On This Day… November 21st

21 November, 2025

Luis Estaba vs. Valentín Martínez (11/21/1976)

Result: Luis Estaba wins by TKO in Round 11.
Title: WBC Light Flyweight
Location: Caracas, Venezuela.
Venezuela’s Luis “Lumumba” Estaba, a local legend, successfully defended his world title against the challenger. Estaba was known for his refined technique and his ability to maintain distance. Although the fight was competitive in the early rounds, Estaba imposed his class, and the accumulated damage became evident. The referee stopped the bout in the eleventh round, securing another successful defense for the Venezuelan champion in front of his home crowd.

Alexis Argüello vs. Roberto Elizondo (11/21/1981)

Result: Alexis Argüello wins by KO in Round 7.
Title: WBC Lightweight
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.
This was another title defense for the legendary Nicaraguan, Alexis Argüello, one of the most stylized punchers in history. Argüello, nicknamed “El Flaco Explosivo” (The Explosive Skinny Guy), demonstrated why he was a dominant force. Although Elizondo was brave, Argüello’s power and precision were too much. Argüello landed devastating combinations that culminated in a powerful blow, ending the fight in the seventh round and reaffirming his status as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters.

Zsolt Erdei vs. Giacobbe Fragomeni (11/21/2009)

Result: Zsolt Erdei wins by Majority Decision (MD) in 12 rounds.
Title: WBC Cruiserweight
Location: Kiel, Germany.
This fight represented Zsolt Erdei’s ascent to a second weight class (Cruiserweight) after dominating the light heavyweight division. The Hungarian faced the Italian champion, Fragomeni, in a tactical clash. The fight was close and hard-fought, with Erdei’s polished style clashing with Fragomeni’s constant pressure and aggression. The scorecards reflected the parity, but Erdei was declared the winner by Majority Decision, conquering the Cruiserweight title.

Rodel Mayol vs. Edgar Sosa (11/21/2009)

Result: Rodel Mayol wins by TKO in Round 2.
Title: WBC Light Flyweight
Location: Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico.
This was a huge upset. The Filipino Rodel Mayol faced the popular Mexican champion Édgar Sosa, who was the heavy favorite and was on a successful title defense streak. Mayol came out aggressively from the opening bell and landed powerful shots that surprised Sosa. The fight ended abruptly in the second round when Mayol knocked Sosa down multiple times, forcing the referee to stop the fight due to the champion’s inability to recover. It was a lightning-fast victory and a stunning changing of the crown.

Saúl Álvarez vs. Miguel Cotto (11/21/2015)

Result: Saúl Álvarez wins by Unanimous Decision (UD) in 12 rounds.
Title: WBC Middleweight (Including the Diamond Belt)
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.
A modern classic and one of the most anticipated fights of the year, pitting Mexican idol “Canelo” Álvarez against Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto. The fight was a display of technique, strategy, and mutual respect. Cotto used intelligent, fast boxing, moving and utilizing his jab. However, “Canelo” imposed his youth, strength, and power, landing the most significant blows, especially to the body. Although competitive, “Canelo” clearly won on the judges’ scorecards, cementing himself as the new star of boxing.

Francisco Vargas vs. Takashi Miura (11/21/2015)

Result: Francisco Vargas wins by TKO in Round 9.
Title: WBC Super Featherweight
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.
Considered by many to be the 2015 Fight of the Year. Mexican Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas challenged Japanese champion Takashi Miura. The fight was a brutal war from the first round. Vargas was knocked down in the fourth round and suffered a severe cut above his eye. Despite this, both fighters exchanged brutal blows and maintained a frantic pace. Vargas, bloodied and with a swollen eye, showed an unbreakable heart and turned the fight around with a sweeping offensive in the ninth round, forcing the referee to stop the contest to win the title in one of the most epic comebacks of the decade.