[8.7] FRANKIE GENARO 134-96(19)-26-8-4 [Flyweight]: International Boxing Hall of Fame online - Undisputed Champion Network online -
Frankie Genaro won the flyweight Gold Medal at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp and launched his pro career later that same year.
By 1920, he was fighting world class flyweights, notching wins over Charley (Phil) Rosenberg and Pancho Villa. In 1923, he captured the American flyweight title with another win over Villa and then scored a non-title win over future bantamweight champ Bud Taylor.
Always seeking the best competition, Genaro lost his American title to Fidel LaBarba in 1925 and dropped a decision to former world champ Newsboy Brown in his next outing.
Genaro was a quick-footed fighter who combined agility and aggression to become a world champion. His day finally came in 1928 when he defeated Frenchy Belanger to win the NBA flyweight crown. Although he lost the title in his first defense against Emile Pladner, he took it right back by defeating Pladner one month later.
Genaro made successful defenses of the NBA title against Ernie Jarvis, Yvon Trevidic and Belanger before meeting Midget Wolgast, who was recognized as world flyweight champ by the New York State Athletic Commission. The unification bout ended in a draw and each champion went their separate ways. Genaro made successful defenses against Victor Ferrand, Jackie Harmon and Valentin Angelmann until being knocked out by Victor Young Perez in 1931.
Genaro never fought for another title but did manage to beat future featherweight champion Joey Archibald in 1933 before retiring in 1934. In all, Genaro met 10 world champions. Among those not already listed are Bushy Graham and Willie LaMorte. He also met three Hall of Famers. International Boxing Hall of Fame online
Voted one of the best fighters of the 1930s because of his fast feet and defensive mastery. He also fought during one of the most talent-laden eras for flyweights. As an amateur Genaro won local, city, state and national titles en route to winning the 1920 Olympic flyweight gold medal.
Genaro turned pro, boxing out of New York City and ran up a string of wins over top-notch fighters like Charley Rosenberg and Joe Colletti. His stock rose immediately when he defeated Pancho Villa for the American flyweight title. By 1925, after Villa won the world title, Genaro was considered the uncrowned champion but losses to Fidel LaBarba and Newsboy Brown damaged his title ambitions. The loss made Genaro re-evaluate his life and he took time off to attend college. In 1928 Genaro returned and won the NBA title by outboxing Frenchy Belanger. A year later he was coaxed to Europe and was upset in vicious fashion. In France he was caught cold and knocked out by Emile Pladner in the first round. A rematch was given six weeks later and Genaro won via disqualification in the fifth round, after which he successfully toured Europe, defeating their top boxers. The years and the bouts began to wear on Genaro and at age 30 he lost his title to Young Perez. Undisputed Champion Network online article
[8.7] FIDEL LaBARBA 94-72(15)-15-7 [Flyweight]: Undisputed Champion Network online -
The converted southpaw was a smooth boxer who used his feet better than anyone else in the era. LaBarba combined footwork with good upper body movement, becoming a great defensive boxer. He was seldom hurt and never knocked out. Not a heavy hitter, LaBarba counted on accuracy to become a champion. Came to the attention of the boxing world winning the gold medal at the 1924 Olympics. Because of his status as a gold medalist, it did not take long for LaBarba to mix it up with the best. In only his second bout, LaBarba fought Hall-of-Famer Jimmy McLarnin but came away a disputed points loser. Shorter afterward [he] defeated seasoned pro Frankie Genaro for the American flyweight title, in only his 11th professional fight. Won the world title after the death of Pancho Villa by defeating Scotland’s Elky Clark.
LaBarba never defended that title, retiring in order to attend the prestigious Stanford University. Only a year after his announced retirement, LaBarba returned and, after four years of taking on the best (split two fights with Kid Chocolate), Fidel was given a title shot against Battling Battalino at bantamweight. Battalino’s brawling style proved to be too much for the smaller LaBarba but he did manage to survive the full 15 rounds. An eye injury sustained near the end of his career caused the removal of LaBarba’s left eye. In retirement, LaBarba returned to school and got a degree in journalism. Would be rated higher but some of his best work was done above flyweight. Undisputed Champion Network online
[8.7] MICHAEL CARBAJAL 53-49-33-4 [Light-Flyweight]: Biography Base online -
Michael Carbajal (born September 17, 1967) is a Phoenix native who was a four-time world boxing champion. He is nicknamed Little Hands Of Stone, after his favorite boxer, the legendary Hands Of Stone, Panamanian Roberto Duran.
