Alberto Jimenez: The Relentless Mexican Boxing Champion
Alberto Jiménez was a Mexican flyweight boxer who held the WBO world title from 1995 to 1996. He won the championship from South Africa’s Jacob “Baby Jake” Matlala and made five successful defenses.
WBO flyweight champion
On February 11, 1995, Jiménez stopped Matlala in the eighth round in Hammanskraal, South Africa, to win the WBO flyweight title. His defenses included wins over Robbie Regan, Zolile Mbityi, Miguel Martinez, and Jose Lopez, followed by a draw with Carlos Gabriel Salazar in September 1996. Salazar took the title from Jiménez by a 10th-round stoppage on December 13, 1996.
Jiménez continued boxing after losing the championship and retired in 2000. BoxRec lists his professional record as 34 wins, 5 losses, and 3 draws, with 29 wins by knockout.
A championship defended across borders
Jiménez’s reign included bouts in several countries. After winning the belt in South Africa, he defended against Regan in Cardiff in June 1995 and against Mbityi in Tijuana that October. His 1996 defenses against Martinez and Lopez took place in Nevada before the two meetings with Salazar in Argentina.
The first Salazar fight is important to distinguish from the rematch. Their September meeting ended in a draw, allowing Jiménez to retain the title; the December contest ended with Salazar winning the championship. The title-bout archive identifies the September result as a draw rather than a Jiménez victory.
Before and after the WBO reign
Jiménez had previously challenged Muangchai Kittikasem for the WBC flyweight title in Bangkok in October 1991, losing by majority decision over twelve rounds. Years later, after the Salazar defeat, he returned for additional professional bouts. His record includes stoppage wins over Carlos Palacios and Gilberto Bolanos during 2000, closing a career remembered primarily for his WBO championship run.
Sources
- BoxRec: WBO Flyweight Champion lineage
- BoxRec: WBO Flyweight Title Fights
- BoxRec: Jiménez vs. Matlala
Career records and reporting: boxrec.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
