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Wilfredo Gómez

Wilfredo Gómez Rivera[3] (Spanish pronunciation: [wilˈfɾeðo ˈɣomes]; born October 29, 1956), sometimes referred to as Bazooka Gómez, is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer and three-time world champion. He is frequently mentioned among the best Puerto Rican boxers of all time by sports journalists and analysts, along with Félix Trinidad, Miguel Cotto, Wilfred Benítez, Esteban De Jesús, Edwin Rosario, and Carlos Ortíz.[4]

Wilfredo Gómez
Gómez c.2003
Born
Wilfredo Gómez Rivera

(1956-10-29) October 29, 1956 (age 67)[2]
Other namesBazooka
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height5 ft 5+12 in (166 cm)
Reach66+12 in (169 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record[1]
Total fights48
Wins44
Wins by KO42
Losses3
Draws1
Medal record

His seventeen consecutive knockouts in championship defenses as a junior featherweight is a record for all boxing divisions. He was ranked number 13 on The Ring magazine's list of the "100 greatest punchers of all time".[5] In 1995, Gómez was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Biography edit

Gómez was born in a poor area of Las Monjas of Hato Rey in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the son of Jacobo Gómez and Paula Rivera. Gómez himself reportedly used a bicycle as means of transportation when he was young, and he sold candy to earn pocket money before becoming an amateur boxer.[6]

Amateur career and professional debut edit

Gómez won the gold medal at the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and 1974 World Championships in Havana, Cuba before turning professional.[7] He also competed in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, getting eliminated by an Egyptian rival in the Olympic's first round of bouts.[8] He compiled an overall record of 96 wins and 3 defeats as an amateur boxer. Because of his family's economic situation, he decided not to wait for the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, opting to begin making money right after the 1974 World Amateur Boxing championship instead. Coming from Puerto Rico, he settled for less money and exposure from the American media, and moved to Costa Rica, where he began to tour all of Central America in hopes of finding matches. His professional debut came in Panama City, Panama, where he fought to a draw with Jacinto Fuentes.

Professional career edit

After this inauspicious debut, he reeled off a streak of 32 consecutive knockouts[7] including wins over Fuentes, who was dispatched in 2 rounds in a rematch, and future world champion Alberto Davila, who lasted 9 rounds before being defeated. His 32 consecutive knockouts place him in a third place tie with Deontay Wilder and behind LaMar Clark (44) and Billy Fox (43) for the all-time knockout streak.

Gómez's knockout streak caught the eye of the WBC and Lineal Super Bantamweight champion Dong Kyun Yum of South Korea, who travelled to San Juan, Puerto Rico to defend his crown against Gómez. Yum had a promising start, dropping Gómez 30 seconds into the bout, but Gómez picked himself up and eventually won the crown, his first world title, with a 12th-round knockout.[9][6] His second defense took him to Tokyo, where he beat former world champion Royal Kobayashi in three rounds.[6] Kobayashi had lasted 5 rounds vs Alexis Argüello. Next was Sagat Petchyindee in a small city of Thailand. He lasted two rounds. Petchyndee later became a world champion Thai and kick-boxer and famous actor in Thailand.[10] The bout with Petchyndee was preceded by a large tragedy when a column collapsed inside the stadium before the evening's main event; ten people lost their lives and an estimated 300 were injured, but the contest's organizers nevertheless decided to continue with the day's boxing show.[11]

Gómez's streak reached 32 knockouts in a row, including what is generally considered to be his biggest victory ever, a five-round defeat of bantamweight champion Carlos Zárate, who was 55–0 with 54 knockout wins coming into their San Juan bout.[12] Also included in that streak was future world champion Leo Cruz, beaten in 13 rounds at San Juan and Derrik Holmes, knocked out in five rounds in a fight attended, among others, by Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers and Alexis Arguello.[13] After recording his 32nd. knockout win in a row, he moved up in weight to face the world featherweight champion Salvador Sánchez of Mexico.He lost to Salvador Sanchez by 8th-round TKO.

External audio
  You may watch Wilfredo Gómez fight various boxers, among them Lupe Pintor, here

Hoping to get a rematch with Sanchez, Gómez went back to the super bantamweight division, where he got a dispense from the WBC to make two preparation bouts before defending his title again.[14] He did so and won two non-title bouts, both by knockout in the 2nd round, one over Jose Luis Soto, who was a stablemate of Julio César Chávez back in Culiacán, Mexico. Wins over future world champ Juan 'Kid' Meza, knocked out in six in Atlantic City, and Juan Antonio Lopez, knocked out in ten as part of the Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney undercard followed.[14] But all chances of a rematch with Sanchez were dashed when Sanchez died in a car crash outside Mexico City the morning of August 12, 1982. Boxing fans across Latin America mourned the tragedy. Gómez, who was training to defend against Mexican Roberto Rubaldino only five days later, took a quick trip to Mexico to offer Sanchez flowers and then returned to Puerto Rico the same afternoon. He beat Rubaldino by knockout in 8 rounds and made one more title defense, against the Mexican bantamweight world champ Lupe Pintor in the Carnival of Champions in New Orleans, winning by knockout in 14 rounds.[14] The Pintor contest was the only time a Gómez fight was showcased on HBO, which at the time exclusively showcased the largest boxing fights, much like the Pay Per View system does currently.

