Greatest Latino Fighters of All Time

[El Gato]

How about a comprehensive list of the best of the Latino community?

Roberto Duran
Carlos Monzon
Eder Jofre
Carlos Ortiz
Luis Rodriguez
Jose Napoles
Kid Gavilan
Alexis Arguello
Ruben Olivares
Julio Cesar Chavez

[phlboxarc]

Do we include Italian boxers in this list ? After all they are the true and original Latins. Latin in Italian is spelled LATINO.
** Just having some fun Gato - until the 1950's Italians-American boxers were often referred to as "a fiery Latin" when described by the media.

[El Gato]

Thanks for the info if nothing else Phil (you don't mind if I call you Phil?). I didn't know that.

We'll just stick to the more practical definition for now. Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, South Americans, etc.

Would be interesting to see any objections to my list if nothing else. I think it's pretty solid.

[dongee]

A seriously conditioned Manuel Ortiz would be my choice to defeat at least four, maybe five of the above listed greats. Very few people knew and really understood what Manuel was all about. A natural scrapper, a throwback to the old timers who fought the distance in or out of condition. A man among boys when he was in his prime.

hap navarro

[dongee]

Pardon the interruption:

While I am at it, I might as well let it all hang out. Another Hispanic great that is all too often overlooked because of his won/lost record is Baby Arizmendi. But like Ortiz, Baby was a victim of the times, when fighters took bouts that did little to further their careers to stay busy, earning very modest purses, etc. etc.

Like Manuel Ortiz, Arizmendi reversed a number of his losses in prior or subsequent meetings with the same opponent. More to his credit is the incredible statistic of never having been floored in his entire llengthy career, winning from Henry Armstrong a couple of times, and though small for his ultimate weight, flooring the dangerous punching Ca. Jackie Wilson, twice, in their outdoor meeting at Wrigley Field, L.A. And Baby was battling Lou Ambers evenly when their bout was halted on a serious cut eye.

From the ten Latinos rated in this thread I can only visualize Monzon or Napoles flooring the prestigious Jackie Wilson, who was easily one of the best in his class when he fought Arizmendi.

Excuse the exhuberance; but we really had some worthy Latinos who have been overlooked for ages.

respectfully hap navarro

[El Gato]

I respect your post and your points, but Ortiz was too small to fight, much less beat, any of the men on that list save Jofre and Olivares. When you say that, do you mean that you'd rank Ortiz above at least 5 of the men on the list? You'd favor him over the two above mentioned fighters?

As for Arizmendi, he'd be among my top 10 Mexican fighters, but doesn't quite make the cut in this one.

[kikibalt]

I would pick Ortiz over Jofre and Olivares, Not too many of us left that seen all 3 fight live.

[El Gato]

I would pick Ortiz over Jofre and Olivares, Not too many of us left that seen all 3 fight live.

That's a hell of a claim. Those two are generally regarded as the top two in the division's history. Granted, having never seen Ortiz in action I'm noone to say otherwise.

[kikibalt]

That's a hell of a claim. Those two are generally regarded as the top two in the division's history. Granted, having never seen Ortiz in action I'm noone to say otherwise.

I might be wrong but, I think that Hap Navarro and I are the only ones on this forum that seen manuel ortiz fight live. Yeah! we're long in the tooth all right....

[El Gato]

All the more respect to both of you. Any recollections of Ortiz's style and ability as a fighter? He's one of few legends I haven't seen on film.

[dongee]

Gato:

There is nothing wrong with your listing. I just think that there is room for more than ten names, men from an era that was crammed with many more good fighters than the times that followed. Like kikibalt, I was there and I cultivated the friendship of both Manuel and Arizmendi, up close, where I learned exactly what made them both tick.

Baby was a flurry fighter, a style where he waited until the round was almost over to mount an attack. It served him well each time he caught his foes by surprise. Years later, Fabela Chavez employed the style early in his career.

Manuel's forte was his singular toughness; I only saw him floored twice and one of those was voluntary, when he showed up fat and out of shape to battle Lauro Salas at the Olympic. He couldn't move that night, so he was taking a real thumping until he decided to take a knee for a breather. The man was only stopped once in his career, and that was on cuts. I cannot think of another bantam champion who defended his title as many times in one year as Ortiz did, not to mention his overall total of title bouts.

Peace

hap navarro

[dongee]

Gato:

There is nothing wrong with your listing. I just think that there is room for more than ten names, men from an era that was crammed with many more good fighters than the times that followed. Like kikibalt, I was there and I cultivated the friendship of both Manuel and Arizmendi, up close, where I learned exactly what made them both tick.

