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Miguel Canto (born January 30, 1948 in the state
of Yucatán, Mexico) is a former world boxing
champion.

Contrary to many Mexican boxers, Canto was not a
"slam-bang" type of boxer ("Slam-Bang" is a term
that is used to describe boxers whose fights are
usually action-packed; Mexican boxers are usually
stereotyped as "slam-bangers"). He enjoyed using
boxing techniques and knowledge instead of trying
to score knockouts in most of his fights. Prove of
this is that he only won fifteen fights by
knockout, out of more than seventy professional
bouts.

Canto began his professional boxing career on
February 5, 1969. He became one of those rare
cases in boxing, like Alexis Arguello, Henry
Armstrong, Victor Luvi Callejas and Wilfredo
Vazquez, where a boxer loses his first fight and
goes on to become a world champion. He lost that
day to Raul Hernandez, in Canto's hometown of
Mérida, Yucatán, by a knockout in round three.

His first win came against Pedro Martinez
(boxer)|Pedro Martinez, on May 5, 1969, by a four
round decision, also at Merida. Canto lost his
next fight, but a streak of seven undefeated
fights (he went 5-0-2, with 2 knockouts during
that streak), led him to fight Vicente Pool on May
27 of 1970, for the Yucatan state Flyweight title.
Canto won his first profeassional belt when he
outpointed Pool over twelve rounds. In his first
defense, he retained the crown, with a twelve
round decision over Jose Luis Cetina. After losing
his next bout, a ten round, non title bout, on a
decision, he went on to win 21 bouts in a row,
including his first bout outside Merida (a two
round knockout of Pedro Martinez in Cansahcab,
Mexico), and a win over Constantino Garcia on
January 22, 1972, by twelve round decision, to
claim the Mexican Flyweight title. On January 31,
1973, he fought to a ten round draw (tie) against
perennial contender Ignacio Espinal.

After a streak of twenty six fights without  loss
(including the tie against Espinal), he was given
his first world title try, when he fought Betulio
Gonzalez in Maracaibo, Venezuela, for the World
Boxing Council|WBC world Flyweight title. In what
was also his first fight abroad, he was outpointed
by the equally legendary Gonzalez, considered by
many to be Venezuela's greatest fighter of all
time, on August 4 of 1973.

Canto won six more fights, including two Mexican
title defenses, and on January 8, 1975, he became
the WBC world Flyweifght champion by defeating
then champion Shoji Oguma by a fifteen round
decision at Sendai, Japan. His dream of becoming a
world champion finally realized, Canto was a busy
champion, mixing several non-title bouts with his
title defenses. He beat Espinal in a rematch by a
ten round decision, and his first four title
defenses (including a third fight with Espinal, in
which Canto retained the title by a fifteen round
decision) were made in Mexico, but he eventually
became a travelling world champion. 

For his fifth title defense, he returned to
Venezuela for a rematch with Gonzalez. The second
time around, he beat Gonzalez by a fifteen round
decision. and, one month later, he retained the
crown against Orlando Javierto, once again by
fifteen round decision, in Los Angeles,
California.

On April 24, 1977, he returned to Venezuela for a
third time, retaining the title against Luis Arnal
by a fifteen round decision in Caracas,
Venezuela|Caracas. Two months later, he beat Kimio
Furesajii by a fifteen round decision in Tokyo.
Then, he and Martin Vargas fought the first of
their two bouts: on September 17 1977, Canto
outpointed Vargas in his hometown of Mérida.

It was Canto's turn to travel to Vargas' hometown
of Santiago, Chile, for their rematch, held on
November 30 of the same year. Canto once again
retained the title with a fifteen round decision.

In 1978, Canto retained his title three times,
including two rematches with Shoji Oguma, both of
them held in Japan, and another fifteen round
points win over Facomrom Vibonchai, in a fight
held at Houston, Texas. 

By this time, Canto's name had becopme a household
name all over Latin America, thanks in part to The
Ring En Espanol, which gave Canto's fights much
coverage.

On February 10 of 1979, he retained the title
against a future world champion, Antonio Avelar,
by a fifteen round decision, but, on March 18, his
reign came to an end, when he lost a fifteen round
decision to Chan Hee Park in South Korea.

On September 9 of that same year, he tried to
recover the title from Park, but, after fifteen
rounds, the champion retained the title with a
fifteen round tie. 

Canto's career took a downward spiral after that.
He went 4-4 in his last eight fights, including a
loss and a win against future world champion
Gabriel Bernal, a loss against Olympic
Games|Olympic Bronze medalist Orlando Maldonado of
Puerto Rico and another loss against future world
title challenger Candido Tellez.

After losing by knockout in round nine to Rodolfo
Ortega on July 24, 1982, Canto retired from boxing
for good. He had a record of 69 wins, 9 losses and
4 draws (ties), with 15 knockout wins.

He is a member of the International Boxing Hall of
Fame.