Jorge Luis Linares Palencia (born 22 August 1985) is a Venezuelan former professional boxer. He has held world championships in three weight classes, including the WBC featherweight title from 2007 to 2008; the WBA super featherweight title from 2008 to 2009; and the WBA, WBC and Ring magazine lightweight titles between 2014 and 2018.
Amateur career Linares compiled an 89-5 record as an amateur, winning several national junior championships in Venezuela. At the age of 17, Linares moved to Japan at the suggestion of his countryman, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza. Linares wanted to turn pro as soon as possible and he would've had to wait until he turned 18 in Venezuela.
Professional career
Early career Linares made his professional boxing debut managed by the Teiken Boxing Gym in December 2002. He was trained by Sendai Tanaka there, and Antonio Esparragoza who was trained by Tanaka's master Amílcar Bursa gave Linares the nickname of El Niño de Oro.
Linares made his debut at the age of 17 at featherweight. The fight took place at the Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan on 15 December 2002. He knocked out Kyong-Soo Chung in the first round of their scheduled four round fight. His next fight took place in February 2003, a six-round bout against Chawal Sor Vorapin at the famous Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. The fight aired on NTV G+ in Japan. Vorapin was dropped in round 1 and Linares was down in round 2 as the fight went to the scorecards. Linares won a unanimous decision (59-54 58-54 58-54). In his next five fights, Linares floated between super bantamweight and featherweight and remained undefeated, winning three via stoppages.
On 31 January 2004 Linares, at the age of 19 fought for his first title, against 36 year old veteran and multiple weight world champion Hugo Rafael Soto (55-9-2, 38 KOs) in his home country of Venezuela at the El Poliedro in Caracas. Linares won the vacant WBA Fedelatin super bantamweight title after winning a unanimous decision with scores of 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91. Soto retired after this fight. In his tenth professional fight in August 2004, he won the vacant WBA Fedelatin featherweight title after defeating Renan Acosta (13–1, 5 KOs) at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. The fight went 10 rounds with the scores of 98-95 98-96 97-95 all in favor of Linares.
Following a string of four wins, all via stoppage, Linares challenged 30 year old Jean Javier Sotelo (13–2, 8 KOs) for the vacant WBA Fedecentro featherweight title. The fight took place at the Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires on 6 May 2005. Linares was knocked down for the first time in his career in round 2. He beat the count and knocked Sotelo down twice in round 2 forcing a stoppage win. Linares spent the next year fighting in Venezuela, Japan and South Korea.
Featherweight
Linares vs. Larios On 21 July 2007, Linares fought on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins vs. Ronald Wright at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Nevada. It was the first time in his career that he would fight in the United States since turning professional. He fought former WBC super bantamweight champion Óscar Larios (59-5-1, 37 KOs) for the vacant WBC interim featherweight title. Linares dominated the action with his jab combinations and power punches which consequently backed up Larios, although he remained competitive. Larios did not try to counter anything thrown his way. In the tenth round, a flurry of power punches from Linares sent Larios to the canvas. Larios beat the count, but referee Vic Drakulich stopped the fight giving Linares the win via technical knockout. At the time stoppage, Linares was ahead on two of the judges scorecards 87-84 and 89-82 whilst the third judge had Larios ahead by one point 86-85.
Linares vs. Diaz Linares made the first defense of his world title against former NABF featherweight champion Gamaliel Diaz (22-6-2, 9 KOs) on 15 December 2007 at the Plaza de Toros in Cancun, Mexico. Linares floored Diaz with a counter right hand in round eight, winning the bout via KO. Diaz was also knocked down in round four following a right uppercut. At the time of stoppage, Linares was ahead on two of the judges scorecards 68–64 and 67–65, whilst the third judge had it even at 66–66.
Linares relinquished the title on 13 August 2008, in order to move up to super featherweight. Another reason for vacating the title was that he needing more time to recover from injuries. Óscar Larios was elevated from Interim to full championship status.
Super featherweight Linares vs. Garcia Eleven months after his last fight, Linares challenged 27 year old Whyber Garcia (20–5, 14 KOs) for the vacant WBA super featherweight title. The fight took place on 28 November 2008 at the Centro de Convenciones Atlapa in Panama City. Linares won the fight and claimed the vacant WBA title via fifth-round technical knockout.
Linares vs. Perez On 27 June 2009 Linares made his first defense against former Mexico lightweight champion Josafat Perez (12–1, 7 KOs), who was moving down in weight, in Mexico. Linares retained the title following an over right to the head of Perez which floored him. Perez beat the count and carried on with unsteady legs. The fight went on. Following some fast combinations from Linares, Perez stumbled backwards and referee Luis Pabon intervened to stop the fight. The time of stoppage was 1 minute 40 seconds into round 8.
Linares signed a contract with the Golden Boy Promotions in September 2009 whilst still remaining Teiken Promotions.
