Jorge Linares facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Linares and the second or maternal family name is Palencia.

Quick facts for kids Jorge Linares
Linares in 2013
Statistics
Real name	Jorge Luis Linares Palencia
Nickname(s)	El Niño de Oro ("The Golden Boy")
Rated at	Super bantamweight Featherweight Super featherweight Lightweight Light welterweight
Height	5 ft 7 in
Reach	69 in
Born	(1985-08-22) 22 August 1985 (age 39) Barinas, Venezuela
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	56
Wins	47
Wins by KO	29
Losses	9

Jorge Luis Linares Palencia, born on August 22, 1985, is a famous former professional boxer from Venezuela. He was a "triple champion," meaning he won world titles in three different weight classes! He held the WBC featherweight title, the WBA super featherweight title, and the WBA, WBC, and Ring magazine lightweight titles. His nickname is El Niño de Oro, which means "The Golden Boy."

Early Days in Boxing

Jorge Linares had a great start in boxing as an amateur. He won many national junior championships in Venezuela. He had an impressive record of 89 wins and only 5 losses!

When he was 17, Linares moved to Japan. He wanted to become a professional boxer right away. In Venezuela, he would have had to wait until he turned 18.

Becoming a Professional Boxer

Starting His Pro Career

Linares began his professional boxing journey in December 2002. He was managed by the Teiken Boxing Gym in Japan. His trainer, Sendai Tanaka, and another boxer, Antonio Esparragoza, gave him his famous nickname, El Niño de Oro.

His first professional fight was in Osaka, Japan. He was only 17 years old. He won by knockout in the very first round! His next fight was in Tokyo, and he won that one too. For his first few fights, he moved between different weight classes and stayed undefeated.

Winning His First Titles

In January 2004, at just 19 years old, Linares fought for his first title. He won the WBA Fedelatin super bantamweight title in his home country, Venezuela. He won by a unanimous decision, meaning all the judges agreed he was the winner.

Later that year, in August 2004, he won another title. He claimed the vacant WBA Fedelatin featherweight title in Tokyo, Japan. He continued to win his fights, mostly by knockout. In May 2005, he won the WBA Fedecentro featherweight title. He was knocked down for the first time in his career in that fight, but he got back up and won!

Featherweight Champion

First World Title Win

On July 21, 2007, Linares fought in the United States for the first time. He faced former WBC super bantamweight champion Óscar Larios for the WBC interim featherweight title. Linares showed off his amazing boxing skills. He knocked Larios down in the tenth round, and the referee stopped the fight. Jorge Linares became a world champion!

Defending His Title

Linares defended his WBC featherweight title against Gamaliel Díaz in Mexico in December 2007. He knocked Diaz down twice and won by knockout in the eighth round.

In August 2008, Linares decided to give up his featherweight title. He wanted to move up to a heavier weight class, super featherweight, and also needed time to recover from injuries.

Super Featherweight Champion

Winning a Second World Title

In November 2008, Linares fought for the vacant WBA super featherweight title against Whyber Garcia in Panama. He won the fight by technical knockout in the fifth round. This made him a world champion in a second weight class!

First Defense and New Team

In June 2009, Linares defended his WBA super featherweight title against Josafat Perez in Mexico. He won by technical knockout in the eighth round.

Later that year, Linares signed a contract with Golden Boy Promotions. This meant he would work with a big boxing company while still being with his original team, Teiken Promotions.

Losing His Undefeated Record

On October 10, 2009, Linares went back to Japan to defend his title against Juan Carlos Salgado. Salgado was undefeated. In a big upset, Linares lost his title and his perfect record. Salgado knocked him out in the very first round. This loss was named Ring Magazines "Upset of the Year."

After this loss, Linares took five months off. When he returned, he won his next fight in Venezuela.

Lightweight Champion

Moving Up to Lightweight

In July 2010, Linares fought in the United States again. He easily defeated Rocky Juarez by unanimous decision, winning the WBA Fedelatin interim lightweight title. He continued to win his fights, often by knockout.

He even trained with famous boxing coach Freddie Roach and helped Manny Pacquiao prepare for his fights.

Tough Losses and Comebacks

In October 2011, Linares fought for the vacant WBC lightweight title against Antonio DeMarco. Linares was ahead on points, but he got a bad cut on his nose. The referee stopped the fight in the eleventh round because of the cut, and Linares lost.

He then lost another fight in March 2012. But Linares didn't give up! He came back strong, winning four fights in a row.

Winning a Third World Title

In March 2014, Linares won an important fight against Nihito Arakawa. This win meant he was close to fighting for another world title.

On December 30, 2014, Linares fought Javier Prieto for the vacant WBC lightweight title in Japan. Linares knocked Prieto out in the fourth round! At 29 years old, he became the youngest Venezuelan boxer to win world titles in three different weight classes.

Defending His Lightweight Title

Linares defended his WBC lightweight title against Kevin Mitchell in London, England, in May 2015. Linares was knocked down in the fifth round, but he recovered and won by technical knockout in the tenth round.

In October 2015, Linares defended his title in his home country, Venezuela, for the first time. He knocked out Ivan Cano in the fourth round.

