As Ryan Garcia’s preps his return to the ring, Garcia is the new wave of Mexican-American fighters who are looking to win over a new grouping fo fans, ahead of Garcia April 9th, DAZN bout let’s look at the best Mexican-American fighters of all-time.

01) Oscar De La Hoya

Accomplishments: You can’t debate that Oscar De La Hoya, an Olympic gold medalist, and a fighter for two decades was in the biggest fights the sport had ever seen, is the greatest Mexican-American boxer ever. De La Hoya changed the game, brought in new fans, took fights against the biggest names, and raised awareness of boxing in North America and the world. De La Hoya not unlike his nickname, “The Golden Boy”, is the golden standard of Mexican American fighters.

Title Wins: Jimmi Bredahl (WBO 130 lbs.), (WBO 135 lbs.), Rafael Ruelas (IBF 135 lbs.), Julio Cesar Chavez (WBC 140 lbs.), Pernell Whittaker (WBC 147 lbs.), (WBC 147 lbs.), Javier Castillejo (WBC 154 lbs), Fernando Vargas (WBA 154 lbs.), Felix Sturm (WBO 160 lbs.), and Ricardo Mayorga (WBC 154 lbs.).

Criticism: Vanity. De La Hoya was very concerned with how he looked in the ring, and it didn’t play with to a macho Mexican fanbase who viewed De La Hoya as a pretty boy. Despite, taking all the hard fights, De La Hoya was always looking for a tad more respect for Mexico, as he never could fully endear himself to his culture. Also, never won the big fight.

02) Michael Carbajal

Accomplishments: “Little Hands of Stone” is the greatest lower-weight fighter in my opinion, sorry “Finito” Lopez, with power, and an Olympic Gold medal. Carbajal brought an exciting style to a weight class people didn’t tune into usually, and because of that got those fighters paid. Carbajal had a great left hook, and had big wins on his career.

Title Wins: Muangchai Kittikasem (IBF 108 lbs.), Humberto Gonzalez (WBC 108 lbs.), Josue Camacho (WBO 108 lbs.), Melchor Cob Castro (IBF 108 lbs.) and Jorge Arce (WBO 108 lbs.)

Carbajal was 15-3 with 10 KOs in world title fights.

Criticism: Some would say Crabajal fought at one speed the whole fight.

03) Orlando Canizales

Accomplishments: Before we had Lomachenko, we had Orlando Canizales. A tremendous boxer, who worked great angles, and only lost one world title fight, that against a legend as well one weight class above his ideal weight. A true master of the craft.

Title Wins: Kelvin Seabrooks (IBF 118 lbs.)

Canizales was 16-1 in world title fights with 10 KOs and 1 NC.

Criticism: Never unified the division, and fought some uninteresting oppponents.

04) Johnny Tapia

Accomplishments: Tapia fought like he lived, and that was hard. A man is known for living a hard life from childhood trauma to drug abuse, and an IDGAF attitude in the ring. Tapia was a true warrior and a legend. When I spoke with Marco Antonio Barrera, Barrera spent most of the conversation talking about Tapia. Think about how much of a legend you are, if a fellow legend not just thinks that, but wants to explain it.

Title Wins: Henry Martinez (WBO 115 lbs.), Danny Romero (IBF 115 lbs.), Nana Konadu (WBA 118 lbs.), Jorge Eliecer Julio (WBO 118 lbs.), and Manuel Medina (IBF 126 lbs.)

Tapia had an impressive record of 17-1-1, with 6 KOs.

Criticism: If only he could have stayed in the gym. Tapia was troubled, and drugs, as well as alcohol, were just as much a part of his life.

05) Manuel Ortiz

Accomplishments: Ortiz was a man from a different era. Ortiz would fight anyone at any place defending his world title 15 times. Truly a forgotten great, who I wish had more of nowadays.

Title Wins: Lou Salica (one belt 118 lbs.), and Harold Dade (one belt 118 lbs.)

Ortiz had a world title record of 19-1, 9 KOs.

Criticism: The footage of Ortiz, and his opponents are hard to come by, so it is hard to say actually where he was.

06) Bobby Chacon

Accomplishments: “The Schoolboy” is a fighter I always think of my dear friend, Jerry Hoffman, who would tell me stories of Chacon. A back-to-back fight of the year winner, who could box and punch. His great strength was to the weakness in his opponent and exploit it.

Title Wins: (WBC 126 lbs.), Rafael Limon (WBC 130 lbs.)

Chacon was 4-4, with 2 KOs in world title fights

Criticism: Chacon never beat the truly great of his era, which is reflected in his world title record of 4-4.

07) Danny Lopez

Accomplishments: Lopez was a big puncher who thrilled fight fans with memorable fights, and back-and-forth action that rivaled modern movies in terms of excitement. Winning all, but one of his world title fights by KO, Lopez was one of the fighters fight fans had to tune in and watch since he brought a show, and tried to make it a short night for fight fans.

Title Wins: David Kotey (WBC 126 lbs.)

Lopez was 8-2, with 7 KOs in world title fights.

Criticism: Lopez had a questionable chin that was his downfall against the great fighters.

08) Paulie Ayala

Accomplishments: The first man to beat Johnny Tapia, who is one of the greatest Mexican-American boxers to ever live. Ayala was a great boxer from the Lone Star state, who doesn’t get the shine he should get. Few fighters could fight in the pocket as Ayala could.

Title Wins: Johnny Tapia (WBA 118 lbs)

Ayala is 4-2 in world title fights.

Criticism: Willingness to be in the pocket, sometimes overtook him, and became his obsession in the fight.

09) Andy Ruiz Jr.

Accomplishments: Andy Ruiz is best known as the first man to beat beloved British heavyweight Anthony Joshua stopping him in Joshua’s America debut. Ruiz was signed by Top Rank Inc, was cut, and when “Big Baby” Miller tested positive for a lot of banned substances. One of the biggest wins ever, Mexican boxing history.

Title Wins: Anthony Joshua (WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight)

Ruiz is 1-2, 1 KO in world title fights.

Criticism: Ruiz always had the talent, but the discipline was never there. Ruiz’s career matched that of a yo-yo. It was up-and-down, and it seemed especially at the top of the sport, the hardest thing for Ruiz was to try to get to two good performances in a row.

10) Robert Guerrero

Accomplishments: Sure, I am biased, but Robert Guerrero emerged from a small place in Northern California to become a four-time, three-division world champion, and on top of that moved up in weight dramatically to get a Floyd Mayweather fight, and face Andre Berto. At 135 lbs. Guerrero was mandatory for Juan Manuel Marquez who would not fight Guerrero, as most o

Title Wins: Eric Aiken (IBF 126 lbs.), Spend Abazi (IBF 126 lbs), Selcuk Aydin (WBC 147 lbs.) and Malcolm Klassen (IBF 130 lbs)

Guerrero with 5-3, 3 KOs

Criticism: Guerrero at the height of his welterweight days fell in love with CrossFit, and many point this love of CrossFit as hurting his performance in marquee fights as boxing training as CrossFit don’t really mesh all that well.