Ricardo Antonio Mayorga Perez (born October 3, 1973) is a Nicaraguan professional boxer and former mixed martial artist. In boxing he is a former two-weight world champion, having held the unified WBA (Unified), WBC, Ring magazine, and lineal welterweight titles in 2003, and the WBC super welterweight title from 2005 to 2006. Mayorga first became well known to boxing fans upon being featured on the cover of The Ring's December 2003 issue, entitled "The craziest man in the sport: Mayorga lights up boxing." He has since maintained this infamous reputation with his relentless trash-talk in the build-up to most of his fights, as well as his smoking and drinking habits outside the ring.

Ricardo Mayorga
Born
Ricardo Antonio Mayorga Perez

(1973-10-03) October 3, 1973 (age 51)
Other namesEl Matador ("The Killer")
El Loco ("Crazy")
Statistics
Weight class
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[1]
Reach68+12 in (174 cm)[1]
Boxing record
Total fights46
Wins32
Wins by KO26
Losses12
Draws1
No contests1

Professional boxing career

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Mayorga vs. Lewis

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After defending the title against Larry Marks, Andrew Lewis took on Mayorga. The bout ended in the 2nd round and was ruled a No Contest due to a nasty cut on Lewis caused by accidental headbutt. Lewis's lost the title in a rematch to Mayorga in 2002 via 5th-round TKO.

Mayorga vs. Forrest I, II

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In January 2003, Vernon Forrest (35–0–0) fought Mayorga. Mayorga was a mostly unknown fringe contender from Nicaragua and few gave him a chance to win against the significantly bigger and stronger Forrest. Mayorga shocked the world when he easily dominated Forrest, dropping him once in the 1st round and again in the 3rd round. The referee would call off the fight after the second knockdown, as Forrest was visibly dazed and unable to get his footing.

Forrest would rematch Mayorga six months later, losing again, this time by a majority decision. The bout was close and competitive, with Mayorga mostly chasing Forrest around the ring while Forrest was content to fight from the outside.

Mayorga vs. Spinks

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Cory Spinks (31–2–0) rose to boxing stardom by unifying the WBC, WBA, IBF, and The Ring lineal welterweight titles on December 13, 2003, when he defeated Mayorga by majority decision.[2] Spinks was a 5 to 1 underdog going into the fight with Mayorga. The judges scored the fight 114–112, 117–109, 114-114, favoring Spinks.

Mayorga vs. Trinidad

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Félix Trinidad (41–1–0) announced a comeback on March 2, 2004. On October 2, 2004, he fought against Mayorga, in Madison Square Garden.[3] Early in the 1st round Mayorga was on the offensive connecting several combinations, later in the round Trinidad connected some punches to his opponent's face. Mayorga reacted defiantly while lowering his defense, which Trinidad used to continue the offensive during the closing seconds.[3] In the 2nd round, Trinidad continued connecting with combinations to Mayorga's face which caused him to bleed from his nose; the round concluded with both fighters exchanging punches.[3] In the 3rd round, Mayorga attempted to counter with punches to the body but did not do significant damage to his opponent, however later in the round one of these punches made Trinidad lose his balance and touch the floor with one glove which the referee counted as a knockdown.[3] In the 4th round, both boxers traded hard combinations. In the 5th round, Trinidad displayed control of the offense's tempo injuring Mayorga and opening a cut under one of his eyes.[3] This pattern continued in the 6th and 7th round, and the cut on Mayorga's face began to swell. In the 8th round, Trinidad scored several knockdowns, Mayorga continued after two knockdowns, but lost by technical knockout following a third knockdown.[3]

Mayorga vs. De La Hoya

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Oscar De La Hoya (37–4-0) took a layoff of 20 months before signing to fight Mayorga. In the buildup to the fight, Mayorga insulted everything from De La Hoya's sexuality to his wife and child,[4] but when they fought on May 6, 2006, De La Hoya knocked Mayorga down in the first minute of the fight with a left hook. De La Hoya knocked him out in the 6th round to take his tenth world title.[4]

Mayorga vs. Vargas

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It was confirmed on May 13, 2007, that Fernando Vargas (26–4–0) would face Mayorga on September 8, 2007, on Showtime PPV for the vacant WBC Continental Americas super middleweight title. However the fight was postponed after it was discovered during a routine blood test that Vargas was suffering from a severe iron deficiency. Doctors ordered Vargas not to participate in the upcoming bout until he received the necessary weeks of treatment to correct the problem. When the bout eventually took place it would be fought at 162 pounds, a weight that neither boxer has ever fought at. Many sources claim that Vargas had complained about fighting at the Jr. Middleweight limit of 154 pounds, stating that it's "too much for his body to take". Vargas has stated that fighting at that weight was the reason he did poorly against Mosley in the second fight.[5]

