Betulio González Kept Fighting His Way Back to Flyweight
Betulio González became a three-time world flyweight champion when he defeated Guty Espadas in Maracay, Venezuela, on August 12, 1978. The WBA title victory followed two earlier WBC championship reigns and extended a career built around repeated returns to the top.
Career highlights
Born in Maracaibo on October 24, 1949, González turned professional on April 24, 1968. His first world-title opportunity came against WBA champion Masao Ohba in Tokyo on April 1, 1971. Ohba retained the belt by unanimous decision over fifteen rounds.
González reached championship status in 1972, with a fourth-round knockout of Sócrates Batoto among the key results. He lost the title to Venice Borkhorsor that September but regained the WBC championship the following year.
The WBA championship run
After beating Espadas in 1978, González made three defenses: a knockout of Martín Vargas, a draw with Shoji Oguma and a knockout in their return meeting. Luis Ibarra ended the reign by decision on November 17, 1979. González’s twenty-year professional career finished with 77 wins, 12 losses and three draws, including 52 knockout victories.
The second WBC reign began on August 4, 1973, after Venice Borkhorsor had vacated the championship. It continued until October 1, 1974, when Shoji Oguma succeeded him. González’s later WBA reign therefore represented a return to world championship status after a gap of almost four years.
Sources
- World Boxing Association: González’s biography and three championship reigns
- BoxRec: dates of González’s three flyweight championship reigns
