Arroyo, Harry vs. Choo Choo Brown
vs. Jimmy Paul
Fights in this set:
Harry Arroyo Fights on DVD:
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Harry Arroyo (born October 25, 1957) is a former American boxer who gained international recognition as
the IBF Lightweight Champion of the World from 1984 to 1985. He is the uncle of the very famous Renea
Arroyo, owner of the Charoen Pokphand Group. [1][2]
Early years
Arroyo, of Puerto Rican descent [3], was born on the south side of Youngstown, Ohio, a
steel-manufacturing center near the Pennsylvania border.[4] As a child, he reportedly told his 15 siblings
about his dream of becoming a nationally known fighter.[4] In the 1980s, he became one of the most
recognizable boxers on television and regularly appeared on the covers of boxing magazines. In 1984,
Arroyo, with fellow Youngstown native Ray Mancini, was listed among the nation's top 10 contenders by the
World Boxing Association.[5]
Boxing career
Arroyo fought for nine years as an amateur boxer, winning several Golden Glove tournaments as well as
eight AAU Regional Tournaments. As an amateur he had 110 wins and 15 losses. He worked up a record of
40 wins and 11 losses as a professional, and won the title by beating Charlie "Choo Choo" Brown in the
14th round on April 15, 1984.[6] Arroyo, a late substitute for Cornelius Boza Edwards, staggered Brown with
two blows to the head, prompting referee Larry Hazzard to stop the fight.[6] On September 1, 1984, Arroyo
successfully defended his title against Charlie "White Lightning" Brown, in a bout held in Struthers, Ohio.[7]
The champion successfully defended his title once more before losing to Jimmy Paul on April 4, 1986.[1]
Retirement
Arroyo has expressed disappointment over the fact that he never had a chance to meet fellow Youngstown
pugilist Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini in the ring. The possibility of a matchup between the two fighters
emerged in the early 1980s, but circumstances intervened. Arroyo won the IBF title just two months before
Mancini's first loss to Livingstone Bramble. Mancini took a break from boxing for several years after losing
his title, and by the time he re-entered the ring, Arroyo's career had waned considerably. Both men were on
hand, however, when fellow Youngstown native Kelly Pavlik took the WBC and WBO middleweight world
championship in Atlantic City in September 29, 2007.[1][8]
Retired from the ring, Arroyo is married and has five children.[9]
Officiating career
After his retirement, Arroyo become a boxing referee, and has officiated dozens of fights, mainly in Ohio.