Vargas claimed that this would be the last fight of his career regardless of the result. He warned Mayorga that he would not tolerate any insults from him like the ones he hurled at De La Hoya in their press conferences. Vargas stayed true to his promise when at the first official press conference for the fight, Mayorga said some offensive things towards Vargas and attempted to slap him. Vargas immediately jumped up from his seat and retaliated with punches and a brawl broke out between the two fighters' camps, though order was quickly restored. Vargas also recalled the time when Mayorga said Vargas was scared of him when he had defeated Javier Castillejo, then was stripped of his WBC light middleweight title rather than face Mayorga, who then defeated Michele Piccirillo for the vacant title. Ultimately the contestants faced off, and Mayorga defeated Vargas by majority decision on November 23, 2007. The scores were 113-113, 114–112, and 115–111. Crucially, Vargas was knocked down in the 1st round and again in the 11th round. Post-fight Mayorga apologized to Vargas and the two forgave each other. Vargas officially declared his retirement soon after.

Mayorga vs. Mosley

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In August 2008, it was announced that Shane Mosley (44–5-0) would fight at light middleweight against Mayorga. The fight was to take place at Home Depot Center in California on September 27, 2008. The first time since 2000 that Mosley would fight in his home state. The fight was for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental light middleweight title.[6] Mosley was guaranteed $1 million. During the first three rounds of the bout, the harder puncher appeared to be Mayorga, who landed right hands from long range. Mayorga's roughhousing mixed with his usual showboating antics seemed to bother Mosley, who appeared more uncomfortable and agitated. In recklessly lunging in with wild power shots of his own, Mosley wound up falling into more clinches and getting caught with punches he should have avoided. Mosley settled down and found the distance in the 4th round and took the next three rounds by timing Mayorga with overhand rights that landed and occasionally following up with short hooks and single body shots. Mosley continued with right hands in the seventh and eighth rounds. Mosley was able to land single power shots in the late rounds, but threw very few combinations. At times Mayorga beat Mosley to the punch with lead right hands. Near the end of the eleventh round, Mosley landed a right hand that splattered blood from Mayorga's mouth. With less than a minute left in the bout, put Mayorga down on his hands and knees. Mayorga got up on unsteady legs; Mosley stepped in with a short, lead left hook that put Mayorga flat on his back at the bell, resulting in the referee waving the bout off. At the time of stoppage, two judges had Mosley ahead with scored of 107-102 and 105–104, whilst the third judge had Mayorga ahead 105–104. Had the fight gone to scorecards, Mosley would have won via unanimous decision due to the last round being a 10–7.[7][8][9]

Mayorga vs. Cotto

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On January 19, 2011, in a press conference at Times Square, New York, Bob Arum and Don King, working together for the first time in five years, officially announced that Miguel Cotto (35–2–0) would defend his WBA light middleweight title against Mayorga at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 12, 2011, live on Showtime PPV.[10] In front of 7,247 at the MGM, Cotto defeated Mayorga via TKO in the 12th round, retaining his WBA light middleweight title. Throughout the fight, Mayorga looked to engage, however the discipline on Cotto played a big part in the win, saving his big shots for the final round. A left hook ended, which dropped Mayorga ended the bout. At the time of stoppage, Cotto was ahead by five points on all three judges' scorecards. With the win, Cotto's record for world title fights improved to (17–2). Cotto earned $1 million from the fight and compubox stats showed that Cotto out punched Mayorga 249 to 176 in total punches. In the post-fight, Cotto explained how he won the fight, "The game plan was not to get caught up in any of his antics. He was very heavy handed, I felt his punches the whole fight." He also mentioned how before the last round, his trainer Emanuel Steward told him he would be able to stop Mayorga in the last round, which was the conclusion of the fight.[11][12][13]

Mayorga vs. Mosley II

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Mayorga decided to make a comeback as a boxer and won two fights in 2014, after over three-and-a-half years since losing to Cotto. He was then scheduled to rematch Mosley (47–9–1) in a fight on pay-per-view at The Forum located in Inglewood, California on August 29, 2015.[14] Mosley would again defeat Mayorga, this time by KO in the sixth round.

Mixed martial arts career

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On May 15, 2010, Mayorga was scheduled to make his professional MMA debut against UFC veteran Din Thomas on the Shine Fights: Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas card.[15] Don King filed for an injunction the week of the fight to prevent him from participating, claiming Mayorga had an exclusive contract with Don King Promotions (DKP).

