The Best Mexican Boxers of All Time: Legends of the Ring
Boxing is one of the most popular sports in Mexico and it could be considered that the country is a cradle of boxers of great performance, that is why we will tell you which are the best Mexican boxers of all time.
The boxing tradition in Mexico dates back to the 19th century, so there are many boxers who have excelled in this sport. The best mexican boxers of all time have managed to dominate the ring with their skills and abilities and have also left a permanent mark in the boxing culture worldwide, since the best mexican boxers of all time are not only important for the history of Mexican boxing but also for all boxers worldwide.
Boxing in Mexico is practiced professionally and amateur; Mexico has more than 200 world championships, and in turn with more than 200 championships won by all of them. It is also important to highlight that this country is the second with the most world champions, only behind the United States.
Mexican boxers have participated in the Olympic Games and have won a total of 13 medals, two gold, three silver and eight bronze.
It is important to highlight that Mexico has 18 boxers enrolled in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.
Due to its great sporting success, in Mexico there are good trainers, gyms and corners where boxing flourishes positively every day, with the objective of forming young people who in the future will continue to promote Mexican boxing.
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History of boxing in Mexico
According to records, boxing in Mexico originated approximately in 1866, thanks to American Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monster, who established a combat school, this institution offered classes in bayonet, boxing, cuchiyo, fencing, saber and foil.
By 1869, Monster set out to challenge the Frenchman Nicolas Poupard to a fencing duel where a boxing exhibition was also held; this event produced great expectation in the military and the public that was invited, so the academy of the American colonel was full.
In 1895 Rafael Cravioto, who was governor of Hidalgo, granted the authorization for a boxing match to be held in the state, with the purpose of resolving differences without resorting to firearms.
The prohibition and resurgence of boxing in Mexico
At the beginning of the 20th century boxing was prohibited by order of the national government, despite this, boxing grew in popularity at the time. It should be noted that by 1910, specifically during the Mexican Revolution, sports activities were limited, so there was a pause of approximately 10 years in the development of the sport in Mexico.
In the 1920’s, sports centers were reopened and national championships were organized, where foreign boxers, especially from the United States, fought for the national title of the Aztec territory. In 1923, the Boxing Commission of the Federal District was established and after this it was determined that the national champions in the country must be of Mexican nationality.
Mexico’s first important boxers
In 1924 Narciso Cisnero, known as Chicho, became the first Mexican to be internationally ranked in featherweight by The Ring magazine, and became double champion in bantamweight and featherweight in his country.
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Francisco Cabañas is also of great importance for the history of boxing in Mexico, as he won a silver medal after defeating the British Tommy Pardoe in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. It is also worth mentioning that Cabaña, as trainer, managed to take Fidel Ortiz to the bronze medal after defeating the Swedish Stig Cederberg.
In 1933, José Pérez Flores, who was known in the boxing world as Battling Shaw, became the first Mexican world champion. In this era of Mexican boxing, Kid Azteca, Manuel Ortiz, Rodolfo El Chango Casanova, Alberto Arizmendi, Kid Pancho, Manuel Ortiz, Pachuca Kid Joe, Joe Conde, Juan Zurita and Raúl Talán also stood out.
Boxing culture in Mexico
Boxing in Mexico has acquired a great significance in society and its culture, since this sport is not only a source of entertainment, but also a platform to form national heroes that serve as an example for many.
Therefore, for Mexicans, pugilists are not only athletes, they are also ambassadors of resilience and courage, offering the public stories of inspiring lives and triumphs in the ring that stand out for their relationship with the deep-rooted values of the culture of the Mexican people.
Here are some emblematic boxing events and venues in Mexico:
Golden Gloves Tournament
Established in 1943 as an amateur boxing tournament, its objective was to train young boxers for professional boxing.
World Boxing Council
On February 11, 1963 the First World Professional Boxing Convention was inaugurated in Mexico, they promoted headline fights in all divisions.
Boxer’s Day
Boxer’s Day in Mexico is September 14, so there are many fans and boxers who celebrate this day.
Here we will tell you which are the emblematic places to practice boxing:
- Romanza Gymnasium.
- New Jordan Gymnasium.
- Pancho Rosales Gymnasium.
- José Sulaimán Gymnasium.
- Siclo Gymnasium.
- professional boxing.
- Jaguar Boxing Gimnasio Roma.
- Hooligans Boxing and MMA.
Criteria for determining the best boxers
To make it to the list of the best boxers in Mexico and in the world it is necessary to meet certain criteria, therefore, these criteria are of importance, since they determine if a boxer truly deserves to be part of the list of the best boxers. Below we will tell you what these criteria are:
Numbers and quality of victories.
It should be noted that victories by knockout will always have a higher value than fights by technical decision or points, therefore, the more quality victories, the better the boxer will be.
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Quality of the opponent
Another criterion that helps to define if the boxer deserves to be in the list of the best is the quality of the opponent, the more difficult the opponents have been, the more value the victory has.
