Alfonso Gómez facts for kids

Alfonso Salvador Gómez Becerra (born October 28, 1980), known as Alfonso Gómez, is a former professional boxer from Mexico. He became very popular after appearing on the first season of the reality TV show The Contender. On the show, he finished third out of sixteen fighters and quickly became a fan favorite.

Gómez has won important fights against famous boxers like Arturo Gatti, Jose Luis Castillo, and Peter Manfredo Jr.. He also fought well-known names such as Saul Álvarez, Miguel Cotto in a WBO world championship match, and Shawn Porter.

About Alfonso Gómez

Alfonso Gómez was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. When he was young, his family moved to Oakland, California. He started boxing there in a self-defense class because he was being bullied. Later, he moved to Napa, California, and finished high school at Napa High School.

After school, Alfonso and his family moved to Southern California. They wanted to find better chances for his boxing career. He also wanted to go to college in Irvine. Alfonso now lives in Long Beach, CA. He has two children, a daughter named Heidi Luna Gomez and a son named Leon Harel Gomez.

Alfonso's Boxing Journey

Alfonso Gómez had a strong amateur boxing career. He even represented Mexico in a big Olympic qualifying tournament in 2000. He became a professional boxer in 2001. At first, some people thought he was just a "stepping stone" for other boxers. This meant they expected him to lose to help other fighters look good.

But Alfonso worked extra hard to prove them wrong. He won several fights against boxers who were supposed to be unbeatable. Because of this, the media started calling him "The Executioner of the Undefeated." This is how his real-life story as a "True Underdog" began.

Becoming Famous on The Contender

In 2004, Alfonso joined a boxing reality TV show called The Contender. The winner would get one million dollars! He had to fight at a heavier weight class than he usually did.

On the show, Alfonso was on the "West Coast" team. In his first fight, he surprised everyone by challenging Peter Manfredo Jr., a highly ranked boxer. Most people didn't think Alfonso had a chance because he was smaller. But Alfonso won the fight! He outsmarted and outfought Manfredo over five rounds, sending him home.

In the next round, the quarterfinals, Alfonso fought Ahmed Kaddour. Alfonso won this tough fight by a unanimous decision. He worked harder than Kaddour in the early rounds, landing many punches. Even though Kaddour landed some strong hits, Alfonso kept pushing and won the fight.

In the semi-finals, Alfonso faced Peter Manfredo Jr. again. Alfonso was still bruised from his last fight. Manfredo won this rematch. Even though Alfonso seemed to be ahead for most of the fight, Manfredo looked stronger in the final rounds. After the fight, Alfonso, whose jaw was very swollen, went to Manfredo's locker room to wish him good luck.

In the show's finale, Alfonso fought Jesse Brinkley for third place. Brinkley was known as a very strong puncher. But Alfonso won by unanimous decision on May 24, 2005. This win guaranteed him a good amount of prize money and helped him become a top-ranked boxer. Even though he didn't win the whole show, Alfonso Gómez became one of the most popular fighters from The Contender.

Getting Back in the Ring

After The Contender, Alfonso went back to his usual weight classes. On October 15, 2005, he fought Luciano Perez and won by TKO in the fourth round. Alfonso showed off his great boxing skills in this fight.

On May 5, 2006, Alfonso fought Jesse Feliciano for the third time. This fight was very exciting and was even considered a "Fight of the Year" candidate! It ended in a draw.

On August 25, 2006, Alfonso fought Carson "Kid" Jones. Alfonso put a lot of pressure on Jones and won by TKO in the eighth round.

Alfonso was also part of "The Contender Challenge: UK vs. USA" in 2007. He fought Martin Concepcion and won by TKO in the seventh round.

Big Win Against Arturo Gatti

On July 14, 2007, Alfonso Gómez fought the famous boxer Arturo Gatti. Gatti was looking for an easy comeback fight, and his team thought Alfonso would be an easy opponent. But Alfonso surprised everyone again! He defeated Gatti by TKO in the seventh round. Alfonso landed many strong punches and controlled the fight. After this loss, Gatti decided to retire from boxing.

Fighting Ben Tackie

Three months later, on October 16, 2007, Alfonso won against Ben Tackie by unanimous decision. Alfonso even broke his right hand in the second round, but he kept fighting through the pain and won clearly. This win was supposed to lead to a fight against Julio César Chávez Jr., but that fight didn't happen. Instead, Alfonso got a chance to fight for a world title!

