BoxRec

jBacca wrote:Caught the later showing of Ringside and have to say that the Ruelas interview was moving.

In my eyes a lot of boxers have this hardened aura about them, so it was touching to see Ruelas open up like that

An instant fan.

ed robinson wrote:There is a Gabby Ruelas interview on Ringside tonight. The reason that I am flagging it up is because I think he's one of the most amazing people I've ever met. Gabriel and his brother Rafael were both World champions, born just over 9 months apart! They grew up very poor in the mountains of Mexico before joining family in the States. After school each day the brothers made money knocking on doors to sell sweets, which is the reason that they learnt English. One of the doors they knocked on was Joe Goosen who had a gym in his garage. Gabby convinced Joe to train the two kids, even though he only worked with pro's. Rafael could have been a lawyer, he sorted out all the forms and paperwork they needed to become American citizens.

They turned pro with Top Rank and fought side by side coming through. Gabby lost his unbeaten record when he damaged his elbow horribly in a fight with Jeff Franklin. He thought he'd never be able to box again and still can't extend the arm anything close to fully straight - effectively shortening the reach of his right hand.

In 1993 with a record of 33-1 he pushed Azumah Nelson to a majority decision in front of 130,000 fans assembled to watch Julio Caesar Chavez in a Mexican bullring. The following year he beat Jesse James Leija, who had just gone on to dethrone Nelson, joining his brother Rafael as a World champion.

Gabriel's second defence ended in tragedy when Jimmy Garcia collapsed after their fight and passed away. On the same bill Rafael was blown away by Oscar De La Hoya. Gabby never really recovered, losing a return with Nelson and then engaging in a self destructive brawl with Arturo Gatti on the Boardwalk.

I'm lucky enough to have met most of my heroes and few have disappointed me. Way back when, it was Arturo I was cheering on, not Gabby. The Ruelas brothers were never among my favourite fighters, until I actually met Gabriel.

ed robinson wrote:Hey Black Panther, I'm sure I can remember Duke breaking down in tears in his post fight interview after winning the World title and blubbering 'I thought he was going to knock me out!'. I've been in the dressing room with someone like David Haye before he goes out to fight, amateur and pro, he just can't wait! He's like an excited young kid before Christmas. Personally I can't imagine that mentality. It can be a crippling thing mental pressure, not the worrying about getting hurt or even getting beat, just of letting everyone down and not performing. People tell me Carl Froch was very nervous pre bout as an amateur - fair play to him for the way he's learnt how to control it. You'd never tell now.

bennie wrote:Greg Goossen took the Ruelas brothers to an amateur show in Ventura, California, in the 1980s and approached one of the white suits and asked, "Where's the fighters' dressing room?"
"You mean the boxers' dressing room, they are boxers, not fighters," said the official, arrogantly.
Goossen broke into a grin, "Well I've got two FIGHTERS here and if your boxers can't fight, they are in big trouble!" Both Ruelas boys won by stoppage.