If you were to drop a quarter right on the border between San Diego, CA, and Tijuana, Mex, and mapped out a 25-mile radius, I believe you would have difficulty to do that anywhere else in the world and find more former champions, world class ranked fighters and up and coming prospects than in this boxing rich chunk of the globe. It is understandable that Tijuana would be shock full of boxing hopefuls as it sits right across the border from the land of plenty. What is surprising is that in the city on the other side of the most crossed border in the world with over one million commuters a day going from one side to the other, you will find a couple of professional fighters ranked high up in the world rankings.
With the majority of the fighters from this region being either Mexican or of Mexican descent, our first stop is the 154 welterweight division since Mexicans to not tend to dwell in the heavier divisions. The three time welterweight champion Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27KOs) of Tijuana’s Colonia Independencia is the WBC’s International champion in the division and is ranked #1 while the World Boxing Federation (WBF) who goes by the computerized BoxRec.com’s computerized rankings has him at #2 and the IBO, another sanctioning body that uses computerized rankings, ranks him at #4 within the 154 pounders. Margarito has the opportunity to solidify himself in the division if he is able to stop the Pacquiao storm when they clash on November 13th. The twelve round mega fight is for the WBC super welterweight title.
In the welterweight division where Margarito used to reign, the pickings are slim. First off is Mario “Rocky” Meraz (12-0, 12KOs) of Ensenada, MX. He is ranked by the WBC’s FECOMBOX organization which includes all the Mexican boxing commissions at #8. The IBO has the most decorated fighter from this region, the three time world champion in as many divisions Erik “Terrible” Morales (50-6, 35KOs) at #8. All the other organizations rank Morales in the light welterweight division. He is the WBC silver champion in the division and is ranked at #2 by them while the WBA has him at #7 among the rest of the 140 pounders.
A large group of local fighters are ranked within the 140 lbs. division including the weight class’ undefeated WBC FECARBOX champion Antonio “Cañitas” Lozada Jr. (23-0, 20KOs). Lozada Jr. is also ranked by the the WBC at #18, the FECOMBOX at #1, the NABF at #9 and the IBO at #66. From the CREA gym in Tijuana we have Juan Pablo “CheChe” Lopez (18-0, 17KOs) listed at #28 by the WBC, #8 by the NABF and #78 by the IBO while another CREA fighter, Rogelio Castañeda (26-16-3, 8KOs) is ranked #88 by the IBO. Former Mexican team amateur standout Misael Castillo (18-0, 16KOs) of Ensenada is ranked #2 by the FECOMBOX and the IBO has him at 90. The first fighter from north of the border to make an appearance at #34 by the WBC is the fast rising southpaw Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (19-0-1, 10KOs). Gesta has fought his last two fights at a 137 lbs. catch weight and that is why the WBC ranks him within the light welterweights. When Gesta first began to fight in the United States, he did so in the super featherweight division and that is why the USBA has him at #3 among 130 pounders but his other rankings are at lightweight where he is listed by the WBO at #13, the NABO at #6 where h also holds the Youth title, the NABF at #9 and the IBO at 48.
Along with the talented Gesta, the lightweight is brimming with talent topped by the WBC #1 ranked Antonio DeMarco (24-2-1, 18KOs) who also trains in the CREA gym led by the legendary Romulo Quirarte. The 24-year-old DeMarco is also listed at #1 by the FECOMBOX, #14 by the WBF, #4 by the IBF, #3 by the NABF and #4 by the IBO. Unexplicably, Manuel “Mantecas” Medina (67-16-1, 31KOs) who has not fought since August of ’08 is ranked as the #8 lightweight in the world by the North American Boxing Association or the NABA for short. Tijuana journeyman and perennial title challenger Hector Velazquez (51-15-2, 35KOs) is ranked at #5 by the NABA as a super featherweight and classified as the #64 lightweight by the IBO while former interim WBC super featherweight champion Humberto “Betillo” Gutierrez is ranked #26 by the same organization. Gutierrez (28-2-1, 20KOs) is then ranked #3 by the WBC at super featherweight while the FECOMBOX has him at #11 and the IBF at #14.