By the time he was done with the Junior Featherweights, Gómez had established a division record of 17 defenses, and a world record of most defenses in a row won by knockout, all his defenses finishing before the established distance limit.[15]

Featherweight division edit

He then re-tried winning the Featherweight title and this time, he achieved his dream, winning his second world title by dethroning Juan Laporte, a fellow Puerto Rican who had won the title left vacant after Sanchez died. He beat Laporte by a 12-round unanimous decision. This time, however, he didn't enjoy a lengthy title reign. Ahead on all scorecards, Gómez was the victim of a rally by Azumah Nelson of Ghana who knocked him out in 11 rounds in San Juan, December 8, 1984.[16]

Gómez wanted either a rematch with Nelson or a shot at WBA and Lineal Junior Lightweight world champion Rocky Lockridge of New Jersey, whichever came first. Lockridge was first to offer Gómez a try, and the 2 battled a closely scored 15 round bout in San Juan, with Gómez being given a majority 15-round decision, which many experts have said Lockridge deserved, but also which in the opinion of most who saw it live, was a justified decision.[17][14]

Around this time, he began a shortly lived career as a boxing broadcaster. He specifically covered the Victor Callejas-Loris Stecca rematch from Italy for Puerto Rico's WAPA-TV, won by Callejas by sixth round technical knockout, and some local matches involving Alberto Mercado and Juan Carazo in Puerto Rico for Tele-Once.

This reign also came to an end quick, Gómez being handed his 3rd loss at the hands of young Alfredo Layne by knockout in 9 rounds. Layne lost the title in his own first defense to South Africa's Brian Mitchell, and it became obvious Gómez's best years had gone by, so he retired after this fight.

Last fights and retirement edit

Gómez tried a comeback in 1987 and 1989, but after winning 2 more bouts by knockout, he realized boxing wasn't in his heart anymore and retired for good. He later moved to Venezuela, where he ran into drug problems, causing him trouble with the law and spending some months in jail.[18] He attended a rehabilitation center in Colombia. Gómez rebounded and is now back in Puerto Rico, where he has managed to stay off drugs. He helped Hector Camacho with the training of Camacho's son Héctor Camacho Jr., who was a boxer in the Jr Welterweight division. In 1998, Gómez became a born-again Christian.[19]

On May 18, 2003, Gómez returned to Panama, where he was received by friends Roberto Duran and Eusebio Pedroza, among others. In a message geared towards Panamanians, he expressed thanks to that country, calling it his second country and saying, among other things "I'm very motivated now that I will return to Puerto Rico, and no one should be surprised if I buy an apartment in Panama and move my family here".[20] However, he bought a house in Orlando, Florida in 2006.

Gómez had a record of 44 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw, with 42 knockout wins and all three losses also by knockout. In 1978, he was named Boxing Illustrated's Fighter of the Year. He is now a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Gómez was voted as the Greatest Super Bantamweight Ever in 2014 by the Houston Boxing Hall Of Fame. The HBHOF is a voting body composed totally of current and former fighters. In 2003 a biographical film entitled Bazooka: The Battles of Wilfredo Gómez was produced by Cinemar Films, the documentary was directed by Mario Diaz and was filmed in New York City.[21][22]

Personal edit

Gómez has three daughters: Jennifer (who is Panamanian by birth), Gina and Liz Irina (Venezuelan by birth )and one son, Wilfredo Junior.[23] He is good friends with Panamanian boxing legend Roberto Durán.[13] and former Puerto Rico Boxing Commissioner and boxing champion Victor Callejas.

Gómez declared that Fighting Harada was his idol as a child.[24]

Gómez is married to Carolina Gamboa.[25]

On April 17, 2015, Gómez was arrested by Puerto Rican police after allegedly hitting his 59-year-old companion, a lady with whom he had been living for ten months. He was released after she refused to raise charges against him.[3]

British boxer Michael Gomez adapted his last name from Armstrong to Gomez as a homage to Wilfredo, who was his childhood idol.[26]

A biographical book about Gómez, written by author Christian Giudice and named "A Fire Burns Within", was released May 9, 2016.[27]

Gómez was hospitalized on May 21, 2018 in Cupey, Puerto Rico, suffering from a pulmonary edema and pneumonia.[28]

On March of 2022, Gomez was rescued by his wife Carolina Gamboa, son Wilfredo Jr., and by friend, fellow former world boxing champion Victor Callejas, from his ex lover, identified as Diana Sevilla Villalobos, who apparently was holding him hostage at his Venus Gardens, Cupey (San Juan) house. Gomez was taken to a psychiatric hospital.[29] Gomez subsequently recovered and returned to his wife by choice.[30]

Honors edit

Both the Wilfredo Gómez boxing gym[31] and the Complejo Deportivo Wilfredo Gómez (Wilfredo Gómez Sporting Complex) in Guaynabo are named after him.[32]

