Cristian Gonzalez
We are going to share with you the 10 best Mexican boxers in history, although it is not a simple task, since this sport is one of the most passionate in Mexico. So much is the passion for this sport, that perhaps only soccer is above when it comes to the fanaticism felt for boxing.
Mexican boxers throughout history have been able to conquer and obtain great triumphs, such as having won thirteen medals in the Olympic Games, two of which are gold, won by Ricardo Delgado and Antonio Roldan. In fact, more than 200 Mexican pugilists have won a world title in almost all divisions of the sport.
Even so, we made the task of choosing the best and here we bring them to you, based on the list provided by Francisco X. Rivera and boxer Daniel Ponce de León, as part of JefeBet’s podcast, Reporte X.
The best Mexican boxers in history according to Daniel Ponce de León
1.- Julio César Chávez
Undoubtedly, it is impossible to talk about the great Mexican boxers without starting the list with the great Julio César Chávez, nicknamed the “Cesar of boxing”. This player and his formidable punch and fierce defense made him one of the greatest pugilists of all time.
He holds a number of records, including a string of 90 consecutive wins in professional fights, and also won a world title in three divisions. Out of 115 fights he only lost 6. To Caesar what is Caesar’s and to this Caesar of boxing, the number 1 spot in this list of the best Mexican boxers in history.
2.- Rubén “Púas” Olivares
Only a fighter like Cesar Chavez could get in front of Púas Olivares. This number 2 spot of the best Mexican boxers of all time is well earned. This fighter held more than 100 fights and thanks to a powerful left hand and powerful hook to the liver, he positioned himself as one of the most complete bantamweights in boxing history.
3.- Salvador Sanchez
Salvador Sanchez was one of Mexico’s best boxers in 1996, he was ranked as the 26th best in history and his fight against Wilfredo Gomez is considered Mexico’s greatest victory over Puerto Rico.
Since 1991, he has been a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. And I think we all agree that if his death had not been so premature, he would have gone much further as one of the best Mexican boxers in history.
4.- Ricardo “Finito” López
According to The Ring (a specialized magazine), Finito Lopez can be considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers of the last decade of the 20th century. Finito Lopez during his career achieved the great feat of remaining undefeated in 52 fights during a 16-year career, between 1985 and 2001. He was a fighter in the light flyweight division and was able to defend his world crown 22 times.
5.- Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Márquez
For two decades, Dinamita Marquez was one of the best boxers on the planet. This player was characterized by a great fighting technique and powerful punch, which led him to be world champion in four different divisions, and during his combat history he was only defeated seven times, but never by knockout.
6.- Marco Antonio Barrera
Marco Antonio Barrera was nicknamed “Barreta” by his fans because of the impressive force he brought to his punches. He managed to acquire the bantamweight title and after returning to the ring in a higher division, he maintained a great rivalry with Erik El Terrible Morales.
7.- Erik “El Terrible” Morales
El Terrible Morales is remembered for being the first Mexican boxer to win world titles in four different divisions; he also entered the books as the first Mexican fighter to defeat the great Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao.
8.- Raúl “Ratón” Macías
When we talk about the great Mouse Macias, we are directly talking about the first legend among Mexican boxers, he was the one who won the world title among bantamweights in 1955 of the National Boxing Association, when he knocked out the Thai Chamrern Sonkitrat, in San Francisco.
In addition, this boxer was friends with icons of Mexican culture such as Pedro Infante, María Félix and Mario Moreno “Cantinflas”.
9.- Carlos “El Cañas” Zarate
El Cañas had an impressive string of 52 consecutive wins, 51 of which were by knockout, until he was defeated by Puerto Rican fighter Wilfredo Gomez. El Cañas was World Boxing Council heavyweight champion from 1976 to 1979 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
10.- Humberto “Chiquita” González
Chiquita Gonzalez was champion of Mexican professional boxing and held the WBC, IBF and Lineal Jr. titles three times and of the 46 matches he had during his professional career, perhaps the most memorable is the decisive trilogy he played in against the American Michael Carbajal.
For more on this topic, we recommend you follow Ponce de León’s interview in Reporte X.
