I hereby declare today Rafael Herrera appreciation day! I love this quote from him following beating Olivares in the first encounter. Not a great fight, and certainly not a great performance from Ruben...but Herrera showcases his skills here.
1972-03-19 : This content is protected 118 lbs beat This content is protected 118 lbs by KO at 1:28 in round 8 of 15 Location: El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico Referee: This content is protected 70-66 Judge: This content is protected 70-66 Judge: This content is protected 70-65 "Rafael Herrera became the world's new bantamweight boxing champion Sunday night when he knocked out defending monarch Ruben Olivares in the 8th round of a scheduled 15 rounder. Olivares had been the overwhelming favorite but Herrera took the initiative from the beginning. He opened the champion's right eyebrow in the 6th round and kept hammering away at Olivares' face in the 7th and 8th rounds. Olivares went down under a tremendous right to the chin by Herrera at 1:28 of the 8th round and failed to recover by the time Mexican referee Ray Solis had counted to 10. Olivares said it cost him "much sacrifice" to get down to the 118 lb. limit of the bantamweight division." -United Press International Olivares immediately stated he would be moving up to the featherweight division. Purses: Olivares - $70,000, Herrera - $10,000 Post fight comment "I'm sorry I beat you but I need the money." -Rafael Herrera to Ruben Olivares
Just scored these 2 fights and plan to settle down and watch Herrera vs Olivares II and Venice Borkhorsor in a bit!
Olivares was way off the boil in that first fight but Herrera showed it wasn’t a fluke with a clear cut victory in the re-match. Herrera is very underrated. Along with Lionel Rose as a former bantamweight champion who should be enshrined in the IBHOF but won’t hold my breath. These guys that didn’t fight on the East Coast and came from overseas don’t get the attention from voters that they deserve. I plan on getting around to re-watching some of Herrera’s fights very shortly.
One of my favorite bantamweights. Even more so now that I read that quote. Could be said about every fighter everywhere really.
Herrera suffered the same fate for beating Olivares that Medel did for defeating another idol in Toluco Lopez that people didn’t really like him because of it though they are just doing their jobs.