Meeting with Carlos Zarate

[chrisjs1985]

I had dinner with Carlos Zarate last night in Long Beach. He’s visiting his sons for the holidays. Here’s some of the snippets from our convo. Thought I’d share here.

The reason he stopped after the Pintor fight was that he was so disgusted with the politics and felt he was robbed. He has/had nothing against Pintor who fought well, especially in the late rounds but he said he was very down. He got back home and said everyday people would see him in the street and tell him he was robbed and it sort of envigorated him and also that Suliaman told him, “I can get you that re-match”. He’d been out of the gym and partying but once he was told that he started training and then Pintor crashed his motorcycle so he went back to partying and drinking. He did not train during his exile and the coming out of retirement wasn’t really planned. In Mexico City there had been a major earthquake so there was a benefit card and he appeared on it and sort of stayed in the gym and before you know he’s had 8, 10, 12 wins then he gets a title fight. He also said it was expensive having kids so it also helped in that regard.

He said he was upset that the Fenech fight was stopped. He said he knew he was losing but that he’d cut Fenech with a punch and they couldn’t stop that fight soon enough. He isn’t sure if he’d have won but that he’d seen he could give Fenech some problems.

He said most places it was a pleasant experience but that in Puerto Rico they treated him badly. He did seem upset about that whole experience and said he got sick and wanted a postponement (vs. Gomez) but that due to a stipulation in the contract he’d end up having to pay a lot more than he was due to earn so had to fight though didn’t feel good physically and had to lose weight. Said Gomez got his when he then had the issue of having to lose weight and got beat by Sanchez. He said his favorite place to fight was here in Los Angeles, particularly at The Forum.

I asked about who the greatest 5 Mexican fighters were. He said he really can’t narrow it down and that there’s too many and that he was close to many so doesn’t like to leave some out. He said as a youngster his favorites were Sugar Ramos, Jose Medel, Jose Napoles, Vicente Saldivar. He did rank the modern Mexican greats however and said 1. Marquez 2. Morales 3. Barrera.

His parents sort of oversaw the school district in his area and he said perhaps that’s how he could fight so much and get away with it without getting in trouble. He said he started to box seriously at age 16 and that Cuyo Hernandez was a great help in developing his technique. He seemed to be more proud of his technique and more impressed with boxers technique than power. I asked who he felt hit harder with him and Olivares and who was the greater Bantamweight. He said it’s for the people to say. He said Olivares was so beloved and outgoing and everyone loved him (as did he) whereas Carlos was more reserved but feels at his best purely as a bantamweight felt he was the best. He did add that he doesn’t like to sell any of his peers short and that it’s for others to decide these things. He said he was lucky that he never really got cuts and injuries like Olivares had in some fights like the Castillo re-match.

That there’s far too many titles today but he also thinks there’s a lot of good fighters. He said Canelo is a good fighter and moves the needle and that Lomachenko is an incredible boxer. He also likes Estrada a lot.

He said at the heights of his fame it was awesome to be champion, have recognition and that he perhaps should have used that and maybe moved to Los Angeles full-time but now that he’s very comfortable and lives a very nice, quiet life. He’s re-married after some very difficult periods and is very happy, peaceful and enjoying himself and has a small circle of real friends vs. the hangers on that led him down the wrong path and didn’t stay with him. He is the head of a gym in Mexico City which is funded by the Railroad Union. He said he doesn’t really do the day to day training of fighters but on occasion helps the fighters and gives pointers.

———

He’s actually a very nice guy, very humble and warm. He is fast witted and funny and speaks very well to the point you’d never guess he was an ex-fighter. He’s in good shape physically and mentally.

[goose 5]

What a great post ! Terrific stuff. I always wanted to know if the story about him being thrown in jail by the police in Puerto Rico before the Gomez fight was true.

[margaret thatcher]

How did you get to have dinner with Carl?

[dagosd2000]

Great story Chris.Next time invite me along.I remember when that fight was made. The aficianados in Mexico really thought Carlos was going to win that one.Me too. The Mexican/Puerto Rican rivalry was going full steam at that time. The fight was very one sided. Carlos who had overpowered so many opponents prior looked weak.I remember he said that he wasn't physically up for the fight. At those lower weights going up just 5 pounds can make a big difference. But Gomez was a big puncher too. But like Carlos said Mexico got happy again when Salvador Sanchez got his revenge. It was de ja vu all over again.This time Gomez acting the part of Zarate.Tragically,Sanchez was his own worst enemy. At the end he had cleaned out the feathers.He was drinking and doing drugs,not training hard.He probably would have gone up in weight and sooner or later met Arguello. De ja vu all over again?

[chrisjs1985]

Great story Chris.Next time invite me along.I remember when that fight was made. The aficianados in Mexico really thought Carlos was going to win that one.Me too. The Mexican/Puerto Rican rivalry was going full steam at that time. The fight was very one sided. Carlos who had overpowered so many opponents prior looked weak.I remember he said that he wasn't physically up for the fight. At those lower weights going up just 5 pounds can make a big difference. But Gomez was a big puncher too. But like Carlos said Mexico got happy again when Salvador Sanchez got his revenge. It was de ja vu all over again.This time Gomez acting the part of Zarate.Tragically,Sanchez was his own worst enemy. At the end he had cleaned out the feathers.He was drinking and doing drugs,not training hard.He probably would have gone up in weight and sooner or later met Arguello. De ja vu all over again?

Roger, for sure come along next time. He said he’s here twice a year so I think he’ll be here in the summer. I’ll let you know far enough ahead of time.

[Onetimeonly]

Awesome meeting, bad mofo. His late comeback is one of those that shows how great he was.

[chrisjs1985]

Awesome meeting, bad mofo. His late comeback is one of those that shows how great he was.

To think he didn’t hit the gym in like 6 years too.

[Wee Tommy]

He’s one of my absolute favourites. Lauded for his power I’ve always watched him thinking he had underrated skills and technique. Great post man