Professional boxing record edit

48 fights 44 wins 3 losses
By knockout 42 3
By decision 2 0
Draws 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
48 Win 44–3–1 Mario Salazar KO 2 (10), 1:45 Jul 19, 1989 Diplomat Hotel, Hallandale, Florida, USA
47 Win 43–3–1 Mario González TKO 6 (8), 1:58 Jul 30, 1988 Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, USA Not the Mario Gonzalez who won a Bronze medal at the 1988 Olympic Games.[33]
46 Loss 42–3–1 Alfredo Layne TKO 9 (15), 0:32 May 24, 1986 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico Lost WBA and The Ring super featherweight title
45 Win 42–2–1 Rocky Lockridge MD 15 May 19, 1985 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico Won WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles
44 Loss 41–2–1 Azumah Nelson KO 11 (12), 2:58 Dec 8, 1984 Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico Lost WBC featherweight title
43 Win 41–1–1 Juan Laporte UD 12 Mar 31, 1984 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico Won WBC featherweight title
42 Win 40–1–1 Eladio Santana KO 2 (10), 0:46 Dec 14, 1983 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
41 Win 39–1–1 Iván Samuco TKO 3 (10), 1:45 Apr 23, 1983 Juan Pachín Vicéns Coliseum, Ponce, Puerto Rico
40 Win 38–1–1 Lupe Pintor TKO 14 (15), 2:44 Dec 3, 1982 Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles
39 Win 37–1–1 Roberto Rubaldino RTD 7 (15), 3:00 Aug 18, 1982 Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles
38 Win 36–1–1 Juan Antonio López TKO 10 (15), 1:02 Jun 11, 1982 Caesars Palace, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles
37 Win 35–1–1 Juan Meza TKO 6 (15), 2:28 Mar 27, 1982 Playboy Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles
36 Win 34–1–1 José Luis Soto KO 2 (10), 2:33 Feb 20, 1982 San Juan, Puerto Rico
35 Win 33–1–1 José González TKO 7 (10) Jan 9, 1982 San Juan, Puerto Rico
34 Loss 32–1–1 Salvador Sánchez TKO 8 (15), 2:09 Aug 21, 1981 Caesars Palace, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, USA For WBC featherweight title
33 Win 32–0–1 Raúl Silva KO 3 (10), 0:51 Jun 20, 1981 San Juan, Puerto Rico
32 Win 31–0–1 José Cervantes KO 3 (15), 1:50 Dec 13, 1980 Miami Jai-Alai Fronton, Miami, Florida, USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles
31 Win 30–0–1 Derrik Holmes TKO 5 (15), 2:29 Aug 22, 1980 Caesars Palace, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles
30 Win 29–0–1 Eddie Ndukwu TKO 4 (12), 1:58 Apr 27, 1980 Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
29 Win 28–0–1 Rubén Valdéz RTD 6 (15), 3:00 Feb 3, 1980 Caesars Palace, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles
28 Win 27–0–1 Nicky Pérez TKO 5 (15), 3:00 Oct 26, 1979 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles
27 Win 26–0–1 Carlos Mendoza TKO 10 (15), 2:29 Sep 28, 1979 Caesars Palace, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles
26 Win 25–0–1 Julio Hernández TKO 5 (15), 2:15 Jun 16, 1979 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles
25 Win 24–0–1 Nelson Cruz Tamariz KO 2 (10), 1:10 May 21, 1979 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, USA
24 Win 23–0–1 Néstor Carlos Jiménez KO 5 (15), 2:51 Mar 9, 1979 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, USA Retained WBC super bantamweight title;
Won inaugural The Ring super bantamweight title
23 Win 22–0–1 Carlos Zárate TKO 5 (15), 0:44 Oct 28, 1978 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico Retained WBC super bantamweight title
22 Win 21–0–1 Leonardo Cruz TKO 13 (15), 0:21 Sep 9, 1978 Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico Retained WBC super bantamweight title
21 Win 20–0–1 Sakad Petchyindee TKO 3 (15), 2:32 Jun 2, 1978 Main Stadium, Korat, Thailand Retained WBC super bantamweight title
20 Win 19–0–1 Juan Antonio López TKO 7 (15), 2:41 Apr 8, 1978 Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto Rico Retained WBC super bantamweight title
19 Win 18–0–1 Royal Kobayashi KO 3 (15), 1:26 Jan 19, 1978 Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium, Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka, Japan Retained WBC super bantamweight title
18 Win 17–0–1 Raúl Tirado TKO 5 (15), 2:59 Jul 11, 1977 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico Retained WBC super bantamweight title
17 Win 16–0–1 Dong-Kyun Yum KO 12 (15), 2:40 May 21, 1977 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico Won WBC super bantamweight title
16 Win 15–0–1 John Meza KO 2 (10), 2:59 Feb 12, 1977 Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
15 Win 14–0–1 José Murillo Medel KO 4 (12), 2:45 Oct 11, 1976 San Juan, Puerto Rico
14 Win 13–0–1 Tony Rocha KO 2 (10) Aug 16, 1976 San Juan, Puerto Rico
13 Win 12–0–1 Alberto Dávila TKO 9 (10) Jul 19, 1976 San Juan, Puerto Rico
12 Win 11–0–1 Sak Lempthong TKO 3 (10) May 8, 1976 Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
11 Win 10–0–1 Ric Quijano KO 1 (10) Apr 4, 1976 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
10 Win 9–0–1 Cornell Hall KO 3 (8) Feb 20, 1976 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
9 Win 8–0–1 Andres Hernández TKO 8 (10) Dec 20, 1975 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
8 Win 7–0–1 Joe Guevara KO 6 (8) Sep 19, 1975 San Juan, Puerto Rico
7 Win 6–0–1 Cleo García KO 3 (8) Aug 2, 1975 Roberto Clemente Stadium, Managua, Nicaragua
6 Win 5–0–1 Jacinto Fuentes KO 2 (8), 1:58 Jun 21, 1975 Gimnasio Nuevo Panama, Panama City, Panama
5 Win 4–0–1 Jose Jiménez KO 1 (6) May 3, 1975 Gimnasio Nuevo Panama, Panama City, Panama
4 Win 3–0–1 Antonio Da Silva KO 2 (8), 2:40 Mar 2, 1975 Gimnasio Nuevo Panama, Panama City, Panama
3 Win 2–0–1 Jorge Bernal TKO 1 (8), 2:28 Feb 15, 1975 Gimnasio Nuevo Panama, Panama City, Panama
2 Win 1–0–1 Mario Hernández TKO 1 (6), 2:58 Dec 21, 1974 Plaza de Toros El Zapote, San José, Costa Rica
1 Draw 0–0–1 Jacinto Fuentes MD 6 Nov 16, 1974 Gimnasio Nuevo Panama, Panama City, Panama

