Updated October 1, 2023 10.2K votes 1.7K voters 124.2K views
Over 1.7K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Hispanic Boxers of All Time
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A list of the best Hispanic boxers, ranked by boxing fans from around the world. For years, boxing has been intertwined with Hispanic culture. The boxers listed on here are some of the most well known boxers in the boxing history. They are some of the biggest names and most popular fighters of their time. There are champions, title contenders, and boxers who are famous in their own right. The best Hispanic boxers aren't limited to a certain weight class. The top boxers on this list are middleweights, light heavyweights, heavyweights, welterweights and the like. Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya are three of the biggest Hispanic fighters in boxing history. They are known for their blend of brute force, punishing punches and quick feet. They are known as some of the greatest Hispanic boxers of all time. There are a few familiar names on here that can be called the most famous Hispanic boxers as well.
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Julio César Chávez González (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxuljo ˈsesaɾ ˈtʃaβez ɣonˈsales]; born July 12, 1962), also known as Julio César Chávez Sr., is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2005.
A multiple-time world champion in three weight divisions, Chávez was listed by The Ring magazine as the world's best boxer, pound for pound, from 1990 to 1993. During his career he held the WBC super featherweight title from 1984 to 1987, the WBA and WBC lightweight titles between 1987 and 1989, the WBC light welterweight title twice between 1989 and 1996, and the IBF light welterweight title from 1990 to 1991. He also held the Ring magazine and lineal lightweight titles from 1988 to 1989, and the lineal light welterweight title twice between 1990 and 1996. Chávez was named Fighter of the Year for 1987 and 1990 by the Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring respectively.Chávez holds records for the most total successful defenses of world titles (27, shared with Omar Narváez), most title fight victories and fighters beaten for the title (both at 31), and most title fights (37); he has the second most title defenses won by knockout (21, after Joe Louis with 23). His fight record was 89 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw before his first professional loss to Frankie Randall in 1994, before which he had an 87-fight win streak until his draw with Pernell Whitaker in 1993. Chávez's 1993 win over Greg Haugen at the Estadio Azteca set the record for the largest attendance for a boxing match: 132,274.
He is ranked as the 17th best boxer of all time, pound for pound, by BoxRec, #24 on ESPN's list of "50 Greatest Boxers of All Time", and 18th on The Ring's "80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years". In 2010 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. He is the father of current boxers Omar Chávez and former WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr.
Age: 61
Birthplace: Ciudad Obregón, Mexico
Weight Division: Lightweight, Super featherweight, Light welterweight
Roberto Durán Samaniego (born June 16, 1951) is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held world championships in four weight classes: lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight, as well as reigns as the undisputed and lineal lightweight champion, and the lineal welterweight champion. He is also the second boxer to have competed over a span of five decades, the first being Jack Johnson. Durán was known as a versatile, technical brawler and pressure fighter, which earned him the nickname of "Manos de Piedra" ("Hands of Stone") for his formidable punching power and excellent defense.In 2002, Durán was voted by The Ring magazine as the fifth greatest fighter of the last 80 years, while boxing historian Bert Sugar rated him as the eighth greatest fighter of all time. The Associated Press voted him as the best lightweight of the 20th century, with many considering him the greatest lightweight of all time. Durán finally retired in January 2002 at age 50 (having previously retired in 1998) following a car crash in October 2001, with a professional record of 119 fights, 103 wins, and 70 knockouts. Up until his fight with Wilfred Benítez in 1982, he was trained by legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcel.
Salvador Sánchez Narváez (January 26, 1959 – August 12, 1982) was a Mexican boxer born in the town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Estado de México. Sanchez was the WBC and lineal featherweight champion from 1980 to 1982. Many of his contemporaries as well as boxing writers believe that, had it not been for his premature death, Sánchez could have gone on to become the greatest Featherweight boxer of all time. Sánchez died on August 12, 1982 in a car accident from Querétaro to San Luis Potosí He is also the uncle of Salvador Sánchez II.In 1991, Sánchez was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The Ring magazine named both him, and Sugar Ray Leonard, as Fighter of the Year in 1981. In 2002, he was named the 24th greatest fighter of the past 80 years by The Ring magazine. In 2003, The Ring rated Sánchez number 88 on the list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Sánchez was voted as the #3 featherweight of the 20th Century by the Associated Press.
Alexis Argüello (April 19, 1952 – July 1, 2009) was a Nicaraguan professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 1995, and later became a politician. He was a three-weight world champion, having held the WBA featherweight title from 1974 to 1976; the WBC super featherweight title from 1978 to 1980; and the WBC lightweight title from 1981 to 1982. Additionally, he held the Ring magazine and lineal featherweight titles from 1975 to 1977; the Ring lightweight title from 1981 to 1982; and the lineal lightweight title in 1982. In his later career he challenged twice for light welterweight world titles, both times in famous fights against Aaron Pryor.
Argüello has regularly been cited as one of the greatest boxers of his era, having never lost any of his world titles in the ring, instead relinquishing them each time in pursuit of titles in higher weight classes. After his retirement from boxing, he became active in Nicaraguan politics and in November 2008 was elected mayor of his native Managua, the nation's capital city.
The Ring magazine has ranked Argüello as 20th on their list of "100 greatest punchers of all time", while the Associated Press ranked him as the world's best super featherweight of the 20th century. He was named one of the 20 greatest fighters of the past 80 years by The Ring magazine.
Age: Dec. at 57 (1952-2009)
Birthplace: Nicaragua, Managua
Weight Division: Featherweight, Lightweight, Super featherweight
Wilfred Benítez (born September 12, 1958) is an American-born Puerto Rican former professional boxer and the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Earning his first of three career world titles in separate weight divisions at the age of seventeen, he is best remembered as a skilled and aggressive fighter with exceptional defensive abilities, along with his fights with Roberto Durán, Thomas Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996, he is considered among the best Puerto Rican boxers of all time, sharing the honor with Félix Trinidad, Wilfredo Gómez, Carlos Ortiz, Héctor Camacho, and Miguel Cotto.
Carlos Roque Monzón Ledesma (Santa Fe, Argentina; 7 August 1942 – Santa Fe, Argentina; 8 January 1995) nicknamed Escopeta (Shotgun in Spanish) was an Argentine professional boxer who held the undisputed world middleweight championship for 7 years. He successfully defended his title 14 times and is widely regarded as not only one of the best middleweights in history but also one of the greatest boxers of all time pound-for-pound. Known for his speed, punching power and relentless work rate, Monzon ended his career with a record of 87-3-9 with 59 knockouts, each one of his losses were early in his career and were avenged. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, he was chosen by The Ring magazine in 2002 as the 11th greatest fighter of the last 80 years and voted him as the best middleweight title holders of the last 50 years in 2011. As of January 2018, Monzón holds the 2nd longest unified championship reign in middleweight history at 9 consecutive defenses.
Argentines adored Monzon throughout his career. His glamorous and violent life was avidly followed both by the media and Argentine people. He was, however, accused many times of domestic violence by his two wives and many mistresses, and of beating paparazzi. Charged with killing his wife Alicia Muñiz in Mar del Plata in 1988, the former champion was sentenced to 11 years in jail. He died in a January 1995 car crash during a weekend furlough.