Fulgencio Obelmejias

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Fulgencio Obelmejias (born January 1, 1953), sometimes known also as Fully Obel is a Venezuelan former boxer, who was world Super-Middleweight champion.

Biography

Obelmejias was born in San José de Río Chico. He represented his native country at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, where he was eliminated in the first round by Cuba's eventual bronze medalist Luis Felipe Martínez.

Professional career

He began his professional career, in the Middleweight division, on January 30, 1977, knocking out Franklin Suzarra in the first round at Caracas. After another win over Suzarra, he embarked on a tour of Mexico and southern California, having six consecutive fights in those areas from October 1977 to April 1978. In his first fight abroad, held at Mexico City, he worked for nine rounds in only his third professional bout before knocking out Jesus Garcia Ortiz. His second to last fight of that tour was against Abel Cordoba, whom he beat by a ten round decision in Tuxtla Guitierrez on February 27. His last fight on that tour, against Rudy Robles in Tijuana on April 3, marked the beginning of a seventeen fight knockout win streak. He knocked out Robles in four rounds.

After the fight with Robles, Obelmejias had six consecutive fights in his native Venezuela, including a win over Johnny Heard. He then returned to Mexico, to fight for the Fecarbox Middleweight title against Carlos Marks on December 17 in Culiacán. He won the regional title, as well as a top ten ranking at the Middleweight division by the WBC, by knocking Marks out in nine rounds.

Obelmejias kept winning fights by knockouts, and, on March 3 of 1980, he got one of the biggest wins of his career, when he beat former WBC world Jr. Middleweight champion Elisha Obed in three rounds at Caracas.

After eight more wins, all by knockout, Obelmejias was made the number one contender for the world Middleweight title by the WBC.

When his first chance to become a world champion arrived, on January 17 of 1981, many Venezuelans had faith that he would become world champion; his record at the time (30-0 with 28 knockouts) impressed many boxing fans. However, Obelmejias lost for the first time, being handed an eighth round knockout loss by then world champion Marvin Hagler in an HBO Boxing televised fight that took place at the famed Boston Garden, home of the NBA basketball's Boston Celtics.

Obelmejias won eight fights in a row, all by knockout, before being given a rematch by Hagler. Among those beaten during that new streak were former world Jr. Middleweight champion Eddie Gazo, beaten in two rounds in Caracas, future world champion Chong-Pal Park, knocked out in eight rounds, also in Caracas, and Alfredo Escalera's cousin, Reyes Escalera, also beaten in two rounds, in Barquisimeto.

On October 30 of 1982, he and Hagler had a rematch which was, once again, shown in the United States by HBO. The second time around, Hagler defeated Obelmejias by a knockout in five rounds at Sanremo, Italy. Both Hagler and Obelmejias fell in love with Italy and the country's culture. Obelmejias established himself there immediately after the rematch with Hagler. Hagler moved to Italy as soon as he lost the world Middleweight title to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987.

After his rematch with Hagler, Obelmejias won nine straight bouts before being upset, on July 27 of 1985, by Clarence Osby. Amongst the quality fighters that he defeated during that nine fight winning streak were Jeff Lampkin, beaten by an eight round decision, Jerry Celestine, also beaten over eight rounds, and Eric Winbush, who was beaten in Monte Carlo by another eight round decision.

Then, on May 30 of 1986, he became the Caribbean Light-Heavyweight champion, when he outpointed Tomas Polo Ruiz over ten rounds at Isla Margarita.

He lost the title in his first defense, when he was knocked out by future world champion Leslie Stewart in four rounds, at Trinidad and Tobago on November 15 of 1986.

After one more win, he was given a third try at becoming a world champion, when the WBA's Super Middleweight champion, Obelmejias' former rival, Chong-Pal Park, offered him a shot.

The third time proved to be the charm for Obelmejias, when he beat Park by a twelve round decision on May 23, 1988 at South Korea. With that win, Obelmejias had fulfilled his lifelong dream; as well as the dream of his fans' of becoming a world champion.

His stint as world champion did not last long, however, and he lost the title during his first defense, 370 days after winning it, being knocked out in eleven rounds by In-Chul Baek, also in South Korea.

Retirement

Obelmejias retired for good after three more wins; he was approaching, at 38, the mandatory boxing retirement age of 40 in Venezuela after his last fight, a ten round decision win over Eduardo Rodriguez.

Obelmejias had a record of 52 wins and five losses, with 41 wins by way of knockout.

Preceded by
Chong-Pal Park
WBA Super Middleweight Champion
23 May 1988 28 May 1989
Succeeded by
In-Chul Baek

