Quick Facts
LibraBiography
Raúl Horacio Balbi (born October 7, 1973) is an Argentine professional boxer. Although Balbi currently competes in the light welterweight division, he is most notable for having won the WBA world lightweight title.
Professional career
Balbi made his professional debut on November 19, 1993 in Mercedes, Corrientes, Argentina. Balbi made a victorious start to his career by knocking out Juan Bautista Sosa in the first round. One of the highlights of Balbi's early career came on June 3, 1995 when he beat Simon Canache to claim the South American lightweight title. The first loss of Balbi's career came on September 9, 1995 when he lost to Manuel Alberto Billalba via a ten round points decision, Balbi avenged this defeat later on in his career by beating Billalba twice.
On February 22, 1997 Balbi travelled to Hamburg, Germany to challenge the Uzbek champion Artur Grigorian for the WBO lightweight title. Balbi's challenge proved to be unsuccessful, as Grigorian scored an eleventh round technical knockout. After the fight Balbi returned to Argentina, where he put together a run of five wins before losing a split decision to Walter Hugo Rodriguez.
Balbi remained undefeated over his next sixteen bouts, earning him a chance to fight Alberto Esteban Sicurella in a WBA title eliminator. Balbi won the fight by tenth round technical knockout, which led to a world title challenge against the French champion Julien Lorcy on October 8, 2001 in Paris. In the third round of the contest Balbi was able to open a large cut above the champion's right eye and had further success when he knocked Lorcy down in the seventh. The fight lasted the twelve round distance and Balbi was announced as the winner via a majority decision.
The first defence of Balbi's title took place on January 5, 2002 against Leonard Dorin in San Antonio, Texas. After a toe-to-toe battle which lasted the full twelve rounds, the Romanian challenger Dorin was announced the winner by split decision. After the fight a surprised Balbi claimed that he was "robbed". A rematch occurred five months later, this time in Bucharest, Romania. On this occasion Dorin won a unanimous decision with scores of: 118-111, 117-112 and 118-110.
A run of six consecutive wins earned Balbi another shot at the WBA title, this time for the vacant light welterweight belt. The fight took place in Bolton, United Kingdom on September 2, 2006, against the Frenchman Souleymane M'baye. Balbi was knocked down twice en route to a fourth round loss via technical knockout, thus handing the title to M'baye. Since his light welterweight title challenge Balbi has lost three times. His most recent match, a draw against Bolivian boxer Franklin Mamani, took place on May 28, 2010.
Professional boxing record
| 55 Wins (38 knockouts), 11 Losses (4 knockouts), 2 Draws | |||||||
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Type | Round Time | Date | Location | Notes |
| Draw | 55–11–2 | Franklin Mamani | TD | 3 (9) 2:55 | 2010–05–28 | Coliseo Julio Borelli Viteritto, La Paz, La Paz | For vacant WBA Fedebol Welterweight title. |
| Loss | 55–11–1 | Guillermo de Jesus Paz | UD | 6 | 2009–09–11 | Estado José María Gatica, Villa Domínico, Buenos Aires | |
| Loss | 55–10–1 | Denis Shafikov | TD | 6 (8) 0:28 | 2008–11–28 | Hartwall Areena, Helsinki, Uusimaa | |
| Loss | 55–9–1 | Ionuţ Dan Ion | KO | 3 (10) 1:45 | 2008–04–19 | Polyvalent Hall, Bucharest | For WBA NABA Light welterweight title. |
| Win | 55–8–1 | Diego Ponce | KO | 2 (8) 1:03 | 2007–10–27 | Ce. De. M. No. 2, Caseros, Buenos Aires | |
