Almost certainly a world champion in this diluted era of multiple title belts, hard-hitting 1980s middleweight contender Juan Domingo Roldan passed away after contracting Covid-19 on Wednesday.
Roldan died following respiratory failure associated with bilateral pneumonia at the José Bernardo Iturraspe Hospital in San Francisco in Cordoba, Argentina. He was aged just 63.
Roldan (67-5-2, 47 KOs and 1 NC) mixed it with best in a 10-year pro career, famously being the only man to officially ‘floor’ the iron-chinned Marvin Hagler in an undisputed middleweight title tilt (LTKO10) in March 1984.
Replays showed that first-round knockdown to be the result of a slip, but it forged Roldan’s reputation as an emerging force amongst the middleweights.
‘The Hammer’ rebuilt strongly, halting contender James ‘The Heat’ Kinchen in nine rounds on the undercard of Sugar Ray Leonard vs Marvin Hagler in April 1987 before being thrown in with the lions of the 160lbs division.
The rugged Argentine subsequently fell short in world title challenges against elite champions Thomas Hearns (LKO4) and Michael Nunn (LKO8) in 1987 and 1988 before calling time on his career after that last shot, aged just 31.
In retirement, Roldan purchased the 80-hectare dairy farm where his father had once worked, embarking on a second career as a successful rancher and businessman.
Everyone at Boxing Social sends their condolences to Juan’s friends and family.