Leo Palacios: Boxing Career and Results
Leo Palacios was a Mexican light-flyweight boxer who challenged Venezuela’s Luis Estaba for the WBC world championship in 1976. His career also included an attempt to win the inaugural NABF title in the same division.
Career highlight
On February 14, 1976, Palacios challenged Luis Estaba for the WBC light-flyweight title in Caracas. Estaba won by unanimous decision over 15 rounds, according to the career record compiled by Venciclopedia and the WBC light-flyweight title history.
A world title challenge in Caracas
The contest took place at a time when the light-flyweight championship was still relatively new. The division’s WBC world title had been introduced in 1975, with a maximum weight of 108 pounds. Estaba entered the Palacios fight as defending champion, having established his reign the previous year.
Palacios completed the scheduled 15 rounds but did not win the belt. The WBC’s historical account identifies him as Mexican and records Estaba’s decision victory in Venezuela.
The inaugural NABF championship
On 18 November 1977, Palacios met Pedro Galaviz in Guadalajara for the first North American Boxing Federation light-flyweight championship. Galaviz won by technical knockout in the fourth round, becoming the inaugural titleholder.
The Caracas and Guadalajara results document two different levels of championship competition. The WBC bout was a world title challenge, while the NABF contest was for a regional belt. Both belong to Palacios’s light-flyweight career and help explain his place in the early history of the division.
Sources
Additional sources: WBC historical account; NABF title results.
Career records and reporting: boxrec.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
