The Top 20 Junior Flyweights of All-Time
Follow the sweet science long enough and even a passing fan will hear, with sounds of awe, about an ‘original eight,’ about a bygone era when the sport’s weight classes were limited to just that number with (usually) just that many World champions.
The era didn’t last very long.
As early as the 1920s, prizefighting saw extra prizes added by way of Jr. Divisions at Featherweight, Lightweight and Welterweight. Over the course of time, the total number has grown to a modern seventeen weight classes. Sometimes derided as bastard divisions, most didn’t begin with particular esteem. As the years and indeed decades have passed, all have built their own legacies in blood and all have produced greatness in the ring.
Through the course of “The Other Nine,” the best of each of the in-between classes will be given their due, examining how the champions of each performed against and in comparison to each other.
Junior Flyweight
No Jr. division has ever begun widely accepted at first; Jr. Flyweight earned its scorn more than any of them at the beginning. As the late Pat Putnam recounted in 2005 at The Sweet Science:
“In January of 1975, the World Boxing Council ordered Rafael Lovera of Lambare, Paraguay to fight Luis Estaba of Venezuela for the vacated light flyweight championship. At the time, the president of the WBC was Ramon Valesquez, a playground director in Mexico City who liked to be called “doctor.” (A year before, a stunned American fight official claimed to have witnessed Valesquez collect $20,000 in cash from a Bangkok promoter; the “doctor” blithely passed it off as a combination of sanction fees and fines.)
“Although no one in South America had ever heard of a Rafael Lovera, his record was cited by the WBC as 20-1-1. The WBC champion had been Franco Udella, a mediocre Italian boxer. When Valesquez ordered Udella to defend his title again the cabalistic Lovera, he had refused, pleading illness. Valesquez stripped him.
“That’s when the “doctor” ordered the Lovera-Estabra fight for the vacated crown. Lovera was knocked out in the second round. That came as no surprise. It was the Paraguayan cab driver’s first pro fight. He never fought a second.”
Even by Boxing standards, it was shady stuff.
It got better.
Three-plus decades later, 108 lbs. has generated a field of fights and fighters the sport can be proud of. Just shy of seventy men have held major titles at Jr. Flyweight over the span and the men listed here represent some of the best of them.
Fighters currently active in the division were not considered.
The Top Twenty
20) Ricardo Lopez – 2.25 Points: It’s not giving anything away to say there will be much more on Mexico’s Lopez in the final part of this series…career mark of 51-0-1, 38 KO…IBF titlist 1999-2001…two defenses…after a long and storied run at 105 lbs., Lopez moved up to 108 and worked over Will Grigsby in a bloody affair for a belt…Lopez, at his professional end, would fight once a year in 2000 and 01, defeating a pair of former Strawweight titlists and retiring still a champion…probably would have beaten many of the men ahead of him on this list but didn’t compete enough in class to rate higher…enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 2007.
19) Katsuo Tokashiki – 3 Points: Japan’s Tokashiki was low on power but had a decent run in the earlier years of the division...Career mark of 19-4-2, 4 KO…WBA titlist 1981-83…five successful defenses…faced three titlists from the class (Hwan Jin Kim, Lupe Madera, Jung-Koo Chang), beating Kim over 15 to win the title and repeating the feat in a rematch…four-fight rivalry with Lupe provided his most consistent rival and a full range of results with a split decision win, a draw, a technical decision loss in a shortened four-round title bout to lose his crown and finally a decisive unanimous decision loss…ended his career versus Chang for his sole stoppage loss.
18) Roberto Vasquez – 3.5 Points*: Panama’s Vasquez has quietly put together a nice career away from U.S. eyes as a tough southpaw boxer-puncher…career mark to date of 27-3, 20 KO…WBA titlist 2005-06…three successful defenses…Vasquez faced only one other Jr. Flyweight titlist, Bebis Mendoza, to win the vacant title with a tenth round knockout in a minor classic…defended against former Strawweight titlists Jose Aguirre and Noel Arambulet…vacated to pursue the WBA Flyweight title, first winning and then losing to Takefumi Sakata…recently lost to fellow former Jr. Flyweight champ Hugo Cazares by decision in a three-knockdown slugfest at 115 lbs.
