gilgamesh wrote: ↑05 Feb 2023, 01:47
1. Sugar Ray Robinson
2. Sam Langford
3. Harry Greb
4. Ezzard Charles
5. Henry Armstrong
6. Willie Pep
7. Roberto Duran
8. Muhammad Ali
9. Archie Moore
10. Sugar Ray Leonard
11. Joe Louis
12. Benny Leonard
13. Gene Tunney
14. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
15. Mickey Walker
16. Barney Ross
17. Joe Gans
18. Charley Burley
19. Marvin Hagler
20. Manny Pacquiao
21. Sandy Saddler
22. Ike Williams
23. Thomas Hearns
24. Carlos Monzon
25. Tony Canzoneri
26. Bob Fitzsimmons
27. Evander Holyfield
28. Pernell Whitaker
29. Bernard Hopkins
30. Larry Holmes
31. Michael Spinks
32. George Foreman
33. Bob Foster
34. Stanley Ketchel
35. Harold Johnson
36. Alexis Arguello
37. Roy Jones Jr.
38. Wilfredo "Bazooka" Gomez
39. Jimmy Wilde
40. Julio Cesar Chavez
41. Emile Griffith
42. Lennox Lewis
43. Billy Conn
44. Eder Jofre
45. Mike McCallum
46. Ruben Olivares
47. Kid Gavilan
48. Wilfred Benitez
49. Juan Manuel Marquez
50. Aaron Pryor
51. Carlos Ortiz
52. Jack Johnson
53. Jack Dempsey
54. Jake Lamotta
55. Rocky Marciano
56. Wilfredo Gomez
57. Johnny Dundee
58. Flash Elorde
59. Johnny Kilbane
60. Panama Al Brown
61. Marco Antonio Barrera
62. Abe Attell
63. Erik Morales
64. Ricardo Lopez
65. Lou Ambers
66. Khaosai Galaxy
67. Sammy Angott
68. Miguel Canto
69. Joe Calzaghe
70. Shane Mosley
71. Andre Ward
72. Wladimir Klitschko
73. Felix Trinidad
74. James Toney
75. Oscar De La Hoya
76. Kostya Tszyu
77. Nino Benvenuti
78. Sonny Liston
79. Mike Tyson
80. Julian Jackson
There's a few guys who are active now who will definitely be crashing this party when they retire. Canelo Alvarez, Oleksandr Usyk, Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez, probably Tyson Fury and Naoya Inoue as well. Jury's still out on some others.
Vasyl Lomachenko I'd think would need another major career surge to be in the conversation, and I don't see it happening. I feel like Terence Crawford has done let the window close on him proving himself worthy of Top 100 all time.
Those are the guys from now that could potentially wind up amongst the all time greatest like that.
A guy like Young Stribling probably belongs here as well. A lot of these guys are hard to know where to rank.
One post and good thoughts and we're done!
Why is Wilfredo Gomez listed at #38 and #56...?!
I know that his nickname was Bazooka.
So, obviously not two separate legends with that name.
Salvador Sanchez should be at 38 then Right..?!
It was El Maestro's 8th title defense of his WBC World Flyweight Championship.
He travels again to Tokyo, Japan, the place where he became world champion when he beat defending champion Shoji Oguma in January of 1975.
Canto, the terrific master beat young challenger Kimio Furesawa. Among Furesawa's best wins was a win over his countryman Oguma.
Furesawa at 27 gave everything he had. He was game, but outclassed by one of boxing's all-time greats pound per pound and a true great flyweight in history.
Miguel Canto (29), displayed one of his greatest performances by out boxing the Japanese with left jabs and left hooks. It's a beauty to see this master in action. It really is. He never rattled when the going got tough and the crowd was against him. He never looked worried. His face was all business with great concentration and ring generalship, moving from side to side and giving angles.
Furesawa best rounds were the 7th and 8th. He clearly won those rounds against the champion.
But, the Mexican master took control most of the fight in which all 3 judges saw him win by a large margin. I don't agree with their scoring. I think that it was a much closer fight. But, Canto won outright. I saw it 144-141 in favor of Canto.
It was El Maestro's 8th successful title defense in 2 years and his 18th straight win since losing to nemesis Betulio Gonzalez of Venezuela in August of 1973. Canto avenged that loss twice.
