Willie Monroe Jr. facts for kids

Willie Monroe Jr. is a professional boxer from the United States. He was born on December 17, 1986. He is known for his skills in the middleweight boxing division. Throughout his career, he has fought for world boxing titles two times. In 2015, he competed for the WBA, interim WBC, and IBO middleweight titles. Later, in 2017, he challenged for the WBO middleweight title. His nickname is "El Mongoose."

Early Boxing Days

Before becoming a professional, Willie Monroe Jr. had a very successful amateur boxing career. He won 128 fights and only lost 14. He also won gold medals at important events. These included the Empire Games and the New York Golden Gloves tournaments.

Becoming a Professional Boxer

Willie Monroe Jr. started his professional boxing journey on March 27, 2008. His first fight was against Erix Quinteros. He won his first 10 fights in a row. His first loss came in 2011 against Darnell Boone. After this loss, his promoter stopped working with him. Monroe Jr. took a break from boxing for 17 months. He returned to the ring in August 2012. In 2014, he won the Boxcino Tournament. This tournament was shown on ESPN 2. On January 16, 2015, he won a 10-round fight against Brian Vera. The judges all agreed that Monroe Jr. was the winner.

Big Fights and Challenges

Willie Monroe Jr. has faced some tough opponents in his career. Here are some of his notable matches:

Monroe Jr. vs. Golovkin

On May 16, 2015, Monroe Jr. fought against Gennady Golovkin. Golovkin was undefeated at the time. Monroe Jr. lost this fight in the sixth round by a TKO.

Monroe Jr. vs. Saunders

On September 16, 2017, Monroe Jr. challenged Billy Joe Saunders. Saunders held the WBO middleweight title. Monroe Jr. lost this fight by a unanimous decision. This was the third loss of his professional career.

Monroe Jr. vs. Maciel

On August 24, 2018, Monroe Jr. fought Javier Francisco Maciel. Monroe Jr. won this fight by a unanimous decision. The judges' scores were 100-90, 100-90, and 99-91 in his favor.

Monroe Jr. vs. Centeno Jr.

In his next fight, Monroe Jr. faced Hugo Centeno Jr.. Centeno Jr. was ranked #14 in the middleweight division by the WBC. This fight was not very action-packed. However, Monroe Jr. won by a unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94 for Monroe Jr. This fight took place on June 1, 2019.

Professional Boxing Record Summary

Willie Monroe Jr. has had a successful professional boxing career. As of July 2025, his record shows:

• Total Fights: 27
• Wins: 24
• Wins by Knockout (KO): 6
• Losses: 3

See also

In Spanish: Willie Monroe, Jr. para niños