IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 2 ENGLISH | Page 66

E

ver since the early twentieth century,
black and mulatto Cubans have prided
themselves on account of superhero Antonio Maceo Grajales, who was felled in combat
during the 1895 Revolution, and because of politician Juan Gualberto Gómez, who many called
the Maestro or Director of Black Cuban Consciousness while he lived. However, in 1927, a
young man of very humble origins began his journey towards fame.
For his mother, Encarnación Montalvo, he was always her beloved Yiyi. Cuban fans and the rest of
the world knew nothing of the name Eligio Sardiñas Montalvo. For them, there was only “Kid
Chocolate,”1 a nickname that was so fervently
chanted because this idol captured the attention of
great multitudes due to his existence through his
boxing in the ring.
As with any combat sport, where blows often outnumber dodges, that “Cerro kid” was an expert at
that difficult “art of punching without being
punched” (or, conversely, receiving fewer blows,
because his rival alto defended himself and attacked). Kid Chocolate had an inimitable boxing
style all his own, which explains why Elio Menéndez and Víctor Joaquín Ortega took a phrase
that seemed his own to title the book El boxeo soy
yo [I Am Boxing].
This is a way to enjoy sport as art. Some fans say
that Chocolate would not have been a good trainer
because of the impossibility of him transmitting
to his future pupils the very same thing that cost
him no effort whatsoever. Whatever it was, it
came from his heart and soul, but that’s a subject
for debate.
According to Ring Side Report’s statistics, Chocolate had a brilliant amateur career. His record
was impressive: he won 100 fights (86 by knock-

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out).2 His professional debut took place in Havana, on December 8th, 1927, against Johnny
Cruz, who he soundly beat in six rounds.
From then on, he was unstoppable, until August
7th, 1930, when Englishman Jack “Kid” Berg beat
him in New York in a ten-round battle.3
Chocolate racked up 55 fights without experiencing a defeat and tied only once, against Joe
Scalfaro, in his first fight at Madison Square Garden, the famous New York venue, on the night of
November 30th, 1928, after another memorable
10 rounds.
Till that fight against Scalfaro, the kid from the
Cerro had won 21 fights. This had been the first,
triumphant run at the most competitive level of
boxing in the world.
In early September 1928, the National Boxing
Commission (N.B.C.) agreed to name Chocolate
National Champion of his division and congratulate his mentor, Luis Felipe “Pincho” Gutiérrez.
December 22nd of that same year, a film, Kid
Chocolate, about this Cuban boxing star was
made, which unleashed even more “Chocomania”
both in Cuba and the United States.4
Around that time, an organizing commission was
created in Cuba to receive ‘Chócolo’ and Pincho.
Juan Domingo Roche was a member.
This working group planned a banquet at the
Press Association at which the N.B.C. would bestow numerous gold medals on both awardees.5
Pedro Marco took notice of this response from
Cuban fans.
He was responsible for presenting this boxing
phenomenon to readers of the Ideales de una
Raza [Ideals of a Race] column in the Diario de
la Marina in a sports chronicle titled “Kid Chocolate” (February 17th, 1929).