March 15 2008 
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Who is Joan Guzman?
Joan Guzmán (born May 1, 1976) is a Dominican boxer who is the WBO's former world super-bantamweight champion. His nickname is "The little Tyson", and he is trained by Don House. Guzman stands 5 feet, 7 inches tall, which is a relatively tall size for a fighter of his division.
Amateur
Having started boxing at eight, Guzman won 310 fights against 10 losses. Included in these victories was a gold medal winning bout at the 1995 Pan American Games. He also competed in the Olympics 1996.
Pro
Guzmán began his professional boxing career in the United States. His debut fight, on September 23, 1997, was held in Phoenix, Arizona. That night, he knocked out Juan Miguel Rivera in two rounds. After another second round knockout win (this time at the Madison Square Garden in New York city), he returned to the Dominican Republic.
He took off two years from boxing, then he came back for his first fight in his homeland. On March 11, 1999, he outpointed Orlando Mateo over eight rounds at Santo Domingo. He fought six more times, five in Santo Domingo and once in La Romana, before being given a title try for the Dominican Featherweight title. He won all bouts during that period, including a first round knockout of Mateo in a rematch.
During his two year lay-off, he dropped off in weight, from the Featherweight division to the Super Bantamweight division.
On October 25, 1999, he knocked out Francisco DeLeon in round eleven to win the national title. He retained the title once, with a two round knockout of Santiago Matos, and won four more fights in a row, each within two rounds (two of them over Julio Jerez, knocked out in one and two rounds, respectively), before facing Hector Julio Avila, on August 9, 2001, for the vacant NABO regional Super Bantamweight title.
The fight with Ávila took on more importance in his career because, not only did he win the NABO regional title by a two round knockout, but, also, he had to witness as is rival lay in a coma for five minutes, being taken on a stretcher to the hospital minutes later. Many other boxers who have gone through experiences similar to that have expressed that a situation like that is one in which no boxer wants to get involved. Guzman won his next two fights by decision; there is a theory that boxers who see a rival get hurt tend to diminish their aggressiveness on the bouts that follow.
One of those two decision wins was especially significant, since it was for the WBO's Latino title, as well as for the WBO's vacant intercontinental title and for Guzman's NABO title. Guzman added those two new regional championships and retained the one he already owned, by beating Edel Ruiz in twelve rounds, in a fight held at Tacoma, Washington. on September 29.
After his next victory, Guzmán was ranked number one in the Super Bantamweight division by the WBO. The WBO's world Super Bantamweight champion, Agapito Sanchez, had travelled to Cardiff, Wales, to defend his title against Guzmán, but he was diagnosed with a detached retina during a required medical check-up days before the fight.
Sánchez announced his retirement from boxing, and Guzmán found himself fighting Fabio Oliva for the vacant WBO's world Super Bantamweight title, on August 17, 2002. Guzman was crowned as the WBO's world Super Bantamweight champion with a third round knockout win over Oliva, at the Cardiff Castle.
Next followed two first round knockout wins (including one in Panama City, Panama) in non-title bouts.
Sánchez returned to boxing, and, on February 26, 2004, he and Guzmán finally met inside a boxing ring, at San Diego. Guzmán retained the WBO's world Super Bantamweight title in his first defense, knocking out the former world champion in seven rounds.
He would have defended his world title against Marcos Licona on November 6 of that year at Phoenix, Arizona. He failed to make the Super Bantamweight division's weight limit, however, and wound up beating Joe Morales by a ten round decision instead. The WBO lifted the world title away from Guzman as a consequence of his not making weight for his defense with Licona.
Now 30, Joan Guzmán who sold bread and sweets on the tough streets of Santo Domingo between looking after his brothers and working in the gym as a youngster, has moved up to the super featherweight division.
At the weigh-in before his scheduled fight on September 16, 2006 against Jorge Barrios—Barrios was overweight, and so he was stripped of his title. Guzman then won the fight by split decision.
On December 18, 2006 Guzman beat Antonio Davis by unanimous decision to retain his WBO Super Featherweight belt, with a score of 116-110, 118-109 and 119-108.
