Leo Gamez
Encyclopedia
Silvio Rafael Gamez better known as Leo Gamez, is a former boxer
from Venezuela
. A former world Flyweight champion, Gamez became the first Flyweight boxer in history to win world titles in four different divisions.
Gamez is considered by some boxing critics to be among Venezuela's best fighters since the Betulio González
era.
He made his professional boxing debut on February 14, 1985 in Maracay
, when he decisioned Francisco García over four rounds. On April 17 of that same year, he got his second victory, another four round points win, this time over Alcides Hernandez, also in Maracay. After those two wins, Gamez had six consecutive knockout
wins, including two over Rafael Lara, and one in his first fight outside Maracay, held on August 14 at El Guayabo, where he beat Jose Escorcia in the fourth round. On November 28 of 1986, he would beat Escorcia's brother, Alberto, also by knockout in four rounds, at Maracaibo
.
On February 2 of 1987, he suffered his first "blemish", when he was held to a two round technical draw
by Rafael Bolivar, at Maracay. By then, Gamez was becoming a well known boxer among Hispanic
boxing fans, Guantes
magazine mentioning him sporadically on their articles.
On April 30, Gamez received his first shot at a title, when he was faced with Pedro Nieves in the Venezuelan town of Turnero, for the national Jr. Flyweight title. Gamez won the championship with a second round knockout.
He defended the title one time and won a handful of non-title bouts before reducing weight in order to get his first world championship opportunity.
On January 10, 1988, Gamez fought for the WBA
's vacant world Minimumweight championship against Bong-Jun Kim. In what also was his first fight abroad, Gamez became world champion for the first time when he outpointed Kim over 12 rounds in South Korea
. After that victory, he became a celebrity both in Venezuela and internationally, as he went from being mentioned in articles, as aforementioned, to having articles written about him on magazines that specialized in boxing.
He had several managerial problems after winning his first world championship, however, and he was able to defend that title only one time, knocking out Kenji Yokozawa in three rounds at Japan. When he suffered a broken arm not too long after, he decided to vacate the title, and took an extended lay-off from boxing.
On October 29, 1989, Gamez was finally able to make a comeback, and he knocked out Victoriano Hernandez in five rounds that night. After one more win, he attempted, for the first time, to win the WBA's world Jr. Flyweight championship. On April 29, 1990, he was faced with long reigning world champion Myung-Woo Yuh
, once again, in South Korea. Gamez lost a controversial twelve round decision; many fans and observers thought he deserved the win, and the WBA ordered an immediate rematch. On November 10 of that year, he would again fight Woo Yuh in South Korea, and, once again, Woo Yuh won by a twelve round decision to retain the world title.
Disillusioned, Gamez took off almost one more year off boxing. But he returned, illusioned with the idea of winning the WBA's world Flyweight championship. Having been promised a title try by the WBA, he began training
and, after his training was complete, he returned to South Korea, where he challenged WBA world Flyweight champion Yong-Kang Kim
on November 5, 1991. Gamez once again lost by a twelve round decision, but he decided to stay active in boxing after that loss.
Gamez won four fights in a row before once again dropping weight in order to challenge for a world title. His third try at the WBA's world Jr. Flyweight title, which was vacant after Woo Yuh's retirement, came on November 21, 1993, against Shiro Yashiro, in Tokyo. Gamez finally won the world Jr. Flyweight title, his second world championship, by knocking Yashiro out in nine rounds. He defended the title successfully three times, with fights in Panama
and Thailand
(twice), before losing it to Hi-Yong Choi on February 4 of 1995, once again in Korea. On May 20 of that year, he won the regional WBA Fedelatin Flyweight title by defeating Aquiles Guzman
by a twelve round decision in Paraguay
.
Gamez's first opportunity at joining the elite group of fighters who have won world championships in three different divisions, and his second attempt at becoming world Flyweight champion, came on March 24, 1996, against world champion Saen Sor Ploenchit in Thailand. Gamez failed that time, however, dropping a twelve round split decision to the champion. Then, he lost the Fedelatin title in a rematch with Guzman, held on October 7 at Maracay. Guzman outpointed him over twelve rounds as well.
Gamez became, once again, disillusioned with boxing. In 1998, however, he returned to the sport, knocking out Gilberto Gonzalez on November 3 in eight rounds in Venezuela, to regain the Fedelatin title.
Gamez joined the exclusive group of champions to win titles in three or more divisions, at the same time becoming the first one among those to be world Flyweight champion, when he knocked out defending WBA world Flyweight champion Hugo Rafael Soto
in the third round on March 13, 1999. The fight, held at New York's Madison Square Garden
, also marked Gamez's debut as a professional fighter in the United States. After this win, Gamez received a hero's welcome at Caracas' Simón Bolívar International Airport
.
