Zarate: All time

I was under the impression he was a consensus top tenner around here, unless perceptions of him have seriously changed under my nose over the years. So I suppose I'd have him somewhere in that range.

 

Top 12. Problem is so many great fighters down in that weight range, some who are under the "radar", that styles make fights, and when 'fantasy fights' are proposed, you can see where "upsets" could occur. (Example: where do you put a prime Jeff Chandler?)

 

I don't know about anyone pre-60s but from then to now he is top 5 with Jofre, Olivares, Galaxy and Canizales. Fenech and Chandler just below.

Carlos was a horrible bantam to fight. Rangy, durable and vicious. That's taking some stopping.

 

Fair enough.

 

I can't see him being outside the top ten.

 

Top five, and he could beat almost anyone

 

Zarate is at least top 5 in one of the deepest divisions in boxing history. A murderers row of great fighters, and ATG's

 

per Ring article:
Carlos Zarate looks back at Mexican-Puerto Rican rivalry

Much has been made of the rivalry but, according to Zarate, it’s a good one: “It’s a healthy rivalry; it’s those rivalries that bring in the crowds, the hardcore fans.”

During his Hall of Fame career, Zarate fought two Puerto Ricans, winning one and losing one.

“In my record, I’m 1-1,” he said. “Wilfredo (Gomez) beat me and I beat (Andres) Puppy Hernandez.

“For me, it’s worse (taking) the loss. I can’t get over that loss because it is that rivalry; it was very important for me to win that fight. It hurts me more because I was very sick in the preparation for that fight. I took a knee and still got hit. They had all the advantages to win that fight.”

It’s still something that appears to rankle the mild-mannered Mexico City resident but does he feel things would have been different had he been healthy?

“I wouldn’t have had an excuse,” he explained. “I wouldn’t have said, ‘I was sick.’ I would have said, ‘The better man won,’ but, in this case, I have this thing, saying, ‘ didn’t feel good; I wasn’t doing good.’ That’s always something I’m always going to have in the back of my head.”

Almost three years after Zarate had lost to Gomez, the Puerto Rican stepped up in weight and fought another Mexican legend, the late, great Salvador Sanchez. This time Mexico won. Sanchez scored an eighth round stoppage.

When asked about if this was revenge, Zarate emphatically says with a chuckle: “I don’t know what to call it. I don’t know if it was revenge but I LOVED it.”

 

Top 5. A hard puncher with a height and reach advantage over just about anyone ever at that weight is a bad matchup for anyone.

 

Carlos Zarate ranks as one of the greatest bantamweights ever. That being said, he didn't match up well with Wilfredo Gomez.

- Chuck Johnston

 

I've read Carlos's biography and I tend to give him the benefit of the doubt that he was ill. He certainly didn't look himself and I thought referee Harry Gibbs had a rare bad night.

 

I don't think he looked right either but you have to give credit to Gomez, just as credit goes to Sanchez for beating Gomez when he was ill prepared too.