Undisputed Interview: Gabriel Ruelas

“I finally, after so many years, feel at peace with myself.” Gabriel Ruelas

I recently caught up with former WBC super-featherweight champion Gabriel Ruelas. Gabriel reigned as world champion from1994-95 and was involved in out-standing fights against fighters of the calibre of Azumah Nelson, Jesse James Leija and Arturo Gatti.

Ruelas, who retired eight years ago with a 49-7 (24) record, was considered a promising young champion when tragedy struck in May 1995 when opponent Jimmy Garcia died after suffering a prolonged beating by Gabe. The California-based Mexican was never the same again, getting stopped by old foe Nelson in his next fight.

Gabriel was also involved in The Ring magazine’s “Fight of the Year” with the ill-fated Arturo Gatti; the two gifted warriors took turns battering each other before Gabe was rescued in the fifth round of an absolute slugfest.

Still in tremendous shape at 41-years-old, Gabe suffered some dark times in retirement but is now happily working for an alcohol and mineral-water distribution company. The retired champion also helps out getting fighters in shape for up-coming contests.

Gabriel’s younger (by ten months) brother was also a world champion; Rafael was IBF lightweight champion the same time his older sibling was super-featherweight champion (Rafael would lose his crown to Oscar De La Hoya on the same bill as Gabe’s tragic fight with Garcia). The brothers shared a close bond all through their boxing careers.

Gabriel was deservedly inducted into the California boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.

Here’s what Gabe had to say.

 

1) You moved to America from a poor life in Mexico with your family. Can you tell me a little of what you remember of that time and how it affected your dedication as a fighter?
GR) Where I come from the work that I had to do was a must, it wasn’t an option. Here it’s called child abuse. Here we have child labour laws to prevent that. Here you have options. From the beginning I was hungry, with out really knowing how hard it was going to be to be a fighter. I wanted to be the best at boxing and I felt like I couldn’t do anything else. It was the only thing I felt good at and I saw and heard good feedback from people that saw me train. This was something I wasn’t used to. Hearing people say positive things about me, I liked feeling that.

 

2) You and your brother Rafael were very accomplished amateur fighters before both winning world titles as professionals. You’re both obviously very close but was there ever any competitiveness between the two of you coming up?

 

GR) Always, he was my biggest competitor. He was, because he was my younger brother, by 10 months. He wanted to follow me around in everything, like every little brother. I started fighting and sure enough, a couple of months later, he said he wanted to do it too. I told him he was too skinny so he went home and started eating more. When we would spar in the gym, we would go at it like we weren’t brothers. Joe would have to stop us before we would kill each other. We once had to fight each other in an amateur competition, because there were no other fighters. It was supposed to be an exhibition, but the referee stopped it after the first round because we were going at it too hard. They just gave us our trophies and called it a day. We were 13 and 14.

 

3) Could you talk a little about how you and your brother came to work with Joe Goosen?

 

GR) My older brother Juan used to be a fighter. He wanted Rafael and I to be fighters as well. He taught us the basics and he used to put us to spar with kids in front of the local high school. He told us the location of the gym where he used to train and what to say. That was ‘Ten Goose Boxing’. A couple of years later, when Rafael and I were selling candy in the neighbourhood I stopped by and asked Joe if I could be a fighter.

 

4) You turned pro in 1988 after a solid amateur career. You won 21 fights straight before a horrific injury saw you stopped by Jeff Franklin. How did it feel to lose your unbeaten record in that way?

 

GR) I took it pretty hard because I thought that was the end of my career. The record didn’t matter, and I never thought about it because what was important to me was my career which I thought had just slipped away. It was very hard on me especially because I had just been offered (with a victory) to fight for the world title. They told be I could be one of the youngest fighters to fight for a world title. I was 19.

 

5) Arguably your best ever night was ironically also a loss when you took on legendary Azumah Nelson in Mexico City with 130,000 fans in attendance. You boxed great, losing a close decision. Did you feel you had done enough to win and do you see this fight as the highlight of your career; fighting a legend on a huge bill?

 

GR) I definitely thought I did enough to win. It was one of the highlights of my career. I was fighting in Mexico where I was born. I was fighting for the world title for the first time and fighting one of the greats in Azumah Nelson. It was in front of such a large crowd and in front my own country so it was very memorable.

