Actually the title is a little misleading. Eder Jofre was one of the best Latin boxers of all time as well as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the sports history.
Coming on the scene in 1960 with boxing's talent a little uninspiring and the bantamweight division hardly growing a concern, Jofre pumped life back into the sport with his fistic brilliance. Possessing all the tools of his craft, Jofre used his lightning left jab as a paintbrush to coat his opponent with layers of lefts, his left hook like a megaphone to capture their attention by assaulting their ears and his right, a battle-axe to decapitate them. Eder Jofre carried the bloodlines of a champion, almost as if he was bred to fight. One uncle had been a European middleweight champion, another had been lightweight champion of Brazil, an aunt had been one of Argentina's leading women wrestlers and his father had been a lightweight who fought under the name Kid Jofre.
It was in his father's academy that the young Eder first started his climb to greatness, his father handing him down his talents like an heirloom. In 1956 he qualified for the Brazilian Olympic team but lost to the quarterfinals to a Chilean boxer. With a 148-2 amatuer record, Eder decided to turn pro in 1957.
After 32 fights, the 5 foot 4 inch Jofre was 32-0 with 20 KO's. When bantamweight champ Joe Becerra announced his retirement in 1960, every bantamweight waited in line for their turn to be called to the front. Jofre was matched up with Eloy Sanchez for the championship. Jofre dropped Sanchez early on but Sanchez came back and bloodied up Jofre, who "was just looking for a spot to throw a straight right". In the 6th round that right landed on Sanchez who dropped face first to the canvas and was counted out. Jofre had won the NBA bantamweight championship. He then beat the European claimant of the bantamweight title (Piero Rollo) 4 months later via 10th round KO and in 1962 beat the previously undefeated Johnny Caldwell, to become the universally recognized bantamweight champion.
"Jofrinho" went on to defend his title eight more times and by the end of 1964 he was 50-0 with 37 KO's! People at this point were not just calling him the best bantamweight ever but some whispers were arising of best pound for pound fighter ever but a funny thing happened to Eder on his way to lasting immortality: Japanese fighter Fighting Harada, the former flyweight champion of the world. Harada outpointed Jofre, winning a 15 round decision, taking his title in May of 1965 and then repeating his performance a year later, proving that the immortal Eder Jofre was indeed mortal.
Suddenly it seemed that the great Eder was finished, his fights fewer and fewer and his weight no longer at bantamweight.. A few months later he confirmed the rumors that he was indeed retiring to attend to his outside business interests... BUT in August of 1969 after a 26 month hiatus, the great Eder Jofre decided to give it another go! In the long history of boxing, efforts of comebacks often fail and sometimes succeed rather abysmally. It seemed that Jofre's comeback, especially at featherweight, was destined to fall into one of those categories. But Eder Jofre was no ordinary fighter and his comeback was no ordinary comeback. Like a machine, Jofre would go on to win 25 consecutive fights AND the world featherweight championship to close out his truly remarkable career.
Eder Jofre ended his career with an amazing record of 72 wins and 2 losses (both to Harada) with 50 KO's.
