Interview Dated November 2005

Gaby Canizales


Most Houston boxing fans probably don't recognize Gaby Canizales when they seem him at one of the local matches. At around 5'5", about 125 pounds with glasses, graying hair and a state inspector's shirt, he conceals the fact that he was one of the most punishing bantamweight boxers in recent history. I first met him in 1984, as he was preparing to defend his U.S.B.A. title against Kelvin Seabrooks in Laredo. I was a television reporter for one of the local stations, and along with Todd Freed, who now hosts High School Sports Live here in Houston, we covered the 12-round match, Todd doing the blow-by-blow and me serving as the color commentator. It was one of the highlights of my 20 year broadcasting career. Gaby won that fight and went on to become the W.B.A., and then the W.B.O. bantamweight champion, amassing a record of 48-8-1 with 36 KO's. Gaby's younger brother Orlando is possibly the greatest bantamweight of all time, having defended the I.B.F. title 16 times. I recently caught up with him at a state office building where he works just east of downtown Houston.



HBS - How did you first get involved in boxing when you were a boy down in Laredo.

GC - It's a sport that I enjoyed watching I guess, watching boxing at home, you know Muhammad Ali, Ruben Olivares, Roberto Duran. It was a sport that I just found interesing and I just wanted to know how far I could get.

HBS - And so there was a gym in Laredo or how did you actually start?

GC - There was a gym when I was about ten years old there were boxing coaches and then they all went their ways and there was no boxing for about four or five years. But when I turned 15 that's when I started noticing another boxing team at one of the Boys Clubs so that's when I started going and after that I stayed there at the main Boys Club and we moved to the Northwest Boys Club. There were other boxing gyms and we started hearing there were more boxing gyms and but I basically boxed from the Northwest Boys Club.

HBS - Who was your trainer or how did you learn the fundamentals when you first started out?

GC - My first trainers were Sergio Reyes, Reynaldo Infante, those were the guys that were there when I really got into taking boxing more seriously which was at 15.

HBS - Tell me a little bit about your amateur career.

GC - I just fought Golden Gloves, regional, state, went to state twice. The first time I got disqualified. Couldn't make the weight and then the second time I lost a decision the first night but that was as far as I went. Then during the regional Golden Gloves I was invited to represent Kelly Air Force at a tournament in Las Cruces, New Mexico and California so that was real good experience and it was very exciting.

HBS - So how did you make a decision to turn pro?

GC - It was just a decision that I made and as I said earlier it was just that I enjoyed boxing, I liked it. It wasn't because I had to fight but it was mostly that I wanted to know how far I could get and of course if you want to be a boxer and then, you fought amateur for four years, so you want to try it as a professional so said I really want to go in there and I want to see how far I can get and that was my goal. My goal was to become a world champion.

HBS - And you achieved your goal. You had just a phenomenal career really and you were 9-0 and then you lost one and then you won some more. Tell me about the time you first fought for the U.S.B.A. title.

GC - My first title as a professional was for the Texas title which took place in Laredo and I beat a guy from the Valley, Juan Castellanos, I won a decision there and then afterwards in June that was my opportunity. That's when I fought for the United States title against Diego Rosario back in June of '82 I believe and with that win all doors opened and all the opportunities came along and I took advantage of all of them but really it was the United States title when I knocked out Diego Rosario.

HBS - Tell us a little bit about your style. Obviously you were a big slugger. You knock out 36 guys, you're a pretty hard hitter. Tell us a little bit about the way you approached fights.

GC - At the beginning of my career I was very aggressive coming in, taking the fights to the fighter, but then as the years went by, when I started being smarter (laughs), boxing, studying my opponent a little bit better and adjusting at that time of the fight. So if they were sluggers I would turn into a boxer and counterpunch a lot or if they were boxers I would go after them, I would have to become the slugger and the punching power, where the punching power came along, I think it's something you have inside. You just develop a little bit better and I think throughout the years that's one of the things that I did. I knew how to set my feet on the ground and be able to get that leverage to punch.

HBS - The thing about fighting, anybody who knows you knows that you're a real nice guy. When you get into the ring, I told you about the time that I met you and I asked you if you cut a guy would you go after the cut and you said definitely, anything to get him out of there. That's not a quality that everybody has and so you have a certain personality outside of the ring and then you kind of have a different personality inside the ring. How did you do that with yourself. How did you turn yourself into essentially a mean guy inside the ring?

