Michael Carbajal’s Brother Pleads Guilty

by TK Stewart

Wire services are reporting that Danny Carbajal, 56, the former trainer and manager of his brother, Hall of Fame boxer Michael Carbajal, plead guilty Wednesday to one count of fraudulent schemes and two counts of theft.  His plea was entered in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Arizona and he could face up to 37 1/2 years in prison.

In a complicated scenario, Carbajal is accused of unlawfully transferring land and property that was jointly held by him and his now deceased wife, Celia, who was shot to death in 2003.

Prosecutors put forth a case that said Carbajal submitted paperwork with false information to a divorce court and listed only one of the joint properties on the paperwork.  After the divorce, Carbajal and his daughters used false identifications to deed all the properties to him over the course of three years.

Michael and Danny Carbajal were once a dynamic duo that stormed through amateur and professional boxing together, but since Michael retired in 1999, both have had brushes with the law and problems with the police.

Michael won the Silver Medal in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and turned professional in 1989. 

As a pro, Carbajal competed in the light flyweight division where the weight limit is only 108 pounds.  But that never stopped him from pulling down heavyweight money or engaging in wildly entertaining fights.  Carbajal became the first fighter from that division to ever garner a $1 million purse.  His March 1993 unification fight against Humberto Gonzalez was voted The Fight of the Year. 

Carbajal won several world titles during his 10-year professional career and he was the toast of the lighter weight divisions. He is largely credited with brining notice and attention to the lighter weight fighters when the nation was transfixed on the heavyweights and Mike Tyson. 

Carbajal retired in 1999 with a record of 49-4 (33)KO and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of fame in Canastota, New York in 2006. 

Danny coached his brother all of the way and they had a close bond.  Often in the corner their conversations were more like father and son than trainer and fighter.  Many remember the concerned look that Danny would have on his face as he watched his brother battle in the ring.

Since Carbajal retired in 1989, both have kept somewhat active in training fighters in the Phoenix, Arizona area but they never came close to repeating the success that they had together.

News reports over the past few years have had Michael Carbajal involved in several scrapes with local police but they have been mainly alcohol-related issues and disputes.

Danny Carbajal is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25th.