Carlos Zárate Serna

Carlos Zárate
Statistics
Real name	Carlos Zárate Serna
Nickname(s)	Cañas
Rated at	Super Featherweight Featherweight Super Bantamweight Bantamweight
Height	5 ft 9 in (178 cm)
Reach	72 in (183 cm)
Nationality	Mexican
Born	(1951-05-23) May 23, 1951 Tepito, Distrito Federal, Mexico
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, Distrito Federal, Mexico) is a former Mexican boxer, who was better known in the world of boxing as Carlos Zarate. He has the distinction of being the first boxer in history to put together two streaks of 20 or more knockout wins in a row (later on Edwin Valero, Ali Raymi and Deontay Wilder also accomplished this). He was ranked #21 in The Ring's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.^[1] He is also the father of undeafeated Light Welterweight prospect Carlos Zárate, Jr.^[2]

Zarate was voted as the #1 bantamweight (along with Ruben Olivares) of the 20th century by the Associated Press in 1999.^[3]

Personal life

Carlos Zárate has family members who have followed him into boxing, his son is the Light Welterweight prospect Carlos Zárate, Jr.^[2] His nephew also challenged for a world titles and was the former WBO Latino Super Flyweight champion, Mexican Joel Luna Zárate.^[4]

Amateur career

Zarate, 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.^[5]

Professional career

In 1970, Carlos made his professional debut with a 2 round knockout win over Luis Castaneda 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 Cataneda, who lasted 5 and 9 rounds respectively, both at Tijuana. Victor Ramirez became the first boxer to last the distance with Zarate when Zarate 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.

WBC Bantamweight championship

After knocking out former world title challenger Nestor Jimenez in two rounds at Mexicali to end 1975, the WBC made Zarate their number one challenger at the Bantamweight division. So, after beating Cesar Desiga by a knockout in four on March 29, 1976 in Monterrey, Zarate was faced on the night of May 8 of that year with defending WBC Bantamweight Champion Rodolfo Martínez in Los Angeles. Zarate became a world Bantamweight champion by knocking his countryman out in the eighth round. Zarate next won two fights by a knockout in the second and then defended it against Paul Ferreri, who lost by knockout in 12 in Los Angeles too. He finished '76 with a four round knockout over Waruinge Nakayama in a title defense held at Culiacán.^[6]

WBA Bantamweight championship

After beginning 1977 with a third round knockout win over Colombia's Fernando Cabanela in Mexico City, Mexican boxing fans started talking about a possible unification bout between him and fellow Mexican Alfonso Zamora, the WBA's world Bantamweight champion. Nicknamed by the American boxing press as The Z Boys, the two did square off, but not before much hassle and hurdle putting by both the WBC and WBA, who wanted both boxers to pay a large amount of money before sanctioning the bout. So, the California state boxing commission decided to sanction it as a ten round, non title bout instead. Fans didn't seem to care that no world title belt would be involved that afternoon, and they packed the fight venue when Zarate and Zamora met in the LA suburb of Inglewood, California, at the Fabulous Forum on April 23 of '77. Zarate made the tactical mistake of going toe to toe with a shorter but harder hitting puncher. Zarate got tagged repeatedly and then a man wearing gray hooded sweat shirt and sweat pants entered the ring. The fight was stopped and thereafter, Zarate managed to stay away from Zamora. The fight was stopped, it took the police minutes to evict the intruder. After a first round, Zarate the better boxer, with a reach advantage stayed away and outboxed Zamora wearing him down then knocking him out in four to gain recognition by most boxing fans as the undisputed world champion of the Bantamweights. Then, he retained the WBC title with a knockout in six over Danilo Batista, and finished 1977 with a trip to Spain, where he retained the belt against challenger Juan Francisco Rodriguez, beaten in five.^[7]

In 1978, Zarate started out by meeting future world champion Alberto Davila, whom he knocked out in eight at Los Angeles to retain his belt. Then, in April of that year, he made his first of two trips to Puerto Rico that year, to fight challenger Andres Hernandez, who lasted until the 13th. round at San Juan's Roberto Clemente coliseum.

