Michael Carbajal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Carbajal
Carbajal in 2023
Statistics
Nickname(s)	Manitas de Piedra (Little Hands of Stone)
Rated at	Light Flyweight
Height	5 ft 5.5 in (1.66 m)
Reach	63 in (160 cm)
Born	(1967-09-17) September 17, 1967 (age 57) Phoenix, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	53
Wins	49
Wins by KO	33
Losses	4
Medal record Men's boxing Representing the  United States Olympic Games Silver 1988 Seoul Light flyweight Pan American Games Silver 1987 Indianapolis Light Flyweight

Michael Carbajal (born September 17, 1967) is an American boxing legend. He won five world boxing championships. Michael is of Mexican descent. People called him "Little Hands of Stone." This nickname was inspired by his favorite boxer, Roberto Durán, who was known as "Hands of Stone."

Michael Carbajal's Amateur Boxing Journey

Michael Carbajal had a great start in boxing. He fought 103 amateur matches. He won 94 of them and only lost 9. This shows how skilled he was even before becoming a professional.

Winning Medals and Titles

• In 1986, Michael became the National Golden Gloves champion. This was in the Light Flyweight division.
• In 1987, he won a silver medal. This was at the 1987 Pan American Games.
• In 1988, he became the United States amateur Light Flyweight champion.

Michael at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul

Michael Carbajal represented the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He competed in the Light Flyweight category.

Here are his results from the Olympics:

• First Round: He beat Kwang-Soo Oh from South Korea. The judges scored it 3-2 in his favor.
• Second Round: He won against Dang Hieu Hien from Vietnam.
• Quarterfinal: He defeated Scotty Olson from Canada.
• Semifinal: He won against Robert Isaszegi from Hungary.
• Final Match: He lost to Ivailo Marinov from Bulgaria. The score was 5-0. Some people thought the judges' decision might have been influenced by other factors.

Michael Carbajal's Professional Boxing Career

Seven months after the Olympics, in February 1989, Michael Carbajal started his professional career. His first fight was shown on national TV. He even beat another future world champion, Will Grigsby, in that first match.

After that, he had a spectacular first-round knockout win. This was against Silviano Perez and was shown on NBC. He kept winning, and after ten fights, he beat Pedro Feliciano. Four more wins followed, and soon Michael had a chance to fight for a world championship title.

Winning the IBF Light Flyweight Title

On July 29, 1990, Michael Carbajal faced Muangchai Kittikasem. Kittikasem came from Thailand to defend his IBF Light Flyweight championship. Michael carefully broke down the champion. This fight was also shown on ABC.

In the seventh round, Michael landed a series of punches. Kittikasem was left defenseless against the ropes. The referee stopped the fight. This made Michael Carbajal a world champion for the very first time!

Michael then had an amazing streak of twelve wins. This included six successful title defenses. He beat tough challengers like Leon Salazar and Hector Patri. He also won a non-title fight against future champion Jesus Chong.

Big Fight: Unifying Titles Against Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez

Next, Michael had a highly anticipated fight. He faced WBC champion Humberto González. This big match happened on March 13, 1993. It was a huge event for both boxers.

Carbajal and Gonzalez were the first Junior Flyweights in history to earn a million dollars for a fight. It was also the first time a Junior Flyweight championship fight was the main event on Pay-Per-View.

Michael was knocked down in the second and fifth rounds. He was also bleeding from his right eyebrow. But in the seventh round, he landed a powerful left punch. It hit Gonzalez on the side of his chin. Gonzalez turned sideways, and Michael landed another right punch. This sent Gonzalez to the canvas. Gonzalez could not get up before the referee counted to ten.

Michael Carbajal had unified the world's Junior Flyweight championship! This fight was named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring magazine. Michael was also named "Fighter of the Year" for 1993.

After this big win, Michael got many endorsement deals. He appeared in ads for Diet Pepsi and Emergency Chiropractic.

After two more successful title defenses, he fought Gonzalez again. This pay-per-view match was in Los Angeles, California. In his 11th world title fight, Michael lost for the first time. It was a close 12-round fight. The judges' decision was split, meaning some thought he won and some thought he lost.

Winning the WBO Light Flyweight Title

Michael then fought Abner Barajas, a former sparring partner. He won by knockout in the fifth round. After this, he got another chance at a world title. He fought WBO champion Josue Camacho. Camacho came from Puerto Rico to fight Michael in his hometown.

Michael put on a brilliant performance. He won a unanimous 12-round decision over Camacho. He was a world champion again!

Now holding a title again, Michael wanted to get back his IBF and WBC belts. He decided to fight Gonzalez for a third time. In November 1994, just three months after beating Camacho, they met again. This time, the fight was in Mexico City. It was another split decision, and Michael lost again. But he didn't give up. He kept training with his brother, Danny Carbajal, who was his only trainer.

Winning the IBF Light Flyweight Title Again

Michael then won seven more fights in a row. He beat former world champion Jose Quirino in just one round. He also defeated tough fighter Mauro Salas in seven rounds.

Then, he met two-time world champion Melchor Cob Castro in Las Vegas. They fought for the vacant IBF Junior Flyweight title. Michael beat Castro by a unanimous decision. This was his fourth world title!

His third time as champion lasted 22 months. He defended his title three times. This included an eighth-round knockout of Tomas Rivera. But on January 18, 1997, Michael lost his title again. He seemed to be aging and struggled against Mauricio Pastrana from Colombia. Michael still made the fight close, but he lost by a split decision after 12 rounds.

After that, Michael fought Scotty Olson from Canada. This fight was in San Antonio, Texas. Michael showed he had more left than Olson. He controlled the fight until a spectacular right punch sent Olson down. Olson couldn't get up, and Michael won in the 11th round.

The win over Olson gave Michael a minor title. But in July 1997, in Las Vegas, he was defeated by Jacob Matlala from South Africa. Matlala stopped Michael in the ninth round due to cuts. This was Michael's first loss by stoppage in his career. After this defeat, Michael did not fight for 19 months.

Second Comeback, WBO Title Win, and Retirement

Michael Carbajal announced he was coming back to boxing in early 1999. He won three fights. One of these was a technical knockout (TKO) victory over former champion José de Jesús.

On July 31, 1999, he traveled to Tijuana to challenge WBO world Junior Flyweight champion Jorge Arce. Arce was fighting in his hometown. Arce controlled most of the first ten rounds. But Michael knocked Arce down in the sixth round. The fight continued, and in the 11th round, Michael hit Arce with a right hand. It sent Arce into the ropes. The referee stopped the fight. Michael Carbajal was a world champion for the fifth time!

After this amazing fight, Michael retired as a world champion. Today, Michael lives a quieter life in Phoenix. He still makes many public appearances. He enjoys meeting his fans and signing autographs. Michael also owns two boxing gyms in Phoenix.

Michael Carbajal and his former rival, Humberto González, were both chosen for the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.

Michael's professional record was 49 wins and only four losses. He won 33 of his fights by knockout.

Michael Carbajal's Boxing Record Summary

Images for kids

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  Michael Carbajal in 2023

See also

In Spanish: Michael Carbajal para niños

• List of light-flyweight boxing champions