to help us in making our list of top 100 ATG, i think it would be a good idea to make this poll to see where to place these boxers in the ATG list. i rank Olivares higher than Zarate
Olivares gets more attention because he hung around a lot longer than Zarate did...... Zarate was smart to pack-it-in after 1979 and just go into hibernation, instead of ruining his rep and legacy by staying in the game, which is what he kinda' did in his mid-80s comeback....... Ruben Olivares finished up ugly in the 80s, fighting for corn chips and salsa. Not very indicative of his younger years as a fighter... In my book, Carlos Zarate has the better legacy....:deal MR.BILL
Ive got to go with Olivares to tell you the truth..I thought he had the better wins at bantam and seeing as though Zarate's bantam form is all he has to offer in this debate I cant really justify him being over Ruben. Especially when you take into account Olivares achievements at other weights. Olivares had a few significant wins outside of his title fights that often get overlooked including being the only man to stop JLR, beating Burrini, Efren Torres and Medel. Whereas Zarate had a Chavezesque rise to his title shot and hardly beat a ranked fighter in his comeback.
But who would've won???? I say Zarate wins by stoppage, Olivares, as powerful as he was, sometimes showed vulnerabilites when he got into gunfights. With Zarate having equal, or even more power, I would say Zarate gets to him at around the 7th round of an absolute war!
Its one of those dream fights on par with Duran-JCC or Monzon-Hagler ..So evenly matched, two top 5 fighters ever at the weight. I would take Olivares to win more often then not...Its hard to boil this one down to just one fight, because Ruben showed he could drop the ball from time to time, whereas Carlos was pretty solid in his prime in that regard. I would give Olivares the life shortening 5 fight series 3-2.
Ruben was a party boy, if he came in shape I pick him by ko in 8rds.The late KO magazine had a good article on a head to head ,of this fight ,with interviews with common opponents and also trainers,I must dig it out.
