Brothers Ruelas a Historic Act

Gabriel Ruelas had held up his end Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden, making short work of someone named Fred Liberatore.

After ringside doctors stopped the fight after two rounds, Liberatore’s face a swollen mess, Ruelas raised his his World Boxing Council super-featherweight belt, left the ring, showered, then took his place in the stands.

It was up to brother Rafael to make history, although it didn’t look like a cinch at first. By the middle rounds, Rafael’s white trunks were soaked in blood.

But the blood was not his. After losing the first round, he assumed control and took the bout to its inevitable end.

When Britain’s Billy Schwer, bleeding from both eyes, was not allowed out of his corner for the ninth round, Ruelas retained his International Boxing Federation lightweight title on a technical knockout and let the moment sink in before 5,193.

For the first time in boxing history, brothers had successfully defended their titles on the same card. The Norris brothers, Terry and Orlin, had fought together as champions in the same show last year, but Terry lost.

Rafael made sure that did not happen.

“It feels great,” he said.

“We put in a lot of years of hard work.”

After Rafael’s victory, Gabriel joined his brother in the ring and mugged for photographers.

History made, Rafael turned to the future.

Your move, Oscar.

If De La Hoya can get past John John Molina on Feb. 18, he will fight Rafael Ruelas back here at the MGM on May 6.

“I know he’s up there training in Big Bear,” Rafael said. “I hope he wins Feb. 18 so we can fight May 6. He has said it’s going to be his easiest fight. I don’t believe it. I don’t even think he believes it himself. I hope he takes it as his toughest fight of the year.”

Joe Goossen, Ruelas’ trainer, was a little more blunt.

“Now I want De La Hoya to shoot it out with Rafael, say he’ll move like Schwer did,” Goossen said.

“See if he can back up what he’s been boasting about.”

After it was over, Goossen said he was relieved to get out of town with impressive victories. He said both Ruelases and the entire camp have been stricken by flu last week.

Gabriel (38-2, 22 knockouts), who set the tone, did not appear ill when he stepped in the ring. With a no-nonsense approach, he attacked Liberatore from the outset, dropping him to a knee with a left hook in the first round.

Liberatore (20-4-1, 11 KOs) barely survived the round. He did not fare any better in the second. Gabriel opened a deep gash over his opponent’s left eye. After the round, the cut was examined by Dr. Flip Homansky of the Nevada State Commission and the fight was stopped.

“I trained for the toughest fight of my life,” Gabriel said. “It just made it easier to win. I was just too strong for him.

“It was just a matter of time, two, three, four. He was shorter than me. I could see his punches coming. I was able to counterpunch him and that’s how I won.”

Rafael did not have it as easy, but his fight with Schwer was never in doubt after the first round. The younger Ruelas (43-1, 34 KOs) got better every round. The fifth was his best, when he peppered Schwer (27-1, 21 KOs) with a flurry of combinations.

Doctors checked the cut over Schwer’s left eye between the sixth and seventh rounds, and he was allowed to continue.

Mickey Duff, Schwer’s manager, claimed his fighter was cut over both eyes by accidental head butts. But Ruelas had opened several other large cuts.

Schwer’s problem was that he wouldn’t quit.

“The doctors stopped it and we agreed,” Jack Lindsay, Schwer’s trainer, said. “He never complained about the cuts. He would have fought till his back teeth fell out.”

Schwer was later taken to the hospital to have his cuts attended to.

Rafael and Gabriel Ruelas had a better night. They were off to a celebration party at another hotel.

The first of many, they hope.

The Ruelases were not the only story.

Konstantin Tszyu, a Russian-born fighter who now lives in Australia, demolished and dethroned IBF junior-welterweight champion Jake Rodriguez. Referee Richard Steele stopped the bout at 1:50 of the sixth round after Tszyu knocked Rodriguez down for the fourth time in the round.

Tszyu, 25, took the title in only his 14th professional fight and established himself as one of boxing’s bright stars.

Equipped with a powerful right hand and poised beyond his years, Tszyu (14-0, 11 KOs) established the tempo when he dropped Rodriguez with a chopping right hand just seconds into the bout.

“I did my best,” said Rodriguez, who suffered his third loss in 31 fights.

“It wasn’t because of my heart. It was my legs. He just kept coming at me. He caught me in the right place.”

In the opening bout, Alex Sanchez (18-0, 14 KOs), retained his World Boxing Organization mini-flyweight championship with a unanimous-decision victory over Rafael Orozco.