| Loss | 54–8–1 | Souleymane M'baye | TKO | 4 (12) | 2006–09–02 | Bolton Arena, Bolton, Greater Manchester | For WBA Light welterweight title. |
| Win | 54–7–1 | Jorge Luis Noriega Medrano | TKO | 2 (12) 1:28 | 2005–12–02 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires | For WBA Fedelatin Lightweight title. |
| Win | 53–7–1 | Walter Diaz | TKO | 6 (10) 0:31 | 2005–10–07 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires | Won WBA Fedelatin Lightweight title. |
| Win | 52–7–1 | Guillermo de Jesus Paz | UD | 10 | 2005–09–03 | Ce. De. M. No. 2, Caseros, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 51–7–1 | Carlos Donquiz | KO | 5 (10) 1:11 | 2005–05–26 | Luna Park, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 50–7–1 | Carlos Adán Jerez | UD | 10 | 2005–04–30 | Estadio Aldo Cantoni, San Juan, San Juan | |
| Win | 49–7–1 | Norberto Acosta | KO | 2 (8) 0:45 | 2005–03–12 | Ce. De. M. No. 2, Caseros, Buenos Aires | |
| Loss | 48–7–1 | Jose Rosa Gomez | KO | 8 (10) | 2003–03–08 | Ce. De. M. No. 2, Caseros, Buenos Aires | |
| Loss | 48–6–1 | Leonard Doroftei | UD | 12 | 2002–05–31 | Polyvalent Hall, Bucharest | For WBA lightweight title |
| Loss | 48–5–1 | Leonard Doroftei | SD | 12 | 2002–01–05 | Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas | Lost WBA lightweight title |
| Win | 48–4–1 | Julien Lorcy | MD | 12 | 2001–10–08 | Palais des Sports, Paris | Won WBA lightweight title |
| Win | 47–4–1 | Vincent Howard | KO | 3 (10) | 2001–07–14 | Ce. De. M. No. 2, Caseros, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 46–4–1 | Alberto Sicurella | TKO | 10 (12) | 2001–03–17 | Ce. De. M. No. 2, Caseros, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 45–4–1 | Justo Martinez | RTD | 10 (12) | 2000–08–26 | Salon Tattersall, San Isidro, Buenos Aires | For South American Lightweight title. |
| Win | 44–4–1 | Ariel Aparicio | KO | 1 (10) | 2000–06–08 | San Justo, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 43–4–1 | Walter Rodriguez | RTD | 8 (12) | 2000–04–22 | Club Los Indios, Moreno, Buenos Aires | Won South American Lightweight title. |
| Win | 42–4–1 | Ruben Oliva | TKO | 5 (10) | 1999–12–18 | Club Argentino de Quilmes, Quilmes, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 41–4–1 | Santos Rebolledo | UD | 12 | 1999–11–17 | Hotel El Panamá, Panama City, Panamá | Won WBA Fedelatin Lightweight title. |
| Win | 40–4–1 | Roberto Ortega | UD | 10 | 1999–07–31 | Villa Domínico, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 39–4–1 | Luis Sosa | UD | 10 | 1999–05–08 | Club Argentino de Quilmes, Quilmes, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 38–4–1 | Jorge David Gomez | TKO | 2 (10) 1:09 | 1999–02–26 | Club Atlético Quilmes, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 37–4–1 | Carlos Vilches | KO | 2 (10) | 1998–11–28 | Buenos Aires | |
| Draw | 36–4–1 | Ruben Oliva | PTS | 8 | 1998–10–10 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 36–4 | Hector Martinez | KO | 1 (10) | 1998–07–25 | Canal 9 Studios, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 35–4 | Daniel Zielinski | UD | 10 | 1998–05–23 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 34–4 | Marcelo Cesar | KO | 1 (10) | 1998–04–04 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 33–4 | Victor Hugo Sanchez | TKO | 2 (10) | 1998–02–28 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 32–4 | Angel Vera | KO | 2 (10) | 1998–01–24 | Canal 9 Studios, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 31–4 | Hector Martinez | TKO | 4 (10) | 1997–12–20 | Canal 9 Studios, Buenos Aires | |
