“Little Hands Of Stone” Michael Carbajal waved his fists in the air to salute the crowds that surrounded him on Tuesday as a street sign was unveiled in his name in downtown Phoenix.
Several hundred clapped and cheered as the fighter, who won silver at the 1988 Olympics and who went on to have a decorated professional career, winning 49 fights and losing just four, while scoring 33 stoppages, addressed his fans.
Carbajal’s street sign is now on the corner of 9th Street and Fillmore.
Carbajal told those in attendance that he had been inspired by his father on his journey, which saw him make history along with Humberto Gonzalez as the first junior flyweights in history to earn $1m each and headline a pay-per-view together.
Carbajal was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006, having won the final four fights of his career, which was rounded off with a victory over Jorge Arce to capture the WBO light flyweight title.
Using a microphone to make himself heard yesterday, Carbajal said: “Whatever it is, boxing, football, any athletics, any work, anything, all you’ve got to do is believe in yourself and love yourself. You go to that mirror every morning and say, I love myself. Keep doing that every day and I guarantee you it’s going to get louder and louder. It’s all about love.
“I thank you all. Thank you for giving me all of your love, because I give it right back. Thank you.”
The Phoenix City Council voted unanimously on March 19 to add Carbajal’s name to the street just a few hundred feet from the house where he grew up and began his boxing career by training in his backyard. Carbajal, now 56, still lives there.
“Good or bad, you’ve always been there for me,” Carbajal told his fans. “When I was fighting and you were there, I could step into the ring and know that I wasn’t going to get my ass whipped on that day.”
Photo Credit: David Galaviz
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