Recently, ‘Iron Mike’ gave an interview to Fox Sports Mexico, in which he took the time to recall when Chavez gathered 120,000 people at the Estadio Azteca in 1993 to face Greg Haugen and share his impressions of Mexican boxing.
Today, both fighters are retired and enjoy a place in the history books of the sport and this is how Tyson recognises it.
Who are the best boxers in history?
The Ring Magazine, known as the ‘Bible of Boxing’, is 100 years old. To commemorate its centenary, the magazine has chosen the 100 greatest boxers in history, here we present the top 5.
Sugar Ray Robinson
Ray Robinson (174-19-6, 109 KOs) had unbeaten streaks of 40 and then 91 fights, and a record against champions and top 10 fighters of more than 40 wins. He was brimming with charisma and in attack he may have been the most skillful, and even Ali, Schmeling and Louis said he was the best.
Joe Louis
Possibly the most dominant champion in boxing history. ‘Brown Bomber’ reigned for a dozen years with a record 25 consecutive title defences against the best of his era.
Muhammad Ali
Before becoming world champion against Sonny Liston, Ali defeated four top 10 fighters to earn his shot. Eight of the nine title defences in ‘The Greatest’s first reign, including the phantom KO in the rematch against Liston, the victory over Floyd Patterson and the unification against WBA champion Ernie Terrell, were also against ten of The Ring’s top-ranked fighters.
Tony Canzoneri
Tony Canzoneri (137-24-10, 44 KOs) set about beating the best from bantamweight to lightweight with great wins at welterweight.
Emile Griffith
Griffith (85-24-2, 23 KOs) was up in the welterweight and middleweight divisions from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s, during which time he won five world championships against the most outstanding boxers.
JC Chavez’s place in boxing according to Tyson
Both Mexico and the United States are characterized by having had and still having several of the best boxers in history. Proof of this are Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez, who in the 80s and 90s were world figures of this sport.
Tyson’s praise for his Mexican colleague places him as the best in history in Mexico, even above Canelo Alvarez.
You have to stand up, nobody, no Mexican ever did it, so you can’t say he’s not the leader, the best, you can’t deny that he’s one, not only one of the best Mexican boxers, but of the whole world. Do you know how many title defenses he made? How could you forget it? You can’t forget something like that
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