Seventeen consecutive title defenses in a weight class, all by knockouts. In boxing history, only one boxer has achieved that feat: Wilfredo Gómez Rivera, better known as Bazooka Gomez. With his passing, boxing has lost the man behind a remarkable record of consecutive knockout title defenses. Reports confirm that Gomez died on Saturday night, October 10. He was 69.

“Wilfredo Gomez passed away on Saturday, former WBO President Paco Valcarcel has announced,” read The Ring Magazine’s tweet. “He was 69 years old. A former three-weight world champion and two-time Ring title holder, Gomez was considered one of the greatest Puerto Rican fighters of all time.”

The announcement followed reports from outlets such as El Nuevo Día, which reported that Gomez had passed away around 9 p.m. on Saturday. His son, Wilfredo Gomez Jr., confirmed the news on Telemundo.

Gomez had reportedly been dealing with several medical issues, including neurological damage linked to his long career in boxing. Days before his death, he was reportedly hospitalized at Hospital Auxilio Mutuo for breathing difficulties.

Last week, Gomez Jr. posted on social media to ask for prayers for his father’s recovery. “Hello everyone, fans, friends, and family. Please add Papa Bazooka to your prayers for his speedy recovery. God bless you all. Thank you ,” he wrote.

Wilfredo Gomez was born on October 29, 1956 in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, to Jacobo Gomez and Paul Rivera. Before turning professional, he built an impressive amateur record. After representing Puerto Rico at the 1972 Munich Olympics, Gomez won gold medals at the 1974 World Amateur Championships in Havana and the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo.

On November 16, 1974, Gomez made his professional debut, fighting to a draw against Jacinto Fuentes. He then put together a 15-fight winning streak before capturing his first world title. On May 21, 1977, he stopped South Korea’s Yum Dong-kyun to win the WBC super bantamweight.

Gomez went on to defend the title for a record 17 times, winning every defense by knockout or technical knockout. During that run, he also claimed the inaugural Ring Magazine super bantamweight title by knocking out Néstor Carlos Jiménez on March 9, 1979.

His reign at 122 pounds culminated in one of the defining victories of his career. On December 3, 1982, Gomez stopped the formidable Lupe Pintor at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.

The bout took place on a card billed as ” The Battle of Champions,” headlined by Thomas Hearns vs. Wilfred Benitez. Gomez and Pintor battled for 13 grueling rounds before the Puerto Rican dropped Pintor with a left hook in the 14th to secure a technical knockout victory.

Following his first professional loss to the great Salvador Sanchez, who stopped him in the eighth round of their fight on August 21, 1981, Gomez moved back to featherweight captured a title by defeating Juan Laporte via unanimous decision on March 31, 1984.

That reign proved short-lived. On December 8, 1984, another boxing legend, Azumah Nelson, stopped him in the eleventh round of their fight, ending his run as a champion.

Gomez then moved up to super featherweight, his third division, and won a 15-round decision over Rocky Lockridge to claim the WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles. A year later, Alfredo Layne handed Gomez his third professional loss, leaving him without a title.

After a year-long absence, Gomez returned to the ring and continued fighting for the next two years. He retired after knocking out Mario Salazar on July 19, 1989. In 1995, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF).

Gomez leaves behind his wife Carolina Gamboa and four children: Wilfredo Jr. and three daughters, Jennifer, Gina, and Liz Irina.

As tributes poured in, prominent figures from the boxing world joined fans in remembering Gomez and offering condolences to the family.

An outpouring of grief as boxing mourns Wilfredo Gomez

“Wilfredo Gómez one of the greatest fighters of all time is now resting in peace, ” wrote World Boxing Council (WBC) president Mauricio Sulaiman. “May his memory be eternal.”

In his tribute, former World Boxing Organization (WBO) president, Paco Valcárcel wrote, “He passed away a few hours ago, the one to whom I owe having entered the great family of International Boxing. Rest in peace, my eternal champion Wilfredo “Bazuka” Gomez.”

Gomez won the WBC super bantamweight and later secured the organization’s featherweight belt. The fact that Valcarcel, a former head of a rival sanctioning body whose title Gomez never won, also paid tribute to him speaks to the respect Gomez commanded throughout the sport.

The World Boxing Association (WBA) also remembered Gomez’s victory on May 19, 1985, when he captured its super featherweight title alongside the Ring Magazine’s belt.

Gilberto Mendoza, the sanctioning body’s president since 2015, recalled Gomez fondly. “To my great champion Wilfredo “Bazooka” Gómez, may God hold you in His glory. They were beautiful and cherished moments from my adolescence.

“I thank you for the respect, affection, and your kindness. Rest in peace, great champion. Here I leave you the first time I met him in my beautiful Maracay 1985.”

Boxing journalist Dan Rafael also remembered Gomez in a post on social media. “Sadly, all-time great Wilfredo Gomez, a Hall of Fame three-division champion & one of the greatest punchers in #boxing history, died on Saturday night. He was 69. As exciting a fighter who ever lived. #RIP,” he wrote.

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach shared his condolences on Instagram, “We lost a boxing legend … Rest in peace, Wilfredo Gomez. My condolences to the Gomez family and everyone who feels this loss.”

Gomez’s professional career spanned roughly 15 years. During that time, he established himself among the sport’s elite, competing in divisions packed with talented fighters and building a legacy a few have matched.

His achievements stand out not only for the number of title defenses he recorded but also for the devastating punching power that made him one of boxing’s most feared champions.

Wilfredo Gomez will be remembered alongside Puerto Rican boxing greats such as Carlos Ortiz, Esteban De Jesus and Edwin Rosario – a champion whose accomplishments earned him a lasting place in the sport’s history.