Questionable Record of Mexican Media Executive Jorge Kahwagi
Editorial By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Disclaimer: *These are the opinions of Robert Brizel and not the Real Combat Media editorial team.
Wealthy Mexican media executive and politician Jorge Antonio Kahwagi Macari of Mexico City, Mexico, somehow professionally boxed between 2001 and 2015, age 33 to age 47, and compiled a 12-0 record with 12 knockouts. Along the way, Kahwagi boxed in the light heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions, winning and defending his Mexican Cruiserweight title, the World Boxing Council Latino Cruiserweight title, the World Boxing Council International Cruiserweight title, and the World Boxing Organization Latino title.
Kahwagi’s bouts took place in Bolivia, Spain, Mexico, the United States and the Philippines. The only issue was Kahwagi’s bout results, which seemed to have been decided before they took place. Even BoxRec notes this about Kahwagi’s last bout in Cebu City, a slight tap to the jaw that resulted in a first-round stoppage in 57 seconds against 13-3 Ramon Olivas Echeverria, who beat the count. He was then doubled over by more punches and gave up. There had been a 10-year gap between Kahwagi’s previous bout and his final bout. The ringside commentator said the bout was a fraud. How odd Echeverria, whose record in 2025 is now 18-25, was able to outpoint 16-6-1 Abraham Beltran over eight rounds, knock out 39-17-1 Raphael Zumbrano in one round, and knock out 15-3 Julian Fernandez amidst his so-called losses. Echeverria even made it to the third round against world-ranked 25-1 Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez earlier his year, 10 years after the Kahwagi farce.
Kahwagi’s first opponent, Perry Williams, a first-round knockout victim, was apprehended in an FBI sting after losing his second bout in the second round to Joey Torres, an undercover FBI Agent, in Operation Matchbook. 33-17 Roberto Coelho took a second-round dive in his 50th pro bout with Kahwagi, with people in the audience screaming fraud and people throwing objects into the ring. Kahwagi was exposed as a fraud.
While it can be said that sometimes fighters have to make due with lesser opponents on occasion, the process of cherry picking opponents is frowned upon. As opposed to a direct fake record of bouts which never occurred, fake padded records contain bouts which actually did take place. The bouts on Kahwagi’s record did take place, with 11-15-1 Alexei Osokin of St. Petersburg, Russia losing consecutive WBC and WBO regional title bouts to Kahwagi in the first round in 2002 in Russia, and again in 2003 in Mexico. Osokin conveniently lost seven consecutive decisions at six and eight rounds to world-class heavyweights as a trial horse, then suddenly reversed the trend and finished his career with seven consecutive knockout wins.
Among Kahwagi’s wins is a first-round knockout win over 183-15-2 Buck Smith, who later testified in the FBI’s Operation Matchbook as an accused Fraud. Kahwagi is the only opponent to stop the 183-win Smith in the first round. Smith, who went 12 rounds with Kevin Pompey in an IBF USA title bout, 10 rounds with Buddy McGirt, fought a six-round no-contest with Harold Brazier, six rounds with Antonio Margarito, and three rounds with Julio Cesar Chavez, for some reason could not hand Kahwagi’s so-called ‘power’.
Kahwagi claimed a 43-0 amateur record with 38 knockouts, which is impossible to believe. BoxRec has no record of any of Kahwagi’s amateur bouts. After getting college degrees in law and business administration, Kahwagi served in Mexico’s Lower Congress Chamber of Deputies. Thankfully, Jorge Kahwagi Jr., now age 57, is currently serving as vice-president of the Mexican tabloid newspaper La Cronica de Hoy. Kahwagi is permanently retired from boxing. After his ‘miracle’ comeback win in the Philippines at age 47 after a 10-year absence from the ring, there will be no more comebacks, so his ‘incredible’ 12-0 undefeated record and indelible mark as a rare Mexican cruiserweight boxer can forever remain intact.
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