Is Abel Mendoza boxing’s best-kept secret? Fighting between Lightweight and Super Lightweight since 2016 Abel ‘El Zorro’ Mendoza out of El Paso, Texas in his last fight increased his unbeaten record to 41-0 with 30 stoppages.
With only a dozen amateur bouts, several of his opponents now as pros are Romuel ‘Cuco’ Cruz (11-0-1) of Puerto Rico and Philadelphia, PA, in his final match. Another is Michael ‘West Texas Warrior’ Dutchover (16-3) of Santa Fe Springs, CA, in his last two matches and earlier Maliek ‘Mayhem’ Montgomery (18-0) of Las Vegas, NV.
In March 2016, Mendoza turned pro in the United States with three wins. He then went to Mexico for his next nine fights before returning to the US. In June 2021, he won the vacant FECOMBOX Super Featherweight title in his twenty-ninth straight win, knocking out Daniel ‘Dany’ Mendez Torres (18-3-1) of Mexico in three rounds in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Two bouts later, Mendoza stopped Victor ‘Nene’ Zaleta (20-5-1) in New Mexico in 3 rounds. In September of 2022, he won a split decision over Argentina’s former South American champion Alan ‘El Lumbriz’ Castillo (27-12-2) in Midland, Texas, who had fought for the IBF World title a year previously with Mendoza improving to 33-0.
In June 2023, Mendoza stopped Heiber ‘El Barbero’ Rojas (20-8-2) of Venezuela for the vacant WBA Fedebol Super Lightweight title in Colombia in 8 rounds, improving to 36-0. Next, he won the vacant WBA Fedebol Lightweight title by stopping Colombian Luis Fabra (7-4) in Colombia. In November 2023, in Jamaica, to keep busy, he stopped Colombian Aristides ‘Papa’ Perez (34-24-3) in 3 rounds.
In 2024, Mendoza had only had a pair of fights and had problems getting matches with the contenders. In January, he defeated Colombian Diego Medina (11-1), improving to 40-0.
In Mendoza’s next and last fight in June in El Paso, Texas, he defeated veteran German ‘Panteonero’ Meraz (65-69-3), who was coming off a win in his previous fight, improving to 41-0.
At 28, Mendoza is on the way to passing the record of retired boxers and former world champions Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 and then top Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather’s 50-0. The unbeaten boxer was unavailable by phone to reach.
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