BN: Are you 100 per cent retired?
GR: It’s fascinating as a result of I’m doing a lot of commentating for DAZN, and I actually take pleasure in that and working the fights and seeing younger expertise arising. It’s onerous to not get that urge and get again in that ring, particularly when your physique begins to get well (laughs) and it’s a little simpler to leap away from bed within the morning. There are instances after I do spar with guys at [the] Wildcard [gym]. I reside half the time in Puerto Rico, so I spar with guys on the market as properly. It’s a way of life. I used to be speaking to Bernard Hopkins and Bernard says, “I see you in the gym. It’s a lifestyle, you can’t stop this.” Which is true, it truly is a way of life. The second you begin throwing these photographs or attempt to cease the photographs coming at you it simply doesn’t really feel proper.
BN: You have described Bernard Hopkins as a mentor. How essential has he been to you?
GR: I acquired to see any person that got here from my neighbourhood and make one thing out of himself from the game of boxing. He spoke about self-discipline and dedication to me from the very starting. I met Bernard after I was 18 and I used to be truly his sparring companion for the Joe Calzaghe struggle. Ever since [then] he all the time had me below his wing. He took me to camp with him. If the camp was in Miami I’d go to Miami with him, that was for the Kelly Pavlik struggle. I just about labored with Bernard from the Calzaghe struggle up till his final struggle. To at the present time we nonetheless be in contact, we’re all the time speaking with one another on the telephone or if we see one another on the exhibits. He’s a massive affect on my life not simply with boxing, however the way you handle your life, and how you reside life. I used to be very grateful to have Bernard.
I feel one of many explanation why my career lasted so lengthy was as a result of I used to be capable of study instruments and tips that Bernard used that helped him once they stated he was too outdated at 36, once they stated he was too outdated when he fought Kelly Pavlik. He mastered these fundamentals and fundamentals and the best way to management the tempo of a struggle. Even although individuals say Gabe Rosado is all the time in these war-kinda fights I do know when to manage the tempo, I do know when to relax the tempo. For occasion, the [Jaime] Munguia struggle was a struggle [in which] we have been going at it from starting to finish however there have been moments I used to be in a position to make use of my expertise and be a veteran and management the tempo and go to the physique and do little tips that I realized from Bernard that assist you final within the sport. And even the ability [of] taking a punch, there’s an artwork to taking a punch. You can get hit flush or brush that shot off on the finish the place yeah it lands nevertheless it doesn’t have an effect on you as a result of it’s not touchdown flush.
BN: What has life been like since retirement?
GR: It’s been good. I’m studying a lot of latest issues. I acquired married. I caught up with my daughters. I’ve a seven-year-old and a 14-year-old. My 14-year-old spent the summer time with me in order that was good. And studying the artwork of commentating, learning these fighters, that’s actually enjoyable. And giving these younger fighters pointers. Sometimes I really feel like Bernard Hopkins (laughs) after I’m speaking to those younger youngsters. I’m serving to them the best way Bernard used to assist me. I get excited after I see younger expertise. For instance, the man that I actually like a lot is Diego Pacheco. I’ve labored with him for the final 4 to 5 years. I’ve seen his rise; we’ve sparred collectively, and I feel he’s the longer term. I wish to see younger guys that don’t get caught up with the limelight as a result of there’s a totally different period now. You’ve acquired social media and this and that so it’s straightforward for fighters to get caught up within the limelight and the celebrity. They neglect to place within the work. And one factor about a man like Pacheco is he’s within the ring, he’s working and he’s always getting higher.
BN: You made your debut in Philadelphia the day earlier than your 20th birthday. What are your recollections of that point?