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Boxing record for Wilfredo Gómez". BoxRec.
  2. ^ "Wilfredo Gomez". ibhof.com. International Boxing Hall of Fame. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  3. ^ a b No radicarán cargos contra exboxeador Wilfredo Gómez, El Nuevo Día (2015-04-18). Retrieved on 2017-07-14.
  4. ^ Sánchez, José A. (November 25, 2012). "Entre leyendas Macho Camacho". El Nuevo Día.
  5. ^ Eisele, Andrew (2003). "Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers". About.com. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  6. ^ a b c Michael Klimes (2007-05-16). "Wilfredo 'Bazooka' Gomez, Part 1". East Side Boxing. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
  7. ^ a b . International Boxing Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2007-08-16. Retrieved 2007-09-16.
  8. ^ George Diaz Smith (2005-03-01). . Ring Side Report. Archived from the original on 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  9. ^ "Wilfredo Gómez – Lineal Jr. Featherweight Champion". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia.
  10. ^ Sagat Petchyindee. Siamfightmag.com. Retrieved on 2017-07-14.
  11. ^ "Wilfredo Gomez vs. Sakad Petchyindee - BoxRec".
  12. ^ Lee Groves (2007-02-28). . Max Boxing. Archived from the original on 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  13. ^ a b YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved on 2017-07-14.
  14. ^ a b c d Michael Klimes (2007-05-17). "Wilfredo 'Bazooka' Gomez, Part II". East Side Boxing. Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  15. ^ Andrés Pascual (2006-10-20). . Diario Las Americas. Archived from the original on 2007-11-08. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  16. ^ Nelson wins title. Nytimes.com (1984-12-10). Retrieved on 2017-07-14.
  17. ^ "Wilfredo Gómez – Lineal Jr. Lightweight Champion". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia.
  18. ^ Gabriel Cordero (2006-11-01). (in Spanish). Lo Mejor del Boxeo. Archived from the original on 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  19. ^ Jason Gonzalez (2006-02-21). . Fightnews.com. Archived from the original on 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  20. ^ Gustavo Ampudia (2003-05-18). "¡Mil gracias, mi Panamá!" (in Spanish). La Prensa. Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  21. ^ Robert Dominguez (2003-09-25). "A Boxer's Saga, Blow By Blow". The Puerto Rico Herald. Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  22. ^ "Bazooka: The Battles of Wilfredo Gómez". Internet Movie Data Base. 24 September 2003. Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  23. ^ Scoop Malinowski. . Boxing Insider. Archived from the original on 2007-11-08. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  24. ^ "Boxing in Japan | Japan Experience". www.japan-experience.com.
  25. ^ VIOLENCIA DOMESTICA: – Archivo Digital de Noticias de Colombia y el Mundo desde 1.990. eltiempo.com (1994-06-22). Retrieved on 2017-07-14.
  26. ^ SMASH-HIT GOMEZ FITS THE BILL. The Mirror. London, England. (February 12, 2000)
  27. ^ Giudice, Christian (2016) A Fire Burns Within: The Miraculous Journey of Wilfredo 'Bazooka' Gomez. Pitch Publishing. ISBN 9781785311154.
  28. ^ "Hospitalizan al exboxeador Wilfredo Gómez". El Nuevo Día. May 22, 2018.
  29. ^ ""Nadie tenía acceso a él": Luvi Calleja señala que pareja de Wilfredo Gómez lo aisló de sus seres queridos y amistades". 3 March 2022.
  30. ^ "WILFREDO GOMEZ QUIERE QUEDARSE CON SU ESPOSA Y NO CON SU HIJO" – via www.youtube.com.
  31. ^ "Inauguran bulevar del deporte en Guaynabo". Primera Hora. February 18, 2011.
  32. ^ "Google Earth". earth.google.com.
  33. ^ Mario Gonzalez. BoxRec. Retrieved on 2017-07-14.

External links edit

  • Boxing record for Wilfredo Gómez from BoxRec (registration required)
  • IBHOF.com, Wilfredo Gómez Biography at the International Boxing Hall of Fame Website
  • , "Bazooka: The Battles of Wilfredo Gómez"
  • Wilfredo Gómez – CBZ Profile
Sporting positions
World boxing titles
Preceded by WBC super bantamweight champion
May 21, 1977 – May 26, 1983
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Jaime Garza
Inaugural champion The Ring super bantamweight champion
March 9, 1979 – May 1983
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Paulie Ayala
Preceded by WBC featherweight champion
March 31, 1984 – December 8, 1984
Succeeded by
Preceded by WBA super featherweight champion
May 19, 1985 – May 24, 1986
Succeeded by
The Ring super featherweight champion
May 19, 1985 – May 24, 1986