gilgamesh wrote: ↑05 Feb 2023, 01:47
1. Sugar Ray Robinson
2. Sam Langford
3. Harry Greb
4. Ezzard Charles
5. Henry Armstrong
6. Willie Pep
7. Roberto Duran
8. Muhammad Ali
9. Archie Moore
10. Sugar Ray Leonard
11. Joe Louis
12. Benny Leonard
13. Gene Tunney
14. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
15. Mickey Walker
16. Barney Ross
17. Joe Gans
18. Charley Burley
19. Marvin Hagler
20. Manny Pacquiao
21. Sandy Saddler
22. Ike Williams
23. Thomas Hearns
24. Carlos Monzon
25. Tony Canzoneri
26. Bob Fitzsimmons
27. Evander Holyfield
28. Pernell Whitaker
29. Bernard Hopkins
30. Larry Holmes
31. Michael Spinks
32. George Foreman
33. Bob Foster
34. Stanley Ketchel
35. Harold Johnson
36. Alexis Arguello
37. Roy Jones Jr.
38. Wilfredo "Bazooka" Gomez
39. Jimmy Wilde
40. Julio Cesar Chavez
41. Emile Griffith
42. Lennox Lewis
43. Billy Conn
44. Eder Jofre
45. Mike McCallum
46. Ruben Olivares
47. Kid Gavilan
48. Wilfred Benitez
49. Juan Manuel Marquez
50. Aaron Pryor
51. Carlos Ortiz
52. Jack Johnson
53. Jack Dempsey
54. Jake Lamotta
55. Rocky Marciano
56. Wilfredo Gomez
57. Johnny Dundee
58. Flash Elorde
59. Johnny Kilbane
60. Panama Al Brown
61. Marco Antonio Barrera
62. Abe Attell
63. Erik Morales
64. Ricardo Lopez
65. Lou Ambers
66. Khaosai Galaxy
67. Sammy Angott
68. Miguel Canto
69. Joe Calzaghe
70. Shane Mosley
71. Andre Ward
72. Wladimir Klitschko
73. Felix Trinidad
74. James Toney
75. Oscar De La Hoya
76. Kostya Tszyu
77. Nino Benvenuti
78. Sonny Liston
79. Mike Tyson
80. Julian Jackson
There's a few guys who are active now who will definitely be crashing this party when they retire. Canelo Alvarez, Oleksandr Usyk, Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez, probably Tyson Fury and Naoya Inoue as well. Jury's still out on some others.
Vasyl Lomachenko I'd think would need another major career surge to be in the conversation, and I don't see it happening. I feel like Terence Crawford has done let the window close on him proving himself worthy of Top 100 all time.
Those are the guys from now that could potentially wind up amongst the all time greatest like that.
A guy like Young Stribling probably belongs here as well. A lot of these guys are hard to know where to rank.
One post and good thoughts and we're done!
Why is Wilfredo Gomez listed at #38 and #56...?!
I know that his nickname was Bazooka.
So, obviously not two separate legends with that name.
Salvador Sanchez should be at 38 then Right..?!
Gil probably put that list together in under 10 minutes. Accidents happen.
It was another night of work for Miguel Canto, the great Mexican Master of Boxing in defending his WBC World Flyweight crown against dangerous knockout artist and challenger Martin Vargas of Chile.
The fight was at the Carta Clara Park in Meridian, Mexico. It was Canto's 9th title defense.
Vargas, with an excellent record of 41-2-3 with 25 knockouts, was a promising fighter for his country of Chile in to be the first Chilean to win a world title in boxing. The expectation from his countrymen back home was huge. Almost everybody in Chile was glued to the TV to see their boxing hero in trying to get a world title for his country.
It was a Saturday night of September 17, 1977. Vargas before facing Canto, was the Chilean and South American Flyweight Champion. He had an unbeaten streak of 30 fights, winning 27 in a row from October 1974 to July 1977.
Canto, the Master, was always cool. He knew what to do to win. And he did, moving side to side, using his left jab and left hook. He avoided most of Vargas' punches. Vargas put on a good fight. Not a great one. In fact, the fight was not a good one at all. It was a boring contest in which Canto, El Maestro, won by unanimous decision.
To beat the champion, you got to overwhelm the champion. You got to make the crowd to feel that you overwhelmed the champion and that you really whupped him. Vargas did not do any of that. He had his moments and some rounds, but his overall performance was not enough to take the title to his country.
Canto improves to 52-4-3, with 15 knockouts. And it is his 19th straight win since losing to Betulio Gonzalez in August of 1973.
Vargas dissapointly drops to 41-3-3, with 25 knockouts.
Some fighters can't beat other fighters no matter how many times they fight. For example, the great Ezzard Charles whupped the great Archie Moore 3 times. The last fight between them was a KO win for Charles in the 8th round.
Joey Maxim, as good as he was could not beat Moore. Charles, the Cincinnati Cobra, beat Maxim 4 times!
The great Sugar Ray Robinson beat Carl "Bobo" Olson 3 times. The same was with the great Ike Williams by whupping the great Beau Jack 3 times. So, was the case with Enrique Bolanos. He couldn't beat Williams in 3 title fights.
In my view, Ken Norton beat the great Muhammad Ali 3 times, but the judges saw something different. It must be the money.
And no matter how hard Floyd Patterson does, he will always be anhiliated and destroyed by the great Sonny Liston in the first round.
And no matter how Howard Winstone was, he couldn't beat the great Vicente Salivary.
Well, the same is the case in this fight when Miguel Canto makes his 12th title defense for the second time against the man he beat for the crown: Shoji Oguma of Japan.