17) Sung Jun Kim – 4 Points: South Korea’s Kim didn’t have the best record of all time but he was tough as old shoe, willing himself forward with decent power and a chin which kept him from ever being stopped despite facing some of the world’s best little men in his era…career mark of 28-14-6, 13 KO…WBC titlist 1978-80, three defenses…Kim faced two fellow titlists, winning his crown from Netrnoi Sor Vorasingh by third round knockout and losing the title on the road via to Shigeo Nakajima…Notably, Kim would lose via split decision in a WBA Flyweight title challenge of Shoji Oguma in 1980; Oguma had also beaten Kim on his road to the crown…Kim would also add road losses to the great Miguel Canto and very good Rafael Orono during a stretch that saw his lose eight of his final twelve fights.
16) Saman Sorjaturong – 4 Points: Thailand’s Sorjaturong was proof that sometimes a loss is just a loss, bouncing back from second round drubbing early in his career to Ricardo Lopez at Strawweight to amass a strong run at 108…career mark of 46-8-1, 35 KO…Lineal World Champion 1995-99…nine successful defenses…Sorjaturong faced two fellow titlists, ending the career of Humberto Gonzalez in Ring’s 1995 Fight of the Year to grab the WBC and IBF titles…defended the unified crown only once before giving up the IBF belt for his remaining eight defenses…lost the title by decision in first of two bout with Yo Sam Choi…stopped in seven in their 2001 rematch…after leaving the ring in 2002, made a brief return in 2005 and lost three times, his final bout against a rising future titlist, Koki Kameda, in one round at Flyweight.
15) Rosendo Alvarez – 4.25 Points: Nicaragua’s Alvarez had discipline issues outside the ring and is best remembered for narrowly missing in two opportunities at Strawweight to defeat the great Lopez…rose from those 105 lb. unification affairs for another run at 108...career mark of 37-3-2, 24 KO…WBA titlist 2001-03…three successful defenses…faced three fellow titlists at Jr. Flyweight (Mendoza, Pichit Chor Siriwat, Victor Burgos) at a mark of 4-2-1…lost first bout to Mendoza by disqualification but avenged twice in title fights; fourth fight was non-title after Alvarez lost a title on the scales for the second division in a row…Stopped Chor Siriwat in the final round…drew with Burgos, then the WBO titlist, on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins-William Joppy…found little success past 108, losing his final fight, intended for a WBC Flyweight title, by knockout to Jorge Arce…finishing a career trend, the bout was non-title as Alvarez again missed weight
14) Dodie Boy Penalosa – 4.99 Points*: Sometimes it’s in the genes…The Filipino Penalosa is the older brother of more famous Jr. Bantamweight and Bantamweight titlist Gerry and also a two division titlist…career mark of 31-7-2, 13 KO…was the first IBF titlist in class, reigning 1983-85…made three successful defenses…defeated future titlist Jum Hwan Choi in a title defense and former titlist Amado Ursua in a non-title affair before moving up to challenge former divisional titan Hilario Zapata for the WBA Flyweight title…fell short but would briefly hold the IBF crown at 112 lbs. in 1987.
13) Hugo Cazares – 5 Points*: Mexico’s Cazares went almost eight years without a loss before running into the brilliant Ivan Calderon and continues on today at 112 and 115 lbs.…career mark to date 29-6-1, 21 KO…WBO titlist 2005-07…five defenses…faced two titlists at 108…claimed Ring Magazine belt and a claim to the lineal crown in third defense, a rematch stoppage of the man he won his first belt from, Nelson Dieppa…first bout with Calderon was close and the Puerto Rican was forced to come off the floor after an early lead…built a similar lead in the rematch but Cazares never had a chance to show whether he could mount another late rally as the bout was sent to the cards early on a nasty cut caused by an accidental headbutt.
