Betulio González
Encyclopedia
Betulio Segundo González (born October 24, 1949) is a former boxer
from Venezuela
, who is considered a national hero in Venezuela. He is considered by many to be Venezuela's greatest world champion in boxing history. A combatant of 91 bouts, he fought until eleven months before he turned forty, the mandatory age for professional fighters to retire in Venezuela.
A native of Maracaibo, Zulia State he made his professional boxing debut on April 24 of 1968, knocking out Elio Monzat in the third round at Gonzalez's hometown. Gonzalez won his first ten fights, including his Caracas debut, on November 25 of that same year, with a ten round decision over Evencio Bruquillos.
On August 1, 1969, his winning streak came to a halt, when he was held to a ten round draw (tie), by Juan José Brizuela in Caracas. He beat Brizuela by a ten round decision in a September 16 rematch, then challenged Hector Criollo for the Venezuelan Flyweight title on October 10. He won his first belt by knocking out Criollo in seven rounds to win the regional title.
On March 6 of 1970, he suffered a somewhat surprising defeat, at the hands of Felix Marquez, who had only one prior professional fight. He was knocked out by Marquez in six rounds. He followed this with a win over Nestor Jimenez and a loss to Ignacio Espinal; both Jimenez and Espinal would later go on to fight for world titles.
On April 1, 1971, he got his first world title try, in what also was his first fight abroad. Fighting Masao Ohba
in Tokyo for the WBA
world Flyweight title, he dropped a fifteen round unanimous decision.
After three more wins, he had his second chance at a world title: on November 20, he faced former world champion Erbito Salavarria
for the WBC
's vacant world title. The fight resulted in a controversial fifteen round draw: The Zulia State boxing commission alleged that Salavarria had been given sugar
or illegal drugs during the fight, and sent the WBC a bottle with which the sugar or drugs had supposedly been administered. The WBC wanted Gonzalez to be recognized as world champion, but Gonzalez declined.
With the WBC title declared vacant, Gonzalez got a second chance at it, and, on June 3 of 1972, he became a world champion by knocking out Socrates Batoto in four rounds. He lost the title in his first defense, being handed a tenth round knockout by Venice Borkhorsor on September 29 at Bangkok.
Gonzalez had four wins in a row after that loss, and, on August 4, 1973, he became a world Flyweight champion for the second time, when he claimed the vacant WBA title by defeating Miguel Canto
by a fifteen round majority decision in Maracaibo.
On November 17, he retained the title with an eleventh round knockout over Alberto Morales. On May 19, 1974, he faced Shoji Oguma
, another world champion boxer, in a non-title, ten round bout held at Tokyo. Gonzalez prevailed by a ten round decision. On July 20, Gonzalez fought in Italy against Franco Udella
, a world Jr. Flyweight champion, and he retained the WBA world Flyweight title with a tenth round knockout.
Oguma became the WBA world Flyweight champion when he beat Gonzalez, on November 1, with a fifteen round split decision in Tokyo.
After one more win, Gonzalez and Canto met once again, this time with Canto as WBC world champion. Canto defeated Gonzalez by a fifteen round split decision on May 24, 1975 at Monterrey
, Mexico.
Gonzalez then won eight fights in a row, before fighting for the Fecarbox
regional Flyweight title. On June 20, 1976, he won that title by knocking out Hildo Roche in two rounds. On November 10, he and Canto had a third match; Canto once again retained the WBC world Flyweight title with a fifteen round split decision, in a fight held at Caracas.
Gonzalez won eight more fights in a row before being given another chance at becoming world Flyweight champion. On August 12, 1978, he joined the exclusive group of boxers who have become world champions three times in the same division, by defeating Guty Espadas, Sr. by a fifteen round majority decision in Caracas. This fight proved controversial as well, as Gonzalez appeared to be knocked down in the last round, but the fight's referee chose not to count it as a knockdown.
On November 4, he retained the title against the famed but maligned Chile
an fighter Martin Vargas
, a national hero in his country himself, with a twelfth round knockout. Then, he and Oguma proceeded to have a third encounter, and, on January 1, 1979, they fought to a fifteen round draw in Hamamatsu.
Gonzalez returned to Japan on July 1979, where, on July 6, he avenged his previous defeat to Oguma, by retaining the title with a twelfth round knockout. But in his next defense, against Luis Ibarra
, he lost a fifteen round decision and the world title on November 17.
Gonzalez then embarked on another winning streak, which reached seven victories in a row, including two knockouts over future world champion Peter Mathebula, in ten and six rounds, respectively. This winning streak stopped when he challenged Juan Herrera
for the WBA world Flyweight title on December 19, 1981. Trying to become a world Flyweight champion for the fourth time, Gonzalez was knocked out in seven rounds.