Shine Fights stated that Mayorga's contract with DKP was for boxing, and as such did not apply to mixed martial arts. Judge Marc Gold granted the injunction just several hours before the fight.[16] Later on the same day, Shine Fights officials conceded defeat in the matter and Mayorga was pulled off the card.[17]

Following his retirement from boxing, Mayorga decided to properly embark on a professional MMA career and faced Wesley Tiffer on May 3, 2013. He was kept on the ground but able to survive round 1. Tiffer continued to grapple with him on the ground until Mayorga landed a controversial and illegal knee to Tiffer's spine, which left Tiffer screaming in pain. Mayorga won via TKO after Tiffer didn't answer the bell for round 3. The Nicaraguan Mixed Martial Arts Commission declared the fight a No Contest for the illegal knee a week later on May 10, 2013, and also suspended Mayorga for 3 months for being 20 pounds over the contracted weight limit of 165-lbs.[18]

Life outside boxing

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In the aftermath of his loss to the aforementioned Cotto, Mayorga went on record to state that he doesn't entirely dismiss the possibility of a comeback. Sources close to him predicted that he would return to the sport to face Antonio Margarito in a bout that would've supposedly been dubbed: "When villains collide", with the winner earning themselves one final shot at being able to resurrect their career and the loser permanently retiring from boxing – a fight that would've entertained fans not only at a press conference, but also inside the ring as well.

As of 2023, this match has not taken place.