12) Mauricio Pastrana – 5 Points*: Pastrana was short for the Jr. Flyweight division but made a powerful impact…career mark of 34-10-2, 22 KO…IBF titlist 1997-98…two successful defenses…Faced two titlists in the division (Michael Carbajal, Carlos Murillo), defeating both but under different circumstances…going into his January 1997 challenge of a seasoned Carbajal, Pastrana was undefeated but only in his 15th pro fight…he overcame the experience gap for a split decision win…two fights later, he would lose his title on the scales at just ¾ of a lb. over the limit but still stop the former WBA beltholder Murillo in nine…went on to briefly hold a WBA belt at 112 and twice failed in challenges of Rafael Marquez at Bantamweight…remains active at age 36 but has lost his last three fights.
11) Luis Estaba – 2.5 Points: Auspicious title win or not, Venezuela’s Estaba went from middling journeyman to respectable titlist during his reign…career mark of 42-9, 28 KO…WBC titlist 1975-78, 11 defenses…faced three titlists in total (Udella, Sor Vorasingh, Freddy Castillo), stopping Udella in three and decisioning Sor Voarasingh before being stopped by Castillo for the crown and Sor Vorasingh in five rounds of what would be his final title shot and fight.
10) Yo Sam Choi – 5 Points
Record: 32-5, 19 KO
Lineal World Champion/WBC 1999-2002, 3 Defenses
Titlists/Champions Faced – 3: (Sorjaturong, Arce, Mendoza)
South Korea’s Choi was one of the better titlists between the outstanding early to mid-90s run at 108 and the current crop of excellent champions. It is sad he will likely be most remembered for a tragic end. A lone setback by points trailed Choi through a career begun in 1993 up to the night where he captured the lineal and WBC championship from Thailand’s Sorjaturong, ending a lengthy reign by unanimous decision. He would do himself one better in a return, stopping Sorjaturong in seven, the second of three defenses before the fury of Jorge Arce ended his time as a champion. Choi would never reach the heights of the sport again, coming up well short against Bebis Mendoza in a 2003 WBA title attempt and also failing in a WBA Flyweight title attempt against Lorenzo Parra in 2004. Things looked up after the Parra fight before with Choi winning five straight. He would win one more, but the price was the highest a fighter can be asked. In his final bout, on Christmas Day 2007, Choi won a wide unanimous decision over Heri Amol but suffered head trauma in the bout and lapsed into a coma, passing away on January 2, 2008. He was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor by the Korean Government, guaranteeing a place in history befitting the warrior spirit he left in the ring.
9) Yul Woo Lee – 5.41 Points
Record: 19-3, 10 KO
WBC 1989, 0 Defenses
Titlists/Champions Faced – 3 (Ursua, Torres, Gonzalez)
Even with titles in two weight classes, South Korea’s Lee goes down largely as the answer to a trivia question: “Who did Humberto Gonzalez win his first title from?” To his credit, Lee didn’t make it easy for Gonzalez…or anyone else. Possessing a dependable chin and decent power, Lee packed plenty into a short career. Like so many of the 108 lb. titlists of his era, he notched a win against Amado Ursua on the way up before handing Torres his first stoppage loss in some thirteen years to capture his first title. Lee didn’t keep it long but bounced back from the loss to Gonzalez with a points win over former lineal World Flyweight champion Yong Kang Kim. He followed that win with a WBA title win at 112 but, as was the case at 108, he couldn’t hold the belt through his first defense and retired at only 23 years of age.
