Alex Sánchez (boxer)


Alexander Sánchez Sepúlveda is a former Puerto Rican professional boxer. He held the WBO minimumweight title from 1993 to 1997.

Boxing career

Sánchez began his professional boxing career on October 4, 1991, knocking out Carlos Figueroa in round one at Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
After one more win that year, he took 1992 off, but came back in 1993 to post nine wins in a row before facing Orlando Malone for the WBO's world Strawweight championship. On December 22 of that year, Sánchez became a world champion by knocking Malone out in the first round at San Juan, Puerto Rico.
He went on a European tour in 1994, retaining his title and winning a non-title bout in Spain, and retaining his title in Germany. By then, Sánchez was actively challenging Michael Carbajal into a fight. That fight, however, never came off.
In 1995, he retained his title twice, and won four non-title bouts. In 1996, he only had one fight, knocking out Jose Luis Velardez in round five.
In 1997, he started by suffering his first defeat, at the hands of Edgar Cardenas, by a decision in ten rounds. He then beat future world champion Victor Burgos by a decision in twelve to retain the title, in what marked the beginning of their trilogy of bouts. He closed the year by getting his long anticipated unification bout with WBC world champion Ricardo López, but he lost the title to López when López knocked him out in round five at Madison Square Garden.
Sánchez has been active only on and off since. In 2002, he and Burgos had their second meeting, and this time the result was a draw. But in 2003, after López had conquered the IBF world belt and retired, the IBF declared Sánchez and Burgos their official challengers for the world crown, and this time, Sánchez lost by a knockout in round 12 at Las Vegas.
Sánchez revealed that he had become a newborn Christian shortly before his next fight, an attempt at recovering the WBO world Strawweight championship, held this time by Ivan Calderón. On December 6, he lost to Calderón by a twelve-round unanimous decision at Bayamón.
On August 6, 2004, Sánchez, who had shortly before expressed to local newspapers that he hoped to become a world champion again, beat Roberto Gomez by an eight-round decision, as part of a San Juan undercard highlighted by José Miguel Cotto's win over former world champion Al Kotey.
Just over a month later, on September 11, he posted a first-round knockout over Arturo Velazquez, at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, also in San Juan.
On January 29, 2005, Sánchez attempted to win the WBO world Jr. Flyweight title, but he lost to champion Nelson Dieppa of Vieques by an eleventh-round knockout. Puerto Rican boxing experts commented that the Sánchez-Dieppa fight should have been considered for "fight of the year" in Puerto Rico.
His next fight, once again for the WBO Jr. Lightweight title that Hugo Cazares had taken from Dieppa, was held in Ponce on August 20 of that year. After suffering an eye injury, Sánchez lost the fight by an eighth-round technical knockout, announcing his retirement from professional boxing immediately after the bout.
At a moment in his career Alex Sánchez was trained by Felix Trinidad's father Felix Trinidad Senior.
Sánchez is now a boxing promoter in Puerto Rico.

Professional Record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, TimeDateLocationNotes
Loss31-8-1 Glenn DonaireRTD8 2011-12-09Kissimmee Civic Center, Kissimmee, Florida, United States.png" />For Interim WBC Latino Flyweight Title
Loss31-7-1 Nelson DieppaRTD9 2008-02-23Coliseo Héctor Solá Bezares, Caguas, Puerto Rico.png" />For WBA Fedebol Light Flyweight Title
Loss31-6-1 Hugo Fidel CazaresRTD8 2005-08-20Auditorio Juan Pachín Vicéns, Ponce, Puerto Rico.png" />For WBO Light Flyweight Title
Loss31-5-1 Nelson DieppaKO11 2005-01-29Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.png" />For WBO Light Flyweight Title
Win31-4-1 Arturo VelazquezKO1 2004-09-11Jose Miguel Agrelot, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico.png" />
Win30-4-1 Roberto GomezUD82004-08-06
Loss29-4-1 Ivan CalderonUD122003-12-06For WBO Minimumweight Title
Loss29-3-1 Jose Victor BurgosTKO12 2003-02-15Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.png" />For vacant IBF Light Flyweight Title
Draw29-2-1 Jose Victor BurgosSD122002-05-11Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico.png" />IBF Light Flyweight Title Eliminator
Win29-2 Jose LaureanoUD62001-07-21
Win28-2 Jose Luis VelardeKO1 2001-05-20
Win27-2 Melquiades VenturaKO2 2001-04-19Palace Hotel, Condado, Puerto Rico.png" />
Win26-2 Lorenzo TrejoUD101999-05-29
Loss25-2 Ricardo LopezTKO5 1997-08-23New York, New York, United States.png" />Lost WBO & For WBC Minimumweight title
Win25-1 Jose Victor BurgosUD121997-03-29Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.png" />Retained WBO Minimumweight title
Loss24-1 Edgar CardenasUD101997-02-22Caribe Hilton, Condado, Puerto Rico.png" />
Win24-0 Jose Luis VelardeTKO6 1996-05-04Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California, United States.png" />
Win23-0 Pablo TiznadoKO1 1995-10-27
Win22-0 Tomas RiveraUD121995-07-29Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas, United States.png" />Retained WBO Minimumweight title
Win21-0 Arturo ValdezTKO3 1995-06-15
Win20-0 Fernando MartinezKO1 1995-05-04
Win19-0 Ventura MendivilTKO2 1995-02-27
Win18-0 Rafael OrozcoUD121995-01-28MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.png" />Retained WBO Minimumweight title
Win17-0 Pablo TiznadoUD101994-11-01
Win16-0 Oscar AndradeTKO4 1994-09-10Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany.png" />Retained WBO Minimumweight title
Win15-0 Carlos Juan RodriguezKO1 1994-08-13Retained WBO Minimumweight title
Win14-0 Jose RodriguezTKO3 1994-06-11Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain.png" />
Win13-0 Arturo MayanTKO1 1994-01-07Palma de Mallorca, Islas Baleares, Spain.png" />Retained WBO Minimumweight title
Win12-0 Orlando MaloneTKO1 1993-12-22Won vacant WBO Minimumweight title
Win11-0 Jose JuarezKO4 1993-10-29
Win10-0 Andres CarrascoKO1 1993-10-15Yabucoa, Puerto Rico.png" />
Win9-0 Eduardo VallejoTKO1 1993-10-01 Camuy, Puerto Rico
Win8-0 Miguel SantosUD81993-07-17 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Win7-0 Jose Ramon BartolomeUD41993-07-03 La Linea, Puerto Rico
Win6-0 Jose HernandezKO1 1993-06-19 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Win5-0 Kenny BerriosTKO4 1993-05-15 Hotel Caribe Hilton, Condado, Puerto Rico
Win4-0 Carlos FigueroaKO1 1993-03-24 Hotel Caribe Hilton, Condado, Puerto Rico
Win3-0 Jose HernandezTKO4 1993-01-16 Isla Verde, Puerto Rico
Win2-0 Alfredo RiveraUD41991-11-04 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Win1-0 Carlos FigueroaTKO1 1991-10-04 Mayaguez, Puerto RicoProfessional debut

Legacy

He is recognized at Ponce's Parque de los Ponceños Ilustres in the area of sports.