Guzmán's record stands at 27 wins and no losses, with 17 wins by knockout.
Amateur
Having started boxing at eight, Guzman won 310 fights against 10 losses. Included in these victories was a gold medal winning bout at the 1995 Pan American Games. He also competed in the Olympics 1996.
Pro
Guzmán began his professional boxing career in the United States. His debut fight, on September 23, 1997, was held in Phoenix, Arizona. That night, he knocked out Juan Miguel Rivera in two rounds. After another second round knockout win (this time at the Madison Square Garden in New York city), he returned to the Dominican Republic.
He took off two years from boxing, then he came back for his first fight in his homeland. On March 11, 1999, he outpointed Orlando Mateo over eight rounds at Santo Domingo. He fought six more times, five in Santo Domingo and once in La Romana, before being given a title try for the Dominican Featherweight title. He won all bouts during that period, including a first round knockout of Mateo in a rematch.
During his two year lay-off, he dropped off in weight, from the Featherweight division to the Super Bantamweight division.
On October 25, 1999, he knocked out Francisco DeLeon in round eleven to win the national title. He retained the title once, with a two round knockout of Santiago Matos, and won four more fights in a row, each within two rounds (two of them over Julio Jerez, knocked out in one and two rounds, respectively), before facing Hector Julio Avila, on August 9, 2001, for the vacant NABO regional Super Bantamweight title.
The fight with Ávila took on more importance in his career because, not only did he win the NABO regional title by a two round knockout, but, also, he had to witness as is rival lay in a coma for five minutes, being taken on a stretcher to the hospital minutes later. Many other boxers who have gone through experiences similar to that have expressed that a situation like that is one in which no boxer wants to get involved. Guzman won his next two fights by decision; there is a theory that boxers who see a rival get hurt tend to diminish their aggressiveness on the bouts that follow.
One of those two decision wins was especially significant, since it was for the WBO's Latino title, as well as for the WBO's vacant intercontinental title and for Guzman's NABO title. Guzman added those two new regional championships and retained the one he already owned, by beating Edel Ruiz in twelve rounds, in a fight held at Tacoma, Washington. on September 29.
After his next victory, Guzmán was ranked number one in the Super Bantamweight division by the WBO. The WBO's world Super Bantamweight champion, Agapito Sanchez, had travelled to Cardiff, Wales, to defend his title against Guzmán, but he was diagnosed with a detached retina during a required medical check-up days before the fight.
Sánchez announced his retirement from boxing, and Guzmán found himself fighting Fabio Oliva for the vacant WBO's world Super Bantamweight title, on August 17, 2002. Guzman was crowned as the WBO's world Super Bantamweight champion with a third round knockout win over Oliva, at the Cardiff Castle.
Next followed two first round knockout wins (including one in Panama City, Panama) in non-title bouts.
Sánchez returned to boxing, and, on February 26, 2004, he and Guzmán finally met inside a boxing ring, at San Diego. Guzmán retained the WBO's world Super Bantamweight title in his first defense, knocking out the former world champion in seven rounds.
He would have defended his world title against Marcos Licona on November 6 of that year at Phoenix, Arizona. He failed to make the Super Bantamweight division's weight limit, however, and wound up beating Joe Morales by a ten round decision instead. The WBO lifted the world title away from Guzman as a consequence of his not making weight for his defense with Licona.
Now 30, Joan Guzmán who sold bread and sweets on the tough streets of Santo Domingo between looking after his brothers and working in the gym as a youngster, has moved up to the super featherweight division.
At the weigh-in before his scheduled fight on September 16, 2006 against Jorge Barrios—Barrios was overweight, and so he was stripped of his title. Guzman then won the fight by split decision.
On December 18, 2006 Guzman beat Antonio Davis by unanimous decision to retain his WBO Super Featherweight belt, with a score of 116-110, 118-109 and 119-108.
Guzmán's record stands at 27 wins and no losses, with 17 wins by knockout.
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