8) Jorge Arce – 7 Points*
Record: 51-5-1, 39 KO
Lineal World Champion 2002-04, 7 Defenses
WBO 1999, 1 Defense; WBC 2002-04, 7 Defenses
Titlists/Champions Faced – 6: (Omar Nino, Victor Burgos, Juan Domingo Cordoba, Carbajal, Choi, Castro)
Mexico’s Arce has been one the nation’s more popular prize fighters for the last decade and began his rise to acclaim as a world class Jr. Flyweight. A face first slugger, Arce's trademark lollipop and cowboy hat are as notable as his propensity, and willingness, to bleed. Turning pro in 1996 and only 16 years of age, Arce had his share of ups and downs including an early career (for both) loss to Nino in the first round and a decision setback against a vastly more experienced Burgos. Like any serious pro, Arce learned from defeat and by 1998 was able to lift the WBO title from Juan Domingo Cordoba. Two fights later, just days after his 20th birthday, he got a crack at an aged Carbajal and found yet more lessons, coughing up a massive lead on the cards en route to an eleventh round knockout loss. It would be his last loss for over eight years and fittingly he became the last of a lineage at 108 that started in the first bout of the Carbajal-Gonzalez trilogy. In what may still be his finest win, he traveled to South Korea and toppled Choi in six rounds, defending seven times before heading up to 112 and 115 lbs. where he had mixed success and continues to this day.
7) Jake Matlala
Record: 53-13-2, 26 KO
WBO 1995-97, 2 Defenses
Titlists/Champions Faced – 4: (Paul Weir, Carbajal, Burgos, Hawk Makepula)
Even for the little guys, South Africa’s Matlala was a particularly tiny titan. Standing only 4’10 ½, and without a monstrous punch, “Baby” Jake got by on a bulldog’s tenacity. Turned pro in 1980, Matlala took his fair share of early losses before earning a shot at Flyweight titlist Dave McCauley. He came up short, stopped in ten in 1991. Three fights later, he’d get a crack at WBO titlist Pat Clinton and make good with an eighth round stoppage in 1993. He’d keep the belt until being stopped in early 1995 by Alberto Jimenez and later in the year would drop four pounds to make his way into the Jr. Flyweight title picture. A technical decision win over WBO titlist Paul Weir in five was followed by a tenth round stoppage in an immediate rematch. Two fights later in 1997, sans a vacated WBO belt and on cuts, Matlala would notch the finest victory of his career in becoming the only man to stop Michael Carbajal. In 1998, he would add close technical decision win over future titlist Victor Burgos but in 2000, 20 years into his pro tenure, time caught up to Matlala in a unanimous decision loss for the vacant WBO belt versus the talented Hawk Makepula. Matlala would fight four more times, going 3-1, with his final three fights won by knockout before retiring at age 40.
6) Myung Woo Yuh – 10.1 Points
Record: 38-1, 14 KO
WBA 1985-91, 17 Defenses; 1992-93, 1 Defense
Titlists/Champions Faced – 4: (Olivo, DeJesus, Leo Gamez, Hiroki Ioka)
One of the greatest ever to lace them up in his native South Korea, Yuh was one of the dominant figures in the 108 lb. division for almost eight years. An intelligent volume puncher who could pressure while on the defense, Yuh turned pro in 1982 and won 18 in a row to earn a crack at the WBA belt then held by Olivo. To his advantage, that shot came in Korea and the split decision in his favor smelled a little like home cooking. From there, he generally came up roses. Through his first seventeen title defenses, only Jose DeJesus and Leo Gamez, both of whom would go on to hold major titles in class. Gamez would actually go on to be a four division titlist before he was done and suffered his first two losses to Yuh. Yuh would lose his title in much the same way he won it, dropping an arguable decision on the road to Japan’s former Strawweight titlist Hiroki Ioka via split decision in December 1991. Unwavering, he headed back into the lion’s den eleven months later to recapture his title at the same Prefectural Gymnasium where he’s lost it, this time by majority decision. Yuh would post one more start, and win, at home in Korea before retiring with the record for title defenses, lineal or major alphabet title, in his weight class. To date, it has not been enough to allow him a deserved introduction to the hallowed halls of the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) despite being eligible for over a decade.
