Joan Guzman

Joan Guzmán is a Dominican former professional boxer who competed from 1997 to 2014. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters of his generation, having held world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO super bantamweight title from 2002 to 2005, and the WBO junior lightweight title from 2006 to 2008.

Guzmán's professional boxing career spanned more than 17 years, from 1997 to 2014, during which he fought a total of 37 times. He won 34 fights, with 21 of them coming by way of knockout. He suffered only one loss, one draw, and one no-contest, making him one of the most successful boxers of his era.

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on May 1, 1976, Guzmán began his professional career in the United States, making his debut fight in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 23, 1997. He defeated Juan Miguel Rivera via second-round TKO in his debut fight, and went on to win 28 more consecutive fights, including 16 wins via stoppage.

He had his first world title fight at the age of 26, on August 17, 2002, after 17 professional fights, against Fabio Daniel Oliva for the super-bantamweight WBO (vacant) title. He defeated Oliva via a third-round knockout to become the super bantamweight champion of the world. He went on to win four world titles at three weight classes, making him one of the most versatile boxers of his generation.

Guzmán is known for his exceptional boxing skills, punching power, and his impressive record of 21 KO wins. He also had a unique style in the ring, often compared to that of legendary boxer Mike Tyson, which earned him the nickname "El Pequeño Tyson" (The Little Tyson).

Guzmán has had some notable victories throughout his career, with wins over respected boxers such as Humberto Soto, Agapito Sánchez, Kevin Carter, Alfaro Gonzalez, Jorge Monsalvo, Jesus Pabon, and Jorge Pimentel. He successfully defended his title four times, including against the former world champion Agapito Sanchez in San Diego, California, on February 26, 2004, whom he defeated via a seventh-round TKO.

He also defended his title against future two-division champion Humberto Soto on November 17, 2007. This fight went the distance, and Guzmán won via a unanimous decision after 12 rounds.

One of the highlights of Guzmán's career was his attempt to win a world title at a third weight division. He challenged well-regarded Ali Funeka on November 28, 2009, for the vacant IBF lightweight title. Unfortunately, for both fighters, the bout resulted in a majority draw, which most believed Funeka won by a wide margin.

Guzmán and Funeka fought again on March 27, 2010, for the same championship. This time, Funeka had the chance to win the title as Guzmán was nine pounds above the lightweight limit. Nevertheless, the bout went on as scheduled, and Guzmán managed to score a knockdown and win the fight by split decision, leaving the belt vacant.

Guzmán's struggles to make the lightweight limit encouraged him to move up to junior welterweight. His first bout at 140 lbs was against Jason Davis on the undercard of Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana on December 11, 2010, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The bout ended in a TKO in the second round in favor of Guzmán, although he failed to make the weight for the second consecutive fight, coming in at 144.5 lbs.

Guzmán faced Colombian Florencio Castellano in his first fight as a super-lightweight in his homeland Dominican Republic, in January 2012. Guzmán knocked out Castellano in the first round, roughly 2:59 minutes into it. It was his first fight under the roster of Acquinity Sports (now Iron Mike Productions), a Florida-based promotion company, which had bet on the athlete's talent.

Following his impressive victory over Castellano, Guzmán faced Puerto Rican Jesus Pabón on March 2, 2012. The fight was presented as the main event at ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. The event was named 'D-Day Dominican Domination" and featured several Dominican boxers, including Ed 'The Lion' Paredes and Juan Carlos Payano. Guzmán won the fight via a unanimous decision, knocking down Pabón in the first round with a left hook and followed by consecutive knockdowns in the second and third rounds.

One of Guzmán's most significant fights was against Khabib Allakhverdiev on November 30, 2012, which ended his 33-fight win streak, and became his first and only loss. Allakhverdiev defeated Guzmán via an 8th round technical decision to win the WBA (regular) super-lightweight title.

Guzmán fought only three more times after the Allakhverdiev bout, winning all three fights, including a non-title bout against Kevin Carter on October 31, 2014, which was his last professional fight. Guzmán retired from professional boxing with a record of 34-1-1, which included 21 knockout wins and four title wins.

In conclusion, Joan Guzmán is one of the most successful boxers of his generation, with a stellar record of 34-1-1, including 21 knockout wins and four title wins. He has fought in five different weight classes, making him one of the most versatile boxers of his era. Despite his impressive record, Guzmán's career

Joan Guzmán Fight Record