Others ranked by the organizations in the super featherweight division are Marvin Quintero (20-3, 16KOs), another pupil at the CREA Gym, who besides holding the FECARBOX title is also ranked #10 by the FECOMBOX and #18 by the WBC. The IBF sees him at #8 while the IBF Intercontinental list also has him at #8. The NABO sees him at #1 while the NABF sees “Cachorro” at #8. Finally the IBO ranks him as #20, unfortunately we can expect his rankings to change after his unexpected loss to former title challenger Daniel Attah this past weekend. Ensenada’s Joksan Hernandez (21-2, 14KOs) is ranked by FECOMBOX at #11. The IBF has him as the #10 130 pounder in the world while the NABF sees him at #11 and the WBF at #22. Hernandez is ranked by the WBC at #11 but in featherweight. The NABO and the IBO also rank him at #1 and #12 respectively. Another fighter that is ranked in both weight classes is former IBF featherweight champion Cristobal “Lacandon” Cruz (39-12-2, 23KOs). The IBF now has him ranked as #9 in the super featherweight division but the FECOMBOX lists him at #10 in his old division of 126 lbs. The WBF ranks him at #19 and the IBO at #4 while the NABA ranks him at #7, all at featherweight.
Despite Hernandez and Cruz being ranked in the division, the star of the feathers is Juan Carlos “Mini” Burgos (25-0, 18KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC and will go for the vacant title on November 27th. Burgos also holds the WBC CABOFE title and is also ranked #9 by the IBO, #1 by the FECOMBOX, #12 by the WBF and #3 by the IBF Intercontinental rankings. Ensenada’s Ivan “Choko” Hernandez (28-5-1, 17KOs) also makes an appearance at #2 by the FECOMBOX and #5 by the NABF but that I all might change after losing to Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. in his last fight at super bantamweight where he is classified #58 by the IBO. The NABA though classifies the Ensenada fighter at #9.
The most ranked current San Diego fighter is the undefeated super bantamweight Christopher “S.D. Kid” Martin (20-0-2, 6KOs). Martin is listed in the top ten by four different organizations. The IBF has him at #9 while the NABO ranks him at #2. He is #1 for the NABF and #4 for the USBA. The WBC has him at #12 and the IBO also at #12. Martin is ranked by the WBA at bantamweight at #12. I am sure that Martin is only a couple of fights away from a title shot in the division.
At bantamweight we have yet another CREA gym fighter, David De La Mora (22-0, 15KOs). “Morita” holds the FECARBOX title and is ranked by the WBC at #12. FECOMBOX has him at #2 while the NABO also at #12 and the NABF at #8. The IBO ranks him at #36. Tecate, Mex’s Jose Luis “Tapitas” Araiza (29-3, 20KOs) is also ranked by the FECOMBOX at #12 despite a big layoff in his career. Making an appearance in the rankings is the newest Tijuana sensation, Jose “Tigre” Cayetano (8-0, 2KOs) who gets attention from the IBO at #84. The NABA who seems to be completely out of touch with current boxing and fighters ranks the retired Ricardo “Chapo” Vargas (39-14-3, 13KOs) as the #11 bantamweight in the North America.
Arturo “Fuerte” Badillo (19-1, 17KOs) is ranked #22 by the WBC at super flyweight while the NABO has him at #10 and the NABF also at ten. Badillo is also ranked by the FECOMBOX at #5 but this time as a flyweight. The IBO also has him at flyweight but at #40. The tall and lanky David “Flecha” Gaspar (15-2-1, 9KOs) is ranked pretty high by some of the bodies such as the WBC at #23, the NABO at #7, the NABF #4 and the IBO at #32. Juan Luis “Perla Negra” Hernandez (16-3-1, 9KOs) is coming off shoulder surgery and is ready to take advantage of his FECOMBOX #10 and NABF #14 rankings.
The missing Omar Salado (21-3-2, 12KOs) is ranked #27 by the WBC at flyweight and #13 by the FECOMBOX while the NABA has him at #3 as a bantamweight. Sergio Espinoza (16-7-1, 5KOs), whose extraordinary amateur career did not translate to a successful pro career, is ranked at #56 by the IBO and #16 by the NABA but at super flyweight. Even the tough but perennial
loser Benji Garcia (14-17-3, 1KO) makes an appearance in a NABA ranking taking the #18 spot at super flyweight. In what might be the craziest ranking of all is the #5 spot that Victor Burgos (39-15-3, 23KOs) holds as a flyweight for the NABA. Burgos has not fought since being put in a coma by Vic Darchinyan in the last right of his career three years ago.
At Jr. flyweight, the exciting Javier “Cobrita” Mendoza (13-1-1, 10KOs) is ranked #10 by the FECOMBOX at #4 by the NABF.
Finally at straw weight or 105 lbs., Julio Cesar “Gatito” Felix (15-3, 6KOs) is the only ranked San Diego/Tijuana fighter coming in at #20 at the WBC, #8 at the FECOMBOX, #13 at the NABF and #40 at the IBO.
As the reader can see, the San Diego/Tijuana region is a breeding ground for boxing greatness. From “Terrible” Terry Norris to Raul “Jibaro” Perez to Gaspar “Indio” Ortega, champions are everywhere in this parts. All we have to do is open our eyes and look.