5) Humberto Gonzalez – 10.91 Points
Record: 43-3, 31 KO
Lineal World Champion 1994-1995, 3 Defenses
WBC 1989-90, 5 Defenses; WBC 1991-93, 4 Defenses; WBC/IBF 1994-95, 3 Defenses
Titlists/Champions Faced – 7: (Lee, Chang, Rolando Pascua, Melchor Cob Castro, Carbajal, Cordoba, Sorjaturong)
A product of an increasingly long list of genuinely great fighters refined by Mexico’s Nacho Beristain, Gonzalez was a fierce competitor with power in both hands who could comfortably outbox a man when it suited him. It’s almost funny to recall how a single bad night had many writing him off as early as 1990. Beginning in 1984, Gonzalez would run off 23 wins in as row before earning a shot at Lee for the WBC crown, crossing the pond to South Korea for a unanimous decision win in the summer of 1989. He’d travel there again right away to dominate Chang in twelve and entered 1990 with buzz already building for an eventual showdown with Carbajal. He exited the year with question marks, a stoppage victim at the hands of the unremarkable Rolando Pascua in an upset which rivaled in fistic (if not mainstream) terms the loss suffered the same year by Mike Tyson to Buster Douglas. Leaving many wondering whether he’d already seen his prime come and go, Gonzalez was just getting started. He’d bounce back to regain the WBC strap from Castro in 1991 and stop former Strawweight champion Napa Kiatwanchai in two before suffering another stoppage loss in the first showdown with Carbajal. Again, he regrouped, and gained revenge twice over by split and majority decision, favoring counter punching over warring with his American’s rival. He ended his career in 1995 with a flourish, giving up an early lead to knockout defeat in seven, passing the torch to a new generation in the form of Sorjaturong in the 1995 Fight of the Year. Gonzalez was inducted to the IBHOF in 2006.
4) Yoko Gushiken – 13 Points
Record: 23-1, 15 KO
WBA 1976-81, 13 Defenses
Titlists/Champions Faced – 3: (Juan Antonio Guzman, Jaime Rios, Pedro Flores)
With a nickname translated as “Fierce Eagle” in his native Japan, Gushiken is one of the finest examples in the category of hard to rate great Asian careers. He won a title early, reigned solidly, lost, and then never fought again, all by his mid-20’s. What he got done in between more than allowed him his mark on history. Fighting from a southpaw stance, chin tucked, hand ever in place and elbows tied to his ribs, Gushiken would stalk with his jab and the swoop in for the kill when opponents made the mistake of making a mistake. With the WBA in business at 108 for a little more than a year, Gushiken captured the belt in his ninth outing, stopping Guzman in seven, and through 13 defenses (eight by knockout) went a long way in legitimizing his division. He faced the very first WBA 108 lb. titlist, Rios, twice, with wins by split decision and stoppage, held off former World title challengers Martin Lopez and Rigoberto Marcano, and stopped former WBA Flyweight champion Alfonso Lopez in seven. His final victory would come against the man who would also end his career. Flores fell short in their first bout, dropping a decision over fifteen but came right back in the return to stop Gushiken in twelve. Gushiken remains where he been for years, eligible but thus far unelected to the IBHOF.
3) Michael Carbajal – 17.75 Points
Record: 49-4, 33 KO
Lineal World Champion 1993-94, 2 Defenses
IBF 1990-93, 7 Defenses; WBC/IBF 1993-94, 2 Defenses; WBO 1994, 0 Defenses; IBF 1996-97, 2 Defenses; WBO 1999, 0 Defenses
Titlists/Champions Faced – 10: (Grigsby, Muangchai Kittikasem, Jesus Chong, Gonzalez, Josue Camacho, Castro, Pastrana, Matlala, Jose De Jesus, Arce)
U.S. based stars, much less superstars, rarely come as far down the scale as “Little Hands of Stone,” but Carbajal pulled it off and may have been the biggest American attraction at or below Flyweight since the days of Fidel LaBarba and Frankie Genaro. Counted in dollars, he might have been bigger. It helped that he could fight like hell.