wilfredo, gómez, this, spanish, name, first, paternal, surname, gómez, second, maternal, family, name, rivera, rivera, spanish, pronunciation, wilˈfɾeðo, ˈɣomes, born, october, 1956, sometimes, referred, bazooka, gómez, puerto, rican, former, professional, box. In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Gomez and the second or maternal family name is Rivera Wilfredo Gomez Rivera 3 Spanish pronunciation wilˈfɾedo ˈɣomes born October 29 1956 sometimes referred to as Bazooka Gomez is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer and three time world champion He is frequently mentioned among the best Puerto Rican boxers of all time by sports journalists and analysts along with Felix Trinidad Miguel Cotto Wilfred Benitez Esteban De Jesus Edwin Rosario and Carlos Ortiz 4 Wilfredo GomezGomez c 2003BornWilfredo Gomez Rivera 1956 10 29 October 29 1956 age 67 2 Hato Rey Puerto RicoOther namesBazookaStatisticsWeight s Super bantamweight Featherweight Super featherweightHeight5 ft 5 1 2 in 166 cm Reach66 1 2 in 169 cm StanceOrthodoxBoxing record 1 Total fights48Wins44Wins by KO42Losses3Draws1Medal record Men s amateur boxingRepresenting Puerto RicoWorld Amateur ChampionshipsHavana 1974 BantamweightHis seventeen consecutive knockouts in championship defenses as a junior featherweight is a record for all boxing divisions He was ranked number 13 on The Ring magazine s list of the 100 greatest punchers of all time 5 In 1995 Gomez was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame Contents 1 Biography 2 Amateur career and professional debut 3 Professional career 4 Featherweight division 5 Last fights and retirement 6 Personal 7 Honors 8 Professional boxing record 9 See also 10 References 11 External linksBiography editGomez was born in a poor area of Las Monjas of Hato Rey in San Juan Puerto Rico the son of Jacobo Gomez and Paula Rivera Gomez himself reportedly used a bicycle as means of transportation when he was young and he sold candy to earn pocket money before becoming an amateur boxer 6 Amateur career and professional debut editGomez won the gold medal at the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games held in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic and 1974 World Championships in Havana Cuba before turning professional 7 He also competed in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich Germany getting eliminated by an Egyptian rival in the Olympic s first round of bouts 8 He compiled an overall record of 96 wins and 3 defeats as an amateur boxer Because of his family s economic situation he decided not to wait for the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal Quebec Canada opting to begin making money right after the 1974 World Amateur Boxing championship instead Coming from Puerto Rico he settled for less money and exposure from the American media and moved to Costa Rica where he began to tour all of Central America in hopes of finding matches His professional debut came in Panama City Panama where he fought to a draw with Jacinto Fuentes Professional career editAfter this inauspicious debut he reeled off a streak of 32 consecutive knockouts 7 including wins over Fuentes who was dispatched in 2 rounds in a rematch and future world champion Alberto Davila who lasted 9 rounds before being defeated His 32 consecutive knockouts place him in a third place tie with Deontay Wilder and behind LaMar Clark 44 and Billy Fox 43 for the all time knockout streak Gomez s knockout streak caught the eye of the WBC and Lineal Super Bantamweight champion Dong Kyun Yum of South Korea who travelled to San Juan Puerto Rico to defend his crown against Gomez Yum had a promising start dropping Gomez 30 seconds into the bout but Gomez picked himself up and eventually won the crown his first world title with a 12th round knockout 9 6 His second defense took him to Tokyo where he beat former world champion Royal Kobayashi in three rounds 6 Kobayashi had lasted 5 rounds vs Alexis Arguello Next was Sagat Petchyindee in a small city of Thailand He lasted two rounds Petchyndee later became a world champion Thai and kick boxer and famous actor in Thailand 10 The bout with Petchyndee was preceded by a large tragedy when a column collapsed inside the stadium before the evening s main event ten people lost their lives and an estimated 300 were injured but the contest s organizers nevertheless decided to continue with the day s boxing show 11 Gomez s streak reached 32 knockouts in a row including what is generally considered to be his biggest victory ever a five round defeat of bantamweight champion Carlos Zarate who was 55 0 with 54 knockout wins coming into their San Juan bout 12 Also included in that streak was future world champion Leo Cruz beaten in 13 rounds at San Juan and Derrik Holmes knocked out in five rounds in a fight attended among others by Sylvester Stallone Carl Weathers and Alexis Arguello 13 After recording his 32nd knockout win in a row he moved up in weight to face the world featherweight champion Salvador Sanchez of Mexico He lost to Salvador Sanchez by 8th round TKO External audio nbsp You may watch Wilfredo Gomez fight various boxers among them Lupe Pintor hereHoping to get a rematch with Sanchez Gomez went back to the super bantamweight division where he got a dispense from the WBC to make two preparation bouts before defending his title again 14 He did so and won two non title bouts both by knockout in the 