Wilfredo Gómez (born October 29, 1956) is a former
boxerBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
and three time world champion. Nicknamed "Bazooka", Gómez had one of the highest knockout win percentages in professional boxing, winning 88 percent of his bouts by knockout. In 2003, Ring Magazine ranked Gómez as thirteenth on a list of the 100 greatest punchers of all time.
- 13 on Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time
Biography
Gómez was born in a poor area of Las Monjas in
San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan is the capital and largest municipality in Puerto Rico. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 433,733, making it the 42nd-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States. San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, who called it Ciudad de Puerto Rico...
. He has admitted to newspapers that, as a little child, he had to fight off bullies on Las Monjas' streets. He has told some Puerto Rican newspapers that he felt he was born to fight because of that situation. Gómez's father was a taxi driver and his mother was a homemaker. Gómez himself reportedly used a
bicycleA bicycle, also known as a bike, push bike or cycle, is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist or a bicyclist....
as means of transportation when he was young, and he sold candy to earn pocket money before becoming an amateur boxer.
Amateur career and professional debut
Gómez won the gold medal at the 1974
Central American and Caribbean GamesThe Central American and Caribbean Games are a multi-sport regional championships event, held quadrennial , typically in the middle year between Summer Olympics...
held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and
1974 World ChampionshipsThe Men's 1974 World Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Havana, Cuba from August 17 to 30. The first edition of this competition, held two years before the Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, was organised by the world governing body for amateur boxing AIBA. A total number of 274 boxers...
in Havana, Cuba before turning professional. He also competed in the 1972
Olympic GamesThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
in Munich, Germany, getting eliminated by an
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
ian rival in the Olympic's first round of bouts. He compiled an overall record of 96 wins and 3 defeats as an amateur boxer. Because of his family's economical situation, he decided not to wait for the 1976
Olympic GamesThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
in Montreal, Canada, opting to begin making money right after the Cuban competition instead. Coming from
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
, he settled for less money and exposure from the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
media, and moved to
Costa RicaCosta Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally...
, where he began to tour all of
Central AmericaManagua
Guatemala City
San Salvador
San Pedro Sula
Panama City
San José, Costa Rica
Santa Ana, El Salvador
León
San Miguel|-|}...
in hopes of finding matches. His professional debut came in
Panama CityPanama City is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 813,097, with a total metro population of 1,206,792, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, at...
,
PanamaPanama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of both Central America and, in turn, North 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...
, where he fought to a draw with Jacinto Fuentes.
Professional career
After this inauspicious debut, he reeled off a streak of 32 knockout wins in a row. Including wins over Fuentes, who was dispatched in 2 rounds in a rematch, and future world champion
Alberto DavilaAlbert Davila is a Mexican-American who boxed during the 1970s and 1980s in boxing's Bantamweight division, and, after realizing his dream of becoming a world champion, he could not enjoy it much....
, who lasted 9 rounds before being defeated. His 32 knockout wins in a row make him the world champion with the longest knockout streak in history, placing him in third place behind Lamar Clark (44) and
Billy FoxBilly Fox is a former American light heavyweight boxer.- Boxing career :Billy Fox started off his career by winning 36 consecutive fights, all by knockout, before he was knocked out by Gus Lesnevich for the world light heavyweight title...
(43) for the all-time knockout streak. Among world champions, Gómez had the longest knockout winning streak; neither Clark nor Fox won world titles.
Gómez's knockout streak caught the eye of the World Junior Featherweight champion Dong Hyung Yen, who travelled to
San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan is the capital and largest municipality in Puerto Rico. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 433,733, making it the 42nd-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States. San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, who called it Ciudad de Puerto Rico...
to defend his crown against Gómez. Yen 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. His first defense took him to the
Far EastThe Far East is a term used in English mostly equivalent to East Asia and Southeast Asia, sometimes to the inclusion of South Asia for economic and cultural reasons."Far East" came into use in European geopolitical discourse in...
, where he beat former world champion Royal Kobayashi in 3 rounds in
Tokyo, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and is located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the city of Tokyo in the eastern part of the prefecture, totaling over 8 million people....
. Kobayashi had lasted 5 rounds vs
Alexis ArguelloAlexis Argüello , also known by the stage name The Explosive Thin Man, was a Nicaraguan professional boxer and politician. As a boxer he was a three-time world champion. After his retirement from boxing, Argüello became active in Nicaraguan politics and in November 2008 he was elected mayor of...
and 10 rounds vs
Roberto DuranRoberto Durán is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all-time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career....
when Duran was a Featherweight. Next was Ryu Tomonari in a small city of
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
. He lasted 2 rounds.
Gómez's streak reached 32 knockouts in a row. Those 32 knockouts in a row included what is generally considered to be his biggest victory ever, a five round defeat of World Bantamweight champion Carlos Zarate, who was 55-0 with 54 knockout wins coming into their San Juan bout. Also included in that streak was future world champion
Leo CruzLeonardo Cruz , better known in the world of boxing as Leo Cruz, was a world Jr. Featherweight champion from the Dominican Republic.-Personal:...
, beaten in 13 rounds at San Juan. After recording his 32rd. knockout win in a row, he moved up in weight to face the world Featherweight champion
Salvador SanchezSalvador Sánchez Narváez was a Mexican boxer born in the town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Estado de México.- Career :...
of
MexicoThe 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...
.
