Roberto Garcia Cortez
Encyclopedia
Roberto García Cortez, (born on January 29, 1975 in San Pedro, California), is a retired Mexican-American professional boxer
in the Lightweight
division and is currently considered one of the best trainers in boxing. He is also the former IBF Super Featherweight Champion and was trained by his father Eduardo Garcia
at the popular La Colonia Youth Boxing Club
. He's brother is considered one of the best Featherweight
contenders, Miguel Ángel García
.
. He even trained world champions with his Father at La Colonia Boxing Club
.
.
, Japan
. He accumulated a record of 20-0, which included a win against future champion Derrick Gainer
, before challenging for his first regional title.
to win his first belt, the NABF
Super Featherweight
Championship. Roberto successfully defended his Championship just three months later against Francisco Segura.
Featherweight
Championship.
. In his first title defense he knocked out Cuban Ramon Ledon
at the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Roberto's next fight was against two-time World Champion, Puerto Rico's John John Molina
. García defeated Molina over twelve rounds, that fight card also featured Mike Tyson
, Zab Judah
, and Fres Oquendo
.
He lost the belt in an upset to rising undefeated Mexican American
phenom Diego Corrales
. After a win over title contender Sandro Marcos
he moved back up in the world rankings.
Super Featherweight
champion Joel Casamayor
. Casamayor won the fight and Garcia retired shortly after beating veteran John Trigg by knockout.
in Oxnard, California
. Notable fighters who have trained under Garcia include, Joan Guzmán
, Steve Luevano, Brian Viloria
, Victor Ortíz
and Nonito Donaire
. Most recently he opened his own boxing gym named Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, California
.
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...
in the Lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
division and is currently considered one of the best trainers in boxing. He is also the former IBF Super Featherweight Champion and was trained by his father Eduardo Garcia
Eduardo Garcia
Eduardo García is a Mexican trainer in the sport of boxing. García is considered one of the best trainers in the history of Mexican boxing.-Training career:...
at the popular La Colonia Youth Boxing Club
La colonia youth boxing club
La Colonia Youth Boxing Club is a boxing gym located on 1st street in La Colonia neighborhood in Oxnard, California. Notable Mexican American boxers train at the gym and future boxers are also brought up there.-GYM:...
. He's brother is considered one of the best 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:...
contenders, Miguel Ángel García
Miguel Angel Garcia
Miguel Ángel García Cortez is an undefeated Mexican-American boxer in the Featherweight division. García's the current USBA, WBO NABO, and NABF Featherweight champion. Miguel Ángel is trained by his father Eduardo Garcia and former World Champion, his brother Roberto García.-Early life:García is...
.
Early life
García grew up and still resides in Oxnard, CaliforniaOxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
. He even trained world champions with his Father at La Colonia Boxing Club
La colonia youth boxing club
La Colonia Youth Boxing Club is a boxing gym located on 1st street in La Colonia neighborhood in Oxnard, California. Notable Mexican American boxers train at the gym and future boxers are also brought up there.-GYM:...
.
Amateur career
Roberto had a very good amateur career and even fought future Olympic Gold Medalist Oscar De La HoyaOscar 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...
.
Professional career
Known as "Grandpa", García won his pro debut against Tsutomu Hitono at the International Center in FukuokaFukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He accumulated a record of 20-0, which included a win against future champion Derrick Gainer
Derrick Gainer
Derrick "Smoke" Gainer is a US born boxer who started out in the featherweight division and now fights in the lightweight division. In 2000, he defeated Freddie Norwood to win the World Boxing Association featherweight title and after four defenses lost to Juan Manuel Márquez, who became super...
, before challenging for his first regional title.
NABF Super Featherweight Championship
In 1995 he took down the previously unbeaten American Julian WheelerJulian Wheeler
Julian Wheeler is a retired professional boxer in the Welterweight division. He is the former WBC Continental Americas Super Featherweight, USBA Lightweight, and IBC Light Welterweight champion....
to win his first belt, the NABF
North American Boxing Federation
The North American Boxing Federation is a not-for-profit regional sanctioning body that awards regional boxing titles. It is a boxing federation within the World Boxing Council .-History:...
