Leo Gámez facts for kids

Silvio Rafael Gámez (born August 8, 1963), known as Leo Gámez, is a former professional boxer from Venezuela. He competed from 1985 to 2005. Leo Gámez made history by becoming the first boxer ever to win world titles in four different weight classes. These were the lightest weight divisions in boxing.

Many boxing experts believe Gámez is one of Venezuela's best boxers since the time of Betulio González.

Starting His Boxing Journey

Leo Gámez began his professional boxing career on February 14, 1985, in Maracay, Venezuela. He won his first fight against Francisco García. Soon after, he had six wins in a row by knockout. This means he won by hitting his opponent so hard they couldn't continue.

On April 30, 1987, Gámez got his first chance to fight for a title. He won the Venezuelan Jr. Flyweight title by knocking out Pedro Nieves in the second round.

First World Title Win

On January 10, 1988, Gámez fought for his first world championship. This was for the WBA Minimumweight title. He traveled to South Korea for this fight against Bong-Jun Kim. Gámez won the fight after 12 rounds, becoming a world champion for the first time! This made him famous in Venezuela and around the world.

After winning his first world title, Gámez had some problems with his managers. He only defended his title once, knocking out Kenji Yokozawa in Japan. He then broke his arm, which made him give up his title and take a break from boxing.

He returned to boxing on October 29, 1989. In 1990, he tried to win the WBA Jr. Flyweight title twice against Myung-Woo Yuh in South Korea. Both times, he lost by a close decision. Many fans thought he should have won.

Becoming a Multi-Champion

After those tough losses, Gámez took another break. But he came back, determined to win more world titles. He wanted to win the WBA Flyweight championship.

Winning His Second World Title

On November 21, 1993, Gámez got his third chance at the WBA Jr. Flyweight title. This time, the title was empty because the previous champion had retired. He fought Shiro Yashiro in Tokyo, Japan. Gámez finally won his second world championship by knocking out Yashiro in the ninth round! He successfully defended this title three times before losing it in 1995.

Later in 1995, he won a regional title, the WBA Fedelatin Flyweight title, in Paraguay.

Making History with Three Titles

Gámez then aimed to join a special group of boxers who had won world championships in three different weight classes. On March 13, 1999, he fought Hugo Rafael Soto for the WBA world Flyweight title. The fight took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City, which was Gámez's first fight in the United States. Gámez knocked out Soto in the third round, winning his third world title! This made him the first boxer to be a world Flyweight champion among those who had won titles in three or more divisions. When he returned to Caracas, Venezuela, he received a hero's welcome.

The Four-Time World Champion

In 1999, Gámez won an "interim" world Super Flyweight championship. This meant he was a temporary champion, and he would need to fight the main champion to be fully recognized.

Achieving Quadruple Champion Status

On October 9, 2000, Gámez got his chance to become a four-time world champion. He fought Hideki Todaka, the official WBA Super Flyweight champion, in Nagoya, Japan. Gámez knocked out Todaka in the seventh round! This incredible win made him the first boxer in history to win world titles in four different weight divisions, all from the same organization (the WBA). He was also the first Venezuelan to achieve this amazing feat.

He defended this title once but lost it in March 2001.

Later Career and Retirement

After that, Gámez tried to win a fifth world title in a different weight class, the Bantamweight division, but he lost the fight in 2002.

As of 2014, Leo Gámez was training young boxers in his home state of Guarico in Venezuela, sharing his knowledge and experience.

Leo Gámez officially retired from boxing after a fight in Thailand in 2005. He finished his career with a record of 35 wins, 12 losses, and 1 draw. Out of his 35 wins, 26 were by knockout.

Leo Gámez's Boxing Record Summary

World Titles Won by Leo Gámez

• WBA Minimumweight Champion (105 pounds)
• WBA Light Flyweight Champion (108 pounds)
• WBA Flyweight Champion (112 pounds)
• WBA Super Flyweight Champion (115 pounds)

Other Titles Won

• Venezuelan light flyweight champion (108 pounds)
• WBA Fedelatin flyweight champion (112 pounds) (won twice)

See also

In Spanish: Leo Gámez para niños

• List of boxing quadruple champions