By Craig Daly: Gabriel Rosado has announced his retirement following his loss last weekend in Las Vegas. The 17-year pro Rosado (26-17-1, 15 KOs) feels like this is a good time for him to hang up his gloves after his long career in the sport.
Although Rosado lost his rematch against Bektemir Melikuziev last Saturday, he feels he could have won if he’d had made it boring by “fencing” him from the outside all night long. He didn’t want to do that because it would have been a dull contest, and that’s not what Gabe is about.
Interestingly, Rosado says he wouldn’t take a fight with Edgar Berlanga if it were offered to him now. Of course, if he were to be offered crazy money, we could see the Philadelphia native back inside the ring. That would be an ideal fight if Gabe were offered the right deal by Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.
According to Celebrity How, Rosado’s net worth is estimated at $5 million, which makes walking away from the sport a little easier than for a fighter with less money.
Rosado has lost his last four fights since 2021, but he’s faced quality guys throughout that string without any breaks for confidence-booster-level opposition.
If Rosado does stay retired, he’ll be remembered for his fights against Gennadiy Golovkin, Jaime Munguia, Bektemir, Danny Jacobs, Peter Quillin, Jermell Charlo, Joshua Clottey, Kassim Ouma, David Lemieux, Alfredo Angulo, and Willie Monroe Jr.
“It’s a wrap because I got to be honest with myself because I really, really had a good camp,” said Rosado to the DAZN Boxing Show when asked if he would come out of retirement if offered a lucrative fight against unbeaten super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga.
“The fight is hard physically, but mentally it’s more draining,” said Rosado. “I think the way the media is, the promoters, and that when fighters lose, they feel it’s over. So to bounce back, it takes a lot of mental strength. I’m just thankful that I had that ability and that God kept me strong and I was able to have a long career. A lot of ups and downs but I had a good time,” said Rosado.
“I think I forced the action in the fight. I think Bektemir [Melikuziev] was hesitant. I could have played fencing with him all day, and it would have been a really boring fight, but I was really trying to win the fight. So I was pressing the action and trying to find an opening for a counter, but he beat me to the punch.
“The heart is there; the will is there. It’s 18 years of wear & tear. It’s not too many fighters that can say they walk away after 18 years as a pro and still have their health. I’m just blessed that I have my health, I have my kids, and I’m healthy. I can just move on to the next chapter.
“My next chapter is building my gym up, working with fighters. I like to help fighters out. Maybe get on the management side. I always enjoyed the commentating, and calling the fights. Just staying involved in the sport in that way and really helping the fighters.
“My best performances? I think my fights with Sechew Powell and Charles Whitaker. I think the Munguia was a great fight after being at 168 for so long and dropping down to 160 to fight a young, hungry dude and to put on the kind of fight that we did. I came up short, but I think it was a great fight. I think it was Jaime’s best fight yet.
“Obviously, the knockout of Bektemir. He beat me, but I still got him. That one isn’t going nowhere.
“He was on his back on his hands and knees and crawled. I was like, ‘He surrendered.’ I’m thinking the ref is doing this [waving it off],” said Rosado about his fight against Maciej Sulecki in 2019. That fight was crazy.”