2nd round one over Jose Luis Soto who was a stablemate of Julio Cesar Chavez back in Culiacan Mexico Wins over future world champ Juan Kid Meza knocked out in six in Atlantic City and Juan Antonio Lopez knocked out in ten as part of the Larry Holmes vs Gerry Cooney undercard followed 14 But all chances of a rematch with Sanchez were dashed when Sanchez died in a car crash outside Mexico City the morning of August 12 1982 Boxing fans across Latin America mourned the tragedy Gomez who was training to defend against Mexican Roberto Rubaldino only five days later took a quick trip to Mexico to offer Sanchez flowers and then returned to Puerto Rico the same afternoon He beat Rubaldino by knockout in 8 rounds and made one more title defense against the Mexican bantamweight world champ Lupe Pintor in the Carnival of Champions in New Orleans winning by knockout in 14 rounds 14 The Pintor contest was the only time a Gomez fight was showcased on HBO which at the time exclusively showcased the largest boxing fights much like the Pay Per View system does currently By the time he was done with the Junior Featherweights Gomez had established a division record of 17 defenses and a world record of most defenses in a row won by knockout all his defenses finishing before the established distance limit 15 Featherweight division editHe then re tried winning the Featherweight title and this time he achieved his dream winning his second world title by dethroning Juan Laporte a fellow Puerto Rican who had won the title left vacant after Sanchez died He beat Laporte by a 12 round unanimous decision This time however he didn t enjoy a lengthy title reign Ahead on all scorecards Gomez was the victim of a rally by Azumah Nelson of Ghana who knocked him out in 11 rounds in San Juan December 8 1984 16 Gomez wanted either a rematch with Nelson or a shot at WBA and Lineal Junior Lightweight world champion Rocky Lockridge of New Jersey whichever came first Lockridge was first to offer Gomez a try and the 2 battled a closely scored 15 round bout in San Juan with Gomez being given a majority 15 round decision which many experts have said Lockridge deserved but also which in the opinion of most who saw it live was a justified decision 17 14 Around this time he began a shortly lived career as a boxing broadcaster He specifically covered the Victor Callejas Loris Stecca rematch from Italy for Puerto Rico s WAPA TV won by Callejas by sixth round technical knockout and some local matches involving Alberto Mercado and Juan Carazo in Puerto Rico for Tele Once This reign also came to an end quick Gomez being handed his 3rd loss at the hands of young Alfredo Layne by knockout in 9 rounds Layne lost the title in his own first defense to South Africa s Brian Mitchell and it became obvious Gomez s best years had gone by so he retired after this fight Last fights and retirement editGomez tried a comeback in 1987 and 1989 but after winning 2 more bouts by knockout he realized boxing wasn t in his heart anymore and retired for good He later moved to Venezuela where he ran into drug problems causing him trouble with the law and spending some months in jail 18 He attended a rehabilitation center in Colombia Gomez rebounded and is now back in Puerto Rico where he has managed to stay off drugs He helped Hector Camacho with the training of Camacho s son Hector Camacho Jr who was a boxer in the Jr Welterweight division In 1998 Gomez became a born again Christian 19 On May 18 2003 Gomez returned to Panama where he was received by friends Roberto Duran and Eusebio Pedroza among others In a message geared towards Panamanians he expressed thanks to that country calling it his second country and saying among other things I m very motivated now that I will return to Puerto Rico and no one should be surprised if I buy an apartment in Panama and move my family here 20 However he bought a house in Orlando Florida in 2006 Gomez had a record of 44 wins 3 losses and 1 draw with 42 knockout wins and all three losses also by knockout In 1978 he was named Boxing Illustrated s Fighter of the Year He is now a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame Gomez was voted as the Greatest Super Bantamweight Ever in 2014 by the Houston Boxing Hall Of Fame The HBHOF is a voting body composed totally of current and former fighters In 2003 a biographical film entitled Bazooka The Battles of Wilfredo Gomez was produced by Cinemar Films the documentary was directed by Mario Diaz and was filmed in New York City 21 22 Personal editGomez has three daughters Jennifer who is Panamanian by birth Gina and Liz Irina Venezuelan by birth and one son Wilfredo Junior 23 He is good friends with Panamanian boxing legend Roberto Duran 13 and former Puerto Rico Boxing Commissioner and boxing champion Victor Callejas Gomez declared that Fighting Harada was his idol as a child 24 Gomez is married to Carolina Gamboa 25 On April 17 2015 Gomez was arrested by Puerto Rican police after allegedly hitting his 59 year old companion a lady with whom he had been living for ten months He was released after she refused to raise charges against him 3 British boxer Michael Gomez adapted his last name from Armstrong to Gomez as a homage to Wilfredo who was his childhood idol 26 A biographical book about Gomez written by author Christian Giudice and named A Fire Burns Within was released May 9 2016 27 Gomez was hospitalized on May 21 2018 in Cupey Puerto Rico suffering