What are the Top Greatest Fighters from the Caribbean Islands?

[Marchegiano]

Alright fellas, I didn't do any new research for this and I've never done the islands perse but I have done latino and black fighter history and picked up some stuff along the way.

Barbados:

Joe Walcott - Raised in Barbados, born in Guyana, so take your pick if you count him. Walcott's a WW champ, and a good one in his own right with his own WW resume, but he was also a WW who fought and beat good HWs. A bad HW stood no chance against Walcott and he proved it. Your Charles Martin style HWs, no chance against this Mayweather sized demon. He went by Demon, it's a reference.

Panama Gans - His biggest brag, imo, wasn't an actual fight. He was brought into Jack Dempsey's camp to help the champ train, along with Harry Greb. Panama got the better of Greb in camp. Greb being Greb, this is usually a bigger deal than the fact that Panama has wins over names such as Tiger and Allentown and such.

Ivor Kid - He was born, raise, and died, in Barbados but made a career out of ****ing up British Empire boxers from Australia, UK, and Canada. He made with way through Barbados into Trinidad then into the BE. Did well but is not a world class champion. I believe his highest title is BE or CW.

Barbados Sam - Very similar to Ivor, Sam was a decent local barbadian who moved up to BE level but never moved past.


IMO, anyone lower is pretty not worth mention as a great. Hell, the British level boys are lucky to be included.


I'll throw in the best from other islands when I get time for it.

[Regge]

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.

Again where it counts...who cares about amateur records lol

Cubans are notorious for fumbling during big prize fights....where it counts.

Name me the last Cuban who accomplished as much as Wilfredo GomeZ, Benitez and Tito Trinidad heck even Cotto?

[Feroz]

Again where it counts...who cares about amateur records lol

Cubans are notorious for fumbling during big prize fights....where it counts.

Name me the last Cuban who accomplished as much as Wilfredo GomeZ, Benitez and Tito Trinidad heck even Cotto?

Amateur records are quite useful to prognosticate their ability as boxers while they are polishing their skillset, obviously doesn't mean they would absolutely thrive as pros based on their style and punching power, but it is a good indicator as shown with David Morrell and Andy Cruz.

Don't know much of the others, but Jose Napoles reigned as undisputed welterweight champ for six years beating Billy Backus, Ernie Lopez X2, Curtis Coke X2, Hedgemon Lewis, Armando Muñiz X2, and Emile Girffith.

That's highly impressive. Easily on par with Benitez or Trinidad. Mantequilla Napoles was highly adored by the Mexican public.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Again where it counts...who cares about amateur records lol

Cubans are notorious for fumbling during big prize fights....where it counts.

Name me the last Cuban who accomplished as much as Wilfredo GomeZ, Benitez and Tito Trinidad heck even Cotto?

Out of that whole post, that’s what you extracted? Lol I see now it was a waste of my time responding to you.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Amateur records are quite useful to prognosticate their ability as boxers while they are polishing their skillset, obviously doesn't mean they would absolutely thrive as pros based on their style and punching power, but it is a good indicator as shown with David Morrell and Andy Cruz.

Don't know much of the others, but Jose Napoles reigned as undisputed welterweight champ for six years beating Billy Backus, Ernie Lopez X2, Curtis Coke X2, Hedgemon Lewis, Armando Muñiz X2, and Emile Girffith.

That's highly impressive. Easily on par with Benitez or Trinidad. Mantequilla Napoles was highly adored by the Mexican public.

Nápoles is routinely regarded as greater than both Trinidad and Benitez. Just look up any random list by any boxing scribe. Same would probably hold true for Gavilan and Kid Chocolate. But I don’t even want to get into that debate. Point is, Cuba had some awesome pro boxers back in the day. Before PR and even before Mexico. That was all derailed by communism and the forced adoption of the amateur system on the island. Why is Cuba so much more successful in the amateurs? I mean, the gold medal tally — the whole medal tally — is not even in the same universe. It’s not because Cuba has naturally better fighters; it’s because Cuba focused on the amateurs. If her athletes had been free to go pro, there would’ve naturally been a whole lot more Cuban ATGs. There’s just no question.