Current streaks
The ranking of the best boxers is updated several times a year, therefore, boxers who have been on a good streak during that period will move up the rankings.
Style and technical quality
Some specialized boxing sites take into account the technical quality and execution of the punches. For example, in Mexico the boxing style is aggressive, with constant pressure, body punching and willingness to exchange blows.
Popularity
As in any sport of massive popularity, boxers who generate great prizes, income and fame outnumber those who do not. An example of the best Mexican boxers of all time is Saúl Canelo Álvarez, who is considered the best boxer pound for pound, for having a good streak, good technique and for being one of the bastions of the boxing industry.
List of the best mexican boxers of all time
As we have mentioned before, Mexico stands out in the boxing world, therefore it has a list of the best mexican boxers of all time that show that Mexican boxing is of vital importance for international boxing. Here are the best Mexican boxers of all time:
Julio Cesar Chavez
In this list of the best Mexican boxers of all time, Julio César Chávez definitely stands out. This former professional boxer competed from 1980 to 2005, winning world titles in three weight divisions, Super Featherweight, Lightweight and Super Lightweight.
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Chávez accumulated 107 victories, of which 87 were by knockout, two draws and was defeated for the first time in his 90th fight. He stood out for his punch, his powerful hook to the liver, the pressure he exerted on his opponents and for having a very resistant jaw. He is considered the best boxer in Mexico and is part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and won 37 world title fights.
Salvador Sanchez
Another of the best Mexican boxers of all time is Salvador Sánchez Narváez, this Mexican boxer became the featherweight champion of the World Boxing Council; many experts believe that if he had not died prematurely, he would have been one of the best featherweight boxers and he was even ranked as the 26th best in history.
It should be noted that the fight against Wilfredo Gómez was considered the greatest victory Mexico has ever had over Puerto Rico and since 1991 he has been part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Sánchez had a record of 46 total fights, with 44 victories and won world championship titles on 10 occasions.
Carlos Zarate
Another of the best Mexican boxers of all time is Carlos Zarate, he stands out in the boxing world for being the World Boxing Council bantamweight world champion, in addition, along with Ruben Olivares, they have the distinction of being the only two professional boxers to have two consecutive winning streaks of 20 or more victories by knockout.
It should also be noted that Zarate was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine in 1977. It should also be noted that one of the reasons why he is part of the best Mexican boxers of all time is because he was ranked 21st in The Ring’s list of the 100 best boxers of all time.
Zarate was voted the #1 Bantamweight of the 20th century by the Associated Press in 1999 along with Rubias Olivares. The Mexican boxer was known for his aggressive fighting style and his ability to finish a fight with a single punch.
Erik Morales
Erik Morales, known as El Terrible Morales, is another of the best Mexican boxers of all time, he was a boxer of importance and served as a trainer. He was the first fighter from Mexico to win world championships in four divisions, Super Bantamweight, WBC Featherweight, WBC and IBF Super Featherweight and WBC Super Lightweight.
In the 19 world championships he faced, he won 16. He has legendary status for the trilogy of fights with three-division champion Marco Antonio Barrera and eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao.
Morales had victories over two boxers who are in the Boxing Hall of Fame, Barrera and Zaragoza, one over Pacquiao and in 2000 and 2004 he was part of the best fight of the year, also ESPN considers him number 49 in the list of the 50 best boxers in history, it should also be noted that ESPN placed him at number 18 of the best pound-for-pound boxers of the last 25 years.
For 2018 Morales was exalted from the International Boxing Hall of Fame which shows that he is definitely one of the best Mexican boxers of all time.
Canelo Alvarez
Santos Saul Alvarez Barragan, known as Saul Canelo Alvarez is another of the best Mexican boxers of all time and currently holds the title of undisputed world champion in the Super Middleweight division and has achieved a unification of the WBA, WBC, WBO, WBO, WBO, WBO and The Ring belts. WBC, WBF, WBO, WBO and The Ring.
Canelo is part of the best Mexican boxers of all time because throughout his career he has won titles in several divisions. He became Middleweight champion of the WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring, he also holds the title in the Super Welterweight category and he made inroads in the Semi-Completeweight division where he was crowned champion.
He is an excellent counter puncher, making him one of the most notable fighters in the history of boxing in Mexico. He secured the Middleweight titles after his victory against Kazakh Guennadi Golovki.
From 2015 to the present Canelo is one of the best boxers in the world in Pound for Pound, also the boxer has a promising future that could classify him as the best boxer in Mexico.
Impact and Influence of Mexican Boxers
Mexico is the second country with the second largest number of important boxers, making it a cradle of boxers. It is precisely for this reason that it has managed to make an impact on Mexicans as well as on the international boxing community, and it is because of their fighting style that they have achieved numerous victories that they have left in the boxing world.
Now that you know all about the best Mexican boxers of all time, tell us how much of a boxing fan are you?
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