from a pulmonary edema and pneumonia 28 On March of 2022 Gomez was rescued by his wife Carolina Gamboa son Wilfredo Jr and by friend fellow former world boxing champion Victor Callejas from his ex lover identified as Diana Sevilla Villalobos who apparently was holding him hostage at his Venus Gardens Cupey San Juan house Gomez was taken to a psychiatric hospital 29 Gomez subsequently recovered and returned to his wife by choice 30 Honors editBoth the Wilfredo Gomez boxing gym 31 and the Complejo Deportivo Wilfredo Gomez Wilfredo Gomez Sporting Complex in Guaynabo are named after him 32 Professional boxing record edit48 fights 44 wins 3 lossesBy knockout 42 3By decision 2 0Draws 1No Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes48 Win 44 3 1 Mario Salazar KO 2 10 1 45 Jul 19 1989 Diplomat Hotel Hallandale Florida USA47 Win 43 3 1 Mario Gonzalez TKO 6 8 1 58 Jul 30 1988 Convention Center Miami Beach Florida USA Not the Mario Gonzalez who won a Bronze medal at the 1988 Olympic Games 33 46 Loss 42 3 1 Alfredo Layne TKO 9 15 0 32 May 24 1986 Roberto Clemente Coliseum San Juan Puerto Rico Lost WBA and The Ring super featherweight title45 Win 42 2 1 Rocky Lockridge MD 15 May 19 1985 Roberto Clemente Coliseum San Juan Puerto Rico Won WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles44 Loss 41 2 1 Azumah Nelson KO 11 12 2 58 Dec 8 1984 Hiram Bithorn Stadium San Juan Puerto Rico Lost WBC featherweight title43 Win 41 1 1 Juan Laporte UD 12 Mar 31 1984 Roberto Clemente Coliseum San Juan Puerto Rico Won WBC featherweight title42 Win 40 1 1 Eladio Santana KO 2 10 0 46 Dec 14 1983 Roberto Clemente Coliseum San Juan Puerto Rico41 Win 39 1 1 Ivan Samuco TKO 3 10 1 45 Apr 23 1983 Juan Pachin Vicens Coliseum Ponce Puerto Rico40 Win 38 1 1 Lupe Pintor TKO 14 15 2 44 Dec 3 1982 Superdome New Orleans Louisiana USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles39 Win 37 1 1 Roberto Rubaldino RTD 7 15 3 00 Aug 18 1982 Hiram Bithorn Stadium San Juan Puerto Rico Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles38 Win 36 1 1 Juan Antonio Lopez TKO 10 15 1 02 Jun 11 1982 Caesars Palace Las Vegas Valley Nevada USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles37 Win 35 1 1 Juan Meza TKO 6 15 2 28 Mar 27 1982 Playboy Hotel amp Casino Atlantic City New Jersey USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles36 Win 34 1 1 Jose Luis Soto KO 2 10 2 33 Feb 20 1982 San Juan Puerto Rico35 Win 33 1 1 Jose Gonzalez TKO 7 10 Jan 9 1982 San Juan Puerto Rico34 Loss 32 1 1 Salvador Sanchez TKO 8 15 2 09 Aug 21 1981 Caesars Palace Las Vegas Valley Nevada USA For WBC featherweight title33 Win 32 0 1 Raul Silva KO 3 10 0 51 Jun 20 1981 San Juan Puerto Rico32 Win 31 0 1 Jose Cervantes KO 3 15 1 50 Dec 13 1980 Miami Jai Alai Fronton Miami Florida USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles31 Win 30 0 1 Derrik Holmes TKO 5 15 2 29 Aug 22 1980 Caesars Palace Las Vegas Valley Nevada USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles30 Win 29 0 1 Eddie Ndukwu TKO 4 12 1 58 Apr 27 1980 Hiram Bithorn Stadium San Juan Puerto Rico29 Win 28 0 1 Ruben Valdez RTD 6 15 3 00 Feb 3 1980 Caesars Palace Las Vegas Valley Nevada USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles28 Win 27 0 1 Nicky Perez TKO 5 15 3 00 Oct 26 1979 Madison Square Garden New York City New York USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles27 Win 26 0 1 Carlos Mendoza TKO 10 15 2 29 Sep 28 1979 Caesars Palace Las Vegas Valley Nevada USA Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles26 Win 25 0 1 Julio Hernandez TKO 5 15 2 15 Jun 16 1979 Roberto Clemente Coliseum San Juan Puerto Rico Retained WBC and The Ring super bantamweight titles25 Win 24 0 1 Nelson Cruz Tamariz KO 2 10 1 10 May 21 1979 Madison Square Garden New York City New York USA24 Win 23 0 1 Nestor Carlos Jimenez KO 5 15 2 51 Mar 9 1979 Madison Square Garden New York City New York USA Retained WBC super bantamweight title Won inaugural The Ring super bantamweight title23 Win 22 0 1 Carlos Zarate TKO 5 15 0 44 Oct 28 1978 Roberto Clemente Coliseum San Juan Puerto Rico Retained WBC super bantamweight title22 Win 21 0 1 Leonardo Cruz TKO 13 15 0 21 Sep 9 1978 Hiram Bithorn Stadium San Juan Puerto Rico Retained WBC super bantamweight title21 Win 20 0 1 Sakad Petchyindee TKO 3 15 2 32 Jun 2 1978 Main Stadium Korat Thailand Retained WBC super bantamweight title20 Win 19 0 1 Juan Antonio Lopez TKO 7 15 2 41 Apr 8 1978 Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium Bayamon Puerto Rico Retained WBC super bantamweight title19 Win 18 0 1 Royal Kobayashi KO 3 15 1 26 Jan 19 1978 Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium Kitakyushu Fukuoka Japan Retained WBC super bantamweight title18 Win 17 0 1 Raul Tirado TKO 5 15 2 59 Jul 11 1977 Roberto Clemente Coliseum San Juan Puerto Rico Retained WBC super bantamweight title17 Win 16 0 1 Dong Kyun Yum KO 12 15 2 40 May 21 1977 Roberto Clemente Coliseum San Juan Puerto Rico Won WBC super bantamweight title16 Win 15 0 1 John Meza KO 2 10 2 59 Feb 12 1977 Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium Bayamon Puerto Rico15 Win 14 0 1 Jose Murillo Medel KO 4 12 2 45 Oct 11 1976 San Juan Puerto Rico14 Win 13 0 1 Tony Rocha KO 2 10 Aug 16 1976 San Juan Puerto Rico13 Win 12 0 1 Alberto Davila TKO 9 10 Jul 19 1976 San Juan Puerto Rico12 Win 11 0 1 Sak Lempthong TKO 3 10 May 8 1976 Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium Bayamon