Mexican Boxing, Ready for a Comeback?

by Paul Magno

Last year at about this time, Juan Manuel Marquez was proudly ranked in everyone's pound-for-pound list after losing a close and disputed war with Manny Pacquiao.

Aside from the personal kick of being listed as an elite prize fighter, he also took pride in knowing that there were at least four other fellow Mexicans who could make a case for being there alongside him: Israel Vazquez, Juan Manuel's little brother, Rafael Marquez, Antonio Margarito, and Cristian Mijares.

Now, one year later, the elder Marquez is the only Mexican fighter who can lay claim to being among the elite.

To say that the last year has been bad for the Mexican boxing scene is like saying that a diet of king size burritos is bad for your low-carb diet.

With the exception of Marquez, one by one, Mexican fighters have fallen to either defeat or scandal...and sometimes both.

Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez pretty much eliminated themselves from the scene because of their inhumanly brutal trilogy; Mijares and popular tough guy Jorge Arce were torn to shreds by Vic Darchinyan; Oscar Larios was upset for his title by Japanese challenger Takahiro Aoh; Marco Antonio Barrera's comeback attempt was tainted by a small fight fix scandal in Mexico and an aborted bloodbath loss to Amir Khan in the UK; and, of course, there was Antonio Margarito who not only managed to lose his title via major league beat-down to Shane Mosley, but also lost his dignity by being revealed to the world as a hand wrap-tampering thug.

But now, signs of a comeback for Mexican boxing are starting to be seen.

This weekend, former Bantamweight champ, Jhonny Gonzalez, gets his first shot at a title since his surprise loss to Gerry Panalosa back in 2007. He'll be taking on reigning WBC Super Bantamweight title holder, Toshiaki Nishioka, in Monterrey, Mexico.

On the same card, Rafael Marquez makes his long-awaited return against Jose Francisco Mendoza in a WBC Super Bantamweight title eliminator.

If Gonzalez and Marquez both win, you can expect a great showdown between the two later in the year.

The following Saturday, Mexico's brightest prospect, Alfredo Angulo, takes on the biggest test of his career in the form of Puerto Rican banger Kermit Cintron.

The trio of proud Mexican warriors: Marquez, Gonzalez, and Angulo, along with an Israel Vazquez who was just given medical clearance to start training again after his eye surgery, could be the spark needed to rejuvenate the lagging Mexican fight scene.

And, of course, should Juan Manuel Marquez find the key to beating Floyd Mayweather on July 18th, the comeback for the Aztec Nation will be complete.