BY: JORDAN ROSAS
There’s not a country in the world with a more proud boxing tradition than Mexico. Their fighters have a reputation for being a ferocious pressure fighter in the ring, and each Mexican boxer is honored to carry on the tradition. It comes as no surprise that Mexico has produced some of the greatest knockout artists and finishers the sport has ever known. The best Mexican fighters have proven their abilities to withstand incredible amounts of punishment time and again over the course of a fight.
Most Mexicans are small in stature, and in the lighter-weight classes, Mexicans simply outwork their competition. They are willing to push beyond their comfort zone, knowing that their opponent is even more uncomfortable. Mexican boxers fight by a code, not unlike that of the Japanese Samurai. To wear the Mexican flag, a fighter must be willing to give everything in the ring. Taking rounds off or quitting goes against everything that Mexican boxing has come to stand for. While many boxers try to avoid cuts, bruises, and big hits, Mexican cornermen view them as routine as pit stops in Nascar. Striving for a twelve-round decision with a clean face is no more sensible than trying to run the Daytona 500 on a single tank of gas.
While many athletes compete for exterior motives, Mexican boxers simply love to fight. Whether it’s a multi-million dollar title fight in a foreign country or an underground fight in some backroom club in Tijuana, Mexicans fight for pride above all else. In an era where athletes are increasingly focused on money, the Mexican warrior remains one of the last holdouts, a testament to classic sportsmanship.
Here are the top 5 Greatest Mexican Boxers of All Time.
*This list only considers native-born Mexicans. As a result, Mexican-Americans, such as Oscar De La Hoya, are not eligible*
5. Carlos Zarate (1970 – 1988) 66-4 63 KO
– Former bantamweight world champion
– 1 of 2 boxers to ever record two different streaks of 20 or more KOs (23, 28)
– Was 52-0 with 50 KOs before his first loss
– Was 66-2 before his last two fights
– International Boxing Hall of Fame (1994)
– The Ring Magazine fighter of the year (1977)
Carlos Zarate and fellow Mexican Ruben Olivares are the only two boxers in the sport’s history to record multiple streaks of at least 20 consecutive knockout wins. In Zarate’s first streak, which consisted of his first 23 pro fights, only 3 opponents lasted more than 3 rounds. After a 10 round unanimous decision, victory ended his first streak, and his next fight began his second streak, which lasted 28 fights until Wilfredo Gomez handed him his first career loss. He challenged 3 times for the super bantamweight title but was unsuccessful every time. Two of them were his last two fights. His other loss came in his only attempt to regain the bantamweight title. He initially retired at 52-2, after his second loss, but made a comeback after a retirement of over five years.
4. Ricardo Lopez (1985 – 2001) 51-0-1 38 KOs
– Former mini flyweight world champion
– Former junior flyweight world champion
– No. 1 ranked minimumweight of all time (BoxRec)
– 1 of 15 world champions to retire without a loss
– Shares record for consecutive title fights without a loss (26)
– Avenged his only draw
– Won four consecutive Mexican Guantes de Oro (Golden Gloves) titles
– Undefeated as an amateur
– International Boxing Hall of Fame (2007)
Ricardo Lopez doesn’t always get mentioned in debates of the greatest Mexican boxers of all time, largely because of his weight class. The weight classes at the low end of the spectrum tend to be less competitive, as boxers tend to move up in weight as they get older. The higher-weight classes also tend to pay better. As a result, the low-weight classes are often a forgotten and overlooked mix of raw, undeveloped talent, and tiny framed veterans. Nevertheless, Lopez astonishingly defeated every single opponent he ever faced, in both the professional and amateur ranks. He would likely be higher on the list, but over a 16-year career, he only fought in two divisions.
3. Salvador Sanchez (1975-1982) 44-1-1 32 KOs
– Former lineal featherweight world champion
– International Boxing Hall of Fame (1991)
– The Ring Magazine fighter of the year (1981)
– Died in 1982 at age 23
Salvador Sanchez is one of the greatest and most tragic what-could-have-been in boxing history. He died just as he was starting to gain global fame and recognition for his numerous impressive victories. Even though he died at just 23, he managed to defeat some terrific opponents in a very competitive era of the featherweight division, including Ruben Castillo (47-1), Roberto Castanon (43-1-0), Nicky Perez (50-3-0), and Wilfredo Gomez, (32-0-1), among others (the records shown were their records heading into their bouts with Sanchez). Many historians agree that if his career hadn’t been cut short by his early death, he would have been the greatest featherweight of all time. He is essentially the James Dean of boxing.
2. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (2005 – Current) 55-1-2 37 KOs
– Currently ranked No.1 pound-for-pound (The Ring)
– Current WBA (super), WBC, Ring super middleweight world champion
– Former 2x light middleweight world champion
– Former middleweight world champion
– Former light heavyweight world champion
– 42-0-1 before only career loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. (50-0)
– The Ring magazine fighter of the year (2019)
Canelo may be the most complete boxer Mexico has ever produced. Early in his career, he was a feared power puncher. After his loss to Floyd Mayweather, he has developed into one of the best defensive counter punchers in the sport. He has a terrific chin and has beaten fighters that are bigger and faster because of his incredible versatility. He is considered by many to be the best active boxing technician. His next fight is this weekend, May 8, against undefeated super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders.
1. Julio Caesar Chavez (1980 – 2005) 107-6-2 86 KOs
– Ranked No. 1 pound-for-pound 1990-1993 (The Ring)
– Former super featherweight world champion
– Former lightweight world champion
– Former 2x light-welterweight world champion
– Holds record for most successful defenses of world titles (27)
– Holds record for most title fight victories (31)
– Holds record for most fighters beaten for a title (31)
– Holds record for most title fights (37)
– Second most title defenses won by KO (21)
– Began his career 87-0 before his first draw
– Was 89-0-1 before his first loss
– International Boxing Hall of Fame (2011)
– The Ring magazine fighter of the year (1990)
Julio Caesar Chavez was the quintessential Mexican warrior. He embodied everything that a Mexican fighter should be. He was tough, ferocious, durable, and he was a finisher. He could take a punch and almost anyone in the sport and was a dangerous puncher himself. He wasn’t a very strategic boxer, and his game plan was to go in and fight until the opponent could go no longer. The vast majority of the time, it worked. His straightforward style of fight first boxing endeared him to fans worldwide, but none more so than his fellow Mexicans. He has become the gold standard against which all Mexican boxers have since been measured.
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