This 1985 fight card featured five 6 rounds bouts including middleweights Frank Tate vs Calvin Prejean, bantamweights Orlando Canizales vs John Camoro, light heavyweights Joe Loving vs Victor Davis, super middleweights Pancho Carter vs Keith Vinning and super lightweights Mike Goudeau vs Allen Gay….as these fights took place on September 4, 1985 at the Hyatt Regency in Houston, Texas. Two of these boxers went on to be world champions and deserve their recognition in this commentary…..Frank Tate and Orlando Canizales.
Frank Tate began his professional career in December 1984…..and after reaching a record of 20 – 0…. he won the vacant IBF middleweight title by beating Michael Olajide over 15 rounds at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas in October 1987….after which Tate successfully defended his title against Tony Sibson with a 10th round stoppage in Staffordshire, England…..then he lost his belt to undefeated phenom Michael Nunn in nine rounds at Caesars Palace in July 1988.
In January 1990 at Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, Louisiana….Tate boxed Lindell Holmes for the vacant IBF super-middleweight title….while losing a close majority decision. Following the defeat, Tate moved up to light-heavyweight and defeated Uriah Grant and Andrew Maynard on a six fight win streak to set up a fight for the vacant WBA title against fellow Olympic teammate Virgil Hill in 1992….when he lost a unanimous decision. After four more wins, Tate was granted a rematch with Hill in 1994….but again lost a convincing decision. This was Tate’s last major fight, and after several victories over limited competition he was stopped in four rounds against David Telesco in his final pro bout….and would end his career with 41 wins and 5 losses.
Orlando Canizales is an American boxer who won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title and defended it for a record sixteen consecutive times….after turning pro in 1984 and was undefeated in twelve fights before meeting the 1984 Olympic bantamweight gold medalist Paul Gonzales in 1986. Gonzales defeated him over twelve rounds….but Canizales rebounded from that defeat, however, and on July 9, 1988, he won the IBF bantamweight title by knocking out defending champion Kelvin Seabrooks in the fifteenth round….after which he defended the title a division-record of sixteen consecutive times. His victims included old foe Gonzales, former flyweight champion Rolando Bohol, British champion Billy Hardy, and future champion Clarence “Bones” Adams.
In January 1995, Canizales attempted to win a title in the junior featherweight division against World Boxing Association (WBO) champion Wilfredo Vazquez….when he lost a close twelve-round split decision. He continued fighting until 1999, when future champion Frank Toledo defeated him via a ten-round split decision….as he retired after that loss.
He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on July 14, 2009….where with his parents watching, an emotional Canizales approached the podium and delivered a heartfelt speech saying…. “Boxing has taught me a lot in life — that dedication, discipline and determination will pay off in the long run and not to be easily swayed by obstacles and bumps in the road.” Any way you cut the pie….this video is well worth watching….if for no other reason than to see two future world champions in the ring early on in their illustrious careers.
