The 10 best boxers to have emerged from Tijuana

As Alejandra Ayala returns to Tijuana to start her new life, we check out some legendary fighters to have emerged from that a part of Mexico

1 Érik Morales

Doubtless the jewel within the Tijuana boxing crown, Morales is a beloved determine the world over, having turn out to be the primary Mexican in historical past to win world titles in 4 totally different weight lessons: super-bantamweight, featherweight, super-featherweight and light-welterweight.

2 Antonio Margarito

Although born in California, Margarito grew up in Tijuana from the age of two and fought underneath the title ‘The Tijuana Twister’ his total profession. At welterweight, he held a number of titles, together with the WBO belt from 2002 to 2007, the IBF belt in 2008, and the WBA belt from 2008 to 2009.

3 Raúl Pérez

Pérez turned the WBC bantamweight champion when outpointing Miguel Lora in 1988 and defended this belt seven occasions earlier than shedding towards Greg Richardson in ’91. He then beat Luis Mendoza later that 12 months to turn out to be a WBA champion at super-bantamweight.

4 Jaime Munguía

Tijuana’s latest boxing star, Munguía is presently 40-0 as a professional and a former WBO super-welterweight champion. At 25, his greatest days are nonetheless very a lot forward of him.

5 Luis Nery

A controversial determine with each weight and PED points, Nery is nonetheless a succesful fighter who has misplaced simply considered one of 33 professional fights. He received the WBC bantamweight title when stopping Shinsuke Yamanaka in 2017 and in 2020 received the WBC title at super-bantamweight.

6 Antonio DeMarco

Not in contrast to Margarito, DeMarco, although born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, realized to field in Tijuana, the place he moved throughout his adolescence. As a professional, he beat Jorge Linares to win the WBC light-weight title in 2011 and defended it twice earlier than being dethroned by Adrien Broner.

7 Alejandro García

In March 2003, García knocked out Santiago Samaniego inside three rounds to assert the WBA light-middleweight title. After that, he pressured Roshii Wells to retire earlier than spherical 11 in his first defence, solely to then lose the belt towards Travis Simms in defence quantity two.

8 Juan José Estrada

Estrada received his WBA super-bantamweight title on the Plaza de Toros in Tijuana in 1988, beating Bernardo Pinango by way of split-decision. He then defended the belt in Japan, stopping Takuya Muguruma in 11 rounds, earlier than shedding it towards Jesus Salad in defence quantity 4 (on account of disqualification).

9 Jackie Nava

A world champion in two weight lessons, having held the WBA bantamweight title in 2005, the WBC super-bantamweight title twice between 2005 and 2015, and the WBA tremendous bantamweight title twice between 2012 and 2015, Nava is Tijuana’s most profitable feminine boxer so far.

10 Diego Morales

Although all the time within the shadow of his older brother, Érik, Diego nonetheless compiled a 37-2 professional report and received a WBO super-flyweight belt in 1999, retiring Victor Godoi within the eleventh spherical.