On May 29, he won the WBA's "interim" world Super Flyweight championship by knocking out former WBO world Jr. Flyweight champion Josue Camacho in the fifth round at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum
in San Juan, Puerto Rico
. He was not generally considered to be a four division world champion, however, because the WBA had conditioned their recognition of him as world Super Flyweight champion on either one of two things happening: the real champion, Hideki Todaka
, would have to decide to leave his place as champion or Gamez would have to beat him in a fight in order for Gamez to be recognized as champion. After losing the Flyweight crown on September 3 to Sornpichai Kratingdaengym by knockout in eight rounds at a Thai hotel
, Gamez received an opportunity to solidify his status as WBA world Super Flyweight champion, when the official champion, Todaka, gave him a shot on October 9, 2000.
Gamez made history once again, joining the small group of boxers who have won world titles in four different divisions, and becoming both the first one among those to have held the world Flyweight title and the first Venezuelan in that group, when he knocked Todaka out in seven rounds at Nagoya. On his first defense, held on March 11, 2001 in Yokohama
, Japan, he lost the crown by a twelfth round knockout to Celes Kobayashi
.
After one more win, Gamez attempted to join the very exclusive group of fighters to win world titles in five different divisions, when he lost to WBA world Bantamweight champion Johnny Bredahl
by a twelve round decision, on November 8, 2002, in Copenhagen
, Denmark.
After two more decision losses, including one in a rematch with Todaka, Gamez decided to retire for good from boxing, leaving with a record of 34 wins, 11 losses and one draw (tie), 25 of his wins coming by knockout. His last fight was held in Germany.
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...
from Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. A former world Flyweight champion, Gamez became the first Flyweight boxer in history to win world titles in four different divisions.
Gamez is considered by some boxing critics to be among Venezuela's best fighters since the Betulio González
Betulio González
Betulio Segundo González is a former boxer from Venezuela, who is considered a national hero in Venezuela. He is considered by many to be Venezuela's greatest world champion in boxing history...
era.
He made his professional boxing debut on February 14, 1985 in Maracay
Maracay
Maracay is a city in north-central Venezuela, near the Caribbean coast, and is the capital and most important city of the state of Aragua. Most of it falls under the jurisdiction of the Girardot Municipality. The population as per the 2001 census was 750,000...
, when he decisioned Francisco García over four rounds. On April 17 of that same year, he got his second victory, another four round points win, this time over Alcides Hernandez, also in Maracay. After those two wins, Gamez had six consecutive 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...
wins, including two over Rafael Lara, and one in his first fight outside Maracay, held on August 14 at El Guayabo, where he beat Jose Escorcia in the fourth round. On November 28 of 1986, he would beat Escorcia's brother, Alberto, also by knockout in four rounds, at Maracaibo
Maracaibo
Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
.
On February 2 of 1987, he suffered his first "blemish", when he was held to a two round technical draw
Technical decision
A technical decision is a term used in boxing when a fight has to be stopped because of a headbutt.In boxing fights, referees have to pay deep attention to the action going on between the fighters, especially when the two combatants are fighting close to each other...
by Rafael Bolivar, at Maracay. By then, Gamez was becoming a well known boxer among Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
boxing fans, Guantes
Guantes
Guantes is the name of a Spanish language boxing magazine that is produced from Panama.For years, the magazine's editor has been the well-known writer Chu Romero. Guantes covers news from the boxing world, but it concentrates on hispanic boxing news.Guantes had top competition from Ring En Español...
magazine mentioning him sporadically on their articles.
On April 30, Gamez received his first shot at a title, when he was faced with Pedro Nieves in the Venezuelan town of Turnero, for the national Jr. Flyweight title. Gamez won the championship with a second round knockout.
He defended the title one time and won a handful of non-title bouts before reducing weight in order to get his first world championship opportunity.
On January 10, 1988, Gamez fought for the 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...
's vacant world Minimumweight championship against Bong-Jun Kim. In what also was his first fight abroad, Gamez became world champion for the first time when he outpointed Kim over 12 rounds in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. After that victory, he became a celebrity both in Venezuela and internationally, as he went from being mentioned in articles, as aforementioned, to having articles written about him on magazines that specialized in boxing.
He had several managerial problems after winning his first world championship, however, and he was able to defend that title only one time, knocking out Kenji Yokozawa in three rounds at Japan. When he suffered a broken arm not too long after, he decided to vacate the title, and took an extended lay-off from boxing.
On October 29, 1989, Gamez was finally able to make a comeback, and he knocked out Victoriano Hernandez in five rounds that night. After one more win, he attempted, for the first time, to win the WBA's world Jr. Flyweight championship. On April 29, 1990, he was faced with long reigning world champion Myung-Woo Yuh
Myung-Woo Yuh
Yuh Myung-woo is a South Korean former 2-time WBA light flyweight boxing champion...
, once again, in South Korea. Gamez lost a controversial twelve round decision; many fans and observers thought he deserved the win, and the WBA ordered an immediate rematch. On November 10 of that year, he would again fight Woo Yuh in South Korea, and, once again, Woo Yuh won by a twelve round decision to retain the world title.
