The current top 20 Mexican fighters
By Juan Zurita (Jan 8, 2007)
It's been awhile since I've pumped out one of these lists, but it's now here to stay per popular demand. In these most recent rankings you will notice a new adjustment to my criteria. I now introduce my inclusion of Mexican-American fighters. I've decided to include this group in these rankings from now on for several reasons. First off, there isn't a deep enough pool of quality Mexican-American fighters around to merit compiling a top ten list much less a top twenty. Second, many Mexican-American fighters were born in the Southwest United States, a place once called Mexico, a place many of us still call Mexico. Well, if you live here, you know what I mean. Lastly, many Mexican-American fighters refer to themselves as "Mexican" because that's the ethnic blood that runs through their veins, the culture they live and breathe, and a heritage they are proud of. And no physical border can ever that away from them.
Now on to the ratings my fellow Boxing Fanatics!
- Juan Manuel Marquez: Some will argue that Barrera deserves the top spot based on his superior resume and overall accomplishments. However, I base this ranking on several factors. While Marquez may not boast the same accomplished list of credentials, he's compiled a decent resume of his own, he faired significantly better against Manny Pacquiao, and it is my view that he's never officially lost a fight. Further, I believe that Marquez would defeat Barrera if they were to face off. Fortunately, all speculation will come to rest when these two tangle in March.
- Marco Antonio Barrera: Like Marquez, he too is at the end of the road, but he's still more consistent and active than many of the fighters ranked below. He boxed his way to an easy decision victory in his rematch with Juarez, and showed he has plenty left in the tank. Win or lose against Marquez, this route is a great way to cap the end of a fine career. At this point, this first ballot future Hall of Famer can only add to his legacy rather than hurt it since it's clear that he's no longer in his prime.
- Jose Luis Castillo: Castillo has lost a bit of momentum since he failed to make weight for his third and final bout with Diego Corrales, and that's really a shame considering that over the last five years his resume is as good as anyone's. During that time frame, he defeated Stevie Johnston via UD, drew with Johnston in their rematch, arguably split a pair with top pound-for-pound contender, Floyd Mayweather Jr., decisioned Juan Lazcano and Joel Casamayor, knocked out Julio Diaz, got knocked out by Corrales in a classic war he was winning, and then avenged his knockout loss to Corrales with a four round blowout in their rematch. In the process, he's quietly established himself as one of the top fighters in the game over the last five years, and he could further elevate his stature should he go on to best England's undefeated hero, Ricky Hatton, in a proposed future superfight.
- Rafael Marquez: Since his breakout win over Tim Austin almost four years ago, this scintillating puncher has been a dominant champion piling up seven defenses of his IBF bantamweight strap in the process. There is now talk that he'll be ascending to the super bantamweight division with his eyes set on big name fights, and first in line could be a title shot against WBC super bantamweight champion, Israel Vasquez. There's even talk that the bout could land on the undercard of Barrera/Marquez. Somebody awaken me from the dream.
- Oscar De La Hoya: The Golden Boy has the luxury of being the only Mexican-American to make my top ten. Sure, he's no longer in his prime at this point, but last May he showed that he isn't quite through yet when he destroyed what was left of hard-punching, smack-talking, Ricardo Mayorga. His date with Floyd Mayweather Jr., slated for May of this year, could yield quite a few surprises. Keeping things in perspective, De La Hoya may not be what he once was, but for the first time in years, he'll actually be the naturally bigger and stronger fighter in the ring. The significance of that factor will obviously be determined by the mystery of how much he has left at this point in his career.
- Antonio Margarito: While he didn't look too hot in his latest bout with Joshua Clottey, let's keep in mind that he entered that bout with an injured right ankle. Still, he battled through a horrible start and plugged away to eventually seize the momentum and pound out a close decision against the formidable Ghanaian. Next up he's scheduled to face off against Puerto Rican badass, Miguel Cotto, in a bout that will make or break him.
- Israel Vasquez: Since suffering a heart-breaking twelfth round TKO loss to Oscar Larios in 2002, Vasquez has reeled off ten consecutive victories. In one of those victories he redeemed himself by stopping Larios in their rematch (TKO 3). In another significant bout, he came back from the brink of defeat against Jhonny Gonzalez. In the Gonzalez bout, Vasquez proved that you practically have to knock him unconscious to defeat him, as he rose from two knockdowns to halt Gonzalez in the tenth round of their Fight of the Year type battle. Vasquez could now very well face off against top ten pound-for-pounder, Rafael Marquez, in a bout that would has most boxing diehards salivating.
