Mate Parlov


Mate Parlov was a Croatian-Yugoslavian boxer and Olympic gold medalist who was European and World Champion as an amateur and as a professional. Parlov was voted the Best Balkan Athlete of the Year for 1974.

Background

Mate Parlov was born in Split, the youngest of four children in a Croatian family originally from Imotski. In 1958, the family moved to Pula.

Amateur

In his amateur career he participated in 310 matches and lost 13. He was eight-time champion of Yugoslavia in the light heavyweight category, five-time champion of the Balkans, two-time champion of Europe, and world champion at the inaugural 1974 World Championships in Havana, Cuba. He won the Golden Glove award twice, in 1967 and 1969. He participated in the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight division.

Professional career

Parlov won twelve of his first thirteen fights as a professional boxer before successfully challenging for the European light-heavyweight title. In 1976, he faced the future world champion Matthew Saad Muhammad. In their first fight in Milan, scheduled for eight rounds, he was defeated following the referee's decision. In a rematch, he and Muhammad struggled to a ten-round draw. After successfully defending the European title three times, he met Miguel Angel Cuello in Milan for the WBC world light-heavyweight title in January 1978. The two men had been scheduled to meet in the quarter-finals at the Munich Olympics, but the Argentine Cuello withdrew due to an injury. Parlov knocked out Cuello in the ninth round to become the first professional world champion from a communist country. Parlov lost the title on his second defense and would later challenge for the world cruiser-weight title without success.

Retirement

In retirement, Parlov ran a coffee bar in Pula. He returned to boxing as coach of the Yugoslavian Olympic team prior to the 1984 Olympics, when Yugoslav boxers achieved their best results ever: one gold, one silver and two bronzes. He later moved to Fažana near Pula, away from boxing and the public. In March 2008, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and died four months later.

Private life

Mate Parlov was married to Laura Parlov with whom he had two children, daughter Mira and son Matko. He was an economist by profession, and had one graduate exam left before gaining the title of Master of Economics.

Honors and awards

Amateur highlights

  • Record: 310–13
  • Eight-time champion of Yugoslavia
  • Five-time champion of the Balkans
at the 1969 European Championships: Bucharest, Romania :
Represented Yugoslavia at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico :
at the 1971 European Championships: Madrid, Spain :
at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany :
at the 1973 European Championships: Belgrade, Yugoslavia :
at the 1974 World Championships, Havanna, Cuba :

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
29Loss24–3–2Marvin CamelUD1531 March 1980Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.For inaugural WBC World Cruiserweight title.
28Draw24–2–2Marvin CamelPTS158 December 1979Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, YugoslaviaFor inaugural WBC World Cruiserweight title.
27Win24–2–1Tony MundinePTS1226 September 1979Gorizia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, ItalyWBC World Cruiserweight title eliminator.
26Win23–2–1Joe MayeKO528 July 1979Munich, Bavaria, West Germany
25Loss22–2–1Marvin JohnsonTKO102 December 1978Palazzo Dello Sport, Marsala, Sicily, ItalyLost WBC World Light Heavyweight title.
24Win22–1–1John Conteh1517 June 1978Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, YugoslaviaRetained WBC World Light Heavyweight title.
23Win21–1–1Tony GreeneTKO628 April 1978Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
22Win20–1–1Miguel Ángel CuelloKO97 January 1978Palasport di San Siro, Milan, Lombardy, ItalyWon WBC World Light Heavyweight title.
21Win19–1–1Leo KakolewiczTKO621 August 1977Rijeka, Yugoslavia
20Win18–1–1Harald Skog159 July 1977Basel, SwitzerlandRetained EBU Light Heavyweight title.
19Win17–1–1Francois FiolPTS155 April 1977Morges, SwitzerlandRetained EBU Light Heavyweight title.
18Win16–1–1Christian PonceletPTS105 March 1977Velenje, Yugoslavia
17Draw15–1–1Matthew Saad Muhammad103 December 1976Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
16Win15–1Aldo TraversaroPTS1515 October 1976Palasport di San Siro, Milan, Lombardy, ItalyRetained EBU Light Heavyweight title.
15Win14–1Al BoldenKO911 September 1976Zagreb, Yugoslavia
14Win13–1Domenico AdinolfiTKO1110 July 1976Belgrade, YugoslaviaWon EBU Light Heavyweight title.
13Loss12–1Matthew Saad MuhammadPTS821 May 1976Palasport di San Siro, Milan, Lombardy, Italy
12Win12–0Maile HaumonaPTS1020 March 1976Windsor Regis Hotel, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
11Win11–0Sentiki QataPTS106 March 1976Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
10Win10–0Macka FoleyTKO26 February 1976Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
9Win9–0Onelio GrandoPTS826 December 1975Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
8Win8–0Billy FreemanPTS1022 November 1975Skopje, Yugoslavia
7Win7–0Karl ZurheideKO130 October 1975PalaLido, Milan, Lombardy, Italy
6Win6–0Johnny GriffinTKO56 October 1975Zagreb, Yugoslavia
5Win5–0Jose Evaristo GomezPTS813 September 1975Pula, Yugoslavia
4Win4–0Jose Galvez Vasquez822 August 1975Split, Yugoslavia
3Win3–0Horst LangKO112 July 1975Arenzano, Liguria, Italy
2Win2–0Robert Amory520 June 1975Milan, Lombardy, Italy
1Win1–0Dante Lazzari131 May 1975Opatija, Yugoslavia