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....
Championship. Roberto successfully defended his Championship just three months later against Francisco Segura.
NABF Featherweight Championship
At the Miami Arena, Roberto would move down to Featherweight and beat Darryl Pinckney to win the NABFNorth American Boxing Federation
The North American Boxing Federation is a not-for-profit regional sanctioning body that awards regional boxing titles. It is a boxing federation within the World Boxing Council .-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:...
Championship.
IBF Super Featherweight Championship
On March 13, 1998 a then undefeated García (29-0) captured the vacant IBF Super Featherweight Championship with a unanimous decision win over Harold WarrenHarold Warren
Harold Ray Warren is a professional boxer in the Welterweight division. He's the former NABF Featherweight, WBC International Super Featherweight, and WBO NABO Lightweight champion.-Pro career:...
. In his first title defense he knocked out Cuban Ramon Ledon
Ramon Ledon
Ramon Ledon-González is a Cubano professional boxer in the Welterweight division and was one of the best amateur boxers of his era.-Amateur career:...
at the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Roberto's next fight was against two-time World Champion, Puerto Rico's John John Molina
John John Molina
Juan Molina , better known as John John Molina in the world of boxing, is a former boxer whose career transcended boxing in Puerto Rico. A multiple time world champion, this boxer was also known as quite a socialite...
. García defeated Molina over twelve rounds, that fight card also featured Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
, Zab Judah
Zab Judah
Zabdiel Judah is an American professional boxer. Judah has won five world titles between the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions, and is a former undisputed welterweight champion....
, and Fres Oquendo
Fres Oquendo
Fres Oquendo was born April 1, 1973 in Puerto Rico, and is a professional heavyweight boxer.He had a successful amateur background.-Amateur career:He had an amateur record of 105-51990 178 lb. Springfield Golden Gloves Champion1992 178 lb...
.
He lost the belt in an upset to rising undefeated Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
phenom Diego Corrales
Diego Corrales
Diego "Chico" Corrales was an American boxer.He was the WBC, WBO, & The Ring lightweight champion, and the WBO & IBF super featherweight champion....
. After a win over title contender Sandro Marcos
Sandro Marcos
Sandro Marcos González is a Mexican professional boxer in the Welterweight division.-Pro career:In July of 2000, Marcos lost to Roberto Garcia, Garcia would go onto be the IBF Super Featherweight Champion...
he moved back up in the world rankings.
WBA Super Featherweight Championship
In January of 2001, he earned a shot at the undefeated WBAWorld 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...
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 Joel Casamayor
Joel Casamayor
Joel "El Cepillo" Casamayor Johnson is a Cuban boxer, who turned pro after defecting to the United States on the eve of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The nickname "El Cepillo", literally translated to "the brush", comes from his uppercut, which rakes his opponents across the face...
. Casamayor won the fight and Garcia retired shortly after beating veteran John Trigg by knockout.
Training career
Garcia formally worked as a trainer at La Colonia GymLa colonia youth boxing club
La Colonia Youth Boxing Club is a boxing gym located on 1st street in La Colonia neighborhood in Oxnard, California. Notable Mexican American boxers train at the gym and future boxers are also brought up there.-GYM:...
in Oxnard, California
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
. Notable fighters who have trained under Garcia include, Joan Guzmán
Joan Guzman
Joan Guzmán is a Dominican professional boxer who was the WBO's super bantamweight and super featherweight champion. His nickname is "The Little Tyson"." Guzmán is now trained by Former World Champion Roberto Garcia. Former unheralded boxer Floyd Mayweather, Sr...
, Steve Luevano, Brian Viloria
Brian Viloria
Brian Viloria is a Filipino-American professional boxer He is the reigning WBO Flyweight champion. He also won the WBC Light Flyweight and IBF Junior Flyweight titles...