GC - (Laughs)...Just practice I guess. It was just an instinct. Psychologically I had to program myself before the fight and I had to make myself mean and hate the guy in front of me. That month and a half that I was training, all I could think was just that the guy was out there to get something that I want and that's a win and then my goal, the guy was trying to destroy my goal. My goal was to win the title, and I was just making myself mean to hurt someone.

HBS - And you did a pretty good job of it usually.You fought this fight with Kelvin Seabrooks down there in the parking lot in Laredo which Todd Freed and I called. The funny thing was that at the time we thought you lost the fight and then when I looked back at the tape later I decided that you actually did win it. But it was a close fight either way. Tell me what you remember about that fight.

GC - I remember it was a close fight. It could have gone either way. I was just lucky enough to get the decision at that time. I was defending my U.S.B.A. title. It was in '84 and Kelvin Seabrooks, one of the nicest guys around so if it would have gone to him I would have been happy but it went to me so I was even happier. It was a tough fight. That was the first time I had really gotten hurt. He caught me with a good hook at the temple and it shook me up and it was hard for me to recuperate and I don't think I ever did recuperate from that punch when I got hit in the temple. I got hit and my legs wobbled and I thought I was going to go down but I was able to stand up boxed and moved around for a little bit and I think I grabbed him maybe. That was one of the few times that I was a little confused because of that punch to the temple but like I say he's a nice guy and I'm just happy I was given that decision.

HBS - Now you had several world title bouts, tell us about the first one.

GC - The first fight was against Jeff Chandler I think it was in March of '83 I fought Jeff Chandler and went 15 rounds. That was my first world title fight. Looking back if I would have known then what I know now I could have beat him, (laughs), but it was a good experience for everybody, even my trainer, my manager, me, being in that type of environment, a world championship fight, that was my goal.

HBS - What would you have done differently in the fight?

GC - I would have stuck to my game plan. The first 4,5 rounds of how I was fighting: aggressive, inside. I was always on top of him. That's the way to have beat Chandler instead of giving him the opportunity to move around and his his reach so I would have stuck to my game plan at that time. The outcome would have been a lot different because that's that's what Richard Sandoval did to beat him. He just was on top of him and I know when I fought him those first five rounds I was on top of him and I was ahead but then Jeff Chandler caught me with a good uppercut in which he thumbed my eye. After that I was seeing double. I was seeing double of Jeff Chandler and from the fourth or fifth round to the fifteenth round that's the way I fought. But those are the things that happen in the game.

HBS - So then you fought again and you won the W.B.A. title. Tell us about that time.

GC - I fought Richard Sandoval in '86 in Vegas, March 10th I believe. I was just ready for that fight. I was ready, I was hungry, ready to do anything I have to do to win. It was a KO in the 7th round.

HBS - So that must have been one of the greatest feelings of your life.

GC - Oh yeah. Yes it was. I had basically reached my goal.

HBS - Are you able to put into words at all how that feels after all that work, when that happens?

GC - Well it's a goal you reach and it's a feeling of accomplishment. It's a feeling of knowing what you've done and it's a great feeling.

HBS - Then you lost your title.

GC - I lost my title, yes, I lost my title, I fought Bernardo Pinango from Venezuela and I fought him in Elizabeth New Jersey and I lost a decision. There's so many things that I felt during the fight but I'm not going to make any excuses but that was his night and he beat me. He won the decision.

HBS - By that time you're getting into your mid to late twenties and while you're still in the prime of your life there are some people that say "When you're 19 you're the best, physically", although some people say when you're a heavyweight when you're in your thirties you're at your best but when you're in the lighter weights some people think the younger guys have the edge. What are your thoughts on that? How did that work for you.

GC - That's very true. The heavier your weight the longer your career is in boxing and basically it's because of the pace of the fight. The lighter weights, they go in there from when the bell rings until the end of the fight if there's no KO. So the lighter weights there's more action and I think it's just that pace that will slow you down. The heavier weights they'll throw three punches every once in a while. They're not very active. I started feeling my difference as opposed to when I started towards the end of my career and when I hit about 30 I did notice some changes at 30. I did notice that would get a little bit tired sooner. My stamina wasn't as great as it used to be. I was a little bit slower in my reflexes and every time after running and training I would be sore. Your body aching all the time. Those are the differences that I noticed and that's when I knew that it was time to leave the sport.

