Antonio Avelar: The Legendary Mexican Flyweight Champion
Antonio Avelar was a Mexican flyweight boxer from Guadalajara who held the World Boxing Council (WBC) and lineal flyweight titles from 1981 to 1982. His championship run included a notable knockout of South Korean contender Kim Tae-shik.
Boxing career and major results
Avelar won the WBC flyweight championship on May 12, 1981, in Mito, Japan, stopping champion Shoji Oguma in the seventh round. He defended the title against Kim Tae-shik in Seoul that August, knocking Kim out in the second round.
Avelar’s reign ended in March 1982, when Prudencio Cardona stopped him in the first round to take the WBC title. In 1987, Avelar challenged Miguel Lora for the WBC bantamweight championship; that bout was the final fight listed in his professional record. His record is commonly listed as 39 wins, 13 losses, and one draw.
Avelar’s best-known victories came at flyweight, where he defeated Oguma for the world title and made a successful defense against Kim. Avelar’s championship achievement belongs to the flyweight division, distinct from his later bantamweight challenge.
Sources
Sources: BoxRec: Antonio Avelar; BoxRec: WBC Flyweight Title Fights; UPI, May 12, 1981; Cyber Boxing Zone: Antonio Avelar; World Boxing Council tribute.
Career records and reporting: ibroresearch.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
