Fenech entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002.
Fenech, now 52, is still involved in boxing as a trainer. He has previously worked with Mike Tyson and several prominent Australian fighters including Danny Green, Daniel Geale and Vic Darchinyan.
Away from boxing, Fenech is married to Suzee and has three children. He enjoys traveling, owns several businesses, including his own mine. The Ring online article Anson Wainwright
18) Carlos Zarate TD 4: Australian Fight Commentary TV -
v Carlos Zarate WBC Super-Bantamweight Sydney [r1] … Right uppercut … he’s [Zarate] hurt … Fenech is all over him … right hand really rocked him back … [r2] … Fenech landing beautiful punches … speed and power … right hand over the top … [r3] … It’s getting fast and furious … had Zarate in trouble once more … [r4] … Zarate continually on the back-peddle … Zarate is down … Fenech is cut over his right eye … Fenech is all over him again … Zarate in real trouble … right hand … cut was caused by a headbutt … The fight has been stopped … [40-34, 40-34, 40-34 Fenech] … Australian fight commentary
20) Victor Callejas ***** TKO 10: Australian Fight Commentary TV -
v Victor Callejas 7 March 1988 WBC Featherweight ‘The Triple Wham’ Sydney [r1] … Left hook … stunned Fenech … Jeff wanting to assume control … good left hook … great shot [right] … good round for Fenech … [r2] … Good left by Jeff Fenech … hammering away … to the body then goes upstairs … a real street brawl … a great left … [r3] … He looks strong Jeff Fenech … body punches … A dominant round for Fenech … He’s down [Callejas] … [r4] … The dynamic little puncher … No respite for Victor Cellejas … [r5] … [Fenech] all over him … another big round … [r6] … Fenech running across the ring … good punch … raining blows … [r7] … Fenech’s able to work inside him [sic] … still throwing them … [r8] … Fenech a left … [knockdown] … lefts and rights … [Callejas] in terrible trouble … right uppercut … [r9] … The Bomber from Australia … all over Callejas … one of Jeff Fenech’s greatest performances … superb … [r10] … Right … left hook … another left … great body punch … It’s all over. Australian Sky TV fight commentary
21) Tyrone Downes TKO5: Australian Fight Commentary TV -
v Tyrone Downes 12 August 1988 WBC Featherweight Melbourne [r1] … Cut above Fenech’s eyebrow … stalking his man … [r2] … Downes sticks out the straight left … Fenech 1/200 … [Downes] is going to mix it with Fenech … moving after Tyrone Downes … [r3] … Left and a right and another one by Downes … the mandatory defence for Fenech … much better round for Fenech … with a right … another straight right … big trouble … a great round for Jeff Henech … [r4] … What a great body punch by Fenech … right over the top … Fenech is after him … [knockdown ] … [knockdown II] … [r5] … Oh what a body punch … [knockdown III] … a paratrooper with a bazooka … He’s down again [knockdown] … It’s over … Magnificent. Australian Sky TV commentary
[8.7] EDER JOFRE 78-72(50)-2-4 [Bantamweight & Featherweight]: Boxing.com online - Eder Jofre - E Brophy - Encyclopaedia Britannica - The Ring online -
It was Eder’s preference to play a chess match with his opponent, assessing the other man’s strengths and weaknesses and drawing his early fire before beginning the systematic process of breaking him down. But if the game plan went awry and an old-fashioned fight was called for, Jofre was no less efficient at biting the bullet and winning through. He possessed an uncanny ability to adapt and reinvent his style in the heat of battle, as his cool brain worked out the logistics and formulated the appropriate game plan.
Before the sensation against Harada in Nagoya, Eder Jofre had won 48 and drawn two of his 50 fights and had seen off such sterling challengers to his throne as Piero Rollo, Ramon Arias, Johnny Caldwell, Herman Marques, Jose Medel, Katsutoshi Aoki, Johnny Jamito and Bernardo Caraballo.