Linares vs. Salgado On 10 October 2009 Linares traveled back to Japan to make a second defense at the Yoyogi #2 Gymnasium in Tokyo against unbeaten 24 year old Mexican boxer Juan Carlos Salgado (20-0-1, 14 KOs). Linares lost his WBA super featherweight title and his unbeaten streak after being knocked out in round one. Salgado came forward aggressively at the opening bell and knocked Linares down with a powerful left hook. Linares got back up, only to be attacked straight away with a barrage of left and right jabs to the head and body flooring him again, prompting the stoppage. The defeat was named Ring Magazine's 2009 Upset of the Year.
Linares took five months out before returning to Venezuela defeating 38 year old former interim WBC super featherweight champion Francisco Lorenzo in a scheduled 10 round bout via majority decision. The judges scored the fight 97-93, 97-94 and 95-95.
Lightweight Linares vs. Juarez In his second professional fight in the United States on 31 July 2010, Linares fought on the Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz II pay-per-view undercard at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and comfortably defeated Mexican-American boxer, five time world title challenger Rocky Juarez (28-6-1, 20 KOs) by unanimous decision. Linares scored a knockdown in round five. Judge Al Lefkowitz scored the fight 97-92, Dave Moretti and Richard Ocasio both scored the fight 99-90 in favor of Linares. Linares claimed the interim WBA Fedelatin lightweight title.
Linares defeated Mexico's Adrian Verdugo by a technical knockout in the seventh round of a ten-round lightweight bout in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, on 28 May 2011. After that fight, Linares has trained with Freddie Roach at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, along with the U.S. Olympic boxing team in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and served as Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partner in Baguio in the Philippines.
Linares vs. DeMarco Linares fought for the vacant WBC lightweight title against Antonio DeMarco at the Staples Center on 15 October 2011. He outlanded DeMarco 216 to 97 in overall punches landed, but lost by TKO after suffering a major cut on his nose eventually allowing DeMarco to begin pounding on it, forcing the referee to stop the fight in the eleventh round. In addition to his own wish, Golden Boy Promotions and Teiken Promotions appealed to the WBC for a rematch.
A rematch with DeMarco had been scheduled ahead of time to take place at the Home Depot Center on 7 July. However, Linares lost to Sergio Thompson in a WBC Lightweight title eliminator via a second round stoppage in Cancun, Mexico on 31 March 2012.
Linares faced Jorge Francisco Contreras on 10 November 2013, sensationally knocking out Contreras in the first round.
Linares vs. Arakawa Following four consecutive wins, Linares was lined up to fight former Japanese lightweight champion Nihito Arakawa (24-3-1, 16 KOs) in a WBC lightweight title eliminator. The fight took place on the undercard of Canelo Álvarez vs. Alfredo Angulo at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on 8 March 2014. In the early rounds, Linares used his head and foot movement along with his superior boxing skills. The fight was full of back and forth action throughout, with an accidental clash of heads which opened up a cut to Linares' left eye. The fight went the 10 round distance as judges Tim Cheatham and Bill Lerch scored the fight a shutout 100-90 in favour of Linares. Judge Richard Houck scored the bout 98-92 for Linares.
Linares fought on the Shawn Porter vs. Kell Brook undercard at the StubHub Center in Carson, California in a stay busy fight on 16 August against journeyman Ira Terry (26–11, 16 KOs). Linares won via a 2nd-round knockout. The end came when Linares hit Terry with a left hook, which staggered him, followed by a right hand to the cheekbone. Without counting, the referee waived the fight off.
Linares vs. Prieto On 10 November 2014 the WBC ordered Linares to fight their Silver lightweight champion and contender Javier Prieto (24-7-2, 18 KOs) for the vacant WBC lightweight title. The winner would then need to fight Omar Figueroa Jr., who was granted Interim status and named 'Champion in recess' after suffering an injury in his last fight. The bout was scheduled to take on Tuesday, 30 December 2014 in Tokyo at the Metropolitan Gym. Linares became the youngest Venezuelan to win a world title in three different weight divisions at the age of 29 and only the second from Venezuela after Leo Gamez, who was a four-division world champion, when he knocked Prieto out in four rounds to claim the WBC title in his second attempt. The end came when Linares connected with an overhand right to the side of Prieto's head, knocking him down and out.
Linares vs. Mitchell
British lightweight contender Kevin Mitchell (39–2, 29 KOs) attempted to win a world title in his third attempt when he challenged Linares for his WBC title. The fight took place on 3 May 2015 at the O2 Arena in London live on Sky Box Office PPV. The fight was officially announced on 19 March by Eddie Hearn. He said, "This is a huge night for British boxing, and today's announcement is just the beginning. I'm delighted to deliver shots for Kevin and Lee in the U.K. and they have every chance of becoming world champions on May 30." Other bouts on the card included Kell Brook's IBF welterweight title defence against Frankie Gavin and Lee Selby challenging for his first world title against IBF featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich. It was the first time Linares fought in the UK.
Linares was dropped in round five but went on to retain his world title in round 10 via technical knockout. Mitchell was badly cut above the left eye which closed up. Mitchell was dropped in the tenth before the referee stopped the bout. The cut was due to a clash of heads in round four, which also opened a cut on the side of Linares' head. At the time of stoppage, Mitchell was ahead on two of the judges scorecards at 82–88 and 84–86. The third judge had it even at 85–85.
Linares vs. Cano