Canto was crowned when he defeated Oguma in 1975 in Japan. Oguma took the title from Betulio Gonzalez.
Canto went to Japan 3 times and whupped Oguma, all by unanimous decision.
On a Tuesday night of April 18, 1978 at the Kokugikan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, El Maestro gave Oguma a boxing lesson. No doubt that he won.
What Oguma gotta do with this guy to beat him? He doesn't know the answer and neither no one knows in that matter. El Maestro was superior and that was all to it. Especially, if the guy beat you in your own backyard 3 times.
It was also the 6th title defense for Canto in his opponent backyard. A Flyweight championship record.
Canto now is 30 years old. An age in boxing that got to be considering retirement as soon as possible.
Canto improves to 55-4-3 with 15 knockouts, and wins his 22nd fight in a row since losing to Gonzalez in August 1973.
Oguma becomes world champion again, but 2 years later. He drops to 29-7, with 17KOs.
On Monday, November 20th, 1978, it was El Maestro Miguel Canto's 3rd and last fight of that year.
His opponent was a tall boxer that was Thai-boxing and Thailand Bantamweight Boxing Champion, Facomron Vibonchai.
No record of this Thai boxer has been verified. Boxrec's had him with a 1-1, 1KO record at the time of his title challenge, which is very unusual for a fighter of such record fight for a world title.
The Associated Press (AP) and the United Press International (UPI), reported that the challenger had a record at the time of 32-2-2.
The fight was at the Samuel Houston Coliseum in Houston, TX, in which most of the crowd in hand were from Mexico rooting for their hero.
In round 4, El Maestro suffered a cut by the corner of the forehead. It wasn't a cut that was dangerous to stop the fight. The cut happened in a clash of heads.
But, that type of cut really showed that it was a handicap for the champion. The blood was streaming out profusely. At some point, Canto, the champion of the world, could not see the punches coming. Did the streaming of blood weakened him?
Vibonchai also had an incredible stamina. After round 10, he let his punches fly. He reminded me of the Explosive Thin Man Alexis Arguello of Nicaragua, the triple crown world champion. Tall, rangy and with tremendous courage. He finished very strong.
Canto was losing steam after the 12th round. The streaming of blood was all over his face. But, like a great champion, he hold on. His ring generalship and experience, saved him out of trouble.
After the final bell, the judges scored the following:
Referee Zach Clayton had it 145-142 for Canto.
Judge Bill Yeager had it 145-142 for Vibonchai.
And the other judge Mark Tressman scored it 146-141 for Canto.
The winner by split decision and still the WBC Flyweight Champion of the World!: Miguel Canto!
I scored it the fight a draw. (144-144).
Canto successfully defends his crown for the 13th time. A veteran of long fights, he surely and clearly showing his age. It seems to this observer that in the next defense or two, he could no longer be the champ. Somebody will unseat him as Flyweight king if he doesn't retire from the sport soon. His legs, one of his greatest assets, are fading big time. He no longer got the speed of hands, starting with the left jab and hook.
This was also El Maestro's 23rd consecutive win since August of 1973 when he lost by decision to Betulio Gonzalez. And what happened to the fine challenger Facomron Vibonchai after this fight? He never again fought for a world title.
In 63 fights, Canto improves to 56-4-3, with 15KOs.
Again El Maestro (The Master), showed again his class and mastery when he made his 14th successful title defense of the WBC World Flyweight Crown.
Canto, 31, of Merida, Mexico, got the record of most title defenses in the division of the 3 most known and major organization bodies: WBA, WBC and IBF.
This was Miguel Canto's last great performance as world champion. Even though he's not as sharp as year's past, he showed his challenger, the twenty-year old country man Antonio "Tono" Avelar of Guadalajara how to fight. He gave Avelar a boxing lesson by throwing left hooks, right crosses, jabs, feints, ducking under hooks, moving swiftly, blocking and giving an underrated body attack in the last rounds. The only thing missing from this master was a hard punch. Everything else, he had it.
Avelar, a tall hard-hitting challenger, had the youth, reach and height advantages over the aging champion. Avelar came in to the ring with a pro record of 19-7-1 with 15 knockouts. He gave all he had. He didn't give up. But, he was facing perhaps the greatest boxing wizard that the flyweight division has ever seen.
Maybe it wasn't his time yet to be champion. He got time. A lot of time still to become champion one day.
The fight was at the Carta Clara Baseball Park in Merida. It was Canto's first defense against a countryman.
It was Saturday, February 10, 1979.
Canto improves to 57-4-3 with 15KOs.
Avelar drops to 17-10-1, with 15KOs. But, after that, Avelar won 10 straight fights, including a world title winning performance against one of Canto's oldest victims: champion Shoji Oguma in 1981.
