Wilfredo Gómez dies: Puerto Rican boxing legend and three-division champion was 69

What happened

Puerto Rican boxing icon Wilfredo "Bazooka" Gómez, widely regarded as one of the most explosive punchers in boxing history, has died at the age of 69.

His son, Wilfredo Gómez Jr., confirmed his father's death during a broadcast on Telemundo, stating that he passed away at approximately 9.00 p.m. on Saturday. Gómez had been hospitalised for two weeks suffering from respiratory complications.

The former three-division world champion had faced declining health in recent years, including brain damage linked to his extensive career inside the ring. His family said further details regarding funeral arrangements would be shared on Sunday.

A legendary career in the ring

Born in San Juan on 29 October 1956, Gómez rose from the Las Monjas neighbourhood to become a national sports hero. He represented Puerto Rico at the 1972 Munich Olympics at just 15 years old before winning gold at the inaugural World Amateur Boxing Championships in Havana in 1974, knocking out every opponent he faced.

Gómez turned professional in November 1974, recovering from an initial draw against Jacinto Fuentes in Panama to reel off 15 consecutive knockout victories.

On 21 May 1977, at age 20, he captured his first world title by surviving an early knockdown to stop WBC super-bantamweight champion Dong-Kyun Yum in the 12th round at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan.

That victory launched one of the most dominant championship reigns in boxing history. Gómez went on to defend his 122-pound crown 17 times — winning every single defence by knockout, a record that still stands.

Gómez later claimed world titles at featherweight and super-featherweight, finishing his professional career with a record of 44 wins, three losses and one draw, with 42 of those victories coming inside the distance. His first professional defeat came in September 1981 against Mexican featherweight Salvador Sánchez; a rematch never materialised after Sánchez died in a car crash the following year.

Tributes and legacy

Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, in 1995, Gómez remains a central figure in Puerto Rican sports history.

Tributes have poured in across the sport, with World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaimán expressing condolences on behalf of the organisation. Gómez Jr. had requested public prayers earlier in the week as his father's health rapidly deteriorated.