Cleto Reyes

At Fight2Win we are proud to have a very large part of the Cleto Reyes range in stock in our boxing store.

The Cleto Reyes brand was originally created by Cleto Reyes Castro. Cleto was born in 1920 in Mexico City and grew up in a poor environment due to difficult family circumstances. At the age of 12, he already had to work to earn money.

The remarkable story behind the world-famous Cleto Reyes brand

Cleto left school to work in a factory that sewed baseball gloves. Here he came into contact with leather products and leatherworking for the first time.

Cleto was homeless at a young age. He slept in the same place where he worked. This workplace – which he also considered his home – brought out the creative talents of the young Reyes.

After his workday, Cleto continued working with the sewing machines. He did this to further develop his skills and crafts. He was free to experiment in the workshop with leftover materials.

At a later age – Cleto was around 16 years old – Reyes began to take an interest in boxing and started to train himself in it. At that time (and still today), many top boxers came from Mexico.

In the nearby sports arena, Cleto closely followed his idols and top fighters from Mexico. Joe Condo, Rodolfo Casanova, and Juan Zarita were the top fighters at that time and rivals of each other.

In 1938, Cleto registered for a local boxing tournament. This was the first and also the last time Cleto Reyes would enter the ring as a participant. Cleto took heavy hits during this tournament, but the spectators were deeply impressed by the young Mexican.

The origin of the Cleto Reyes boxing gloves

This specific event marked the beginning of what would later become the most famous boxing brand in the world. After these tough fights, Cleto decided not to fight himself anymore. This despite the support he had received from the enthusiastic audience. But the craftsman in Cleto was even more strongly ignited. He decided to renew and improve the worn boxing gloves.

For several years, Cleto worked on adjusting, testing, and improving his own Cleto Reyes boxing gloves before finally bringing them to market. And successfully so, because in 1945 a professional boxing world championship was fought for the first time with Cleto Reyes boxing gloves.

"The Choice of Champions"

The growth of the Mexican boxing brand

In the early 1950s, Cleto had gathered enough resources to set up and equip his own workshop. From here, he sold his now renowned boxing gloves to the Mexican boxers. Their trainers helped Cleto make his brand and unique gloves known by taking and selling them during sports trips to the United States.

From 1965, things took off as it was only then officially distributed on the American market. Demand increased so much that Cleto’s son, Alberto Reyes, started working full-time in his father’s business. Alberto brought new fresh ideas and better business sense to usher the brand into a new era.

Alberto Reyes visited new leather suppliers and attracted them to develop and use lighter and more durable leather for the new models of Cleto Reyes boxing gloves. The product was also standardized to one uniform quality standard. He also officially registered Cleto Reyes as a brand name and trademark in 1975.

In 1999, Cleto Reyes unfortunately passed away, but his legacy lives on in the amazing boxing gloves that this family business still produces in Mexico. The company is still based in Mexico City. The remarkable brand can be proud of the many boxing legends who use and have used nothing but Cleto Reyes. Famous names like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Manny Pacquiao, and Anthony Joshua are just a few of the icons loyal to this brand.

"Used by the greatest. The ultimate punchers glove."

Top boxers choose Cleto Reyes

In 1945, Ike Williams became the first boxing world champion to wear Cleto Reyes boxing gloves during his fights and preparations. Today, the majority of world champions have trained or fought with the famous gloves of Cleto Reyes.

The Greatest of All Time: Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali, originally named Cassius Clay, needs no introduction. The most famous – and for many also the best – boxer of all time is a true boxing icon and “larger than life.”

In 1978, he gave the Cleto Reyes brand an extra special boost. Ali refused to use the sponsor’s boxing gloves during his top match “the Thrilla in Manila.” He swore by his own trusted Cleto Reyes.

However, he was ordered to tape over the Cleto logo so the sponsor would not be discredited. Muhammad Ali – rebellious as he was great – had the tape removed by his trainer during the fight so that the famous Cleto Reyes logo was clearly visible.

"I don’t fight if it’s not with Cleto Reyes gloves."

Also during his very last fight against Leon Spinks, Ali wore Cleto Reyes boxing gloves. He won and reclaimed his heavyweight boxing world title!

Cleto Reyes at Fight2Win.nl

View our complete range of Cleto Reyes in the Cleto Reyes collections: boxing gloves, handwraps, punching mitts, headgear, gymbags, no foul protectors (kidney and groinguards), boxing trunks and complete boxing sets.