Three-Division World Champion Wilfredo Gomez Dies in PR at 69
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
San Juan, (October 13th, 2026)– International Boxing Hall of Fame former Super Bantamweight, Featherweight, and Junior Lightweight boxing champion Wilfredo ‘Bazooka’ Gomez, a colorful figure both inside and outside the ring, has passed away in his native Puerto Rico at age 69 after being hospitalized for two weeks with respiratory infections.
He was born on October 29, 1956, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the Las Monjas neighborhood of the San Juan Santurce/Hato Rey barrio district. Gómez compiled an amateur boxing record of 96 wins and 3 losses. His key amateur boxing successes and titles included: the 1974 World Amateur Championships, where he won the gold medal at the inaugural tournament in Havana, Cuba, competing in the bantamweight division; the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games, where he won the gold medal in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and the 1972 Olympic Games, competing at age 15 in Munich, Germany, and was eliminated in the first round. Gomez then turned professional in late 1974 to support his family financially, rather than waiting two more years for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The decision proved historic in the super bantamweight division.
Ranked 13th on Ring Magazine’s list of Top 100 Punchers All-Time, Gomez drew in his professional debut with Jacinto Fuentes in November 1974 in Panama City, then reeled of 32 consecutive knockouts, including in a rematch with Fuentes, winning the World Boxing Council Super bantamweight title during this streak. In August 1982, Gomez lost to Salvador Sanchez in a bid for the World Boxing Council World Featherweight title.
Regrouping, Gomez reeled off nine consecutive wins, retaining his WBC Super Bantamweight title, and winning the WBC World Featherweight title by decisioning Juan LaPorte in March 1984 at Robert Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, after Salvador Sanchez died in a car accident in Mexico. He lost that title to Azumah Nelson in December 1984 in San Juan, then won the World Boxing Association Super Featherweight title by decisioning Rocky Lockridge in May 1985. Gomez then lost that title to Alfredo Layne in San Juan in May 1986. After scoring comeback wins in 1988 and 1989 in Florida, Gomez retired with a pro record of 44 wins, three losses, and one draw, with 42 knockouts.
Gomez later worked as a trainer, and for a time trained Hector Camacho Jr. in Puerto Rico. Gomez subsequently lived in Venezuela, Colombia, and Orlando, Florida. He had several minor skirmishes with the law for drug possession (followed by a stint in rehabilitation), domestic disputes, and briefly became a born-again Christian. The movie Bakooka: The Battles of Wilfredo Gomez was a 2003 documentary by Cinemar Films directed by Mario Diaz.
In March 2022, Gomez made headlines for the first time in years. Former boxing champion and friend Victor ‘Luvi’ Callejas triggered a major public outcry and intervention. Local authorities and paramedics removed a disheveled, swollen Gómez from a residence in Cupey, Puerto Rico. His family requested emergency assistance, alleging he was being held in inhumane, squalid conditions and was being isolated from his relatives by his live-in partner. During the extraction, his partner reportedly obstructed police and threatened violence. Authorities successfully removed Gómez without injury and admitted him to a psychiatric institution for evaluation and medical care. Gomez was eventually discharged to a specialized care facility. Gomez spent his final years living with his wife, Carolina, supported by his son, Wilfredo Gomez Jr., and a supportive family. Gomez remained available for inspirational speaking engagements, public appearances, corporate events, and trade shows through talent agencies Celebrity Talent International and Nopa Talent.
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