Elvis Alvarez: Tragic Tale of Fallen Colombian Boxer
Elvis Álvarez was a southpaw from Medellín, Colombia, born February 2, 1965. BoxRec lists his professional debut in July 1983 and a final record of 31 wins, 8 losses and 3 draws, with 19 knockouts.
Video note: The preserved clip is Álvarez’s March 14, 1991 WBA flyweight title win over Leopard Tamakuma. Álvarez won the 12-round fight by unanimous decision.
Two flyweight titles
On March 3, 1989, Álvarez defeated Miguel Mercedes by decision to become the inaugural WBO flyweight champion. He vacated the belt in March 1990. On March 14, 1991, he won the WBA flyweight title from Tamakuma in Tokyo. That reign lasted until June 1, when Yong-Kang Kim beat him by unanimous decision after 12 rounds.
Final bout and death
Álvarez’s final professional bout came on January 8, 1994, when he challenged Junior Jones for the WBA bantamweight title and lost a 12-round decision. On July 16, 1995, he was shot and killed in Medellín at age 30. Contemporary reports said several gunmen approached him while he was riding a motorcycle; police said they did not know the motive.
Álvarez’s career included two major flyweight titles and a documented record of 42 professional bouts. His fights with Tamakuma and Kim bookended a brief WBA reign, while the Jones challenge marked his last appearance in the ring.
Sources
Sources: BoxRec profile; BoxRec WBA flyweight title chronology; BoxRec WBO flyweight title chronology.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