Zárate vs. Gómez

After retaining the title against Emilio Hernandez by a knockout in four and winning a non title bout, Zarate announced he was moving up in weight and challenging the WBC Super Bantamweight champion, Wilfredo Gómez. According to many experts and the Ring Magazine book The Ring: Boxing In The 20th Century, Gómez and Zárate had the highest knockout win percentage of any two boxers paired inside a ring in history: When Gómez and Zarate met on October 28, also at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, the challenger and still world Bantamweight champion Zarate was 55-0 with 54 knockouts, while defending world Super Bantamweight champion Gómez was 21-0-1 with 21 knockouts. Zarate went to the floor four times and tasted the sour taste of defeat for the first time in his career when he was beaten by a knockout in five rounds.

Return to Bantamweight

In 1979, Zarate made what would turn out to be his last successful defense, with a third round knockout win over Mensah Kpalongo in Los Angeles. After winning a non title bout against Celso Chavez by a knockout in five in Houston, Texas, Zarate met gym-mate Lupe Pintor in Las Vegas and lost a close and controversial 15 round decision. Enraged by losing a decision he (as well as many fans) thought undeserved, he announced his retirement from boxing and vowed never to fight as a professional again.

Five year retirement

Zarate spent five years in retirement, but the temptation of the public adulation boxers receive when they become champions and the aroma of the boxing ring led him back into competition as a boxer. Despite still retaining an acceptable amount of his boxing ability, Zarate was nonetheless, a shadow of what he was before his 5-year retirement. In his return bout in 1986 against Adam Garcia, he won a four round decision. 11 more victories in a row, all by knockout, including one over then number one world Super Bantamweight challenger Richard Savage (knocked out by Zarate in five in Mexico City), made him the WBC's number one challenger at the Super Bantamweight division once again.^[8]

And so, on October 1987, he travelled to Australia to meet the man boxing fans consider to be the greatest Australian world champion of all time: Jeff Fenech. In a fight contested for Fenech's world Super Bantamweight title, Zarate lost by a four round technical decision. After Fenech vacated the title soon after to pursue the world Featherweight crown, Zarate and countryman Daniel Zaragoza met for the vacant world championship belt, but Zarate came back on the losing end once again, being knocked out in the tenth round and finally announcing his retirement for good.

During the 1990s he also became a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame, and recently, he and Wilfredo Gómez met at a boxing undercard in Puerto Rico to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their boxing bout.^[9]

He had a record of 66 wins and 4 losses as a professional boxer, with 63 wins by knockout.

