Luis Collazo

Luis Collazo, a southpaw from Brooklyn, New York, embarked on his professional boxing journey on May 17, 2000, not June 7 against Jose Maldonado. The fight took place at the Yonkers Raceway in New York, where Collazo made a stunning debut with a first-round TKO victory. This was the beginning of a career spanning over two decades, culminating in a record of 39 wins and 9 losses, with 20 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Collazo's amateur career is less documented, but he did win the New York Golden Gloves 147lb championship at Madison Square Garden in 2000, defeating Yuri Foreman in the final.

He rose to prominence by winning the WBA welterweight title on April 2, 2005, defeating José Antonio Rivera via a 12-round split decision. However, his reign was short-lived, as he lost the title to Ricky Hatton in a highly contested bout on May 13, 2006. Despite this setback, Collazo continued to face some of the best fighters in the welterweight division, including Shane Mosley, Andre Berto, and Amir Khan. His most notable upset came in 2014 when he knocked out Victor Ortiz in the second round, demonstrating that his world-level abilities were still there.

High-level bouts against Keith Thurman and Miguel Ángel González kept his name always near the top of the 147lb division. The fight against Thurman for the WBA World Welterweight Title in 2015 was particularly memorable, as Collazo hurt Thurman with a body shot before the latter retired on his stool between rounds. Collazo remained a formidable force in the welterweight division despite falling short in several title challenges.

His final professional fight took place on April 19, 2023, against Angel Ruiz Astorga. At the age of 41, he suffered a sixth-round KO loss. This defeat prompted Collazo to announce his retirement, ending a remarkable career that included five world title fights.