Three-weight world champion Wilfredo ‘Bazooka’ Gomez has died aged 69.
The Puerto Rican won the WBC super-bantamweight title, WBC featherweight belt and WBA super-featherweight crown during a profession in which he was famend as a heavy puncher.
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Gomez fought in 48 fights and won 44, with 42 by advantage of knockout, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995.
Former president of the sanctioning physique the WBO Paco Valcarcel confirmed the passing of his compatriot.
“He passed away a few hours ago, the one to whom I owe having entered the great family of international boxing,” wrote Valcacel on social media on Saturday.
“Rest in peace, my eternal champion Wilfredo ‘Bazooka’ Gomez.”
Gomez’s best wins came against fellow greats Mexico’s Carlos Zarate, two-weight champion Lupe Pintor, home rival Juan Laporte and American Rocky Lockridge.
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Zarate was his most interesting win, stopping the then 52-0 knockout specialist in 5 rounds in entrance of his home followers in San Juan to retain his WBC super-bantamweight title.
Competing during a stacked period of expertise at his weights, Gomez suffered heartbreak in two of his greatest fights when he was knocked out by Salvador Sanchez in 1981 and Azumah Nelson in 1984 – both at featherweight for the WBC world title.
The WBC and its president Mauricio Sulaiman called Gomez “one of the greatest icons in the history of the sport” and that he had handed away “after being hospitalised for the past two weeks due to respiratory complications”.
“Universally recognized as one of the greatest ring legends of all time and a ruthless brawler who holds the historic record of 17 consecutive super bantamweight title defenses – all won by knockout – Wilfredo Gomez leaves behind an indelible legacy both inside and outside the ring,” a assertion said.
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As an novice, Gomez competed at the 1972 Olympics aged just 15 and at 17 would win gold at the inaugural World Amateur Championships in Cuba.
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