Professional boxing record

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46 fights 32 wins 12 losses
By knockout 26 9
By decision 6 3
Draws 1
No contests 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
46 Loss 32–12–1 (1) Lester Martínez TKO 2 (6), 2:59 Apr 6, 2019 Cancha de Futeca, Guatemala City, Guatemala
45 Loss 32–11–1 (1) Rodolfo Gomez Jr. TKO 8 (10), 1:29 Apr 7, 2018 Energy Arena, Laredo, Texas, U.S.
44 Loss 32–10–1 (1) Andrey Sirotkin RTD 9 (12), 3:00 Nov 3, 2017 Trade Union Sport Palace, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia For vacant WBA Inter-Continental super middleweight title
43 Win 32–9–1 (1) Jeudiel Zepeda TKO 3 (10), 2:50 Apr 1, 2017 Chaman Bar, Managua, Nicaragua
42 Loss 31–9–1 (1) Shane Mosley KO 6 (12), 2:59 Aug 29, 2015 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
41 Win 31–8–1 (1) Andrik Saralegui RTD 5 (8), 0:10 Dec 20, 2014 Puerto Salvador Allende, Managua, Nicaragua
40 Win 30–8–1 (1) Allen Medina TKO 1 (6), 1:03 Sep 27, 2014 OKC Downtown Airpark, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
39 Loss 29–8–1 (1) Miguel Cotto TKO 12 (12), 0:53 Mar 12, 2011 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. For WBA (Super) super welterweight title
38 Win 29–7–1 (1) Michael Walker TKO 9 (10), 1:09 Dec 17, 2010 American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida, U.S.
37 Loss 28–7–1 (1) Shane Mosley TKO 12 (12), 2:59 Sep 27, 2008 Home Depot Center, Carson, California, U.S. For vacant WBA Inter-Continental super welterweight title
36 Win 28–6–1 (1) Fernando Vargas MD 12 Nov 23, 2007 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Won vacant WBC Continental Americas super middleweight title
35 Loss 27–6–1 (1) Oscar De La Hoya TKO 6 (12), 1:25 May 6, 2006 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Lost WBC super welterweight title
34 Win 27–5–1 (1) Michele Piccirillo UD 12 Aug 13, 2005 United Center, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Won vacant WBC super welterweight title
33 Loss 26–5–1 (1) Félix Trinidad TKO 8 (12), 2:39 Oct 2, 2004 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. For vacant North American Boxing Council middleweight title
32 Win 26–4–1 (1) Eric Mitchell UD 10 Apr 17, 2004 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
31 Loss 25–4–1 (1) Cory Spinks MD 12 Dec 13, 2003 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. Lost WBA (Unified), WBC and The Ring welterweight titles;
For IBF welterweight title
30 Win 25–3–1 (1) Vernon Forrest MD 12 Jul 12, 2003 The Orleans, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBA (Unified), WBC and The Ring welterweight titles
29 Win 24–3–1 (1) Vernon Forrest TKO 3 (12), 2:06 Jan 25, 2003 Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S. Retained WBA (Unified) welterweight title;
Won WBC and The Ring welterweight titles
28 Win 23–3–1 (1) Andrew Lewis TKO 5 (12), 1:08 Mar 30, 2002 Sovereign Center, Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S. Won WBA welterweight title
27 NC 22–3–1 (1) Andrew Lewis NC 2 (12), 0:07 Jul 28, 2001 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S. WBA welterweight title at stake;
NC after Lewis was cut from an accidental head clash
26 Win 22–3–1 Elias Cruz TKO 3 (10), 2:48 Feb 3, 2001 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
25 Win 21–3–1 Adolfo Salazar KO 1 (12), 0:41 Dec 16, 2000 Forum Bicentenario, Maracay, Venezuela Retained WBA Fedelatin super welterweight title
24 Win 20–3–1 Elvis Guerrero KO 2 (10) Nov 24, 2000 San José, Costa Rica
23 Win 19–3–1 Feliberto Alvarez UD 12 Aug 31, 2000 Hotel Melia Cariari, San José, Costa Rica Won vacant WBC FECARBOX super welterweight title
22 Win 18–3–1 Walter Palacios UD 10 Jul 28, 2000 Hotel Melia Cariari, Belén, Costa Rica
21 Win 17–3–1 Elio Ortiz KO 10 (12) Jun 3, 2000 Hotel Melia Cariari, San José, Costa Rica Retained WBA Fedelatin super welterweight title
20 Win 16–3–1 Manuel De la Rosa KO 1 (12) May 6, 2000 San José, Costa Rica Retained WBC FECARBOX super welterweight title
19 Win 15–3–1 German Espinales KO 4 (12) Apr 7, 2000 San José, Costa Rica Won vacant WBC FECARBOX super welterweight title
18 Win 14–3–1 Marco Antonio Avendano TKO 2 (12) Mar 18, 2000 Turmero, Venezuela Won WBA Fedelatin super welterweight title
17 Draw 13–3–1 Diosbelys Hurtado TD 2 (10) Nov 27, 1999 Carolina, Puerto Rico TD after an accidental head clash
16 Win 13–3 Giovanni Duran TKO 4 (10) Sep 25, 1999 San José, Costa Rica
15 Win 12–3 Jose Córdoba KO 1 (12) Jul 24, 1999 San José, Costa Rica Won vacant WBC FECARBOX welterweight title
14 Win 11–3 Walter Palacios KO 8 (10) Jun 12, 1999 San José, Costa Rica
13 Win 10–3 Henry Castillo TKO 7 (10) Apr 24, 1999 San José, Costa Rica
12 Win 9–3 Rafael Valdes KO 1 (10) Mar 13, 1999 San José, Costa Rica
11 Loss 8–3 Henry Castillo PTS 10 Sep 13, 1998 San José, Costa Rica
10 Loss 8–2 Roger Benito Flores UD 10 May 16, 1998 Gimnasio Alexis Argüello, Managua, Nicaragua
9 Win 8–1 German Espinales TKO 4 (10) Jan 6, 1998 Managua, Nicaragua
8 Win 7–1 Miguel Angel Perez TKO 3 (10) Dec 16, 1995 Managua, Nicaragua
7 Win 6–1 Adolfo Mendez TKO 2 (10) Sep 30, 1995 Managua, Nicaragua
6 Win 5–1 Benjamin Rivas TKO 8 (10) Feb 18, 1995 Gimnasio Alexis Argüello, Managua, Nicaragua
5 Win 4–1 Miguel Angel Perez TKO 6 (12) Jan 28, 1995 Managua, Nicaragua Won vacant Nicaraguan light welterweight title
4 Win 3–1 David Salguera KO 6 (10) May 20, 1994 San José, Costa Rica
3 Loss 2–1 Humberto Aranda TKO 6 (10) Aug 29, 1993 San José, Costa Rica
2 Win 2–0 Jose Miguel Alvarado RTD 5 (8) Aug 13, 1993 Gimnasio Municipal, Desamparados, Costa Rica
1 Win 1–0 Jose Morales KO 3 (10) Jul 20, 1993 San José, Costa Rica

Mixed martial arts record

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Professional record breakdown
4 matches 0 wins 3 losses
By knockout 0 0
By submission 0 2
By decision 0 1
By disqualification 0 0
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 0–3 (1) Sergio Ortiz Submission (armbar) World Series of Fighting 2: Central America December 14, 2013 2 4:23 Pharaoh's Casino, Managua, Nicaragua
Loss 0–2 (1) Sergio Ortiz Decision (split) CRF 6: Center Real Fights October 12, 2013 3 5:00 San José, Costa Rica, Costa Rica
Loss 0–1 (1) René Martinez Submission (guillotine choke) World Series of Fighting 1: Central America July 27, 2013 1 1:45 Nicaragua National Football Stadium, Managua, Nicaragua
NC 0–0 (1) Wesley Tiffer No Contest (illegal knee) Omega MMA: Battle of the Americas May 3, 2013 2 5:00 Pharaoh's Casino, Managua, Nicaragua Originally a TKO win; result overturned

