Many times as I sit ringside at El Foro or el Auditorio in TIjuana, MX, I listen to those around me talk about the golden era of Tijuana boxing. Many of these old timers consider the 80’s and the early 90’s the golden era of boxing in Tijuana, when Memo Mayen used to put on fights every Monday at the Municipal Auditorium. In the early eighties to the middle years of the decade, it wouldn’t be surprising to find a young Julio Cesar Chavez, Manuel “Mantecas” Medina or Raul “Jibaro” Perez plying their trade in the Auditorium and then in the mid nineties Erik “Terrible” Morales or Jorge “Travieso” Arce also lacing them up and fighting in front of the loyal Tijuana fight fans.
I think there is a resurgence of talent in Tijuana now.
This Saturday, you will find two transplants competing at the highest levels of the sport, two fighters that have reached the pinnacles of their careers so far while living and training in Tijuana. Cristobal “Lacandon” Cruz, originally of the southern Mexican state of Chiapas but living in Tijuana for quite some time, will defend his IBF featherweight title this Saturday against his one time previous conqueror Jorge “Coloradito” Solis. The fight will take place in Cruz’s home state of Chiapas. Also performing this weekend will be Antonio DeMarco of Los Mochis, MX. The 23-year-old has been living in Tijuana since the tender age of fourteen when he followed an uncle to the CREA gym to follow his dream of becoming a world champion under the tutelage of Don Romulo Quirarte. DeMarco captured the NABO lightweight title earlier this year by stopping Kid Diamond in Anaheim, CA, and now will be battling Agnes Adjaho in a WBC title eliminator that if he wins, will give him the right to face current WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero later this year.
Although suspended by the CSAC until at least early next year, nobody can forget that TIjuana boasts the three time welterweight champion Antonio Margarito as one of their own. Despite the fact that Margarito was actually born in the LA area, he has always maintained Tijuana as his true home and began his career here at fifteen years of age.
Former two time super welterweight WBA champion Alejandro “Terra” Garcia is a native of Tijuana who grew up in the rough and tumble Colonia El Rubi and made his name in his division in the early part of this decade and still looking for one more opportunity for a run at a title despite the fact that he has not had that much luck lately, losing more fights that he has won.
Besides the current or former world champions that call Tijuana home, there is a new wave of up and coming prospects that are still sharpening their weapons in the tough Tijuana gyms and who some of them are ready for the next step in their careers.