Mate Parlov (16 November 1948 – 29 July 2008) was a Croatian-Yugoslavian boxer and Olympic gold medalist who was European and World Champion as an amateur and as a professional.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Mate Parlov | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Parlov in 1972 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Real name | Mate Parlov | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight(s) | light heavyweight, cruiserweight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Yugoslavian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (1948-11-16)16 November 1948 Split, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 29 July 2008(2008-07-29) (aged 59) Pula, Croatia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stance | Southpaw | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Boxing record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total fights | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wins | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wins by KO | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Losses | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Draws | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No contests | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
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.[8] 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.[9]
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.[10]
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,[9] 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.
Mate Parlov was married to Laura Parlov with whom he had two children, daughter Mira and son Matko. He was an economist by profession, and had one graduate exam left before gaining the title of Master of Economics.[11]
Silver at the 1969 European Championships: Bucharest, Romania (Middleweight):
Represented Yugoslavia at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico (Middleweight):
Gold at the 1971 European Championships: Madrid, Spain (Light Heavyweight):
Gold at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany (Light Heavyweight):
Gold at the 1973 European Championships: Belgrade, Yugoslavia (Light Heavyweight):
Gold at the 1974 World Championships, Havanna, Cuba (Light Heavyweight):
24 Wins (12 knockouts, 12 decisions), 3 Losses (1 knockout, 2 decisions), 2 Draws[10] | |||||||
Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
Loss | 24–3–2 | ![]() |
UD | 15 | 31 March 1980 | ![]() |
For inaugural WBC World Cruiserweight title. |
Draw | 24–2–2 | ![]() |
PTS | 15 | 8 December 1979 | ![]() |
For inaugural WBC World Cruiserweight title. |
Win | 24–2–1 | ![]() |
PTS | 12 | 26 September 1979 | ![]() |
WBC World Cruiserweight title eliminator. |
Win | 23–2–1 | ![]() |
KO | 5 | 28 July 1979 | ![]() |
|
Loss | 22–2–1 | ![]() |
TKO | 10 | 2 December 1978 | ![]() |
Lost WBC World Light Heavyweight title. |
Win | 22–1–1 | ![]() |
SD | 15 | 17 June 1978 | ![]() |
Retained WBC World Light Heavyweight title. |
Win | 21–1–1 | ![]() |
TKO | 6 | 28 April 1978 | ![]() |
|
Win | 20–1–1 | ![]() |
KO | 9 | 7 January 1978 | ![]() |
Won WBC World Light Heavyweight title. |
Win | 19–1–1 | ![]() |
TKO | 6 | 21 August 1977 | ![]() |
|
Win | 18–1–1 | ![]() |
UD | 15 | 9 July 1977 | ![]() |
Retained EBU Light Heavyweight title. |
Win | 17–1–1 | ![]() |
PTS | 15 | 5 April 1977 | ![]() |
Retained EBU Light Heavyweight title. |
Win | 16–1–1 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | 5 March 1977 | ![]() |
|
Draw | 15–1–1 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | 3 December 1976 | ![]() |
|
Win | 15–1 | ![]() |
PTS | 15 | 15 October 1976 | ![]() |
Retained EBU Light Heavyweight title. |
Win | 14–1 | ![]() |
KO | 9 | 11 September 1976 | ![]() |
|
Win | 13–1 | ![]() |
TKO | 11 | 10 July 1976 | ![]() |
Won EBU Light Heavyweight title. |
Loss | 12–1 | ![]() |
PTS | 8 | 21 May 1976 | ![]() |
|
Win | 12–0 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | 20 March 1976 | ![]() |
|
Win | 11–0 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | 6 March 1976 | ![]() |
|
Win | 10–0 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 | 6 February 1976 | ![]() |
|
Win | 9–0 | ![]() |
PTS | 8 | 26 December 1975 | ![]() |
|
Win | 8–0 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | 22 November 1975 | ![]() |
|
Win | 7–0 | ![]() |
KO | 1 | 30 October 1975 | ![]() |
|
Win | 6–0 | ![]() |
TKO | 5 | 6 October 1975 | ![]() |
|
Win | 5–0 | ![]() |
PTS | 8 | 13 September 1975 | ![]() |
|
Win | 4–0 | ![]() |
PTS | 8 | 22 August 1975 | ![]() |
|
Win | 3–0 | ![]() |
KO | 1 | 12 July 1975 | ![]() |
|
Win | 2–0 | ![]() |
TKO | 5 | 20 June 1975 | ![]() |
|
Win | 1–0 | ![]() |
KO | 1 | 31 May 1975 | ![]() |
Sporting positions | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Preceded by Miguel Angel Cuello |
WBC Light Heavyweight Champion 7 January 1978 – 2 December 1978 |
Succeeded by | ||
Awards and achievements | ||||
Preceded by Miroslav Cerar Marijan Beneš |
Yugoslav Sportsman of the Year 1971, 1972 1974 |
Succeeded by Marijan Beneš Nenad Stekić | ||
Preceded by Sreten Damjanović Marijan Beneš |
![]() 1972 1974 |
Succeeded by Marijan Beneš Nenad Stekić | ||
Light heavyweight status | ||||
Preceded by Víctor Galíndez |
Latest born world champion to die July 29, 2008 – March 10, 2012 |
Succeeded by |
![]() | |
---|---|
1920–1936: 160–175 lb (72.6–79.4 kg) · 1948: 73–80 kg · 1952–2012: 75–81 kg · 2016–: 76-81 kg | |
|
World amateur boxing champions – men's light heavyweight | |
---|---|
| |
|
Sportske novosti Croatian Sportsman of the Year | |
---|---|
|