Eusebio Pedroza
Encyclopedia
Eusebio Pedroza is a native of Panama
who holds two records in boxing
: His 19 defenses as world featherweight
champion are a record for that division, and his seven years as world champion non-stop are a division record too. His cousin, Rafael Pedroza, was a world champion also, in the junior bantamweight division, although Rafael's reign as world champion was short lived.
Pedroza started out as a professional boxer
on December 1, 1973, with a four round knockout
win over Julio Garcia. His first 15 bouts were all in Panama. He went 14-1 over that span of fights, including a win over Jacinto Fuentes, a boxer who would later draw and lose to Wilfredo Gómez
. His one defeat over that period of his career came to Alfonso Pérez
by a knockout in three.
For fight number 16, Pedroza traveled on the last week of March 1976, to Mexicali
, Mexico, to challenge WBA
world bantamweight champion Alfonso Zamora
for the world title. In his first championship try, Pedroza suffered his second loss, being knocked out in two rounds. After returning to Panama, he beat Pablo Jimenez by a decision in ten, then lost to Oscar Arnal in Venezuela
by a knockout in six. He would not lose again for nine years.
Pedroza won three fights in 1977, two by knockout, and then, on April 1978, the WBA featherweight champion, Cecilio Lastra
of Spain, travelled to Panama to defend his title on April 18 against Pedroza, who knocked him out in round 13 to become world featherweight champion.
Pedroza, during the next seven years, traveled the world to defend his title. Among his 19 defenses were one against Enrique Solis in Puerto Rico
, a 15 round decision win, one in Japan against former world champion Royal Kobayashi
, knocked out in 14, one in South Korea
against Sa Wang Kim, knocked out in 8, one in Houston against the former three time world champion and fellow Hall of Famer Rubén Olivares
, who lasted 12, one in Papua New Guinea
versus Johnny Aba, who lost in 11, two against future world junior lightweight champion Rocky Lockridge
, who went the distance with Pedroza in New Jersey
and in Italy but lost by decision both times, a return to Venezuela to knock Carlos Pinango out in seven, a return to New Jersey to defeat Juan Laporte
by decision, a return to Italy to beat Jose Caba, also by decision, and a fight in North Carolina
in which he retained the title with a draw against Bernard Taylor
. He also defended in his home country many times during that span, and became a household name in Latin America, his face appearing on the cover and posters of Ring En Español
and Guantes
magazines multiple times.
Pedroza rose off the canvas in 1984 to knock out Gerald Hayes in ten, and he tied the record for division defenses with a win over Angel Levi Mayor, once again in Venezuela. On February 1985, he made history by beating the former world bantamweight champion Jorge Luján
to defend his title for the nineteenth time. Pedroza finally lost his title in England, being defeated by Ireland's Barry McGuigan
at London by a 15 round decision on his 20th defense.
Between 1986 and 1992, Pedroza tried various comebacks, going 3-2 in total on those comeback attempts.
He retired with a record of 42 wins, 6 losses and one draw, with one no contest, and 25 wins by knockout. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame
.
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Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
who holds two records in boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
: His 19 defenses as world featherweight
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
champion are a record for that division, and his seven years as world champion non-stop are a division record too. His cousin, Rafael Pedroza, was a world champion also, in the junior bantamweight division, although Rafael's reign as world champion was short lived.
Pedroza started out as a professional boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
on December 1, 1973, with a four round knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
win over Julio Garcia. His first 15 bouts were all in Panama. He went 14-1 over that span of fights, including a win over Jacinto Fuentes, a boxer who would later draw and lose to Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez , sometimes referred to as Bazooka Gómez, is a former boxer and three time world champion.-Biography:...
. His one defeat over that period of his career came to Alfonso Pérez
Alfonso Pérez (boxer)
Alfonso Pérez is a retired boxer from Colombia, who won the bronze medal in the men's lightweight division at the 1972 Summer Olympics. In 1971 he won the silver medal at the Pan American Games. He turned pro on April 6, 1973, and retired in 1981 after 40 bouts .-References:...
by a knockout in three.
For fight number 16, Pedroza traveled on the last week of March 1976, to Mexicali
Mexicali
Mexicali is the capital of the State of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 936,826.The city...
, Mexico, to challenge WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
world bantamweight champion Alfonso Zamora
Alfonso Zamora
Alfonso Zamora Quiroz is a former Mexican boxer who fought from 1973 to 1980. Zamora was the silver medalist at the 1972 Munich Olympics. He enjoyed a meteoric rise in his professional career...
for the world title. In his first championship try, Pedroza suffered his second loss, being knocked out in two rounds. After returning to Panama, he beat Pablo Jimenez by a decision in ten, then lost to Oscar Arnal in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
by a knockout in six. He would not lose again for nine years.
