Outstanding Mexican boxers throughout History
What Mexico has done for boxing is unprecedented. Why? Because Mexico has produced some of the most exciting boxers of all time and has the second-highest number of champions.
The greatest Mexican boxer of all time is a tough nut to crack. Read this article to learn about the five greatest Mexican boxers of all time.
Mexican boxing’s long and storied past
Let’s learn the history of boxing in Mexico before we take a look at its best fighters.
History of the sport can be traced back to the 19th century, when prizefighters faced off in matches.
Miguel ngel Febles is the first professional boxer from Mexico and the country’s first of many champions.
Known as a fearless boxer who competed all over Mexico, he is credited with organizing the country’s first professional bouts in 1915, complete with a set of rules.
Regulation of boxing in Mexico began in earnest after a few decades of the sport’s growth without much oversight. In 1921, the country established its first boxing commission.
Two years later, in 1932, Francisco Cabaas Pardo made Mexican history by winning a boxing medal at the Olympics.
Especially in the United States, Mexican boxers had a stellar reputation by the 1960s.
That’s why they were so feared by their international contemporaries and so sought after by boxing promoters.
Below are some of Mexico’s greatest boxing greats:
Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.
We start with the pioneer of the exciting brand of Mexican boxing that has become so popular around the world.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Julio Cesar Chavez was an absolute monster in the ring, earning him a spot among the all-time greats.

For over a decade, Chavez went unbeaten, winning 87 consecutive fights.
Having won over 30 bouts for world titles, he is a three-division champion (a record). He has tied for the most successful defenses of a title.
After a stellar career, Chavez retired with a record of 107 victories, 6 draws, and 2 defeats.
Olivares, Ruben
We now present a boxer who entered the ring when the aforementioned Chavez was still in diapers.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, bantamweight (and for a time, featherweight) champion Ruben Olivares dominated the sport.
Over the course of more than a century of competition, Olivares has never lost a bout while remaining unbeaten in the bantamweight division.
With his incredible punching power, he became Mexico’s first ever double champion.
Overall, Olivares went 89-13-3 in his career, with the majority of his defeats coming in the later stages of his career.
Salvador Sanchez
A prime example of the adage “the good die young” is Salvador Sanchez.
The achievements of the featherweight fighter are truly legendary, especially considering how quickly they were achieved.
He won the world title multiple times and was victorious against legendary opponents.

Sanchez was a professional boxer who competed in the ring in the 1970s and 1980s. He went on to win 32 of his 46 bouts via knockout and lose just one (by a split decision).
He was not a one-trick pony like so many other great fighters, but rather a master of all aspects of the sport.
Sanchez’s record of 44-1-1 is absolutely staggering.
Carlos Zarate
Carlos Zarate is regarded as one of the sport’s all-time greats at the bantamweight division. This legendary Mexican boxer went 52 fights without losing a single one, and he won the world title.
His fists had such ferocious force that they could turn off any light bulb in the room. Like the previously mentioned Salvador Sanchez, he competed at the same time.
Zarate was such a devastating KO specialist that he amassed two separate KO win streaks of around 20 matches each.
Indeed, only a handful of his rivals were able to survive past the fifth round.
Having compiled a respectable 66-4 record, Zarate has called it quits.
Saldivar, Vicente
Again, we lost a superhuman fighter far too soon.
Vincente Saldivar’s high-intensity body attacks and incredible stamina made him famous. The Mexican boxer made his name in the 1960s and is widely considered one of the all-time greats at featherweight.
Now, 50 years later, he is still the longest reigning unified champion of any weight class and has the record for the most successful defenses of a featherweight divisional title.

After a two-year absence, Saldivar returned victorious, deposing the division’s incumbent rulers.
After compiling a 37-3 record, he decided to call it quits.
Awarded with Honorable Mention: Marco Antonio Barrera
It would be sacrilegious to leave out “The Baby Faced Assassin,” even though there are many other deserving candidates.
Marco Antonio Barrera, a three-division world champion who competed from 1989 until 2011, is the most recently retired boxer on this list.
Barrera’s 21 victories in title bouts were all close affairs, adding to his reputation as a fierce fighter and winner. In addition, he won his first 43 matches without losing a single one.
The legend’s fans adored his aggressive style of fighting, and he is frequently mentioned among the top super bantamweights.
Barrera finished his career with a 67-7 record in the ring.
There are so many great Mexican boxers that many deserving boxers may not make the cut.
Canelo Alvarez, for instance, is still one of the fastest boxers in the world and widely regarded as the best draw in the sport.
Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Canto, Ricardo Lopez, and Alberto Arizmendi are just a few of the other Mexican boxing stars of yesteryear.
Conclusion
Mexican boxing has a long and storied history, with Miguel Angel Febles credited as the country’s first professional boxer and the organizer of the first professional bouts in 1915. The regulation of boxing began in 1921, and Mexico has since produced some of the most exciting and successful boxers of all time.
The five greatest Mexican boxers of all time are Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Ruben Olivares, Salvador Sanchez, Carlos Zarate, and Vicente Saldivar, with honorable mention going to Marco Antonio Barrera. Mexico’s contributions to the sport of boxing are unprecedented, making it one of the most important countries in the history of the sport. OKBET Sports Betting offers betting options for fans of Mexican boxing and other sports.