Joan Guzman
Encyclopedia
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. was a trainer of Joan.
. He also competed in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia
where he lost to future record setting world champion Omar Andrés Narváez
.
Guzmán began his professional boxing career in the United States
. His debut fight, on September 23, 1997, was held in Phoenix, Arizona
. There, he knocked out Juan Miguel Rivera in two rounds. After another second round knockout win (this time at the Madison Square Garden
in New York City
), he returned to the Dominican Republic.
He took off two years from boxing, then he came back for his first fight in his homeland. On March 11, 1999, he outpointed Orlando Mateo over eight rounds at Santo Domingo. He fought six more times before being given a title try for the Dominican featherweight title.
During his two year lay-off, he dropped off in weight, from the featherweight division to the super bantamweight division.
On October 25, 1999, he knocked out Francisco de Leon in round eleven to win the national title. He retained the title once, with a two round knockout of Santiago Matos. He later knocked out Hector Julio Avila in the second round on August 9, 2001, for the vacant NABO
regional super bantamweight title.
Another win was especially significant, since it was for the WBO's Latino
title, as well as for the WBO's vacant intercontinental title and for Guzman's NABO title. Guzman added those two new regional championships and retained the one he already owned, by beating Edel Ruiz by decision, in a fight held in Tacoma, Washington
on September 29, 2001.
, travelled to Cardiff
, Wales
, to defend his title against Guzmán, but was diagnosed with a detached retina
during a required medical
check-up days before the fight and was then removed of the title. Sánchez temporarily retired from boxing and Guzmán found himself fighting Fabio Oliva for the vacant WBO's world super bantamweight title on August 17, 2002. Guzmán won the championship with a 3rd round knockout win. Sánchez returned to boxing and at last fought Guzmán on February 26, 2004 in San Diego, California
. Guzmán retained the title, knocking out the former world champion in seven rounds. He later defended that title, defeating previously unbeaten Fernando Beltrán by unanimous decision on April 22, 2005. Following his impressive victory, Guzmán moved to the super featherweight division.
At the weigh-in before his scheduled fight for the WBO super featherweight title on September 16, 2006, the title holder, Jorge Rodrigo Barrios
, was overweight was eventually stripped of the WBO super featherweight title. Guzman then won the fight and the title by split decision. Guzman then defended his new title with wins over contender Antonio Davis on December 18, 2006 and future two division championHumberto Soto
on November 17, 2007 both by unanimous decision.
division. He was supposed to fight for Nate Campbell
's unified WBA super, WBO and IBF titles, on September 13, 2008. Disappointingly, he came in 3½ pounds over the 135 lb. limit. Thus, the fight was cancelled and Guzman was rushed to a hospital after experiencing dehydration and coughing blood. A dismayed Campbell who went through such trouble to fight him, branded Guzman's pull-out as an unprofessional gesture. With regards to his failure, Guzman issued an apology to his fans, people surrounding the scheduled bout, and to Campbell in particular.
On December 20, 2008, Guzman took on Ameth Diaz for the WBA lightweight title eliminator. Unlike his bout with Campbell, Guzman successfully made the weight limit. Guzman won his first-ever match as a lightweight by unanimous decision.
In an attempt to win a world title at a third weight division, Guzman challenged well regarded Ali Funeka
on November 28, 2009 for the vacant IBF
lightweight title. Unfortunately for both fighters, the bout resulted in a majority draw which most believed Funeka won by a wide margin.
Guzman and Funeka fought again on March 27, 2010 for the same championship. This time however, only Funeka had a chance to win the title as Guzman was 9 pounds above the lightweight limit. Nevertheless, the bout went on as scheduled. There, Guzman managed to score a knockdown as well as scoring enough points to win by split decision, leaving the belt vacant. Although Guzman was chastised for failing to make weight, is was later discovered that Funeka failed a post fight drug test.
took place on the undercard of Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana
on December 11 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas
. The bout was ended by TKO in just the second round in the favour of Guzman, although he notably failed to make the weight for the second consecutive bout, coming in at 144.5 (Davis was also overweight and the fight still went ahead).
