[8.5] ORLANDO CANIZALES 57-50(37)-5-1: Boxing4Free online - Sweet Science online -
Orlando Canizales is a former world champion, that was born & raised in Laredo, Texas. In fact, he still resides there. He has an excellent amateur record of 108 wins and 12 losses. Canizales’ professional career lasted 15 years, from 1984 to 1999 and in that time he compiled a record of 50 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw. Canizales has never been stopped in his career which is due to both his solid chin and excellent
Orlando Canizales has won both the NABF and USBA titles before fighting for the IBF Bantamweight title against against Kevin Seabrooks in 1988. Canizales defeated Seabrooks by stopping him in the 15th round and acquired his first world title in the process. He would go on to defend the title 16 times. Canizales would give up the IBF belt and leave the bantamweight division to challenge Wilfredo Vazquez for the WBA Super Bantamweight title. Canizales lost a split decision to Vazquez.
Orlando Canizales would go on to fight for another 4 years, winning a few more titles along the way and ending his career as a featherweight. He got inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009. Many of his fights can be found on YouTube. Boxing4Free online article
He may have been overshadowed by the likes of Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker, but throughout the late eighties and early nineties, former bantamweight kingpin Orlando Canizales was one of the world’s best fighters and, in this writer’s opinion, is one of the most under-appreciated technicians of all time. At his best, Canizales’ level of skill and technique were truly breathtaking …
Quite simply, Orlando Canizales was the epitome of a defensive-offensive fighter and nowhere was this more apparent than in his counterpunching ability. A master of parrying and countering, evading and countering and also simultaneously evading and countering, Canizales was highly proficient in drawing out an opponent’s attack and taking advantage of the resulting opening …
Along with the likes of Joe Louis, Ray Robinson, Jose Napoles, Julio Cesar Chavez and Juan Manuel Marquez, I consider Orlando Canizales to be one of the finest practitioners of combination punching that I’ve seen (yes, I believe he was that good at it). Sure, others have hit with more power, and others may have rallied off their combinations with more speed, but in terms of economy of motion, directness, allowing each punch to flow naturally into the next and the thought process behind each punch, Canizales was one of the best. Sweet Science online article Lee Wylie 4 April 2013, ‘A Master-Class from Orlando Canizales’
42) Wilfredo Gomez Lost SD Points 12: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Wilfredo Gomez 7 January 1995 WBA Super-Bantamweight San Antonio Texas: [r1] … Canizales is the faster fighter … Good right hand [Vazquez] … [r2] … Good right hand by the champion [Vazquez] … [r3] … Lead left by the champion … Canizales fighting a smart fight … [r4] … A good right hand [Canizales] … again … good counter right [Vazquez] … [r5] … Vazquez has picked up the tempo … an interesting fight … [r6] … Very calm, very cool [Canizales] … still pecking away … [r7] … Big left hook [Canizales] … Good right hand by Vazquez … [r8] … The crowd very restless … Canizales definitely hurt the champion … [r9] … Right hand thrown over the top [Canizales] … good uppercut … [r10] … Left jab [Canizales] … Good left hand by the champion … [r11] … Vazquez starting to back up … [r12] … I’ve got Canizales ahead by one point … another close round … Canizales has been the aggressor … [116-115 Vazquez, 115-113 Vazquez, 117-113 Canizales] US fight commentary