- Jorge Arce: For a fighter with so much talent, power, flair, and pizzazz, Arce seems to be content in allowing his prime to wither away as he continues to feast on past prime fighters. Boxing fans would surely welcome matchups against either Vic Darchinyan, Nobuo Nashiro, Martin Castillo, or even up and coming southpaw, Cristian Mijares. The competition is there, therefore, it's now either time for Arce to step up or fade out.
- Juan Diaz: Diaz is often criticized for his quality of opposition, but much of that criticism is highly unwarranted. Let's not forget that he turned pro at 18 years of age, and although he won a title in only his fourth year as a pro, he's still only twenty-three years of age. Apparently, his detractors would like for him to be pushed too quickly ala David Reid and Fernando Vargas. Perhaps, many are just upset that he's turned out to be better than they expected. Nevertheless, he should be given plenty of credit because he's passed several formidable tests while showing great skills and improvement along the way. Diaz's handlers are moving this kid correctly, and if all goes well, expect him to finally step it up a notch competition-wise by year's end.
- Erik Morales: As far back as 2001, many boxing pundits felt the end was near for Morales since he'd been involved in more than enough share of wars. However, he continued to defy boxing gravity while continuing to perform at the world-class level. Finally, in 2005 all the wars eventually caught up with him. After Zahir Raheem boxed him silly, Pacquiao finished him off in consecutive bouts (TKO 10, KO 3). But give credit to Pacquiao. Not many fighters from 126-130 would've been able drill him into submission the way Pacquiao did. Morales, another future first ballot Hall of Famer, should simply call it day and look back at a great career. Sadly, he's recently stated that he wants to challenge for the lightweight title before he calls it a day, and should he follow that path, he'll more than likely be knocked out brutally into the sunset.
- Humberto Soto: Soto has been on a roll since losing a close decision to veteran Kevin Kelley back in 2002. Since that minor setback he's won seventeen fights in a row, one of those an impressive victory over former Olympian, Rocky Juarez. He's now campaigning at super featherweight where he's earned the opportunity to challenge for the WBC super featherweight title held by Marco Antonio Barrera. However, he'll have to take a backseat for the time being since Barrera is slated to defend his strap against counter-punching specialist, Juan Manuel Marquez. Lucky for Soto, he may not have to wait too long for a big fight opportunity as his name has recently been floating around as a possible opponent for Pacquiao. That matchup could be just what the doctor ordered, since this young charge is eager to avenge Pacquiao's destruction of several Mexican legends, albeit past prime legends.
- Jhonny Gonzalez: "Things weren't suppose to end that way." That's what Gonzalez has been painfully saying to himself since he fell apart in the latter rounds of his spotlight bout against WBC super bantamweight champion, Israel Vasquez. It's a really shame too because he thoroughly dominated the first half of that bout and appeared to be well on his way to a breakout victory. How will he recover after such a devastating defeat? Since he's still rather young at 25 years of age, it's likely that he could use the setback as an invaluable learning experience. The success of his comeback will highly depend on the level of opposition he jumps in against in his immediate future. If you're a fan, let's hope his handlers are reading this.
- Martin Castillo: Needs to redeem himself against Japan's Nashiro who took his WBA super flyweight strap last month. Hopefully, he doesn't waste too much time because he was on a nice roll before catching a bad break.
- Fernando Montiel: Will he ever come through when he needs a big win? He's 0-2 so far in his career when he's had to step up to the plate. He's proof that some fighters can have all the talent, but lack the closing skills necessary to catapult themselves to the next level.
- Oscar Larios: Let me get this straight? 'Cholo' recently goes twelve rounds with Pacquiao, unlike Barrera and Morales? It would be nice to see him in against Vasquez again since their last bout left a bad taste in my mouth. Will Vasquez ever stop Larios without the assistance of Larios' porous skin?
- Rocky Juarez: He may not be anything special but mark my words. If he's matched correctly, he'll shock many. Example: Put him in against Korea's, Injin Chi, and he'll finally shine.
- Daniel Ponce De Leon: Boasts great power, but he's extremely raw. He's scheduled to face Filipino up and comer, Rey 'Boom-Boom' Bautista, in a bout that could prove to be a sizzler.