Professional boxing record

52 Wins (41 knockouts, 11 decisions), 5 Losses (4 knockouts, 1 decision)
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 22-9 Panama Eduardo Rodriguez PTS 10 15/12/1992 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela Obelmejias was forced to retire after the fight due to a Venezuelan law regarding age.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win -- ???? Otata KO 3 18/12/1991 New Zealand Auckland, New Zealand
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 8-1-1 Australia Chris Nicolaou KO 6 29/09/1991 New Zealand Auckland, New Zealand
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 44-2 South Korea In-Chul Baek TKO 11 28/05/1989 South Korea Yeosu, South Korea WBA World Super Middleweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 1:21 of the 11th round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 46-3-1 South Korea Chong-Pal Park UD 12 23/05/1988 South Korea Suanbo, South Korea WBA World Super Middleweight Title. 114-110, 115-110, 117-109.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 17-0-1 United States Chris "Shamrock Express" Reid KO 10 18/06/1987 New York New York City, United States Reid knocked out at 1:01 of the tenth round.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 21-1 Trinidad and Tobago Leslie "Laventille Tiger" Stewart TKO 4 16/11/1986 Trinidad and Tobago Mucurapo, Trinidad & Tobago WBA Fedelatin Light Heavyweight Title.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 14-5-1 Colombia Tomas Polo Ruiz PTS 12 30/05/1986 Venezuela Porlamar, Venezuela WBA Fedelatin Light Heavyweight Title.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 12-5 United States Clarence Osby PTS 8 21/07/1985 Italy Campione d'Italia, Lombardia, Italy
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 9-2 United States "Lucky" Leon Taylor KO 2 15/12/1984 Italy Calabria, Italy
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 14-7 United States Eric Winbush PTS 8 22/09/1984 Monaco Monte Carlo, Monaco
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 14-2-3 Argentina Cesar Abel "La Bestia" Romero PTS 8 14/07/1984 Monaco Monte Carlo, Monaco
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 9-5 United States Arthel "Bam Bam" Lawhorne PTS 8 28/04/1984 Italy Campania, Italy
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 13-8 United States Henry Sims KO 4 23/03/1984 Italy Chiavari, Liguria, Italy
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 27-11-1 United States Jerry Celestine PTS 8 25/02/1984 France Paris, France
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 21-4 United States Jeff Lampkin PTS 8 14/12/1983 Italy Loano, Liguria, Italy
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 11-3 United States Raymond Gonzales TKO 4 24/10/1983 Italy Saint Vincent d'Aoste, Valle d'Aosta, Italy
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 54-2-2 United States "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler TKO 5 30/10/1982 Italy Sanremo, Liguria, Italy WBA/WBC World Middleweight Titles. Referee stopped the bout at 2:35 of the fifth round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 4-1-1 United States Willie Torres TKO 8 09/08/1982 Venezuela Porlamar, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 2-12 Puerto Rico Reyes Escalera TKO 2 14/06/1982 Venezuela Barquisimeto, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 8-30-5 United States Johnny Wise KO 2 15/02/1982 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 22-1-1 South Korea Chong-Pal Park KO 8 07/11/1981 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 44-8-2 Nicaragua Eddie Gazo KO 2 06/10/1981 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10-1-1 United Kingdom Wayne Barker TKO 2 31/08/1981 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10-17-1 United States Joe Gonsalves TKO 2 30/05/1981 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 24-10-6 Argentina Norberto Rufino Cabrera KO 5 04/05/1981 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 50-2-2 United States "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler TKO 8 17/01/1981 Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts, United States WBA/WBC World Middleweight Titles. Referee stopped the bout at 0:20 of the eighth round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 16-5-1 United States James Waire TKO 3 28/11/1980 Italy Campione d'Italia, Lombardia, Italy
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 15-2 United States Leroy Green, Jr. TKO 3 31/10/1980 Italy Rome, Lazio, Italy
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 12-5 United States Fred "Thump" Johnson TKO 3 10/09/1980 Italy San Remo, Liguria, Italy
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 13-11-6 United States Felton Marshall PTS 10 19/08/1980 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 6-11-1 United States Clifford Wills TKO 3 30/06/1980 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10-6 United States Lamont Lovelady PTS 10 26/05/1980 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win -- Walter Miranda KO 1 14/04/1980 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 18-11-1 Mexico Abel "El Tigre" Cordoba KO 2 01/04/1980 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 77-9-4 The Bahamas Elisha Obed KO 3 03/03/1980 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 14-3 United States "Sugar" Ray Phillips KO 4 17/12/1979 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 1-4 United States George Lee TKO 1 26/10/1979 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 4-12-1 United States Sammy Floyd TKO 10 16/09/1979 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 2-2 Dominican Republic Luis Arias KO 2 07/08/1979 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 11-4 United States Jamie Thomas KO 5 01/04/1979 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 9-16-3 United States Angel Jose Ortiz KO 2 10/02/1979 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 33-30-1 Trinidad and Tobago Carlos Marks TKO 9 17/12/1978 Mexico Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico WBC FECARBOX Middleweight Title.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 2-5 United States Ken Blackwell KO 3 12/11/1978 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 14-11 United States Johnny Heard KO 7 17/09/1978 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 44-36-3 United States Willie "Sweetwater" Warren RTD 9 30/07/1978 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 26-9-4 Puerto Rico Sandy Torres KO 4 15/07/1978 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 14-18 Dominican Republic Jose Anglada KO 1 04/06/1978 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 3-5-1 Venezuela Rolando Martinez TKO 1 30/04/1978 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 33-8-1 United States Rudy Robles KO 4 03/04/1978 Mexico Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 8-7-1 Mexico Abel "El Tigre" Cordoba PTS 10 27/02/1978 Mexico Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 7-3 Mexico Vicente "El Zurdo" Pinon KO 2 04/02/1978 Mexico Mexico City, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 0-1 Rogelio Vera KO 2 17/12/1977 Mexico Mexico City, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 6-5-1 United States Andre Beard KO 1 18/11/1977 California San Diego, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 1-0 Jesus Garza Ortiz KO 9 22/10/1977 Mexico Mexico City, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 0-1 Franklin Suzarra TKO 2 03/04/1977 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win -- Franklin Suzarra TKO 1 30/01/1977 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela

References

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