Puerto Rico11 Win 10 0 1 Ric Quijano KO 1 10 Apr 4 1976 Roberto Clemente Coliseum San Juan Puerto Rico10 Win 9 0 1 Cornell Hall KO 3 8 Feb 20 1976 Roberto Clemente Coliseum San Juan Puerto Rico9 Win 8 0 1 Andres Hernandez TKO 8 10 Dec 20 1975 Roberto Clemente Coliseum San Juan Puerto Rico8 Win 7 0 1 Joe Guevara KO 6 8 Sep 19 1975 San Juan Puerto Rico7 Win 6 0 1 Cleo Garcia KO 3 8 Aug 2 1975 Roberto Clemente Stadium Managua Nicaragua6 Win 5 0 1 Jacinto Fuentes KO 2 8 1 58 Jun 21 1975 Gimnasio Nuevo Panama Panama City Panama5 Win 4 0 1 Jose Jimenez KO 1 6 May 3 1975 Gimnasio Nuevo Panama Panama City Panama4 Win 3 0 1 Antonio Da Silva KO 2 8 2 40 Mar 2 1975 Gimnasio Nuevo Panama Panama City Panama3 Win 2 0 1 Jorge Bernal TKO 1 8 2 28 Feb 15 1975 Gimnasio Nuevo Panama Panama City Panama2 Win 1 0 1 Mario Hernandez TKO 1 6 2 58 Dec 21 1974 Plaza de Toros El Zapote San Jose Costa Rica1 Draw 0 0 1 Jacinto Fuentes MD 6 Nov 16 1974 Gimnasio Nuevo Panama Panama City PanamaSee also edit nbsp Biography portal nbsp Puerto Rico portalList of super bantamweight boxing champions List of featherweight boxing champions List of super featherweight boxing champions List of WBA world champions List of WBC world champions List of boxing triple champions List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions Sports in Puerto RicoReferences edit Boxing record for Wilfredo Gomez BoxRec Wilfredo Gomez ibhof com International Boxing Hall of Fame Retrieved 23 May 2015 a b No radicaran cargos contra exboxeador Wilfredo Gomez El Nuevo Dia 2015 04 18 Retrieved on 2017 07 14 Sanchez Jose A November 25 2012 Entre leyendas Macho Camacho El Nuevo Dia Eisele Andrew 2003 Ring Magazine s 100 Greatest Punchers About com Retrieved 2017 12 15 a b c Michael Klimes 2007 05 16 Wilfredo Bazooka Gomez Part 1 East Side Boxing Retrieved 2007 09 17 a b Wilfredo Gomez International Boxing Hall of Fame Archived from the original on 2007 08 16 Retrieved 2007 09 16 George Diaz Smith 2005 03 01 Boxing RSR Looks Back at Former champion Wilfredo Gomez Ring Side Report Archived from the original on 2007 08 23 Retrieved 2007 09 18 Wilfredo Gomez Lineal Jr Featherweight Champion The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia Sagat Petchyindee Siamfightmag com Retrieved on 2017 07 14 Wilfredo Gomez vs Sakad Petchyindee BoxRec Lee Groves 2007 02 28 Vazquez Marquez May Add to a Tremendous Tradition Max Boxing Archived from the original on 2007 11 09 Retrieved 2007 09 18 a b YouTube YouTube Retrieved on 2017 07 14 a b c d Michael Klimes 2007 05 17 Wilfredo Bazooka Gomez Part II East Side Boxing Retrieved 2007 09 18 Andres Pascual 2006 10 20 El record impresionante de Wilfredo Gomez en las 122 libras Diario Las Americas Archived from the original on 2007 11 08 Retrieved 2007 09 25 Nelson wins title Nytimes com 1984 12 10 Retrieved on 2017 07 14 Wilfredo Gomez Lineal Jr Lightweight Champion The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia Gabriel Cordero 2006 11 01 Los 50 anos de Wilfredo Gomez in Spanish Lo Mejor del Boxeo Archived from the original on 2007 11 09 Retrieved 2007 09 25 Jason Gonzalez 2006 02 21 Q amp A Wilfredo Gomez Fightnews com Archived from the original on 2007 11 09 Retrieved 2007 09 18 Gustavo Ampudia 2003 05 18 Mil gracias mi Panama in Spanish La Prensa Retrieved 2007 09 18 Robert Dominguez 2003 09 25 A Boxer s Saga Blow By Blow The Puerto Rico Herald Retrieved 2007 09 18 Bazooka The Battles of Wilfredo Gomez Internet Movie Data Base 24 September 2003 Retrieved 2007 09 18 Scoop Malinowski Boxing Legend Biofile Wilfredo Gomez Boxing Insider Archived from the original on 2007 11 08 Retrieved 2007 09 25 Boxing in Japan Japan Experience www japan experience com VIOLENCIA DOMESTICA Archivo Digital de Noticias de Colombia y el Mundo desde 1 990 eltiempo com 1994 06 22 Retrieved on 2017 07 14 SMASH HIT GOMEZ FITS THE BILL The Mirror London England February 12 2000 Giudice Christian 2016 A Fire Burns Within The Miraculous Journey of Wilfredo Bazooka Gomez Pitch Publishing ISBN 9781785311154 Hospitalizan al exboxeador Wilfredo Gomez El Nuevo Dia May 22 2018 Nadie tenia acceso a el Luvi Calleja senala que pareja de Wilfredo Gomez lo aislo de sus seres queridos y amistades 3 March 2022 WILFREDO GOMEZ QUIERE QUEDARSE CON SU ESPOSA Y NO CON SU HIJO via www youtube com Inauguran bulevar del deporte en Guaynabo Primera Hora February 18 2011 Google Earth earth google com Mario Gonzalez BoxRec Retrieved on 2017 07 14 External links editBoxing record for Wilfredo Gomez from BoxRec registration required IBHOF com Wilfredo Gomez Biography at the International Boxing Hall of Fame Website Oneeyedfilms com Bazooka The Battles of Wilfredo Gomez Wilfredo Gomez CBZ ProfileSporting positionsWorld boxing titlesPreceded byYum Dong Kyun WBC super bantamweight championMay 21 1977 May 26 1983Vacated VacantTitle next held byJaime GarzaInaugural champion The Ring super bantamweight championMarch 9 1979 May 1983Vacated VacantTitle next held byPaulie AyalaPreceded byJuan Laporte WBC featherweight championMarch 31 1984 December 8 1984 Succeeded byAzumah NelsonPreceded byRocky Lockridge WBA super featherweight championMay 19 1985 May 24 1986 Succeeded byAlfredo LayneThe Ring super featherweight championMay 19 1985 May 24 1986 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wilfredo Gomez amp oldid 1216260014, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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