Bio


He was the heir apparent, boxing's next superstar, and the question was never if he would win world titles (note the plural), but when. Yet after a disappointing decision loss to former world champion Jesse James Leija in 2004, Francisco Bojado disappeared from the boxing world.

Now he’s back, better than ever and ready to fulfill the promise he showed as an amateur and during his three and a half years in the pro game as evidenced by a victory in his “return” fight against Dairo Esalas at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 4th, 2007.

Boxing from his early childhood, 'Panchito' – a native of Guadalajara – was a stellar amateur and he earned a spot on the 2000 Mexican Olympic team but fell short at the Sydney games. His class was obvious though, leading those like noted commentator and trainer Teddy Atlas to sing his praises. And after a tape of Bojado's amateur exploits made the rounds in the boxing community (complete with footage of the youngster sending opponents' headgear flying), the buzz was deafening.

Turning pro on January 13, 2001 at the tender age of 17, Bojado stopped Detrick Castor in two rounds, and he was on his way to pro stardom. He walked through all of his early opponents and his baby-faced looks hid his killer instinct in the ring. And though his skills astounded many, those who were around him in the early years weren't surprised because Bojado is a natural athlete, who also played football and basketball in high school. But athleticism isn’t enough, and the California resident also showed poise unheard of in a fighter with limited pro experience. And skeptical opponents quickly turned into believers.

Unfortunately his easy wins over Eleazar Contreras (KO2) and 43-fight veteran Mauro Lucero (KO1) gave Bojado a false sense of security, and after building a 9-0 record with nine KOs, he was upset via ten round decision by unheralded Juan Carlos Rubio.

After an eight month break to regroup, Bojado returned with a fury, reeling off seven wins in a row that included a rematch victory over Rubio (W12 – 11/22/03) and decision wins over highly regarded Emmanuel Clottey and Andre Eason.

Bojado appeared to be well on his way back up the ranks, but on July 24, 2004, he faced former world champ Jesse James Leija, and despite scoring an early knockdown, he was unable to capitalize and he ended up losing a close split decision.

The loss prompted Bojado to go to the sidelines and take a break from the sport he was competing in since he was a child.

But while the time off might have hurt an older fighter, when Bojado got his love back for the game and decided to come back to boxing, he does so at the age of 24, and he knows he’s got a lot of good years left in him to give to the sweet science.