A Silver Medalist on the super-talented, if under celebrated, 1988 U.S. Olympic team which also produced Roy Jones Jr., Carbajal was built by promoter Top Rank from day one to be the first “Million Dollar Flyweight” and made good. His professional debut came against a man who would eventually join him as a major titlist (Grigsby) and in his fourteenth fight, on network TV, Carbajal stopped Kittikasem in seven for the IBF belt. Over the next three years, Carbajal would continue to rack up the wins, all the while building to the division’s first U.S. superfight. On March 13, 1993, the sport got just that in every sense of the world as Carbajal came off the floor twice to stop Gonzalez in seven blazing, Fight of the Year rounds, unifying the WBC belt in the process. There would be more accomplishments, including a WBO title win over Josue Camacho and winning a vacant IBF belt against Castro, but following his greatest win there was never another peak so high. As noted previously, Gonzalez avenged defeat twice over and the wear and tear of hard fighting and living played factors in losses to Pastrana and Matlala. It looked like another defeat was at hand in what would ultimately be Carbajal’s final fight but Carbajal left a final reminder of how special he’d been with an eleventh round rally to stop Arce, picking up a second WBO belt in the process. At the end, he could look back on a career still marked by having faced more 108 lb. titlists than any other fighter, defeating eight of the ten available to him. Carbajal was inducted alongside Gonzalez in the IBHOF class of 2006.
2) Jung-Koo Chang – 18.33 Points
Record: 38-4, 17 KO
WBC 1983-89, 15 Defenses
Titlists/Champions Faced – 5: (Ursua, Zapata, Torres, Tokashiki, Gonzalez)
From start to finish, one thing no one could ever call Chang was boring. A swarming boxing-puncher with a mean streak, Chang became the rare Asian fighter to capture some pound-for-pound accolades in the U.S. He will forever be locked in the question of whether he, or Yuh, was South Korea’s finest pugilist and it is a shame they never faced off to find out. They might well have been their nation’s answer to the epic Carbajal-Gonzalez rivalry.
Chang got plenty done without his countryman. Victorious in the first 18 fights of a career begun in 1980, including a win over former titlist Ursua, Chang would avenge a split decision loss to Zapata in just three rounds of a rematch in 1983 and it would be a long time before defeat came knocking again. Chang proved a dominant champion with few bumps on the road. A wide unanimous decision against German Torres in their first bout was almost reversed in a close majority decision rematch and it would be the only challenger who came close to capturing a scorecard against Chang; Chang would widely outpoint Torres in a third bout. Eight times in fifteen defenses, Chang would exit with all judges in agreement; six times, no scores were necessary. He sent former titlist Tokashiki into retirement and was the first man to defeat future two-time lineal World Flyweight champion Sot Chitalada along with two wins over future Strawweight titlist Hideyuki Ohashi, the latter of which Chang intended as a farewell. Financial issues dictated otherwise and after a year away, Chang left retirement in 1989. It took a great fighter to show him the beginning of the end and Gonzalez fit the bill in a unanimous decision win in 1989 which announced his arrival on the scene. Chang would fight only twice more, losing a narrow rematch to Chitalada for the Flyweight crown in 1990 before one final classic in 1991 for the same crown against then-champion Muangchai Kittikasem. Kittikasem rose from the floor three times that night to pull off a miracle last round knockout of Chang in a bout which, in the age of YouTube, might have edged out Robert Quiroga-Kid Akeem Anifowoshe for Fight of the Year. It was only fitting that the “Korean Hawk” went down swinging. It would be more fitting if he were granted a long, by at least a decade, overdue enshrinement which is no credit to the IBHOF or its voters.
