{{short description|Argentine boxer}} {{Infobox martial artist | name = Abel Cestac | image = Abel Cestac and Jack Dempsey 1950.jpg | image_size = | caption = Cestac (left) with his manager Jack Dempsey (right), circa 1950. | birth_name = Abel Evaristo Cestac | other_names = | nationality = {{flagicon|Argentina}} Argentina | birth_date = {{birth date |1918|08|25|df=y}} | birth_place = | fighting_out_of = Bellocq - Carlos Casares - Buenos Aires | death_date ={{death date and age|1995|1|16|1918|8|24|df=y}} | death_place = | height = {{convert|193|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} | reach = | style = | stance = | trainer = Whitey Bimstein | years_active = 1945-1951 | box_win = 39 | box_kowin = 33 | box_loss = 14 | box_koloss = 3 | box_draw = 3 | box_nc = | other = | occupation = | spouse = | relatives = | students = | university = | url = | boxrec = 12457 }} '''Abel Evaristo Cestac''' (25 August 1918 – 16 January 1995)<ref>{{cite web|title=Boxeo: Abel Cestac en Salta|url=http://vitryboxeo.blogspot.com/2011/12/abel-cestac-en-salta.html|access-date=7 August 2013|date=December 22, 2011|work=vitryboxeo|author=Roberto G. Vitry}}</ref> was an Argentine boxer.
Cestac was an amateur boxer when he was discovered by Luis Angel Firpo in July 1940. According to Firpo, he came across Cestac fighting a steer because he could not find any men his equal in strength. Firpo predicted that Cestac would be world heavyweight champion within three years. <ref>{{cite journal |url=http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News%201940%20Dec-May%201941%20Grayscale/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News%201940%20Dec-May%201941%20Grayscale%20-%200182.pdf |journal=North Tonawanda Evening News |date=15 January 1941 |title=Firpo discovers young wild bull of the pampas |access-date=2011-10-26}}</ref> Jack Dempsey and Luis Ángel Firpo agreed to jointly manage Cestac. When he came to New York in July 1945, the journalist Horacio Estol acted as his representative.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newspaperarchive.com/SiteMap/FreePdfPreview.aspx?img=111966790 |work=The Morning Herald, Bagerstown MD |date=25 July 1945 |title=Cestac Remain Mystery Fighter |access-date=2011-10-26}}</ref> On 27 July 1945 he fought John Thomas at Madison Square Gardens, losing on the split decision after ten rounds.<ref name=fightsrec/>
Despite the initial setback, he went on to win 39 professional fights, with 14 losses and three draws.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=12457&cat=boxer |title=Abel Cestac |work=BoxRec |access-date=2011-10-26}}</ref> Abel Cestac became the South American heavyweight champion. In March 1951 he came to Toledo, Ohio to fight Archie Moore, who was forty pounds lighter. However, Moore defeated him in ten rounds on a unanimous decision. In June 1951, Moore came to Buenos Aires for a return match, again defeating Cestac, who retired in the tenth round.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VwRkoa7EVhcC&pg=PA83 |pages=83–87 |title=The Ageless Warrior: The Life of Boxing Legend Archie Moore |author =Mike Fitzgerald |author2 =Jake Lamotta |author3 =Bert Randolph Sugar |publisher=Sports Publishing LLC |year=2004 |isbn=1-58261-255-2}}</ref> Cestac fought twice more, being defeated by Arturo Godoy in August 1951 and by Cesar Brion in November 1951. After this he retired from the ring.<ref name=fightsrec/>
==References== <references>
<ref name=fightsrec>{{cite web |url=http://www.fightsrec.com/abel-cestac.html |title=Abel Cestac |work=FightsRec |access-date=2011-10-26}}</ref>
</references>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cestac, Abel}} Category:1918 births Category:Heavyweight boxers Category:1995 deaths Category:Argentine male boxers Category:20th-century Argentine sportsmen