HBS - But even at the end of your career you were still fighting for titles. You won the W.B.O. title in your second to last fight.

GC - Basically my goal there was for my brother and I to make history. You know my brother Orlando got the I.B.F. and the reason I got that goal was that we had to make history.

HBS - So you both held belts in the same weight class at the same time.

GC - He had the I.B.F. I had the W.B.O. That was just my goal just to go and win that fight which I did and I fought Miguel "Happy" Lora, he put me on the floor, that was the first time I went down. I had never visited the canvas before but then I got up and caught him with a good left hook counterpunch. All the action took place in the second round. I went down, I got up and I knocked him out. So that was a real good round.

HBS - That must have been a shock to go down after all that time.

GC - (Laughs) It was the first time. I had never visited the canvas and that's part of the sport. I knew I wasn't invincible. I knew someone would have to put me on the canvas one day and that was the time.

HBS - Then finally your last fight you fought Duke McKenzie in England and it was a pretty lopsided decision.

GC - That was one of the reasons why I retired because that wasn't me fighting there that night at all. I didn't have the energy. You know before the fight I was in the dressing room and I asked myself, "What the heck am I doing here?" I started feeling sorry for the guy, man, I'm going to punch him, I started feeling all these weird feelings and I said that's not me at all. So I said "I'm here now, I have to get this overwith." That's what happened.

HBS - Somehow you transformed into a more "civilized" guy right toward the end of your career and you weren't able to make that transition to hate again.

GC - No, and the only reason I went through with it was there was already a contract and I had said yes to that fight so that's the only reason I went through with it.

HBS - So your younger brother Orlando is about five years younger than you. Did you fight or spar growing up?

GC - We sparred all the time. In the gym we both helped each other out. He was one of my sparring partners and I was one of his sparring partners so we really helped each other out and a lot of people didn't know we were brothers when we would beat each other up. (laughs). Because I knew what it takes to get ready and being that he was starting to be pro I needed him to know what it's all about and what he needed to do so I had to teach him to get in shape, everything you have to do to get in shape.

HBS - In other words you beat him up pretty good.

GC - And vice versa. I mean he could defend himself. (laughs)

HBS - Needless to say, he defended the title so many times, apparently one of the greatest of all time, seems to be the general consensus, that's got to be a pretty good feeling for you, and not to say obviously that your career was anything to sneeze at.

GC - A lot of things that I accomplished, and my brother what he's done, I'm very proud of him. It's just a good feeling, of what we've done.

HBS - What is it in your mind that separates, there are thousands of guys that go out and they fight amateur and they turn pro and what separates an average fighter from a good fighter from a great fighter.

GC - Well a lot of it has to do with determination, discipline. There's a lot of fighters out there, a lot of people that can be good fighters but they don't have the discipline. If you have a great fighter and you have a mediocre fighter, but the mediocre fighter is in real good shape and the other guy is not in good shape usually the mediocre fighter will win if it goes the distance. So that's really what's going to determine, the main factor is if you're in good shape, how determined you are to win that title and of course abilities would help. There's a lot of people that can take a punch, people that cannot take a punch, people that are quick, that are not quick, punchers, not punchers so it's a combination of things.

HBS - When you look at today's bantamweight champions how do they compare and stack up against you guys when you were fighting?

GC - The way boxing is now as opposed to back then, see when I was fighting usually the weigh-ins were the day of the fight. Now you have these fighters that weigh in the day before the fight. Most of the fights that's the way it's handled, they weigh in before the fight. So back then what I would do is I would have gone down to 112 because I didn't have a lot of trouble being a bantamweight. I could have fought flyweight. But I chose to fight bantamweight because I didn't want to get into a special diet. I used to eat whatever I wanted to, (laughs) to fight 118 so it's changed a lot. Boxing has changed a lot. Back then a lot of people who were fighting bantamweights wouldn't be fighting bantamweight now. They would be fighting at a higher weight.

HBS - What about in terms of their skills and how good they are?

