Best Mexican Fighters - AskMen

November 18, 2015 Share Tweet Flip If you grew up like many Latinos, you spent a lot of time watching boxing with your dad. Back in the day, it seemed like boxing was everything and there was a big fight every weekend. Whether we ordered the fights at our house or went to our uncles

The 5 Best Mexican Fighters That Ever Stepped Inside A Ring

November 18, 2015

Share

Tweet

Flip

If you grew up like many Latinos, you spent a lot of time watching boxing with your dad. Back in the day, it seemed like boxing was everything and there was a big fight every weekend. Whether we ordered the fights at our house or went to our uncle’s or cousin's, we loved getting together and seeing some great boxing matches. We witnessed some of the greatest boxers of all time and we saw some of the greatest fights of all time because Mexican fighters are warriors. 

Now in 2015, there aren’t many big-ticket fighters like there were between the '80s and 2000s, and the fights aren’t the same anymore. Boxing needs more Mexican fighters today because they bring it every fight. They don’t dodge people and when they get into the ring, they’re not dancing around trying to avoid getting hit. They are putting it out on the line and showing their “Valor Mexicano.” Today, Mixed Martial Arts has become a more popular sport than boxing and that trend may continue. 

Canelo Alvarez is the best Mexican boxer out there today and he faces Miguel Cotto this weekend in one of the biggest boxing matches of the year. Unfortunately, there might not be many big opponents for Alvarez left after this fight. Alvarez is too young to make this list, but let’s take a look at the best Mexican fighters of all time — with a modern twist.

Cain Velasquez (13-2) – First Ever Mexican UFC Heavyweight Champion

This article is about the best Mexican fighters, not just boxers, and Cain Velasquez is one of them. While he may not have been born in Mexico, he no doubt represents his culture and the Mexican fighting spirit. Traditionalists may not like it that a non-Mexican born MMA fighter is on here, but there is no doubt he deserves it. There has never been a Mexican heavyweight champion in boxing, but Velasquez has conquered the UFC Heavyweight division and became the first Mexican Heavyweight champion in the UFC. 

At 13-2, Velasquez is one of the best heavyweights in the MMA world. His relentless style and non-stop aggression makes him one of the more fun fighters to watch in the division. His TKO’s of Brock Lesnar and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva showed his ability to dominate some of the best. His three-fight battle with Junior Dos Santos is one of the best trilogies in UFC History. After being caught in their first fight and going down in round one, Velasquez dominated their next two fights. His most recent loss to Fabricio Werdum was not his best performance. 

However, to be on this list doesn’t mean you have to be undefeated. In fact, it means the complete opposite because a true Mexican warrior is not afraid to fight the best and they aren’t afraid to lose. When you go into war you know there’s a chance you’re going to lose, but it’s how you respond and comeback that will define you. Velasquez has shown he is one of the best and he isn’t afraid to fight the best. 

Oscar De La Hoya (39-6) – Champion In Six Different Weight Classes

Oscar is another Mexican-American fighter born in the United States. He won Olympic gold for the U.S., but many times he represented both the American and Mexican flags. While he may not have been the most popular fighter to the Mexican community because he wasn’t a “Real Mexican,” there is no denying his heritage and his success in the boxing world. De La Hoya won a title in six different weight classes and during his career he defeated 17 world champions. Perhaps some of his biggest moments are a big reason that he was hated by many traditional Mexicans. 

He defeated Julio Cesar Chavez two times, and that’s when things really turned for him. In an article from ESPN, he was quoted saying the following after he beat Chavez: 

"Boxing to the Mexican nationals, to us, we take very serious. So when I beat Chavez, everything just changed. I was receiving death threats. I was receiving threats from Mexico," De La Hoya said.

"I loved wearing the U.S. patch on one leg [of the boxing trunks] and the Mexican patch on the other leg," said the boxer, who won 10 titles in six different weight classes. "They sent letters over telling me you have to take off the Mexican national flag [patch from the trunks]. I remember going to appearances and people throwing eggs at me."

A young boxer was able to beat his idol and it backfired on him because Chavez was a national hero. I was a big Oscar De La Hoya fan because I too was born in the U.S. and had Mexican-born parents. He was an idol to me because I could relate to him, but when he fought Chavez I remember my sisters being mad at me because I celebrated his victory. He ended with a 39-6 record and he never dodged opponents; he continuously fought the best, even if it meant losing. Today is he one of the most successful boxing promoters in the sport. 

