Juan Laporte

Juan Laporte, also known as Juan LaPorte (born November 24, 1959) is a former boxer who was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico.

Juan Laporte won the 1976 112 lb New York Golden Gloves Sub-Novice Championship. He defeated Long Island's Ricky Brown in the finals. Laporte was defeated by Joseph Nieto of the Police Athletic Leagues Lynch Center in the 1977 118 lb Open Championship. Laporte trained at the Lunar Boys Club in Brooklyn, New York. He had an amateur record of 29-6, according to the March 1983 Ring Magazine.

Juan Laporte moved to New York at a young age, where he grew up into a pretty well known contender, but one that many boxing critics didn't consider to be material to become a world champion earlier in his career.

Laporte built a number of wins, combined with 1 loss, including a 7-round knockout of Jean Lapointe. But he still was an unknown when given his first chance at a world championship on December 1980 in San Antonio, Texas.

He met legendary Mexican world Featherweight champion Salvador Sánchez there. Laporte made Sanchez work hard and won a handful of rounds. He lost to Sanchez by a 15-round unanimous decision.

Laporte then fought future world champion Rocky Lockridge in 1981 at Las Vegas, scoring a second-round knockout to become the United States Featherweight champion.

Given a second title shot, this time by the WBA, Laporte met the also legendary World featherweight champion Eusebio Pedroza in 1982, losing a close and controversial split decision. The fight was so close that WBC president José Sulaimán decided to give Laporte a rematch vs Sanchez for the World Boxing Council's world title.

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