Jorge Paez
Encyclopedia
Jorge Adolfo Febles Páez (born October 27, 1965, in Mexicali
, Baja California
) is a Mexican
boxer
, actor
and circus performer. Páez is the former WBO
and IBF
Featherweight
champion. Paez is nicknamed " El Maromero", in honor of the acts he performs at the circus. Paez has been a circus performer in his northwest Mexico
hometown since he was very young. There, he learned acrobatic moves that he would later use in the boxing
ring. Páez is also the father of Welterweight
prospect Azriel Páez
and WBC Youth Intercontinental
Welterweight
Champion Jorge Páez, Jr.
.
hometown since he was very young. Jorge started boxing in San Luis Río Colorado
. He is also the father of Welterweight
prospect Azriel Páez
and WBC Youth Intercontinental
Welterweight
Champion Jorge Páez, Jr.
.
Featherweight
champion Calvin Grove
in boxing's last 15 round world title fight. Paez was trailing on all three scorecards, but dropped the champion three times in the last round. The knockdowns provided an edge on the scorecards, making Paez IBF Featherweight champion by a unanimous decision. He defended the title eight times, including a knockout
in 11 against Grove in a rematch, a draw against former world champion Stevie Cruz and a split decision against future world champion Troy Dorsey
.
Featherweight title after beating Louie Espinoza
(in a rematch of their 1989 fight that ended in a draw) by split decision. He then vacated his titles and moved up in weight, only to lose to IBF Super Featherweight
champion Tony Lopez
. Paez continued to fight, but he had mixed results versus former world champions Lupe Suarez and Tracy Spann he and Suarez drew in 10 rounds, he beat Spann by a 10 round decision.
On October 10, 1991, Paez moved up to Lightweight and fought against Pernell Whitaker for the WBC
, WBA
and IBF Lightweight titles but lost by unanimous decision.
On November 6, 1992, Paez fought against future world champion Rafael Ruelas
for the NABF Lightweight title, losing by TKO in the 10 round. On July 17, 1993, he lost to Freddie Pendleton
by a decision in twelve for the IBF Lightweight title, and on July 29, 1994, he was given a shot at the vacant WBO Lightweight title against Oscar de la Hoya
. Paez lost to de la Hoya by a knockout in round two.
Paez then went up against future champion Genaro Hernandez
, losing by TKO in the 8th round after the match was stopped due to a bad cut on Paez' face. On August 17, 1996, he won the WBC Continental Americas Super Featherweight regional title by knocking out Narciso Valenzuela in 3 rounds. Paez would then lose that title in his next match against Julian Wheeler but regained it by beating Wheeler in the rematch.
On August 7, 1997, he lost by a knockout in eight to Angel Manfredy
for the WBU
Super Featherweight title. Paez then won the NABU Super Featherweight title by knocking out Juan Angel Macias in 6. On October 16, 1999 he then challenged future great Jose Luis Castillo
for the vacant IBA
Super Featherweight
title, losing by KO in the fifth round.
on March 29, 2003. However, it was discovered that Paez suffered from brain swelling, putting the fight with Jesús Chávez and his career in serious jeopardy. Despite these findings, Paez fought on, and on December 5, 2003, in Phoenix, Arizona
, he defeated Scott McCraken by a ten-round split decision in what would be Paez' final match.
. In 1996, he made his Hollywood
acting debut in the low budget movie Dirty Money
.
Paez's name surfaced in the 2004 FBI
investigation against promoter Bob Arum
. The FBI is investigating whether Paez's win over Verdell Smith
was a fixed fight or not.
Paez had a brief supporting role with World Wrestling Entertainment
as an associate of Rey Mysterio, and accompanied him to the ring at the No Way Out
pay-per-view
event on February 15, 2004. Paez also appeared in Mysterio's music video for his song from the WWE Originals
album, "Crossing Borders."
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...
, Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
) is a Mexican
Mexico
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...
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...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and circus performer. Páez is the former WBO
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...
and IBF
International Boxing Federation
The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
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. Paez is nicknamed " El Maromero", in honor of the acts he performs at the circus. Paez has been a circus performer in his northwest Mexico
Mexico
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...
hometown since he was very young. There, he learned acrobatic moves that he would later use in the 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...
ring. Páez is also the father of Welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
prospect Azriel Páez
Azriel Páez
Azriel Páez an undefeated Mexican professional boxer in the Welterweight division. His father is the former WBO, IBF Champion Jorge Páez and his brother Jorge Páez, Jr...
and WBC Youth Intercontinental
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...
Welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
Champion Jorge Páez, Jr.
Jorge Páez, Jr.
Jorge Páez, Jr. is a Mexican professional boxer in the Welterweight division. He is the current WBC Youth Intercontinental Welterweight Champion...
.
Personal life
Paez has been a circus performer in his northwest 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...
hometown since he was very young. Jorge started boxing in San Luis Río Colorado
San Luis Río Colorado
San Luis Río Colorado is a city and its surrounding municipality lying in the northwestern corner of the state of Sonora, Mexico.- Location :...
. He is also the father of Welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
prospect Azriel Páez
Azriel Páez
Azriel Páez an undefeated Mexican professional boxer in the Welterweight division. His father is the former WBO, IBF Champion Jorge Páez and his brother Jorge Páez, Jr...
and WBC Youth Intercontinental
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...
Welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
Champion Jorge Páez, Jr.
Jorge Páez, Jr.
Jorge Páez, Jr. is a Mexican professional boxer in the Welterweight division. He is the current WBC Youth Intercontinental Welterweight Champion...
.
Professional career
Paez began boxing professionally on November 16, 1984, knocking out Efren Treno in three rounds.IBF champion
From there on, he built a string of wins that led him to challenge IBFInternational Boxing Federation
The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
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 Calvin Grove
Calvin Grove
Calvin Grove was a boxer in the Featherweight division. Grove turned pro in 1982 and in 1988 captured the IBF featherweight title with a TKO over Antonio Rivera. He defended the belt once before losing it to Jorge Páez later that same year...
in boxing's last 15 round world title fight. Paez was trailing on all three scorecards, but dropped the champion three times in the last round. The knockdowns provided an edge on the scorecards, making Paez IBF Featherweight champion by a unanimous decision. He defended the title eight times, including a 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...
in 11 against Grove in a rematch, a draw against former world champion Stevie Cruz and a split decision against future world champion Troy Dorsey
Troy Dorsey
Troy Glenn Dorsey is a former professional boxer and martial arts fighter. He is the only man in history to hold world titles in both karate and boxing.-Martial arts career:...
.
WBO champion
He then won the WBOWorld Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...
Featherweight title after beating Louie Espinoza
Louie Espinoza
Louie Espinoza is an American boxer in the Featherweight division. He now resides in Chandler, Arizona....
(in a rematch of their 1989 fight that ended in a draw) by split decision. He then vacated his titles and moved up in weight, only to lose to IBF Super Featherweight
Super Featherweight
Super featherweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 130 pounds or 59 kilograms....
champion Tony Lopez
Tony Lopez
Tony "The Tiger" Lopez , is a former professional boxer from Sacramento, California. He was a 3-Time World Boxing Champion. He is remembered for his victory in the 1988 The Ring Fight of the year by decision over Rocky Lockridge. He fought against Julio César Chávez in 1994 in Monterrey. He lost...
. Paez continued to fight, but he had mixed results versus former world champions Lupe Suarez and Tracy Spann he and Suarez drew in 10 rounds, he beat Spann by a 10 round decision.
On October 10, 1991, Paez moved up to Lightweight and fought against Pernell Whitaker for 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...
, 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...
and IBF Lightweight titles but lost by unanimous decision.
On November 6, 1992, Paez fought against future world champion Rafael Ruelas
Rafael Ruelas
Rafael Ruelas is a former professional boxer. Ruelas was a very popular Mexican fighter, best known for his devastating knockout loss to Oscar De La Hoya; a loss which left Oscar somewhat scorned by the Mexican community due to his ruthless destruction of a hero.Shortly after a TKO in 10 over the...
for the NABF Lightweight title, losing by TKO in the 10 round. On July 17, 1993, he lost to Freddie Pendleton
Freddie Pendleton
Freddie Pendleton is a retired professional boxer in the lightweight division.Known as "Fearless", Pendleton had a 1-5 amateur career & turned pro in 1982 losing to Rodney Watts at the Tropicana Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.Pendleton won his first title in October 1985 knocking out...
by a decision in twelve for the IBF Lightweight title, and on July 29, 1994, he was given a shot at the vacant WBO Lightweight title against Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
. Paez lost to de la Hoya by a knockout in round two.
