Oscar Collazo (boxer)

For the Puerto Rican militant, see Oscar Collazo.
Oscar Collazo
Personal information
Nickname(s)
El Pupilo
("The Ward")
BornOscar Manuel Collazo
(1997-01-15) January 15, 1997
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Height5 ft 2 in (157 cm)
WeightMini flyweight
Boxing career
Reach61 in (155 cm)
StanceSouthpaw
Boxing record
Total fights14
Wins14
Win by KO11
Medal record
Men's Amateur boxing
Representing  Puerto Rico
Pan American Games
2019 Lima Light Flyweight
Pan American Championship
2017 Tegucigalpa Light Flyweight

Oscar Manuel Collazo (born January 15, 1997) is a Puerto Rican professional boxer and unified mini-flyweight champion who has held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) mini-flyweight title since May 2023 and the World Boxing Association WBA (Super version) and The Ring titles since November 2024. He is the first mini flyweight to become The Ring champion in the division's history.

Amateur career

During his seven-year amateur career, Collazo won five national amateur boxing titles, the bronze medal the 2017 Panamerican Championships and the gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.[1][2][3]

Professional career

Early career

Collazo made his professional debut as a light flyweight against Vicente Castro Cheneque on 15 February 2020.[4] He won the fight by a third-round technical knockout.[5] Collazo was next booked to face Kevin John Cruz Jusino on 5 December 2020.[6] He won his second professional bout a round quicker than his first, as he won the fight by a second-round technical knockout.[7]

Collazo moved up to flyweight for his next bout, against Francisco Bonilla on 25 March 2021, on the Amanda Serrano vs. Daniela Romina Bermúdez undercard.[8] He won the fight by a career-first unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 60–54 in his favor.[9] Collazo moved down to mini-flyweight to face Pedro Villegas for the vacant WBO Latino minimumweight title on 3 December 2021.[10] He won the fight by a third-round technical knockout.[11]

Rise up the ranks

Collazo faced the former WBO and WBA (Regular) mini-flyweight champion Vic Saludar in a WBA mini-flyweight title eliminator. The fight was booked for the undercard of the Javier Fortuna lightweight bout, which took place on July 16, 2022.[12] Collazo won the fight by unanimous decision, with two scorecards of 116–112 and one scorecard of 118–110. Both fighters were knocked down in the sixth round, Saludar with a two-punch combination and Collazo with a right uppercut.[13]

Collazo was expected to face the former WBO mini-flyweight titlist Wilfredo Méndez in a WBO mini-flyweight title eliminator on January 28, 2023, on the undercard of the Alexis Rocha and Anthony Young welterweight bout, which took place at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California.[14] Méndez was forced to withdraw from the bout on January 15, due to a back injury sustained in training. He was replaced by Yudel Reyes, who stepped in at two-weeks notice.[15] Collazo stopped his opponent with a left hook at the 2:59 minute mark of the fifth round. He had knocked Reyes down with a right hook in the previous round.[16]

WBO mini-flyweight champion

Collazo vs. Jerusalem

On January 30, 2023, the WBO ordered their mini-flyweight champion Melvin Jerusalem make a mandatory title defense against Collazo.[17] As they failed to reach a deal within the 30-day negotiation period, the sanctioning body scheduled a purse bid for February 23.[18] It was declared deserted for failure to comply with purse bid terms, rescheduled for February 27,[19] and eventually won by Golden Boy Promotions and Cotto Promotions with a bid of $152,000.[20] The championship bout took place at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California on May 27, 2023.[21] Collazo won the fight by stoppage in the seventh round, as Jerusalem remained on his stool at the start of the eighth round. He became the fastest fighter from Puerto Rico to win a world title belt, overtaking Alex Sánchez who captured his first title 11 fights into his professional career.[22]

Collazo vs. Diagan

Collazo made a voluntary championship defense against the ninth-ranked WBO mini-flyweight contender Garen Diagan, who was making his first world title challenge, on August 26, 2023, at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[23][24] It was the first men's world title fight in Puerto Rico in six years and Collazo's first fight in his home country since 2021. The bout was broadcast worldwide by DAZN.[25][26] Collazo won the fight by a seventh-round technical knockout, as Diagan's corner chose to withdraw their fighter from the contest in between the rounds.[27] He was ahead on all three of the judges' scorecards at the time of the stoppage, with two scorecards of 60–54 and one scorecard of 58–56 in his favor.[28]

