Kid Chocolate
Name: Kid Chocolate
Alias: Cuban Bon Bon
Birth Name: Eligio Sardinias Montalvo
Hometown: Havana, Cuba
Birthplace: Cerro, Havana, Cuba
Died: 1988-08-08 (Age:78)
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 168cm
Reach: 165cm
Pro Boxer: Record
Amateur Boxer: Record
Division: Featherweight
Trainer: Moe Fleischer
Managers: Luis Gutierrez, Jess Lozada
Kid Chocolate Image Gallery
Career Overview
- Started his professional career 55-0-1 before losing to Jack (Kid) Berg by a 10-round split decision on August 7, 1930.
- Fought Battling Battalino for the NYSAC World Featherweight Championship on December 12, 1930, and lost by a 15-round unanimous decision.
- Defeated Benny Bass by a 7th-round TKO to win the NBA World Junior Lightweight Championship on July 15, 1931. He became the first Cuban to win a world title.
- Fought Tony Canzoneri for the World Lightweight Championship and the World Junior Welterweight Championship on November 20, 1931, and lost by a 15-round split decision.
- Defeated Lew Feldman by a 12th-round knockout to win the vacant NYSAC World Featherweight Championship on October 13, 1932.
- Finished his career going 25-0-3.
- According to the November 2001 issue of The Ring, Kid Chocolate had the greatest nickname in boxing and perhaps the greatest in sports.
- The January 2002 issue of The Ring listed Kid Chocolate as the 5th greatest featherweight of all-time.
Record Issues
Every Ring Record Book printed before the 1980s incorrectly listed Chocolate's Cuban fight record, prior to his American debut, as 21-0 (21 knockouts). Chocolate's amateur boxing record is listed as 100-0 (86 knockouts) in the 1970 Ring Record Book, but it is believed that this record was a fabrication by Luis "Pincho" Gutierrez, Chocolate's manager. Research by boxing historian Enrique Encinosa has uncovered the amateur bouts listed below, verified through Cuban newspapers Diario de la Marina and La Noche, as well as various books published by biographers or the Cuban government.
The following bouts were won by Chocolate but no details are given as to whether the victories were on points or by knockout and some don't have specific dates. It is likely that this is Chocolate's full amateur record, as Cuban newspapers of the time were very meticulous about reporting results of amateur and pro cards.
1922
- Jul 8: Tomas Reyes
- Jul 8: B. Carpentier
- Aug 20: Manuel Alfaga
- Sep: Jimmy Kelly
- Sep: Willard Jimenez (Championship bout of La Noche Amateur Tournament)
- Oct 27: Manuel Alfaga
1924
- Jan 21: Joe McDonald
- Rene Felipe (twice)
- "Cuban" Harry Greb
- Jimmy Kelly
- Kid Viejita (twice)
- Jim Rowly (twice)
- Felipe Corvo
- Antonio Contreras
- Joe Santos
1926
- Oct 16: Placido Varona
- Oct: Felipe Corvo (Championship bout of Club Cubano Amateur Tournament)
1927
- Apr 2: Mario "Kid" Sanchez (Diario de la Marina reported that this bout was controversial)
- Memo Gonzalez
Sources
- Do or Die by Martine Barrat, Viking Adult, 1993
- April 1994 issue of Boxing Illustrated, pages 74-78 (with many photos)
- "Kid Chocolate: The Cuban Bon Bonn…'A living, breathing boxing instruction book.'" by Monte Cox: [1]
| Preceded by: Benny Bass |
World Junior Lightweight Champion 1931 Jul 15 – 1933 Dec 25 |
Succeeded by: Frankie Klick |