But the great man was wavering over his future, which was probably his undoing. Jofre could see the finishing line and funny things happen to even the greatest athletes when they hit the home stretch and race for the wire. They suddenly stop doing what comes naturally as the urge to bask in their glory takes hold. Jofre was undefeated, a sporting god of sorts and a hero to the Brazilian people, who paid him homage in much the same way they worship their sacred soccer players. There was no fighting man alive like their Jofrinho. The stage was perfectly set for Eder to retire and cement his legend as the great invincible. But then he began to talk about it, as fighters do. Before the final obstacle had been hurdled, he let it be known that he had other things on his mind. Boxing.com online, The Boy From Brazil
The excitement I underwent before the bout was something I’ll never forget. For a week I trained extra hard. I ran extra-long distances. Every night when I went to bed I dreamed I was fighting. It was so clear – I would be going at it hot and heavy, then I would bring over a right hand and he would go down, the fight was over. Then the fight began. Here all the nervousness went out of me. I was doing what I wanted to do. It all seemed like something I had done many times before. And you know what? In the third round, just as I dreamed, I hit him with a hard right hand. Down he went and he didn’t get up. I had knocked him out. Eder Jofre
A sturdy, two-fisted fighter with a big punch. Remember, while most American fans didn’t get a chance to see him in action, there was a time in the early-and mid-60s where he was considered the best fighter, pound-for pound, in the world. E Brophy, article The Ring ‘Battle of the Legends’
On 18 November 18 1960 he scored a sixth-round knockout victory against Eloy Sanchez to claim the vacant National Boxing Association (NBA) world Bantamweight championship. Jofre won worldwide recognition as the champion on 25 March 1961 when he knocked out Piero Rollo in 10 rounds. He successfully defended his title seven times, winning all the bouts by knockout. On 17 May 1965 Jofre relinquished the title when he lost a 15-round decision to Fighting Harada. It was his first loss since the Olympic Games. They had a rematch on 1 June 1966, which Jofre lost in a 15-round decision.
Jofre retired for more than three years before making a comeback as a featherweight. He defeated Jose Legra in 15 rounds in 1973 to win championship recognition from the World Boxing Council (WBC) and defended his title later in the year by knocking out Vicente Saldivar in 4 rounds. Jofre ended his career in 1976 having won all 25 of his matches as a Featherweight. His career record was 72 victories (50 by knockout), 4 draws, and the 2 losses to Harada in Bantamweight championship matches. Jofre, a hero in his native Brazil, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Best I Faced: Eder Jofre: Eder Jofre is widely recognized as one of the best South American fighters in history. The diminutive Brazilian became the soccer-crazed country’s first boxing world champion when he won the bantamweight title in November 1960. He later added to his legend by winning the WBC featherweight crown in 1973.
Jofre grew up the son of an Argentine father and Italian mother; his childhood was tough.
‘My childhood was in a extremely poor neighborhood,’ Jofre told The Ring through Patrick Nascimento. ‘The best games were in the streets, playing ball, playing with gloves, rehearsing what would be my future profession. At this time I dreamed of being like Captain Marvel and Superman. I think the inspiration was good.’
At that time boxing wasn’t well known in Brazil. Soccer was the national obsession.
‘My father came was from Argentina (and) was a lover of the noble art and had already practiced as an amateur,’ he explained. ‘When he came to live in Brazil and met the family of my mother, who loved boxing, there was a lot of interest and one of the greatest dynasties of the sport in the world began. Many cousins, uncles and others boxed; it became the official sport of my family.’
With an upbringing like that, how could Jofre’s future have been different? He had a good amateur career that culminated in representing Brazil at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.
Unfortunately for Jofre, he lost at the quarterfinal stage and didn’t return home with a medal.
‘The Melbourne Olympics were a great learning experience for the rest of my career,’ he said, ‘especially the way I prepared myself in my workouts. Before the Games, due to a lack of sparring partners in my weight, I trained with bigger boxers and I was hurt in one of the workouts. That affected my performance. It hurts me that I lost to Claudio Barrientos; in a rematch (as a professional). I knocked him out in eight rounds.’
In early 1957, Jofre made the move to the pros. Over the course of the next four years, he went 29-0-3. In his 33rd fight, he met old rival Ernesto Miranda – the two had fought two draws in 1957 – this time ‘Galo do Ouro’ (‘Golden Rooster’) won by 15-round unanimous decision to claim the South American title.
By the summer of 1960, Jofre met Jose Medel in an eliminator for the NBA 118-pound title. It was also his American debut and he impressed with a 10-round knockout. His reputation as a fearsome puncher continued to grow.
He calls it his greatest and most difficult fight: ‘He was a very good technical boxer, great athlete. Honestly if it wasn’t for my father in my corner, that night might have been different. The guidance he gave me (was) critical to my success.’
While soccer player Pele was idolized in Brazil, a household name the world over, Jofre was less known but much loved in his homeland. The two remain friends to this day.
Three months later, Jofre knocked Eloy Sanchez out, in six rounds, for the title vacated by Joe Becerra. After two defenses, his team coaxed the unbeaten Johnny Caldwell to make the trip to Sao Paulo to defend his world title in early-1962.
Jofre made the most of the opportunity and erased any doubt as to whom the No. 1 bantamweight in the world was, emphatically stopping the Northern Irishman in 10 rounds.