Collazo vs. Gutierrez

On December 30, 2023, it was announced that Collazo would make his second WBO mini-flyweight championship defense against an unnamed opponent on the undercard of the Jaime Munguia and John Ryder super middleweight bout, which is expected to take place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on January 27, 2024.[29] On January 17, 2024, it was confirmed that Collazo would face Reyneris Gutierrez.[30]

On Saturday January 27, 2024, Collazo defeated Gutierrez via third-round TKO and made the second successful defense of his belt.[31]

Collazo vs. Zapata

On April 5, 2024, Golden Boy Promotions announced that Collazo would make his next WBO mini-flyweight championship defense against the once-defeated Gerardo Zapata. The main event title bout took place at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York on June 7, 2025 and was broadcast worldwide by DAZN.[32][33] Oscar Collazo retained his WBO strawweight title by overcoming an early scare to secure a lopsided unanimous decision victory over Gerardo Zapata. After being rattled and nearly knocked down by a heavy right hand in the second round, Collazo regained control by utilizing superior footwork and quick-fisted flurries. He ultimately dominated the later rounds to win comfortably on the scorecards, with two judges scoring the bout 119–109 and the third 117–110.[34]

Unified WBO & WBA minimumweight championship

Collazo vs. Knockout CP Freshmart

Collazo faced Knockout CP Freshmart for the unified WBO, WBA, and the inaugural The Ring minimumweight titles on November 16, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[35][36][37] He won the bout by stoppage in the seventh round.[38][39]

Collazo vs. Cano

Collazo then defended his unified titles against Edwin Cano in Cancun, Mexico on March 29, 2025.[40] He won by KO in the fifth round. Following the win, he received the WBO ring, which is given to titleholders who make five successive defenses. Collazo stated this was one of his goals when he first won the WBO title.[41]

On May 23, 2025, Collazo said he was open to having a rematch with Melvin Jerusalem, who had called Collazo out after winning his recent bout. Jerusalem had also picked up the WBC belt since his loss to Collazo in 2023.[42]

Collazo vs. Vayson

On August 10, 2025, Golden Boy Promotions announced a double-header to take place on September 20 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California on DAZN, with Collazo and undisputed women's flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora both defending their titles on the same card; Collazo would defend his titles against Filipino boxer Jayson Vayson (14–1–1, 8 KOs), while Fundora's defense against Alexas Kubicki would serve as the co-main event.[43] Vayson was on a four-fight win, with three of them inside the distance. Speaking ahead of the fight, Collazo said, “We will enter the ring very prepared, with a lot of boxing IQ. We know Vayson is a great fighter and that he will be hungry to dethrone me, but he won’t be able to, because I have worked hard to defend what is mine and represent my island with pride.”[44][45]

Despite the fight being more challenging than anticipated, Collazo successfully defended his titles with a seventh-round stoppage, with some controversy.[46] Collazo scored a controversial first-round knockdown, which replays indicated was due to a forearm rather than a clean punch. Vayson’s body shots caused Collazo trouble, particularly in the fourth round. In the sixth round, Collazo increased his pressure, landed combinations, pushing Vayson against the ropes. He continued this into the next round. Despite Vayson appearing able to continue, his corner unexpectedly threw in the towel at 1:41 of the seventh round, resulting in a technical knockout for Collazo. Despite being pressed against the ropes and absorbing significant shots, Vayson showed resilience and effective counterpunching throughout the fight. At the time of stoppage, all three judges had it 59–54 for Collazo.[47][48][49] The stoppage was widely debated. Many observers noted that Vayson seemed able to continue and was still competitive, leading to criticism of his corner for ending the fight prematurely. Vayson felt that he was capable of carrying on but respected his corner’s decision.[50][51]

After the fight, he spoke to Chris Mannix, stating his main goal was to add more titles at the weight—however, he would not rule out a move up to flyweight against WBA and WBC champion Ricardo Sandoval. His focus was to become the first male Puerto Rican undisputed champion.[52][53]

Following the retirement of Terence Crawford, Collazo entered The Ring magazine's top 10 pound-for-pound list at number 10 on 24 December 2025, his highest ranking yet.[54]

