Right now, we’re in somewhat of a historical lull of great Mexican fighters. Juan Manuel Marquez is still close to the top of his game, but he’s 36 and fighting a few weight classes over his best weight, even now. Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales should be on their way out, if they aren’t already. Antonio Margarito looks like he may have been somewhat of a mirage, and even if he wasn’t, his legacy is tainted and he’s on suspension for quite a while longer. Even Rafael Marquez and Israel Vasquez, who never quite made it to star level, seem to be on the way out. Gary Shaw was telling anyone who would listen that Perro Angulo was next, but the step he took was a step too large, and it’s somewhat back to the drawing boards for him. So who could actually be the next Mexican star? I’m not going to purport to go into everyone (I couldn’t even if I wanted to), but here are a few candidates that might be a part of the next generation of Mexican stars (in no particular order).
Urbano Antillon – 26-0, 26 years old, lightweight
Antillon finally has his (sort of) title shot coming up, having been gifted an interim title fight against Miguel Acosta. The Bobfather has been building up Antillon for a while, but he does have some star qualities. He likes to choke off his opponent, cutting off the ring and launching big shots and combos. He does have true one punch knockout power, which is rare for a lightweight. Rumor has it that he’s the only guy in Manny Pacquiao’s last training camp to collect Freddie Roach’s famous $1,000 sparring knockdown bonus. He doesn’t have the world’s greatest defense, and he probably won’t be a pound for pound fighter, but he has star potential anyway, just because of the way he fights.
