Let's have at it. Maybe the toughest matchup to decide on in the history of the lower weights. Jofre IMO stops both, but boy, it's a close call between these two. I've always favored Zarate in this matchup, and that hasn't changed, but it's not like I disregard those who picking Olivares. I say Zarate by late KO in a fight that very closely resembles Olivares-Arguello.
Olivares on his best night, Zarate on his but more often than not, I’d say Zarate. Power is relatively equal probably small edge Zárate, but Zarate an even more efficient finisher. Zarate has the better chin and tighter defense but I think Ruben could perhaps be more overwhelming because he had more speeds/gears and sometimes that’s hard to keep off. Zarate being a great body puncher and smart fighter would more than likely figure a way for his longer, straighter punches to get home and edge the fight in the moments it’s at a distance. I’ll go for Zarate late in a back and forth battle.
Zarate was a killing machine at his best. A lot of the old boxing scribes seem to praise Olivares more, but just going off what I see, Zarate looks like the better fighter
Looks like I'm gonna join Clinton and Rough here, since I'm picking Olivares. By KO. Against Rose, Rubén's offence was very dynamic, as he came in with arcing shots over straights and he blended his head-movement into the angles he came in at. Imo he was also just, at least near, Gomez in terms of raw power. Zárate had issues when Pintor came in at angles (whether or not you thought he won, he still had major troubles), and was obviously KOed by Gomez. I like Rubén, as the much more advanced boxer, to feint around Zárate and hurt him enough whilst using his lateral movement to stay somewhat safe. I think Olivares would stop him actually, he himself was a very good finisher. I don't really like the Argüello comparison though, since I thought Olivares was quite clearly out-classing ETM before the stoppage and a FW Argüello was a much more difficult prospect than Zárate. As for the issue re: Olivares' chin, I think it's an Aaron Pryor-esc case. Easy to deck very hard to stop. The only two stoppages he has at 118 (of like 70 fights) are a result of being awfully weight drained and a cut. So, it's more or less a non-issue imo. Olivares had a better chin than Pintor imo, and Zárate couldn't get him out when he had him down. Obviously a pick either way isn't out of the question, since they could both iron eachother out.
I think a relatively green Arguello that was not really that close to his peak is probably an easier task than a prime peak Zárate at Bantamweight.
I don't. I think he'd have smoked Zárate himself. Gomez and Pintor too. He was also much much bigger, whilst Olivares was getting on. And was he that green? He'd already fought for a title and beaten contenders.
Well, he was still developing that’s why he was a relatively big underdog. Olivares did great again him but Arguello wasn’t yet the great Arguello yet. It’s true that Olivares was also past peak it’s also noting that it was just Arguello’s second fight outside of Nicaragua and his first outside of Central America. I’d say the Zarate just smashed Martinez, Zamora, Ferreri, Davila was a much more complete, experienced and confident fighter. There’s a reason why Zarate was ranked as the pound for pound #1 fighter in the world by Boxing Illustrated in 1977. His peak was pretty special and whilst Arguello was a greater fighter, he wasn’t at that level yet - or until he got to 130 which is where he showed himself to be great IMO.