Collazo vs. Haro

After plans for a rematch with Jerusalem fell through, Collazo instead faced Mexican-American Jesus Haro (13–3, 2 KOs) on Anaheim, CA, as the co-feature to the Arnold Barboza Jr. vs. Kenneth match on March 14, 2026.[55] The bout was intended as a stay-busy fight for Collazo, who intended to finalize the Jerusalem rematch for the summer should he defeat Haro.[56] Despite Haro initially being evasive, the fight proved to be a mismatch, as Collazo eventually wore down his opponent with body shots en route to a sixth-round corner retirement, producing the first stoppage loss in Haro's career. Interviewed after the bout, Collazo stated his intention of reaching The Ring's top five pound-for-pound rankings. With this win, the rematch with Jerusalem was expected to move forward should Jerusalem successfully defend against Siyakholwa Kuse on May 16. [57]

Professional boxing record

14 fights 14 wins 0 losses
By knockout 11 0
By decision 3 0
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
14 Win 14–0 Jesus Haro RTD 6 (12), 3:00 Mar 14, 2026 Honda Center, Anaheim, California, U.S. Retained WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring mini-flyweight titles
13 Win 13–0 Jayson Vayson KO 7 (12), 1:41 Sep 20, 2025 Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, U.S. Retained WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring mini-flyweight titles
12 Win 12–0 Edwin Cano KO 5 (12), 1:12 Mar 29, 2025 Polifórum Benito Juárez, Cancún, Mexico Retained WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring mini-flyweight titles
11 Win 11–0 Knockout CP Freshmart TKO 7 (12), 1:29 Nov 16, 2024 The Venue Riyadh Season, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Retained WBO mini-flyweight title;
Won WBA (Super) and inaugural The Ring mini-flyweight titles
10 Win 10–0 Gerardo Zapata UD 12 Jun 7, 2024 Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York, U.S. Retained WBO mini-flyweight title
9 Win 9–0 Reyneris Gutierrez TKO 3 (12), 2:37 Jan 28, 2024 Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. Retained WBO mini-flyweight title
8 Win 8–0 Garen Diagan RTD 6 (12), 3:00 Aug 26, 2023 Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico Retained WBO mini-flyweight title
7 Win 7–0 Melvin Jerusalem RTD 7 (12), 3:00 May 27, 2023 Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S. Won WBO mini-flyweight title
6 Win 6–0 Yudel Reyes KO 5 (12), 2:59 Jan 28, 2023 YouTube Theater, Inglewood, California, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Vic Saludar UD 12 Jul 16, 2022 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 Pedro Villegas TKO 3 (10), 2:47 Dec 3, 2021 Los Andes Mall, Panama City, Panama Won vacant WBO Latino mini-flyweight title
3 Win 3–0 Francisco Bonilla UD 6 Mar 25, 2021 Plaza del Quinto Centenario, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2 Win 2–0 Kevin John Cruz Jusino TKO 2 (6), 1:43 Dec 5, 2020 Coliseo Pedrin Zorrilla, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1 Win 1–0 Vicente Castro Cheneque TKO 3 (6), 1:53 Feb 15, 2020 Coliseo Pedrin Zorrilla, San Juan, Puerto Rico

