Why does one of the greatest super bantamweights of all time, arguably top five, get mentioned so rarely? This guy was a Nacho Beristain classic. Stylistically, he was almost like a southpaw Raul Marquez but more prone to staying still and getting wild. Zaragoza had excellent footwork and skills as well as crazy high ring IQ due to all of his experience. Plus, he had a granite jaw, endless gas tank and decent speed to make up for his lack of power. He may have been very skilled and an excellent technician, but that didn't stop him from knuckling down and getting into great fights anyone who obliged. This ingrained Mexican need to entertain fans and prove his grit provided us an insane listing of great fights that is probably unrivaled in the filmed eras. Notables include: Banke I, II & III, Tatsuyoshi I & II, Sanchez I & II, Jacobs, McCullough, Hatanaka, Lee, Lora, Morales, Zarate, and Fenech were all very entertaining (IMO) for one reason or another. The ones in bold are my picks as must watch fights, but they're all worth watching. He has quite possibly the best longevity ever too. The guy was in all of those great fights (where he took huge amounts of punishment), and was still very capable of throwing 100s of punches in the late rounds in his late 30s. What's your opinion of him? What other great fights was he in that I may have missed? Where would you rank him at SBW? Is he one of the most entertaining fighters of all time?
He looks exactly like Moe the bartender from the Simpsons. But that aside, his relative lack of power or elite boxing skills meant contact and lots of it. He was going to outwork you if he was going to beat you. As mentioned, he also had the benefit of being in a stable that provided such good schooling and as a result he became capable of doing a lot of things pretty well, though nothing amazingly well.
I have a ton of respect for Zaragoza. He was written off, his career supposedly over and he turned around and had a great run. Never in a bad fight that I am aware of.
Loved El Raton even when he beat my boy, McCullough. Tough as old boots, good skillset, high Ring IQ, gave the fans their money's worth.
Zaragoza gets overlooked and unappreciated nowadays, especially when compared to Mexican fighters. But he was definitely a very fun fighter to watch who was never in a boring fight. He had very underrated boxing skills, good counterpuncher, and an awkward southpaw style with his looping shots. Jack of all trades kind of fighter with great ring IQ and a real road warrior who is willing to fight opponents in their backyard. Wasn’t a hard puncher and had a tender skin that made him prone to cuts but he always fought in workmanlike fashion. His fights against Paul Banke are some of the most brutally entertaining scraps I’ve seen. His durability, longevity, craftiness, and tough grit is what makes him a great fighter.
He’s one of my favorite fighters. He didn’t really do a lot great but was very rounded. Used to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day too. I’ve met him a few times and he’s really a classy guy. Underrated fighter. Not a great fighter but a damn good one who’s late career surge was him get into IBHOF.
I pronounce his name "Zaw-raw-GO-THAW!" and I feel that if everyone did this they would realise what a special and fun fighter he really was. I'll be waiting.
Good thread as usual, George. He's a guy who I haven't watched enough. I think top 5 super bantam is fair given the opposition and time he spent there. Top 20-30 of Mexican fighters - probably high 20s rather than low 20s but I haven't made a list that deep yet.
The ones in bold are honestly can't-miss, but all of the ones I mentioned are awesome. I think I had him at six, after Gomez, Morales, Barrera, Vasquez & Bungu; but I definitely like the idea of him top five, and I can see him above Bungu g Vasquez in all honesty. I think he'd rank around twenty in an all-Mex list as well, but I've only done a top ten then sorted out the guys I considered for it. So I've basically done a loose top fifteen.
He was never truly elite but retained what form he had for a very long time. His high favor with the WBC helped.
Bump. I gotta say I don't think no other fighters in the 90s other than Gatti, Tatsuyoshi, Kelley, Tapia, or Holyfield have consistently produced as many great fights as Zaragoza. One of the most entertaining fighters in the last 30 years IMO. His trilogy with Paul Banke is still one of my favorite bouts to watch, and his fights with Tatsuyoshi are just as good. Zaragoza definitely deserves more love. This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected