Classic Boxing Matches's video: Nino Benvenuti vs Luis Rodriguez 22 11 1969 - WBC WBA World Middleweight Championship Highlights

One of the best single punch finishes in a World title fight ever! Established World Middleweight Champion, Nino Benvenuti of Italy, takes on the challenger, former World Welterweight Champion, Luis Rodriguez of Cuba. More info below... Nino Benvenuti is one of Italy's best boxers hands down. He had held a number of titles since turning pro in 1961 including the Italy Middleweight title, World Super Welterweight title, European Middleweight title and the World Middleweight title, twice! Benvenuti went undefeated in his first 65 fights, his first loss came in 1966 against Ki-Soo Kim for the World Super Welterweight titles. Benvenuti is probably most well known however for his fight trilogy against the legendary Emile Griffith. In April 1967 Benvenuti would beat Griffith over 15 rounds to claim the World Middleweight title in The Ring Magazines 1967 Fight of the Year, but 5 months later and Griffith would win it back by a close majority decision. The rubber match took place in March 1968 with Benvenuti once again winning the World Middleweight title by decision, although the fight would most likely have ended in a draw had it not been for Benvenuti's sole knockdown in Rd 9. The win established Benvenuti as the best middleweight on the planet, he went on to defend the title later in the year against Don Fullmer by decision and in 1969 he successfully defended it against undefeated Fraser Scott, who was controversially disqualified for apparent headbutting. Benvenuti tried his hand at light heavyweight as well during this time but it didn't go smoothly, as he lost a non-title fight to former World Light Heavyweight Champion Dick Tiger in 1969 after breaking his right hand in the 1st round. His record heading in against Luis Rodriguez was a still very impressive 79-3-1. Luis Rodriguez of Cuba had been on the professional boxing scene since 1959. He had been a world ranked welterweight since 1960 but he had also been the victim of many a close, controversial, split decision loss. In-fact, his first 5 losses were all split decisions! Rodriguez was extremely talented and popular throughout the 1960's but unfortunately his career coincided with that of another welterweight great, Emile Griffith. Griffith and Rodriguez fought each other 4 times over their careers. Griffith won their first 2 encounters, both by split decision, Rodriguez won the 3rd by unanimous decision in which he also claimed the World Welterweight title, but then just 47 days later in 1963, Emile Griffith would win the Welterweight title back by split decision again in their 4th and final contest. Although Rodriguez would never win another World title, he continued to beat some of the leading welterweight and middleweight contenders of the era such as Rubin Carter, George Benton, Percy Manning, Bennie Briscoe and Vicente Rondon to name a few, to remain World ranked for the rest of his career. His most recent fight was a 10 round decision win over tough, Tom "The Bomb" Bethea, to take his record to 96-7. The fight with Rodriguez was always going to be a challenge, but Benvenuti had the height and reach advantages that he should of been able to maintain control. But unfortunately, Benvenuti suffered a bad cut from Rd 3 onward that left his face a bloody mask and Rodriguez took over. It looked liked Rodriguez was on his way to an easy decision win when out of nowhere, a single left hook in Rd 11 from Benvenuti landed flush on the chin of Rodriguez and sent him down hard on his back for the count. It was, and still is, one of the best single punch finishes to a contest ever! Although Benvenuti won, the air of invincibility was no longer present. It was a lucky punch that got him through the fight with Rodriguez and his next fight wasn't going to help matters... in 1970, Benventui was stopped by Tom "The Bomb" Bethea (10-5-1) in a non-title bout in Australia, claiming broken ribs, the first time he had ever been stopped in his 9 year, 84 fight career. 2 months later Benvenuti would beat Bethea in a rematch, which as it turned out would also be his last successful World Middleweight title defense (watch that fight here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBv2PDJucjs&t=9s). In November 1970, Benvenuti was stopped in 12 by Argentinian superstar, Carlos Monson, losing his World Middleweight title in the process. Benvenuti had a rematch with Monson in 1971 in an attempt to win back the World Middleweight title, but the result was the same, it just came much quicker this time thanks to Benvenuti's manager throwing in the towel halfway through round 3. Benvenuti retired after the loss with a 82-7-1 record.