The 26th anniversary of the death of legendary boxer Eligio Sardiñas Montalvo - better known as Kid Chocolate - and the first Cuban Boxing World Champion was celebrated August 8.

Kid Chocolate, one of the greatest
Cuban boxers of all time.
Photo: Armando Hernández.

Kid Chocolate was an artist in the ring, who liked to say "I am boxing." He became a legend and one of the greatest boxing figures of all time on the island, earning a fortune through his fights.

Born October 28, 1910, at number six Santa Catalina Street in the neighborhood of Cerro, in Havana, he simultaneously held two World titles - won in the Junior Lightweight (1931) and Featherweight (1932) divisions.

As a child he liked to play sports, baseball and jai-alai.

He came from a poor family so rarely attended school, and, having lost his father, had to earn a living as a shoe-shine and sell newspapers to support his family.

He was slim, 5ft 4 inches tall and weighed 125 pounds when he debuted in the ring at 18 years of age, three years younger than the rules for the featherweight division allowed.

Those who knew him say that beyond the sporting prominence which he gained, he was always kind to his friends, generous with fellow Cubans and proud of his origins.

The fact that traffic on Broadway stopped for him - like it did for Rodolfo Valentino and Babe Ruth - didn’t change him; neither did being declared world’s best dressed man by a European magazine, which placed him above film star George Raff; the Prince of Wales and Mayor of New York Mickey Walker.

Eligio Sardiñas Montalvo simultaneously held two World title belts won in the Junior Lightweight (1931) and Featherweight (1932) divisions.
 

He had a wardrobe of some 150 suits of all possible combinations. He remained loyal to his roots and never forgot his poor childhood, as his colleague Elio Menéndez put it, "When the kids saw him appear in his Cadillac, they ran after him and Chocolate gave them all the money he had in his wallet."

He is considered to be one of the 10 best featherweight boxers of all time, and has been included in the elite list of boxing immortals in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, while his statue stands proudly at one of the entrances to Madison Square Garden, in New York.

During his entire boxing career (1929-1939), Kid Chocolate won 136 fights; 51 of which were won by knock out, only losing 10 and drawing 6. Only twice was he knocked out.

He fought boxing greats such as Fidel La Barba; Battling Batalino; Al Singer and Tony Canzonieri.

"I felt happy giving happiness to everyone else," he said once, receiving a lively ovation during the First World Championships in Havana, 1974. He died in his beloved neighborhood of Cerro, respected by those who appreciated his modesty.

Dr. Alcides Sagarra veteran coach recognized Kid Chocolate’s influence on
many Cuban boxers.

Due to his legendary career, Cuban sports centers and other recreational institutions carry his fighting name, Kid chocolate. Dr. Alcides Sagarra veteran coach to national boxing teams commented that Kid Chocolate’s fighting style has notably influenced many Cuban boxers and is thus considered an antecedent of the current Cuban School of Boxing.