Avelar lost the WBC World Flyweight Crown to Prudencio Cardona of Colombia by knockout. Avelar's last title try was against Cardona's country man and undefeated WBC World Bantamweight Champion Miguel "Happy" Lora, losing by unanimous decision in 12 in 1985. It was also Avelar's last fight.
gilgamesh wrote: ↑05 Feb 2023, 01:47
1. Sugar Ray Robinson
2. Sam Langford
3. Harry Greb
4. Ezzard Charles
5. Henry Armstrong
6. Willie Pep
7. Roberto Duran
8. Muhammad Ali
9. Archie Moore
10. Sugar Ray Leonard
11. Joe Louis
12. Benny Leonard
13. Gene Tunney
14. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
15. Mickey Walker
16. Barney Ross
17. Joe Gans
18. Charley Burley
19. Marvin Hagler
20. Manny Pacquiao
21. Sandy Saddler
22. Ike Williams
23. Thomas Hearns
24. Carlos Monzon
25. Tony Canzoneri
26. Bob Fitzsimmons
27. Evander Holyfield
28. Pernell Whitaker
29. Bernard Hopkins
30. Larry Holmes
31. Michael Spinks
32. George Foreman
33. Bob Foster
34. Stanley Ketchel
35. Harold Johnson
36. Alexis Arguello
37. Roy Jones Jr.
38. Wilfredo "Bazooka" Gomez
39. Jimmy Wilde
40. Julio Cesar Chavez
41. Emile Griffith
42. Lennox Lewis
43. Billy Conn
44. Eder Jofre
45. Mike McCallum
46. Ruben Olivares
47. Kid Gavilan
48. Wilfred Benitez
49. Juan Manuel Marquez
50. Aaron Pryor
51. Carlos Ortiz
52. Jack Johnson
53. Jack Dempsey
54. Jake Lamotta
55. Rocky Marciano
56. Wilfredo Gomez
57. Johnny Dundee
58. Flash Elorde
59. Johnny Kilbane
60. Panama Al Brown
61. Marco Antonio Barrera
62. Abe Attell
63. Erik Morales
64. Ricardo Lopez
65. Lou Ambers
66. Khaosai Galaxy
67. Sammy Angott
68. Miguel Canto
69. Joe Calzaghe
70. Shane Mosley
71. Andre Ward
72. Wladimir Klitschko
73. Felix Trinidad
74. James Toney
75. Oscar De La Hoya
76. Kostya Tszyu
77. Nino Benvenuti
78. Sonny Liston
79. Mike Tyson
80. Julian Jackson
There's a few guys who are active now who will definitely be crashing this party when they retire. Canelo Alvarez, Oleksandr Usyk, Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez, probably Tyson Fury and Naoya Inoue as well. Jury's still out on some others.
Vasyl Lomachenko I'd think would need another major career surge to be in the conversation, and I don't see it happening. I feel like Terence Crawford has done let the window close on him proving himself worthy of Top 100 all time.
Those are the guys from now that could potentially wind up amongst the all time greatest like that.
A guy like Young Stribling probably belongs here as well. A lot of these guys are hard to know where to rank.
One post and good thoughts and we're done!
Why is Wilfredo Gomez listed at #38 and #56...?!
I know that his nickname was Bazooka.
So, obviously not two separate legends with that name.
Salvador Sanchez should be at 38 then Right..?!
Guessing the Sanchez omission was just an oversight. Obviously, we can quibble and no two people will have this the same. Certainly should switch # 7 and #10. #8 and #6 should also be switched. Also #18 and #31. Otherwise, the Top 25 or so is pretty good.
Everything comes to an end. So the reign of WBC World Flyweight Champion Miguel "El Maestro" Canto.
The date was Sunday, March 18, 1979 at the Gudeok Gymnasium in Busan, South Korea.
The challenger, the local Chan Hee Park, was a young and aggressive fast puncher of only ten fights. He was undefeated with a record of 9-0-1, with 5 knockouts.
Canto, 31, showed his age. He didn't had the spring on his legs like years back. His left hook wasn't as fast anymore. All he had was the ring generalship and experience in his 15th and final title defense of his crown.
Park was the aggressor all night and overwhelmed El Maestro with vicious attacks throughout the whole fight. He threw way more punches than the Master. Everytime he threw punches, the crowd roared even if he missed. He played with the crowd, using his histrionics to impress the judges. He had sheer determination.
If Canto had anything was that he showed up, fought but punched. He didn't throw punches like years past. He fought most of the night to survive than to win and defend the crown.
Hee Park is the new WBC World Flyweight Champion and deservedly so. With No controversy. He won outright. The scores were 148-145, 150-141 and 147-146, all in favor of the new champ.
It was Canto's first loss in six years when he lost to Betulio Gonzalez for the WBC World Flyweight Championship in August 1973.
Now he loses again for the title. Park interrupted Canto's 24-fight win streak. So, in all, Canto only had 1 loss in 51 contests from November 1970 to February 1979 (record: 49-1-1, 13KOs). An amazing achievement nevertheless.
