Rafael Herrera

Rafael Herrera (born January 7, 1945) is a Mexican former professional boxer. He achieved great success in the bantamweight division, winning the Lineal championship. Herrera began his professional boxing career in 1963 and in 1972, he defeated Rubén Olivares by TKO to claim the Lineal, WBC, and WBA bantamweight titles. However, he lost the titles in his first defense to Enrique Pinder. Herrera later fought against Rodolfo Martinez for the vacant WBC bantamweight title in 1973, winning by TKO. He defended the title twice before losing it in a controversial rematch with Martinez in 1974. Despite the disputed outcome, Herrera's contributions to the sport of boxing remain noteworthy.