Former Argentine boxer Omar “Huracán” Narváez, one of the most accomplished champions in the nation’s history, revealed that at the peak of his career he was offered a multimillion-dollar sum to deliberately lose a fight. Instead of accepting, the Chubut native turned down the proposal, successfully defended his title, and prioritized his integrity and the example he wanted to set for his children.

With an undefeated streak of 37 fights, world titles in the flyweight and super flyweight divisions, and 28 successful defenses between 2002 and 2014, Narváez surpassed the records of legends such as Pascual Pérez, Santos Laciar, and Carlos Monzón.

A “very tempting” proposal in France

The incident dates back to 2007, when he traveled to France to defend his WBO flyweight title against local challenger and Olympic champion Brahim Asloum. Just a week before the fight, people close to Asloum approached Narváez with an offer to lose in exchange for a “very tempting” purse, promising him another title shot after a couple of bouts.

The meeting took place in a luxury hotel, with bodyguards present and a tense atmosphere. “The first thing I thought of was my kids and how I would look them in the eye afterward. When they talked to me like that, I told myself, ‘now he’s definitely not going to beat me.’ That lit my fire,” Narváez recalled.

Victory and a legacy of integrity

The bout took place on March 10, 2007, in Le Cannet. Narváez dominated and won by unanimous decision with wide scorecards (118-109, 117-110, and 116-111). The victory was not only another successful title defense but also a public statement against corruption in boxing.

“If I had been guided by money, I would have accepted. But I wasn’t born for that,” he said. Throughout his career, the “Huracán” was outspoken about the shady dealings surrounding the sport.

His professional career ended on February 3, 2018, after defeating Venezuelan Jesús Vargas in Puerto Madryn. In total, he fought 52 times, with 48 wins, two draws, and only two losses—both to world-class opponents: Filipino Nonito Donaire and Japan’s Naoya Inoue, currently ranked the number one pound-for-pound fighter.