Hee-Park is a hero in South Korea. With this win, he became one of the best boxers in South Korean boxing history. He defended the crown 6 times. He beat one of the greatest champions that ever graced the flyweight division. And who took his crown? Guess who? Former champion Shoji Oguma of Japan in May 1980. A Canto's three-time victim. And guess what? Hee-Park lost to Oguma 3 times for the title. Very ironic.
Canto came back for the rematch on September 1979 in South Korea against Hee-Park. This time, the fight was scored a draw and Hee-Park retained the title.
Canto kept fighting until 1982, but with not much success. He was done. And retired with a final record of 61-9-4 with 15KOs.
It was the end of one of Mexico's most underrated fighters. A true all-time pound per pound great that the general public doesn't talk much about him. He had it all, but the punching power.
Canto has the record of more title defenses in the history of the Flyweight division with 15 of the 3 major boxing organization bodies: WBC, WBA and IBF. He was indeed one of the best fighters pound per pound of his era and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY in 1998.
So far, this is the countdown
100. Jersey Joe Walcott
99. Sonny Liston
98. Vicente Saldivar
97. Gene Fullmer
96. Mike Tyson
95. Eusebio Pedroza
94. Benny Lynch
93. Jack Britton
92. Tommy Ryan
91. Mike McCallum
90. James Toney
89. Tiger Flowers
88. Joe Brown
87. Ted "Kid" Lewis
86. Peter Jackson
85. Beau Jack
84. Lennox Lewis
83. Abe Attell
82. Holman Williams
81. Azumah Nelson
80. Erik "El Terrible" Morales
79. Luis Manuel Rodriguez
78. George Dixon
77. Ricardo "Finito" Lopez
76. Manuel Ortiz
75. Marco Antonio Barrera
74. Bob Foster
73. Pancho Villa
72. Jimmy Barry
71. Packey McFarland
70. Miguel Canto
And at #69 we have the great boxing knockout artist. Another Mexican, Carlos Zarate!
#69. Carlos Zarate: Record: 66-4, 63KOs
KO Pct is 95%
Career: 1970-79; 1986-88.
World Titles Held: WBC World Bantamweight Champion (1976-79)
Highlights:. WBC World Bantamweight Champion that made 10 title defenses. Of his 10 title defenses, 9 were won all straight by knockout. A division record. Won his first 52 fights. His first 23 fights were won by KO route. Made another consecutive winning streak by knockout of 28 fights from February 1974 to September 1978. Before losing for the first time in his career to the great Wilfredo Gomez of Puerto Rico, Zarate had an unbelievable record of 52-0, 51 by knockout! Retired in 1979, but made a comeback 7 years later in 1986. Won 12 straight fights in his comeback before losing twice in title bouts. Beat 3 out of 7 world champions (Record vs world champions is 3-4 with 3KOs). Also fought 4 hall of Fame boxers, losing to all of them (Record: 0-4, 0KOs)
Historical Impact: One the greatest boxing punchers of his era. The Ring Magazine ranked him as one of the top 100 punchers of all-time. Arguably, the greatest Bantamweight boxer of the 1970s decade and one of the greatest Bantamweights in boxing history.
Defining Fight: WTKO5 Alfonso Zamora....April 23, 1977..."Won the Battle of the Z-Boys"
Other Defining Fights:WKO9 Rodolfo Martinez, WTKO8 Alberto Davila, WTKO12 Paul Ferreri, , LTKO5 Wilfredo Gomez, L15 Lupe Pintor, and LTKO10 Daniel Zaragoza
#69. Carlos Zarate: Record: 66-4, 63KOs
KO Pct is 95%
Career: 1970-79; 1986-88.
World Titles Held: WBC World Bantamweight Champion (1976-79)
Highlights:. WBC World Bantamweight Champion that made 10 title defenses. Of his 10 title defenses, 9 were won all straight by knockout. A division record. Won his first 52 fights. His first 23 fights were won by KO route. Made another consecutive winning streak by knockout of 28 fights from February 1974 to September 1978. Before losing for the first time in his career to the great Wilfredo Gomez of Puerto Rico, Zarate had an unbelievable record of 52-0, 51 by knockout! Retired in 1979, but made a comeback 7 years later in 1986. Won 12 straight fights in his comeback before losing twice in title bouts. Beat 3 out of 7 world champions (Record vs world champions is 3-4 with 3KOs). Also fought 4 hall of Fame boxers, losing to all of them (Record: 0-4, 0KOs)
Historical Impact: One the greatest boxing punchers of his era. The Ring Magazine ranked him as one of the top 100 punchers of all-time. Arguably, the greatest Bantamweight boxer of the 1970s decade and one of the greatest Bantamweights in boxing history.
Defining Fight: WTKO5 Alfonso Zamora....April 23, 1977..."Won the Battle of the Z-Boys"
Other Defining Fights:WKO9 Rodolfo Martinez, WTKO8 Alberto Davila, WTKO12 Paul Ferreri, LTKO5 Wilfredo Gomez, L15 Lupe Pintor, and LTKO10 Daniel Zaragoza
#69. Carlos Zarate: Record: 66-4, 63KOs
KO Pct is 95%
Career: 1970-79; 1986-88.