, Victor Ortíz
Victor Ortíz
Victor Ortiz is an American professional boxer of Mexican descent and the former WBC welterweight champion.He was previously in the light welterweight division, where he held the USBA & NABO title....
and Nonito Donaire
Nonito Donaire
Nonito Donaire, Jr. is a Filipino-American professional boxer, who is widely known as "The Filipino Flash." He is a three-division world champion, having won five titles across three different boxing weight classes. He is a known switch-hitter with the ability to fight either southpaw or orthodox...
. Most recently he opened his own boxing gym named Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, California
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
.
Boxers Trained
- Kelly PavlikKelly PavlikKelly Pavlik is an American professional boxer. He was The Ring, WBC, & WBO middleweight champion from when he beat Jermain Taylor on September 29, 2007 until he lost his titles to Sergio Martinez on April 17, 2010....
, a former Lineal MiddleweightMiddleweightMiddleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
Champion. - Miguel Ángel GarcíaMiguel Angel GarciaMiguel Ángel García Cortez is an undefeated Mexican-American boxer in the Featherweight division. García's the current USBA, WBO NABO, and NABF Featherweight champion. Miguel Ángel is trained by his father Eduardo Garcia and former World Champion, his brother Roberto García.-Early life:García is...
, the top rated contender in the FeatherweightFeatherweightFeatherweight 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:...
division. - Fernando VargasFernando VargasFernando Vargas is a retired Mexican American boxer and two-time world champion, who won a bronze medal as an amateur at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata. His nicknames include "Ferocious", "The Aztec Warrior" and "El Feroz"...
, a former two-time World Light MiddleweightLight middleweightLight Middleweight , is a weight division in professional boxing, above 147 pounds and up to 154 pounds ....
Champion. - Antonio MargaritoAntonio MargaritoAntonio Margarito Montiel is a Mexican professional boxer. He is a former WBA, WBO, & IBF welterweight champion...
, a former two-time World WelterweightWelterweightWelterweight 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. - Brandon RíosBrandon RiosBrandon Lee Ríos is an undefeated Mexican-American/Native American boxer and the current WBA lightweight champion. Brandon is trained by former IBF super featherweight champion Roberto García.-Amateur career:...
, the current WBA WorldWorld Boxing AssociationThe 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...
LightweightLightweightLight-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
Champion. - Steven LuevanoSteven LuevanoSteven Luevano was a Mexican-American boxer in the Featherweight division and is the former WBO Featherweight Champion. He was trained by the former IBF Super Featherweight Champion Roberto Garcia....
, a former WBO WorldWorld Boxing OrganizationThe 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...
FeatherweightFeatherweightFeatherweight 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 and made five successful defenses. - Nonito DonaireNonito DonaireNonito Donaire, Jr. is a Filipino-American professional boxer, who is widely known as "The Filipino Flash." He is a three-division world champion, having won five titles across three different boxing weight classes. He is a known switch-hitter with the ability to fight either southpaw or orthodox...
, a three division World Champion and current Ring Magazine pound for poundRing Magazine pound for poundThe Ring Magazine Pound for Pound is the official list of the current pound for pound professional boxing rankings distributed by The Ring.-Top 10 rankings:-See also:* List of current world boxing champions* List of boxing weight classes...
fighter. - Joan GuzmánJoan GuzmanJoan Guzmán is a Dominican professional boxer who was the WBO's super bantamweight and super featherweight champion. His nickname is "The Little Tyson"." Guzmán is now trained by Former World Champion Roberto Garcia. Former unheralded boxer Floyd Mayweather, Sr...
, a former two divisions WBO WorldWorld Boxing OrganizationThe 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...
Champion. - Mia St. JohnMia St. JohnMia Rosales St. John is a Mexican-American professional boxer in the Light Welterweight division. Mia is the former WIBA and WIBF Lightweight Champion. She is also a model, businesswoman, and Tae Kwon Do Champion.-Early life:...
, a former WIBA and WIBF LightweightLightweightLight-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
Champion. - Brian ViloriaBrian ViloriaBrian Viloria is a Filipino-American professional boxer He is the reigning WBO Flyweight champion. He also won the WBC Light Flyweight and IBF Junior Flyweight titles...
, a former WBCWorld Boxing CouncilThe 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...
and IBFInternational Boxing FederationThe 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 :...
