Fulgencio Obelmejias
Encyclopedia
Fulgencio Obelmejias sometimes known also as Fully Obel is a Venezuela
n former boxer
, who was world Super-Middleweight champion.
. He represented his native country at the 1976 Summer Olympics
in Montreal, Canada, where he was eliminated in the first round by Cuba
's eventual bronze medalist Luis Felipe Martínez
.
and southern California
, having six consecutive fights in those areas from October 1977 to April 1978. In his first fight abroad, held at Mexico City
, he worked for nine rounds in only his third professional bout before knocking out Jesus Garcia Ortiz. His second to last fight of that tour was against Abel Cordoba, whom he beat by a ten round decision in Tuxtla Guitierrez on February 27. His last fight on that tour, against Rudy Robles
in Tijuana
on April 3, marked the beginning of a seventeen fight knockout win streak. He knocked out Robles in four rounds.
After the fight with Robles, Obelmejias had six consecutive fights in his native Venezuela
, including a win over Johnny Heard. He then returned to Mexico, to fight for the Fecarbox
Middleweight title against Carlos Marks on December 17 in Culiacán
. He won the regional title, as well as a top ten ranking at the Middleweight division by the WBC
, by knocking Marks out in nine rounds.
Obelmejias kept winning fights by knockout
s, and, on March 3 of 1980, he got one of the biggest wins of his career, when he beat former WBC world Jr. Middleweight champion Elisha Obed
in three rounds at Caracas.
After eight more wins, all by knockout, Obelmejias was made the number one contender for the world Middleweight title by the WBC.
When his first chance to become a world champion arrived, on January 17 of 1981, many Venezuelans had faith that he would become world champion; his record at the time (30-0 with 28 knockouts) impressed many boxing fans. However, Obelmejias lost for the first time, being handed an eighth round knockout loss by then world champion Marvin Hagler
in an HBO Boxing
televised
fight that took place at the famed Boston Garden
, home of the NBA basketball
's Boston Celtics
.
Obelmejias won eight fights in a row, all by knockout, before being given a rematch by Hagler. Among those beaten during that new streak were former world Jr. Middleweight champion Eddie Gazo
, beaten in two rounds in Caracas, future world champion Chong-Pal Park
, knocked out in eight rounds, also in Caracas, and Alfredo Escalera
's cousin, Reyes Escalera, also beaten in two rounds, in Barquisimeto
.
On October 30 of 1982, he and Hagler had a rematch which was, once again, shown in the United States
by HBO. The second time around, Hagler defeated Obelmejias by a knockout in five rounds at Sanremo, Italy. Both Hagler and Obelmejias fell in love with Italy
and the country's culture. Obelmejias established himself there immediately after the rematch with Hagler. Hagler moved to Italy as soon as he lost the world Middleweight title to Sugar Ray Leonard
in 1987.
After his rematch with Hagler, Obelmejias won nine straight bouts before being upset, on July 27 of 1985, by Clarence Osby. Amongst the quality fighters that he defeated during that nine fight winning streak were Jeff Lampkin
, beaten by an eight round decision, Jerry Celestine, also beaten over eight rounds, and Eric Winbush, who was beaten in Monte Carlo
by another eight round decision.
Then, on May 30 of 1986, he became the Caribbean
Light-Heavyweight champion, when he outpointed Tomas Polo Ruiz over ten rounds at Isla Margarita
.
He lost the title in his first defense, when he was knocked out by future world champion Leslie Steward in four rounds, at Trinidad and Tobago
on November 15 of 1986.
After one more win, he was given a third try at becoming a world champion, when the WBA
's Super Middleweight champion, Obelmejias' former rival, Chong-Pal Park, offered him a shot.
The third time proved to be the charm for Obelmejias, when he beat Park by a twelve round decision on May 23, 1988 at South Korea
. With that win, Obelmejias had fulfilled his lifelong dream; as well as the dream of his fans' of becoming a world champion.
His stint as world champion did not last long, however, and he lost the title during his first defense, 370 days after winning it, being knocked out in eleven rounds by In-Chul Baek, also in South Korea.
.
Obelmejias had a record of 52 wins and five losses, with 41 wins by way of knockout.
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...
n former 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...
, who was world Super-Middleweight champion.
Biography
Obelmejias was born in San José de Río ChicoSan José de Río Chico
San José de Río Chico is a town in the state of Miranda, Venezuela....
. He represented his native country at the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
in Montreal, Canada, where he was eliminated in the first round by Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
's eventual bronze medalist Luis Felipe Martínez
Luis Martínez (boxer)
Luis Felipe Martínez Sánchez is a retired boxer from Cuba, who represented his native country at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. There he won the bronze medal in the middleweight division after being defeated in the semifinals by Rufat Riskiyev from the Soviet Union...
.
Professional career
He began his professional career, in the Middleweight division, on January 30, 1977, knocking out Franklin Suzarra in the first round at Caracas. After another win over Suzarra, he embarked on a tour of MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, having six consecutive fights in those areas from October 1977 to April 1978. In his first fight abroad, held at Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, he worked for nine rounds in only his third professional bout before knocking out Jesus Garcia Ortiz. His second to last fight of that tour was against Abel Cordoba, whom he beat by a ten round decision in Tuxtla Guitierrez on February 27. His last fight on that tour, against Rudy Robles
Rudy Robles
Rudy Robles was a Filipino actor and one of the first Filipino actors to appear in Hollywood movies. His credits include pre- and post-World War II films, as Lt. Yabo in The Real Glory and he played a Filipino Assassin in the 1942 film Across the Pacific. One of his last appearances was playing a...
in Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
on April 3, marked the beginning of a seventeen fight knockout win streak. He knocked out Robles in four rounds.
