Wilfredo “Bazooka” Gomez, the Puerto Rican three-division world champion whose 17 successful super bantamweight title defenses all ended by knockout, died Saturday, October 10, at age 69.

His son, Wilfredo Gomez Jr., confirmed his death to Telemundo Puerto Rico, which reported that Gomez had spent approximately two weeks hospitalized with respiratory complications. He died around 9 p.m., with the family expected to release further details Sunday.

Gomez’s place in boxing history rests most firmly on his extraordinary run at 122 pounds. He finished his career with a 44-3-1 record and 42 knockouts, winning world titles at super bantamweight, featherweight and super featherweight. He entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995.

Born in San Juan on October 29, 1956, Gomez represented Puerto Rico at the 1972 Munich Olympics and won amateur world championship gold in Havana in 1974. His professional championship career began in May 1977, when he recovered from an early knockdown to stop Dong Kyun Yum in the 12th round for the WBC super bantamweight title.

The nickname “Bazooka” suited his punching power, but Gomez brought more than heavy hands. His combinations, timing, and ability to create openings made him dangerous against opponents who could punch themselves.

Carlos Zarate discovered that in October 1978. The Mexican bantamweight champion entered their fight with 52 victories, no defeats, and 51 knockouts. Gomez stopped him in five rounds, producing one of the defining victories of his career and a memorable chapter in the Puerto Rico–Mexico rivalry.

His December 1982 fight with Lupe Pintor showed another side of his greatness. With his eyes swollen and his energy fading, Gomez had to keep fighting through a punishing contest in New Orleans. He stopped Pintor in the 14th round, completing his 17th successful defense at 122 pounds. That victory required endurance and courage alongside the power that had made him famous.

Moving through the divisions also brought defeats. Salvador Sanchez handed Gomez his first professional loss in 1981. Gomez nevertheless went on to win championships at 126 and 130 pounds, adding to a career already exceptional for his dominance at super bantamweight.

The knockout totals explain part of his legacy. The Zarate and Pintor fights explain the rest: Gomez could overwhelm an elite puncher or survive a brutal struggle long enough to finish it. Both remain essential viewing for anyone discovering the fighter behind the “Bazooka” name.

Floyd Schofield captured the vacant WBA lightweight title against Lucas Bahdi on Saturday night, but his uneven performance looked nothing like the explosive first-round finish he produced against Tevin Farmer well over a year ago.

Schofield (20-0, 13 KOs) won a unanimous decision at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, with scores of 116-110, 119-108, and 115-111. Bahdi (20-1, 15 KOs) supplied enough heavy punches and difficult moments to make that 119-108 card look particularly generous.

The long layoff appeared to show in Schofield’s timing and decision-making. His hand speed remained an advantage, but he alternated between sharp boxing and wild attacks that left him available for Bahdi’s counters. Against Farmer, everything ended before those weaknesses could be tested. Bahdi stayed around and kept testing them.

Schofield started well behind his jab, using quick combinations and lateral movement to make Bahdi chase. A third-round left hook sent Bahdi into the ropes for a knockdown, giving Schofield an early cushion.

That success did not lead to a comfortable night. Bahdi’s body punching and heavier shots kept him competitive, and the sixth round became a dangerous firefight. Schofield was badly rocked but answered with his own punches, showing toughness while taking risks he could have avoided.

His better work came when he returned to boxing. Bahdi struggled to cut off the ring consistently, allowing Schofield to score and move before the heavier return shots arrived.

The ninth brought controversy when Schofield’s knee touched the canvas after a Bahdi right hand without a knockdown being called. Bahdi received an official knockdown in the eleventh, although their feet tangled as Schofield went down.

Schofield used movement to negotiate the final round and secure the belt. He deserved credit for surviving the rough stretches, but winning a title should not obscure an untidy return.

Another lengthy absence would hardly help: he needs regular rounds to sharpen his timing and learn when to stop trading.

Ricardo Sandoval’s first defense of his unified flyweight titles ended in disaster as Sergio Mendoza Cordova dropped him three times and forced a fifth-round stoppage Saturday night at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Mendoza (28-1, 24 KOs) took the WBA and WBC belts from Sandoval (27-3, 18 KOs), turning a late replacement appearance into a career-changing victory. Sandoval was supposed to get through this fight and move toward bigger opportunities. Instead, he left with his title plans torn apart.

The warning about Mendoza was there in his record: 23 stoppages from 27 victories entering the fight. His second-round knockout loss to Thanongsak Simsri in April made him look vulnerable, but it did not erase the danger in his punching.

Sandoval had his own success, knocking Mendoza down with a right hook in the second round. That should have given the champion something to build on. Mendoza recovered, however, and Sandoval could not prevent the southpaw from taking over with pressure and heavy shots.

Three knockdowns told the story. This was no narrow defeat that Sandoval could dispute afterward, and the referee’s intervention in the fifth prevented him from taking further punishment.

The loss also changes how Sandoval’s lengthy absence looks. After beating Kenshiro Teraji by split decision in Japan in July 2025, he spent more than a year outside the ring before defending his belts. Whatever the reasons for that delay, his return offered none of the momentum he needed.

Winning two titles had put Sandoval in position to pursue bigger fights. Losing both in his first defense leaves him needing to rebuild, without the championship status that helped make those fights possible.

Mendoza deserves the credit for refusing to let his own knockdown decide the contest. He arrived as an underdog making his U.S. debut, absorbed an early setback and kept attacking. Sandoval had the plans, but Mendoza had the punches to wreck them.