Mate Parlov was a Croatian-Yugoslavian boxer and Olympic gold medalist who was European and World Champion as an amateur and as a professional.
12 Facts About Mate Parlov
2.
Mate Parlov was born in Split, the youngest of four children in a Croatian family originally from Imotski.
3.
Mate Parlov 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.
4.
Mate Parlov won the Golden Glove award twice, in 1967 and 1969.
5.
Mate Parlov participated in the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight division.
6.
Mate Parlov won twelve of his first thirteen fights as a professional boxer before successfully challenging for the European light-heavyweight title.
7.
Mate Parlov knocked out Cuello in the ninth round to become the first professional world champion from a communist country.
8.
Mate Parlov lost the title on his second defense and would later challenge for the world cruiser-weight title without success.
9.
Mate Parlov 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.
10.
Mate Parlov later moved to Fazana near Pula, away from boxing and the public.
11.
Mate Parlov was married to Laura Parlov with whom he had two children, daughter Mira and son Matko.
12.
Mate Parlov was an economist by profession, and had one graduate exam left before gaining the title of Master of Economics.