Coachella Family on the Rise
WBO NABO Bantamweight Champion Randy Caballero has steadily built an unbeaten record of 19 wins with 11 knockouts since first turning pro just three years ago. The Coachella fan favorite has made a seamless transition as amateur standout to one of boxing’s rising stars in the professional ranks.
I recently caught up with the Golden Boy fighter nicknamed “El Matador” at his younger brother Ryan’s fight held at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio. Nineteen-year-old Ryan won his bout last month and is now 2-0 as a new pro. For Team Caballero, boxing is the family business. Parents Marcos and Stephanie Caballero do a bang-up job guiding the careers of their three boxing sons, Randy, Ryan and Rommel, a 14-year-old amateur sensation. The Coachella Valley family also have an older brother who used to fight.
In the Palm Springs region, boxing has long been a hotbed in the sport, churning out tough contenders and champions like Timothy Bradley and family dynasties like Joel, Antonio and Julio Diaz. The youthful Caballero brothers hope to make their own mark in the SoCal fight game and beyond. I would say they’re definitely headed for the top with champ Randy 
wanting to lead by example as his younger siblings carve out their own success.
During our video interview, Randy, 23, spoke of the importance of leading his brothers in the right direction, as both their older bro and a role model. “I’m trying to open more doors for my brothers,” the likable young slugger told me, “and hopefully they make it even bigger than I do.”
In the boxing ring, Caballero has gone down in weight, now weighing in at 118. Earlier in his career, Randy won the WBC Youth Intercontinental Super Bantam title in 2011 but the following year began fighting at bantamweight. His last bout was against Miguel Robles on July 20 and was a KO victory for Caballero in the Round 7.
The team says they are currently working on plans for his next fight. “I want to win a world title at 118,” he says.
Who would be his dream matchups?
“I want to take on all the top names,” he replies with a confident grin.
It’s been a busy time for the boxer. The Nicaraguan-American just celebrated his birthday on September 27 and also recently traveled to Nicaragua where he received a huge hero’s welcome. And back in the desert, Randy remains a popular draw, especially in his hometown.
“It’s one of the greatest feelings ever to have my fan base come out and support me,” Caballero nods.
The Coachella athlete (trained by father Marcos Caballero) has spent many years in the gym training hard and aiming for success. He certainly has a level head on his shoulders for someone so young. While most pugs his age would be hitting the night clubs, buying a fleet of fancy cars and being a fixture in the fast lane, Randy balances his boxing training with being a new father to 7-month-old Catalina, his adorable baby girl with girlfriend Yaniva Yanely.
In fact, right before our chat, Randy was being the doting dad and taking part in diaper duty!
He is such a hands-on dad that we decided to do the interview with little Catalina balanced on her champion father’s shoulders for their first-ever “Daddy-Daughter” interview (with Lina’s pretty mom Yaniva standing nearby just in case)! Hear Randy talk about his career, the legacy he wants to build with his brothers, and what the local support of the fans means to him.
With a new baby, a career on the rise and a pair of younger brothers also pounding out wins, Team Caballero features a new generation of champs.
And what if his little girl should one day want to lace up and become a fighter herself?
He laughs and shakes his head.
“It’s a hard sport; I wouldn’t want to see my daughter go through it,” Randy begins. “BUT…If she wants to do it, I’ll support her 100%!”
Time will tell if baby Lina, who’s just beginning to crawl, will be a future knockout artist.
For now, she’ll watch her daddy Randy Caballero and uncles Ryan and Rommel do all the punching in the ring.
Check out this exclusive video with Randy and baby Lina–and keep your sights on Team Caballero!
Photos by Michele Chong