And it hurts me the way a lot of people talk about Mexicans when I know we're all about hard work and dedication. Years active: 1971-92 He has won legitimate world titles in four divisions and has defeated a whos who of well-known opponents, including Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Roman Martinez, Juan Carlos Burgos, Adrien Broner, Sergey Lipinets, Robert Easter Jr. and Jessie Vargas (after the loss to Spence). Johnny Tapia (1988-2011) "Mi Vida Loca" overcame harrowing personal issues to forge a robust boxing legacy over two decades of excellence. Record: 38-2-1 (17 KOs) Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Undefeated Leo Santa Cruz (26-0-1, 15 KOs) is already a two-division world champion at just 25. However, strictly from a quality-vs.-quality standpoint, it doesnt get better than Crawford vs. Spence for all four welterweight belts. Lost to: Wilfredo Vazquez, Junior Jones, Paul Gonzales He had a solid amateur background and has above-average boxing skills and some pop in his punches. The list, composed by a panel of ESPN boxing contributors, shines a spotlight on the best prospects in the sport as well as some promising up-and-comers, title contenders and a few fighters who are already world champions, including Teofimo Lopez Jr., Shakur Stevenson and Ryan Garcia. Ruiz admitted it was good to go the distance and called out some of the better heavyweights, namely Jarrell Miller. -- Parkinson. The scorecards read 9892, 9694, and 9991, all in favour of Ruiz who retained his titles. Since then, Flores has notched 18 victories (with six knockouts) and has shown solid boxing skills as he waits for his physical maturity to arrive. Ruiz's net worth as of 2022 is estimated to be $10 million, which includes earnings from endorsements. As an amateur, he beat Stevenson and Haney. The fighter: Roach is a solid, all-around technician who's adept at boxing. The fighter: The 6-foot-1 super middleweight had an amateur record of 130-2 and was a regular on the Cuba national team. The fighter: Nakatani, a flyweight from Japan, is a tall, angular southpaw who likes to control the center of the ring and unfurl his left hand from distance. Gonzalez was a two-division world champion, known for his knockout power, with victories over fighters like Fernando Montiel and Marc Johnson. Alas, only one judge agreed with me and Burns retained his belt on a split-decision draw. BIGGEST WINNER Jhonny Gonzalez's Round 1 KO of Mares last August came during the Showtime-Time Warner feud that temporarily took Showtime off the air in my market. Birth: Feb. 4, 1973 The 25-year-old native of Tijuana has always had pop in his punches, as his knockout percentage indicates. Miguel Vazquez is among the best defensive technicians in boxing. Theyre a combined 67-0 (52 Gervonta Davis delivered another spectacular performance on Saturday night in Las Vegas, stopping Ryan Garcia in seven rounds in a scheduled 12-pound 136-pound fight. The bout nearly came to an end in round four when Ruiz nearly knocked Dimitrenko down, however Dimitrenko managed to make it to the end of the round. And he plans to move back down to 126, where he should be particularly strong if he can make the weight comfortably. Ruiz won the fight via a first-round knockout (KO). [40], It was announced after the Lawrence fight that Ruiz would fight Hughie Fury in the UK on October 29 at the Manchester Arena, on the undercard of the cancelled rematch between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko. Background: Tapia was known best for his Vida Loca crazy and self-destructive life but he was also a damn good fighter, collecting five major titles in three divisions. 1 American in the sport. [72], In September 2019 it was announced that Ruiz would defend his titles against Joshua in a rematch. M arlen Esparza and Jajaira Gonzalez are currently punching their way to the U.S. boxing team at the . This list is limited specifically to fighters of Mexican nationality, not simply Mexican ethnicity. He also is the telegenic type who is infinitely marketable. The judges scored the fight 10090, 9991, and 9991. I'd love to see Estrada this year against fellow countryman Adrian Hernandez, or else in a rematch with Gonzalez at 112. But I predict the young star will be back on top eventually. Nationality: Mexican. Guided by trainer, Mexican boxing legend Erik "El Terible" Morales, he certainly has that distinct Mexican style down pat. indicates foreign boxer of Mexican heritage that doesn't represent Mexico. [54] Ruiz dominated Johnson over ten rounds, winning via unanimous decision with scores of 9991, 9793, and 9793. The Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia fight was huge because of the fighters fanbases. -- Kim. The victory underscored "Tank's"' place among the best handful of fighters in the world. Hometown: Ventura, Calif. Note: David Benavidezs father is Mexican. His win against Mosley was still a quality win, as was his TKO of Kermit Cintron. There has been a critical error on this website. Oscar De La Hoya (; born February 4, 1973) is a Mexican-American former professional boxer who, in 2002, also became a boxing promoter and, in 2018, a mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter. In July, Ruiz fought at the Texas Station Casino, Las Vegas, defeating Villi Bloomfield via fourth-round TKO. Conwell has been in consistent form over the past couple of years. Alexis Rocha, 16, T26. [65] Ruiz became a frontrunner after it was reported Luis Ortiz's team had rejected two offers of career-high purses to fight Joshua. The fight broke the UK PPV record, totaling 1.575 million buys in the UK. The former junior featherweight champion might be the second most-skilled boxer on this list, after Mikey Garcia. 