Antonio Cervantes “Pambelé”

Biography

Antonio Cervantes Reyes, popularly known as “Kid Pambelé”, is a former Colombian boxer and trainer, born in San Basilio de Palenque, Bolívar, on December 23, 1945. During his childhood and adolescence, he lived between his hometown, San Basilio de Palenque, and the famous neighborhood of Chambacú in Cartagena de Indias. From an early age, he worked as a shoeshiner and fish seller to help his family.

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His boxing career developed between the 1960s and 1980s, consolidating him as a legend of the sport. Cervantes was widely recognized as the best junior welterweight (140 pounds) of all time and is regarded by sportswriters and historians as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing history. In 1998, his legacy was honored with his inclusion in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

During his career, he won the world title twice in the junior welterweight category. Kid Pambelé’s career remains a milestone in the history of Colombian and world boxing.

Career

At eighteen he began boxing. He only fought three amateur bouts, winning two and losing one. He debuted as a professional on January 31, 1964, defeating Juan Martínez by decision in six rounds.

He went to Venezuela after receiving a sanction from the Colombian Boxing Federation for betting money on his own defeat in one of his fights. In 1967, he joined the stable of Venezuelan promoter Ramiro Machado, where he was trained by Melquíades “Tabaquito” Sanz.

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His first 32 professional fights were in Colombia, where he won 27, lost 4, and drew 1.

On November 25, 1968, in Caracas, Cervantes knocked out Orlando Ruiz in the first round in his first fight abroad. Three days later, he defeated Néstor Rojas by decision in ten rounds.

On December 23, 1968, he suffered his first knockout loss when Cruz Marcano defeated him in four rounds in Caracas.

In 1969 he won five fights and lost two. In 1970, he settled in Los Angeles. In his first fight, he defeated José Rodríguez by knockout in the first round in San José on December 17. He knocked out Rodolfo “Gato” González, a famous Mexican boxer of the time, in eight rounds. After this and a victory in 1971 over Argentine Enrique Jana, Cervantes was ranked as a junior welterweight by the WBC.

Pambelé had his first chance at a world title on December 11, 1971, which he lost to Argentine boxer Nicolino Locche.

In 1972, after winning four fights, Cervantes, who was back in Colombia, had another chance at the world title against Alfonso “Peppermint” Frazer, who had dethroned Locche. On October 28, 1972, Antonio Cervantes won Colombia’s first world boxing title by knocking out Frazer in ten rounds at the Nuevo Panamá Gym in Panama City.

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In March 1973, in his second title defense, he defeated Locche at the César Girón bullring in Maracay, Venezuela. Cervantes also knocked out Peppermint Frazer in five rounds in a highly publicized rematch.

Pambelé knocked out Josué Márquez in thirteen rounds in Puerto Rico (the first world title fight held at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum) and defeated future lightweight world champion Esteban De Jesús by decision in fifteen rounds.

Over three years, Pambelé successfully defended his title ten times, but on March 6, 1976, he lost it to Puerto Rican Wilfred Benítez by split decision after fifteen rounds.

On June 25, 1977, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, he regained the WBA junior welterweight belt when the referee stopped the fight between the 5th and 6th rounds, raising his hand as his corner was about to throw in the towel against Carlos María Giménez. The WBA junior welterweight title was vacant after Wilfred Benítez was stripped of it for refusing to defend against Pambelé. Cervantes revalidated the title in six defenses over three years, also fighting a non-title bout against future WBC champion Saoul Mamby, whom he defeated on points.

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Pambelé lost the title definitively when he was knocked out by Aaron Pryor in Cincinnati on August 2, 1980. Cervantes knocked Pryor down in the first round, but the American recovered and knocked him out in the fourth.

He fought twice more for the WBC Fecarbox title, winning both before retiring in 1980.

Cervantes returned from retirement due to financial problems and continued boxing until 1983, winning four fights and losing his last, a unanimous decision in ten rounds against Danny Sánchez on December 9, 1983, in Miami.

In total, Cervantes fought 21 world title bouts, of which 18 were defenses. He was junior welterweight champion for almost eight years (holding it until 1976, regaining it in 1977, and losing it definitively in 1980), earning him a place in the Boxing Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in October 1998. Pambelé is considered the greatest junior welterweight in history. In 2000, he was declared Colombian Boxer of the Century by the Colombian Boxing Federation and the National Association of Professional Boxing.

His life outside the sport was marked by scandals and his addiction to hallucinogenic drugs (bazuco). Thanks to the intervention of family and close friends, he has managed to return to a peaceful life away from “bad paths,” as he himself stated in a 2022 interview.

Statistics – Antonio Cervantes Reyes “Kid Pambelé”

Wins	By knockout	Losses	Draws	No contest	Total
67	37	12	1	0	80

Tributes to Antonio Cervantes Reyes “Kid Pambelé”

• Song: Pambelé Gran Campeón – Michi Redondo
• Song: Pambelé – Los Melódicos
• Sculpture of Antonio Cervantes Reyes (Kid Pambelé) in San Basilio de Palenque