Juan Manuel Marquez (56-7) – 7-Time World Champion In 4 Different Weight Classes

If you are under 30 years old, there probably hasn’t been a more fun fighter to watch than Juan Manuel Marquez. He is the epitome of what a Mexican Fighter should be. Whether it was his win over Marco Antonio Barrera or his epic four-fight battle with Manny Pacquiao, Marquez has brought us some of the most entertaining fights we’ve seen over the last 15 years. 

Marquez has won titles in five different weight classes and has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best fighters in his era. His fights with Manny Pacquiao will most likely be his most talked about fights after his career is over. Marquez lost twice to Pacquiao, and had one draw before he knocked PacMan out in his last fight. Many would argue that the draw and split decision he lost should have been wins for Marquez. 

He’s also fought guys like Floyd Mayweather, Timothy Bradley and Mike Alvarado. Marquez is one of the best counter punchers of our era. He was willing to stand up to anyone and never avoided a fight. He took some beatings in his career, but not without giving some of his own. His knockout of Pacquiao is going to go down as one of the best KOs in boxing history. He’s the type of fighter that people love to watch fighting because he comes in to fight. He’s not looking to run around and avoid contact. He’s willing to take it as much as he gives it. 

Marquez could very well be the best Mexican fighter in the post-Chavez era and he’s definitely one that many boxing fans, Mexican or not, enjoy watching. 

Salvador Sanchez (44-1-1) – WBC Champion

When taking on this assignment I spoke to my dad, who is 75 years old and loves boxing. He told me about Salvador Sanchez. The guy who he thinks would have been better than our No. 1 guy on this list. Sanchez started boxing as a professional when he was 16 years old. He built an impressive 44-1-1 record in a career that ended all too early because of a car accident when he was only 23 years old. 

Sanchez at a young age was beating guys that were twice his age with twice his experience. He won his first title in 1980 when he was only 21 years old and he successfully defended his title nine times. This was a guy that had a dominant two-year title reign and he wasn’t even 24 years old yet. He won by KO or TKO on 70% of his matches during his career and, according to my dad, he was one of the guys you just knew were special when he was fighting. Like we know Michael Jordan, LeBron James or other guys were special at a young age — that’s what Sanchez was. 

His last title defense was at Madison Square Garden against Azumah Nelson. Sanchez won in the 15th round by TKO. This was back when boxing would go beyond 10 or 12 rounds. Sanchez had started to become a household name in the U.S. as he continued to defend his title and win violent battles against impressive competition. Sanchez died in August of 1982 in a car accident in between matches. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991, despite only being 23 years old when he fought his last fight.

Julio Cesar Chavez (107-6-2) – Best Mexican Fighter of All Time

The impact Julio Cesar Chavez had on Mexican boxing fans may only be able to be matched by what Manny Pacquiao is to the Philippine Nation. Even in the United States, there hasn’t been a boxer that the entire nation loved like Chavez. Sure, Muhammed Ali was “The Greatest” but many in the country didn’t like him because he was different. Chavez, however, was the guy that an entire nation stood behind and his boxing record spoke for itself. 

Chavez won his first 87 fights as a boxer, which is the most consecutive wins for any boxer of any weight class in history. Finally, he had a draw with Pernell Whitaker in 1993 after 13 years of ending every fight with a win. His first lost came to Frankie Randall in 1994 in a controversial split decision win, and he fought him four months later and defeated him in the 8th round. 

The only fighter to stop Chavez twice in his career was De La Hoya, while Chavez was in his 30’s. Later in his career he lost a few fights, but at that point it was obvious he was no longer the same fighter. Four of his six losses came in his last 11 fights, as his career was coming to an end. His 107 wins may not be something we see again because boxing has become more about the money than the fighting. Chavez was everything to Mexicans because even if you didn’t follow boxing he was beloved by most. 

He was the Michael Jordan of boxing to Mexicans everywhere and that is why he is the greatest Mexican fighter of all time. He refused to quit in his matches and even when he was well past his prime, he still wanted to do the thing he loved, fight. That’s what makes him the best Mexican fighter in history. 

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7or%2FKppynZpOkunC0xKukmqafqHykwcutrKudX5eytMCMppyxoZOWu26yyKCfrZ2iqA%3D%3D

 Share!