Carlos Zárate | |
---|---|
Statistics | |
Real name | Carlos Zárate Serna |
Nickname(s) | Cañas |
Rated at |
Super Featherweight Featherweight Super Bantamweight Bantamweight |
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
Reach | 1.83 m (72 in) |
Nationality | Mexican |
Born |
Tepito, Mexico City, Mexico |
23 May 1951
Stance | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 70 |
Wins | 66 |
Wins by KO | 63 |
Losses | 4 |
Draws | 0 |
No contests | 0 |
Carlos Zárate Serna (born May 23, 1951 in Tepito, a borough of Mexico City) is a retired Mexican boxer. He has the distinction of being the only one professional boxer in history to put together two streaks of 20 or more knockout wins in a row.
Zárate was ranked #21 in The Ring's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. and voted as the #1 bantamweight (along with Rubén Olivares) of the 20th century by the Associated Press in 1999. He is also the father of undefeated Light Welterweight prospect, Carlos Zárate, Jr.
Carlos Zárate has family members who have followed him into boxing. His son Carlos, now retired, fought in the Light Welterweight division and his nephew, Joel Luna Zárate, is the former WBO Latino Super Flyweight champion.
Zárate, considered along with rival Wilfredo Gómez to be among the better punchers of the lighter divisions, had an amateur record of 33 wins and 3 losses, with 30 knockout wins, and he won the Mexican Golden Gloves, or Guantes de Oro, in 1969.
In 1970, Carlos made his professional debut with a 2-round knockout win over Luis Castañeda in Cuernavaca. That marked the beginning of a 23 fight knockout winning streak. The only boxers to get past the third round during that streak were Al Torres and Antonio Castañeda, who lasted 5 and 9 rounds respectively, both at Tijuana. Víctor Ramírez became the first boxer to last the distance with Zárate when Zárate beat him on points in January 1974 in Mexico City over ten rounds. Next began his second 20 plus knockout wins in a row streak, when none of his next 28 opponents heard the final bell on their feet.