1) Hilario Zapata – 20.82
Record: 43-10-1, 14 KO
WBC 1980-82, 8 Defenses; 1982-83, 2 Defenses
Titlists/Champions Faced – 9: (Juan Antonio Guzman, Freddy Castillo, Shigeo Nakajima, Joey Olivo, Torres, Sor Vorasingh, Ursua, Tadashi Tomori, Chang)
He was never going to replace Roberto Duran in the hearts of his Panamanian countryman. The power wasn’t there; neither was the fury. Still, over a career that spanned just over fifteen years, when he was on the lanky Zapata could paint masterpieces on the bloodied canvases available to him. Tall for a Jr. Flyweight, Zapata employed a masterful right jab along with head and upper body movement the rival of Pernell Whitaker.
Turned pro in 1977, didn’t waste much time in rising to world class competition. He outpointed a then 26-3 former WBA titlist in Guzman in only his fifth pro outing and suffered his first defeat by narrow split verdict in his seventh to future title challenger Alfonso Lopez. Three fights later, he’d outpoint the eventual two-division champion Castillo and, at 10-1, become a champion by outslicking for Nakajima for the WBC crown on the road in Japan. Through the eight defenses of his first reign, he’d add four more men who had or would hold major titles at 108. While not remembered for his power, he stopped Nakajima in a return, Olivo (one of only two stoppage defeats in his 47 fight career) and Sor Vorasingh while outpointing Torres over 15. Attempted defense number nine ended up a shocker with Zapata stopped in only two rounds by Ursua in February 1982 but he’d bounce right back five months later by traveling to Japan again and unseating Ursua’s conqueror Tomori on a split to regain his belt. His second reign would be less notable than his first. A split decision victory against Chang, even on the hostile turf of South Korea, was disputed and he would win only one more fight in the class, stopping Todori in eight before again traveling to South Korea in 1983 and finding his body no longer willing to safely meet the challenge of the scale or take the punches of Chang.
Considering the rapid rises and falls of quality fighters on the lower end of the scale, Zapata’s post Jr. Flyweight run was notable though it didn’t start that way. An ill fated move ten pounds up to bantamweight added a second straight stoppage loss at the hands of contender Harold Petty just two fights after Petty had outpointed a rising Daniel Zaragoza. Electing after that loss for the 112 lb. Flyweight class, Zapata would eventually capture the WBA title, defending five times to include giving the first loss to the former IBF 108 lb. titlist Penalosa (not credited here due to the division it happened in). Like Chang, Yuh, and Gushiken, Zapata has waited long enough for his call to the Hall.
He’s called to the head of this class for now.
And…let there be debate.
Head to head, Chang was ultimately better but doesn’t overcome the sheer depth of opposition Zapata wound up facing in this analysis. Carbajal can match it, and, unlike Zapata does not feature a loss to the likes of Ursua. The men immediately below those three, some with victories over the men above them, all have their claims as well. This is a case where any analysis can only fuel more of the same, a credit to a division which, through just over thirty years of history, has made a mark as one of most consistently outstanding of the Jr. weight classes in spite of its origins.
The consistency continues right now with an excellent crop of titlists to include Ivan Calderon, Brian Viloria, and Edgar Sosa. If 108 hasn’t been on the radar of anyone reading, now is as good a time as any to turn eyes south.
Semantics
The results here are based on a numerical comparison, adjusted slightly from the previous weeks, which assigns points in part based on:
1. Number of fellow champions faced (total) then divided into a competition score to flatten the field due to the fluctuation in titles recognized.
2. Lineal World Titles (Noted; 1 Point)
3. Sanctioning Body Titles (Points Assigned based on number of bodies; i.e. .5 pre-IBF; .25 post-WBO)
4. Title Defenses (Points assigned in correlation to title points)
5. 2 Points per KO; -2 per KOBY; 1 per UD against fellow titlists
6. Quality Wins (Points Assigned based on opponent accomplishments; i.e. lineal champions can count for 1, a single sanctioning body champion based on their sanctioning body total, discretionary points for established champions from other weight classes)
7. Quality Losses (Losses to champion opponents -1 point; selective non-title losses)
Draws (.5 points)
*Still an active professional