World Titles Held: WBC World Bantamweight Champion (1976-79)
Highlights:. WBC World Bantamweight Champion that made 10 title defenses. Of his 10 title defenses, 9 were won all straight by knockout. A division record. Won his first 52 fights. His first 23 fights were won by KO route. Made another consecutive winning streak by knockout of 28 fights from February 1974 to September 1978. Before losing for the first time in his career to the great Wilfredo Gomez of Puerto Rico, Zarate had an unbelievable record of 52-0, 51 by knockout! Retired in 1979, but made a comeback 7 years later in 1986. Won 12 straight fights in his comeback before losing twice in title bouts. Beat 3 out of 7 world champions (Record vs world champions is 3-4 with 3KOs). Also fought 4 hall of Fame boxers, losing to all of them (Record: 0-4, 0KOs). Also was The Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year in 1977. First Mexican of Mexico's great boxing tradition to get that top honor.
Historical Impact: One the greatest boxing punchers of his era. The Ring Magazine ranked him as one of the top 100 punchers of all-time. Arguably, the greatest Bantamweight boxer of the 1970s decade and one of the greatest Bantamweights in boxing history.
Defining Fight: WTKO5 Alfonso Zamora....April 23, 1977..."Won the Battle of the Z-Boys"
Other Defining Fights:WKO9 Rodolfo Martinez, WTKO8 Alberto Davila, WTKO12 Paul Ferreri, LTKO5 Wilfredo Gomez, L15 Lupe Pintor, and LTKO10 Daniel Zaragoza
The crowning night of glory for Mexican great Carlos Zarate came on May 8, 1976 on a Saturday night at the Inglewood Forum of Inglewood, CA.
Zarate, 25, was the number one contender for the WBC World Bantamweight Crown held by his countryman also from Tepito, Rodolfo Martinez, another knockout artist in his own right.
Martinez had a respectable record of 42-3-1 with 34KOs. He scored 20 knockout wins in his first 20 professional fights. He also had impressive wins against top Mexican contender Octavio Gomez (WKO6), former Flyweight champion Venice Borkhosor of Thailand (W15) and in his second title try against countryman Rafael Herrera by knockout in 4 rounds. It was his 4th title defense.
Zarate was the overall favorite. Unbeaten in 39 fights, he was coming from his 15th straight fight won by KO.
By watching Zarate's fights with dangerous Panamanian contender Orlando Amores (WKO3) and his seventh round stoppage of James Martinez of California, the boxing fans could see something special was in their eyes. Zarate has the pedigree to be a great champion and more. He had it all.
The first 3 rounds were close, but I give Martinez the edge. But, starting round 4, it was all Zarate. He became a machine throwing combinations from all angles, starting always with the left hook to the body. In round 5, he dropped Martinez for an 8-count. He proved to strong for the champion Martinez and then a wicked right uppercut put Martinez to sleep in round 9. Zarate won by knockout and is the new WBC Bantamweight Champion of the World!
Mexican great champion Carlos Zarate was coming from a 18-win straight fight by knockout when he finally makes his first world title defense of his WBC World Bantamweight Crown on Saturday, August 28, 1976 in Inglewood Forum of California.
His opponent? Was challenger Paul Ferreri of Australia. Ferreri was born in Sicily, Italy, but left Italy to Australia with his family when he was just a year old. He had a respectable record of 50-3-5 with 9KOs. He was a southpaw counter-puncher that won the Bantamweight British Empire Crown. He had a close defeat against former WBA World Bantamweight Champion Arnold Taylor for the Australian Bantamweight Championship.
After the second round, the fight was all Zarate's. He pummeled Ferreri with combinations of lefts and rights, starting with the left hook to the body. Ferreri's eyes were terribly cut and blooded. He had to be restrained for a minute in the 8th round by American referee Richard Steele for the ringside doctor to check up on the gashes in both eyelids. The fight was finally stopped in round 12 due to cuts. Ferreri was game. Very game. But he was very outclassed by one of the greatest bantamweights ever seen in recent memory.
Zarate was a punching fighting machine. All his punches were mostly accurate and on target without forgetting to throw the left hook to the liver. It is a beauty to see this all-time great fight. Could any bantamweight of the past, present or future beat him? You could count it with your five fingers. And it won't pass after two in my opinion. This guy was a well-rounded fighter, adept at fighting inside and knowing his surroundings. Very technical approach to the opponent in front of him. Strong, tall, balanced and had the stamina to fight 15 rounds if necessary. And knows how to cut the ring. He was almost a complete boxer and a terrific devastating puncher. The only thing he probably lacked was hand speed, but he wasn't slow at that department either. He was adequate.
Zarate wins his 19th fight in a row by the way of knockout! And improves to 43-0, with 42 knockouts! Very impressive! Unbelievable to say at least!
