The popularity of combat sports in Mexico is undeniable. Even the UFC, the biggest global brand in MMA, has started holding an annual love letter to Mexican fans event. But online boxing news shows that boxing still has a special spot in the hearts of Mexican sports fans.

Mixed martial arts is relatively new to the world stage. There have been many Mexican boxing champions who have flourished on the world stage. Arguably, Mexican fighter Canelo Alvarez is still the face of the sport. But there is always a question of who will be next.

The WBA event this weekend is the second of five planned events. The WBA fights will take place on Nov. 16, Nov. 23, and Dec. 8. These events will be held in conjunction with Decision Divided and Sports Boxing MX. Here’s a look at some of the fighters and the moments that have made the history of Mexican boxing so special.

Canelo’s Trilogy with GGG Defines a Generation

Canelo’s list of accomplishments is long. The Guadalajara, Mexico native was the first-ever undisputed super middleweight champion in boxing history. He also has held world titles in four different weight divisions.

But what makes Canelo’s journey special is that he had a trilogy with another top fighter in his prime. Canelo fought Gennady Golovkin in three razor-sharp fights. After the two men finished in a split draw in September 2017, the public’s response to the fight was so strong that the duo fought twice.

During the immediate rematch a year later, Canelo scored a majority decision win to gain the upper hand. Boxing news latest headlines show that Canelo is still active even after fighting 66 times professionally.

Canelo should still have some more memorable moments into his late 30s.

César Chávez had an Extraordinary Career

Julio César Chávez was one of the biggest draws in the history of boxing. While Chávez was impressive in the ring, he was still undefeated after 90 professional fights. His ability to draw in fans was impressive as well.

When Chávez fought Greg Haugen in 1993 in Mexico City, the reported attendance in Mexico City was 132,274 people. While the attendance numbers are always a little sketchy in the pre-digital age, it was the second-highest attended fight in history.

A fight in Milwaukee in 1941 drew 135,132 people to Juneau Park, but the tickets to the event were free. Chávez set several records in boxing title fights. He holds a shared record for most successful title defenses at 27, shared with Omar Narváez. Chávez also has 21 knockouts in title fights, the second-most behind heavyweight Joe Louis.

Mexican Boxing Hit its Stride in the 1970s

Mexico had produced its fair share of world boxing champions. However, it took a long time for the country to truly break through on the world stage. Battling Shaw (José Pérez Flores) was the first world champion who was born in Mexico.

Shaw won the light welterweight championship in 1933. Mexico wouldn’t have another native-born champion until Juan Zurita in 1944. Once the 1970s rolled around, however, there would be many Mexican champions to climb through the ranks.

Sons of Mexico Breakthrough

Andy Ruiz Jr. became the first Mexican champion of heavyweight descent in 2020 when he upset Anthony Joshua. Ruiz, who was born to Mexican parents in California, was called in as a short-notice replacement. While not many people who follow heavyweight boxing news gave Ruiz a chance, he showed he had plenty of skill.

Ruiz scored a TKO win over Joshua to claim the crown. While Ruiz lost the rematch by decision, he made his Mexican-born parents proud by climbing the ladder and scoring a major upset.

Fighting Kept Going After Revolution

The Mexican Revolution helped spark the nation’s interest in the sport. In 1914, Pancho Villa wanted to try and get a world title fight hosted in Mexico. Villa was willing to book Jack Johnson, who was the first African American heavyweight champion, who was on the run from the law for violating the Mann Act.

While the fight didn’t end up happening and was later moved to Cuba, the interest in the sport would continue into the 1930s. Much further down the line, Mexico was involved in helping to form the World Boxing Council. Several nations from Latin America, Asia, and Europe attended the meetings, but Mexico would heavily influence the WBC.

Juan Manuel Márquez Changed Boxing History

The fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao finally happened in 2015. But Juan Manuel Márquez helped slow down the process. Márquez put Pacquaio out cold in 2012.

The knockout was shocking because many believed Pacquiao was in the conversation for the best boxers in the world at the time. But Pacquiao didn’t have answers for counterpunching Márquez, who had previously struggled with Pacquiao earlier in his career.

But Márquez was never a fighter who stayed down for long. Márquez had a record of 56-7 in his career, which included 40 wins by knockout. He never had anyone else put him out.

Márquez would hold world championships in four different weight classes during his career. Márquez was a durable fighter, competing professionally for more than 20 years. While the 5-foot-7 fighter didn’t have a big frame, he was as tough as any other fighter in the world.

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By Dean McHugh.