Bonifacio Ávila

As an amateur boxer Bonifacio Ávila competed at his home edition of the Pan American Games in 1971 in Cali, Colombia, where he reached the quarter-finals. One year later Ávila boxed in the light-middleweight class at the München Olympics, but lost his first fight to the eventual gold medallist Dieter Kottysch (FRG) after the referee stopped the contest in the second round. Later that same year he reached the semi-finals at the Central American & Caribbean Championships, before winning bronze in 1973 at the Bolivarian Games in Panamá.

Ávila turned professional that same year, winning 14 of his first 18 fights and losing only one match during that run. His second loss came in 1977, with him having a brief return to form, winning his next two fights. During 1978 and 1979, however, he won only one more bout, suffering seven defeats before retiring from the ring, finishing his career with 17 wins, eight loses, and three draws. After his boxing career Ávila ran a successful seafood restaurant in the northern coastal city of Bocagrande.