Alfonso Zamora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alfonso Zamora |
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Zamora in 1976
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| Real name | Alfonso Zamora Quiroz | |||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | El Toro | |||||||||||||
| Rated at | Bantamweight | |||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in | |||||||||||||
| Reach | 68 in | |||||||||||||
| Born | 9 February 1954 Mexico City, Mexico |
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| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 38 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 33 | |||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 32 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 5 | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Alfonso Zamora Quiroz (born 9 February 1954) is a famous Mexican former professional boxer. He competed from 1973 to 1980. Alfonso Zamora was a bantamweight champion, which is a specific weight class in boxing. He held the titles from the WBA and The Ring magazine. He successfully defended his championship five times. Before becoming a professional, he won a silver medal in boxing at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.
Contents
Alfonso Zamora's Early Boxing Days
Alfonso Zamora started his boxing journey as an amateur. This means he boxed for fun and experience, not for money. He was very good, especially in the bantamweight category. This weight class is for boxers who weigh between 115 and 118 pounds.
Winning Silver at the Olympics
In 1972, when he was just 18 years old, Alfonso Zamora went to the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He represented Mexico in the bantamweight boxing event. He performed incredibly well, winning several matches.
- He knocked out Ricardo Fortaleza from the Philippines in the second round.
- He won against Stefan Forster from West Germany by points.
- He knocked out Juan Francisco Rodríguez from Spain in the third round.
- He also won against Ricardo Carreras from the U.S. by points.
Alfonso Zamora made it all the way to the final match. He won a silver medal, which is a huge achievement for any athlete. He lost the final match to Orlando Martinez from Cuba by points.
Alfonso Zamora's Professional Boxing Career
After his success at the Olympics, Alfonso Zamora became a professional boxer in 1973. This meant he would now box for money. He quickly became known for his powerful punches.
Becoming a World Champion
Just two years after turning professional, Alfonso Zamora won his first major title. On 14 March 1975, he fought against Soo-Hwan Hong for the WBA and The Ring bantamweight titles. Zamora won the fight by knockout in the fourth round. This made him a world champion!
He was a very active champion and defended his title several times that 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 successfully defended his title again. He won by knockout against Gilberto Illueca and also in a rematch against Soo-Hwan Hong.
The Big Fight: Zamora vs. Zarate
In 1977, there was another amazing Mexican boxer named Carlos Zárate Serna. He held the WBC bantamweight title. People really wanted to see Alfonso Zamora and Carlos Zárate fight. They were both undefeated and known for their powerful knockouts.
Their big match happened on 23 April 1977. It was a non-title fight, meaning no championship was on the line. Alfonso Zamora had an amazing record of 29 wins in 29 fights, with every single win coming by knockout! Carlos Zárate's record was also incredible: 45 wins in 45 fights, with 44 knockouts.
The fight was very exciting and highly anticipated. However, Carlos Zárate won the match. He scored a technical knockout (TKO) over Zamora in the fourth round. This was Alfonso Zamora's first professional loss.
After the Zarate Fight
After losing to Carlos Zárate, Alfonso Zamora's boxing career changed. In his very next fight, he lost his WBA and The Ring bantamweight titles. He was knocked out by Jorge Luján in the tenth round.
His record after these losses was not as strong. He continued to fight until 1980. He retired after losing to Rigoberto Estrada by knockout on 19 September 1980.
Alfonso Zamora was known for always trying to get a knockout. He was a very exciting boxer to watch. Even though his career had some ups and downs after the Zarate fight, he is still remembered as a powerful puncher. The Ring magazine even listed him as one of the 100 greatest punchers of all time. His final record was 33 wins, with 32 knockouts, and 5 losses.
See also
In Spanish: Alfonso Zamora para niños
- List of world bantamweight boxing champions
- List of Mexican boxing world champions
