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By: Franscisco Martinez
Young undefeated Golden Boy promotions fighter Randy Caballero is the current IBF bantamweight world champion but is yet to defend it once since winning it this past October due to a nagging foot injury that won’t let him physically compete yet alone walk with out crutches. As of late “El Matador”, “Killer” has ditched the crutches and has a return date for August finally it seems the young Nicaraguan will defend his title and continue with his boxing career. Boxinginsider.com gets full details on what exactly is going on with him and his injury that seems to have healed for the moment. Here’s Randy Cabballero on his current status.
Boxinginsider.com: “Right here with Randy Caballero. So tell me about your title reign it hasn’t been the most active?”
Randy Caballero: “You know what It does bother me being the fact that I can’t get back in the ring. Trust me you don’t know how bad I want to get in the ring and being at these fights, going to all the fights and watching them seeing the action that everybody is putting on makes me want to get in the ring so bad but soon I will be back and once I comeback trust me I’m going to comeback 100% stronger, hungrier. I’m ready to wipe out this division. I just want to get back in the ring. Being a champion you want to defend it. You want to defend it with the great, top guys in in your weight class and that’s what I want to do. I won the world title. It wasn’t easy. I had to travel the world to win the title but now it’s time. I want to defend it. I want to defend it with the top guys. Mandatory, maybe grab some other titles at this weight. Giving my foot time to rest. Make sure it’s 100% percent coming back. I don’t want to walk into a fight and be 90%. I want to make sure I’m 100% and hopefully go from there”
Boxinginsider.com: “Tell me about coming up as young kid. What are some of the boxers, fellow Nicaraguenses you idolized coming up?”
Randy Caballero: “You know what there’s a lot of great fighters coming out of Nicaragua and that’s why I’m proud to walk out with the Nicaragua flag. I’m glad that they see me as another Nicaragua world champion. That’s something really big. First Nicaraguan, American to win a world title and then to be amongst all those great fighters like Alexis Arguello, (Roman Gonzalez) Chocolatito, Rosendo Alvarez, he got to stay in our house. I got to talk to him and see the way he lived his life and life of a champion and stuff like that it was something great and the other guys you know Rene Alvarado’s brother (Felix Alvarado) they’re all great. My job here is to carry that flag every single time I walk into the ring and let people know that there are great fighters out there and there are fighters that are coming up and watch out for them because they’re going to be world champions. It’s tough to stop us because we are hungry”
Boxinginsider.com: “Tell us about what you think of Roman Chocolatito Gonzalez. His career is at a very top point right now. Tell me what you think about your fellow countryman?”
Randy Caballero: “It’s amazing what he has done. You know what, after what he did in his last fight being on HBO on (Gennady Golovkin) Triple G’s card he put on an amazing performance. Something that we needed. It’s not only for Nicaragua but at least for the lower weight classes as well because nobody ever wants to watch lower weight classes. I thinks it’s like from (Bantamweight) 118lbs down people don’t really want to watch it but yet with him, me It’s putting the name out there for the smaller weight class and it makes people want to watch it. We’re actioned packed as well. We’re not just a small weight class that can’t punch. We have a punch as well. What Chocolatito is doing for the sport of boxing is making the smaller weight classes come up and he’s a threat in the sport of boxing and to be on the top pound for pound list the way he is man that’s an amazing feeling”
Boxinginsider.com: “Tell me about when you won your title and you realized that you’re now part of that history Alexis Arguello, Ricardo Mayorga, Roman Gonzalez now you’re part of that great stable that the history of Nicaragua has as champions. How did that feel, that moment?”
Randy Caballero: “You know what at the moment I won the title it hit me but it didn’t really officially hit me that I was a world champion. After I got back people started looking at me. Talking to me, hey you’re a world champion. It starting hitting me once I flew to Nicaragua. When we flew right when I won the title I landed I wasn’t with my family for 24hrs. I got back in the plane straight to Nicaragua. When I landed there man and the way they treated me. The way everybody was with me. Trust me that’s when I realized I am a world champion and they see me as a world champion. It’s an amazing feeling knowing that you have a whole country behind you and giving you that extra motivation you need to give it 110% every time I step in that ring”
Boxinginsider.com: “Now let’s talk about your injury. What is it? It’s your foot right?”
Randy Caballero: “It was my foot. It was my right foot. They found a cyst inside my bone so they had to go inside and open up my bones, scrape everything out and replace it with donor bone and I’ve been off for so long man that my last fight was in October. October’s almost up so we’ve been out for a whole year and it’s my longest lay off and it hurts being out the ring but you know what like I said my health comes first. To perform 110%. To put on a good performance for my fans. If people don’t know me, I have to be 100% at all times and that’s why I’m making sure I’m 100% before I decide to step back in the ring. My foot is getting better. I feel strong. I’m able to run now. I’m able to move. I’m sparring. I’m doing all that stuff so you know little by little I’m getting there. Like I said once I’m 110% ready you better watch out because I’m ready to wipe out this division”
Boxinginsider.com: “Thank you champ I appreciate it and good luck”
Randy Caballero: “Thank you. I appreciate it man”
Photos: Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions.