[Feroz]

Nápoles is routinely regarded as greater than both Trinidad and Benitez. Just look up any random list by any boxing scribe. Same would probably hold true for Gavilan and Kid Chocolate. But I don’t even want to get into that debate. Point is, Cuba had some awesome pro boxers back in the day. Before PR and even before Mexico. That was all derailed by communism and the forced adoption of the amateur system on the island. Why is Cuba so much more successful in the amateurs? I mean, the gold medal tally — the whole medal tally — is not even in the same universe. It’s not because Cuba has naturally better fighters; it’s because Cuba focused on the amateurs. If her athletes had been free to go pro, there would’ve naturally been a whole lot more Cuban ATGs. There’s just no question.

Don't know much about Gavilan and Kid Chocolate, but not sure they are overall better than the ATGs mentioned. Gomez, Benitez and Trinidad have accomplished really well after all.

As for the rest I agree.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Don't know much about Gavilan and Kid Chocolate, but not sure they are overall better than the ATGs mentioned. Gomez, Benitez and Trinidad have accomplished really well after all.

As for the rest I agree.

Just look at some lists written by professional sports writers. Don’t have to take my word for it. Lol There are a ton of names on those lists that those unfamiliar with boxing history will be clueless about. But they’re there for a reason. Boxing didn’t start in the 70s. Lol

[Regge]

Just look at some lists written by professional sports writers. Don’t have to take my word for it. Lol There are a ton of names on those lists that those unfamiliar with boxing history will be clueless about. But they’re there for a reason. Boxing didn’t start in the 70s. Lol

I'm a Napoles fan but he is not regarded as greater than Gomez, Benitez and Tito. Also Napoles(who's arguably Cuba's most accomplished professional)refined his skills in mexico and represented mexico so take that for what it's worth.

Cuba has great fighters never said they didn't but you are trying to insinuate that they have produced greater prize fighters than Puerto Rico when that is 100% inaccurate.

[CubanGuyNYC]

I'm a Napoles fan but he is not regarded as greater than Gomez, Benitez and Tito. Also Napoles(who's arguably Cuba's most accomplished professional)refined his skills in mexico and represented mexico so take that for what it's worth.

Cuba has great fighters never said they didn't but you are trying to insinuate that they have produced greater prize fighters than Puerto Rico when that is 100% inaccurate.

I’m not insinuating anything. I’m being very clear. Look at any list of boxing greats by any professional sportswriter. Napoles is typically ranked higher than Tito and Wilfred. Gomez, I’m not sure about, as he’s greater than the other two PR fighters mentioned. Gavilan is sometimes ranked higher than Napoles. We’re talking history here, and the fact that Cubans have all been shut out of pro sports for 65 years. That’s history, too — world history.

[garfios]

Amateur records are quite useful to prognosticate their ability as boxers while they are polishing their skillset, obviously doesn't mean they would absolutely thrive as pros based on their style and punching power, but it is a good indicator as shown with David Morrell and Andy Cruz.

Don't know much of the others, but Jose Napoles reigned as undisputed welterweight champ for six years beating Billy Backus, Ernie Lopez X2, Curtis Coke X2, Hedgemon Lewis, Armando Muñiz X2, and Emile Girffith.

That's highly impressive. Easily on par with Benitez or Trinidad. Mantequilla Napoles was highly adored by the Mexican public.

Another funny note is, that in the past 15 years 98% of the Cuban fighters that had defected were old by professional standards, and deep rooted on their amateur ways, still they were avoided like the plague, guys like Rigondeaux, and he was already in his thirties, would have a different resume if frampton, mares, quigg and st+ didn't ran from him. Even today the Cubans are avoided, thanks God they defected younger than their predecessor. Guy like Iglesias, Adley Rodríguez, Tellez, Scull, Sanchez, Cruz, DMJ, and a dozen more spread out all over the World, can hold their against the best in their division. Let's pray that the avoidance trent doesn't continue.