Hoping to get a rematch with Sanchez, Gómez went back to the
super bantamweightSuper Bantamweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 122 pounds, or roughly 55.34 kilograms....
division, where he got a dispense from the
WBCThe 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...
to make 2 preparation bouts before defending his title again. He did so and won 2 non title bouts in a row , both by knockout in the 2nd round, one over Jose Luis Soto, who was a stablemate of
Julio César ChávezJulio César Chávez González is a former Mexican professional boxer. He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions. His career spanned over twenty-five years. In his prime he was considered the best pound-for-pound in the world, and also the greatest Mexican boxer in history...
back in
CuliacanCuliacán 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 605,304 inhabitants in the city , and 793,703 in the municipality, it is one of the largest cities in the country...
, Mexico. Wins over future world champ
Juan 'Kid' MezaJuan Meza , also known for his nickname Kid Meza, is a former boxer who was world Super Bantamweight champion. Meza was born in Mexicali, Mexico.-Short biography:Mesa was born Jesus Fernández...
, knocked out in six in Atlantic City, and
Juan Antonio LopezJuan Antonio López was a Mexican boxer.López was best known for fighting Wilfredo Gómez twice for the WBC Super Bantamweight title. Most importantly, he is credited with introducing Julio César Chávez to the sport...
, knocked out in ten as part of the
Larry Holmes vs. Gerry CooneyLarry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney was a boxing fight that took place on June 11, 1982. It was one of the most highly anticipated fights of the early 1980s, if not of all of boxing's history....
undercard followed. But all chances of a rematch with Sanchez were dashed when Sanchez died in a car crash outside
Mexico CityMexico City is the capital city of Mexico. It is the economic, industrial, and cultural center in the country, and the most populous city, with about 8,836,045 inhabitants in 2008...
the morning of August 12, 1982. Mexico's boxing fans and general public mourned their gone champion, and boxing fans across
Latin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish, Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,501 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
joined Mexico in their tragedy. Gómez, who was training to defend against Mexican Roberto Rubaldino only 5 days later, took a quick trip to Mexico to offer Sanchez flowers and then returned to
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
the same afternoon. He beat Rubaldino by knockout in 8 rounds and made 1 more title defense, against the Mexican bantamweight world champ
Lupe PintorJose Guadalupe Pintor Guzman , better known as Lupe Pintor, is a former World Boxing Champion from Cuajimalpa, Mexico. Nicknamed El Indio De Cuajimalpa or The Indian From Cuajimalpa, he started boxing professionally in 1974...
in the
Carnival of ChampionsThe Carnival Of Champions, as Don King nicknamed it, was an important boxing event held in New Orleans's Louisiana Superdome on December 3, 1982....
in New Orleans, winning by knockout in 14 rounds. The Pintor contest was the only time a Gómez fight was showcased on
HBOHBO is a premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner, offers two 24/7 pay television services to over 38 million U.S...
, 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.
Featherweight division
He then re-tried winning the
FeatherweightFeatherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and wrestling .-Professional boxing:A featherweight boxer weighs in at 126 pounds . In the early days of the division, this limit fluctuated. The British have generally always recognized the limit at 126 pounds, but...
title and this time, he achieved his dream, winning his second world title by dethroning
Juan LaporteJuan Laporte is a former boxer who was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico.-Amateur career:Juan Laporte won the 1976 112lb 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 Center...
, a fellow
Puerto RicanPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
who had won the title left vacant after Sanchez died. He beat Laporte by a 12 round unanimous decision. This time, however, it didn't last that long. Ahead on all scorecards, Gómez was the victim of a rally by
Azumah NelsonAzumah Nelson is a former boxer and three-time world champion. A native of Ghana.Nelson also has endured personal loss: His wife for many years died during the 1990s of cancer.- Professional career :...
of
GhanaThe Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa which borders Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
who knocked him out in 11 exhilarating rounds in San Juan, December 8, 1984.
Gómez wanted either a rematch with Nelson or a shot at Junior Lightweight world champ
Rocky LockridgeRocky Lockridge , is a former professional boxer and world champion.- Amateur career :Lockridge started boxing as an amateur out of the Tacoma Boys Club...
of
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
, 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 unanimous 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.
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 AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
's Bryan Mitchell, and it became obvious Gómez's best years had gone by, so he retired after this fight.
Last fights and retirement
Gómez tried a comeback in 1988 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
VenezuelaVenezuela , officially titled Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea...
, where he ran into drug problems, causing him trouble with the law and spending some months in
jailA prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Other terms are penitentiary, correctional facility, and jail , although in the United States "jail" and "prison" refer to different subtypes of correctional facility...
. He attended a rehabilitation center in
ColombiaColombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean...
. Gómez rebounded and is now back in Puerto Rico, where he has managed to stay off drugs. He has helped the Hector 'Macho' Camacho with the training of Camacho's son
Hector Camacho Jr.Hector Camacho Jr. is a professional boxer. He is the son of legendary three time world champion Hector Macho Camacho....
, who is a boxer in the Jr Welterweight division. In 1998, Gòmez became a born-again
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
.
On May 18, 2003, Gómez returned to Panama, where he was received by Duran and
Eusebio PedrozaEusebio 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...
, 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". However, he bought a house in
Kissimmee, FloridaKissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 60,894. It is the county seat of Osceola County...
in 2006, and plans to move there by May of that year. Gómez has three daughters Jennifer, Maria Helena and Linselina and one son Wilfredo Junior.
Gómez had a record of 44 win, 3 losses and 1 draw, with 42 knock out wins. In 1978, he was named Boxing Illustrated's fighter of the year. He is now a member of the
International Boxing Hall of FameThe 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...
. In 2003 a
biographical filmA biographical motion picture—often shortened to biopic—is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most...
entitled
Bazooka: The Battles of Wilfredo Gómez was produced by Cinemar Films, the documental was directed by Mario Diaz and was filmed in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
.
Professional Championships
See also
External links