, a diuretic banned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and the same kind used by Ali Funeka who was suspended for nine months after the rematch with Guzman. As a penalty, Guzman was suspended from boxing for eight months and his latest victory was turned into a no-contest.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
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...
who was the WBO's super bantamweight and super featherweight champion. His nickname is "The Little 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...
"." Guzmán is now trained by Former World Champion Roberto Garcia
Roberto Garcia Cortez
Roberto García Cortez, , 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...
. Former unheralded boxer Floyd Mayweather, Sr. was a trainer of Joan.
The beginning
Having started boxing at eight, Guzman won 310 out of 320 bouts as an amateur boxer. Included in these victories was a gold medal winning bout at the 1995 Pan American GamesBoxing at the 1995 Pan American Games
The Men's Boxing Tournament at the 1995 Pan American Games was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina from March 11 to March 27. It served as a qualification tournament for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia...
. He also competed in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
where he lost to future record setting world champion Omar Andrés Narváez
Omar Andrés Narváez
Omar Andrés Narváez is an Argentine southpaw professional boxer in the super flyweight division and is the WBO Junior Bantamweight champion...
.
Guzmán began his professional boxing career in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His debut fight, on September 23, 1997, was held 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...
. There, he knocked out Juan Miguel Rivera in two rounds. After another second round knockout win (this time at the Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
), he returned to the Dominican Republic.
He took off two years from boxing, then he came back for his first fight in his homeland. On March 11, 1999, he outpointed Orlando Mateo over eight rounds at Santo Domingo. He fought six more times before being given a title try for the Dominican featherweight title.
During his two year lay-off, he dropped off in weight, from the featherweight division to the super bantamweight division.
On October 25, 1999, he knocked out Francisco de Leon in round eleven to win the national title. He retained the title once, with a two round knockout of Santiago Matos. He later knocked out Hector Julio Avila in the second round on August 9, 2001, for the vacant NABO
North American Boxing Organization
The North American Boxing Organization is one of several regulators of boxing that works in North America. The NABO is one of the regional bodies that is part of the World Boxing Organization.Legendary Roy Jones Jr is former Light heavyweight champion....
regional super bantamweight title.
Another win was especially significant, since it was for the WBO's Latino
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
title, as well as for the WBO's vacant intercontinental title and for Guzman's NABO title. Guzman added those two new regional championships and retained the one he already owned, by beating Edel Ruiz by decision, in a fight held in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
on September 29, 2001.
World championships
Guzmán became ranked number one in the super bantamweight division of the WBO. The WBO's world super bantamweight champion, Agapito SanchezAgapito Sanchez
Agapito Sánchez was a boxer from the Dominican Republic, nicknamed "El Ciclón", in the Super Bantamweight weight class. He won 37 of his 50 fights, 18 by knockout.-Pro career:...
, travelled to Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, to defend his title against Guzmán, but was diagnosed with a detached retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
during a required medical
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
check-up days before the fight and was then removed of the title. Sánchez temporarily retired from boxing and Guzmán found himself fighting Fabio Oliva for the vacant WBO's world super bantamweight title on August 17, 2002. Guzmán won the championship with a 3rd round knockout win. Sánchez returned to boxing and at last fought Guzmán on February 26, 2004 in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Guzmán retained the title, knocking out the former world champion in seven rounds. He later defended that title, defeating previously unbeaten Fernando Beltrán by unanimous decision on April 22, 2005. Following his impressive victory, Guzmán moved to the super featherweight division.
At the weigh-in before his scheduled fight for the WBO super featherweight title on September 16, 2006, the title holder, Jorge Rodrigo Barrios
Jorge Rodrigo Barrios
Jorge Rodrigo "La Hiena " Barrios is a professional boxer in the junior lightweight division. His record is 47-3-1 . He is a former WBO world junior-lightweight champion....