Light FlyweightLight flyweight- Professional boxing :The weight limit at light flyweight in professional boxing is 108 pounds . When New York legalized boxing in 1920, the law stipulated a "junior flyweight" class, with a weight limit of 99 pounds. When the National Boxing Association was formed in 1921, it also recognized this...
Champion. - Alfonso BlancoAlfonso Blanco (boxer)Alfonso Blanco Parra is an undefeated Venezuelan boxer in the Light Middleweight division. He was the 2008 Olympian for Venezuela and he also won the Middleweight silver medal at the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships.-Amateur career:Blanco won the 2006 South America title against Carlos...
, an undefeated Light MiddleweightLight middleweightLight Middleweight , is a weight division in professional boxing, above 147 pounds and up to 154 pounds ....
prospect. - Francisco ContrerasFrancisco ContrerasFrancisco Contreras is an undefeated Dominican professional boxer in the Lightweight division and is the WBC CABOFE Light Welterweight Champion. Francisco is trained by former IBF Super Featherweight Champion Roberto Garcia.-Early life:Contreras was raised in a poor family, he first entered a...
, an undefeated LightweightLightweightLight-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
prospect. - David GarcíaDavid García (boxer)David García is a Mexican American professional boxer in the Welterweight division and is the Nephew of former IBF Super Featherweight Champion boxer Roberto Garcia Cortez.-Pro career:...
, a WelterweightWelterweightWelterweight 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. - Javier García CalderónJavier García CalderónJavier García Calderón is a Mexican American professional boxer in the Lightweight division and is the Nephew of former IBF Super Featherweight Champion boxer Roberto Garcia Cortez.-Amateur career:...
, a LightweightLightweightLight-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
prospect. - Felipe CampaFelipe CampaFelipe Campa is a Mexican professional boxer in the Lightweight division and is the former WBC Youth World Super Bantamweight Champion...
, a former WBC Youth WorldWorld Boxing CouncilThe 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...
Super BantamweightSuper BantamweightSuper bantamweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 122 pounds, or roughly 55.34 kilograms....
Champion. - Erik RuizErik RuizÉrik Ruíz is a Mexican American professional boxer in the Super Bantamweight division and is trained by former IBF Super Featherweight Champion boxer Roberto Garcia Cortez.-Professional career:...
, an undefeated Super BantamweightSuper BantamweightSuper bantamweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 122 pounds, or roughly 55.34 kilograms....
prospect. - Jesús Antonio HernándezJesús Antonio HernándezJesús Antonio Hernández is an undefeated Mexican professional boxer in the Lightweight division and is trained by former World Champion, Roberto García.-Professional career:...
, an undefeated LightweightLightweightLight-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
prospect. - Herbert AcevedoHerbert AcevedoHerbert Acevedo is an undefeated Mexican American professional boxer in the Lightweight division. Acevedo is trained by former IBF Super Featherweight Champion Roberto Garcia.-Professional career:...
, an undefeated LightweightLightweightLight-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
prospect. - Alfonso GómezAlfonso GomezAlfonso Salvador Gómez Becerra is a Mexican professional boxer. He was a competitor on the reality TV show The Contender, where he ended up ranked third out of sixteen fighters.-Personal life:...
, a competitor on The Contender. - Mark SuarezMark SuárezMark Anthony Suárez is a Mexican-American professional boxer in the Welterweight division and is the former WBO NABO Welterweight Champion.-Amateur career:Mark's father Andy Suárez trained him until his death....
, a former WBO NABOWorld Boxing OrganizationThe 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...
WelterweightWelterweightWelterweight 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. - Victor OrtízVictor OrtízVictor Ortiz is an American professional boxer of Mexican descent and the former WBC welterweight champion.He was previously in the light welterweight division, where he held the USBA & NABO title....
, a former WBCWorld Boxing CouncilThe 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 champion.
See also
- List of Mexican boxing world champions
- List of IBF world champions
- List of Super Featherweight boxing champions
- Notable boxing families
External links
- Roberto García Boxing Academy on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...