Pedroza won three fights in 1977, two by knockout, and then, on April 1978, the WBA featherweight champion, Cecilio Lastra
Cecilio Lastra
Cecilio Lastra is a former Spanish professional boxer. He fought 54 times between 1975 and 1982; winning 39 , losing 13 and drawing 2. The highlight of Lastra's career came in 1977 when he won the WBA world featherweight title against Rafael Ortega...
of Spain, travelled to Panama to defend his title on April 18 against Pedroza, who knocked him out in round 13 to become world featherweight champion.
Pedroza, during the next seven years, traveled the world to defend his title. Among his 19 defenses were one against Enrique Solis in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, a 15 round decision win, one in Japan against former world champion Royal Kobayashi
Royal Kobayashi
, better known as Royal Kobayashi, is a retired Japanese boxer who competed at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games in the featherweight division, and won the WBC junior featherweight title in 1976...
, knocked out in 14, one in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
against Sa Wang Kim, knocked out in 8, one in Houston against the former three time world champion and fellow Hall of Famer Rubén Olivares
Rubén Olivares
Rubén Olivares is a former Mexican boxer and current member of the Boxing Hall of Fame. A native of Mexico City, Olivares was a world champion multiple times, and considered by many as the greatest bantamweight champion of all time. He was very popular among Mexicans, many of whom considered him...
, who lasted 12, one in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
versus Johnny Aba, who lost in 11, two against future world junior lightweight champion Rocky Lockridge
Rocky Lockridge
Rocky Lockridge , is a former boxer and world champion. As a professional, he is perhaps best known for handing Roger Mayweather his first defeat, in a first-round knockout for the WBA super featherweight championship.-Amateur career:...
, who went the distance with Pedroza in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and in Italy but lost by decision both times, a return to Venezuela to knock Carlos Pinango out in seven, a return to New Jersey to defeat Juan Laporte
Juan Laporte
Juan Laporte is a former boxer who was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico.-Amateur career:Juan Laporte won the 1976 112 lb New York Golden Gloves Sub-Novice Championship. He defeated Long Island's Ricky Brown in the finals. Laporte was defeated by Joseph Nieto of the Police Athletic Leagues Lynch...
by decision, a return to Italy to beat Jose Caba, also by decision, and a fight in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in which he retained the title with a draw against Bernard Taylor
Bernard Taylor (boxer)
Bernard Taylor "The B.T. Express" is a retired boxer from the United States, who competed in the featherweight division.-Amateur career:...
. He also defended in his home country many times during that span, and became a household name in Latin America, his face appearing on the cover and posters of Ring En Español
Ring En Español
The Ring En Español was a Spanish version of boxing publication The Ring magazine. Ring En Español was published from 1977 to 1985. Originally published from Caracas, it moved in 1981 to Miami, to Editorial America , the same editorial house that oversaw the production of Cosmopolitans Spanish...
and Guantes
Guantes
Guantes is the name of a Spanish language boxing magazine that is produced from Panama.For years, the magazine's editor has been the well-known writer Chu Romero. Guantes covers news from the boxing world, but it concentrates on hispanic boxing news.Guantes had top competition from Ring En Español...
magazines multiple times.
Pedroza rose off the canvas in 1984 to knock out Gerald Hayes in ten, and he tied the record for division defenses with a win over Angel Levi Mayor, once again in Venezuela. On February 1985, he made history by beating the former world bantamweight champion Jorge Luján
Jorge Luján
Jorge Luján was born in Córdoba, Argentina and lives in Mexico City where he writes, sings and runs workshops on creative writing. He has published poetry and children's literature , as well as a short story and a book that teaches a method of writing based on images...
to defend his title for the nineteenth time. Pedroza finally lost his title in England, being defeated by Ireland's Barry McGuigan
Barry McGuigan
Finbarr Patrick McGuigan MBE , known as Barry McGuigan and nicknamed The Clones Cyclone, is a former Irish and British professional boxer who became a world featherweight champion.-Background:...
at London by a 15 round decision on his 20th defense.
Between 1986 and 1992, Pedroza tried various comebacks, going 3-2 in total on those comeback attempts.
He retired with a record of 42 wins, 6 losses and one draw, with one no contest, and 25 wins by knockout. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
.
External links
- Eusebio Pedroza, International Boxing Hall of Fame
- Latino Sports Legends
- Eusebio Pedroza's boxing stats
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