Acelino Freitas
Encyclopedia
Acelino "Popó" Freitas is a Brazil
ian boxer
and a former world junior lightweight and lightweight champion. Freitas is also a state legislator for the state of Bahia . His style of fighting in the ring has garnered him a reputation for being more of a brawler than a boxer.
His nickname, Popó, was given to him by his mother, after the sound that babies make while drinking milk. Freitas had a difficult childhood, often sleeping on a sandy floor at his house. Since early in his life, he dreamed of a better place to live for his family. A skilled soccer player, he was more inclined, however, towards the sport of boxing since an early age. Fellow Brazilian Eder Jofre
, generally recognized as the greatest world champion to come out of that country, was one of Freitas' childhood heroes.
in Mar del Plata
.
in the first round that night, Freitas set off a streak of 29 knockout wins in a row, which places as one of the longest knockout wins streak in boxing history. His first 10 wins were against low level competition, but for fight number 11, he took on the much more experienced Edwin Vazquez, knocking him out in the seventh round.
Between 1997 and 1998, Freitas won four more fights and then took on Francisco Tomas Da Cruz, a former world title challenger of Julio César Chávez
. Freitas handled Da Cruz with a knockout in two rounds and then added three more knockout wins before getting his first world title shot.
Freitas' fights to the United States
. Freitas then made five defenses of his world title and had one non-title bout, all of which ended in knockout wins. He then went to London
and took only 45 seconds to stop Daniel Alicea in another non-title affair. Freitas then beat the former world champion, Al Kotey, (brother of David 'Poison' Kotei
) by a ten round decision.
world champion, Joel Casamayor
, a Cuban
refugee who resides in Florida
. In a rousing super featherweight unification title bout battle between unbeaten champions, a controversial knockdown and a blatant foul cost Casamayor his unblemished record and his title as Freitas won a close 12 round unanimous decision.
In a classic boxing confrontation between the Brazilian bomber Freitas (129½) and the Cuban boxer Casamayor (129½), the fighters switched roles midway through their encounter in what was reminiscent of Sugar Ray Leonard's first historic face-off with Thomas "Hitman" Hearns
back in 1981. The scientist Casamayor became the aggressive slugger, while the puncher Freitas turned into the boxer as once again the unpredictable transpired in a mega-fight.
A glancing right-hand to the neck of the off-balanced Casamayor in the 3rd round was ruled a knockdown by referee Joe Cortez and intentionally hitting on the break in the 6th saw the Cuban penalized another point. It was the difference in the finale tallies and the two point cushion that the tiring Freitas retained across the boards on all three judges scorecards. Ring officials Robert Byrd, Bill Graham and Dave Moretti having identical scores of 114 to 112 for the Brazilian.
, to fight Nigeria
n Daniel Attah, with only the WBO belt on the line, winning a 12 round decision on August 3, 2002.
Freitas then retained the title in Chicago with a fourth round knockout of Juan Carlos Ramirez. On August 9, 2003, he and Jorge Barrios
engaged in what Showtime commentator Steve Albert
called a candidate for fight of the year. Freitas was floored in rounds eight and eleven, but retaliated with a knockdown of his own towards the end of the eleventh, and ended up retaining the title by knockout in round twelve.
Freitas began 2004 by winning a 12 round unanimous decision over Artur Grigorian
on January 4, to become the WBO's world Lightweight champion. On February 1 of that year, the WBA announced it had named Freitas their 2003 Fighter of the year.
by quitting in the tenth round after being knocked down by a left hook in Connecticut
.
for the vacant WBO lightweight title by split decision. Freitas announced his retirement as a professional boxer on October 4, 2006. Later on, he announced his come back from retirement, and the WBO re-instated him as their lightweight champion.
On April 28, 2007 he fought Juan Diaz in Mashantucket, USA, losing by TKO after quitting on his stool before beginning the 9th round, drawing boos from the crowd.
He has been able to help his family financially and has built a soccer field in his mansion, allowing him to practice his second favorite sport.
Freitas' married wife Elena in 2001, they divorced in 2003.
He was Secretary of Sports in Salvador
and is member of Brazilian Republican Party
.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and a former world junior lightweight and lightweight champion. Freitas is also a state legislator for the state of Bahia . His style of fighting in the ring has garnered him a reputation for being more of a brawler than a boxer.
His nickname, Popó, was given to him by his mother, after the sound that babies make while drinking milk. Freitas had a difficult childhood, often sleeping on a sandy floor at his house. Since early in his life, he dreamed of a better place to live for his family. A skilled soccer player, he was more inclined, however, towards the sport of boxing since an early age. Fellow Brazilian Eder Jofre
Eder Jofre
Éder Jofre is a retired Brazilian boxer and former bantamweight and featherweight champion .-Amateur career:Jofre represented his native country at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.-Olympic Results:*1st round bye...
, generally recognized as the greatest world champion to come out of that country, was one of Freitas' childhood heroes.
Amateur career
Freitas competed for his native country and won a lightweight silver medal at the Pan American Games 1995Boxing at the 1995 Pan American Games
The Men's Boxing Tournament at the 1995 Pan American Games was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina from March 11 to March 27. It served as a qualification tournament for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia...
in Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
.
Early success
After the Pan American Games he turned into a professional boxer on July 14, 1995, against Adriano Jose Soares. With his win by knockoutKnockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
in the first round that night, Freitas set off a streak of 29 knockout wins in a row, which places as one of the longest knockout wins streak in boxing history. His first 10 wins were against low level competition, but for fight number 11, he took on the much more experienced Edwin Vazquez, knocking him out in the seventh round.
