indicates foreigner-born boxer that represents Mexico due to parent's nationality, residence or other circumstances. His punching power has ensured an end to nine of his 14 fights within the first two rounds. 14 Art Aragon, No. [36] After this bout, Ruiz increased his record to 27 wins in as many fights. [52] Ruiz received a $500,000 purse. Canelo Alvarez is the best Hispanic fighter in boxing today thats the verdict from The DAZN Boxing Show who put together a top ten listfeaturing fighters with Hispanic heritage. Divisions: Six (130-160 pounds) A month later, Ruiz made his American debut at the Gaylord Hotel in Texas, knocking out Luke Vaughn in round one. In the meantime, Munguia can try to climb closer to the middleweight top -- he is ranked No. Defeated: Lou Salica (twice), Enrique Bolanos, Carlos Chavez (twice), Dado Marino, Harold Dade (twice), Lauro Salas Click Agree to accept our use of cookies or you can choose to opt out of our use of cookies by following the instructions in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice. The fighter: Mendez, a southpaw, has made two defenses of the WBO strawweight title and is part of a younger generation coming through to challenge the established order in boxing's lightest division. First, his resume is impressive. Elvis Rodriguez, 6, 43. Divisions: Five (115-130) Defeated: Chucho Castillo, Ruben Olivares, Sean OGrady, David Kotey (twice), Mike Ayala BIGGEST WINNERS He dropped the belt to Abner Mares in his first defense by Round 9 TKO. The former junior featherweight champion might be the second most-skilled boxer on this list, after Mikey Garcia. The Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia fight was huge because of the fighters fanbases. And he plans to move back down to 126, where he should be particularly strong if he can make the weight comfortably. The Golden Boys charisma and good looks combined with his success in the ring made him an international star. Future/ceiling/expectations: While Flores recovers from a back injury that he aggravated against Josec Ruiz on June 18, Top Rank will get him back into action when he's ready and then continue to carefully choose his next few opponents. Ruiz had his next three fights of 2010 also in the U.S., defeating Miles Kelly via KO, Raymond Lopez via unanimous decision and Francisco Diaz via KO. Davis might be the best technician in the sport. The tall, lean boxer-puncher won four titles in two weight classes and beat a string of top-tier opponents. Roman rebounded with clear decisions over Juan Carlos Payano and Ricardo Espinoza to prove that he remains one of the best junior featherweights on the planet. Conwell especially looked good with his attacks to the body, which forced Agaton to retire on his stool after four rounds. He's just 22, and the future is very bright. [38], Ruiz next fought on September 10, 2016 returning to the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in California to headline "Solo Boxeo Tecate" (UniMas) against 40 year old Franklin Lawrence (21-2-2, 16 KOs) for the WBC-NABF heavyweight title. -- Kim. He took a big chance by facing the naturally bigger Errol Spence Jr., losing a wide decision, but bounced back to defeat Jessie Vargas in his most-recent fight. Divisions: Three (126-135) Accomplishments/biggest moment: Not having seen the second round despite being 14 fights into your pro career is pretty impressive. Also, he's the only double champion who was an Olympic gold medalist as well (he won the gold medal in . [40], It was announced after the Lawrence fight that Ruiz would fight Hughie Fury in the UK on October 29 at the Manchester Arena, on the undercard of the cancelled rematch between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko. The former 130-pound titleholder has been untouchable, with the A critical look at the past week in boxing Warriors Boxing president Leon Margules said a year ago on his company website: "Bob Arum thought enough of Lomachenko to put him in a world title fight in his second fight. Over the course of the next year, expect the 24-year-old to continue showing how he has since improved his boxing IQ. [51] Ruiz knocked Vargas out in round one. Retained WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title; Home Depot Center, Carson, California, U.S. Texas Station, North Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. WinStar World Casino, Thackerville, Oklahoma, U.S. Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel & Convention Center, cancelled rematch between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko, List of world heavyweight boxing champions, "Andres Ponce Ruiz, Born 09/11/1989 in California", "Anthony Joshua v Andy Ruiz Jr: Rematch will take place 'in November or December', "Divisional rankings: Usyk shakes up heavyweight division", "Rankings Transnational Boxing Rankings Board", "Andy Ruiz Jr. - Next Fight, Fighter Bio, Stats & News", "10 Things You Didn't Know About Andy Ruiz Jr", "Andy Ruiz carries his Mexican heritage into the ring against Anthony Joshua", "Andy Ruiz Jr. tale of the tape: Career record, highlights, age, height", "American Olympic Qualifications - Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago", "American Olympic Qualifications - Guatemala City, Guatemala", "Diego Magdaleno Decisions Perez, Retains NABF Belt", "Jessie Vargas Outpoints Vito Gasparyan Over 10 Rounds", "Andy Ruiz Jr, Brad Solomon, Roman Win at Home Depot", "Ruiz and Hanks Bring Heavyweight Muscle To Macau", "Zou Shiming, Estrada, Gradovich, Ruiz Win in Macau", "Pacquiao-Rios Undercard: Verdejo, Shiming, Ruiz Jr. Ruizs moment came in June 2019, when he stunned the boxing world by knocking out Anthony Joshua in seven rounds to become the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent. Divisions: Five (126-147) -- Parkinson. [50] Ruiz did not appear on the card and instead his return was pushed back to take place at the StubHub Center in Carson, California on the undercard of scar Valdez vs. Scott Quigg on March 10. Hometown: Los Angeles Davis might be the best technician in the sport. Magomed Kurbanov, 9, T34. The fighter: Roach is a solid, all-around technician who's adept at boxing. To put Harper's win in perspective, Wahlstrom's only other defeat was to Katie Taylor, one of women's boxing's biggest stars. His career is just beginning; let's see how he handles six-round fights by the end of 2020. Thats a whos who of the best little men of a generation. Hall of Fame: Yes Dubois is an exciting, big puncher who has stopped all but one of his 14 opponents. Is Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. really happening? Titles: IBF junior lightweight (1999-2000); WBO junior lightweight (2004); WBO lightweight (2004-05); WBC lightweight (2005-06) Jose Zepeda. Villa might have to face Conlan before he gets his title shot, and Conlan would be favored to win that fight. Well believe it when we see it but momentum evidently is building toward a long awaited showdown between two of the sport's most respect champions in July. The well-schooled 2012 U.S. Olympian needed a few tries to win a major title but finally got it done in a career-defining fashion, clearly outpointing Tevin Farmer to win the IBF belt in January of last year. The 22-year-old from Los Angeles, who fights Luke Campbell on Saturday, is striving to become the latest in a long line of great Mexican-American boxers, those of Mexican descent either. Lost to: Errol Spence Jr. Hall of Fame: Yes Mexican boxers are some of the most entertaining . The title became vacant when former champion Tyson Fury vacated the title. In the third round, Joshua knocked Ruiz to the canvas, which was the first time Ruiz had suffered a knockdown in his career. Meet Marlen Esparza and Jajaira Gonzalez, Two Badass Boxers on the Road to the US Olympic Team. Birth / death: Nov. 28, 1951 / Sept. 7, 2016 He has beaten a list of elite opponents that is longer than any rival in the sport, including Shane Mosley, Austin Trout, Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, Gennadiy Golovkin, Daniel Jacobs and Sergey Kovalev. This experience should serve him well in the future. Before that, he held a major 126-pound title for more than three years. [79][80], Ruiz resides in his hometown of Imperial, California;[1] he graduated from Imperial High School in 2007[81][82] Ruiz considers himself both American and Mexican and identifies with both nationalities: "America's one of the greatest countries in the world. But in July 2012, he forced his way into contender status when he thoroughly outboxed Henry Lundy to earn a majority decision. You could argue that Garcia is boxing's first Instagram creation. 2 in the world behind Floyd Mayweather. A victory over the southpaw from the U.K. would truly legitimize Garcia as a professional prizefighter. The Greatest Boxers of All Time. Benavidez then lost his title again, this time when he came in overweight for his first defense against Roamer Angulo last August. Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, U.S. Lost WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. [64], Prior to the Dimitrenko fight, Ruiz put his name forward to replace Jarrell Miller and challenge Anthony Joshua (22-0, 21 KOs) for the unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles on June 1, 2019, after Miller was denied a license by the New York Athletic Commission because he failed three different tests for PEDs. Mielnicki took advantage of the opportunity, sending Cory Champion to the canvas in Round 2 and winning a four-round unanimous decision. He also has a victory over capable Maurice Hooker, who he stopped in six rounds in July 2019. Minor, regular and interim titlists are not included. The fighter: Soto has made one defense of the WBO junior flyweight title in a yearlong reign and has impressive power. "[12], During his amateur career, Ruiz boxed to a 1055 record[11][14] under Cuban trainer Fernando Ferrer. Though proud of his Mexican heritage, Ruiz Jnr, the WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight champion, was born in Imperial, California and represents the stars and stripes as well. Background: Little Red was a huge puncher with a questionable chin, which made him one of the entertaining little fighters of any era. Based on his most recent performances, the four-division world champion remains near the top of his game. Questions ahead of Paul vs. Diaz: Can Diaz box? BoxRec's computer program is giving him far too much credit for beating Shane Mosley, a future Hall of Famer who was way past his prime when Canelofaced him. In number one, we have Saul Alvarez, confirmed co-host Ricardo Celis. 2 at lightweight by ESPN. Ruiz's net worth as of 2022 is estimated to be $10 million, which includes earnings from endorsements. He pointed out that the WBO rules stated the two best-classified contenders will challenge for the title. His record of 49 wins, 34 KOs and only one defeat (against Floyd Mayweather Jr.) speaks high of this 27-year-old pugilist's quality, who has won world super welter titles given by three different organizations (WBC, WBA and WBO); moreover, he has been a world middle weight champion of WBC and The Ring. Background: Tapia was known best for his Vida Loca crazy and self-destructive life but he was also a damn good fighter, collecting five major titles in three divisions. 2 in the WBO rankings. . Accomplishments/biggest moment: That outstanding 130-2 amateur record, which includes international experience, indicates that Morrell undoubtedly has an exciting and successful professional career ahead of him. Future/ceiling/expectations: If Dubois gets past Joe Joyce (a fight currently scheduled for October), there will be a clamor to see him against some other British rivals -- Whyte, WBC world champion Fury and WBA-IBF-WBO world champion Joshua. He was killed in a motorcycle accident at 29. While he's been a tad under the radar, boxing insiders have known about him for years. Ramirez, a product of Californias Central Valley, is a former U.S. Olympian with an imposing blend of skill and power. Defeated: Jonathan Victor Burgos (twice), Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Roman Martinez, Dejan Zlaticanin, Adrien Broner, Sergey Lipinets, Robert Easter Jr., Jessie Vargas. Ruiz showed good power and speed during the short fight. However, strictly from a quality-vs.-quality standpoint, it doesnt get better than Crawford vs. Spence for all four welterweight belts. Hes 33, an age when some fighters begin to fade. From the time he turned professional in 2016, Lopez consistently showed he was the Top Rank prospect with the highest ceiling. He lost a number of his biggest fights all to current or future Hall of Famers but he also had many important victories. The son of Mexican boxing legend Julio Csar Chvez, Chvez Jr. is best known for his rivalry against popular contemporaries like Brian Vera and Canelo lvarez. The voters for the Top 25 included: Steve Kim, Nick Parkinson, Crystina Poncher, Bernardo Osuna and Joe Goossen. The fighter: Ennis looks to be the next great Philly fighter. [66] Terms were agreed within a week. JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ, THE GREAT MEXICAN BOXING CHAMPION (MEXICO) The Mexican boxer heads our list with 37 powerful reasons, in other words, his fights defending or trying to conquer a world title. Berlanga could become a title contender by early next year. Hes coming off an all-out war with veteran Jorge Cota on May 1, which ended when Fundora stopped his Mexican opponent in the fourth round. Joshua