GR: My recollections from that have been I got here in at 154lbs as a result of I used to be a junior middleweight, and he [Phil Hicklin] got here in at 166. He was a massive dude. Not fats massive, he was physique builder massive. I used to be so excited, and I had offered so many tickets I used to be like, I don’t care, let’s struggle (laughs). And I keep in mind my dad acquired so scared that his imaginative and prescient went blurry. I simply clipped him [Hicklin] within the first spherical with an overhand proper and I knocked him out. The crowd went loopy.
BN: How do you sum up your career and look again on it?
GR: I take a look at my career such as you field how you reside. And for me life has all the time been a struggle. I come from North Philadelphia. It’s a violent, drug-infested neighbourhood however on the identical time you get a lot of fine issues from these neighbourhoods. You acquired tradition like Puerto Rican, and it was a predominantly Puerto Rican neighbourhood. You have all that, however everybody stays in North Philadelphia, nobody thinks outdoors of North Philadelphia. And I had a dream to struggle my manner out of it. In life you’ve acquired these challenges, you simply gotta struggle by it and that’s simply how my career’s been. I’ve all the time been the underdog. When I fought James Moore on ESPN [in 2008], he was the Olympian and I knock him down and win the struggle or what occurred with Bek the Bully. He’s knocking all people out. He has many knockouts as an novice and I knock him out. It’s simply defeating the percentages. I take a look at my career like this: Don’t take heed to individuals and what they are saying you are able to do; simply consider in your dream, be cussed, do what you gotta do and put the work in and you can also make one thing occur.
BN: What do you suppose would have occurred to you had you not discovered boxing?
GR: I used to be positively taking place the flawed path. My atmosphere, like I stated, was violent. I realized the best way to struggle as a result of in Philadelphia – to get respect – you need to struggle. I used to be road combating since I used to be six years outdated. If I didn’t discover boxing, I feel I might have went the flawed route. A number of my associates acquired killed or they went to jail. I keep in mind this one time I acquired myself into some bother within the streets and it was a massive free-for-all struggle. It was loopy. The cops acquired on the market and we have been working from the cops, and I escaped. I made it to my grandmother’s home. She had a window [that] I knew she would all the time have open, and I climbed the roof and snuck in by that window (laughs) to avoid the cops. That was the time for me the place I believed I might’ve went to jail. What am I doing? Why am I working these streets like this? I can’t do that no extra. That’s after I informed myself I’m going to the fitness center to field. I went to the fitness center and I by no means seemed again and the fitness center just about saved me. It saved me off the streets, it saved me out of bother, and it gave me a cause to remain targeted and it gave me a dream, a imaginative and prescient.
BN: What would you say was the career spotlight for you?
GR: There’s two instances that stand out for me. One was after I beat Charles Whittaker in 2012 and it ranked me primary at 154. I went on the highway that yr on NBC Sports, I used to be knocking all people out. I keep in mind like, wow, I put myself within the primary rating, the obligatory for the title. The second time could be after I reset and went with Freddie Roach and the gameplan with Freddie was I wished to get again on that massive stage, get a massive struggle, and a shot on the title. I had a aim and a imaginative and prescient and that’s once we went on that run the place we beat Jacobs – no matter they are saying (Jacobs received a break up choice in opposition to Rosado in 2020). And we did that within the pandemic in an empty enviornment. Then we acquired the knockout of Bek. Then there was that sold-out crowd once we fought Munguia, and it was Fight of the Year. I did come up quick, nevertheless it was a kind of the place I put my thoughts to this and I actually did it, we’re right here and the struggle was all the pieces we might want for as a struggle fan.
BN: When you take a look at your personal career you fought Kassim Ouma, Alfredo Angulo, Jesus Soto-Karass, Sechew Powell, Gennadiy Golovkin, Jaime Munguia, Martin Murray, Willie Monroe Jr, Joshua Clottey, Bek Melikuziev twice, Jermell Charlo, Peter Quillin….
GR: Curtis Stevens, Brian Vera, David Lemieux.