See also

References

  1. ^ "12.Panamerican Championships Tegucigalpa, Honduras June 10-18, 2017". amateur-boxing.strefa.pl. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  2. ^ Anaya, Rosember (August 3, 2019). "Yuberjen pierde el oro en los Panamericanos". elheraldo.co. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  3. ^ Wainwright, Anson (November 29, 2021). "New Faces: Oscar Collazo". ringtv.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  4. ^ Primera Hora (February 14, 2020). "En peso Carlos 'Purín' Caraballo y Oscar Collazo". primerahora.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  5. ^ Redacción Voces del Sur (February 16, 2020). "Contundente debut para el púgil villalbeño Oscar "El Pupilo" Collazo". vocesdelsurpr.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  6. ^ O'Hara, Ryan (December 4, 2020). "Named after 'the golden boy,' Oscar Collazo wants to make his own legacy". ringtv.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  7. ^ Boxingscene Staff (December 5, 2020). "Danielito Zorrilla, Oscar Collazo Get Knockout Wins in Puerto Rico". boxingscene.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  8. ^ Miguel Cotto Promociones (March 24, 2021). "Carlos Caraballo – Oscar Collazo / A demostrar sus talentos sobre el ring". boxeomundial.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  9. ^ "BRILLAN AMANDA SERRANO, 'PURIN' CARABALLO, 'EL PUPILO' COLLAZO Y ARELY MUCIÑO EN EL VIEJO SAN JUAN". promocionesmiguelcotto.com. March 26, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  10. ^ Primera Hora (December 2, 2021). "Oscar Collazo está en Panamá para pelear a 10 asaltos". primerahora.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  11. ^ Random Hits (December 4, 2021). "Oscar Collazo Blasts Out Pedro Villegas in Three For WBO Regional Belt". boxingscene.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  12. ^ Donovan, Jake (July 16, 2022). "Oscar Collazo: This Is My Chance To Let Boxing World Know Who I Am - A Future World Champ". boxingscene.com. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  13. ^ Salazar, Francisco (July 16, 2022). "Oscar Collazo Gets Off The Canvas To Outpoint Ex-champ Vic Saludar". ringtv.com. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  14. ^ Vega, Giovanny (January 9, 2023). "Choque boricua: Oscar Collazo y Wilfredo Méndez protagonizarán eliminatoria de la OMB". elvocero.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
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  17. ^ Stumberg, Patrick L. (January 30, 2023). "WBO orders Melvin Jerusalem vs Oscar Collazo minimumweight title fight". badlefthook.com. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  18. ^ Donovan, Jake (February 13, 2023). "Melvin Jerusalem-Oscar Collazo: Purse Bid Ordered For WBO Strawweight Title Fight". boxingscene.com. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  19. ^ Del Valle Hernández, Sara (February 23, 2023). "Sin concretarse la pelea titular entre Oscar Collazo y Melvin Jerusalem". elnuevodia.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  20. ^ Donovan, Jake (February 27, 2023). "Jerusalem-Collazo: Golden Boy and Cotto Promotions ($152,000) Win Purse Bid For WBO Title Fight". boxingscene.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
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  28. ^ "BoxRec: Bout". boxrec.com. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
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  32. ^ "Oscar Collazo to defend world title on Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend". www.dazn.com. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  33. ^ "Oscar Collazo Keen to Impress and Promises a 'Masterpiece'". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
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  42. ^ "Oscar Collazo Wants Melvin Jerusalem Rematch, Hints At Move To Junior Flyweight". RingMagazine.com. May 23, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  43. ^ Stumberg, Patrick (August 11, 2025). "Oscar Collazo and Gabriela Fundora lead September 20th Golden Boy show in Indio". Bad Left Hook, Global Boxing News and Commentary. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
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  45. ^ "Oscar Collazo, Gabriela Fundora star in September 20 doubleheader". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
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  47. ^ Crose, Sean (September 20, 2025). "Oscar Collazo Stops Jayson Vayson In Very Strange Affair". Boxing Insider. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  48. ^ "Oscar Collazo Retains Ring, Unified Titles After Bizarre Jayson Vayson Stoppage". RingMagazine.com. September 21, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  49. ^ "Oscar Collazo holds off Jayson Vayson to defend minimumweight belts". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  50. ^ "Oscar Collazo Retains Strawweight Crown After Jayson Vayson's Corner Throws In Towel - Collazo Vs. Vayson Highlights". www.lowkickmma.com. September 20, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  51. ^ "Jayson Vayson's under-fire team stand by divisive stoppage". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  52. ^ "Oscar Collazo Open To Moving Up To Face Flyweight Champ Ricardo Sandoval". RingMagazine.com. September 21, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  53. ^ "Oscar Collazo wants to be the first Puerto Rican male undisputed champion". RingMagazine.com. November 16, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  54. ^ {{cite web |first1=Matt |last1=Penn |title=The Ring's Latest Ratings: New heavyweight No. 1 as Tyson Fury drops out, P4P Update |url=https://www.ringmagazine.com/news/the-ring-s-latest-ratings-new-heavyweight-no-1-as-tyson-fury-drops-out-p4-p-update-5Zc4LBGE3ZCC2BgocOvL7q |website=RingMagazine.com |date=24 December 2025
  55. ^ "Arnold Barboza Jr faces Kenneth Sims Jr in Anaheim this March". FIGHTMAG. February 18, 2026.
  56. ^ {{cite web |first1=Manouk |last1=Akopyan |title=Collazo settles for stay-busy bout vs. Haro before Jerusalem rematch |url=https://www.ringmagazine.com/news/collazo-settles-for-stay-busy-bout-vs-haro-before-jerusalem-rematch-3ROJdu0gCVSVoK8L5o3ukt |website=RingMagazine.com |date=13 March 2026
  57. ^ {{cite web |first1=Jake |last1=Donovan |title=Oscar Collazo forces Jesus Haro to quit, retains unified 105lbs crown |url=https://www.boxingscene.com/articles/oscar-collazo-forces-jesus-haro-to-quit-retains-unified-105lbs-crown |website=BoxingScene |date=14 March 2026
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