then faced the referee with his arms resting on the ropes. DAZN presents: The top 10 Hispanic boxers today #10 - Gilberto Ramrez #9 - Jose Zepeda #8 - Jos Ramrez #7 - Emanuel Navarrete #6 - Chocolatito Gonzlez #5 - scar Valdez #4 - Yordenis Ugs #3 - Juan Francisco Estrada #2 - Tefimo Lpez Jr. #1 - Canelo lvarez Mathebula. Hometown: Sacramento, Calif. Both men showed respect for each other throughout the contest. Accomplishments/biggest moment: Villa has made fights that were meant to be tests look comfortable through his boxing skills, using his jab rather than flattening opponents. I thought he should have gotten the nod over Erislandy Lara when they drew in 2011. Joshua was able to get back up, but did not respond as aggressively as Ruiz had, instead choosing to remain on the defensive. The Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia fight was huge because of the fighters fanbases. Ruiz landed 68 punches overall, compared to Dimitrenko, who landed 21 punches. Super middleweight would be an easier division for Morrell to move through quickly, as light heavyweight is stacked with talent and big punchers. Boxing is a particular means of demonstrating rivalry not only between fans of individual boxers, but also between native-born Mexicans, between Mexicans and people of other nations, and between the populations of various Mexican regions.[2]. 1) Andy Ruiz Jnr. Titles: WBO junior bantamweight (1994-98); IBF junior bantamweight (1997-98); WBA bantamweight (1998-99); WBO bantamweight (2000); IBF featherweight (2002) Oscar De La Hoya (; born February 4, 1973) is a Mexican-American former professional boxer who, in 2002, also became a boxing promoter and, in 2018, a mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter. He has no true signature wins, however, and is probably on the outside looking in for big fights, due to the fact that his style is not exactly crowd-pleasing. Morrell might be exposed if thrown in too soon against the light heavyweight elite (Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol, Eleider Alvarez). Eduardo Hernandez, 8, T38. Guided by trainer, Mexican boxing legend Erik "El Terible" Morales, he certainly has that distinct Mexican style down pat. Record: 38-2-1 (17 KOs) The fighter: You know all about Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and might even know a bit about Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora. "As long as I keep performing, eventually I will fight them [bigger names]," Dubois said. This was the last time Liakhovich fought. After the fight, Ruiz said, "I think I got the win or at least a draw, I think I set the pace with my jab." As an amateur, he beat Stevenson and Haney. Hometown: Albuquerque, N.M. The scorecards read 9892, 9694, and 9991, all in favour of Ruiz who retained his titles. David Daz (boxer) Joel Daz Jr. Juan Daz (boxer) Nick Diaz Oscar Daz (boxer) E Roberto Elizondo Vicente Escobedo Marlen Esparza Miguel Espino Efrain Esquivias Jr. Seniesa Estrada Shawn Estrada F Brandon Figueroa Omar Figueroa Jr. Alexander Flores BJ Flores Miguel Flores (boxer) Arturo Frias Sebastian Fundora G Juaquin Gallardo Gonzalez's KO brought all that momentum to at least a temporary halt. The fighter: Stevenson, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, was signed with much fanfare out of the Olympics, and he hasn't disappointed. But as Munguia continues winning, an all-Mexican clash with Canelo at middleweight or super middleweight becomes a bigger possibility. [71] At the time of stoppage, Ruiz was leading the fight 5756 on two scorecards and Joshua was leading 5756 on the other. The fighter: The former WBO world junior middleweight titlist has stepped up a division and is expected to challenge that organization's middleweight titleholder -- Demetrius Andrade -- in the next 12 months. Sometimes it's not if you win a title, but how you do so. [32], After a 9-month gap, Ruiz returned to the ring in September 2015 at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California defeating Joell Godfrey via unanimous decision over eight rounds, all three judges scored it 8072. The entertaining fighter has won seven of his past eight fights by stoppage and is ranked No. Munguia stepped up a weight class, as he was struggling to make the 154-pound limit with his 6-foot frame, and he made an impressive middleweight debut when he stopped Ireland's Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan in the 11th round in January. The hard-punching Mexican is larger than any