By Robert Coster

TIME AND PLACE: 43 years to this date, November 26, 1977, at the Gimnasio Panama, Panama City, for the vacant WBA super bantamweight title

THE PROTAGONISTS: Hector Carrasquilla, 17-year-old prodigy from Panama, with an unbeaten record of 11 straight knockouts, literally crushing his opposition, vs Soo Hwang Hong (39-4-3) of South Korea, a former WBA bantamweight champion.

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THE FIGHT: After a slow first round, Carrasquilla goes on the hunt for his prey. The Panamenian teenager, throwing non-stop punches, knocks the Korean veteran down FOUR times in the second round. Incredibly enough, Hwang manages to get off the mat after each knockdown. And-incredibly enough-American referee Jay Edson does not stop the one-sided massacre. Hwang is ready to go but is saved by the bell. When the bell rings for the third round, the Korean-surprisingly revived- attacks the tired teenager. One thunderous right hand puts Carrasquilla down and out for the full count. An unbelievable turnabout.

THE IRONY OF FATE: The WBA just 3 months before had scrapped the 3 knockdown rule. Had the rule still been in effect, Hector Carrasquilla would have been a world champion, the second youngest in the history of boxing.

WHAT FOLLOWED: Hwang defended his title twice, losing it in his second defense. Carrasquilla never recovered mentally from this loss. He was defeated for the WBA featherweight title by his countryman Eusebio Pedroza and retired in 1981 at age 20.

OLD RIVALS MEET AGAIN: Hector Carrasquilla became a member of the Panamanian Congress and traveled to South Korea with a delegation on September 9th, 2016, 39 years after their epic battle. While there, the old old rivals met again and embraced warmly.

Said Hwang, “The score was 1-to-4, so technically I lost to him.”

Carrasquilla conceded, “I knocked him down 4 times and he got up 4 times. He knocked me down once and I didn’t. He deserved the title.”