Victor Callejas boxer

Victor Callejas boxer
bouts
31
won
27
lost
3
draw
0
Status
inactive
Division
super bantamweight
Debut
1979-02-18
Height
5′ 6″/168cm
Reach
-
Age
-
Born
1960-12-11
Death
-
Nationality
Puerto Rico

Victor Callejas (born November 12, 1960) is a Puerto Rican former boxer who was world Junior Featherweight champion.Callejas compiled a record of 36 wins and 4 defeats as an amateur boxer, and in 1979, he decided to turn professional. That he did on the night of February 18 of that year. In his first bout, Callejas, like Henry Armstrong, Alexis Argüello, Chucho Castillo and Wilfredo Vazquez, lost. He was beaten by Jose Parrilla by a decision in four rounds. For his next three bouts, he travelled around some of the other Caribbean islands, gaining revenge over Parrilla in St. Croix for his first professional win, knocking out Wilt Jones in one round in St. Marteen for his first knockout and beating Albert Pagan, also by a knockout, in five.Between the fight against Jones and the fight versus Jose Ortiz in 1983, Callejas had a streak of 15 knockout wins in a row, winning Puerto Rico's Jr. Featherweight title and earning a ranking among the world's top Jr. Featherweights with the WBA along the way. Some fans even started to call him the next Wilfredo Gómez. His fight with Ortiz ended in a second round no-contest. But after that, on May 7 of '83, he beat Juan Arenade Balzan by a knockout in three, and then, on February 15 of 1984, he beat the WBA's number one challenger, Bernardo Checa, by a knockout in three in Guaynabo. That same night, but in Milan, Italian boxer Loris Stecca was becoming the new Jr. Featherweight champion of the world when he beat Leo Cruz by a knockout in round 12 for the WBA title.On May of that year, Stecca went to Puerto Rico to defend his title against Callejas. On May 26, Callejas became world champion by knocking Stecca out in round eight. Callejas then began to face different problems to fight, and it was almost a year later that he could finally defend his title for the first time, when he beat future IBF super bantamweight champion Seung-Hoon Lee by a decision in 15 on February 2, 1985, after dropping him in round 2, at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan.Stecca had won five fights in a row since losing to Callejas, all by knockout. So the logical next step was for a rematch to take place. The second time around, it was Callejas who had to travel to his rival's home turf, and so Callejas went to Italy, where he complained about such pre-fight conditions as the heating system in his hotel room and the gestures made towards him by some Stecca fans he met on the streets. Callejas-Stecca 2 took place on November 8 in Rimini, with Gómez himself and Ivonne Class broadcasting the fight for Puerto Rican TV. During round four of the rematch, the lights went off the sports facility where the fight was held at, and the fighters had to keep boxing under a complete obscurity. But in round six, Callejas retained the title with a highlight film knockout: He connected with a left hand that lifted Stecca off his feet, and when Stecca came down, he landed on his knees, his upper body over his lower legs. He got up, but was saved by the bell and not allowed to continue for round seven by his corner. This Callejas knockout earned many knockout of the year awards.Callejas would not fight again for two years. Many reasons were given for this, including managerial and weight making problems. But when he came back in 1987, he won fights over contenders Cleo Garcia (by decision in 10) and Nivio Nolasco (knockout in one), the latter of which marked Callejas' Las Vegas debut. Callejas was given an opportunity by the WBC to fight for another world title in 1988, and so he travelled to Australia, where he met Jeff Fenech on March 7, losing by a knockout in ten for the vacant WBC's world Featherweight title.

Date Opponent Last Opponents' Results Place Result
1990-09-06 Francisco Alvarez WWLWWL El San Juan Hotel & Casino, San Juan LOST
Points
1989-05-10 Brian Roche LWWLLL Royal Albert Hall, Kensington WIN
Points
1989-04-12 Juan B Torres LWWWLL Ulster Hall, Belfast WIN
Technical knockout
1988-03-07 Jeff Fenech WWWWWW Entertainment Centre, Sydney LOST
Technical knockout
1987-11-21 Pedro Nolasco WLWLLL Las Vegas Hilton, Outdoor Arena, Las Vegas WIN
KO
1987-03-27 Cleo Garcia LWDWWL Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan WIN
Points
1985-11-08 Loris Stecca LWWWWW Palazzetto dello Sport, Rimini WIN
Technical knockout
1985-02-02 Seung Hoon Lee WWWWWW Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan WIN
Unanimous decision
1984-05-26 Loris Stecca WWWWWW Mets Pavillion, Guaynabo WIN
Technical knockout
1984-02-15 Bernardo Checa LWWWWD Guaynabo WIN
KO
1983-05-07 Juan Balzan debut Guaynabo WIN
Technical knockout
1983-03-16 Jose Ortiz LWLLLL Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan NC
No Contest
1983-01-19 Manuel Santos LLLLLW Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan WIN
KO
1982-12-15 Ney Rubio LL Aragon Ballroom, Chicago WIN
KO
1982-11-13 Gilbert Garza LLLWLL Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan WIN
Technical knockout
1982-07-15 A Badilla debut WIN
KO
1982-06-12 Fernando Sagredo WLWLLW Convention Center, Miami Beach WIN
KO
1982-05-20 Carlos Alcibar LLWLLL San Juan WIN
Technical knockout
1982-03-31 Elvin Gonzalez WLWWWD Rio Piedras WIN
Technical knockout
1981-12-10 Juan Pimentel LLLLL Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan WIN
KO
1981-11-21 Lazaro Fabiano WLLWWL San Juan WIN
KO
1981-10-02 Victor Bultron LWWWLL Arroyo WIN
KO
1981-05-02 Milton Torres WWWDWD Ponce WIN
KO
1980-12-03 Ralph Ortiz debut Philipsburg WIN
KO
1980-11-08 Pedro Garcia debut Cobo Arena, Detroit WIN
KO
1980-09-20 Noel Rivera L Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan WIN
KO
1979-11-26 Albert Pagan debut Philipsburg WIN
KO
1979-08-04 Wilt Jones debut Philipsburg WIN
KO
1979-04-15 Jose Parrilla WWWL Santa Cruz WIN
Points
1979-03-24 Jose Parrilla WWW Paul E. Joseph Stadium, Frederiksted WIN
Split-decision
1979-02-18 Jose Parrilla WW Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan LOST
Points