Mate Parlov (16 November 1948 – 29 July 2008) was a Croatian-Yugoslavian boxer and Olympic gold medalist who was European and World Champion as an amateur and as a professional.Giuliano Lebanore. Parlov: Mislim da će sve proć' dobro. boks-savez.hrIN MEMORIAM: MATE PARLOV / Odlazak boksača koji je volio pjesnike. gloria.com.hrMate Parlov se bori s teškom bolesti pluća – Vijesti. Index.hr (31 March 2008). Retrieved on 2016-04-19.Umro Mate Parlov. vjesnik.hr (30 July 2008)Home | Radio 101. Radio101.hr. Retrieved on 19 April 2016. 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.Mate Parlov. BoxRec. Retrieved on 19 April 2016. He was 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 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.Mate Parlov. sports-reference.com
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 Golden Gloves: 1967, 1969 Croatian Sportsman of the Year: 1971, 1972, 1973 Yugoslavian Sportsman of the Year: 1971, 1972, 1974 Balkan Sportsman of the Year: 1974 Golden Badge award for best athlete of Yugoslavia: 1972, 1974 Istrian Sportsman of the 20th century Croatian Sportsman of the 20th century Umrl boksarski šampion Mate Parlov. RTV Slovenia (30 July 2008) Lifetime Honorary President of Croatian Boxing Federation WBC Honorary Champion: 2006 Croatian Walk of Fame: 2008 Mate Parlov Sport Centre, a multi-functional hall in Pula named after him since 2008 In 2013 he was posthumously assigned the Order of Duke Branimir with necklace by the President of the Republic of Croatia Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport - Award for Life Achievement: 2018 A statue in his honour was unveiled in Fažana in 2018 A newly discovered species of underground spider was named Harpactea mateparlovi in 2020 A statue in his honour was unveiled in Pula in 2021
Amateur highlights Record: 310–13 Eight-time champion of Yugoslavia Five-time champion of the Balkans
at the 1969 European Championships: Bucharest, Romania (Middleweight):
Defeated Ewald Jarmer (West Germany) by decision Defeated Janusz Gortat (Poland) by decision Defeated Reima Virtanen (Finland) by decision Lost to Vladimir Tarasenko (Soviet Union) by decision
Represented Yugoslavia at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico (Middleweight):
Defeated Lahcen Ahidous (Morocco) by decision Defeated Jan van Ispelen (Netherlands) by decision Lost to Chris Finnegan (England) by decision
at the 1971 European Championships: Madrid, Spain (Light Heavyweight):
Defeated Anthony Roberts (Wales) by decision Defeated Vladimir Metelev (Soviet Union) RSC 2 Defeated Janusz Gortat (Poland) by decision Defeated Horst Stump (Romania) by decision Defeated Ottomar Sachse (East Germany) by decision
at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany (Light Heavyweight):
Defeated Noureddine Aman Hassan (Chad) KO 2 Defeated Imre Toth (Hungary) KO 2 Defeated Miguel Angel Cuello (Argentina) by walkover Defeated Janusz Gortat (Poland) by decision Defeated Gilberto Carrillo (Cuba) RSC 2
at the 1973 European Championships: Belgrade, Yugoslavia (Light Heavyweight):
Defeated Michael Imrie (Scotland) RSC 1 Defeated William Knight (England) RSC 3 Defeated Oleg Karatayev (Soviet Union) RSC 2 Defeated Janusz Gortat (Poland) by decision
at the 1974 World Championships, Havanna, Cuba (Light Heavyweight):
Defeated Constantin Dafinoiu (Romania) by decision Defeated Gilberto Carrillo (Cuba) by decision Defeated Ottomar Sachse (East Germany) by decision Defeated Oleg Karatayev (Soviet Union) RSC 2
Professional boxing record
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes29Loss24–3–2Marvin CamelUD1531 March 198028Draw24–2–2Marvin CamelPTS158 December 197927Win24–2–1Tony MundinePTS1226 September 197926Win23–2–1Joe MayeKO528 July 197925Loss22–2–1Marvin JohnsonTKO102 December 197824Win22–1–1John Conteh 1517 June 197823Win21–1–1Tony GreeneTKO628 April 197822Win20–1–1Miguel Ángel CuelloKO97 January 197821Win19–1–1Leo KakolewiczTKO621 August 197720Win18–1–1Harald Skog159 July 197719Win17–1–1Francois FiolPTS155 April 197718Win16–1–1Christian PonceletPTS105 March 197717Draw15–1–1Matthew Saad Muhammad103 December 197616Win15–1Aldo TraversaroPTS1515 October 197615Win14–1Al BoldenKO911 September 197614Win13–1Domenico AdinolfiTKO1110 July 197613Loss12–1Matthew Saad MuhammadPTS821 May 197612Win12–0Maile HaumonaPTS1020 March 197611Win11–0Sentiki QataPTS106 March 197610Win10–0Macka FoleyTKO26 February 19769Win9–0Onelio GrandoPTS826 December 19758Win8–0Billy FreemanPTS1022 November 19757Win7–0Karl ZurheideKO130 October 19756Win6–0Johnny GriffinTKO56 October 19755Win5–0Jose Evaristo GomezPTS813 September 19754Win4–0Jose Galvez Vasquez 822 August 19753Win3–0Horst LangKO112 July 19752Win2–0Robert Amory 520 June 19751Win1–0Dante Lazzari131 May 1975
See also List of world light-heavyweight boxing champions
References
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