Yul-Woo Lee: The Fiery Korean Boxing Legend
Yul-Woo Lee was a South Korean professional boxer nicknamed “Hot Pepper.” In a career spanning five years, he won world titles at light flyweight and flyweight and compiled a record of 19 wins and 3 losses.
Two world titles
Lee won the WBC light-flyweight title in March 1989, stopping Mexico’s Germán Torres in the ninth round. He lost the belt in his first defense to Humberto González by unanimous decision in June.
In March 1990, Lee moved up to flyweight and won the WBA title from Jesús “Kiki” Rojas by split decision. He lost it in his first defense, stopped by Leopard Tamakuma in the 10th round on July 29, 1990. That was Lee’s final professional bout.
From prospect to championship contender
Lee turned professional in July 1985 and developed quickly through South Korea’s busy boxing scene. By 1987, he was facing opponents with international experience. His wins that year included a stoppage of Romy Navarrete, a ten-round decision over Julio Gudino and a fifth-round stoppage of former world champion Amado Ursua.
A decision loss to Miguel Mercedes in 1988 interrupted his unbeaten start, but Lee won again before challenging Torres. The Asian Boxing career profile describes the progression from those early contests to his first championship opportunity.
The bridge between his two title wins
Lee did not go directly from the Gonzalez defeat into the Rojas title fight. In between, he defeated Yong-Kang Kim, another boxer with world-championship experience. That result helped connect his light-flyweight reign with the successful move to flyweight.
Both championship reigns ended at the first defense, yet winning belts at two weights in only twenty-two professional bouts remains the defining feature of his short career. The record reflects rapid advancement and difficult opposition rather than a long period of championship dominance.
Sources
- BoxRec: Yul-Woo Lee professional record
- OpenBoxing: Lee’s world title reigns
- Asian Boxing: Career profile
- BoxRec: WBC light-flyweight title fights
- BoxRec: WBA flyweight title fights
Career records and reporting: boxrec.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
