Los Angeles – There has been no shortage of great boxers of Mexican ancestry. Virtually all of them, however, have made their mark in the lighter weight divisions.
Based on a spectacular knockout win over undefeated Damian Wills on the undercard of last Saturday’s Floyd Mayweather-Carlos Baldomir showdown in Las Vegas, Chris Arreola may well give Hispanics and the boxing industry a heavyweight rarity: a real big man, with big power, with tons of potential, wrapped in a warriors body whose parents are from Mexico.
“I’m too young to have seen any of the great Mexican heavyweight boxers, but I have a tremendous amount of pride when I lace up the gloves knowing I can be a part of that history,” admitted Arreola, a Riverside, California native whose parents were born and raised in agricultural parts of central Mexico (father sold seed on a bus in Durango; mother worked on a farm in Sinaloa). “I know about all the great Mexican fighters I grew up to admire.”
Arreola, who came in at a svelte 229 lbs. (12 lbs. less than his last fight in August and seven less than his pro debut in March, 2003), put on an impressive performance in overwhelming Wills – the reigning California State Heavyweight champion -- to run his record to 18-0 (16 KOs).
That performance had the large crowd at the Mandalay Bay Arena on its feet, causing a buzz which even spread among the media at ringside – many of whom had not either seen Arreola in action or didn’t have him on their heavyweight radar screen. That is not the case now.
Boxing enthusiasts are well familiar with many of the great boxers to come out of Mexico. Among them, the late Salvador Sanchez, Ricardo Lopez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Ruben Olivares and still-active Marco Antonio Barrera.
But Arreola is swimming in unchartered waters, as research showed the only Mexican heavyweight of note to make any inroads in boxing’s glamour division was Manuel Ramos.
In June, 1968, with a record of 21-6-2 (15 KOs), including a win over former WBA heavyweight champion Ernie Terrell, Ramos became the only Mexican to fight for a world heavyweight title when he took on Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden in New York. “Smokin’ Joe” stopped him in two rounds. En route to losing his last 15 pro fights and compiling a 25-29-3 (18 KOs) record, Ramos went on to lose fights to such heavyweight notables as George Chuvalo, Chuck Wepner, Joe Bugner, Oscar Bonavena, Ron Stander, Ron Lyle and Duane Bobick. He also fought a draw with Stander.
“It’s a dream to be a heavyweight champion,” Arreola, who is managed by Alan Haymon and promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, added, “but especially to be a Mexican heavyweight champion. If it happens, I would be so proud. But that’s up the road. There are other fights to be won first.”
Chris Arreola won more than a fight last Saturday night; he won respect and recognition as a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division – Mexican or otherwise.
