Is
it just a boxing rivalry?
By
M.DeTyrone
What
is the Puerto Rico vs. Mexico boxing rivalry? The Puerto Rican vs. México
boxing rivalry is a war of two cultures competing for supremacy. Puerto Ricans
are up against a large ethnic population supported by the media and corrupt
boxing business with its interest. Some may not like or appreciate the description
but throughout the decades, many have seen the facts.
In
Castilian (Spanish) language the definition of the word Rivalidad (from Latin. rivalitas, -atis) is the enmity produced by
emulation or very live competitions. Sports rivalries are baseball, fútbol, or
hockey teams that represent their cities within their respected leagues. By
contrast, the Puerto Rico vs. México boxing rivalry is a one promoted by the
boxing business and media with strong nationalist themes and undertones. As a
result, the rivalry transcends boxing and since the 1970s, it’s become a war of
cultures. Fought by two boxers that represent their traditions, culture,
nation, ethnicity, and their boxing school fighting it’s a war between two
opponents with the objective to gain superiority over the other. Numerous
times, it’s been under unfavorable and unfair circumstances…
It’s
a rivalry Puerto Rico is a small island with a population of just 3.548 million
its rival is a nation of 122.3 million with 33.7 million in the USA. This
rivalry goes back to Sixto Escobar defeating Rodolfo “Baby” Casanovas by KO 9
for the Montreal Athletic Commission World Bantamweight title in 1934. Then in
1960s Carlos Ortiz KOs Raymundo “Battling” Torres in 10 to win the world light
welterweight Title. Nonetheless, the rivalry doesn’t really take shape until
the 1970s when the boxers, Wilfredo Gomez TKO’d Raul Tirado in five rounds to
win the WBC World Super Bantamweight title in 1977. Esteban De Jesus TKOs
Vicente Mijares Saldivar in 11 rounds to WBC world Lightweight title in 1977,
and then Alfredo Escalera KO’d Carlos Becerril in eight rounds to win the WBC
World Super Featherweight title in 1977. In the 1970s, the Puerto Rico boxers
went 9-3 with (7 KO) vs. the best Mexico and Mexican-Americans could offer…
The
main Puerto Rican boxer in this rivalry during that time was Wilfredo “Bazooka”
Gomez who held the Mexican based non-profit institution WBC World Super
Bantamweight title and defended it by knocking out every single Mexican and
Mex-American boxer that the Mexican based WBC could find. In 1981, Gomez decides
to move up in weight and challenge Salvador Sanchez for the WBC World
Featherweight title. Gomez was defeated via an eighth round TKO and since then
the Mexican and Mex-American fans look at that fight as this great symbolic
victory in the rivalry. In the large, part due to the media exaggeration… Yet
they forget Wilfredo “Bazooka” Gomez continued knocking out Mexican and
Mex-American boxers in world title fights finishing with record of 9-1 (9KOs)
in world title fights vs. Mexican and Mex-American boxers. Nevertheless, you
won’t hear that mentioned by the boxing media.
The
boxing business and media can’t promote an event based on nationalistic themes
and think that there will be no bias, hate, or existing resentment etc… between
two very different cultures due to various reasons other than the sport of
boxing. Unlike what many think in the USA, Puerto Ricans have a culture,
Spanish dialect, and ancestry very different from the Mexican and Mex-American
culture. In addition, Puerto Ricans have a different political status with the
USA since the 1900s this has created resentment, hate, and envy mainly from a
section of the Mexicans and Mex-Americans community, which has been part of the
number one Latino group immigrating into the USA. Thus, when a there’s a Puerto
Rico vs. Mexico boxing rivalry event this is strongly reflected in the comments
social media sites and pages etc.
What
many people don’t understand is that the boxing business and boxing media
favors Mexican and Mex-American boxers due to the Mexican population of 123
million and 33.7 million in the USA compared to other Latinos in the USA like
the Cubans, Argentines, Venezuelans, Dominicans, and Puerto Ricans.
One
example is ESPN Deportes, which has various programs dedicated to boxing,
Mexican or Mexican-Americans are the host of all, and once in a blue they will
bring an ex- Puerto Rican boxer, referee, or someone from another culture.
Their analysis and promotion heavily slants towards Mexican and Mex-American
boxers. It seems that there is no Puerto Rican, Cuban, or another Latino, which
is able to commentate about boxing on ESPN Deportes.
In
these fights, there is also the mention of the word War that is the state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism and the
continuation of politics where one must secure one’s self-interests. Puerto
Rican and Puerto Rican boxing fans are fooling themselves if they think that
what are a Mexican promotional companies and the WBC (a non-profit institution
based in México) won’t protect their self-interests, which is the promotion of
Mexican and Mexican-American boxers. It’s a well-known and documented fact that
the WBC has favored Mexican and Mex-American boxers in their rankings and many
North American boxers, which helped them, promote their brand within the USA.
Their claim is that all boxers want their “green
belt,” which is a myth and based on good self-promotion. Since the late
1980s, the WBC has been bias towards Puerto Rican boxers unlike the historic
WBA that has given opportunities to all Latin Americans boxers from the
Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
Among
all of other alphabet organizations, it’s been within the World Boxing
Association (WBA) where Puerto Ricans boxers have won the most titles compared
to the WBO, WBC, and IBF. A total of 32 times a Puerto Rican boxer has won a
WBA title and among them 7 Boxing Hall of Famers. Going back to the first
Puerto Rican boxing world champion Sixto Escobar winning the NBA World
Bantamweight title in 1935, then Carlos Ortiz who was the WBA World Lightweight
Champion 1962-1965 /1965-1968, and Jose Torres the WBA World Light Heavyweight
Champion 1965-1966.
If
any Puerto Rican boxer thinks, they will find fairness with the WBC involved
against a Mexican or Mex-American boxers they are fooling themselves. I would
advise all Puerto Rican boxers to vacate or boycott the WBC I would go as far
as to ban the WBC from conducting any business in Puerto Rico.
