A look at the biggest fights in the Mexico-Puerto rivalry ahead of the next chapter when Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fights Edgar Berlanga on Saturday, September 14th on PBC PPV from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Mexico vs. Puerto. It is arguably the greatest rivalry in boxing, two nations that have produced classic after classic. Boxing is simply in their blood – put the cells of their citizens under a microscope and you’re likely to find millions of brown leather gloves floating around.
On Saturday, September 14, the feud continues as Mexican superstar and boxing legend Saul “Canelo” Álvarez defends his combined WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight world titles against undefeated Puerto Rican slugger Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga at T-Mobile. Arena. Naturally, PBC Pay-Per-View on Prime Video takes place during the Mexican Independence Way weekend.
Weeks away from boxing’s biggest card of the year, here’s a look at five of the best Mexico vs. Puerto Rico boxing matches:
5
Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto I
Date: July 26, 2008
Place: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
Title(s): Cotton WBA welterweight title
Summary: The first fight between Puerto Rico’s Cotto and Mexico’s Margarito was one of the most dramatic and controversial fights in boxing history. The undefeated Cotto was considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, known for his powerful body punching and strong technical skills. Margarito was a relentless pressure fighter with an iron jaw and heavy hands. These qualities make for a classic battle between two warriors at their peak. Cotto used his superior boxing skills and movement to dominate the early rounds. However, as the fight progressed, Margarito’s relentless aggression began to take its toll. Margarito absorbed Cotto’s punches, coming forward and landing pounding, hurtling shots more often. In the 11th round, a bloodied and exhausted Cotto took a knee twice, giving Margarito the TKO victory. The aftermath of the fight was marred by controversy when Margarito was spotted with illegal arm wraps ahead of his next fight against Shane Mosley. This raised suspicions that Margarito may have used illegal wraps against Cotto, tainting his victory. Despite the controversy, the fight remains a classic due to the intense action and dramatic outcome.
4
Miguel Cotto vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez
Date: November 21, 2015
Place: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
Title(s): Vacant WBC Middleweight Championship
Summary: Cotto vs. Alvarez wasn’t just a matchup between two of the biggest names in the sport. Aesthetically, it didn’t improve. Both were fluid boxers who could knock their opponents out or knock them out in a variety of ways. Mexico’s Álvarez was young pound-for-pound, but already a veteran at 25 years old. At the age of 35, Puerto Rico’s Cotto had nine incredible careers that included titles in four different weight classes. In his most recent bout, he proved he’s as good as ever, capturing the middleweight belt with a victory over Sergio Martinez. Cotto vs. Canelo was a fast-paced chess match full of accurate shots and slick counterpunching. Despite Cotto’s efforts, Canelo landed the harder and cleaner shots to win a 12-round unanimous decision.
3
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad
Date: September 18, 1999
Place: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
Title(s): De La Hoya’s WBC and Trinidad’s IBF welterweight championships
Summary: Known as the “Fight of the Thousand,” Olympic gold medalist and proud Mexican-American De La Hoya met the Puerto Rican treasure in a Trinidad battle between two undefeated world champions. Unfortunately, the operation failed. De La Hoya used his boxing skills to jump out to an early lead. Trinidad applied calm, steady pressure to his ever-moving opponent. In the final three rounds, De La Hoya used a safety over all passive strategy that would ultimately cost him the fight. Trinidad’s aggression proved to be the difference as he won a controversial majority decision (115-113, 115-114, 114-114). To this day, the outcome sparks debate among fight fans, even though the match itself was largely forgettable.
2
Salvador Sanchez vs. Wilfredo Gómez
Date: August 21, 1981
Place: Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Title(s): Sanchez’s WBC featherweight title
Summary: It was advertised as the “Battle of the Little Giants”, between two world champions – Puerto Rico’s Gómez 122 and Mexico’s Sánchez 126. The 22-year-old Sánchez (40-0, 30 KOs) was already being hailed as the next big champion, making six defenses and establishing himself as a fighter seemingly flawless. However, this would be his toughest test. Boxing star Gómez went a stunning 32-0, with all 32 of those wins coming by knockout. The action lived up to the hype as Gómez tried to match his power to the brilliant boxing but equally powerful Sánchez. In the eighth round, Sánchez unleashed a barrage of strikes that overwhelmed Gómez and forced the referee to stop the fight and establish Sánchez as one of the greatest featherweights of all time.
1
Julio César Chávez vs. Edwin Rosario
Date: November 21, 1987
Place: Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas
Title(s): Rosario’s WBC lightweight title
Summary: This match and the fight itself stands out from the crowd. Mexican legend Chávez, then the WBC super featherweight champion, was looking to become only the third fighter in boxing history to move up from 130 and capture the 135-pound title against Puerto Rican powerhouse Edwin Rosario. The pre-fight build-up was filled with vitriol as both fighters promised to do some serious damage. The two nearly clashed at the final press conference when Rosario promised to send Chávez back to Mexico in a coffin. When the fight began, Chávez made him eat those words, stepping forward and body-slamming Rosario. Rosario didn’t stop throwing, but eventually tired of Chávez’s ferocious attack. The “Lion of Culiacan” stopped Rosario in the 11th, stamping his claim as the best fighter in the world.
Take a closer look at Canelo vs Berlanga on our fight night page.
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