Michael Carbajal
A
title holder again, Carbajal set to try to recover his International
Boxing Federation and WBC belts against Gonzalez in a third unification
bout between the boxers. In November 1994, three months after the
Camacho victory, they met again, this time in Mexico City. Once again,
it was a split decision, and once again, Carbajal came out on the
losing end. He wouldn't give up, however, and he kept training under
the guidance of his brother Danny Carbajal, the only man ever to train
Michael.
IBF light flyweight title
He put another string of seven
wins together, against the likes of former world champion Jose Quirino,
whom he stopped in one round, and tough Mauro Salas, who lasted seven.
Then he met two time world champion Melchor Cob Castro in Las Vegas
for the vacant International Boxing Federation Junior Flyweight title.
Carbajal beat Castro by unanimous decision to claim his fourth world
title.
His third title reign lasted 22 months and three defenses,
including an eighth round knockout of tough two time challenger Tomas
Rivera, before he lost his crown again. On January 18, 1997, Carbajal
suddenly looked aged and was unable to do anything against the charges
of Colombian Mauricio Pastrana. Carbajal still made the fight close,
but lost a twelve round split decision.
After that, Carbajal
met Canada's Scotty Olson in San Antonio, Texas. Carbajal showed he
had more left than Olson did, and dominated the fight until a spectacular
right hand sent Olson down for the count in round 11.
The win
over Olson gave Carbajal a minor title, but in July 1997 in Las Vegas
once again, he was defeated by South Africa's Jacob Matlala. Matlala
handed Carbajal his first inside the distance defeat ever, stopping
the past-his-prime former world champion in round nine via cuts. Carbajal
did not fight for 19 months after this defeat.
Second comeback,
WBO title win, and retirement
Carbajal announced a comeback early in
1999. He won three bouts, including a TKO victory over former champion
Jose de Jesus, and on July 31, 1999, he took the short flight from
Phoenix to Tijuana to challenge WBO world Junior Flyweight champion
Jorge Arce, who was fighting in his hometown. Arce dominated Carbajal
for nine off the first ten rounds, but Carbajal floored the 21 year
old Arce in the sixth round. The fight moved along, and in the 11th
round, Carbajal struck Arce with a right hand that sent him into the
ropes. The referee stopped the fight, and Michael Carbajal was a world
champion for the fifth time.
