Puncher from the Past: Octavio (Famoso) Gomez

Name: Octavio (Famoso) Gomez

Born: 30 March 1944

Career: 1964 to 1977

Record: 86 fights 61 wins (36 by KO/TKO) 18 losses (11 by KO/TKO), 7 draws

Division: Bantam to featherweight

Stance: Orthodox

Titles:

Major Contests

Scored wins over: Fermin Gomez (twice) , Luis Gonzalez, Katsuyoshi Takayama*, Fernando Atzori, Katsuro Takahashi, Masataki Uno, Eduardo Mojica, Romeo Anaya **, Bernabe Villacampo**, Kid Pascualito, Fernando Cabanela*, Art Hafey, Danny Lopez **, Bert Nabalatan and Rafael Herrera **,

Lost to: Efren Torres **,Ruben Olivares **, Fermin Gomez, Rafael Herrera **, Alfredo Meneses, Rodolfo Martinez **, Orlando Amores, Art Hafey, Alexis Arguello **, Alfredo Marcano **, Danny Lopez**, Eder Jofre ** and Oscar Arnal

Drew with: Alfredo Meneses, Rogelio Lara* Fel Clemente*

**Past/ future holder of a version of a world title

* Unsuccessful challenger for a version of a world title

Octavio Famoso Gomez’s Story

Normally you would expect to see Famous as a nickname but according to Octavio his father gave all of his children nicknames and he decided to actually have Octavio baptised Octavio Famoso. His father was a sign painter with his business in the Tepito district of Mexico City one of the toughest parts of the city which produced many of the most successful Mexican boxers. One day, when his father sent Octavio to get some paint, Octavio passed a gym. He  went in and fell in love with the place and with boxing. He dropped out of High School to box. He was an outstanding amateur reported to have won the Mexican Golden Gloves in 1961 and was National Amateur flyweight champion in 1962, 63 and 64 with a reported record of just 6 losses in 124 fights. He had his first professional fight in December 1964 and in his second fight was already fighting over ten rounds. He had a technical draw with more experienced Ramiro Garcia in his third fight but knocked Garcia out in his fifth fight. In October 1966 he outpointed unbeaten Fermin Gomez who he would fight three times winning their series 2-1. Wins over Katsuyoshi Takayama and Ramiro Garcia took his record to 12-0-1 but in April 1967 he challenged 54-bout veteran Efren Torres for the Mexican flyweight title and was knocked out in the fifth round. Torres would go on to win the WBC flyweight title in 1969. In 1968 Octavio knocked out Italian Fernando Atzori and Japan’s Katsuro Takahashi but in September he was knocked out in five rounds by future Hall of Fame fighter Ruben Olivares who Octavo named as the best fighter of all time. He continued to fight high profile opponents as he moved through the divisions to bantamweight, and featherweight  beating Nicaraguan Eduardo Mojica on points and knocking out Romeo Anaya-who would win the WBA bantam title in 1973. He lost and won in fights against Rafael Herrera who knocked out Olivares to win the WBA and WBC versions of the bantamweight title. Olivares had a 69-1-1 record when Herrera knocked him out. He outpointed former WBA flyweight champion Bernabe Villacampa and defeated Kid Pascualito, Fernando Cabanela, Art Hafey, Danny Lopez and Bert Nabalatan. Because of the quality of the opposition he faced there were losses along the way against future WBA bantam champion Rodolfo Martinez, Alexis Arguello, former WBA super feather champion Alfredo Marcano, Art Hafey, Danny Lopez, Eder Jofre, Oscar Arnal and others. A run of 4 losses in 5 fights told him the end was near but he finished with 5 wins in four months before having his last fight in November 1977 ending a 13 year career. He fought eleven world champions and beat four of them. The flyweight, bantamweight and featherweight divisions were a dangerous place to be earning a living in Mexico.  Fighters such as Olivares, Martinez, Torres and Herrera were on their way to world titles and greats such as Arguello and Jofre were ready to feed on anyone who forced their way out of the Mexican carnage to seek fame in other lands. Despite beating four champions he never received a title shot but he emerged from his fighting days relatively unscathed both in health and mind. His son Cuauhtemoc fought from 1988 to 2007and went 26-1in his first 27 fights. He lost a majority decision against Yasuei Yakushiji for the WBC bantam title in 1995 but was never given another chance and after a run of just one win in 17 fights retired.

Octavio was honest about his shortcomings saying that stamina was a huge problem. He explained that even though he trained hard after five rounds he would begin to tire and would look-over to the other corner and see that his opponent was just warming up. He studied yoga and meditation and found that helped him in his career. He admitted to having a problem with cocaine at one time but emerged to a different life  writing scripts for the theatre and appearing in almost 20 films. A full life that all started with a pot of paint.