Jorge Kahwagi
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Jorge Antonio Kahwagi Macari (born May 28, 1968, Mexico City) is a Mexican boxer, lawyer, businessman, politician and show business personality of Lebanese descent.
Kahwagi is not the stereotypical boxer: born into a rich family, Kahwagi attended the UNAM university, from where he graduated in 1990. He then became a very successful businessman, becoming vice-president of Mexico's confederation of the National Chambers of Commerce (CONCANACO). Kahwagi allegedly is one of Mexico's billionaires.
Kahwagi was a member of Mexico's PVEM political party. In 2000, he was elected as a commissioner of the Mexican Government, and he was assigned to different ventures such as being a member of Mexico's commission on the United States and on Japan.
Kahwagi, however, felt a void inside him, as his childhood dream was to become a professional boxer. Apart from being a golf player and a martial arts fighter while at the UNAM, he compiled a record of 43 wins without any losses, with 38 knockouts, as an amateur. His father had taught him how to box as a means of defending himself since Kahwagi was eight years old.
Kahwagi in 2001 became a show business personality when he entered Televisa's show, "Big Brother 3". As the wealthiest person in the house, he gained much pop culture fame across Mexico. He used this fame in his favor, as it allowed him to become a household name in his homecountry before he became a professional boxer.
On November 10, 2001 of that year, he made his professional debut, knocking out Perry Williams in the first round at San Francisco, California. His second fight, fourteen days later, formed part of a large boxing undercard that included world title defenses by Erik Morales and Jorge Arce, as well as one of Julio César Chávez's last fights. In front of a large crowd that included many Mexican celebrities, such as Verónica Castro, Kahwagi won his first professional fight held in Mexico by knocking out Daryl Brown in the first round, in Ciudad Juárez. This fight in particular was made fun of the day after it happened, as the hosts of the television show, Cotorreando, speculated that Kahwagi actually never landed a knockout punch and that Brown just laid on the canvas after Kahwagi missed a punch.
In his third fight, Kahwagi won the Mexican Cruiserweight title, knocking out José López in the first round, February 8, 2002 at El Paso, Texas.
On March 5 of that year, he made his European debut as a boxer, when he knocked out Laszlo Slilak, also in the first round, in Madrid, Spain.
He followed that victory with a fight on May 23 against Richard Wilson, also in Madrid. Once again, Kahwagi won by knnockout in round one.
After that win, Kahwagi was given his second chance at winning a regional title, when he fought Alexei Okosin, on September 27, at St. Petersburg, Russia. This fight was for the WBC's vacant intercontinental Cruiserweight title. Okosin became Kahwagi's first rival to survive the first round against him; Kahwagi nevertheless scored a fourth round knockout to win the title. Kahwagi faced Okosin in a rematch, which was also Kahwagi's first defense of his title. On February 22, 2003, Kahwagi knocked Okosin out in the first round in Mexico to retain the title, and to pick up the WBO Latino Cruiserweight title along the way. It shall be pointed out that Kahwagi won his first four fights by first round knockout until Okosin lasted four rounds with him in their first fight.
On May 31, Kahwagi knocked out Buck Smith (believed by many to hold the record at that time for most wins in professional fights held for an active boxer, with just under 200 fights), in the first round, at Tijuana.
On November 22, he retained the Mexican Cruiserweight title with a second round knockout of Mario Maciel.
Kahwagi had a step up in opposition quality for his next fight, as he fought for the vacant WBC Latin American Cruiserweight title on January 10, 2004, against Dwayne Swift, an experienced opponent who went into the fight with 44 wins in 74 bouts. Despite being dropped to the canvas for the first time as a professional, Kahwagi got up and knocked Swift out in the second round.
Unable to find any fights since, he has, nevertheless, become paparazzi fodder, being linked romantically with many female Mexican celebrities. Kahwagi's news have regularly been shown on international gossip shows.
Kahwagi has won all ten of his fights by knockout. Lately some of his fights have been surrounded in controversy as some fighters report they took a dive.
He gained more attention recently when he got into a fake fight on Mexican TV with pro wrestler Cibernetico.
Kahwagi and famous singer Ana Bárbara admitted to having an on-going relationship, and, in 2005, they became one of Mexican show business' most talked about couples. However, the couple ended their relationship the same year.
