Carlos Cuadras, one of the defining figures of the junior bantamweight “Fab Four,” has officially announced his retirement following an eighth-round TKO loss to rising prospect Tomoya Tsuboi in Tokyo. The former WBC 115-lb titleholder shared the emotional news at his post-fight press conference, saying he had entered the bout knowing a defeat would mark the end of his 17-year professional career.
Cuadras, now 37, retires with a final record of 44-6-1 (28 KOs). The loss in Japan was just the second stoppage of his career, the first coming in his unforgettable 2020 rematch with Juan Francisco Estrada.
His crowning moment came in 2014, when he lifted the WBC title with a technical decision win over Sor Rungvisai. Cuadras went on to make six successful defenses before dropping the belt to Gonzalez in 2016. Though he never managed to reclaim his title in later bids, including competitive losses to Estrada and a young Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, Cuadras remained a significant force, even reviving his career with five straight wins capped by a 2023 interim WBC title victory over Pedro Guevara.
Watch Cuadras vs. Rodriguez highlights.
Injuries stalled that resurgence and ultimately left Cuadras seeking momentum abroad. Returning to Japan, where he had been undefeated in six previous appearances, he hoped experience would carry him past the 29-year-old Tsuboi. Instead, Tsuboi delivered a breakout performance in just his third professional fight. Cuadras, gracious in defeat, said the young contender “will become a world champion.”
For Cuadras, ending his career in Japan carried special meaning. “My career began here and I will end it here,” he said, reflecting on a journey that started with Teiken Promotions and spanned more than five decades of junior bantamweight history.
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