- Orlando Salido: A few years back when no one would listen, I stated that Juan Manuel Marquez didn't carry him during their title fight. Salido was simply a tough nut to crack, a decent fighter. This past fall, he confirmed my suspicions when he easily outworked Robert Guerrero, to take 'The Ghost's' IBF featherweight title. Shamefully, following that bout, he was stripped of the title for testing positive for steroids. The potential is there to play the role as the featherweight division's spoiler, but he needs to clean up his act, literally.
- Jesus Chavez: Is he ranked too low? It's hard to tell since he hasn't stepped into the ring in well over a year. We'll soon find out where he's at once he defends his IBF lightweight title against Julio Diaz next month.
- Julio Diaz: A golden opportunity will soon present itself when he faces off against inactive Jesus Chavez for Chavez's IBF lightweight title. Will he take advantage?
Missed The Cut
Cristian Mijares, Sergio Mora, Rodolfo Lopez, Jorge Solis, Robert Guerrero, Ulises Solis, Omar Salado, Hugo Cazares, Omar Niño, Giovanni Segura.
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The Importance of Sparring
By Ross Enamait - Published in 2003
We often study advancements in sports-science in an attempt to enhance our training routines. Through science, we can better understand how and why our bodies react to various movements. For example, we now recognize that a proper strength-training program can increase power and speed. The myth that weight training reduces flexibility and range of motion has been discredited through science. Additional advancements have been made regarding nutrition and supplementation. Yet despite these new school training methods, we must not lose site of the most traditional old school boxing exercise, sparring.
The Specificity Principle is a fundamental training principle. As an athlete, you must move from general training towards highly specialized training as a final objective. For example, suppose you have 12 weeks to prepare for a bout. Your first 3 weeks may emphasize conditioning. You will first develop a foundation before focusing on more specific (and intense) boxing training.
The Specificity Principle states that once the foundation is established, your training must reflect the specific competition that you are preparing for. As a boxer, you are training to fight. Your training program must reflect this objective. You are not training for a weight lifting competition. Boxing must form the backbone of your routine. You MUST train according to your desired objective. In boxing, the ultimate goal is to win fights. To adequately prepare to box, the Specificity Principle tells us that you must box.
Running and weight lifting are designed to enhance the condition of the boxer. These activities will not replace boxing, they are simply a supplement to a well-rounded routine. To improve as a boxer, you must step inside the ring to box. Sparring is the most important aspect of boxing training.
As a youngster, I once learned a heavy bag drill from my former trainer, Harry Figueroa. After working the drill for several rounds, Harry looked at me and said, "OK, now that you have learned the drill, let's see if you can use it. Remember, the bag does not hit back."
These simple words speak volumes for the importance of sparring. No matter how hard you hit the bag, you must apply what you learn through live sparring. Sparring will improve timing, reactions, and combination punching. It is excellent to work the focus mitts one-on-one with your trainer, but even mitt work does not take the place of sparring.
In addition to the obvious physical benefits, sparring teaches the boxer to overcome the nervous energy experienced on fight night. Nerves can play a major factor in the outcome of a boxing match. Nervous feelings can leave a fighter out of gas before the fight begins, their legs tired while walking towards the ring. The only way to overcome these feelings is through experience. The more you box, the easier it will be to overcome pre-fight anxiety.
All boxers have been nervous at some point in their careers. Whether before their first fight or first title bout, all fighters have had to quell their nervous energy before entering the ring. Through experience, you will put your anxiety to rest. You learn to rely on your skills and hard work in the gym. This is all part of the development process of a fighter. You must first learn the game, and then develop confidence and experience. Boxing is not a sport that is mastered over night. It takes several years to learn this sport.
Approach each sparring session as an opportunity to improve some aspect of your game. You may choose to work on your jab, counter punching, or strictly on defense. I recommend sparring with different opponents as often as possible. The more sparring you have under your belt, the more experience you will have boxing against different styles.
Conditioning drills will always be important to the boxer, but this game cannot be mastered on the track, it must be mastered inside the ring. Boxing is a complex sport. Most will never understand the true complexity. Boxing requires physical conditioning, courage, mental toughness, power, speed, and ability. You must integrate several forms of training to truly optimize your performance. You must focus on developing strength, stamina, and boxing specific skills.
Do not neglect the mental and physical benefits associated with proper sparring. Without sparring, you will never truly be in fight shape.
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