Michael Carbajal takes on Humberto Gonzalez
On March 13, 1993, boxers Michael Carbajal and Humberto Gonzalez made history when they squared off in the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 1993 Fight of the Year by Ring Magazine and ranked #5 on Bleacher Report’s Top 5 Boxing Fights of the ’90s, this flyweight contest not only was a spectacle leading up to it but delivered on it as well to the raucous crowd estimated at 6,400 and on television.
In what was later dubbed “Michael Carbajal vs. Humberto Gonzalez I”, this fight made history at the time as it was the first ever pay-per-view to have as the main event two flyweights. The promotion of the contest was touted as “LA Explosion” because of both fighters Mexican heritage. This flyweight unification bout at the time was for Carbajal’s IBF Title and Gonzalez’s WBC title.
The build-up to this fight had even gotten to the point where they had in the ring to announce each fighter separate ring announcers as Jimmy Lennon Jr. introduced Humberto Gonzalez, while Michael Buffer had introduced Michael Carbajal.
(Pictured Above, Promotional poster for Michael Carbajal and Humberto Gonzalez)
Once the bell rang, Gonzalez set the tempo of round one with his jab and cross, hitting Carbajal as he countered. Gonzalez seemed to be elusive for Carbajal, who had trouble keeping up with him, but charging back. In the second round, Gonzalez hit Carbajal with a right that on the chin sent him to the canvas but got back up quickly.
Carbajal began landing stronger shots by the third round. Gonzalez’s ability to counter-punch Carbajal’s seamlessly would be the ebb and flow throughout most of the fight. By the end of the third, Carbajal sported a solid cut over his left eye.
Gonzalez and Carbajal continued exchanging punches in the fourth round, but Gonzalez was getting the better hand of these exchanges. However by the fifth round, Gonzalez was able to knock down Carbajal again earlier in the round with a right, but was able to get back up. Carbajal was able to rally back and land punches on Gonzalez, who was showing signs of fatigue by the end of the round and a nasty swelling on his left eye for his troubles.
Carbajal started to take control of the sixth round, landing power punches to the head and increasing the swelling around the left eye of Gonzalez.
By the seventh round, both fighters were looking for that one punch to end the fight as they both exchanged shots. During one of these exchanges, Carbajal quickly landed a right uppercut to Gonzalez’s,which caused him to stagger back only to be held up by the ropes. Seemed to be out on his feet and for a moment but was called a knockdown by referee Mills Lane. As Gonzalez was dazed couple of seconds, Carbajal took advantage and moved in, adding a left to Gonzalez’s face that would send Gonzalez down on his back. Gonzalez was counted out, giving Carbajal the win by knockout.
These two future Hall of Famers would battle each other two more times in with Gonzalez winning the next two, but neither one able to capture the excitement or action as this one.