Big Fights with Anthony Crolla

In September 2016, Linares fought Anthony Crolla in Manchester, England. Linares won by unanimous decision, taking Crolla's WBA lightweight title and also winning the vacant The Ring Magazine title. It was a very close and exciting fight!

Because the first fight was so good, they had a rematch in March 2017, again in Manchester. This time, Linares put on an even more dominant performance. He knocked Crolla down in the seventh round and won by a clear unanimous decision. Linares kept his WBA and The Ring lightweight titles.

More Title Defenses

In September 2017, Linares defended his titles against Luke Campbell in California, USA. Linares won by a split decision, meaning two judges scored it for him and one for Campbell. It was a very close fight, and Linares even knocked Campbell down in the second round.

In January 2018, Linares defended his titles again against Mercito Gesta. He won by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. Linares showed his skill, landing many combinations.

Losing to Lomachenko

On May 12, 2018, Linares faced Vasiliy Lomachenko in New York City. Lomachenko was a two-weight world champion. Linares knocked Lomachenko down in the sixth round, which was a big surprise! However, Lomachenko recovered and won the fight by technical knockout in the tenth round with a powerful body shot. This loss ended Linares' 13-fight winning streak.

Moving to Light Welterweight

New Weight Class, New Wins

In September 2018, Linares moved up to the light welterweight division. He fought Abner Cotto in California and won by knockout in the third round. He showed that his power could carry up to the new weight class.

Another Upset Loss

In January 2019, Linares fought Pablo César Cano in New York City. In another surprising upset, Linares lost the fight by technical knockout in the very first round.

Back to Lightweight

Returning to Form

After his loss at light welterweight, Linares decided to move back down to lightweight. In September 2019, he fought Al Toyogon in Japan and won by a clear unanimous decision.

In his next fight in February 2020, Linares faced Carlos Morales. He knocked Morales down twice and won by knockout in the fourth round.

Challenging Devin Haney

In May 2021, Linares challenged Devin Haney for his WBC lightweight title in Nevada. Haney controlled most of the fight, but Linares hurt him with a strong combination in the tenth round. Haney managed to survive the last two rounds, and he won the fight by unanimous decision. This was the first time Linares lost a fight by decision.

Final Fights and Retirement

In February 2022, Linares fought Zaur Abdullaev in Russia for the WBC Silver lightweight title. Linares started strong but began to get tired. He was knocked down twice and lost the fight by technical knockout in the twelfth and final round.

Jorge Linares officially announced his retirement from professional boxing on October 22, 2023. He had a long and exciting career, becoming a world champion in three different weight classes.

Professional boxing record

Professional record summary
56 fights	47 wins	9 losses
By knockout	29	6
By decision	18	3

