Boxing: Puerto Rico's top 10 fighters
By Mark LeRoy: Considering its size, Puerto Rico is arguably the Pound for Pound leader producing Champions consistently. Juan Manuel Lopez is the latest in a long line of champions from the small Caribbean Island. Lopez won his first major title in 2008, three weeks before his 24th birthday. As of writing he had successfully defended that title on five occasions. It’s at this stage our top 10 radar detects the incoming fighter and the debate begins.
We witnessed the first sign of vulnerability from Lopez in his last fight against Rogers Mtagwa, when in the last round the young champion was out on his feet for most of the last round, and barley made it to the final bell. Lopez had done enough during the fight to win via a unanimous decision, and like every great champion managed to grit out the last round. The same vulnerability shadowed fellow countryman Miguel Cotto after his visit to the canvas when fighting Ricardo Torres in 2005. As did Felix Trinidad, Tito came off the canvas to win frequently during his career, the sense of vulnerability onlt added to the sense of excitement.
Juan Manuel Lopez has a long way to go before we can even consider him for a top ten list of greats. However he has a very hard task on his hands, bellow I have listed the top ten fighters to come from Puerto Rico. This list is in no particular order; I will leave this one for you to debate.
Carlos Ortiz 61-7-1 (30)
In 1960 Ortiz defeated Italian Duilio Loi, who at the time had over 100 bouts. Ortiz also fought and beat the great Filipino fighter Flash Elorde and Mexican Sugar Ramos. Ortiz faced world class opposition through his carer evident in the fact he faced off against no less than seven Hall of Famers. Ortiz successfully defended his lightweight title nine times, over two reigns.
Wilfredo Gomez 44-3-1 (42)
Bazooka was the ring alias of Gomez and you only need glace at his record to see why. Gomez stopped 88% of his opponents, he is also has the fourth longest knockout streak, at 32. Gomez holds the record for title defences in the junior featherweight division with 17. Gomez came up short in the biggest fight of his career, challenging the great Salvador Sanchez for the WBC featherweight title in 1981. Sadly almost a year to the day of the fight Sanchez died in a car accident, aged 23. The following year Gomez won the same title beating Juan LaPorte and became a three division champion.
Felix Trinidad 42-3-0 (35)
Tito made 15 successful defences of the welterweight title, second only to Henry Armstrong. Among his victims were Camacho, Campas, Whitaker, Pineda and De La Hoya during a six year span of dominance. Trinidad then moved to Jr Middleweight winning the WBA title before unifying two titles stopping the undefeated rising star Fernando Vargas. Next was a move to the Middleweight division where Trinidad won the WBA title, Tito was now competing out of his depth and lost three of his last five bouts, his only three defeats came against future hall of famers and out of his natural weight class.
Wilfred Benitez 53-8-1 (31)
Going by the name of Bible of Boxing Benitez was the greatest defensive fighter of his era. He became the youngest champion in boxing history when he boxed circles round Antonio Cervantes at the age of 17, to capture the WBA light welterweight title. Benitez was a pure boxer who used his ring savvy skill to defeat the likes of Roberto Duran and Carlos Palomino.
Jose Torres 41-3-1 (29)
Torres was a well rounded fighter with a vicious Power; he defended his light heavyweight title four times before losing two back to back fights against Dick Tiger late in his career. Torres was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994. Torres was the Author of "Sting like a Bee: The Muhammad Ali Story" and "Fire and Fear: The inside Story of Mike Tyson."
Esteban DeJesus 58-5-0 (33)
Vita was the man who inflicted the first loss on the record of the great Roberto Duran; however Duran will forever overshadow him after winning the other two bouts in the trilogy. DeJesus beat a lot of worthy contenders of his era.
Edwin Rosario 47-6-0 (41)
Rosario was a solid during an era littered with great fighters; “Chapo” came up short in the biggest fights of his career, losing to both Camacho and Chavez. However Rosario had the equalizer to blast his way back into title contention against worthy contenders.
Wilfredo Vazquez 56-9-2 (41)
Vazquez was a three-division titleholder; an old school fighter who competed on average three times per year thought his career. Vazquez had over 50 wins and an impressive 41 knockouts; however it’s his nine defeats that prevent him from being propelled to the top of any top ten lists. Vazquez’s finest hour came in 1996, well behind on all three scorecards he landed a devastating left hook to finish off Eloy Rojas to win the WBA featherweight title, the devastating knockout went on to win the Ring Magazine Knockout of the Year.
Hector Camacho 79-5-3 (38)
There are those who still don't take “Macho” seriously because of his persona, and ring antics. But there is no denying the Hector Camacho during the eighties and nineties he defeated Jose Luis Ramirez, Freddie Roach, Edwin Rosario, Ray Mancini, Vinny Pazienza, Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard. One glace at his record there is no denying his greatness. Camacho had a crown pleasing aggressive style and has fought from 1980 to his last outing in 2009.
Carlos DeLeon 52-8-1 (32)
DeLeon was unfortunate to fight in a division that lacked depth (cruiserweight); he won the WBC version of the title four times during the eighties. DeLeon’s biggest challenge came in 1988, when he lost challenging undisputed champion Evander Holyfield. His last two bouts were in the heavyweight ranks where he lost to both Corry Sanders and Brian Nielsen.
