Victor Callejas
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Victor Callejas | |
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Born | Victor Callejas November 12, 1960 |
Nationality | Puerto Rican |
Other names | Luvi |
Statistics | |
Weight(s) | Super bantamweight |
Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 31 |
Wins | 27 |
Wins by KO | 22 |
Losses | 3 |
No contests | 1 |
Victor Callejas (born November 12, 1960) is a Puerto Rican former boxer who was world Junior Featherweight champion.[1]
Early history
Callejas compiled a record of 36 wins and 4 defeats as an amateur boxer, and in 1979, he decided to turn professional. That he did on the night of February 18 of that year. In his first bout, Callejas, like
Professional boxing career
Between the fight against Jones and the fight versus Jose Ortiz in 1983, Callejas had a streak of 15 knockout wins in a row, winning
External audio | |
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You may watch Victor "Luvi" Callejas vs Loris Stecca here |
On May of that year, Stecca went to Puerto Rico to defend his title against Callejas. On May 26, Callejas became world champion by knocking Stecca out in round eight. Callejas then began to face different problems to fight, and it was almost a year later that he could finally defend his title for the first time, when he beat future IBF super bantamweight champion Seung-Hoon Lee by a decision in 15 on February 2, 1985, after dropping him in round 2,[2] at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan.
Stecca had won five fights in a row since losing to Callejas, all by knockout. So the logical next step was for a rematch to take place. The second time around, it was Callejas who had to travel to his rival's home turf, and so Callejas went to Italy, where he complained about such pre-fight conditions as the heating system in his hotel room and the gestures made towards him by some Stecca fans he met on the streets. Callejas-Stecca 2 took place on November 8 in
Callejas would not fight again for two years. Many reasons were given for this, including managerial and weight making problems. But when he came back in 1987, he won fights over contenders Cleo Garcia (by decision in 10) and Nivio Nolasco (knockout in one), the latter of which marked Callejas'
Later that year, Callejas did a two fight tour of the United Kingdom, beating Juan Torres Odelin by a knockout in seven in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Brian Roche by a decision in eight in London.
Retirement
In his last fight as a professional, Callejas lost to Francisco Alvarez by a decision in eight at San Juan. Callejas later held an important position in a government sports department in Puerto Rico. He had a professional boxing record of 27 wins, 3 losses and 1 no-contest, with 22 wins by knockout.
On March 2, 2022, news surfaced that Callejas and other people had helped save former world boxing champion Wilfredo Gomez from "deplorable" living conditions at Gomez's house in San Juan. Once considered "the next Wilfredo Gomez" by press and fans alike, Callejas was by then friends with his former idol[4]
See also
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions
- List of super-bantamweight boxing champions
- Dommys Delgado Berty
- Boxing in Puerto Rico
References
- ^ "Victor Callejas retains featherweight crown". Lewiston Journal. Associated Press. 9 November 1985. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ^ "Luvi Callejas vs Seung Lee". YouTube.
- ^ "Best Knockout Ever, at 122lbs. Stecca v Callejas". YouTube.
- ^ ""Nadie tenía acceso a él": Luvi Calleja señala que pareja de Wilfredo Gómez lo aisló de sus seres queridos y amistades". 3 March 2022.
External links
- Boxing record for Victor Callejas from BoxRec (registration required)
- Victor Callejas stats