GC - In the bantamweight division, one of those kids Marques is a good fighter, he's a good puncher. But if you get someone that knows how to fight them they'll probably be able to beat him.

HBS - Back in your day you used to go 15 rounds on occasion before they cut it down to 12 rounds. Is that a big difference?

GC - I really enjoyed going 15 rounds. I think 15 rounds were good. You know why they changed the rounds was because some of the fighters were getting killed in the ring and they thought that would eliminate some of the people getting killed. But in my opinion 15 rounds were better. If you have a fighter that's in real good shape and did not sacrifice to make that weight they won't get hurt. A lot of those fighters that have gotten hurt I think it's because they have sacrificed a lot to make a certain weight. As a boxer you want to go down as much as you can to fight the lowest weight possible but a lot of these people are overdoing it. Let's say Roberto Duran. He fought at 135. His walking weight was about 180. Look at Gatti. Gatti would go do to 130 but his walking weight would be like 170, 180. You have those type of fighters a lot and the managers and the coaches support that and that's what I think hurts fighters, dropping that much weight. To reach your goal of course at the lowest weight possible and a lot of these fighters really go to extremes of losing that weight.

HBS - Some people say boxers in the United States are losing their fundamental skills compared to the old days. Do you see any of that?

GC - As far as fighting boxing has always been the same. You've got good fighters, you've got bad fighters, you've got fighters that are going to be used as meat to help somebody else better his record and be able to get a title fight so you'll always have fighters like that. Then again as a fighter, people are going to step on you as much as you let them.If you're going to go there just to be another bag it's up to him. It's up to the fighter because people will take advantage of it. That's the history and I know that it's still going on and it's going to continue. So if you go in with the pros to win a title then of course you're going to take care of yourself a little bit better because you have a manager and a good trainer and hopefully those people will have your best intentions. It's good to know who you deal with.

HBS - Now you're an inspector for the state. How did you get this job and how did you end up moving to Houston from Laredo?

GC - I was doing contract work, (in Houston), supervising boxing, making sure that everything was going well in the boxing and then I knew there was an opening and then I applied for it and I got the job. I've been here three years.

HBS - So most of the people here have no idea about your boxing career?

GC - In my office Henry Villagomez, well be's been in it for a long time but I've known him since the early 80's. And Joe Spudic, one of the inspectors here, I've known Joe for awhile too because of boxing.

HBS - But I mean most people around the building.....

GC - No, it's hush.....(laughs) and I like it that way.

HBS - And as the inspector tell us what your function is at the bouts.

GC - Making sure everything goes well and smooth as far as licenses are concerned and fighters are not doing anything illegal, using drugs, things like that and just making sure that everything goes smooth during the show, fighters managers and audience.

HBS - So Orlando's working at the Sheriff's Department down in Laredo and what's he doing?

GC - He's a jailer or something like that and I think he wants to get certified as a peace officer so that might happen.

HBS - So you're 44 years old and you still have all you faculties after a long and extensive career in boxing. Some guys take a lot of head shots and they're not all there and there's the stereotype of the punch drunk boxer but what happened, did you just get lucky?

GC - (Laughs) . Basically I knew when to stop. When I started noticing that it wasn't me fighting any more, the old Gaby, you know I wasn't 20, I knew when to stop. That's one thing about the older fighters that should not be fighting. It's like an addiction, it's a denial. Addiction, denial and people have to get over it. They have to know that at one time it has to be a stop and they have to know that it's not the same as when you were younger.

HBS - Holyfield?

GC - Holyfield I wish he would stop fighting. He's lost the last few fights and I wish he would just accept the fact that it's time. It's time to go, to know when to say by to the sport because it happens to the best.

HBS - There's talk of federalizing control of regulation over boxing, establishing a national boxing comission. What are your thoughts on that?

GC - I think it's a good idea. There's some states that do not have a lot of boxing commission. Those would probably get help a lot. I know here as a state employee and that's one of my functions, to supervise boxing, so we have a pretty darn good commission, but the federal would probably help those states that do not have a commission. Everything's for the betterment of the sport and if that's the case anything can happen, I would wish the best. We need to keep in mind the health of the fighters. A lot of fighters when they retire from boxing a lot of them have the punch drunk thing, and it would be good to have (the federal government) tell a fighter when they're not allowed to fight anymore.