Mate Parlov
Encyclopedia
Mate Parlov was a Croatian boxer
, and an Olympic
gold medalist for former Yugoslavia
. As a professional, he won the European light heavyweight
title in 1976 and WBC
light heavyweight world title in 1978.
In 1988 and 1994 he was received a golden badge Sport award for best athlete of Yugoslavia
. Parlov is universally regarded as the greatest Croatian boxer of all time, as well as one of the greatest Croatian sportspeople of the 20th century.
, but his origins were from the village of Ričice near the town of Imotski
, Croatia.
Parlov turned professional in 1974 and won the European light heavyweight champion title in 1976.
In 1976 he faced the future world champion Matthew Saad Muhammad
. In their first fight, in Milan, he was defeated by an eight round decision. In a rematch with Muhammad, he and Muhammad struggled to a ten round draw.
He won the WBC light heavyweight title in 1978. He lost the WBC light heavyweight version title by defeat from Marvin Johnson
with a 10th-round KO in Italy (December 2, 1978). As a professional he had 29 fights; 24 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws.
in Havana
, Cuba
. He won the Golden Glove
award two times, in 1967 and 1969. He participated in the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics
and won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division.
1968 - Olympic Games, Mexico City, Mexico: Quarter Finals (Middleweight)
1971 - European Championships: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)
1972 - Olympic Games, Munich, Germany: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)
1973 - European Championships: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)
1974 - World Championships, Havanna, Cuba: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)
, when he was the Yugoslav coach. At those Olympics, Yugoslav boxers achieved their best results ever: one gold, one silver and two bronzes.
After he ended his active boxing career, he moved to Fažana
near Pula
, away from boxing and the public. He ran his coffee bar in Pula. Periodically he appeared on Croatian national TV as guest-commentator during matches of Željko Mavrović
and Stipe Drviš
.
, where he had lived with his family after retiring from boxing in 1985.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalist for former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. As a professional, he won the European light heavyweight
Light heavyweight
In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...
title in 1976 and WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
light heavyweight world title in 1978.
In 1988 and 1994 he was received a golden badge Sport award for best athlete of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
. Parlov is universally regarded as the greatest Croatian boxer of all time, as well as one of the greatest Croatian sportspeople of the 20th century.
Professional career
Mate Parlov was born in SplitSplit (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, but his origins were from the village of Ričice near the town of Imotski
Imotski
Imotski , is a small town situated on the northern side of Biokovo massif, Dalmatian hinterland, Croatia. The town was first mentioned as Imotski for the first time in the 10th century and it was held by the Turks from the fall of Bosnia until 1717 when it was captured by the Venetians. The town...
, Croatia.
Parlov turned professional in 1974 and won the European light heavyweight champion title in 1976.
In 1976 he faced the future world champion Matthew Saad Muhammad
Matthew Saad Muhammad
Matthew Saad Muhammad is a former boxer who was the world's light heavyweight champion.Saad Muhammad's mother died when he was an infant, and he and his elder brother were sent to live with an aunt. When he was five, his aunt could not afford to look after both of them and she instructed Saad...
. In their first fight, in Milan, he was defeated by an eight round decision. In a rematch with Muhammad, he and Muhammad struggled to a ten round draw.
He won the WBC light heavyweight title in 1978. He lost the WBC light heavyweight version title by defeat from Marvin Johnson
Marvin Johnson
Marvin Johnson is a former boxer from the United States, who fought in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, winning a bronze medal, and made his way up the professional ranks in the light heavyweight division soon thereafter...
with a 10th-round KO in Italy (December 2, 1978). As a professional he had 29 fights; 24 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws.
Amateur
In his amateur career he participated in 310 matches and lost only 13. During his amateur career, Parlov was an 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 the world champion at the inaugural 1974 World Championships1974 World Amateur Boxing Championships
The Men's 1974 World Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Havana, Cuba from August 17 to 30. The first edition of this competition, held two years before the Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, was organised by the world governing body for amateur boxing AIBA. A total number of 274 boxers...
in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. He won the Golden Glove
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
award two times, in 1967 and 1969. He participated in the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
and won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division.
1968 - Olympic Games, Mexico City, Mexico: Quarter Finals (Middleweight)
- W-PTS Lahcen Ahidous (Mauritania)
- W-PTS Jan van IspelenJan van IspelenJan van Ispelen is a retired boxer, who was born in Germany but competed for the Netherlands. He represented Holland at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he was defeated in the second round of the men's middleweight division by Yugoslavia's Mate Parlov.-References:...
(Netherlands) - L-PTS Chris FinneganChris FinneganChris Finnegan MBE was an English professional boxer.-Early life:Finnegan was one of eight siblings born into an Anglo-Irish family; his father was from Liverpool and his mother from Newry, Northern Ireland. Finnegan always wore a Union Flag and a Shamrock on his boxing trunks to signify his joint...
(England) (Finnegan would win the gold medal)
1971 - European Championships: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)
1972 - Olympic Games, Munich, Germany: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)
- W-KO 2 Nouredine Aman Hassan (Chad)
- W-KO 2 Imre TothImre TóthImre "Imi" Tóth is a motorcycle racer who competed for 8 years in Grand Prix motorcycle racing in the 125cc the 250cc World Championships as a privateer. He currently races in the Supersport World Championship...
(Hungary) - W- Forfeit Miquel Angel Cuello (Argentina)
- W-PTS Janusz GortatJanusz GortatJanusz Gortat is a retired boxer from Poland, who represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1972. In both tournaments he won the bronze medal in the light heavyweight division , in 1976 after being defeated in the semifinals by eventual winner Leon Spinks of...
(Poland) - W-TKO 2 Gilberto CarrilloGilberto CarrilloGilberto Carillo was a male amateur boxer from Cuba.He competed for his native country at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Germany in the light-heavyweight event, where he finished in second place....
(Cuba)
1973 - European Championships: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)
1974 - World Championships, Havanna, Cuba: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)
After boxing
His final contact with boxing was in 1984 OlympicsBoxing at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Boxing at the 1984 Summer Olympics took place in the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. The boxing schedule began on July 29 and ended on August 11. Twelve men's boxing events were contested.-Light Flyweight :...
, when he was the Yugoslav coach. At those Olympics, Yugoslav boxers achieved their best results ever: one gold, one silver and two bronzes.
After he ended his active boxing career, he moved to Fažana
Fažana
Fažana is a village and a municipality in Istria, Croatia, a small port and fishermen's centre in the south-western part of the western Istrian coast in the Fažana Strait, 8 km northwest of Pula. It is located on a low part of the coast, well protected from the sea by Brijuni - Brioni Islands...
near Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
, away from boxing and the public. He ran his coffee bar in Pula. Periodically he appeared on Croatian national TV as guest-commentator during matches of Željko Mavrović
Željko Mavrovic
Željko Mavrović is a retired male boxer from Croatia turned enterpreneur.-Background:Mavrović was born in Zagreb, in the neighbourhood Srednjaci ....
and Stipe Drviš
Stipe Drviš
Stipe Drews, birth name Stipe Drviš , is a Croatian professional boxer. He lost the WBA's version of the World light heavyweight championship title to Australian Danny Green on the 16th of December 2007.- Amateur career :...
.
Death
In March 2008, Parlov was diagnosed as having lung cancer. Four months later, he died on the way to hospital in PulaPula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
, where he had lived with his family after retiring from boxing in 1985.