Ellyas Pical
Ellyas Pical, born March 24, 1960, in Saparua, Indonesia, is a former boxer who became Indonesia’s first world boxing champion. He comes from an Ambonese/Moluccan family and used to dive for pearls as a child. Nicknamed “The Exocet” for his powerful left hand, he fought as a southpaw in the super flyweight division.
Pical’s pro career includes 26 fights: 20 wins (11 by knockout), 5 losses, and 1 draw. He was a three-time IBF super flyweight champion from 1985 to 1989, winning the title by knocking out defending champion Ju-Do Chun.
He was the second Indonesian to fight for a world title, following Thomas Americo in 1981. In 1987, after changes in his management, he prepared for a unification bout against WBA champion Khaosai Galaxy. The fight took place on February 28, 1987, at Senayan Stadium in Jakarta and ended in a 14th-round TKO loss for Pical. The IBF had not sanctioned the bout and later stripped him of the IBF title.
Off the ring, Pical is married to Rina Siahaya Pical, a dentist, and they have two sons, Lorinly and Matthew. He has worked with the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KONI). A biographical film about his life, Ellyas Pical, was released on Prime Video on March 21, 2024.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:26 (CET).