By Edgar Gonzalez
Robert Coster from Fightnews recently reported, Former WBA super featherweight champion Alfredo Marcano passed away yesterday in Cumana, Venezuela at the age of 62 after a long bout with cancer. Marcano turned pro in 1966 and fought some of the best and toughest boxers at 125 and 130lbs in his native Venezuela, Mexico and the United States, always giving his best effort. Curiously enough, Marcano won the title at a time when his career had taken a downward spiral (4-5) and probably was viewed as a “safe” opponent for reigning WBA Champion Hiroshi Kobayashi.
Their fight took place in Japan on July 29,1971 and the gritty Marcano, trailing on points, kayoed Kobayashi in the 10th round. Alfredo then returned to Japan for his first title defense and stopped Kenji Iwata in 4 rounds. Marcano lost the title to Ben Villaflor via a 15 round decision in Honolulu on March 25,1972. The Venezuelan then returned home and racked up 8 straight wins which gave him the opportunity to meet Bobby Chacon at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on September7,1974 for the vacant WBC Featherweight title. Alfredo put up-as always- a game effort but was kayoed by the red-hot Chacon in 9 rounds. Alfredo Marcano retired in 1975 after a kayo loss to Art Hafey with a final tally of 44-11-5, 29 KOs. Rest in Peace, Champ.
Steven Dack Passes
By Ray Wheatley - World of Boxing Former (1990) New South Wales State middleweight champion Steve Dack passed away on Friday in Sydney, NSW,Australia. Dack was only 44 years of age. He suffered a gun shot wound that police said was not suspicious. Dack boxed the best Australian middleweights including former WBC light heavyweight Jeff Harding. He boxed a supporting bout as a professional to Kostya Tszyu vs Hugo Pineda in January 1996 at Parramatta, NSW, Australia when he outpointed Glen Baragry over six.
He was trained as amateur by former 1954 world class light heavyweight Bruce Farthing. Former Commonwealth jr middleweight champion Charkey Ramon (who was also WBA#1 jr middleweight to champion Koichi Wajima in 1971) was training Steve to box on the undercard of the Danny Green vs Anthony Mundine bout in Sydney that attracted over 30,000 fight fans. The NSW Boxing Authority would not allow Steve to box because he was 40 years of age at the time and the age limit is 36 years.
Charkey said, “This was a big shock to me and my family. Steve was a great guy who was doing some legal investigative work for me. He was a very successful lawyer. It is out of character for him to take his own life. I trained him a few years ago for a comeback fight but he was 40 years of age and could not get permission to fight. I am sure he would have been Australian champion had I trained him as a young man.”
Dack will be buried on Wednesday and service will be held a St James Cathedral, Sydney at 10.30am. He will be sadly missed by his family and also friends from the Australian boxing
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