Owner of a stellar amateur record, Carbajal went to the 1988 Seoul Olympics in South Korea. He cruised through his initial bouts there, and then, in the Junior Flyweight final, he dominated his foe, only to be denied a Gold medal by the judges at the end. This decision, along with Roy Jones junior’s decision defeat, also at the final bout in the same games, was considered one of amateur boxing’s most unpopular and controversial decisions ever made.
Seventelevision audience as part of the card where Duran became a four-time world champion by beating Iran Barkley in Atlantic City. In his first fight, Carbajal outboxed another future world champion, Will Grigsby.
Carbajal followed that win with a spectacular 1 round knockout of Silviano Perez on NBC. Carbajal started raking up win after win, and in his 10th bout, he met the former WBO world champion Pedro Feliciano, Kikiriki, handling him a 10 round beating. Four more wins followed, and America began to realize that it had it's first Junior Flyweight superstar ever.
On July 29 of 1990, only 1 year, 5 months and 5 days after his debut, Carbajal faced the tough Maungshai Kittikasem, who came to Phoenix from South Korea to defend his IBF world Junior Flyweight championship versus the little strom from South Phoenix. Carbajal methodically took apart the champion in front of another NBC national audience and in round 7, after a scary combination of punches left Kittikasem laying defenseless against the ropes, the referee stepped in and stopped the fight, making Carbajal the world champion for the first time in his career.
Fame and endorsement deals from Phoenix companies and other companies that targeted the Phoenix market came along with the title for the young new champion. But with it came trouble. Carbajal began a string of six title defenses against the likes of tough challengers like Leon Salazar, Hector Patri and Robinson Cuesta. The public started longing for a fight with WBC world champion Humberto Gonzalez, AKA Chiquita. So the fight was signed for March 13 1993. Carbajal was going to become the first Junior Flyweight in history to earn 1 million dollars for a fight, and the fight had such hype that it almost resembled a heavyweight championship bout. It was the first Junior Flyweight championship bout to headline a Pay Per View event, and many Hollywood stars attended it.
Carbajal was downed in rounds 1 and 5, and he was bleeding from his right eyebrow when he blasted a tremendous right hand to the side of Chiquitas’ chin in the seventh round. Gonzalez turned sideways, and another right hand sent him flat to the canvas. He could not beat the count, and Michael Carbajal had unified the world’s Junior Flyweight championship in The Ring magazine’s fight of the year.
Soon, Carbajal could be seen around Phoenix on various ads, such as the one he did for Diet Pepsi, and a TV one he did for Emergency Chiropractors. But he ran into trouble with the police, being accused of firing shots on to the roof of a party in Scottsdale, Arizona. His family didn’t stay behind, and his sister was accused by the police of being involved in a midnight altercation at a Phoenix gas station. All this unwanted attention took its toll on Carbajal, and after two defenses, he and Gonzalez met once again, on Pay Per View at Los Angeles. This time, Carbajal was outboxed during parts of the fight and couldn’t find the right punch to end it, and so he lost a close and split decision, to suffer his first career defeat.
Carbajal next took on tough Abner Barajas, winning by a fifth-round knockout in Laughlin, Nevada, and then he was given another shot at becoming a world champion by the brave WBO world champ Josue Camacho, who came from Puerto Rico to the difficult former champion and now challenger’s hometown to defend his title. In front of another national audience, this time on ESPN, Carbajal put on a brilliant performance and won a unanimous 12-round decision over the tough as nails Camacho, who was never even rocked despite being blasted on several occasions with combinations to the head and body, and who left the ring with a record of 15-3 and six knockouts after the defeat.