Felix Sturm
Known as "El Artillero", Velazco turned pro in 1996 and compiled a record of 28-1-1 in his first 31 fights before he defeated András Gálfi on March 3, 2003 for the vacant WBO interim middleweight title. He was elevated to full champion when original titleholder Harry Simon failed to make his mandatory defense due to injuries suffered in a car accident. He would go on to lose the belt in his first defense to Felix Sturm in what would be his first fight outside of his native Argentina. Velazco had a record of 8-6 in his final 14 fights before deciding to retire from the sport in 2010.