World Title Shot Against Miguel Cotto

On April 12, 2008, Alfonso Gómez fought Miguel Cotto for the WBA welterweight title. This was a huge opportunity! However, Alfonso came into the fight with his right hand still injured from the Tackie fight. He also got sick during his training. Cotto was very strong and landed many punches. The ringside doctor stopped the fight in the fifth round because Alfonso was taking too much punishment. Alfonso wanted to keep fighting, but the doctor decided it was safer to stop.

Coming Back Strong

After a break, Alfonso Gómez returned to boxing on May 1, 2009. He stopped Juan Buendia in the eighth round with a strong left hook. He still hoped to fight Julio César Chávez Jr., but Chávez Jr. was now fighting at a heavier weight.

On August 29, 2009, Alfonso quickly won against Raul Munoz in the first round. This win set up an exciting fight with Jesús Soto-Karass.

On November 14, 2009, Alfonso fought Jesús Soto Karass before a big fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. Alfonso outboxed Soto-Karass in the early rounds. Soto-Karass accidentally headbutted Alfonso, causing a bad cut near his right eye. The fight had to be stopped in the sixth round because of the cut. Alfonso won by a technical decision and also won the WBC Continental Americas Welterweight title.

On March 13, 2010, Alfonso fought José Luis Castillo. Alfonso outboxed Castillo for five rounds, and Castillo retired before the sixth round. Alfonso thanked Castillo after the fight, remembering his past fights.

Alfonso has always wanted to become a World Champion. His father, Alfonso Gómez, Sr., is his coach.

A Fight That Didn't Happen

On December 4, 2010, Alfonso was supposed to fight Julio César Chávez Jr. for a title. This was a fight Alfonso had wanted for a long time! However, Alfonso tore some ligaments in his left elbow during training and had to pull out of the fight.

Returning to the Ring

Alfonso Gómez came back to boxing on May 21, 2011, after his elbow injury. He fought Calvin Green and won by TKO in the second round. Alfonso mostly controlled the fight, landing strong punches that led to the stoppage.

Challenging Canelo Álvarez

On September 17, 2011, Alfonso Gómez got another chance at a World Title. He fought Canelo Álvarez for his WBC Light Middleweight title. The fight was part of a big boxing event.

The fight started carefully. In the first round, Álvarez knocked Alfonso down briefly. In the next rounds, Alfonso used his quick movements and combinations to land many punches. He seemed to be controlling the fight. However, in the sixth round, Álvarez landed a strong punch that stunned Alfonso. The referee then stopped the fight, even though Alfonso seemed able to defend himself. Many people, including the TV commentators, thought the stoppage was too quick. Alfonso said after the fight that he felt the referee was looking for a reason to stop the fight in Álvarez's favor. He then decided to go back down to the Welterweight division to try and win a championship there.

More Fights and Injuries

Alfonso was scheduled to fight Jessie Vargas on May 5, 2012, but he injured his back during training and had to withdraw. He hoped to fight Vargas later.

On July 28, 2012, Alfonso Gómez fought the undefeated Shawn Porter. It was a very exciting fight! Porter landed more punches, but Alfonso landed cleaner, harder shots. Both fighters took a lot of damage. Shawn Porter won by unanimous decision.

After almost two years away due to injuries, Alfonso returned to the ring on July 9, 2014. He fought Ed Paredes and won by a wide decision, even though the referee called two questionable knockdowns against him.

On March 20, 2015, Alfonso Gómez fought Yoshihiro Kamegai. This was an action-packed fight! Alfonso used his jab effectively and landed great counter punches. He showed excellent control in the ring. Alfonso won by a unanimous decision, marking his second win since his comeback.

Retirement and Possible Return

Alfonso was supposed to fight Pablo César Cano on July 15, 2016, but he got injured during training, and the fight was canceled. After this, Alfonso seemed to retire from boxing. He hasn't fought since his match with Kamegai. However, on August 19, 2024, he announced that he might make a comeback at 43 years old! He mentioned Nick Diaz as a possible opponent.