Professional Record

66 Wins (63 knockouts, 3 decisions), 4 Losses, 0 Draws
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	66-4	Daniel Zaragoza	TKO	10 (12)	1988-02-29	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	For Vacant WBC World super bantamweight title
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	66-3	Jeff Fenech	TD	4 (12)	1987-10-16	Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia	For WBC World super bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	66-2	Richard Savage	TKO	5 (10)	1987-08-15	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	65-2	Tony Montoya	TKO	3 (10)	1987-06-19	Civic Auditorium, San Jose, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	64-2	John Boyd	TKO	5 (10)	1987-05-05	Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	63-2	Francis Childs	KO	4 (10)	1987-02-20	Civic Auditorium, San Jose, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	62-2	Alex Galvan	TKO	7 (10)	1986-12-13	Convention Center, Fresno, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	61-2	Edward Rodriquez	TKO	3 (10)	1986-11-21	Civic Auditorium, San Jose, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	60-2	Gerardo Esparza	KO	5 (8)	1986-09-13	Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	59-2	Alejandro Garcia	KO	2 (10)	1986-07-19	Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	58-2	Jesus Muniz	UD	10	1986-05-23	Chicago, Illinois, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	57-2	Hector Napoles	KO	2 (8)	1986-05-05	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	56-2	Jose De La Dora	KO	3 (6)	1986-04-12	Zacapu, Michoacán, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	55-2	Adam Garcia	MD	4	1986-02-25	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	54-2	Lupe Pintor	SD	15	1979-06-03	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Lost WBC World bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	54-1	Celso Chairez	TKO	5 (10)	1979-05-01	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	53-1	John Mensah Kpalongo	KO	3 (15)	1979-03-10	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Retained WBC World bantamweight title
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	52-1	Wilfredo Gomez	TKO	5 (15)	1978-10-28	Roberto Clemente Coliseum, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico	For WBC World super bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	52-0	Rudy Gonzalez	TKO	4 (10)	1978-09-30	Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	51-0	Emilio Hernandez	KO	4 (15)	1978-06-09	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC World bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	50-0	Andres Hernandez	TKO	13 (15)	1978-04-22	Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico	Retained WBC World bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	49-0	Alberto Davila	TKO	8 (15)	1978-02-25	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Retained WBC World bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	48-0	Juan Francisco Rodriguez	TKO	5 (15)	1977-12-02	Palacio de los Deportes, Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain	Retained WBC World bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	47-0	Danilo Batista	KO	6 (15)	1977-10-29	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Retained WBC World bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	46-0	Alfonso Zamora	TKO	4 (15)	1977-04-23	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	45-0	Fernando Cabanela	TKO	3 (15)	1977-02-05	Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico	Retained WBC World bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	44-0	Waruinge Nakayama	KO	4 (15)	1976-11-13	Estadio General Angel Flores, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico	Retained WBC World bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	43-0	Paul Ferreri	TKO	12 (15)	1976-08-28	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Retained WBC World bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	42-0	Antonio Paredes	TKO	2 (10)	1976-08-02	Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	41-0	Felix Llanos	KO	2 (10)	1976-06-26	Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	40-0	Rodolfo Martinez	KO	9 (15)	1976-05-08	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Won WBC World bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	39-0	Cesar Deciga	TKO	4 (10)	1976-03-27	Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	38-0	Nestor Jimenez	KO	2 (10)	1975-12-07	Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	37-0	Jorge Torres	TKO	8 (10)	1975-10-11	Auditorio Benito Juarez, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	36-0	Benicio Segundo Sosa	TKO	4 (10)	1975-09-20	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	35-0	Jose Sanchez	TKO	3 (8)	1975-08-16	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	34-0	Orlando Amores	KO	3 (10)	1975-06-20	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	33-0	Joe Guevara	RTD	3 (12)	1975-03-14	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Won USA California State bantamweight title
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	32-0	Alberto Cabanig	TKO	4 (10)	1975-02-04	Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	31-0	James Martinez	TKO	7 (10)	1974-11-23	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	30-0	Francisco Cruz	TKO	2 (10)	1974-10-27	Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	29-0	Magallo Lozada	TKO	5 (10)	1974-08-03	Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	28-0	Juan Ordonez	KO	3 (10)	1974-05-25	Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	27-0	Chamaco Limon	KO	3 (10)	1974-05-03	Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	26-0	Alfonso Ibarra	KO	2 (10)	1974-04-09	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	25-0	Carlos Armenta	KO	1 (10)	1974-02-22	Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	24-0	Victor Ramirez	UD	10	1974-01-30	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	23-0	Sixto Perez	KO	2 (8)	1973-12-11	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	22-0	Eduardo Miranda	KO	5 (10)	1973-11-01	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	21-0	Antonio Castaneda	TKO	9 (10)	1973-10-02	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	20-0	Alberto Torres	TKO	5 (10)	1973-08-21	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	19-0	Francisco Pino	KO	2 (10)	1973-07-12	Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	18-0	Juan Ramon Perez	KO	2 (10)	1973-06-02	La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	17-0	Juan Ramon Perez	KO	2 (8)	1972-12-03	La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	16-0	Armando Carrasco	KO	2 (8)	1972-10-31	Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	15-0	Arturo Patino	KO	2 (8)	1972-10-08	Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	14-0	Jesus Escobedo	KO	2 (8)	1972-08-19	Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	13-0	Jose Luis Morales	TKO	2 (8)	1972-03-19	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	12-0	Jose Gonzalez	KO	2 (8)	1972-02-07	Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	11-0	Emiliano Mayoral	TKO	3 (8)	1972-01-28	Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	10-0	Victor Nava	KO	3 (8)	1971-11-26	Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	9-0	Julio Martinez	KO	2 (8)	1971-08-07	Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	8-0	Ramon Pinedo	KO	2 (6)	1971-05-05	Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	7-0	Fermin Ramos	KO	2 (6)	1971-03-20	Toluca, Mexico State, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	6-0	Antonio Lucas	KO	3 (6)	1971-02-15	Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	5-0	Alfredo Perez	KO	2 (6)	1970-12-18	Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	4-0	Nuno Temix	TKO	3 (6)	1970-11-17	Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	3-0	Costenito Sotelo	KO	2 (4)	1970-04-01	Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	2-0	Jose Pavon	KO	1 (4)	1970-03-02	Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	1-0	Luis Castaneda	KO	3 (4)	1970-02-02	Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico	professional debut.

See also

• Notable boxing families
• List of WBC world champions
• The Battle of the Z Boys

References

External links

• Professional boxing record for Carlos Zarate from BoxRec