other fighter Mayweather has ever faced, and one punch could knock him off his perch as the No. Still, there is also a tendency among some fans to underrate Alvarez, due to his oversized popularity. Sign up for the Boxing Junkie newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, A critical look at the past week in boxing The fighter: The Orlando, Florida-based southpaw gained momentum with three wins in 2019, including stoppages over Ishe Smith and Zakaria Attou. Robert now trains Mikey, who has won five titles in four divisions, taking down a string of elite opponents along the way to establish himself as one of the best in the business. And Figueroa proved this past Saturday that his approach to the sport can work at the highest level, stopping Luis Nery in the seventh round of a junior featherweight bout to win a major world title. This Mexican fighter is probably the most complete Latin American boxer at this moment. The influx of Mexican nationals, together with Mexican-American boxers, created a massive talent pool, which included such iconic fighters as Ruben Olivares, Bobby Chacon, Jose Becerra, Mando . -- Kim. The fight was stopped after the third-round when Hamer indicated he did not wish to continue. Hometown: Phoenix No other boxer has ever done this. . Haney made a successful first defense via a unanimous decision against Alfredo Santiago in November but suffered a right shoulder injury in the process. Haney has a variety of punches and is a delightful mover around the ring, making it hard for opponents to pin him down. However, strictly from a quality-vs.-quality standpoint, it doesnt get better than Crawford vs. Spence for all four welterweight belts. The judges scored the fight 10090, 9991, and 9991. A shot against WBA super middleweight champion Callum Smith is a possibility in the near future. This was the second time Hamer had retired on his stool following his previous loss to Vyacheslav Glazkov in December 2012. Soto, who earned a unanimous decision over then-unbeaten Edward Heno in October, can bang, and this was also evident in a one-round wrecking job on Javier Alejandro Rendon in a nontitle bout in February. And is Jaime Munguia, who fights DMitrius Ballard Saturday, on the list? His record of 28-6-1 with 17 KOs looks a bit like a journeyman's resume, and for a long time Beltran made a part of his living serving as a sparring partner to Manny Pacquiao. The best active Mexican fighter is Canelo Alvarez, who tops many pound-for-pound lists. Ruiz said he wanted a rematch. Future/ceiling/expectations: Conwell has yet to go 12 rounds and needs more experience against other contenders looking to secure a title shot. On April 22, Ruiz confirmed his team had a meeting scheduled with promoter Eddie Hearn, officially putting himself in the running. Austin weighed 18 pounds more than Ruiz at the weigh-in. Johnson, who had previously only been stopped twice in his nine losses, was known for his toughness, having taken the likes of Kubrat Pulev, Derek Chisora, Tyson Fury and Vitali Klitschko the twelve round distance. The winner would be the mandatory challenger for the WBO heavyweight title. As well as a mandatory defense against Rios, a rematch with Ceja also makes sense for Figueroa when he can work on correcting some defensive faults he showed against in their first fight. One of the best to ever fight at 115 pounds, Tapia won his biggest fight in an all-Albuquerque matchup, schooling fellow champion Danny Romero over 12 rounds. He was only 45. ", "Photos: Andy Ruiz vs. Kevin Johnson - Prepared For Battle", "Kavaliauskas wins but might not get title chance", "Andy Ruiz Inks Agreement With Al Haymon, Heads To PBC", "Danny Garcia vs. Adrian Granados Tops Tripleheader, April 20", "Ruiz-Dimitrenko bout joins Garcia-Granados card", "PBC on FOX Weights: Danny Garcia 146.8, Adrian Granados 146", "Purses: Danny Garcia $1M, Adrian Granados $400K", "Andy Ruiz Breaks Down, Stops Alexander Dimitrenko", "Danny Garcia vs. Adrian Granados Fight Results | Round By Round Boxing", "Andy Ruiz To Adam Kownacki: I Want To Fight, Let's Do This! [42], Ruiz was ordered to fight Joseph Parker in New Zealand for the WBO heavyweight title with the fight set to take place on December 10, 2016. Sign up for the Boxing Junkie newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, A critical look at the past week in boxing "[83] He is fluent in both English and Spanish.