After the fight with Robles, Obelmejias had six consecutive fights in his native 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...
, including a win over Johnny Heard. He then returned to Mexico, to fight for the Fecarbox
Fecarbox
Fecarbox refers to Federacion Centroamericana de Boxeo Profesional--a Central American sanctioning body within José Sulaimán's World Boxing Council. Some consider this an alphabet soup sanctioning body.-Other world organizations:...
Middleweight title against Carlos Marks on December 17 in Culiacán
Culiacán
Culiacán is a city in northwestern Mexico, the largest city in the state of Sinaloa as well as its capital and capital of the municipality of Culiacán. With 675,773 inhabitants in the city , and 858,638 in the municipality, it is the largest city in the state of Sinaloa...
. He won the regional title, as well as a top ten ranking at the Middleweight division by the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
, by knocking Marks out in nine rounds.
Obelmejias kept winning fights by 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...
s, and, on March 3 of 1980, he got one of the biggest wins of his career, when he beat former WBC world Jr. Middleweight champion Elisha Obed
Elisha Obed
Elisha Obed was a Bahamian boxer at middleweight and is considered to be one of the greatest fighters to ever to come out of the Bahamas.- Amateur career :...
in three rounds at Caracas.
After eight more wins, all by knockout, Obelmejias was made the number one contender for the world Middleweight title by the WBC.
When his first chance to become a world champion arrived, on January 17 of 1981, many Venezuelans had faith that he would become world champion; his record at the time (30-0 with 28 knockouts) impressed many boxing fans. However, Obelmejias lost for the first time, being handed an eighth round knockout loss by then world champion Marvin Hagler
Marvin Hagler
Marvelous Marvin Hagler , is a former professional boxer who was undisputed world middleweight champion between 1980 and 1987. Hagler holds the distinction of having the highest KO% of all middleweight champions at 78%...
in an HBO Boxing
HBO Boxing
HBO World Championship Boxing is a sports television series, premiering in January 1973 that has shown a number of significant boxing events in the last three decades....
televised
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
fight that took place at the famed Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
, home of the NBA basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
's Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
.
Obelmejias won eight fights in a row, all by knockout, before being given a rematch by Hagler. Among those beaten during that new streak were former world Jr. Middleweight champion Eddie Gazo
Eddie Gazo
Eddie Gazo is a former professional boxer in the super welterweight division.-Pro career:...
, beaten in two rounds in Caracas, future world champion Chong-Pal Park
Chong-Pal Park
Chong-Pal Park was a South Korean boxer in the super middleweight division....
, knocked out in eight rounds, also in Caracas, and Alfredo Escalera
Alfredo Escalera
Alfredo Escalera is a Puerto Rican who was a world champion boxer. A native of Carolina, his nickname was "Salsero" because he was a fan of Salsa music.-Early boxing career:...
's cousin, Reyes Escalera, also beaten in two rounds, in Barquisimeto
Barquisimeto
Barquisimeto is the capital city of the State of Lara located in west central Venezuela, halfway between Caracas and Maracaibo on the Turbio River.-Overview:...
.
On October 30 of 1982, he and Hagler had a rematch which was, once again, shown in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by HBO. The second time around, Hagler defeated Obelmejias by a knockout in five rounds at Sanremo, Italy. Both Hagler and Obelmejias fell in love with Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the country's culture. Obelmejias established himself there immediately after the rematch with Hagler. Hagler moved to Italy as soon as he lost the world Middleweight title to Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...
in 1987.
After his rematch with Hagler, Obelmejias won nine straight bouts before being upset, on July 27 of 1985, by Clarence Osby. Amongst the quality fighters that he defeated during that nine fight winning streak were Jeff Lampkin
Jeff Lampkin
Jeff Lampkin is a former American professional boxer. During his 11-year professional career, Lampkin won the USBA cruiserweight title and IBF cruiserweight belt.- Amateur career :...
, beaten by an eight round decision, Jerry Celestine, also beaten over eight rounds, and Eric Winbush, who was beaten in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
by another eight round decision.
Then, on May 30 of 1986, he became the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
Light-Heavyweight champion, when he outpointed Tomas Polo Ruiz over ten rounds at Isla Margarita
Isla Margarita
Margarita Island is the largest island of the state of Nueva Esparta in Venezuela, situated in the Caribbean Sea, off the northeastern coast of the country. The state also contains two other smaller islands: Coche and Cubagua. The capital city of Nueva Esparta is La Asunción, located in a river...
.
He lost the title in his first defense, when he was knocked out by future world champion Leslie Steward in four rounds, at Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
on November 15 of 1986.
After one more win, he was given a third try at becoming a world champion, when the 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...
's Super Middleweight champion, Obelmejias' former rival, Chong-Pal Park, offered him a shot.
The third time proved to be the charm for Obelmejias, when he beat Park by a twelve round decision on May 23, 1988 at 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...
. With that win, Obelmejias had fulfilled his lifelong dream; as well as the dream of his fans' of becoming a world champion.
His stint as world champion did not last long, however, and he lost the title during his first defense, 370 days after winning it, being knocked out in eleven rounds by In-Chul Baek, also in South Korea.
Retirement
Obelmejias retired for good after three more wins; he was approaching, at 38, the mandatory boxing retirement age of 40 in Venezuela after his last fight, a ten round decision win over Eduardo RodriguezEduardo Rodríguez
Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé is a former president of Bolivia; prior to that appointment he was the chief justice of the Supreme Court.-Background:...
.
Obelmejias had a record of 52 wins and five losses, with 41 wins by way of knockout.