Danny Carbajal

They took down the wooden ring in Michael Carbajal's back yard last weekend. Now, stacks of lumber lie against the back wall and the ring's outline remains etched into the ground where it stood. "It took a long time to take down," says the man who built it, Danny Carbajal, Michael's brother and trainer. "I made sure it would last."

For Michael Carbajal, the tumble began, as fighters' tumbles almost always do, with a loss in the ring. Carbajal admits he never imagined losing to Humberto (Chiquita) Gonzalez or anybody else, and it's a surer bet he never contemplated the skidding his career would take from there. Last February at the Forum, Carbajal was confused by, then beaten by, Gonzalez's stuttering in-and-out attack during their highly anticipated rematch.

Two fighters, a combined 216 pounds, two motivations. They will meet in the ring Saturday night at the Forum, but Michael Carbajal, the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council light-flyweight champion, and Humberto (Chiquita) Gonzalez have had other struggles to face. Other fights.

Two fighters, a combined 216 pounds, two motivations. They will meet in the ring Saturday night at the Forum, but Michael Carbajal, the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council light-flyweight champion, and Humberto (Chiquita) Gonzalez have had other struggles to face. Other fights.

The contract extension awarded Jim Harrick through the 1996-97 season should provide the UCLA basketball program with something it has lacked too often since the retirement of John Wooden--stability. . . . What the program really didn't need was a seventh coaching change in 19 years. . . . Now that potential Bruins can be confident they will be playing for the same coach during their entire careers, recruiting might pick up. . . .

For Michael Carbajal, the tumble began, as fighters' tumbles almost always do, with a loss in the ring. Carbajal admits he never imagined losing to Humberto (Chiquita) Gonzalez or anybody else, and it's a surer bet he never contemplated the skidding his career would take from there. Last February at the Forum, Carbajal was confused by, then beaten by, Gonzalez's stuttering in-and-out attack during their highly anticipated rematch.

Michael Carbajal stopped Thailand's Muangchai Kittikasem in the seventh round of a battle of unbeaten 108-pounders Sunday afternoon and became the first 1988 U.S. Olympic boxer to win a world professional championship. And afterward, nearly everyone was predicting this bout would be the start of something big for boxing's little guys.

Gunshots have been fired into the home of International Boxing Federation junior-flyweight champion Michael Carbajal, and both the Carbajal family and police say they don't know why. The gunfire occurred Friday and Monday, and Carbajal was home both times. No one was injured. "Everybody is kind of mad," said Danny Carbajal, the champion's brother and trainer. "Why is this going on? Who are they?" Police took a 17-year-old into custody after the Monday incident.

It was over, no doubt about it. Michael Carbajal, eyes staring nowhere and legs dead, twisted sideways into the ring ropes, then crashed to the canvas. His ponytail was matted to his back, and his left arm swung between the second and third ropes, limply reaching for balance. After four blistering rounds of absorbing Humberto (Chiquita) Gonzalez's hammering, Carbajal had to be finished 15 seconds into the fifth, and Gonzalez and everybody else watching the fight at the Las Vegas Hilton knew it.

Los Angeles junior featherweight Carlos Navarro didn't bring the Irvine Marriott crowd to its feet as he did a year ago in his professional debut. And he didn't end the fight with a flashy knockdown. Navarro did show the boxing world that he can win with workmanlike performances too. It took him eight rounds, but Navarro finally stopped a gangly but game Carlos Valdez of Phoenix Thursday night at the Marriott and raised his record to a 12-0. "He was awkward and stubborn," Navarro said.

They took down the wooden ring in Michael Carbajal's back yard last weekend. Now, stacks of lumber lie against the back wall and the ring's outline remains etched into the ground where it stood. "It took a long time to take down," says the man who built it, Danny Carbajal, Michael's brother and trainer. "I made sure it would last."

The contract extension awarded Jim Harrick through the 1996-97 season should provide the UCLA basketball program with something it has lacked too often since the retirement of John Wooden--stability. . . . What the program really didn't need was a seventh coaching change in 19 years. . . . Now that potential Bruins can be confident they will be playing for the same coach during their entire careers, recruiting might pick up. . . .

Michael Carbajal stopped Thailand's Muangchai Kittikasem in the seventh round of a battle of unbeaten 108-pounders Sunday afternoon and became the first 1988 U.S. Olympic boxer to win a world professional championship. And afterward, nearly everyone was predicting this bout would be the start of something big for boxing's little guys.

Michael Carbajal, who today becomes the first 1988 U.S. Olympic team boxer to fight for a world pro championship, was talking about his old neighborhood. Carbajal's neighborhood, 10 minutes from the gleaming office towers of downtown Phoenix, is an area of boarded-up homes, broken bottles and beer cans in the streets, and wrecked cars parked on weed-filled front yards. Carbajal, 22, grew up here. Now he is successful and makes lots of money. Scottsdale here we come, right? No. He is staying.

No retreats, few regrets, one rematch. Last March 13, Michael Carbajal arose from the canvas twice to score a seventh-round knockout of Humberto (Chiquita) Gonzalez. It was a battle of light-flyweight champions that scorched the Las Vegas Hilton ring and allowed Carbajal to retain his International Boxing Federation title and take the World Boxing Council version from Gonzalez. On a 5 p.m.