 

6) You won your next five fights by knock-out before getting your next title shot against Jesse James Leija at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. Leija had clearly beaten Nelson in his last fight, yet in a tough fight, you beat him convincingly on a unanimous decision. What are your recollections of that great world title win?

 

GR) Obviously it was the highlight of my career, more so because I was fighting the man who had beaten the man I had lost to. What a better way but to beat two in one. With my brother, months before winning the world title it was more pressure to fulfil all the expectations the boxing community had for the Ruelas brothers to both win world titles. Also the pressure came within my family to do it. I knew that this was my second shot at the title and in boxing you only get so many chances at it. When I won the title I felt that I had accomplished my dream and I could go back home to Mexico and live happily ever after.

 

7) You made a successful defence against Freddie Liberatore and looked set for a long glittering reign before your world came tumbling down with the tragic Jimmy Garcia fight. You were a champion in your prime; how hard was that to deal with in the days after his unfortunate death?

 

GR) It has been very hard for me living with what happened. I have gone through a lot in my life since that fight. I just recently found sort of the cure, shall I say. I have spent the last 15 years thinking I would never recover emotionally. Recently I co-wrote a book about my life. The book is called “El Negocio del Dolor” in English….. “The business of Pain”. In the research the co-author did interviews with Jimmy’s family and trainers. Because of that new information, something happened to me the day I read it. It was as if the weight that was pressing on my heart was gone. Now I am in the process of getting my life together, it’s a long story but thank God I finally, after so many years, feel at peace with myself.

 

8) In your next fight seven months later old foe Azumah Nelson beat you on a fifth round stoppage. It was clear to see that you weren’t right for that fight, which you admitted afterwards. Do you regret not taking more time out to get over the anguish of the Jimmy Garcia fight?

 

GR) I do, but what’s done is done. My promoter, my wife and many other people told me not to fight that fight first. But I’m a very stubborn person. We were raising money for Jimmy Garcia. I felt some pressure from all the publicity that I couldn’t stop the ball from rolling.

 

9) You regrouped from that loss with three good wins before you fought Arturo Gatti in Atlantic City. You lost in a real war, but did you feel it was stopped too quickly? You were down but in no worse condition than Arturo had been in the previous round?

 

GR) I definitely think it was stopped too early. The referee stopped the fight without giving me an eight count but yet waving it off as I hit the mat. He didn’t even give me a chance to get up and ask me if I was ok.

10) All fighters share an unspoken bond after sharing a ring together, how hard was it to hear of his untimely death two years ago?

 

GR) It was pretty sad to hear of his death regardless of the way died. That month three fighters died so prematurely. Alexis Arguello, who had called me the day before he died, we had worked commentating a few fights together. Vernon Forrest, who I knew, and of course Gatti.

It’s so strange to have so much death in a sport that is so brutal, but it wasn’t supposed to go like this.

 

11) You retired after a loss to Courtney Burton in 2003. Before the fight you spoke of winning titles again, looking back do you wish you had walked away a little earlier than you did?

 

GR) Well, as I look back, it was not the way I had hoped to end my career. Things took a turn after Jimmy and I couldn’t ever get it back on track. No matter how hard I tried or didn’t try.

 

12) You’ve been retired eight years, what have you been up to in that time?

 

GR) I am still trying to find my way. I had a rough few years, but I seem to be headed in the right direction.

My story is a good lesson for fighters or anyone else who is inexperienced in business as I was. I co-wrote a book with a first-time writer who stole my life story from me. We agreed to be partners in a book of my life called “El Negocio Del Dolor “ or “The Business of Pain” in English. When she finished the writing using my life story, my family, and my personal photos, she came up with some legal document on how she owned the book all by herself. She cut me out of my own project. She has not paid me one penny and she tells the media lies about why I am not participating. The book was originally written in Spanish and now is being translated into English. I trusted her and she screwed me over. I hope anyone out there will protect themselves from the vultures who want to prey on you and steal what is yours. Be sure you protect yourself legally and make sure to get an education so no one can do that to you.

Photo Credit:  GABRIEL RUELAS #59 – 1999 Brown’s Boxing Card