Santos Laciar
went on to beat Herrera for the WBA world title, and, after Gonzalez got another win, the two boxing legends met, on September 14, 1982, at a Maracaibo hotel
. In what turned out to be his last try at becoming world Flyweight champion for the fourth time, Gonzalez lost a split decision to the Argentine
boxer.
After losing by a twelve round decision to Alberto Castro for the Fedelatin Flyweight title on July 7, 1984, Gonzalez announced his retirement for the first time.
In 1988, however, he returned to boxing for one more fight: having lost on November 28 to future world champion Rodolfo Blanco
by knockout in eight rounds, he retired, eleven months before mandatory retirement in Venezuela.
Gonzalez retired with a record of 76 wins, 12 losses and 3 draws, with 48 wins by knockout
.
He became a household name all over Latin America during his tenures as world champion, especially after the Spanish boxing magazines Ring En Español
and Guantes
helped popularize him.
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...
from Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, who is considered a national hero in Venezuela. He is considered by many to be Venezuela's greatest world champion in boxing history. A combatant of 91 bouts, he fought until eleven months before he turned forty, the mandatory age for professional fighters to retire in Venezuela.
A native of Maracaibo, Zulia State he made his professional boxing debut on April 24 of 1968, knocking out Elio Monzat in the third round at Gonzalez's hometown. Gonzalez won his first ten fights, including his Caracas debut, on November 25 of that same year, with a ten round decision over Evencio Bruquillos.
On August 1, 1969, his winning streak came to a halt, when he was held to a ten round draw (tie), by Juan José Brizuela in Caracas. He beat Brizuela by a ten round decision in a September 16 rematch, then challenged Hector Criollo for the Venezuelan Flyweight title on October 10. He won his first belt by knocking out Criollo in seven rounds to win the regional title.
On March 6 of 1970, he suffered a somewhat surprising defeat, at the hands of Felix Marquez, who had only one prior professional fight. He was knocked out by Marquez in six rounds. He followed this with a win over Nestor Jimenez and a loss to Ignacio Espinal; both Jimenez and Espinal would later go on to fight for world titles.
On April 1, 1971, he got his first world title try, in what also was his first fight abroad. Fighting Masao Ohba
Masao Ohba
Masao Ohba was a professional boxer from Tokyo, Japan. He was the WBA flyweight champion at the time of his death.- Childhood and Early Career :...
in Tokyo for the WBA
World 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 Flyweight title, he dropped a fifteen round unanimous decision.
After three more wins, he had his second chance at a world title: on November 20, he faced former world champion Erbito Salavarria
Erbito Salavarria
Erbito Salavarria is a retired professional boxer from the Philippines. He's also a former WBA and WBC flyweight champion.- Biography :Salavarria made his professional debut in 1963. He captured the WBC flyweight title with a TKO win over Chartchai Chionoi in 1970...
for the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
's vacant world title. The fight resulted in a controversial fifteen round draw: The Zulia State boxing commission alleged that Salavarria had been given sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
or illegal drugs during the fight, and sent the WBC a bottle with which the sugar or drugs had supposedly been administered. The WBC wanted Gonzalez to be recognized as world champion, but Gonzalez declined.
With the WBC title declared vacant, Gonzalez got a second chance at it, and, on June 3 of 1972, he became a world champion by knocking out Socrates Batoto in four rounds. He lost the title in his first defense, being handed a tenth round knockout by Venice Borkhorsor on September 29 at Bangkok.
Gonzalez had four wins in a row after that loss, and, on August 4, 1973, he became a world Flyweight champion for the second time, when he claimed the vacant WBA title by defeating Miguel Canto
Miguel Canto
Miguel Angel Canto Solis is a former world boxing champion from Mexico.- Boxing Life :Contrary to many Mexican boxers, Canto was not a "slam-bang" type of boxer...
by a fifteen round majority decision in Maracaibo.
On November 17, he retained the title with an eleventh round knockout over Alberto Morales. On May 19, 1974, he faced Shoji Oguma
Shoji Oguma
Shoji Oguma was a Japanese southpaw boxer at Flyweight.- Professional career :Oguma turned pro in 1970 and in 1974 won the WBC Flyweight Title by winning a split decision over Betulio González. He lost the title three months later in his first defense against Miguel Canto...
, another world champion boxer, in a non-title, ten round bout held at Tokyo. Gonzalez prevailed by a ten round decision. On July 20, Gonzalez fought in Italy against Franco Udella
Franco Udella
Franco Udella is an Italian former world boxing champion.- Olympic games results :1968 *Lost to Alberto Morales 0-51972 *1st round bye...
