Orlando Canizales Interview Part II
By Boxing Reporter and Writer Chris Cercola
Former bantamweight champion and International Hall of Famer Orlando Canizales continues his interview with Chris Cercola.
Orlando talks about his fights with Clarence “Bones” Adams, Puerto Rican sensation Wilfredo Vasquez Sr, Brooklyn’s Junior “Poison” Jones, great trainer Jesse Reid, tough Charlotte, NC native Kelvin Seabrooks, and so much more!
Before you know, I won the NABF. I remember Armando Velasco, I remember that he knocked me down, I got up and I stopped him. I don’t remember what round I stopped him but the referee stopped the fight, but it was a good fight and he was a tough guy but, ya know, I wasn’t gonna let this opportunity go, I was on a winning streak and I said, “This is my time”. It was such a great feeling being the North American Champion, I was around maybe 20 or 21, something like that and I was just so excited and happy that I was NABF champion.
After that I won the USBA, Louis Curtis fought my brother Gaby first by a couple of months and he went the distance with Gaby so I expected a tough fight from him, and after I knocked him down, I said, “This is my opportunity!”, I was ready and in great shape. That’s the thing about me, in every fight I was ready to go. I caught him good with an overhand right and after that it was over… My brother Gaby is strong and he hits hard ya know, he has that strong punch, and he could not knock him out, and I was able to knock him out! I was surprised that I was able to do that, so I was going there to win, but I got the knockout, so you know it came natural.
After that fight, it opened doors for me I mean they offered me the fight with Kelvin Seabrooks and I took that opportunity when my only goal was to be a world champion. I knew that I was ready, and I felt good about it Kelvin Seabrooks was a tough guy. He was a tough fighter, he never backed down. He was a tough guy, he took some good shots and took a lot of punches. I have a lot of respect for him, but it was my time, and I felt I was the better fighter and I was in good shape, and like I said, that was my goal and I wasn’t gonna let it go slip away. The first fight with Seabrooks was tougher than the second one. The first fight built my confidence, I knew that I could beat him. My confidence was a little bit better I had defended my title already, and I was just confident that I could beat him again.
I never slacked off, because I know every guy wants something that I have, and that’s the title belt, ya know, so I know I have to work hard for that but I would try to improve after every fight. I would get better fighting in Billy Hardy’s home town, that was a tough fight. The people, Billy fought for his people and every time, I knew I would hurt him, but he never gave up, he would just fight back… I mean, I hurt him several times, but he put a lot of effort… He put extra effort into that fight, and it was a tough fight… I couldn’t see with one of my eyes for the last two rounds… One of my eyes was just shut closed, it was a tough fight, a close fight, but I knew the second time around was gonna be different.
I always wanted to travel over in Europe, and it was an opportunity of a lifetime. For any title defenses I would prepare to the best of my ability… That guy, he took a lot of punishment I hit him with a lot of good shots and I was amazed that he took some shots, but that guy was a tough guy! I mean he took a lot of blows and he went the distance and not many guys went the distance. But everywhere I went, they were friendly people… Monte Carlo was amazing… Wow. I was just impressed with their culture. I was just impressed with being over there, it was just nice being over there.
‘Bones’ Adams was a very clever, fast guy, took some good shots. He was younger than me, he was fast and quick but my pressure and my skills and my power overcame all his speed and quickness…
18 defenses is a great accomplishment. We were shooting for that record after maybe our 12th or 13th title defense. I was eyeing that record, and after I broke that record, I decided to move up in weight and challenge for another title, win another title. It’s a great accomplishment but you know, records are meant to be broken and… ya know, it might take a while… They say somebody might… I guess with time, somebody would, will be able to break it, but hopefully not right? (laughter)… But, you never know, like I said, records are meant to be broken… There is something that I’m very proud of, excited that I never lost my belt… I mean I gave it up to move to another weight class, no one could ever say they beat me and took my belt away from me.
It was a little bit hard for me making weight. I have to admit, it was tough the last year or so. It was a little hard for me making weight yea… That’s another reason why I moved to another weight class. Wilfredo Vazquez, I mean this guy… At that time, he was the strongest guy I ever fought because he was -a strong guy… I took some shots but I… It was a close fight, but I guess I didn’t do enough to pull it out. He was the champion, I was the challenger, and I guess I didn’t do enough.
It was great fighting at Madison Square Garden back when it was the Mecca of boxing. That’s where the great fights were in, the great fighters who fought there, it was just nice to be in New York, and nice to be fighting in Madison Square Garden, and especially fighting a local guy in Junior Jones. It was really exciting fighting at Madison Square Garden. I don’t wanna take away nothing from Junior Jones, I mean the guy is a good fighter, he’s taller than me, he’s quick, he’s strong, he could punch with that right hand. He hurt me like once or twice, he stumbled me, he never knocked me down, but he hurt me several times, but also, he kept grabbing me, he held me a lot… He was just a better fighter that night.
Fighting in Philadelphia was exciting. I saw Matthew Saad Muhammad there, one time I was getting ready, and he said, “Look at this,” and he had a Hall of Fame ring and he said, “Someday you’ll get one of these”, I was like, “Yeah okay…”… I wanna thank Russell Peltz, he was the promoter of those shows and I loved fighting there…I fought Frankie Toledo last there…
There’s so many things I want people to remember… Me winning the championship, breaking the record, and recently I was inducted into the Hall of Fame… That’s the ultimate goal… I mean, not the goal, that’s the ultimate recognition someone can get… I have three kids, I’m working with kids. For most of my life, boxing, it’s my life and I work for the city of Laredo. There’s a boxing gym that’s named after me, or my brother and I, where I train kids, and that’s what I like to do. I’m still involved with boxing and I love it and that’s what I do.
I keep in touch with Jesse Reid, sometimes… Well, I have his son on Facebook. He always wanted to help his father Jesse Sr., so we were real close together and we worked real close together all along. My sons don’t like boxing, the sport… I really appreciate it I don’t want to make it too boring but I really appreciate it… it’s always nice, it’s always an honor to talk about boxing, stuff like that and boxing has always been my life for almost 30 years. Started at the age of 10 ya know, and then retired close to 33, I’m still involved in boxing. Boxing will always be my life. If I can make a difference in one kids life, it is very gratifying and then also make a difference to the youth here in Laredo to overcome obstacles by helping them I find it to be very gratifying for me.
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