What are the Top Greatest Fighters from the Caribbean Islands?

[Feroz]

Puerto Rico heads the list, but it must be remembered that Cuban athletes have been restricted for over 60 years. That is a long, long time. And of the boxers that managed to gain freedom, a great many spent way too much time in the amateur system. I’ve often wondered why Dominicans haven’t had much success. I imagine it’s because boxing isn’t as ingrained in their culture. The island produces an inordinate number of great baseball players.

While it is indeed not fair and a big setback that talented Cuban fighters like Teofilo Stevenson couldn't be allowed to contend as professionals.

Puerto Rico didn't have any involvement with those circumstances and is a pretty small island with a population that is 4x times smaller. While they had way better conditions, I think credit should be given where credit is due.

As for the Dominicans, apparently while Baseball is the national sport, they always had an interest on the sport, however their athletes never have really gotten the opportunities they deserved until PBC.

Possibly because of the outcome of the only big event in the Dominican Republic of Carlos Teofilo Cruz fighting Carlos Ortiz, Cruz bested the ATG but the crowd was much smaller than expected due to the hostile political environment at the time. Their best athlete at the time also died two years later in a plane crash along with his family.

Boxing promoters probably thought they weren't marketable enough to bring eyes to the sport.

Barbados has some good ones ... I think, actually I'll be back with an edit.

Edit:

Yeah man Barbados Joe and Panama Gans both Barbados.

I just noticed you only have the greater antilles. The lesser antilles not consider caribbean? I do not mean that as smart-ass as it might seem, nations can't agree on how many nations or continents there are so I wouldn't be surprised if to some people the lessers are not considered carribean.

Just didn't know much about Barbados in the first place and these professional boxers who fought in the early 1900s.

[CubanGuyNYC]

While it is indeed not fair and a big setback that talented Cuban fighters like Teofilo Stevenson couldn't be allowed to contend as professionals.

Puerto Rico didn't have any involvement with those circumstances and is a pretty small island with a population that is 4x times smaller. While they had way better conditions, I think credit should be given where credit is due.

As for the Dominicans, apparently while Baseball is the national sport, they always had an interest on the sport, however their athletes never have really gotten the opportunities they deserved until PBC.

Possibly because of the outcome of the only big event in the Dominican Republic of Carlos Teofilo Cruz fighting Carlos Ortiz, Cruz bested the ATG but the crowd was much smaller than expected due to the hostile political environment at the time. Their best athlete at the time also died two years later in a plane crash along with his family.

Boxing promoters probably thought they weren't marketable enough to bring eyes to the sport.

No doubt, Puerto Rico’s tiny population makes their success in pro boxing very impressive. However, all the population in the world can be completely stymied by lack of opportunity. Being a commonwealth of the wealthiest and most powerful country in the history of the world, and geographically being within a stone’s throw, provides a massive advantage. What’s more valuable to you: a million dollars you’re not allowed to touch, or a thousand dollars in your pocket to do with as you wish? The Dominicans are kind of in-between. Their baseball program is immensely aided by the interest of MLB teams, which provide a great deal of resources for the development of talent on the island. Unfortunately, there is no such interest in the boxers.

[Marchegiano]

While it is indeed not fair and a big setback that talented Cuban fighters like Teofilo Stevenson couldn't be allowed to contend as professionals.

Puerto Rico didn't have any involvement with those circumstances and is a pretty small island with a population that is 4x times smaller. While they had way better conditions, I think credit should be given where credit is due.

As for the Dominicans, apparently while Baseball is the national sport, they always had an interest on the sport, however their athletes never have really gotten the opportunities they deserved until PBC.

Possibly because of the outcome of the only big event in the Dominican Republic of Carlos Teofilo Cruz fighting Carlos Ortiz, Cruz bested the ATG but the crowd was much smaller than expected due to the hostile political environment at the time. Their best athlete at the time also died two years later in a plane crash along with his family.

Boxing promoters probably thought they weren't marketable enough to bring eyes to the sport.



Just didn't know much about Barbados in the first place and these professional boxers who fought in the early 1900s.

Well yeah bro, I'm not looking up more than a couple names before you tell me Barbados is part of this. If you'd said Barbados can't play I would have wasted my time looking up who is and isn't from Barbados.

I mean Panama got Panama in his name, so, it is worth checking these boys before I post them. Just because a dude is named Barbados Sam doesn't mean he's from Barbados. I have a handful of names to check into before I provide a full list. I just wanted to make sure you're interested before I did it, because if you're not, no big deal, I just won't post more about Barbadian boxers.

Turns out Barbados Sam is in fact Barbadian just looked it up while I explained myself.


To be clear, I'm asking about more than Barbados as well. Tobago got fighters too. The Lesser Antilles has at least Barbados and Trinidad, I don't think the other islands have many, Grenada, honestly never heard of a fighter from Grenada.

If you're interested I'd list who I do know about and how I'd rate them, but it's what you're interested in bro, I'm not trying to derail your thread my dude. Just add to it if you like.

[Regge]

Not even close? McCallum, Napoles (Ortiz moved up and down just to avoid Mantequilla) they all good fighters, some all time greats like Gomez, Napoles, Gavilan, and Kid Chocolate.

Yet still Puerto Ricans have shown to be more dominant in the pro ranks where it counts....those guys you named are great no doubt about it all i said is PR dominates the islands when it comes to producing greats.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Yet still Puerto Ricans have shown to be more dominant in the pro ranks where it counts....those guys you named are great no doubt about it all i said is PR dominates the islands when it comes to producing greats.

