MEXICO and Puerto Rico, powerhouses of the fighting game, have long been rivals in boxing and their competition has seen fights including Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, Julio Cesar Chavez and Felix Trinidad.
Cotto and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez are set to resume the hostilities on Saturday [November 21] in what could be one of the biggest fights to date between combatants from the two boxing hotbeds.
To most observers, the rivalry began in 1981 when ferocious super-bantamweight champion Wilfredo Gomez, of Puerto Rico, moved up to challenge featherweight champion Salvador Sanchez.
Before their fight, Gomez said: “Standing or dead, but never on my knees.”
Gomez had previously faced Mexico’s Carlos Zarate, but his fight with Sanchez was huge. In the pre-fight comments and the devastating blows they exchanged in the ring, the pair ignited a fierce level of competition between their native countries which still burns brightly today.
However, the rivalry had historical foundations before the epic clash between Sanchez and Gomez.
Puerto Rico’s first two world champions beat Mexican fighters to win their belts. In 1934, Sixto Escobar became Puerto Rico’s first world champion when he scored a ninth-round knockout of legendary Mexican Rodolfo Casanova to win the world bantamweight crown.
Carlos Ortiz followed that up in 1960 when he knocked out Mexico’s Raymundo Torres in the 10th round of their 1960 light-welterweight fight.
Thankfully, there is no real bad blood between Mexicans and Puerto Ricans outside the ropes, but some of boxing’s most memorable nights have occurred when they collide in the ring.
We’ve listed ten of the best Mexico v Puerto Rico fights in recent history. Click below to read on.
1. Salvador Sanchez RSF 8 Wilfredo Gomez (1981)
As two of the world’s best at the time, the fight between these two at Ceasers Palace in Las Vegas was a true superfight.
Despite being considered the bigger puncher of the two, Gomez was dropped by a meaty left hook in the opening round and never fully recovered. Never one to go down without a fight, the Puerto Rican forced Sanchez to fight at a relentless pace and some of the action was breathtaking.
Sanchez however was able to land a barrage of right hands in the eight, dropping Gomez. He slowly found his feet inside the count but referee Carlos Padilla waved the fight over and thus an historic rivalry was born.
2. Miguel Cotto v Antonio Margarito (2008-2011)
Although two fights rather than one, the feud between these two went beyond their native rivalry.
In 2008, Mexico’s Margarito bludgeoned Cotto in 11 rounds to take his WBA world welterweight crown, however the fight ended in controversy. After a positive start, Cotto was hurt in the seventh by several uppercuts which bloodied his nose and mouth.
The Puerto Rican warlord succumbed to the onslaught of punishment in the 11th, twice taking a knee, prompting his corner to throw in the towel.
However, in his next fight, with Shane Mosley, Margarito was found to have loaded hand wraps. Cotto, among many others, has since accused ‘The Tijuana Tornado’ of using such wraps against him in 2008, thus cheating.
Three years later, Cotto earned his revenge.
Just as he had in their first fight, Cotto dominated the early rounds but this time Margarito’s blows did not seem to have the same effect they did in 2008. Cotto was spiteful in his attacks and caused grotesque swelling around Margarito’s right eye, which Manny Pacquiao injured in their fight the previous year.
After nine rounds, referee Steve Smoger ended proceedings due to the swelling and Margarito has not fought since.
3. Jose Luis Ramirez RSF4 Edwin Rosario (1984)
Puerto Rico’s Rosario had won the vacant WBC world lightweight title against Ramirez the year before on points in an enthralling clash. The pair bettered their first meeting in even less time when they fought for the same belt in 1984.
Things looked bleak for Ramirez after he was dropped in the first and second rounds, but he produced an incredible turnaround in the third, stunning Rosario with a right and continuing to dole out punishment.
He did not relent in the fourth, forcing Rosario to turn his back thus leading to referee Steve Crosson stopping the contest.
4. Felix Trinidad RSF12 Fernando Vargas (2000)
Vargas, born in California but of Mexican descent, managed to fight back from two first round knockdowns to floor Trinidad, one of Puerto Rico’s best ever fighters, in the fourth.
The bout fell into carnage from then on with neither man giving an inch. In the 12th, ‘Tito’ leapt on a tiring Vargas and dropped him three times, with referee Jay Nady stepping in arguably a little too late.
5. Wilfredo Gomez RSF5 Carlos Zarate (1978)
Before he ran into Sanchez, Gomez picked up one of his best wins when he routed Mexico’s Zarate in Puerto Rico.
Zarate was unbeaten in 52 contests, 51 coming early, prior to meeting Gomez and had dominated at bantamweight. The pair fought for Gomez’s WBC world super-bantam title, but Zarate was never really in the fight.
Dropped twice in the fourth, Zarate looked spent when the fifth started and while referee Harry Gibbs allowed Gomez to dismantle Zarate, the Mexican’s corner rightfully threw in the towel.
6. Julio Cesar Chavez RSF11 Edwin Rosario (1987)
The two nearly came to blows at the pre-fight press conference and Rosario claimed he would send Chavez back to Mexico in a coffin.
However, Chavez built a healthy lead on the scorecards by battering the Puerto Rican from pillar to post for 11 rounds, before trapping him in a corner and hammering away. Rosario’s corner quickly threw in the towel.
7. Julio Cesar Chavez UD12 Hector Camacho (1992)
Both men predicted a spectacular knockout prior to this light-welterweight title unification showdown, but neither man was correct.
Instead, the Mexican icon produced a dominant performance, ripping Camacho with body shots and winning almost every round to maintain his huge unbeaten run.
8. Wilfredo Gomez RSF14 Lupe Pintor (1982)
In what would be his last fight at super-bantamweight, making a record 17th defence of his world title, Gomez was entering the fight having won all 37 of his fights inside the distance.
Moving up from bantam, Pintor had a torrid time in the opening two rounds but managed to hurt the Puerto Rican in the third. Gomez responded in kind and the stanza was unforgettable as the two traded disastrous punches.
The pair warred for the remainder of the bout until Gomez, whose face was typically badly swollen, finally dropped Pintor in the 14th. The brave Mexican rose, but Gomez uncorked another thunderous hook which floored Pintor and referee Arthur Mercante ended the fight without a count.
9. Felix Trinidad RSF4 Luis Ramon Campas (1994)
56-0 with 50 stoppages before the fight, Mexico’s Campas was a dangerous challenge for welterweight champion Trinidad.
He dropped the champion in the second, who responded with a series of low blows resulting in a point deduction.
After some furious work on the inside, Trinidad snapped Campas’ head back with a sickening blow and referee Richard Steele ended proceedings.
10. Felix Trinidad MD12 Oscar De La Hoya (1999)
The exception to the rule on this list, given the disappointing action and decision. However, the sheer scale of it grants it a place. At the time, it was the richest non-heavyweight fight in history, with both men coming in with fearsome unbeaten records and versions of the welterweight crown.
A who’s who of the boxing and celebrity worlds sat ringside to watch two of the world’s finest fighters battle for supremacy.
What they ended up watching was a chess match which Mexican American De La Hoya seemed to get the better of, despite his reduced output in the final four rounds.
Although he was aggressive, Trinidad did not seem to stamp his authority but was awarded the victory by two of the three judges at ringside, with the third scoring it a draw.
Let us know which Mexico-Puerto Rico fights from history you think should be on this list in the comments section or on our Twitter and Facebook pages.
