He would suffer his first defeat in his third fight, when faced against Doug McClendon, who beat him by a decision in six rounds on January 26, 1971, in New York.
He won five bouts in a row, and then lost by decision in eight rounds to future world title challenger Edwin Viruet.
He began 1972 by losing to another future world title challenger, Diego Alcala, by knockout in round eight, but he won his three other fights that year.
He defended his title ten times, including wins over Ray Lunny, Sigfredo Rodriguez and Tyrone Everett.
Escalera lost his title on January 28, 1978, to Alexis Argüello of Nicaragua by a technical knockout in round 13 in Bayamón.
[2] In 1983, he avenged his loss to Hatcher, scoring a ten-round unanimous decision win at the Roberto Durán-Davey Moore world title fight undercard in Madison Square Garden.
On September 15 of that year he lost to future world title challenger Charlie White Lighting Brown.