[84]. M arlen Esparza and Jajaira Gonzalez are currently punching their way to the U.S. boxing team at the . Native Americans of Mexican descent continue to make their marks in most of the weight divisions, including heavyweight. 1 contender in the WBC rankings. Since then, Flores has notched 18 victories (with six knockouts) and has shown solid boxing skills as he waits for his physical maturity to arrive. The former junior middleweight champ has to be on the list. He landed a big right hand to the head of Vargas, dropping him. Record: 59-7-1 (47 KOs) Soto can similarly get better in the next 12 months and earn unification fights against the other titleholders. Evelyn Bermudez, 2, T46. Ruiz started off well being the aggressor but slowed down during mid rounds, only to take control again during the championship rounds. Andrs Ponce Ruiz Jr. (born September 11, 1989) is an American professional boxer. The fans. That allowed him to win the vacant WBC junior welterweight title by easily outpointing Amir Imam in 2018 and make four successful defenses going into his showdown with Taylor. He's probably slick enough to outpoint Alvarado (although it won't be easy), but you wonder how he will do against guys who are a bit younger and fresher. The victory justified the hype around him as one of boxing's standout prospects. On June 1, Ruiz defeated Joshua by technical knockout in the seventh-round, capturing the unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles. Davis defused virtually everything Garcia tried to do, outboxing and outfoxing him from the second round on. -- Parkinson. Defeated: Will Grigsby, Humberto Gonzalez, Melchor Cob Castro, Jorge Arce [2] Ruiz had a passion for baseball before his father got him into boxing;[11] he has noted that his first fight was at age seven in San Diego. Alas, only one judge agreed with me and Burns retained his belt on a split-decision draw. The jury is still out on Ortiz, who is only 23 and has been a professional for less than five years. He has won titles in four divisions, which is impressive even if you think belts are overrated. Early signs are good in the paid ranks after a first-round knockout on his debut and then a second-round KO in November. Read the rest here and take a few seconds to sign up for my newsletter! Lost to: Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather You get the sense that the experience he gained in the loss against Herring will prove to be valuable when he fights again for a title. [1] Mexico ranks second worldwide between countries with the most boxing world champions. It was Ruiz who was busy and remained in control for majority of the bout. With that in mind, here are the 10 best Mexican-American boxers today. Gervonta Davis stops Ryan Garcia with body punch in Round 7, 'This is the fight to save boxing': Inside the making of Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia, Pain, hope, science collide as athletes turn to magic mushrooms, How a gym in California's Coachella Valley became an international destination for boxing. Sadriddin Akhmedov, 10, T31. He started his career as a super flyweight and lost just once, to future champion Juan Carlos Sanchez. He had an awkward style but he was an excellent boxer with some pop in his punches who never failed to entertain. -- Kim. The undisputed super middleweight champion has accomplished too much to debate his place at the top of this list. Johnson did not do much apart from throw a strong jab from time to time. The fighter: Lopez is rated No. Schoolboy, a moniker he earned by attending college, had excellent skills but also had knockout power and loved to exchange punches. Accomplishments/biggest moment: Harper announced herself as an elite fighter with an outstanding unanimous decision win over Eva Wahlstrom in February. "[75] In addition, he showed respect to Joshua, saying "Anthony Joshua did a hell of a job. [37] Ruiz won the fight via third-round TKO. Bektemir Melikuziev, 1, T46. Hometown: Los Angeles However, he has demonstrated that he has the goods there too. With that in mind, here are the 10 best Mexican-American boxers today. -- Parkinson, T26. It was his best moment to date. The fight was televised on FOX and FOX Deportes. When referee Jon SchorledisqualifiedMolina in March 2012, in a fight he was clearly winning, I thought it was one of the most absurd things I'd everseen in a boxing ring. indicates Mexican-born boxer that represents another nation. But the longer I thought about it, the less stunning it seemed. Future/ceiling/expectations: His promoter, Golden Boy, has scheduled Roach for a late August boxing card.