Kermin Guardia: Boxing Career and Notable Fights
Colombian-born Kermin Guardia became the WBO minimumweight champion in 1998, beginning a reign that lasted until 2001.
WBO champion at minimumweight
BoxRec lists Guardia’s birthplace as Turbo, Colombia, and his hometown as Miami, Florida. He won the WBO title on May 30, 1998, by stopping Eric Jamili, then made three successful defenses before vacating the championship in 2001. He was a southpaw, according to the same record.
Guardia’s title run followed earlier opportunities against two leading champions at 105 pounds. He lost a twelve-round decision to Ricardo López in Las Vegas in May 1994 and was stopped by Rosendo Álvarez in Managua in March 1996. Those setbacks preceded his eventual WBO championship success.
From Challenger to Defending Champion
The breakthrough against Jamili came in Las Vegas, where Guardia ended the contest in the fifth round. It was a victory over the reigning champion, establishing Guardia as a titleholder after his unsuccessful challenges for the WBC and WBA belts. His career therefore illustrates the difference between reaching world championship level as a contender and later securing a belt of his own.
Guardia met Jamili again on March 27, 1999, this time winning a unanimous decision after twelve rounds in Miami. Later that year, he traveled to Mar del Plata, Argentina, and retained his championship against Luis Alberto Lazarte by split decision on October 30. The two defenses produced different verdicts but both kept the WBO minimumweight title in Guardia’s possession.
He also pursued success at light flyweight. The WBO’s historical record lists a twelve-round unanimous-decision victory over John Alberto Molina for an interim championship, followed by a 2004 title challenge against Nelson Dieppa. Those appearances extended his world-level career beyond the minimumweight reign that remains his best-known achievement.
Additional records: Guardia’s championship bouts and WBO championship history.
Selected career results
The Dieppa challenge took place in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, on March 20, 2004. Dieppa retained the WBO light-flyweight title by first-round knockout. The result marked another distinct championship attempt after Guardia’s earlier minimumweight reign.
Sources
- BoxRec: Kermin Guardia profile
- BoxRec: WBO minimumweight champions
- Box-Rank: minimumweight title history
Sources: https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/WBO_Light_Flyweight_Title_Fights
