Wilfredo Gomez

He wasn't too good as a featherweight. Although he did win the title after he unsuccessfully challenged Sanchez in 1981. His best wins and showings were clearly at super-bantamweight. He had it all at his very best and was a demon puncher. Perhaps the hardest hitting 122lb fighter ever. Check out his showing against Zarate.

 

One of my favorites to watch.

The odd thing about his career is that he looked amazing at super bantamweight but fairly ordinary at higher weights.

Perhaps I shouldn't call him ordinary at FW since he only lost to the greats there (until he was shot) but his power did not seem to move up with him.

His war against Pintor and the ATG performance against Zarate should be seen by every boxing fan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDMgHtoJqZ4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS0gDrDsBlc

 

He's a prime example of a fighter who was only really at his peak at one weight, which happened to be in an historically shallow division in between two of the better ones. Shame, as he was impeccable at this weight but seemed a tad too big for 118 and just a tad too small and lacking in durability for 126. He had his fare share of success post-Sanchez, as well as above 122, but he clearly was not the same fighter. 122 is where he put it all together, and at that weight it's very difficult to envision anyone beating him.

With that last statement, I'm not just referring to guys that have fought at 122, but rather fighters that could've fought comfortably there and didn't have the luxury of the weight being around during their era. Jofre, Olivares for starters. Those are the two, along with Fenech, I'd give the best chance of off-setting his rhythm and taking it to him.

 

Yeah it was interesting how in that era there was the great Carlos Zarate at 118, and the great Wilfredo Gomez at 122, but both were lesser fighters in the weight divisions they moved up to. Probably not interesting that much but just thought i'd point it out! Gomez was still accomplished at the higher weights though

 

I'm not sure, but I think he may have just declined on the whole the more his career progressed. I definitely think the moves up played a part, but I can't help feeling he was sharper in his early 122 days than he'd become. Call me crazy, but I didn't even think he looked as good against Zarate and later on in his run as he did a guy like Alberto Davila in just his 11th pro fight.

 

Gomez was probably partying fairly heavily from quite early in his reign.

his title winning effort against the pretty good Yum was one of his very best as well.Yum was a good pure boxer, but Gomez' footwork and angles had him looking like a fool at times.

 

Here's the Alberto Davila fight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZBrRNpC3GQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHeKNLRm5b4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRlGWm7m8Eo

Davila was a really good fighter too who went onto become a champion.

Another early fight of his:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD6X0cWptNI

I must say that Gomez was not exactly a class act in the ring.

 

the Davila fight really shows Gomez worth both offensively and defensively.Nobody else handled him like that other than Lora in their first fight, but Wilfredo's offensive efficiency was just off the charts.

 

Best 122lber ever; ineffective anywhere higher. His win over Zarate, who I believe was 54-0(53) at the time (and had beaten 30-0(30) Alfonso Zamora!) is one of the best littleweight wins of all time..a few cagey opening rounds and then bang, Gomez has him hurt and what a finisher he is.

The Pintor fight is an absolute classic as well, though Gomez is less movement orientated in that fight; he's just gunning for Pintor and Lupe is only happy to fight back. great fight and WHAT a finish!

 

Some say Zarate was sick before the fight. Gomez clearly hits Zarate when he is on the canvas and should have been disqualified (fight was in P.R. so no way a DQ was going to happen).

 

I don't think a DQ for that would have happened anywhere except with Joe Cortez maybe.

 

A guy I really have only really looked closely at recently...and I think Pea was the man who got me to check out more of him in his prime aswell GPeter.

Frankly one of the best pure boxing talents I have ever seen.