10: Greatest Cuban boxers of all time

A weekly boxing list compiled by Michael Rosenthal. This week: Best professional Cuban fighters of all time.

1. Kid Gavilan (108-30-5, 28 KOs; 1943-58): Known best for “bolo” punch but beat slew of Hall of Famers.

2. Kid Chocolate (136-10-6, 51 KOs; 1927-38): The first great Cuban champion had it all.

3. Luis Rodriguez (107-13, 49 KOs; 1956-72): The master boxer gave Emile Griffith all he could handle in four fights.

4. Jose Napoles (79-7, 55 KOs; 1958-75): One of the most-dominating and complete fighters of the ‘60s.

5. Sugar Ramos (55-7-4, 40 KOs; 1957-72): Two-time featherweight champion could box and punch.

6. Florentino Fernandez (50-16-1, 43 KOs; 1956-72): Biggest punching Cuban of all-time.

7. Joel Casamayor (36-4-1, 22 KOs; 1996-present): Quietly, but capably built what could be Hall of Famer career.

8. Jose Legra (134-12-4, 49 KOs; 1960-75: Two-time featherweight champion built record primarily in Spain.

9. Benny Paret (35-12-3, 10 KOs; 1954-62): Beat Emile Griffith to win welterweight title but died in third of three meetings with Griffith.

10. Kid Tunero (97-32-16, 37 KOs; 1929-48): Beat such big-name fighters as Ezzard Charles, Ken Overlin and Holman Williams.

Five more: Black Bill, Diosbelys Hurtado, Issac Logart, Jose Stable and Orlando Zulueta.


Michael Rosenthal can be reached at theringeditor@yahoo.com