Baby was a flurry fighter, a style where he waited until the round was almost over to mount an attack. It served him well each time he caught his foes by surprise. Years later, Fabela Chavez employed the style early in his career.

Manuel's forte was his singular toughness; I only saw him floored twice and one of those was voluntary, when he showed up fat and out of shape to battle Lauro Salas at the Olympic. He couldn't move that night, so he was taking a real thumping until he decided to take a knee for a breather. The man was only stopped once in his career, and that was on cuts. I cannot think of another bantam champion who defended his title as many times in one year as Ortiz did, not to mention his overall total of title bouts.

Peace

hap navarro

[El Gato]

Thanks for the insight guys, much appreciated. There is definitely room for more than 10 names. Much more. I just wanted to condense the list a bit. I'll throw out some more names in no order, let me know if you guys think anyone else deserves consideration. Also, I left out guys like Orlando Canizales, Bobby Chacon, Oscar De La Hoya, Danny Lopez, and Johnny Tapia because they were born in America and are, I believe, citizens from birth. I thought the same was the case with Manny Ortiz, actually.

Victor Galindez
Jose Torres
Rodrigo Valdez
Carlos Palomino
Wilfred Benitez
Pipino Cuevas
Felix Trinidad
Carlos Hernandez
Hector Camacho
Nicolino Locche
Antonio Cervantes
Juan Zurita
Lauro Salas
Ismael Laguna
Mando Ramos
Sugar Ramos
Rodolfo Gonzalez
Esteban De Jesus
Alexis Arguello
Kid Chocolate
Bazooka Limon
Wilfredo Gomez
Baby Arizmendi
Kid Azteca
Vicente Saldivar
Ernesto Marcel
Jose Legra
Eder Jofre
Ruben Olivares
Carlos Ortiz
Salvador Sanchez
Eusebio Pedroza
Lupe Pintor
Juan Manuel Marquez
Erik Morales
Marco Antonio Barrera
Panama Al Brown
Sixto Escobar
Raul Macias
Jose Becerra
Chucho Castillo
Rafael Herrera
Miguel Lora
Gilberto Roman
Santos Laciar
Pascual Perez
Horacio Accavallo
Efren Torres
Miguel Canto
Hilario Zapata
Luis Estaba
Fidel Bassa
Ricardo Lopez

[ramon04230]

Miguel Canto

[mrbig1]

How about a comprehensive list of the best of the Latino community?

Roberto Duran
Carlos Monzon
Eder Jofre
Carlos Ortiz
Luis Rodriguez
Jose Napoles
Kid Gavilan
Alexis Arguello
Ruben Olivares
Julio Cesar Chavez

Great job sir. I wouldn't change a thing.

[Michael Frank]

I'd switch Arguello and Monzon. Then I'd put Chavez just above one of my favorite fighters, Arguello. And add Gomez to the list, below Ortiz. Thus Olivares drops off the list if it's to be the top 10.

Arguello beat something like a dozen world champions; Monzon's resume isn't even close to that. And Monzon's best opponents were way too old (Griffith and Napoles) and way too small (Napoles).

Thus:

Roberto Duran
Julio Cesar Chavez
Alexis Arguello
Eder Jofre
Carlos Ortiz
Wilfredo Gomez
Luis Rodriguez
Jose Napoles
Kid Gavilan
Carlos Monzon

[walshb]

I'd switch Arguello and Monzon. Then I'd put Chavez just above one of my favorite fighters, Arguello. And add Gomez to the list, below Ortiz. Thus Olivares drops off the list if it's to be the top 10.

Arguello beat something like a dozen world champions; Monzon's resume isn't even close to that. And Monzon's best opponents were way too old (Griffith and Napoles) and way too small (Napoles).

Thus:

Roberto Duran
Julio Cesar Chavez
Alexis Arguello
Eder Jofre
Carlos Ortiz
Wilfredo Gomez
Luis Rodriguez
Jose Napoles
Kid Gavilan
Carlos Monzon

My list would insert Sal Sanchez ahead of Gomez.

Duran, Chavez, Jofre, Arguello, Sanchez, Monzon, Ricardo Lopez, Carlos Ortiz, Gavilan, Pedrosa.

Does Pedrosa qualify?

[Every Mother's Fear]

I like your list but I'd have Jofre# 1, Duran 2. Hap is correct there are just too many Latino greats to keep it at 10. In my mind jofre's career accomplishments and sheer consistency make him #1 but yes, Manuel Ortiz would have been Jofre's toughest opponent.

One fighter left off your top ten that your woefully neglecting is the great bantam champ, Jose Becerra who on any given night would have had a solid shot of beating any bantam in history.

EMF