, a world Jr. Flyweight champion, and he retained the WBA world Flyweight title with a tenth round knockout.
Oguma became the WBA world Flyweight champion when he beat Gonzalez, on November 1, with a fifteen round split decision in Tokyo.
After one more win, Gonzalez and Canto met once again, this time with Canto as WBC world champion. Canto defeated Gonzalez by a fifteen round split decision on May 24, 1975 at Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Mexico.
Gonzalez then won eight fights in a row, before fighting for the Fecarbox
Fecarbox
Fecarbox refers to Federacion Centroamericana de Boxeo Profesional--a Central American sanctioning body within José Sulaimán's World Boxing Council. Some consider this an alphabet soup sanctioning body.-Other world organizations:...
regional Flyweight title. On June 20, 1976, he won that title by knocking out Hildo Roche in two rounds. On November 10, he and Canto had a third match; Canto once again retained the WBC world Flyweight title with a fifteen round split decision, in a fight held at Caracas.
Gonzalez won eight more fights in a row before being given another chance at becoming world Flyweight champion. On August 12, 1978, he joined the exclusive group of boxers who have become world champions three times in the same division, by defeating Guty Espadas, Sr. by a fifteen round majority decision in Caracas. This fight proved controversial as well, as Gonzalez appeared to be knocked down in the last round, but the fight's referee chose not to count it as a knockdown.
On November 4, he retained the title against the famed but maligned Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an fighter Martin Vargas
Martín Vargas
Martín Vargas Fuentes is a former boxer from Chile, who represented his native country at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. He attempted to obtain Chile's first boxing world title four times...
, a national hero in his country himself, with a twelfth round knockout. Then, he and Oguma proceeded to have a third encounter, and, on January 1, 1979, they fought to a fifteen round draw in Hamamatsu.
Gonzalez returned to Japan on July 1979, where, on July 6, he avenged his previous defeat to Oguma, by retaining the title with a twelfth round knockout. But in his next defense, against Luis Ibarra
Luis Ibarra
Luis Ibarra Castillo is a former Panamanian boxer who won the World Boxing Association flyweight championship. He was born on 1953-02-23 in Colón, Panama.-Pro career:...
, he lost a fifteen round decision and the world title on November 17.
Gonzalez then embarked on another winning streak, which reached seven victories in a row, including two knockouts over future world champion Peter Mathebula, in ten and six rounds, respectively. This winning streak stopped when he challenged Juan Herrera
Juan Herrera
Juan Herrera is a retired Mexican boxer in the Lightweight division. He is the former WBA World Flyweight Champion.-Professional career:...
for the WBA world Flyweight title on December 19, 1981. Trying to become a world Flyweight champion for the fourth time, Gonzalez was knocked out in seven rounds.
Santos Laciar
Santos Laciar
Santos Benigno Laciar , known familiarly as Santos Laciar and nicknamed Falucho, was an Argentine world flyweight champion.-Biography:Laciar was born in Huinca Renancó, in the province of Córdoba, Argentina....
went on to beat Herrera for the WBA world title, and, after Gonzalez got another win, the two boxing legends met, on September 14, 1982, at a Maracaibo hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
. In what turned out to be his last try at becoming world Flyweight champion for the fourth time, Gonzalez lost a split decision to the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
boxer.
After losing by a twelve round decision to Alberto Castro for the Fedelatin Flyweight title on July 7, 1984, Gonzalez announced his retirement for the first time.
In 1988, however, he returned to boxing for one more fight: having lost on November 28 to future world champion Rodolfo Blanco
Rodolfo Blanco
Rodolfo Blanco is a former boxer from Colombia who held the International Boxing Federation flyweight title in 1992.Blanco became a professional boxer in 1982. In 1987 he challenged Myung Woo Yuh for the World Boxing Association light flyweight title, losing by an eighth-round knockout. In 1990 he...
by knockout in eight rounds, he retired, eleven months before mandatory retirement in Venezuela.
Gonzalez retired with a record of 76 wins, 12 losses and 3 draws, with 48 wins by knockout
Knockout
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...
.
He became a household name all over Latin America during his tenures as world champion, especially after the Spanish boxing magazines Ring En Español
Ring En Español
The Ring En Español was a Spanish version of boxing publication The Ring magazine. Ring En Español was published from 1977 to 1985. Originally published from Caracas, it moved in 1981 to Miami, to Editorial America , the same editorial house that oversaw the production of Cosmopolitans Spanish...
and Guantes
Guantes
Guantes is the name of a Spanish language boxing magazine that is produced from Panama.For years, the magazine's editor has been the well-known writer Chu Romero. Guantes covers news from the boxing world, but it concentrates on hispanic boxing news.Guantes had top competition from Ring En Español...
helped popularize him.