, was overweight was eventually stripped of the WBO super featherweight title. Guzman then won the fight and the title by split decision. Guzman then defended his new title with wins over contender Antonio Davis on December 18, 2006 and future two division championHumberto Soto
Humberto Soto
Armando Humberto Soto Ochoa is a Mexican professional boxer in the Lightweight division. He is a former WBC Interim Featherweight, WBC Super Featherweight, and WBC Lightweight champion.-Pro career:...
on November 17, 2007 both by unanimous decision.
Move to lightweight
In May 2008, Guzman elected to vacate his WBO super featherweight title in order to continue his career in the lightweightLightweight
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. He was supposed to fight for Nate Campbell
Nate Campbell
Nathaniel Campbell , more commonly known as Nate Campbell, is an American retired professional boxer. He is a former unified WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight champion.-Amateur career:...
's unified WBA super, WBO and IBF titles, on September 13, 2008. Disappointingly, he came in 3½ pounds over the 135 lb. limit. Thus, the fight was cancelled and Guzman was rushed to a hospital after experiencing dehydration and coughing blood. A dismayed Campbell who went through such trouble to fight him, branded Guzman's pull-out as an unprofessional gesture. With regards to his failure, Guzman issued an apology to his fans, people surrounding the scheduled bout, and to Campbell in particular.
On December 20, 2008, Guzman took on Ameth Diaz for the WBA lightweight title eliminator. Unlike his bout with Campbell, Guzman successfully made the weight limit. Guzman won his first-ever match as a lightweight by unanimous decision.
In an attempt to win a world title at a third weight division, Guzman challenged well regarded Ali Funeka
Ali Funeka
Ali Funeka is a South African boxer. Known as "Rush Hour", he is currently trained by former champion Vuyani Bungu. His current record stands at 30 victories, 3 defeats, 3 draws and 25 knockouts....
on November 28, 2009 for the vacant IBF
IBF
IBF may refer to:*International Boxing Federation is one of several boxing organisations* International Bandy Federation former name of Federation of International Bandy , an international governing body for bandy...
lightweight title. Unfortunately for both fighters, the bout resulted in a majority draw which most believed Funeka won by a wide margin.
Guzman and Funeka fought again on March 27, 2010 for the same championship. This time however, only Funeka had a chance to win the title as Guzman was 9 pounds above the lightweight limit. Nevertheless, the bout went on as scheduled. There, Guzman managed to score a knockdown as well as scoring enough points to win by split decision, leaving the belt vacant. Although Guzman was chastised for failing to make weight, is was later discovered that Funeka failed a post fight drug test.
A new beginning at junior welterweight
Guzman's well documented struggles to make the 135 lb lightweight limit prompted him to move to junior welterweight. His first bout at 140 lbs against Jason DavisJason Davis
Jason Davis may refer to:*Jason Davis *Jason Davis *Jason Davis *Jason Davis , Bermudian international soccer player*Jason Davis, aka Jabba , Australian radio and television personality...
took place on the undercard of Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana
Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana
Light welterweight titlist Amir Khan and interim titlist Marcos Maidana reached an agreement to meet on December 11, 2010. The bout was for Khan's WBA Light Welterweight Title, which Khan successfully defended, winning via unanimous decision...
on December 11 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. The bout was ended by TKO in just the second round in the favour of Guzman, although he notably failed to make the weight for the second consecutive bout, coming in at 144.5 (Davis was also overweight and the fight still went ahead).
Positive testing drug controversy
In the post-fight drug test after the bout against Davis, however, Guzman tested positive for FurosemideFurosemide
Furosemide or frusemide is a loop diuretic used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and edema. It is most commonly marketed by Sanofi-Aventis under the brand name Lasix...
, a diuretic banned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and the same kind used by Ali Funeka who was suspended for nine months after the rematch with Guzman. As a penalty, Guzman was suspended from boxing for eight months and his latest victory was turned into a no-contest.