Mexican massacres

Andy Hollignan (right) takes a big pucnh from Chavez

As Naseem Hamed prepares to take on Mexican toughman Marco Antonio Barrera, BBC Sport Online's Sanjeev Shetty takes a trip down memory lane to see how some British fighters have fared against the men from South America.

Goyo Vargas KO7 Paul Hodkinson - 28 April 1993, Liverpool

Hodkinson was considered one of the very best featherweight fighters this country produced, but against Vargas, he received a terrible beating.

In winning the title, he had beaten a Mexican Marcos Villsana but Vargas was an altogether different proposition.

The Mexican, possessor of a mean left hook, clearly hit too hard for Scouser Hodkinson, who nevertheless remained competitive until the seventh round, before eventually relinquishing his title via stoppage.

Howard Winstone's trilogy against Vincente Saldivar

These two engaged in three classic bouts

Howard Winstone - the Welsh master could not beat Saldivar

Saldivar was an awesome fighter, a powerful southpaw who had won 25 of his 26 professional fights, 21 inside the distance.

He and Winstone met at Earls Court in 1965, but the travelling horde of 12,000 Welshmen saw their man lose a narrow points decision.

The quality of the bout meant a rematch was inevitable and Saldivar agreed to a fight in Cardiff in June 1967.

Winstone was having trouble making the weight and was given little hope. He fought his heart out, though, and seemed to have won the first 10 rounds comfortably.

Saldivar dropped him in the 14th, but most still thought Winstone had done enough to win. There was an outcry when referee Wally Thomas, an old adversary of Eddie Thomas, raised the Mexican's hand in victory.

The epic trio of Saldivar fights was completed four months later in Mexico City.

Winstone's build-up was troubled, domestic problems culminating when his wife Benita stabbed him in the arm.

Yet Winstone controlled the early rounds in front of a hostile crowd. He faded later and in the 12th Thomas had to throw in the towel.

The Welshman had won the hearts of the Mexican crowd, though, and he and Saldivar became firm friends.

Julio Cesar Chavez TKO6 Andy Holligan -18 December 1993, Mexico

No one gave Holligan a chance of beating Chavez, and to no-one's great surprise, the Liverpool man received a horrendous beating.

Holligan entered the fight unbeaten and generally considered the best junior-welterweight in England.

But Chavez was the best in the world and had been for some time.

Holligan, whose style was roughly similar to that of Chavez's, was forced into a brawl he could not win and was retired at the end of the sixth round, fortunately without suffering any permanent damage.