Puerto Rican · San Juan, Puerto Rico · Born 29 October 1956Puerto Rican three-division world champion who set an all-time boxing record with 17 consecutive title defenses won by knockout.
Born on 29 October 1956 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wilfredo Gómez represented his country as an amateur at the 1972 Munich Olympics and won gold at both the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games and the 1974 World Amateur Championships before turning professional. He opened his professional career with a draw before launching a devastating streak of 32 consecutive knockout victories. Gómez won his first world title in 1977, coming off the canvas early in the fight to knock out South Korea's Dong Kyun Yum in the 12th round to claim the WBC super bantamweight championship. He went on to defend the title a record 17 consecutive times, every single defense ending by knockout — a record for most consecutive knockout title defenses across all weight divisions in boxing history — including a signature victory over previously unbeaten Carlos Zárate in 1978 and a classic stoppage of Lupe Pintor. Gómez suffered his first professional loss in 1981 when he moved up to challenge featherweight champion Salvador Sánchez, rallying from an early knockdown before being stopped in the eighth round — a fight widely regarded as one of the greatest of the era. He avenged the setback by winning the WBC featherweight title himself in 1984, and later added a third world championship at super featherweight, becoming a three-division champion. Gómez retired in 1989 with a career record built on 32 consecutive knockouts to open his career and 17 more in a row during his title reign, finishing among the hardest punchers pound-for-pound in boxing history. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995 and remains celebrated as one of Puerto Rico's greatest-ever fighters alongside Félix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto.
Setting the all-time boxing record of 17 consecutive title defenses won by knockout
How They Played
Devastating knockout puncher with excellent combination punching
Lasting Impact
Widely regarded as one of Puerto Rico's greatest-ever boxers and among the hardest punchers in the sport's history
Puerto Rican Athletes