| Loss | 30–4 | Walter Rodriguez | SD | 10 | 1997–11–22 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 30–3 | Manuel Billalba | PTS | 10 | 1997–10–04 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 29–3 | Raul Cardenas | KO | 3 (10) | 1997–08–16 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 28–3 | Victor Hugo Sanchez | DQ | 5 (8) | 1997–07–19 | Villa Gesell, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 27–3 | Angel Vera | RTD | 7 (10) | 1997–06–07 | Canal 9 Studios, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 26–3 | Ramon Collado | PTS | 10 | 1997–05–10 | Estadio F. A. B., Buenos Aires | |
| Loss | 25–3 | Artur Grigorian | TKO | 11 (12) 1:10 | 1997–02–22 | Sporthalle, Hamburg | For WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 25–2 | Rildo Jose Oliveira | KO | 2 (12) | 1996–12–25 | Buenos Aires | Won WBO Latino Lightweight title. |
| Loss | 24–2 | Alberto Roda | PTS | 10 | 1996–08–17 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 24–1 | Ramon Collado | RTD | 5 (10) | 1996–07–27 | Estadio F. A. B., Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 23–1 | Manuel Billalba | PTS | 10 | 1996–05–25 | Estadio F. A. B., Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 22–1 | Sergio Atilio Martinez | TKO | 8 (10) | 1996–04–13 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 21–1 | Ricardo Vega | KO | 2 (10) | 1996–03–09 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 20–1 | Simon Canache | UD | 12 | 1995–10–28 | Canal 9 Studios, Buenos Aires | For South American Lightweight title. |
| Loss | 19–1 | Manuel Billalba | PTS | 10 | 1995–09–09 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 19–0 | Philippe Binante | PTS | 8 | 1995–07–25 | Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques | |
| Win | 18–0 | Faustino Martires Barrios | PTS | 10 | 1995–07–15 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 17–0 | Simon Canache | DQ | 5 (12) | 1995–06–03 | Buenos Aires | Won South American Lightweight title. |
| Win | 16–0 | Daniel Zielinski | TKO | 5 (8) | 1995–05–13 | Estadio F. A. B., Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 15–0 | Pedro Villegas | TKO | 3 (8) | 1995–04–07 | La Rioja, La Rioja | |
| Win | 14–0 | Ruben Astorga | KO | 6 (8) | 1995–04–01 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 13–0 | Fabian Bazan | TKO | 3 (8) | 1995–03–03 | La Rioja, La Rioja | |
| Win | 12–0 | Marco Antonio Dos Santos | TKO | 2 (8) | 1995–01–21 | Canal 9 Studios, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 11–0 | Rene Adelqui Collado | TKO | 5 (8) | 1994–12–28 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 10–0 | Omar Victoriano Alegre | TKO | 2 (8) | 1994–12–03 | Estadio Delmi, Salta, Salta | |
| Win | 9–0 | Daniel Zielinski | PTS | 8 | 1994–11–19 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 8–0 | Stephan Galtier | TKO | 1 (8) | 1994–10–01 | Arena de Cosets, Carpentras, Vaucluse | |
| Win | 7–0 | Marcelo Gutierrez | TKO | 4 (6) | 1994–08–27 | Estadio F. A. B., Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 6–0 | Gustavo Cuello | KO | 1 (6) 2:09 | 1994–07–02 | Estadio F. A. B., Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 5–0 | Raul Notti | KO | 1 (6) | 1994–06–25 | Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 4–0 | Philippe Mohammed Udofe | KO | 5 (6) | 1994–05–21 | Estadio F. A. B., Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 3–0 | Jorge Carballo | DQ | 3 (6) | 1994–04–21 | Club Nolting, Ciudadela, Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 2–0 | Leonardo Tissera | KO | 1 (6) | 1993–12–04 | Estadio F. A. B., Buenos Aires | |
| Win | 1–0 | Juan Bautista Sosa | KO | 1 (6) | 1993–11–19 | Mercedes, Corrientes | |