Former WBC Champ Gabe Ruelas Calls Out Acelino Freitas

31.10 - Press Release: Former World Boxing Council super featherweight champion Gabriel Ruelas still has a lot of fight left him.

"I am ready to get back to where I once was," said the popular, 32-year-old Ruelas, who is 3-0 since resuming his fistic career after a self-imposed 18-month layoff. "I want to fight the best at my best weight - 130 pounds - and that is the World Boxing Association (WBA)/World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion, Acelino Freitas.

"I know Freitas is supposed to be a good, young guy who hits hard, but he has never fought anybody with my experience or talent. I would fight him in a heartbeat.

"If he is as good as they say he is, you would think Freitas would be anxious to step up to the plate against me.''

The exciting, crowd-pleasing Ruelas captured the WBC super featherweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over heavily favored defending champion Jesse James Leija on Sept. 17, 1994, in Las Vegas. He made three successful defenses before losing to legendary, future Hall of Famer, Azumah Nelson.

"I fought Azumah twice, Arturo Gatti, Troy Dorsey," said Ruelas, who is managed by Woodland Hills (Calif.)-based Steel City Boxing. "I was the underdog when I beat Leija when everybody was picking him to win. Really, who has Freitas defeated? I seriously doubt any of the other guys who Freitas has beaten could whip any of the guys I have.

"Freitas has been getting some notoriety and I can respect that, but eventually he is going to have to fight some kind of "name" fighter, somebody, say, like me, or he will never get any credibility. If I had just fought all easy opponents in my career, I would still be undefeated, too.

"If Freitas is as talented as he thinks he is, or his people think he is, I do not see why they would not fight me. Unless, that is, they are afraid he will lose.''