At The Arena in Mexicali, Mexico last night, Celestino Caballero took out local borderlands man Francisco Leal in the eighth round of their IBF/WBA super bantam title fight.

Mexicali grafter Leal was the very picture of a Cinderella story going into his first title challenge as the four year pro hadn't come anywhere close to world class prior to this surprising opportunity.

Still, Leal had proven his meddle on the highly competitive Mexican scene since a young age and could count on the Mexicali crowd to cheer him on once the bell rang.

That certainly did happen and the vociferous audience support probably helped Leal survive as long as he did against towering 5'11 tall double champion Caballero. More...

One of boxing's top super bantams, Celestino Caballero, sees action tonight at The Arena in Mexicali, Mexico, facing local man Francisco Leal.

WBA and IBF champion Caballero, 32-2 (22), rides a five year win streak into Mexicali but is coming off a narrow split decision victory over motivated South African challenger Jeffrey Mathebula in April.

The bout tonight against Leal. 14-4-2 (9), who has never been anywhere near world class competition, is likely a tuneup bout for Caballero before the Panamanian heads off for more high profile matchups once again.

On the undercard is a WBC Female super flyweight title bout between champion Ana Maria Torres, 18-3-2 (11), and challenger Ava Knight, 5-0-2 (2).

Also featured is a featherweight bout between Carlos Yanez, 17-2 (14), and Gilberto Sanchez Leon, 19-6-2 (7).

IBF and WBA Super Bantam titlist Celestino Caballero walked into the Arena Roberto Duran in Panama City, Panama on Thursday as the recognized world champion at 122 pounds but left with a tarnished reputation after winning a controversial spilt decision victory over South African challenger Jeffrey Mathebula.

Caballero started the bout well, keeping the South African at bay and controlling the pace of the contest but wasn't able to dominate the action as he had in winning the IBF belt in most recent fight against Steve Molitor in November.

Mathebula kept the pressure on, making the champion work, taking Caballero's best shots without budging. The strategy paid off when Caballero was spent by the midway point of the bout.

The freakishly tall Caballero, 32-2 (22), normally towers over opponents, usually enjoying a half foot height advantage but against Mathebula, the 5'11 Panamanian held only a narrow edge in this department. More...

Fresh off a smashing victory over Steve Molitor in a world title unification fight last Nov. 20 on Showtime, exciting southpaw Celestino Caballero of Panama will defend his WBA/IBF junior featherweight belts against mandatory challenger Jeffrey Mathebula of South Africa in the main event on a special World Championship edition of ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, April 24, on Showtime. More...

2008 was a tumultuous year for the sweet science with a lot of big fights, big triumphs and big let downs.

Some of the boxers who won truly big fights in our recently departed year include Manny Pacquiao, Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko, Joe Calzaghe, Chad Dawson, Ricky Hatton, Paul Williams, Tomasz Adamek, Carl Froch, Vernon Forrest, David Haye, Arthur Abraham, Vic Darchinyan, Daniel Santos, Antonio Margarito, Timothy Bradley, Nate Campbell, Israel Vasquez and Celestino Caballero.

Which three fighters do you think did the best job in 2008?

Send in a list of your top three to bonecrusher@fastmail.fm and we'll announce the results one week from today.

Last Friday night before a sellout crowd, it only took WBA super bantamweight champion Celestino Caballero four rounds to destroy previously unbeaten hometown favorite Steve Molitor, and to add the Canadian’s IBF 122-pound championship belt to his collection. Now “Pelenchin” wants to see which of the remaining top guns in the division are willing to step into the ring with him. More...

© Tom Casino / Showtime Boxing

In a one-sided fight from the beginning, Celestino Caballero outclassed previously unbeaten Steve “The Canadian Kid” Molitor, registering a TKO just 52 seconds into fourth round to become the 122-pound IBF and WBA world champion Friday on Showtime's ShoBox: The New Generation at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada. More...

IBF Champion Steve Molitor and WBA Champion Celestino Caballero both weighed in at 121.6 pounds for the scheduled super bantamweight title unification clash tonight from Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, televised on Showtime on the popular ShoBox series, starting at 11pm EST, delayed on the West Coast. More...

In the first 12-round world title unification fight in the eight-year history of ShoBox: The New Generation and the first to take place in Canada, undefeated IBFchampion Steve "The Canadian Kid" Molitor, 28-0 (11), and WBA super bantamweight champion Celestino Caballero, 30-2 (21), will collide this Friday, Nov. 21, from Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada, live on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast. More...

“The best is yet to come.” It’s an often-used proclamation that has been uttered for years in the sporting arena. Some competitors make good on the guarantee while others have failed to live up to the six-word promise.

When WBA super bantamweight champion Celestino Caballero uttered the popular phrase to ringside media after his 12-round victory by unanimous decision against Jorge Lacierva in Hidalgo, Texas, in August of 2007, one had to wonder if Caballero would get the chance to ever fulfill that pledge, which also happens to be the title of a song sung by Frank Sinatra in the 1960s. More...

WBA super bantamweight champion Celestino Caballero and undefeated IBF champion Steve “The Canadian Kid” Molitor will battle to unify the title on Friday, Nov. 21, from Casino Rama, in Ontario, Canada, live on ShoBox: The New Generation on Showtime 11 p.m. ET/PT. More...

The Centro Olimpico in San Juan De Los Morros, Venezuela saw Panama's Celestino Caballero retain his WBA Super Bantamweight title for the fourth occasion when former WBA Flyweight Champion Lorenzo Parra was pulled out in the 12th round with a broken jaw last night.

At 5 foot 4 inches tall, Parra was attempting to overcome the tremendous edge held by the towering super bantamweight champion, who at 5 foot 11, dwarfed the local challenger.

Initially, Parra's quickness of hand and foot allowed him to win exchanges but as he began to tire, the former flyweight kingpin became more and more hittable.

Nevertheless, Parra soldiered on and while he had his moments, Caballero was clearly winning the fight when the action was stopped due in the final round to a jaw injury suffered by the challenger. More...