How about the great Carlos Zarate against the great Eder Jofre in a dream match? It would be a dream match for the ages! What a fight it would have been!
The night of Saturday, April 23, 1977 at the famous Forum in Inglewood, CA will forever be remembered as one of the greatest nights in boxing between two explosive Bantamweight champions.
Both fighting out of Mexico City, Mexico, Carlos Zarate, 26, traded punches and grit with his former stablemate Alfonso Zamora, 24.
Zarate was the WBC World Bantamweight Champion. Zamora, the WBA World Bantamweight Champion.
Both champions were undefeated.
Both champions could hit.
Zarate's record was 45-0, with 44KOs.
Zamora's record was 29-0, with 29KOs.
Combine both records, and we got between them a record of 74-0, with 73 knockouts! Holy molly!
Zamora, had been champion since 1975 with 5 title defenses. The most notorious in the record until then, but wasn't notorious at the time, was a knockout win in a title defense in Mexicali, Mexico against future WBA World Featherweight Champion and all-time pound per pound great Eusebio Pedroza of Panama. Zamora knocked out the young and inexperienced Panamanian in only 2 rounds!
The Mexican aficionados were clamoring for this fight for the last two years. The bets went up to the roofs!
Zarate was the 10-8 favorite.
Cuyo Hernandez, Zarate's manager and trainer, was also Zamora's manager before Zamora became champion. He split with Zamora due to a fall out with Zamora's father, Alfonso Zamora, Sr, in which he sold his son's contract to Zamora, Sr for $40,000 dollars!
Both camps were at an intense verbal rivalry. Both were throwing insults at each other in any which way possible whether by radio or TV.
The boxing governing bodies, WBA and WBC, were also at war. So a world undisputed title unification couldn't be made. They could not find an agreement for such a match.
Then comes American promoter Don Fraser from the Forum and offered $125,000 dollars to both fighters for a scheduled ten round fight. No title was at stake. The only thing at stake was the reputation of which fighter was the best Bantamweight in the world. And that was the way it supposed to be to settle it. Who was the best.
A total of 13,966 spectators paid a live gate of $357,440 dollars at the famous Inglewood Forum to see this long awaited and explosive matchup. This fight indicates that someone would be knocked out. It will not go to the distance. If it does, then both fighters got hard-rocked chins.
The fight was finally set, and round one started. Fifty-two seconds into the fight, a bizarre thing happened. A crazy man, with white beater shirt, and grey jocks with white socks, intrudes into the ring like if he was asking for peace for both fighters. Like if he didn't want the fight to be made. Like if he was a messenger from heaven knows where.
American referee, Richard Steele, stops the contest for a couple of seconds to restore order. The crowd did not know what was happening. Where this crazy man come from? I don't know. But, about 5 guards of the Forum entered the ring and grabbed the crazed man and removed him out of the ring like if he was an animal. The crowd applauded the guards' actions.
And the fight resumed. Both started throwing leather like the public anticipated. It was one of the best first rounds in boxing history, even though wasn't a title fight.
Zamora won that first round. He rocked Zarate's jaw plenty of times. At one point he flew Zarate to one of the ropes with a left hook.
Second round, Zarate started to work. And they kept exchanging in the middle of the ring some explosive rights, lefts, hooks and uppercuts with reckless abandon. Put strategy out of the window! Both came to fight! Both came to give the public what the public wanted. A war.
The fight was billed as "The Battle of the Z-Boys" because of both fighters' last names started with the letter Z.
By round 3, it was all Zarate's. He corraled Zamora into a corner and gave him a terrific left uppercut. Zamora went down and Zarate went for the kill. Referee Steele had to remove and keep Zarate off from Zamora at the end of round 3. Zamora was getting a beating.
Round 4 and it was the end. Another right and left out Zamora down again. This time for good. The referee counted until ten and a white towel flew from Zamora's corner, saying it was enough!
Carlos Zarate wins by a fourth round knockout in an explosive and exciting fashion. It was the greatest win of his boxing career. His most defining fight even though no title was at stake. But the fight proved that Zarate was the best Bantamweight Champion in the world. The best fighter of the Bantamweight class.
While Zarate was being interviewed of his victory, Zamora's father, a sour loser, came rushing at Zarate's manager Hernandez. The guards had to restrained both of them. It was a bizarre and wild scene for the ages. The best fighter won and there was nothing else to it. Why keep the animosity?
Zarate improves to 46-0, with 45 knockouts!
Zamora falls to 29-1, with 29 knockouts.
In Zamora's next fight, he loses his WBA World Bantamweight Crown to Jorge Lujan of Panama right there at the Forum. Ironically, years later, exactly almost 8 years after, Lujan loses by decision to Zamora's former victim Pedroza in a WBA featherweight title attempt.
But, on this night, the colorful Zarate established not only that he was the best Bantamweight in the world, but also established that he is one of the greatest Bantamweights that ever lived and a top 100 pound per pound all-time great without any argument.
