Forty five years ago, former Venezuelan boxer Rafael Orono wrote his name on the roll call of champions. In 2025, his country's Ministry of Sports celebrated the boxer, full name Jesús Rafael “Pantoño” Orono, for his feat aof winning the WBC super flyweight title. The emotional recognition took place in the Francisco “Morochito” Rodríguez Hall of the National Sports Institute together with other Venezuelan boxing notables, who were present to honor the great champion. “I feel happy for the delivery of this belt by the President of the WBC, Mauricio Sulaimán. They make me feel like a young boy. I am here, always moving forward. Right now I am 66 years old, I was world champion when I was only 21 years old. I want to thank all my colleagues who are with me today,” said Orono.

 

Rafael was born on August 30, 1958 in Cumaná, Venezuela. His boxing career began early, at about age 11, when he moved to Caracas in search of new opportunities. As an amateur boxer he had a record of 49 wins and only 8 losses. He also competed as part of the national boxing team, winning two gold medals at the 1977 Bolivarian Games and the 1978 Central American and Caribbean Games.

 

Only a year later, in 1979, he jumped into the professional arena, and that same year he won the national bantamweight title. In 1980, the WBC created a new category, super flyweight, and in a show held at the Nuevo Circo in Caracas, Orono won the world title by defeating South Korean Seung-Hoon Lee. 

 

Boxingtalk joins the WBC in saluting Rafael Orono.

 

Present at the tribute were Juan José Rujano, General Director of the National Sports Institute, Cesar Rondón, President of FUNDAEXA, Elvis Joan Sánchez, National Commissioner of Venezuelan Professional Boxing, Edgar Muñoz, President of the Venezuelan Boxing Federation, among other personalities.