Little Dado: The Legendary Filipino Boxing Icon
Little Dado was the ring name of Eleuterio Zapanta, a Filipino boxer born in La Carlota, Negros Occidental. He competed mainly at flyweight and bantamweight from the 1930s into the early 1940s, when boxing titles were recognized by different commissions and associations.
Titles recognized in California
In September 1938, Dado defeated Jimmy “Babe” McCusker for the California State bantamweight title. Two months later, he beat Small Montana for California’s version of the world flyweight title. These were commission and regional recognitions from an era when boxing did not have a single universal title system.
NBA flyweight champion
On February 21, 1941, Dado defeated Jackie Jurich by decision in Honolulu in a bout recognized for the National Boxing Association’s world flyweight title. The NBA later became the World Boxing Association. Contemporary reports described Dado as the NBA-recognized champion; that title is distinct from the earlier California commission titles.
Career and legacy
The Ring ranked Dado No. 1 among flyweights in 1939, according to historical boxing accounts. He retired in 1943 and died in 1965.
Sources
- Philippine Boxing Hall of Fame: Eleuterio Zapanta
- BoxRec: Little Dado profile and record notes
- BoxRec: Little Dado–Jackie Jurich, February 21, 1941
- PhilBoxing: Little Dado and the flyweight and bantamweight titles
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
