José Antonio Rivera
Encyclopedia
| José Rivera | |
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Real name | José Antonio Rivera |
| Nickname | El Gallo |
| Weight | Light Middleweight Light middleweight Light Middleweight , is a weight division in professional boxing, above 147 pounds and up to 154 pounds .... |
| Nationality | Puerto Rican-American |
| Birth date | April 07, 1973 (age 38) |
| Birth place | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,... |
| Hometown | Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston.... |
| Style | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 46 |
| Wins | 39 |
| Wins by KO | 24 |
| Losses | 6 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 0 |
José Antonio Rivera (born April 7, 1973) is an American 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...
in the super welterweight (154 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
) division.
His record is 39-6-1 (24 KOs
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...
). He is a former WBA welterweight and 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...
world super welterweight champion. He is of Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
descent.
Background
Jose Antonio Rivera was born on April 7, 1973 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. When he was 8 years old, he defined his dream to become a world champion boxer. He grew up with his four siblings and his single mother. His mother died when he was 10. From ages 10 to 15, he struggled to maintain himself, traveling from home to home. Finally, he was sent to Puerto Rico and he dropped out of school. He worked in the fields of Puerto Rico as a day laborer. One day, when Rivera was 15, his Aunt visited him; he begged her to take him back to the United States. He told her that for the first time in his life, he believed in himself. Rivera returned to the States with his Aunt, re-enrolled in school, and re-ignited his dream to become a world champion boxer.
At 16, Rivera started the pursuit of his dream. Rivera began his boxing training at the Worcester Boys & Girls Club where he was a student of Carlos Garcia, a highly regarded boxing coach. In his young amateur career he started with a record of 35-10. He did so by fighting older and more experienced boxers. As a result, he became a well experienced fighter at a young age.
Professional career
October 1992 marked the date Jose became a professional boxer. From here he fought his way to becoming Massachusetts State Champion twice, the USBA Regional Champion, the IBO World Champion, and the NABA Champion.On September 13, 2003, in Germany, Jose fought unbeaten European Champion Michel Trabant and walked away with the WBA Welterweight Championship of the World.
On April 2, 2005, in his defense of the WBA title, Jose lost a very close split decision to his challenger Luis Collazo
Luis Collazo
Luis Collazo is a boxer in the welterweight division. His boxing record is 31-4 . He is a former WBA welterweight champion.- Professional career :...
.
On May 6, 2006, Jose would move up a weight class to Junior Middleweight and fight Champion Alejandro Garcia
Alex Garcia (boxer)
Alex García is a former US-American heavyweight boxer best known to be a contender in the 1990s. A San Fernando native, and former gang member, he served five years in San Quentin State Prison for stabbing a rival gang member. Upon his release, he found himself training at the Jet Center, where...
. He managed to knock him down five times and won to become the new WBA Champion.
On January 6, 2007, Jose defended his new WBA title against Travis Simms
Travis Simms
Travis Simms is a professional American boxer in the super welterweight division.-Background:Simms is a native of the South Norwalk section of Norwalk, Connecticut. His childhood street bears his name "Travis Simms Way". He is currently a member of the Norwalk Common Council...
but lost in a ninth round TKO (Technical Knock Out).
In October he was KOd by Daniel Santos
Daniel Santos (boxer)
Daniel Santos is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. As an amateur Santos represented Puerto Rico in international events, including the 1990 and 1992 Junior World Championships, Pan American Boxing Tournament, Goodwill Games, 1995 Pan American Games and the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he won a...
. He had announced his intention to retire before that fight, and did so.
Jose made a brief one-fight comeback in August 2008, beating Clarence Taylor in an 8-round decision, then retired again after suffering a hand injury. He plans to make a second comeback in his hometown of Worcester, Mass., on May 20, 2011, against Luis Maysonet.
Employment
As of 2006 he is working as a court officer in his hometown, Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
.
Self-Employed - USANA Health Sciences Associate.