how good was Ruben Olivares

[Cojimar 1946]

On another forum I visit people were suggesting he rates ahead of Duran, while I'm not sure I agree with this I'm curious as to where people rank him P4P and among bantamweights.

[SenorPipino]

Absolutely one if the best.

A P4P matchup between Duran and a circa 1969/1970 Olivares would have been a battle of the ages.

Señor Knockout would be treated with more even reverence today if he hadn't been such a party animal, which certainly shortened his prime.

Like Duran, Olivares was a huge puncher. And also just like Duran, he was an outstanding, underappreciated boxer when necessary.

Watch him turn pure boxer in the 1970 rubber match with talented Chucho Castillo to win back the bantam crown.

Castillo was the one man at 118 that Olivares simply couldn't KO. So he did the unexpected in that third fight and totally outboxed a fine boxer in Castillo.

Olivares-Duran would have been fascinating high drama.

[elmersalsa]

The great Ruben Olivares was a true all time great pound per pound Mexican fighter. He truly belongs in the top 50 all time pound per pound list. Won two more world titles when he was considered totally washed up. He brought 4 boxing world championships to Mexico in 2 different weight classes.

I got him rated top 5 or 6 at Bantamweight all time rankings. And boy, can he hit! He was One of the all time greatest knockout artists. Just looking at his record, before he lost his first fight, he had a record of 61-0, with 57KOs, I believe. Something unheard of at the time. It's something unheard of for today's time.

A very likeable person inside and outside of the ring. Very charismatic. His textbook left hook to the liver was one of the best ever. And fighting on the inside, he was one of the greatest masters. I enjoy watching his two fights with Chucho Castillo. Those two videos can teach a young lad how to perfectly fight INSIDE. Fighting inside is A LOST ART TODAY.

[SenorPipino]

The great Ruben Olivares was a true all time great pound per pound Mexican fighter. He truly belongs in the top 50 all time pound per pound list. Won two more world titles when he was considered totally washed up. He brought 4 boxing world championships to Mexico in 2 different weight classes.

I got him rated top 5 or 6 at Bantamweight all time rankings. And boy, can he hit! He was One of the all time greatest knockout artists. Just looking at his record, before he lost his first fight, he had a record of 61-0, with 57KOs, I believe. Something unheard of at the time. It's something unheard of for today's time.

A very likeable person inside and outside of the ring. Very charismatic. His textbook left hook to the liver was one of the best ever. And fighting on the inside, he was one of the greatest masters. I enjoy watching his two fights with Chucho Castillo. Those two videos can teach a young lad how to perfectly fight INSIDE. Fighting inside is A LOST ART TODAY.

Which fight of the trilogy haven't you watched?

The first two in 1970 were wars.

Olivares shocked the world by turning boxer in the 1971 rubber match to convincingly beat Castillo and take back the title.

I believe El Puas runs a gym in Mexico City today, teaching boxing and training fighters.

Time truly flies. Olivares recently turned 71.

[elmersalsa]

The great Ruben Olivares was a true all time great pound per pound Mexican fighter. He truly belongs in the top 50 all time pound per pound list. Won two more world titles when he was considered totally washed up. He brought 4 boxing world championships to Mexico in 2 different weight classes.

I got him rated top 5 or 6 at Bantamweight all time rankings. And boy, can he hit! He was One of the all time greatest knockout artists. Just looking at his record, before he lost his first fight, he had a record of 61-0, with 57KOs, I believe. Something unheard of at the time. It's something unheard of for today's time.

A very likeable person inside and outside of the ring. Very charismatic. His textbook left hook to the liver was one of the best ever. And fighting on the inside, he was one of the greatest masters. I enjoy watching his two fights with Chucho Castillo. Those two videos can teach a young lad how to perfectly fight INSIDE. Fighting inside is A LOST ART TODAY.

Which fight of the trilogy haven't you watched?

The first two in 1970 were wars.

Olivares shocked the world by turning boxer in the 1971 rubber match to convincingly beat Castillo and take back the title.

I believe El Puas runs a gym in Mexico City today, teaching boxing and training fighters.

Time truly flies. Olivares recently turned 71.

I haven't seen the third fight. It's not on YouTube when I first saw the two previous fights. Is it on YouTube now?

Those two fights with Chucho Castillo were textbooks jewels of how to fight inside.

[SenorPipino]

The great Ruben Olivares was a true all time great pound per pound Mexican fighter. He truly belongs in the top 50 all time pound per pound list. Won two more world titles when he was considered totally washed up. He brought 4 boxing world championships to Mexico in 2 different weight classes.

I got him rated top 5 or 6 at Bantamweight all time rankings. And boy, can he hit! He was One of the all time greatest knockout artists. Just looking at his record, before he lost his first fight, he had a record of 61-0, with 57KOs, I believe. Something unheard of at the time. It's something unheard of for today's time.

A very likeable person inside and outside of the ring. Very charismatic. His textbook left hook to the liver was one of the best ever. And fighting on the inside, he was one of the greatest masters. I enjoy watching his two fights with Chucho Castillo. Those two videos can teach a young lad how to perfectly fight INSIDE. Fighting inside is A LOST ART TODAY.

Which fight of the trilogy haven't you watched?

The first two in 1970 were wars.

Olivares shocked the world by turning boxer in the 1971 rubber match to convincingly beat Castillo and take back the title.

I believe El Puas runs a gym in Mexico City today, teaching boxing and training fighters.

Time truly flies. Olivares recently turned 71.

I haven't seen the third fight. It's not on YouTube when I first saw the two previous fights. Is it on YouTube now?

Those two fights with Chucho Castillo were textbooks jewels of how to fight inside.

No, strangely fight #3 is missing on YouTube.

Years ago I watched replays of that fight on L.A. Spanish language station KMEX.

So tape does (or did) exist. Hopefully someone will uncover it. There are plenty Olivares fights available on YT.

Good fight to watch, even if the tape is grainy, is Castillo challenging then bantamweight champion Aussie Lionel Rose.

A very close fight that ended in a decision for Rose. Needless to say, the predominantly Mexican crowd at the Forum was very displeased and rioted.

For a while, Forum owner Jack Kent Cooke considered a ban on boxing at his then new arena.