Corpus Christi has a well-documented and deep-rooted boxing history. It has been home to many world-class fighters and memorable big-time fights. Despite this rich history, the coastal city has produced just one world champion, Jesse Benevides. However, in 2014, the city got incredibly close to being called home to another world champion. Jerry Belmontes fought tooth and nail with fan-favorite and Rio Grande Valley native Omar Figueroa. Figueroa was awarded a narrow split decision victory in a fight the majority of fight fans thought Belmontes deserved the nod in. That was nearly a decade ago, and Belmontes never got another title shot before hanging it up after a loss to "Hammer Hands" Julian Rodriguez in late 2016. However "The Corpus Christi Kid'' is going to give it one last shot, one more run at a world title.
"The Corpus Kid" and former world title challenger Jerry Belmontes has officially announced his return to the ring. The Corpus Christi native will make a return to the ring in his hometown on June 10th at the Robstown Fair Grounds on June 10th on a Reyan Promotions card. Belmontes is still just 34 years old and is ending his 6.5-year retirement. He will fight at 155 pounds and then return to his more natural weight of either 135 or 140. The 34-year-old cites his older son's desire to see his dad fight again as the motivation behind his return to the ring saying "I've always missed boxing every weekend watching boxing. I was like man, I want to go back. I wanted to fight here in Corpus, my youngest. I've always heard about you, my friends and their dads know you. I wanna see you fight. I don't remember you fighting. So I wanna come back and show 'em what their dad has" He will get that shot on June 10th.
Belmontes is confident. He feels good and is getting back to the level he was at when he was fighting for a world title. "the skills are all there a little slower, but we are working on it. Everything is still there, the footwork, head movement, the speed, the jab, it's all there." The former world title challenger said. It has been a sensational career for the Corpus Christi native, who turned pro back in 2008 after just missing the Olympic team and taking home the bronze medal in the trials. He made his pro debut in Brownsville and scored a dazzling four-round UD victory over the unbeaten Olvin Mejia. The fight was taken on short notice and was on a Top Rank card. The performance was so spectacular it impressed the top brass at Top Rank, and Belmontes was signed. He spent the next few years building up his record. He was fighting in Las Vegas and the Staples Center in Los Angeles and built up a 17-0 record fighting on major cards in big venues. Belmontes spoke of the experience saying "It was a great experience to see what top-level boxers go through in the same hotel, the same room, the same arena, the atmosphere is great." He ran into future world champion Eric Hunter of Philadelphia, PA. He was preparing for a fight with Teon Kennedy when he got offered the fight with the future world champ on two weeks' notice, and Belmontes agreed to it. The Texan fought valiantly, got off the canvas, and boxed well. He came up short on the cards, but it was a good learning experience. He would go on just a year and a half later to score the biggest win of his career at the point, a one-sided beatdown of top-ranked contender Will Tomlinson of Australia. Following the upsert victory for Belmontes, he got a phone call that he would fight for a world title. "A week later, I took my family out to eat, and I got a phone call. My manager tells me we got that fight, I said what fight he said Omar Figueroa, but it's in three weeks. I said let's do it." Belomntes recalls.
It was a familiar foe for Belmontes, he had fought Figueroa, a Rio Grande Valley native, five times as an amateur and beat him all five times. Now the two kids from south Texas who had fought so many times in the amateurs were fighting on the biggest stage for a world title. Things were going well for the Corpus Christi native early; he was popping his jab and out-boxing Figueroa. The Corpus Christi native appeared to be building up a lead on the cards in the first half. Belmontes recollects, "I thought I was winning rounds... every round my brother was telling me to keep doing what you're doing, just throw a little more... Through the middle rounds I didn't want to get tired so I'm thinking just pot shot him, just pot shot him." Figueroa kept up the pressure and tightened up the fight. However, after the final bell rang the majority of observers felt the Belmontes had done enough." I honestly thought I won by two rounds. I went to my corner and told them we got this! No worries! I heard a split decision and I said 'dont do this to me, and sure enough, yep." [they awarded the decision to Omar Figueroa]'
There was no rematch for "The Corpus Christi Kid", but he had bigger plans. Get a big win in his net fight back in Corpus Christi, and then he was off to Japan to fight for a world title. Belmontes headlined a card at the American Bank Center and battled Abner Cotto. A really close decision that again went against the tough-luck Corpus Christi native. "I took that fight really hard...my mindset was maybe this isn't for me." Belmontes said he continued in the gym but was not working as hard as he had in the past "I was still in the gym but not training as hard as I am supposed to, and after that, whatever call I got for a fight. I just took it." It began a spiral downwards that saw Belmontes drop three more fights in a row. Until he picked up a win back in Corpus Christi. A win that set up one more big shot for Belmontes. He got a call to fight Lou DiBellas's prized prospect Valentyn Golovko in New York City. "I told myself I'm going to eat right and go up to 140." He was motivated and game-planning for the challenge "I started studying fighters, I started studying him.. me and my dad were very confident going into that fight. He was really slow. I wasn't the fastest I had ever been, I wasn't in the best shaper I've ever been, but we went in there and handled business and it felt wonderful!" That set up another big fight back in the big apple with former world title challenger Richar Abril. Another highly competitive fight that most observe was that he won, however, the judges again went against Belmontes and awarded Abril a close decision victory. " I thought I won that fight by three rounds. I just outboxed him, outboxed the guy that was supposed to be a boxer."
He got one more big shot against "Hammer Hands" Julian Rodriguez. However, this fight had a twist, Belmonts got a good job with FedEx and he told his wife at the time that if he lost, he would stop. " I came back with the L and just started living life" Belmontes explained.
Although Belmontes hasn't had a fight in over six years, he hasn't totally abandoned the sport. He hasn't trained, but he still sparred and sparred with some pretty big names. Names that include highly touted 140-pound prospect Omar Juarez, " He would call me... and we would have a chess match in the ring. This was probably three years ago. It was good. It was really good sparring. A good boxer VS another good boxer, just throwing it down." Belmontes said.
After the controversial Figueroa loss, Belmontes never got another shot at a world title. He plans on making one more run at that goal. This is not a swansong for Belmonte, who plans on getting down to his ideal fight weight (135-140) again and becoming a world champion. He said he is just a little bit slower but getting closer to where he was a decade ago. If he can get all the way back to that level, he will be a threat to anyone at the 135 and 140-pound divisions.