Choosing the 10 best Mexican boxers in history is no easy task. Boxing is one of the sports that stirs the most passion in Mexico. Perhaps only soccer surpasses it in popularity among fans; however, if we focus solely on success at the highest level, Mexican boxers have a significant edge over soccer players.
Throughout history, Mexican boxers have earned thirteen Olympic medals, two of them gold, won by Ricardo Delgado and Antonio Roldán during the 1968 Games hosted in Mexico City. Additionally, more than 200 Mexican boxers have claimed world titles across nearly all weight divisions in various professional boxing organizations.
Selecting the 10 greatest Mexican boxers of all time is undoubtedly challenging, but at PanamericanWorld, we decided to lace up the gloves and step into the ring of controversy with a list that includes legendary figures in boxing history, while also giving a spot to the most famous fighter of the moment, Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez.
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Julio César Chávez, the “Cesar of Boxing” (107-6-2, 85 KO)
The first name on our list is beyond debate. It’s no coincidence that Julio César Chávez was nicknamed the “César of Boxing.” His formidable punching power and ironclad defense made him one of the greatest boxers of all time. His records were astounding: he achieved an incredible streak of 90 consecutive victories in professional fights and won world titles in three different weight divisions. Over the course of 115 fights, he suffered defeat only six times. To César Chávez, give what belongs to César Chávez.
Rubén “Púas” Olivares (89-13-3, 79 KO)
Perhaps only “César” Chávez can be placed ahead of “Púas” Olivares on the list of the greatest Mexican boxers of all time. This fighter participated in over 100 bouts and, thanks to the power of his left hand and an unstoppable liver punch, became one of the most complete bantamweights in boxing history.
Raúl “Ratón” Macías (41-2, 25 KO)
“Ratón” Macías can be considered the first great legend among Mexican boxers. He won the world title in the bantamweight division in 1955, from the National Boxing Association, by knocking out Thai fighter Chamrern Sonkitrat in San Francisco. Two years later, his defeat against Alphonse Halimi caused a huge reaction in his home country. Macías appeared in several films and maintained friendships with Mexican cultural icons such as actors Pedro Infante, María Félix, and Mario Moreno “Cantinflas.”
Ricardo “Finito” López (51-0-1, 38 KO)
Ricardo López achieved the remarkable feat of finishing his career undefeated in 52 fights over an impressive 16-year span, from 1985 to 2001. Competing in the minimumweight division, he defended his world title 22 times. According to the specialized magazine The Ring, “Finito” can be considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers of the last decade of the 20th century.
Miguel “El Pequeño Maestro” Canto (61-9-4, 15 KO)
His defensive style was legendary. For nearly five years, he remained the flyweight champion and successfully defended that title nine times.
Carlos “El Cañas” Zárate (66-4, 63 KO)
Zárate achieved an impressive streak of 52 consecutive victories, 51 of them by KO, until he was defeated by another legend of Latin American boxing: Puerto Rican Wilfredo Gómez. He held the WBC bantamweight title from 1976 to 1979 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Marco Antonio Barrera (67-7, 44 KO)
His fans nicknamed him “Barreta” due to the power he delivered in his punches. He claimed the bantamweight title and, after returning to the ring in a higher division, engaged in a fierce rivalry with another legend of Mexican boxing: Erik Morales.
Erik “El Terrible” Morales (52-9, 36 KO)
“El Terrible” Morales was the first Mexican boxer to win world titles in four different weight divisions. He also made history as the first from his country to defeat the Filipino Manny Pacquiao.
Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Márquez (56-7-1, 40 KO)
For two decades, “Dinamita” Márquez was one of the best boxers on the planet. His record includes being a world champion in four different divisions. Gifted with exceptional boxing technique and powerful punches, Márquez only lost seven times in his career and was never defeated by knockout.
His four-fight series against Pacquiao ranks among the best (and most controversial) boxing rivalries of the 21st century so far. In their final bout in 2012, the Mexican had to knock out the Asian fighter to secure a victory. It was the only way the judges acknowledged him as the winner, as he was clearly disadvantaged by the referees’ decisions in previous fights.
Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez (62-2-2, 36 KO)
“Canelo” is the only active boxer on our list of the greatest Mexican fighters of all time. He is 34 years old but has already achieved significant victories that place him alongside boxing legends. “Canelo” has won four world titles across different weight divisions.
His only losses have been against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather in 2013 and, nine years later, to Russian Dmitry Bivol.