He culminated the year 1977 with this triumph to become the first Mexican in Mexico's rich boxing tradition to get The Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year Award. He became the third Latin fighter in history to win the award.
Zarate's title run kept on in his fourth title defense on October 29, 1977 again at The Forum of Inglewood, CA.
His challenger this time was a Brazilian unbeaten in 26 fights named Danilo Batista. Batista was managed and trained by the former great Bantamweight Champion Eder Jofre. Jofre couldn't make it to the fight because of some illness.
The combined wins between these two fighters was 72-0.
Batista was a rugged and tough mulatto. He threw punches from all angles. In the first round, he completely outfought the champion Zarate. He didn't show any respect by throwing some serious hurting combinations. He was also South America Bantamweight Champion.
For the very first five rounds, it was a close contest. But, it was all over in the sixth. Zarate came and imposed his dominance with lefts and rights to the body and head. He pummeled the Brazilian challenger with some serious stuff. Next thing, Batista couldn't absorb Zarate's bombs anymore. He just dropped to the canvas, the referee counted to ten and that was it.
The winner by sixth round by knockout and still the WBC World Bantamweight Champion!: Carlos Zarate!
Next, a Spaniard was the next challenger for the champion Zarate.
Carlos Zarate traveled to Spain to defend his crown for the fifth time. It was his last fight for the year 1977.
Francisco Javier Rodriguez was 8-1-1 when he challenged the champion. Why in the world a guy with only ten fights, is thrown to a wolf of ultimate class like Carlos Zarate? A man that has 47 wins with 46KOs?
Well, the talk was that Rodriguez, the Spaniard Bantamweight Champion, had an amateur career of 133 fights. That's amateur boxing. It does not translate to professional. Just ask Pete Radamecher when he challenged a young lion like the champion Floyd Patterson in 1957 for the World Heavyweight title.
Rodriguez won the first round. He probably won the second round as well. He was winning the third stanza, or in the fight at least, when suddenly a nasty left hook to the liver got in. Rodriguez went down. The bell rang before further punishment. That was the key for the fight for Canas. All he knew was to throw that left hook to the liver again and he wins by knockout.
In the fourth, Rodriguez was boxing beautifully and with slick grace. Well, another left hook by the champion all it took. Again the Spaniard went down and the bell saved him again.
It was just a matter of time for the champion Zarate to finish it. In round five, Zarate came with a ferocious attack and it was all over. The same challenger said I don't want no more of this crap. And the referee Rudy Ortega, stopped it.
The winner again and still the WBC Bantamweight Champion of the World!.......Carlos "Canas" Zarate!
Zarate finished the year 1977 in style with four fights, all won by knockout. The sky is the limit for this great champion. He is recognized as the best Bantamweight in the world by stopping Alfonso Zamora in April, and by the end of the year, because of that accomplishment, becomes The Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year for 1977. He became the first Mexican of Mexico's great boxing history to win the award and the third Latino fighter to do so. The others were the great Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles of Cuba in 1969 and the other great one Carlos Monzon in 1972.
Next, a Spaniard was the next challenger for the champion Zarate.
Carlos Zarate traveled to Spain to defend his crown for the fifth time. It was his last fight for the year 1977.
Francisco Javier Rodriguez was 8-1-1 when he challenged the champion. Why in the world a guy with only ten fights, is thrown to a wolf of ultimate class like Carlos Zarate? A man that has 47 wins with 46KOs?
Well, the talk was that Rodriguez, the Spaniard Bantamweight Champion, had an amateur career of 133 fights. That's amateur boxing. It does not translate to professional. Just ask Pete Radamecher when he challenged a young lion like the champion Floyd Patterson in 1957 for the World Heavyweight title.
Rodriguez won the first round. He probably won the second round as well. He was winning the third stanza, or in the fight at least, when suddenly a nasty left hook to the liver got in. Rodriguez went down. The bell rang before further punishment. That was the key for the fight for Canas. All he knew was to throw that left hook to the liver again and he wins by knockout.
In the fourth, Rodriguez was boxing beautifully and with slick grace. Well, another left hook by the champion all it took. Again the Spaniard went down and the bell saved him again.
It was just a matter of time for the champion Zarate to finish it. In round five, Zarate came with a ferocious attack and it was all over. The same challenger said I don't want no more of this crap. And the referee Rudy Ortega, stopped it.
The winner again and still the WBC Bantamweight Champion of the World!.......Carlos "Canas" Zarate!
Zarate finished the year 1977 in style with four fights, all won by knockout. The sky is the limit for this great champion. He is recognized as the best Bantamweight in the world by stopping Alfonso Zamora in April, and by the end of the year, because of that accomplishment, becomes The Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year for 1977. He became the first Mexican of Mexico's great boxing history to win the award and the third Latino fighter to do so. The others were the great Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles of Cuba in 1969 and the other great one Carlos Monzon of Argentina in 1972.