Disillusioned, Gamez took off almost one more year off boxing. But he returned, illusioned with the idea of winning the WBA's world Flyweight championship. Having been promised a title try by the WBA, he began training
Boxing training
Boxing training is the training method that boxers use in order to get more fit for their sport. This training method is often cited by medical doctors, boxing trainers, and writers as one of the most spartan forms of sports training.- Training :...
and, after his training was complete, he returned to South Korea, where he challenged WBA world Flyweight champion Yong-Kang Kim
Yong-Kang Kim
Yong-Kang Kim is a former professional boxer in the flyweight division.- Pro career :...
on November 5, 1991. Gamez once again lost by a twelve round decision, but he decided to stay active in boxing after that loss.
Gamez won four fights in a row before once again dropping weight in order to challenge for a world title. His third try at the WBA's world Jr. Flyweight title, which was vacant after Woo Yuh's retirement, came on November 21, 1993, against Shiro Yashiro, in Tokyo. Gamez finally won the world Jr. Flyweight title, his second world championship, by knocking Yashiro out in nine rounds. He defended the title successfully three times, with fights in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central 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 Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
(twice), before losing it to Hi-Yong Choi on February 4 of 1995, once again in Korea. On May 20 of that year, he won the regional WBA Fedelatin Flyweight title by defeating Aquiles Guzman
Aquiles Guzman
Aquiles Guzman is a former Venezuelan professional boxer. He is a former World Boxing Association flyweight champion.- Professional career :...
by a twelve round decision in Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
.
Gamez's first opportunity at joining the elite group of fighters who have won world championships in three different divisions, and his second attempt at becoming world Flyweight champion, came on March 24, 1996, against world champion Saen Sor Ploenchit in Thailand. Gamez failed that time, however, dropping a twelve round split decision to the champion. Then, he lost the Fedelatin title in a rematch with Guzman, held on October 7 at Maracay. Guzman outpointed him over twelve rounds as well.
Gamez became, once again, disillusioned with boxing. In 1998, however, he returned to the sport, knocking out Gilberto Gonzalez on November 3 in eight rounds in Venezuela, to regain the Fedelatin title.
Gamez joined the exclusive group of champions to win titles in three or more divisions, at the same time becoming the first one among those to be world Flyweight champion, when he knocked out defending WBA world Flyweight champion Hugo Rafael Soto
Hugo Rafael Soto
Hugo Rafael Soto is a former professional boxer.Fighting in the flyweight and super flyweight divisions, Soto had his first professional fight in 1988. He built up a record of 39-1-2 to earn a fight with WBC flyweight champion Yuri Arbachakov, but lost by an eighth round knockout...
in the third round on March 13, 1999. The fight, held at New York's 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...
, also marked Gamez's debut as a professional fighter in the United States. After this win, Gamez received a hero's welcome at Caracas' Simón Bolívar International Airport
Simón Bolívar International Airport (Venezuela)
Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetia is an international airport located in Maiquetía, Venezuela, about 13 miles from downtown Caracas....
.
On May 29, he won the WBA's "interim" world Super Flyweight championship by knocking out former WBO world Jr. Flyweight champion Josue Camacho in the fifth round at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum
Roberto Clemente Coliseum
The Roberto Clemente Coliseum is a sporting events and concert arena in San Juan, Puerto Rico.It was, for many years, Puerto Rico's largest indoor event facility, and it continues being one of the largest....
in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. He was not generally considered to be a four division world champion, however, because the WBA had conditioned their recognition of him as world Super Flyweight champion on either one of two things happening: the real champion, Hideki Todaka
Hideki Todaka
Hideki Todaka is a former professional boxer who fought in the super flyweight and bantamweight divisions...
, would have to decide to leave his place as champion or Gamez would have to beat him in a fight in order for Gamez to be recognized as champion. After losing the Flyweight crown on September 3 to Sornpichai Kratingdaengym by knockout in eight rounds at a Thai hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, Gamez received an opportunity to solidify his status as WBA world Super Flyweight champion, when the official champion, Todaka, gave him a shot on October 9, 2000.
Gamez made history once again, joining the small group of boxers who have won world titles in four different divisions, and becoming both the first one among those to have held the world Flyweight title and the first Venezuelan in that group, when he knocked Todaka out in seven rounds at Nagoya. On his first defense, held on March 11, 2001 in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan, he lost the crown by a twelfth round knockout to Celes Kobayashi
Celes Kobayashi
Celes Kobayashi is a former professional boxer from Ibaraki, Japan. He is a former WBA Super flyweight champion.He got his ring name, "Celes," from a company he used to work for...
.
After one more win, Gamez attempted to join the very exclusive group of fighters to win world titles in five different divisions, when he lost to WBA world Bantamweight champion Johnny Bredahl
Johnny Bredahl
Johnny Bredahl , aka Johny Wahid Johansen, is a retired professional boxer in the bantamweight division. Bredahl is the former WBA world bantamweight champion...
by a twelve round decision, on November 8, 2002, in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark.
After two more decision losses, including one in a rematch with Todaka, Gamez decided to retire for good from boxing, leaving with a record of 34 wins, 11 losses and one draw (tie), 25 of his wins coming by knockout. His last fight was held in Germany.