Wilde fell flat on his face in the seventh round after a series of punches. Wilde was counted out and had to be carried back to his corner for the last time in his legendary career.”
The widely read boxrec.com site said Villa was the older brother of fellow boxer Little Pancho and started his boxing career at the Olympic Club in Manila, which was owned and run by Eddie Tait of Seattle, Washington, and Frank Churchill, noting that in the early 1920s, flyweights and bantamweights were the most popular weight divisions in the Philippines and Australia.
The name of Pancho Villa was first mentioned in an American newspaper in the Tacoma News Tribune editions of Dec. 7 and 26 in 1921.
Rafael Gellide/Guilledo, according to the boxrec.com biography, claimed to be Villa’s father, saying they reunited in New York in 1923 after 18 years. Guilledo claimed his wife deserted him in the Philippines when Pancho was 11 months old.
During his time, Pancho Villa was known as being one of the cleanest fighters around, showing concern for his opponents and always, after knocking down an opponent, turning away and walking to his corner, even before rules were introduced requiring a fighter to go to a neutral corner.
Questionable death
The New York Times of July 15, 1925 reported that Villa died at a hospital in San Francisco while undergoing an operation for an infection of the throat that developed from an infected tooth.
Dr. C.E. Hoffman said the boxer suffocated under the anesthetic. The doctor was preparing to operate when Villa’s heart stopped. Artificial respiration failed to revive the patient.
Villa had an ulcerated tooth extracted on the day of his fight with Jimmy McLarin and died a few days later on July 14 from “Ludwig’s angina, resulting from an infection that spread to his throat.”
However, there were those who believed that Pancho Villa was poisoned.
The speculations were fueled several years later in 1989, when his widow, who was then 84 years old, insisted that a gambling syndicate conspired to murder the champion because of big losses when Villa lost a 10-round bout to McLarin at the Oaks Ballpark in California on July 4, 1925.
Villa was a heavy favorite to beat McLarin and his defeat was a major upset.
Mrs. Guilledo claimed that her husband was injected with an overdose of anesthetic.
It was a tragic end to an exciting career.
Flyweight Fighter of the Century
In 1999, the Associated Press named Villa “Flyweight Fighter of the Century,” along with Miguel Canto.
Before his death, Pancho Villa returned to the Philippines and defended his world title twice.
He knocked out Visayan flyweight champion Francisco Pilapil in Iloilo City on March 9, 1925 and then won a 15-ound unanimous decision over Clever Sencio at Wallace Field in Manila on May 2, 1925.
Villa was interred at the Manila North Cemetery, where a monument stands as tribute to the Hall of Fame boxer, who lies among the famous personalities, including former Mayor Arsenio Lacson, an avid boxing fan and legendary actor Fernando Poe Jr., as well as Philippine presidents Sergio Osmena, Ramon Magsaysay and Manuel Roxas.
It was an illustrious company even in death for the first Filipino and Asian world boxing champion, who helped carve a name for himself and the Philippines, enhanced by other great fighters such as middleweight champion Ceferino Garcia, the first Hall of Fame inductee, the great Gabriel “Flash” Elorde and eight-division world champion and another hero of our time, Manny Pacquiao.