Between 1997 and 1998, Freitas won four more fights and then took on Francisco Tomas Da Cruz, a former world title challenger of Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer.He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world...
. Freitas handled Da Cruz with a knockout in two rounds and then added three more knockout wins before getting his first world title shot.
First World Title
On August 7, 1999, Freitas knocked out WBO Super Featherweight Champion Anatoly Alexandrov in the first round. Soon after, he signed a contract with cable TV giant Showtime, which began to telecastTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
Freitas' fights to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Freitas then made five defenses of his world title and had one non-title bout, all of which ended in knockout wins. He then went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and took only 45 seconds to stop Daniel Alicea in another non-title affair. Freitas then beat the former world champion, Al Kotey, (brother of David 'Poison' Kotei
David Kotei
David Kotei born on December 7, 1950 in Accra, Ghana, was a world featherweight boxing champion between 1975 and 1976 and was also the first Ghanaian professional boxer to win a world title. He was popularly called "D.K. Poison"....
) by a ten round decision.
Freitas vs Casamayor
On January 12, 2002, Freitas decided to sign for a unification bout with the WBAWorld Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
world champion, Joel Casamayor
Joel Casamayor
Joel "El Cepillo" Casamayor Johnson is a Cuban boxer, who turned pro after defecting to the United States on the eve of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The nickname "El Cepillo", literally translated to "the brush", comes from his uppercut, which rakes his opponents across the face...
, a Cuban
Cubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
refugee who resides in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In a rousing super featherweight unification title bout battle between unbeaten champions, a controversial knockdown and a blatant foul cost Casamayor his unblemished record and his title as Freitas won a close 12 round unanimous decision.
In a classic boxing confrontation between the Brazilian bomber Freitas (129½) and the Cuban boxer Casamayor (129½), the fighters switched roles midway through their encounter in what was reminiscent of Sugar Ray Leonard's first historic face-off with Thomas "Hitman" Hearns
Thomas Hearns
Thomas "Hitman" Hearns is a retired American boxer. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra" and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four divisions. He would also become the first fighter in history to win five world titles in five different divisions...
back in 1981. The scientist Casamayor became the aggressive slugger, while the puncher Freitas turned into the boxer as once again the unpredictable transpired in a mega-fight.
A glancing right-hand to the neck of the off-balanced Casamayor in the 3rd round was ruled a knockdown by referee Joe Cortez and intentionally hitting on the break in the 6th saw the Cuban penalized another point. It was the difference in the finale tallies and the two point cushion that the tiring Freitas retained across the boards on all three judges scorecards. Ring officials Robert Byrd, Bill Graham and Dave Moretti having identical scores of 114 to 112 for the Brazilian.
After Casamayor
Next, he went to PhoenixPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, to fight Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Daniel Attah, with only the WBO belt on the line, winning a 12 round decision on August 3, 2002.
Freitas then retained the title in Chicago with a fourth round knockout of Juan Carlos Ramirez. On August 9, 2003, he and Jorge Barrios
Jorge Rodrigo Barrios
Jorge Rodrigo "La Hiena " Barrios is a professional boxer in the junior lightweight division. His record is 47-3-1 . He is a former WBO world junior-lightweight champion....
engaged in what Showtime commentator Steve Albert
Steve Albert
Steve Albert is a sportscaster. He has served as a play-by-play announcer for the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, New York Mets, and Cleveland Cavaliers...
called a candidate for fight of the year. Freitas was floored in rounds eight and eleven, but retaliated with a knockdown of his own towards the end of the eleventh, and ended up retaining the title by knockout in round twelve.
Freitas began 2004 by winning a 12 round unanimous decision over Artur Grigorian
Artur Grigorian
Artur Grigorian is an Uzbek boxer of Armenian descent.- Amateur highlights :*1991 2nd place as a Lightweight at the World Championships in Sydney, Australia...
on January 4, to become the WBO's world Lightweight champion. On February 1 of that year, the WBA announced it had named Freitas their 2003 Fighter of the year.
Freitas vs Corrales
On August 7, 2004, Freitas lost for the first time, losing his WBO Lightweight title to Diego CorralesDiego Corrales
Diego "Chico" Corrales was an American boxer.He was the WBC, WBO, & The Ring lightweight champion, and the WBO & IBF super featherweight champion....
by quitting in the tenth round after being knocked down by a left hook in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
After Corrales
On April 29, 2006, Freitas defeated Zahir RaheemZahir Raheem
Zahir Raheem is an American boxer. Known as "Z-Man", his current professional record stands at 30 wins, 3 losses with 17 knockouts....
for the vacant WBO lightweight title by split decision. Freitas announced his retirement as a professional boxer on October 4, 2006. Later on, he announced his come back from retirement, and the WBO re-instated him as their lightweight champion.
On April 28, 2007 he fought Juan Diaz in Mashantucket, USA, losing by TKO after quitting on his stool before beginning the 9th round, drawing boos from the crowd.
Personal life
Freitas has been able to reach his dream of buying his family a better place to live. A national hero in Brazil, evoking memories of the idolatry many Brazilians felt for Freitas' childhood hero, Jofre. As a result he has become a campaign spokesman of many companies, adding to his income from boxing.He has been able to help his family financially and has built a soccer field in his mansion, allowing him to practice his second favorite sport.
Freitas' married wife Elena in 2001, they divorced in 2003.
He was Secretary of Sports in Salvador
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...
and is member of Brazilian Republican Party
Brazilian Republican Party
The Brazilian Republican Party is a Brazilian political party. Its electoral number is 10 and it became a registered political party on August 25, 2005. The Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus uses the party to elect its bishops in Brazilian elections...
.
See also
External links
- boxen-artur.de – Encyclopedia