Alfonso's Boxing Record

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
33	Win	25–6–2	Yoshihiro Kamegai	UD	10	Mar 20, 2015	Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, U.S.
32	Win	24–6–2	Ed Paredes	UD	10	Jul 9, 2014	Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
31	Loss	23–6–2	Shawn Porter	UD	10	Jul 28, 2012	HP Pavilion, San Jose, California, U.S.	For vacant WBO–NABO welterweight title
30	Loss	23–5–2	Canelo Álvarez	TKO	6 (12), 2:36	Sep 17, 2011	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S.	For WBC light middleweight title
29	Win	23–4–2	Calvin Green	KO	2 (10), 1:24	May 21, 2011	Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, Cabazon, California, U.S.
28	Win	22–4–2	José Luis Castillo	RTD	6 (10), 0:10	Mar 13, 2010	Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S.	Retained WBC Continental Americas welterweight title
27	Win	21–4–2	Jesús Soto Karass	TD	6 (10), 2:14	Nov 14, 2009	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.	Won vacant WBC Continental Americas welterweight title; Unanimous TD after Gómez was cut from an accidental head clash
26	Win	20–4–2	Raúl Muñoz	KO	1 (10), 1:01	Aug 29, 2009	Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
25	Win	19–4–2	Juan Manuel Buendia	TKO	8 (10), 1:07	May 1, 2009	Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
24	Loss	18–4–2	Miguel Cotto	RTD	5 (12), 3:00	Apr 12, 2008	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	For WBA welterweight title
23	Win	18–3–2	Ben Tackie	UD	10	Oct 16, 2007	Home Depot Center, Carson, California, U.S.
22	Win	17–3–2	Arturo Gatti	TKO	7 (10), 2:12	Jul 14, 2007	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
21	Win	16–3–2	Martin Concepcion	TKO	7 (8), 2:23	Mar 30, 2007	Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, England
20	Win	15–3–2	Carson Jones	TKO	8 (8), 2:28	Aug 25, 2006	Arco Arena, Sacramento, California, U.S.
19	Draw	14–3–2	Jesse Feliciano	MD	8	May 4, 2006	The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
18	Win	14–3–1	Luciano Perez	TKO	4 (5), 2:00	Oct 15, 2005	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
17	Win	13–3–1	Jesse Brinkley	UD	5	May 24, 2005	Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
16	Loss	12–3–1	Peter Manfredo Jr.	UD	7	Sep 23, 2004	Pasadena, California, U.S.	Part of NBC's reality TV show "The Contender"
15	Win	12–2–1	Ahmed Khaddour	UD	5	Sep 15, 2004	Pasadena, California, U.S.	Part of NBC's reality TV show "The Contender"
14	Win	11–2–1	Peter Manfredo Jr.	UD	5	Aug 18, 2004	Pasadena, California, U.S.	Part of NBC's reality TV show "The Contender"
13	Win	10–2–1	Julio Cesar Lanzas	UD	6	Feb 28, 2004	Radisson Graystone Castle Hotel, Thornton, Colorado, U.S.
12	Win	9–2–1	Patrick Thompson	TKO	5 (6), 1:12	Nov 22, 2003	Reliant Park, Houston, Texas, U.S.
11	Win	8–2–1	Jose Antonio Ojeda	MD	6	Sep 13, 2003	Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S.
10	Win	7–2–1	Antonio Garcia	KO	2 (6), 1:56	Jul 19, 2003	Reliant Park, Houston, Texas, U.S.
9	Win	6–2–1	Juan Carlos Amezcua	TKO	3 (6)	May 10, 2003	Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S.
8	Loss	5–2–1	Jesse Feliciano	UD	6	Feb 28, 2003	Orleans Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
7	Win	5–1–1	Michael Santos	UD	6	Jan 24, 2003	Crowne Plaza Hotel, Commerce, California, U.S.
6	Win	4–1–1	Dumont Welliver	UD	4	Nov 1, 2002	Orleans Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
5	Draw	3–1–1	Leobardo Roman	SD	2 (6), 0:44	Mar 29, 2002	Radisson Hotel, Sacramento, California, U.S.
4	Win	3–1	Jesse Feliciano	SD	4	Dec 28, 2001	Orleans Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
3	Win	2–1	Antonio Garcia	KO	1 (4), 3:00	Oct 25, 2001	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, U.S.
2	Loss	1–1	Ishe Smith	UD	4	Jun 15, 2001	Orleans Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
1	Win	1–0	Pedro Antonio Ochoa	SD	4	May 19, 2001	Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, U.S.	Professional debut

See also

In Spanish: Alfonso Gómez (boxeador) para niños