47 years ago Alfonso Zamora conquered a world title

Forty seven years ago, Mexican Alfonso Zamora knocked out Korean Soo Hwan Hong in the fourth round, snatching the WBA bantamweight title, to become the first and only Mexican to win an Olympic medal and a world title.

Alfonso, who trained at the Jordan gym in Mexico City, one of the most emblematic gyms in the country, always showed an unbreakable spirit when stepping into the ring, both in his amateur career and during his time as a professional.

Zamora climbed up on to the Olympic podium at the 1972 Munich Games, where he won the silver medal in the bantamweight division. Just three years later, he conquered the world title in that same division.

As an amateur he disputed 50 fights, of which he only lost one, just in the final of Munich 1972 against the Cuban Orlando Martínez. As a professional he had 33 wins and only 5 losses.

There are Mexican fighters who won world championships but failed in their attempt to obtain an Olympic medal, such as Daniel Zaragoza, who participated in Moscow 1980, Abner Mares who fought in Athens 2004, among others..