Alfonso Zamora facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alfonso Zamora
Zamora in 1976
Statistics
Real name	Alfonso Zamora Quiroz
Nickname(s)	El Toro
Rated at	Bantamweight
Height	5 ft 4 in
Reach	68 in
Born	(1954-02-09) 9 February 1954 (age 71) Mexico City, Mexico
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	38
Wins	33
Wins by KO	32
Losses	5
Medal record Men's Boxing Representing Mexico Olympic Games Silver 1972 Munich Bantamweight

Alfonso Zamora Quiroz (born February 9, 1954) is a famous Mexican former professional boxer. He competed from 1973 to 1980 and was known for his incredibly powerful punches. He became the world champion in the bantamweight division, holding the Lineal and WBA titles. He successfully defended his title five times. Before becoming a professional, he won a silver medal for Mexico in boxing at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

Alfonso Zamora's Amateur Boxing Career

Before turning professional, Alfonso Zamora was a talented amateur boxer. He competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Germany. He won a silver medal in the bantamweight category, which was a great achievement for Mexico.

Here are some of his results from the 1972 Olympics:

• He defeated Ricardo Fortaleza from the Philippines by knockout in the second round.
• He won against Stefan Forster from West Germany on points.
• He knocked out Juan Francisco Rodríguez from Spain in the third round.
• He won against Ricardo Carreras from the U.S. on points.
• He lost to Orlando Martinez from Cuba on points in the final match, earning him the silver medal.

Alfonso Zamora's Professional Boxing Career

Alfonso Zamora started his professional boxing career in 1973. He quickly became known for his strong punches, often winning his fights by knockout.

Winning the World Bantamweight Title

Just two years after becoming a professional, Alfonso Zamora won his first world title. On March 14, 1975, he became the Lineal and WBA Bantamweight champion. He achieved this by knocking out Soo-Hwan Hong in the fourth round.

After winning the title, Zamora successfully defended it several times that same year. He knocked out Thanomchit Sukhothai and Socrates Batoto. In 1976, he continued his winning streak. He knocked out future boxing legend Eusebio Pedroza in the second round. Later that year, he defended his title again by knocking out Gilberto Illueca and winning a rematch against Soo-Hwan Hong.

The Big Fight: Zamora vs. Zarate

At the same time, another amazing Mexican boxer, Carlos Zárate Serna, held the WBC bantamweight title. People really wanted to see these two champions fight. They finally met in a special non-title match on April 23, 1977.

Before this fight, Zamora had an incredible record: 29 wins in 29 fights, and every single one was a knockout! Zarate's record was also very impressive: 45 wins in 45 fights, with 44 knockouts. It was a highly anticipated match, but Zarate won by a technical knockout in the fourth round.

After the Zarate Fight

After his loss to Zarate, Zamora's career changed. In his very next fight, he lost his Lineal and WBA Bantamweight titles to Jorge Luján by knockout in the tenth round. His record became less consistent after that. He retired from boxing after losing to Rigoberto Estrada by knockout on September 19, 1980.

Even though he faced some tough losses later in his career, Alfonso Zamora was famous for his powerful punches. The Ring magazine, a well-known boxing publication, listed him as number 47 on their list of the 100 greatest punchers of all time. His final professional record was 33 wins, with 32 of those by knockout, and 5 losses.

Professional Boxing Record Summary

See also

In Spanish: Alfonso Zamora para niños

• List of world bantamweight boxing champions
• List of Mexican boxing world champions