Asian Fighters

here you go bud...10 greatest Filipino boxers of all time. Pretty much a list the boxing consensus agreed upon. Pancho Villa simply accomplished more at a young age and died at only 24. Died in his prime and would've accomplished more.

(http//sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3049653

10. Rene Barrientos (39-7-2, 1962-1978)
9. Eribito Salavarria (39-11-3, 1963-1978)
8. Dodie Boy Penalosa (31-7-2, 1982-1995)
7. Rolando Navarette (54-15-3, 1973-1991)
6. Ceferino Garcia (102-28-12, 1926-1945)
5. Small Montana (82-24-10, 1931-1942)
4. Little Dado (45-4-9, 1936-1943)
3. Luisito Espinosa (47-13, 1984-2005)
3. Ben Villaflor (54-8-7, 1966-1976)

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-- Elorde remains the most popular Filipino boxer ever, heralded by mature Filipino boxing fans as the best the nation has produced in or out of the ring.

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and almost single-handedly legitimized the division. He twice lost close fights for the featherweight and lightweight titles.

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. As his name suggests, speed was his forte and led to most of his victories. Learned his craft the hard way, starting his pro career at age 16, and not moving into title contention until well after his 16th bout. A sports writer of the time aptly described an Elorde fight: "His legs almost shot from under him, his face a rucksack of welts, cuts, and bruises, his eyes mere slits, Elorde would pull that courage from some inner, invisible scabbard, and turn the tide."

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-- The first Filipino world champion, his win propelled the tiny nation onto the fistic landscape. Sadly, we never got to see the best of Villa, since he died at age 24 of blood poisoning. Villa packed

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, before venturing to America to make his name. Success did not come immediately when he was matched tough in close defeats to future champ Frankie Genaro and Abe Goldstein. Genaro had Villa's number, and defeated him twice more (once for the American flyweight title). No one else could emulate Genaro's success, and Villa tore through American flyweights along the East Coast. He gained international acclaim when he defeated Jimmy Wilde, who was unable to keep the fight at a distance. Villa tore into his body, and an exhausted Wilde was stopped in the seventh. Villa held the title for three years, but in his last bout (a non-title affair) Hall of Famer Jimmy McLarnin won a 10 round decision.

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, and he had three more pulled two days later. He died of blood poisoning from those procedures, the same day his wife gave birth to Villa's son. She loudly proclaimed Villa was murdered, by an intentional overdose of anesthesia ordered by a gambling syndicate.