Nelson Dieppa: Former WBO Light-Flyweight Champion
Nelson Dieppa-Gerena is a Puerto Rican boxer from Vieques who competed as a light-flyweight amateur before becoming a WBO junior-flyweight world champion as a professional. Born on February 25, 1971, Dieppa represented Puerto Rico at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He lost his opening bout in the light-flyweight tournament to Bulgaria’s Daniel Petrov, 10–7, and finished tied for 17th.
Boxing career and major results
Dieppa turned professional in 1993. His first WBO junior-flyweight title opportunity came against Will Grigsby in July 2000. Grigsby was initially awarded a decision, but after he failed a post-fight drug test, the WBO changed the result to a no contest and vacated the title. Dieppa therefore did not begin his recognized championship reign with that bout.
On April 14, 2001, Dieppa won the vacant WBO title by knocking out Andy Tabanas in the eleventh round at Madison Square Garden in New York. He held the belt for four years and made five successful defenses. The title chronology records defenses against Fahran Sakkreerin, John Molina, Kermin Guardia, Ulises Solís and Alex Sánchez. The Molina bout ended as a technical draw after an accidental head clash, and Dieppa retained the championship.
Dieppa’s reign ended on April 30, 2005, when he faced Mexico’s Hugo Cazares in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. Cazares won by technical decision after the referee stopped the fight in the tenth round because of cuts opened by head clashes. The judges had Cazares ahead on all three scorecards at the stoppage. Dieppa was making what would have been his sixth title defense, so the result closed a four-year run as WBO champion.
Dieppa continued boxing after losing the belt, including a rematch with Cazares in 2006 and later world-title fights against Iván Calderón. His career connected Puerto Rico’s amateur and professional scenes: he competed at the Barcelona Olympics, won a major professional title, and defended it five times.
Sources
Sources: Olympedia athlete profile; BoxRec profile; BoxRec WBO light-flyweight title chronology; Contemporary report on the Cazares fight.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