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
56	Loss	47–9	Jack Catterall	UD	12	21 Oct 2023	M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, England
55	Loss	47–8	Zhora Hamazaryan	UD	10	11 Dec 2022	DIVS, Ekaterinburg, Russia
54	Loss	47–7	Zaur Abdullaev	TKO	12 (12), 2:55	19 Feb 2022	RCC Boxing Academy, Ekaterinburg, Russia	For WBC Silver lightweight title
53	Loss	47–6	Devin Haney	UD	12	29 May 2021	Michelob Ultra Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.	For WBC lightweight title
52	Win	47–5	Carlos Morales	KO	4 (12), 2:09	14 Feb 2020	Honda Center, Anaheim, California, U.S.
51	Win	46–5	Al Toyogon	UD	10	7 Sep 2019	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
50	Loss	45–5	Pablo César Cano	TKO	1 (12), 2:48	18 Jan 2019	Hulu Theater, New York City, New York, U.S.	For WBC Silver International super lightweight title
49	Win	45–4	Abner Cotto	KO	3 (12), 1:31	29 Sep 2018	Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S.
48	Loss	44–4	Vasiliy Lomachenko	TKO	10 (12), 2:08	12 May 2018	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.	Lost WBA and The Ring lightweight titles
47	Win	44–3	Mercito Gesta	UD	12	27 Jan 2018	The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.	Retained WBA and The Ring lightweight titles
46	Win	43–3	Luke Campbell	SD	12	23 Sep 2017	The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.	Retained WBA and The Ring lightweight titles
45	Win	42–3	Anthony Crolla	UD	12	25 Mar 2017	Manchester Arena, Manchester, England	Retained WBA and The Ring lightweight titles
44	Win	41–3	Anthony Crolla	UD	12	24 Sep 2016	Manchester Arena, Manchester, England	Won WBA and vacant The Ring lightweight titles
43	Win	40–3	Ivan Cano	KO	4 (12), 0:58	10 Oct 2015	Poliedro, Caracas, Venezuela	Retained WBC lightweight title
42	Win	39–3	Kevin Mitchell	TKO	10 (12), 2:57	30 May 2015	The O2 Arena, London, England	Retained WBC lightweight title
41	Win	38–3	Javier Prieto	KO	4 (12), 1:50	30 Dec 2014	Metropolitan Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan	Won vacant WBC lightweight title
40	Win	37–3	Ira Terry	KO	2 (8), 1:21	16 Aug 2014	StubHub Center, Carson, California, U.S.
39	Win	36–3	Nihito Arakawa	UD	10	8 Mar 2014	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
38	Win	35–3	Francisco Contreras	TKO	1 (10), 3:08	10 Nov 2013	Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan
37	Win	34–3	Berman Sanchez	TKO	3 (10), 1:09	25 Aug 2013	Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan
36	Win	33–3	David Rodela	TKO	8 (10), 2:51	16 Mar 2013	Grand Oasis, Cancún, Mexico
35	Win	32–3	Héctor Velázquez	UD	10	6 Oct 2012	Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, U.S.
34	Loss	31–3	Sergio Thompson	TKO	2 (12), 2:27	31 Mar 2012	Grand Oasis, Cancún, Mexico
33	Loss	31–2	Antonio DeMarco	TKO	11 (12), 2:32	15 Oct 2011	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S.	For vacant WBC lightweight title
32	Win	31–1	Adrian Verdugo	TKO	7 (10), 1:49	28 May 2011	Mazatlan International Center, Mazatlán, Mexico
31	Win	30–1	Jesús Chávez	RTD	4 (12), 3:00	24 Oct 2010	Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan
30	Win	29–1	Rocky Juarez	UD	10	31 Jul 2010	Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.	Won WBA Fedelatin interim lightweight title
29	Win	28–1	Francisco Lorenzo	MD	10	27 Mar 2010	Polideportivo José María Vargas, La Guaira, Venezuela
28	Loss	27–1	Juan Carlos Salgado	TKO	1 (12), 1:13	10 Oct 2009	Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan	Lost WBA super featherweight title
27	Win	27–0	Josafat Perez	TKO	8 (12), 1:40	27 Jun 2009	Plaza de Toros, Nuevo Laredo, Mexico	Retained WBA super featherweight title
26	Win	26–0	Whyber Garcia	TKO	5 (12), 1:08	28 Nov 2008	Atlapa Convention Centre, Panama City, Panama	Won vacant WBA super featherweight title
25	Win	25–0	Gamaliel Díaz	KO	8 (12), 2:02	15 Dec 2007	Plaza de Toros, Cancún, Mexico	Retained WBC featherweight title
24	Win	24–0	Óscar Larios	TKO	10 (12), 2:37	21 Jul 2007	Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.	Won vacant WBC interim featherweight title
23	Win	23–0	Ramiro Lara	TKO	3 (10), 1:37	3 Feb 2007	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
22	Win	22–0	Humberto Martinez	TKO	6 (10), 2:34	7 Oct 2006	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
21	Win	21–0	Pedro Navarrete	UD	10	3 Jun 2006	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
20	Win	20–0	Saohin Srithai Condo	UD	10	1 Apr 2006	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
19	Win	19–0	Jeffrey Onate	KO	1 (10), 1:59	7 Jan 2006	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
18	Win	18–0	Denchai Sor Tiebkoon	TKO	1 (10), 2:30	3 Nov 2005	Seoul, South Korea
17	Win	17–0	Ayon Naranjo	UD	6	25 Sep 2005	Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan
16	Win	16–0	Jesus Perez	RTD	4 (10), 3:00	13 Aug 2005	Circulo Militar, Maracay, Venezuela
15	Win	15–0	Jean Javier Sotelo	TKO	2 (10), 1:56	26 May 2005	Estadio Luna Park, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Won vacant WBA Fedecentro featherweight title
14	Win	14–0	Luis Perez Vicente	KO	4 (6), 1:49	16 Apr 2005	Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan
13	Win	13–0	Melvin Ayudtud	KO	1 (10), 2:07	5 Feb 2005	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
12	Win	12–0	Rafael Castillo	TKO	4 (8), 2:16	3 Dec 2004	Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama
11	Win	11–0	Sung-Hoon Park	KO	1 (10), 2:42	2 Oct 2004	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
10	Win	10–0	Renan Acosta	UD	10	7 Aug 2004	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan	Won vacant WBA Fedelatin featherweight title
9	Win	9–0	Michael Domingo	UD	10	1 May 2004	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
8	Win	8–0	Hugo Rafael Soto	UD	10	31 Jan 2004	Poliedro, Caracas, Venezuela	Won vacant WBA Fedelatin super bantamweight title
7	Win	7–0	Pederito Laurente	UD	10	18 Oct 2003	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
6	Win	6–0	Jung-Keun Woo	KO	2 (8), 2:12	20 Sep 2003	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
5	Win	5–0	Thunder Ito	TKO	3 (10), 2:44	12 Jul 2003	Pacifico, Yokohama, Japan
4	Win	4–0	Ariel Austria	UD	8	19 Apr 2003	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
3	Win	3–0	Singdam Monsaichon	KO	3 (8), 1:02	15 Mar 2003	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
2	Win	2–0	Chawal Sor Vorapin	UD	6	15 Feb 2003	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
1	Win	1–0	Kyong-Soo Chung	KO	1 (6), 0:45	15 Dec 2002	Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan

Images for kids

Linares vs. Mitchell, 2015