It’s interesting to note some things. The first Hispanic pro boxing champion was Panama Al Brown (1929). (Solly Smith, champion in 1897, was half-Mexican and half-Irish, but born in Los Angeles.) The second (1931) was the legendary Cuban Kid Chocolate. The third (1933) was the Mexican Jose Perez Flores (“Battling Shaw”). The fourth (1934) was the Puerto Rican Sixto Escobar — PR’s first boxing champion, amateur or pro.

Puerto Rico would not have another boxing champion until the great Carlos Ortiz in 1959, a quarter of a century later. Six years would elapse until the next PR champion, Jose Torres, and another decade until the next Puerto Rican champions, in 1975 (Angel Espada and Alfredo Escalera). It was in the mid-seventies that PR would start rolling in pro boxing.

Cuba had pro boxing champions before PR, and a greater number of quality fighters until Castro came along and destroyed the country. Fortunately, ATGs like Sugar Ramos (champion in 1963) and Jose Nápoles (1969) left the island and became champs elsewhere. We’ll never know how Cuban fighters would’ve fared if there were no communist system, but it’s a safe bet that there would’ve been some more greats from the island. Some with names we possibly have never heard of. After all, some fighters are much more suited to the pro game. Just look at the amateur record of Mexico and PR boxers compared to Cuba. There is a gigantic gap. Does that mean Cuba has better fighters? Of course not. But it’s an illustration that my statement has legitimacy.

[garfios]

Yet still Puerto Ricans have shown to be more dominant in the pro ranks where it counts....those guys you named are great no doubt about it all i said is PR dominates the islands when it comes to producing greats.

I'm going to give a fact, Cuba stopped producing professional athletes in 1960, castro banned all professional sport in the Island, before that we have all those that were mentioned in the thread. 40 years without representation can dry out any country. I'm pretty sure that out the 70+ medals they have won at the Olympics, maybe a dozen could have been great. Would like me to mention a few?

[garfios]

It’s interesting to note some things. The first Hispanic pro boxing champion was Panama Al Brown (1929). (Solly Smith, champion in 1897, was half-Mexican and half-Irish, but born in Los Angeles.) The second (1931) was the legendary Cuban Kid Chocolate. The third (1933) was the Mexican Jose Perez Flores (“Battling Shaw”). The fourth (1934) was the Puerto Rican Sixto Escobar — PR’s first boxing champion, amateur or pro.

Puerto Rico would not have another boxing champion until the great Carlos Ortiz in 1959, a quarter of a century later. Six years would elapse until the next PR champion, Jose Torres, and another decade until the next Puerto Rican champions, in 1975 (Angel Espada and Alfredo Escalera). It was in the mid-seventies that PR would start rolling in pro boxing.

Cuba had pro boxing champions before PR, and a greater number of quality fighters until Castro came along and destroyed the country. Fortunately, ATGs like Sugar Ramos (champion in 1963) and Jose Nápoles (1969) left the island and became champs elsewhere. We’ll never know how Cuban fighters would’ve fared if there were no communist system, but it’s a safe bet that there would’ve been some more greats from the island. Some with names we possibly have never heard of. After all, some fighters are much more suited to the pro game. Just look at the amateur record of Mexico and PR boxers compared to Cuba. There is a gigantic gap. Does that mean Cuba has better fighters? Of course not. But it’s an illustration that my statement has legitimacy.

Felix Betancourt, Andres Aldama WW, and Angel Milian HW, those three were made to be professionals.

[Feroz]

Well yeah bro, I'm not looking up more than a couple names before you tell me Barbados is part of this. If you'd said Barbados can't play I would have wasted my time looking up who is and isn't from Barbados.

I mean Panama got Panama in his name, so, it is worth checking these boys before I post them. Just because a dude is named Barbados Sam doesn't mean he's from Barbados. I have a handful of names to check into before I provide a full list. I just wanted to make sure you're interested before I did it, because if you're not, no big deal, I just won't post more about Barbadian boxers.

Turns out Barbados Sam is in fact Barbadian just looked it up while I explained myself.


To be clear, I'm asking about more than Barbados as well. Tobago got fighters too. The Lesser Antilles has at least Barbados and Trinidad, I don't think the other islands have many, Grenada, honestly never heard of a fighter from Grenada.

If you're interested I'd list who I do know about and how I'd rate them, but it's what you're interested in bro, I'm not trying to derail your thread my dude. Just add to it if you like.

Ah I see, I think fighters from any country in the Caribbean is applied here and funny that called Barbados Sam literally comes from Barbados. Also yeah, I find it interesting if you listed these fighters from Tobago, Trinidad and Barbados with how you rate them with context.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Felix Betancourt, Andres Aldama WW and Angel Milian HW, those two were made to be professionals.

Yeah, man. God knows how many Cubans we knew, or didn’t know, would’ve become great professional champions. In a free society, it’s possible that a number of athletes who weren’t vetted by the communist system would’ve been motivated to become pro fighters. We’ll never know.

[garfios]

Yeah, man. God knows how many Cubans we knew, or didn’t know, would’ve become great professional champions. In a free society, it’s possible that a number of athletes who weren’t vetted by the communist system would’ve been motivated to become pro fighters. We’ll never know.

Paisano, there's a lot of ignorance with Cuban athletes, most young people don't know nor care about history. They don't know the struggles when an athlete defects and lost their family support because they stayed behind. And the excuses they come out for their idols, is laughable.