This Week in Boxing History (January 12 – 18)

This Week in Boxing History (January 12 – 18)

This week in boxing history, landmark fights across decades shaped divisions from lightweight to heavyweight.

January 13, 1976 — Marvelous Marvin Hagler suffers first career loss

On January 13, 1976, a young Marvin Hagler (entering the fight 25–0–1) faced Philadelphia middleweight Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts. In what would become one of Hagler’s earliest professional setbacks, Watts handed him a 10-round majority decision at The Spectrum in Philadelphia; a result widely debated by those present.

Hagler, who had opened his career with an extended win streak and was regarded as a rising middleweight contender, would learn from this adversity and go on to forge one of boxing’s most dominant reigns at 160 pounds in the 1980s.

January 14, 1979 — Wilfred Benítez wins WBC welterweight title

One of the era’s most remarkable technicians, Wilfred Benítez, added to his legacy on January 14, 1979 when he defeated reigning WBC welterweight champion Carlos Palomino via 15-round split decision in San Juan, Puerto Rico. With a record of 20–0–1, Benítez captured the welterweight crown and extended his undefeated run, demonstrating the elite defensive skills and ring generalship that had already made him one of boxing’s brightest stars.

Benítez had previously made history in 1976 by becoming the youngest world champion in boxing history at age 17 when he won the WBA junior welterweight title against Antonio Cervantes.

January 14, 1984 — Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini retains lightweight crown

The January 14, 1984 lightweight title fight between Ray Mancini and Bobby Chacon is one of the most memorable fixtures for this week in boxing history. Mancini, entering the fight with a professional record of 29–1 (23 KOs) and defending the WBA lightweight title he had held since 1982, faced Chacon (52–6–1, 42 KOs) at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nevada.

Mancini dropped Chacon repeatedly and forced a third-round TKO on the bright HBO stage, defending his lightweight championship and underscoring his status as the division’s top draw at the time.

January 17, 2009 — Andre Berto retains WBC welterweight title

Fast-forward to the 21st century: on January 17, 2009, WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (24–0, with 19 KOs) retained his belt against former champion Luis Collazo (29–3–1) at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. In a closely contested 12-round unanimous decision, Berto withstood a challenge that many pundits saw as tighter than the official scores suggested.

January 17, 2015 — Deontay Wilder wins WBC heavyweight title

A pivotal heavyweight moment for the modern era occurred on January 17, 2015 when Deontay Wilder (32–0, all 32 wins by KO) claimed the WBC heavyweight championship with a 12-round unanimous decision over Bermane Stiverne (24–1–1, 21 KOs) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This fight marked Wilder becoming the first American heavyweight world champion since 2007 and the first U.S. fighter to hold a major version of the heavyweight title since the Klitschko era dominated the division.

Though Wilder’s career would later feature high-profile bouts with Tyson Fury and others, this title win was his historic breakthrough and reshaped heavyweight championship narratives in the mid-2010s.

This Week in Boxing History

From an early setback in Hagler’s formative years to Benítez’s tactical mastery and Mancini’s title defenses, the January 12–18 window encapsulates careers on the rise and at their peak. These fights showcase evolving eras of boxing, shifts in stylistic dominance, and the perennial intensity of title competition.

Whether through a controversial decision, an upset, or a historic championship shift, this week has repeatedly witnessed moments that, decades later, still resonate with fight fans and historians alike.

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