Pay-per-view bouts

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Date Fight Billing Buys Network
May 6, 2006 De La Hoya vs. Mayorga Danger Zone 925,000[19] HBO

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b HBO Sports tale of the tape prior to the first Vernon Forrest fight.
  2. ^ "The Lineal Welterweight Champs". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on June 14, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Luis Escobar (2004-10-02). "Trinidad Returns To KO Mayorga". The Boxing Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  4. ^ a b Boxing News and Views :: May :: 2006. Eastsideboxing.com. Archived April 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "News Lib - Tech Magazine". fernando-vargas-news.newslib.com.
  6. ^ "Shane Mosley vs Ricardo Mayorga Official Update". www.doghouseboxing.com. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  7. ^ "HBO: Boxing: Shane Mosely vs. Ricardo Mayorga". HBO. Archived from the original on 2017-04-07. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  8. ^ "Shane Mosley vs. Ricardo Mayorga – Boxing.com". www.boxing.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-08. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  9. ^ "Shane Mosley KOs Ricardo Mayorga in final second of 12th round". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  10. ^ "Miguel Cotto vs Ricardo Mayorga To Be Announced Next Week | BoxingInsider.com". BoxingInsider.com. 2011-01-17. Archived from the original on 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  11. ^ "Cotto retains title as Mayorga quits late in 12th". ESPN.com. 2011-03-13. Archived from the original on 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  12. ^ "Official Results: Cotto Rocks Mayorga in 12th". BoxingInsider.com. 2011-03-13. Archived from the original on 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  13. ^ "Miguel Cotto Stops Ricardo Mayorga in 12, Vazquez Outclasses Zappavigna, Foreman No Match for Wolak". Bad Left Hook. Archived from the original on 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  14. ^ Dan Rafael (22 July 2015). "Notes: Mosley-Mayorga II in a tough spot". ESPN. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  15. ^ "Shine Fight announces "Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas" for May 15 in North Carolina". Mmajunkie.com. 2010-02-24. Archived from the original on 2010-05-05. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
  16. ^ Knapp, Brian (2010-05-15). "Update: Mayorga Bout, Shine Fights Cancelled". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  17. ^ "Ricardo Mayorga reportedly pulled from Shine Fights' "Worlds Collide" event | MMAjunkie.com". Archived from the original on 2010-05-18. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
  18. ^ "Mayorga Makes MMA Debut, Secures TKO Victory - Boxing News". Boxingscene.com. 2013-05-04. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  19. ^ Pay-Per-View History Archived 2007-06-06 at the Wayback Machine at about.com
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Sporting positions
Regional boxing titles
Inaugural champion Nicaraguan
light welterweight champion

January 28, 1995 – February 1995
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Rosemberg Gomez
Vacant
Title last held by
Eric Hernandez
WBC FECARBOX
welterweight champion

July 24, 1999 – September 1999
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Jose Luis Cruz
Preceded by
Marco Antonio Avendano
WBA Fedelatin
super welterweight champion

March 18, 2000 – July 28, 2001
Lost bid for world title
Vacant
Title next held by
Santiago Samaniego
Vacant
Title last held by
Humberto Aranda
WBC FECARBOX
super welterweight champion

April 7, 2000 – July 2000
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Carlos Bojorquez
Vacant
Title last held by
Kingsley Ikeke
WBC FECARBOX
super welterweight champion

August 31, 2000 – September 2000
Vacated
Vacant
Title last held by
Lucian Bute
WBC Continental Americas
super middleweight champion

November 23, 2007 – April 2008
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Adonis Stevenson
World boxing titles
Preceded by WBA welterweight champion
March 30, 2002 – January 25, 2003
Promoted
Vacant
Title next held by
José Antonio Rivera
as Regular champion
New title WBA welterweight champion
Super title

January 25, 2003December 13, 2003
Succeeded by
Preceded by WBC welterweight champion
January 25, 2003 – December 13, 2003
The Ring welterweight champion
January 25, 2003 – December 13, 2003
Lineal welterweight champion
January 25, 2003 – December 13, 2003
Vacant
Title last held by
Javier Castillejo
stripped
WBC super welterweight champion
August 13, 2005 – May 6, 2006
Succeeded by