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Breaking: Authorities Remove Hall of Famer Wilfredo Gómez From His Residence
San Juan, Puerto Rico: Puerto Rican news outlets Primera Hora and Noticel report that former world champion and Hall of Famer Wilfredo Gomez has been removed from his residence by authorities. According to reports, the relatives requested assistance from authorities in removing the former champion from his residence. The family alleges that Wilfredo Gómez was living in inhumane conditions and was being restricted access to his family by the person with whom he was living.
Gomez was sitting in a wheelchair in images captured during the removal. Paramedics and police officers removed him from his home. Gomez looked disheveled, and his face appeared to be swollen, and there were signs of bruising on his legs. Gomez's family members allege that they haven't communicated with him for months and feared his health. According to Primera Hora, the person living with him hasn't been identified.
Wilfredo Gomez is considered one of the greatest fighters from the island of Puerto Rico. Photo Credit: The Ring Magazine
Wilfredo Gomez's son states that it had been more than a year since he had communicated with his father. Carolina Gamboa, Gómez's ex-wife, told in an interview with Lo Sé Todo (a Puerto Rican news program) that, “We have gone a long time without communicating with him. He does not communicate with his children or with me. It worries us a lot.” Gomez has been transported to a local hospital to treat any conditions or injuries.
Wilfredo Gomez's professional debut was on November 16th, 1974, and he earned a draw for his performance against Jacinto Fuentes. After that fight, Gomez would when his next thirty-two fights by knockout, crediting his nickname, “bazooka.” Gomez would win the WBC super-bantamweight title and defend that title seventeen times consecutively within that win streak. His eighteenth title defense was again the great Mexican warrior Salvador Sanchez. Sánchez would brutally knock Gómez out in one of the many epic battles between Mexico and Puerto Rico. After that loss, Gomez would win two more world titles before retiring in 1989 with an exceptional record of 44-3-1, 42 KOs. Wilfredo Gomez was enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995.
We will see how the story develops. Our thoughts and prayers are with this grand Puerto Rican champion and his family.
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