Paez then went up against future champion Genaro Hernandez
Genaro Hernandez
Genaro Hernández was a Mexican-American boxer from South Central Los Angeles. Hernández was the former WBC, WBA, & Lineal super featherweight champion.-Pro career:...
, losing by TKO in the 8th round after the match was stopped due to a bad cut on Paez' face. On August 17, 1996, he won the WBC Continental Americas Super Featherweight regional title by knocking out Narciso Valenzuela in 3 rounds. Paez would then lose that title in his next match against Julian Wheeler but regained it by beating Wheeler in the rematch.
On August 7, 1997, he lost by a knockout in eight to Angel Manfredy
Angel Manfredy
Angel Manfredy is a Puerto Rican-American former boxer who has fought in the Junior Welterweight, Lightweight and Junior Lightweight divisions...
for the WBU
World Boxing Union
The World Boxing Union is a boxing sanctioning body.Until recently it was fully recognised by the British Boxing Board of Control as a legitimate sanctioning body.WBU titles were particularly well recognised in Europe and Africa....
Super Featherweight title. Paez then won the NABU Super Featherweight title by knocking out Juan Angel Macias in 6. On October 16, 1999 he then challenged future great Jose Luis Castillo
José Luis Castillo
José Luis Castillo is a Mexican boxer. Nicknamed El Temible, Castillo is considered one the best lightweights of his era. He is the former The Ring and two-time WBC Lightweight champion....
for the vacant IBA
International Boxing Association
The International Boxing Association is a for-profit organization that sanctions professional boxing matches and awards world and subordinate championships.- Origins :...
Super Featherweight
Super Featherweight
Super featherweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 130 pounds or 59 kilograms....
title, losing by KO in the fifth round.
Injuries and Retirement
Paez was supposed to fight Jesús ChávezJesús Chávez
Jesús Auerelio Chávez is a Mexican professional boxer in the Lightweight division. He is the former NABF, WBC Super Featherweight and IBF Lightweight Champion.-Personal life:...
on March 29, 2003. However, it was discovered that Paez suffered from brain swelling, putting the fight with Jesús Chávez and his career in serious jeopardy. Despite these findings, Paez fought on, and on December 5, 2003, in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, he defeated Scott McCraken by a ten-round split decision in what would be Paez' final match.
Outside the Ring
In 1991 he made the movie Pelo Suelto, where he starred alongside Gloria TreviGloria Trevi
Gloria Trevi is a Mexican pop-rock singer-songwriter. She was described as the "Supreme Diva of the Mexican Pop" by the music channel VH1 and sold over 20 million records.-Biography:...
. In 1996, he made his Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
acting debut in the low budget movie Dirty Money
Dirty Money
Dirty Money was a UK game show broadcast on Sky One in 2002. It was presented by Marcus Bentley, although only by voice over.The six contestants were each given £500 to start the game. They participated in five rounds of 90 seconds duration each, and had to buzz in to answer questions read by the...
.
Paez's name surfaced in the 2004 FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
investigation against promoter Bob Arum
Bob Arum
Robert "Bob" Arum is the founder and CEO of Top Rank, a professional boxing promotion company based in Las Vegas. He also worked for the US Attorney's Office for the southern district of New York in the tax division....
. The FBI is investigating whether Paez's win over Verdell Smith
Verdell Smith
Verdell Smith, a.k.a. Tommy Bowles, a.k.a. Tim Brooks was a professional boxer in the light welterweight division...
was a fixed fight or not.
Paez had a brief supporting role with World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
as an associate of Rey Mysterio, and accompanied him to the ring at the No Way Out
No Way Out (2004)
No Way Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on February 15, 2004 at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
event on February 15, 2004. Paez also appeared in Mysterio's music video for his song from the WWE Originals
WWE Originals
WWE Originals is an album recorded by various World Wrestling Entertainment performers. They each recorded a song that was true to their musical tastes, with Stone Cold Steve Austin appearing on five short spoken tracks with Jim Johnston as interludes...
album, "Crossing Borders."
See also
- Notable boxing families
- List of featherweight boxing champions