14 Art Aragon, No. Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, U.S. Lost WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. Meanwhile, Juan Francisco Estrada and Oscar Valdez are among the best Mexican boxers right now. Age: 31. You get the sense that the experience he gained in the loss against Herring will prove to be valuable when he fights again for a title. The former 130-pound titleholder has been untouchable, with the A critical look at the past week in boxing Years active: 1984-98 "It's a journey, and I'm not in a rush." Davis couldnt have performed much better than he did on a memorable Saturday night in Las Vegas. He has already beaten Sadam Ali (to win his title), Liam Smith, Tureano Johnson, Kamil Szeremeta and Gabriel Rosado even though hes really just getting started. However, strictly from a quality-vs.-quality standpoint, it doesnt get better than Crawford vs. Spence for all four welterweight belts. His career is just beginning; let's see how he handles six-round fights by the end of 2020. He finished 16-1 in world title fights. He'll defend it Saturday against undefeated Jermall Charlo on the Saul Alvarez-Alfredo Angulo pay-per-view. Xavier Martinez, 14, T29. Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya are three of the biggest Hispanic fighters in boxing history. But as long as he is still officially active, he has to be regarded as the top Mexican pound-for-pound boxer. However, his accomplishments go beyond that victory. The undisputed super middleweight champion has accomplished too much to debate his place at the top of this list. Davis defused virtually everything Garcia tried to do, outboxing and outfoxing him from the second round on. Click Agree to accept our use of cookies or you can choose to opt out of our use of cookies by following the instructions in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice. No one can predict how long Fundora will be able to endure such taxing battles he isnt afraid to take punches in order to give them but fans will enjoy the wild ride for as long as it lasts. Ruiz made a successful fifth defence of his WBC-NABF title after ten one-sided rounds. Ortiz has yet to fight for a major title in the star-studded welterweight division but thats coming soon. Ruizs moment came in June 2019, when he stunned the boxing world by knocking out Anthony Joshua in seven rounds to become the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent. Garcia is currently taking time off to tend to mental health issues but hes expected to return to the ring, where he will surely continue to generate great excitement. And remember: The top man on this list also tested positive for a PED. [23], On July 27, 2013 Ruiz traveled to Macau with Top Rank to fight at the Cotai Arena against undefeated 30 year old American Joe Hanks (21-0, 14 KOs) in a scheduled ten round fight. Andy Ruiz is a Mexican American Boxer, with a professional record of 34 wins and 2 losses. The fighter: Zayas was coveted by all the major players as he made the decision to turn pro in 2019. The fighter: Benavidez is a two-time WBC super middleweight titlist. [74] In his post-fight interview, Ruiz admitted that he hadn't trained diligently for the fight, stating, "I should have taken this fight more seriously. Accomplishments/biggest moment: When he signed his promotional deal with Top Rank, Zayas was still just 16 years old, which made him the youngest fighter ever to ink an agreement with the company. He took a big chance by facing the naturally bigger Errol Spence Jr., losing a wide decision, but bounced back to defeat Jessie Vargas in his most-recent fight. I already have 30 fights. And he has gotten progressively better over the years, which is a testament to his work ethic. Gervonta Davis. He's just 22, and the future is very bright. Soto, who earned a unanimous decision over then-unbeaten Edward Heno in October, can bang, and this was also evident in a one-round wrecking job on Javier Alejandro Rendon in a nontitle bout in February. He tried and failed to win a title at 122 pounds in 1995, losing a split decision to Wilfredo Vazquez of Puerto Rico. If Diaz can beat Fortuna, any respect he lost against Rakhimov will be largely forgotten. Lost to: Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley (twice), Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao Titles: IBF junior flyweight (1990-94), WBC junior flyweight (1993-94), WBO junior flyweight (1994), IBF junior flyweight (1996-97), WBO junior flyweight (1999) The well-schooled 2012 U.S. Olympian needed a few tries to win a major title but finally got it done in a career-defining fashion, clearly outpointing Tevin Farmer to win the IBF belt in January of last year. He is the current pound-for-pound king and the one who generates the most money every time he steps into the ring, and he assured that he still has 7 more years . This is the kind of fighter who comes along once in a generation. Garcia is still building his resume but few young fighters have made a bigger splash than him. In recent decades, especially, boxing fans with Mexican heritage on both sides of the border have been essential for keeping the sport strong. Ruiz showed good power and speed during the short fight. Hall of Fame: No Record: 40-5 (33 KOs) But he is still just 23 years old and, as for many other fighters in the 105-pound division, a move up in weight (which is his only option) could offer more opportunities in his future. Davis couldnt have performed much better than he did on a memorable Saturday night in Las Vegas. Stevenson might be the most skillful boxer on the planet. But that's absurd. Power? Hometown: Albuquerque, N.M. 2 in the division in the latest ESPN divisional rankings, and he has revived his career following a positive drug test for cocaine in September 2018, resulting in him being stripped of the title and kept out of the ring for 13 months. It was his best moment to date. Ruiz was next to make a ring return on February 3, 2018 on the undercard of Gilberto Ramirez vs. Habib Ahmed WBO super middleweight title fight at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Thats a whos who of the best little men of a generation. -- Parkinson. Ruiz revealed he fractured his right hand during the second round. In December 2012, he connected with one of the best right-hand counters in history to knock his longtime rival Pacquiao out cold. His promoter Lou DiBella announced Hamer had been released from his contract. Hometown: Los Angeles Background: Little Red was a huge puncher with a questionable chin, which made him one of the entertaining little fighters of any era. Gervonta Davis. Still, in this special feature, Boxing Junkie has endeavored to give you the best five fighters from Mexico and a list of the next five. Years active: 1988-2011 [52] Ruiz received a $500,000 purse. 6. Former WBC champion Deontay Wilder had been in attendance, and both Ruiz and Wilder welcomed the prospect of facing each other. Who has the edge? Haney made a successful first defense via a unanimous decision against Alfredo Santiago in November but suffered a right shoulder injury in the process. Ruiz said he wanted a rematch. Ramirez hasnt always looked spectacular for example, he narrowly outpointed Jose Zepeda and Viktor Postol in two of those defenses but he has always found a way to win and continues to improve. [33] A month later, Ruiz fought veteran Raphael Zumbano Love (37-11-1, 30 KOs). Years active: 2006-present Many believe that Hernandez should be in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Diego Pacheco, 6, T41. Santa Cruz has been featured prominently on Golden Boy cards in the past couple of years. Theyre a combined 67-0 (52 Gervonta Davis delivered another spectacular performance on Saturday night in Las Vegas, stopping Ryan Garcia in seven rounds in a scheduled 12-pound 136-pound fight. 15 Paulie Ayala, Sign up for the Boxing Junkie newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, A critical look at the past week in boxing Magomed Kurbanov, 9, T34. Gonzalez's KO brought all that momentum to at least a temporary halt. A 19-year-old Ruiz made his professional debut on March 28, 2009, at the Plaza de Toros in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, in a four-round bout against Miguel Ramrez. Accomplishments/biggest moment: In September 2017, the then-20-year-old Benavidez became the youngest ever super middleweight titleholder when he defeated Ronald Gavril by split decision to win the WBC belt. Henry Cejudo. Rounds four through six consisted of minor exchanges between Ruiz and Joshua. Dubois is the other British heavyweight -- and if you don't know much about him yet, you soon will. Here are the five best possible opponents for the rising star from Baltimore. Meet Marlen Esparza and Jajaira Gonzalez, Two Badass Boxers on the Road to the US Olympic Team. The son of Mexican boxing legend Julio Csar Chvez, Chvez Jr. is best known for his rivalry against popular contemporaries like Brian Vera and Canelo lvarez. That's the big question. He is the last man to beat current WBC 126-pound champion Jhonny Gonzalez, having captured the WBC title from him in 2012 by Round 8 technical decision. The main goal for this bout was for Ruiz to get in some much needed rounds, having only completed less than a round in over a year. Future/ceiling/expectations: For the time being, Mielnicki will be guided carefully, and perhaps by the end of the year he'll be in six-round fights.

South Dakota High School Basketball Coaching Records, Articles C