BN: Glen Tapia, Luis Arias, J’Leon Love, Fernando Guerrero… it reads like a who’s who. I counted 22 fights out of your document when the opponent was a powerful one. You should really feel monumental self-respect that you just fought so many instances in opposition to these fighters.
GR: It’s in all probability what’s outlined me and set me other than a lot of various fighters and I feel it’s the explanation why it made me a fan-friendly fighter. I used to be all the time coming into a struggle the place it was like what’s Gabe gonna deliver to the desk. Is this gonna be an upset? At the identical time, it was a reward and a curse. There’s an artwork in how you progress a fighter. So, for example, when Canelo was arising you couldn’t put Canelo in with [Miguel] Cotto. Cotto would have stopped that practice quick. It’s the expertise. You may not have a Canelo Alvarez now as a result of Cotto might have ended that. It goes on with different fighters. When I beat Charles Whittaker and was obligatory for Ok-9 (Cornelius Bundrage, who held the IBF 154lbs strap). I might have beat Ok-9. He was about 40 one thing years outdated. I used to be a higher fighter than Ok-9. But the staff I had on the time thought that a struggle with Golovkin on HBO at Madison Square Garden, shifting up in weight, was the higher transfer. Me being the younger killer fighter, “Oh, we’re fighting Madison Square Garden on HBO. Alright, we’ll fight for the middleweight title of the world. Let’s do this!” You can’t speak me out of it, however I really feel like that was a fumble with my staff the place they need to’ve been sensible and stated, he’s not a middleweight but. You gotta absolutely develop and turn into a weight. Golovkin was 30 on the time so he has his man power and absolutely developed into the load class. I used to be doing nice at ’54. Like I stated we might’ve received that title in opposition to Ok-9. I feel that may’ve modified the course of issues however once we acquired that struggle with Golovkin – and although it was courageous, and the followers have been like, wow! – I acquired beat and it acquired stopped on cuts. But that saved me caught at middleweight as a result of the ’54-pounders didn’t wish to struggle me no extra and what occurred was it took away my primary rating as a result of I moved up in weight and I not had a title struggle. I used to be kinda obligated to remain at ’60 and then it was me attempting to develop into the load class. Everything’s about timing however the factor is that might’ve damaged me, and it might’ve ended at the moment for me. I figured it out, acquired myself again, and fought for one more world title with Peter Quillin.
BN: So, that may be one in all your regrets.
GR: My staff ought to’ve dealt with that in a different way, however I don’t have regrets. At the top of the day, you gotta take accountability by yourself actions. Outside of that I feel what’s essential for younger fighters to know is likely one of the errors is after I did struggle Golovkin and I saved on combating these massive fights; you get a totally different sort of recognition and the struggle purses are extra. You’re used to having nothing. Now you bought some cash and some fame, your ego will get in the best way, you get a little distracted. Instead of placing the work in you wish to go have enjoyable, you wish to go spend some cash. And that impacts you in a struggle. You field how you reside. A number of guys suppose you solely have to coach when you may have a struggle. You have to remain within the fitness center. It’s a way of life. There was a way of life change so far as cash and some fame which kinda distracted me. It took me a while to (clicks fingers) get again heading in the right direction. That could be my recommendation to younger fighters: When that cash is available in don’t get excited simply put it away, possibly make investments it, and keep heading in the right direction and preserve the identical way of life and the identical focus. It’s a younger man’s sport. You’re fortunate to have eight to 10 years within the sport. Anything previous that’s a blessing.
BN: What does the longer term maintain for you?
GR: Right now, I’m having fun with the commentating and staying busy with that. It’s not the identical as combating nevertheless it retains me concerned and it’s a cause to return within the fitness center and preserve engaged on my craft. I can’t be sitting down ringside speaking about what this fighter’s doing flawed and I can’t throw a proper hand anymore (laughs). I gotta be certain I’m on level, too. Maybe I’ll develop into a coach sooner or later and work with fighters however for proper now I’m having fun with the commentating.
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