Hilario Zapata facts for kids

Hilario Zapata is a famous former professional boxer from Panama. He was born on August 19, 1958. Hilario competed in boxing from 1977 to 1993.

He became a world champion in two different weight classes. He held the WBC light flyweight title twice. He also held the WBA flyweight title.

Hilario Zapata's Boxing Journey

Hilario Zapata started his professional boxing career in 1977. His first fight was a win against Victor Lopez. He won by a knockout in the second round. He had two more wins that year.

Rising to the Top

Hilario quickly became a top boxer in 1978. By his fifth fight, he faced former world champion Juan Guzmán. Hilario won this fight by decision in Panama City. His next fight was in South Korea, his first time fighting abroad. He won that fight too, on his 20th birthday.

After that, he fought Alfonso Lopez for a special belt. Hilario lost this fight, which was his first loss.

Becoming a World Champion

In 1979, Hilario started strong with a knockout win in Puerto Rico. He won three more fights that year. One big win was against Freddie Castillo, a two-time world champion. By the end of 1979, he was ranked number one in the world.

In March 1980, Hilario traveled to Japan. There, he fought and beat the world champion Shigeo Nakajima. This made Hilario Zapata the new world Jr. Flyweight champion!

Defending His Title

Hilario defended his title many times. He won against Chi-Bok Kim in South Korea. He also beat Hector Rey Melendez and Reynaldo Becerra in Venezuela. He even had a rematch with Shigeo Nakajima in Tokyo, winning by knockout. He ended 1980 with another win over Becerra.

In 1981, Hilario had a big fight against Joey Olivo. This was a rare Jr. Flyweight title fight shown live on American TV. Hilario won by knockout in the 13th round. He then defended his title in San Francisco against Rudy Crawford. Back home in Panama, he beat German Torres. Later, he won against former world champion Netrnoi Sor Vorasingh by knockout.

Losing and Regaining the Title

On February 6, 1982, Hilario lost his world title to Amado Ursua. But he didn't give up! On July 20, he fought Tadashi Tomori in Japan and won back his world title.

He then defended his title against Jung-Koo Chang in South Korea. He won that fight by decision. He finished 1982 with another win against Tomori, knocking him out in eight rounds.

New Challenges and a Comeback

In March 1983, Hilario and Jung-Koo Chang fought again. This time, Chang won the world title by knocking Hilario out. Later that year, Hilario lost another fight in Las Vegas.

Many thought his career might be over. But Hilario quickly bounced back! He started winning again, but this time in a heavier weight class called Flyweight. By the end of 1984, he was ranked number one in the world.

In December 1984, he challenged world champion Santos Laciar in Argentina. Hilario lost that fight. However, in 1986, he got another chance. He beat Alonzo Gonzalez to win the WBA world Flyweight championship!

He successfully defended this new title against Javier Lucas, Shuichi Hozumi, Dodie Penalosa, Alberto Castro, and Claudemir Calvalho. He finally lost the title to Fidel Bassa of Colombia.

Later Career and Hall of Fame

In 1993, Hilario tried to become a world champion for a third time. He fought Sung-Kil Moon for the WBC world Jr. Bantamweight title. Unfortunately, Hilario was knocked out in the first round. A win would have made him one of the few boxers to win world titles in three different weight classes.

A fun fact is that Hilario's first boxing gloves were a gift from another famous Panamanian boxer, Roberto Durán, when Hilario was 12 years old.

The Panamanian newspaper El Panama America believed Hilario should be in the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. And they were right! Hilario Zapata was voted into the Hall of Fame in December 2015 and officially joined in June 2016.

Hilario Zapata finished his career with 43 wins, 10 losses, and 1 draw. He won 14 of his fights by knockout.

Professional Boxing Record Summary

See also

In Spanish: Hilario Zapata para niños

• List of southpaw stance boxers
• List of world light-flyweight boxing champions
• List of world flyweight boxing champions