“Perro” ready for Saturday’s fight!
Let’s get some of the most obvious canine references out of the way now: Yes, Alfredo “Perro” Angulo is one of the top dogs in his division who can’t be tethered. Yes, he is as fierce as his nickname dictates, with a bark not worse than his bite. Yes, it should be an exciting “dogfight” when he faces off against foe Joachim Alcine. And yes, he’s probably foaming at the mouth in anticipation of his big fight this Saturday night at Agua Caliente Casino, Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage, California.
This weekend at The Show in the desert, will Angulo be “the baddest man in the whole damn town, meaner than a junkyard dog?”
Alfredo Angulo, with his solid rectangular build, is often described as mean and tenacious in the ring, doggedly determined in his crowd-pleasing come-forward style of fighting.
He is not often described as a flexible, human pretzel.
But at his recent media workout at the Fortune Gym in Hollywood, this is the shape the 154-pounder resembled as I watched an intense stretching regimen with his new strength and conditioning coach Darryl Hudson.
Before their workout began, I had some time to chat last week with the always in-demand and always cheerful Hudson, who has worked with many boxers including Chad Dawson, Shane Mosley, Winky Wright, Chris Arreola, and Jeff Lacy. I stood nearby as Team Angulo readied for their highly-charged battle. This weekend’s showdown, promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing Promotions, will air on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark,” and features Timothy Bradley vs. Luis Abregu in the main event.
Hudson tells me he’s been working with “Perro” for over eight weeks now, putting the fighter through drills two to three times a day.
“He’s a professional,” assesses the newest addition to the camp. “He takes pride in his workout–and likes to be challenged.”
What is Angulo’s favorite part of their workout?
“The stretching,” Daryl comments, who was initially surprised by just how limber Alfredo is. “He’s REALLY flexible! He’s the most pliable one I’ve ever worked with.”
And what’s the slugger’s least favorite part of their workout?
“He wouldn’t tell me that,” laughs Hudson. “We do a lot of different things; we do resistance bands too.”
How was it coming on board with Angulo and his longtime trainer Clemente Medina as a new integral part of their team?
“It’s great with Clemente. He’s open to everything,” Darryl says as Medina wraps the hands of his famous charge. “He’s objective–and he trusts me. Clemente is probably the most underrated trainer out there!”
Continues Hudson: “He’s the lead, I follow more or less. But he’s been open to everything we’ve done.”
Speaking with Clemente at last Thursday’s open workout, the Maywood trainer says he likes the work Darryl’s done with “El Perro.”
What does he think the benefits are in adding Hudson to their game plan?
Medina holds out an arm in front of him as he motions with his other hand. “See? If the muscle is this long,” he gestures as he points out a few inches, “Then after the stretching, conditioning and other things then it will be much, much longer. It lengthens and strengthens the muscles.” He then widens his hands to indicate the progress. Many believe this will add quickness and even more power, accuracy and explosiveness to the hands and feet of Angulo.
So will the results of this new training be seen in a convincing fashion this Saturday night?
Of course, there are always two schools of thought. There are those who expound on 
the adage that fighters from decades past never worked with any conditioning experts, nutritionists, or newfangled technicians, etc., simply scoffing at this modern-day conditioning regime.
But then there are others who are convinced that these methods can only aid the boxer in gaining an edge over their opponents, that it’s not just a new cog in the wheel, so to speak.
I say whatever floats your boat. If there is a something, anything physical or mental within the rules of the sport, that helps a boxer gain victory, then why not try it?
Juan Manuel Marquez allegedly even drank his own urine to give him an edge in beating Mayweather (which he didn’t) but I guess it didn’t hurt him to try it. Kids, don’t try this one at home!
While I’m sure Angulo is sticking to Gatorade, I watched on as Hudson bended, pulled and pushed the boxer during a grueling stretching session. Stretching may sound pleasant and relaxing, but if you’ve ever taken any advance yoga classes, I’m here to tell you that this form of stretching can be extremely intense and way high on a scale of difficulty. Just check out these photos and judge for yourself.
Observing Hudson stretch “Perro’s” limbs this way and that, many moves sure looked painful. I have taken gymnastics and yoga and I was really surprised at some of Angulo’s moves with his core strength and flexibility. Sitting on the floor with his two legs outstretched in front of him, under the careful guidance of Hudson, Alfredo was able to slowly raise one leg all the way up until it brushed way past his ear and almost behind his head. Trust me, this isn’t easy. Again, kids, don’t try this at home!
I also saw Darryl position himself behind the fighter like a human straitjacket as he stretched the slugger’s neck, shoulders, back and chest like a piece of warm taffy. Some of it certainly looked painful, but some of the exercises also reminded me of a really good Shiatsu massage…very, very painful but with excellent results for both body and mind. As the hardcore stretching wrapped up, trainer Medina and Team Angulo’s Cesar Hernandez even got into the act. At the very end of Hudson’s workout, the good-natured trainer had head coach Clemente and Cesar lend a hand as they all plied on the leg of the loose and limber Angulo, who was lying face down prone on the mat while his hamstring and thigh were bent toward him at a seemingly awkward angle.
Getting somewhat of a workout himself, Hudson was even perspiring a bit after the intense stretching that took place before Angulo jumped rope and showcased his skill for the crowd. “Wow, you weren’t kidding when you told me how flexible he was,” I remarked to Darryl. “I was really shocked at how far his legs went back.”
“Oh yeah,” Darryl answered. “In that stretch, Alfredo can even go farther back! He can put his leg all the way BEHIND his head.”
That takes crazy flexibility. As we chatted some more, I told Darryl that as a kid I was able to do the splits, and sometimes after a lot of stretching and with some miraculous muscle memory, I can still do them today.
“Alfredo can do the splits too!” Hudson countered with a grin.
It’s a known fact that it’s much harder for men to do the splits than women and sometimes one side is more flexible than the other.
“Really? Which side can he do them on?” I inquire with a surprised reaction.
“Both!” laughs his new conditioning coach.
Angulo also got an extra assist without the use of any weights. Who needs a kettlebell when you’ve got your adorable 4-year-old daughter helping out her Papi! As Rebeca watched her father being stretched and twisted like a pretzel, after the end of the workout the cute tot climbed onto his back or clung from his bicep as her doting dad just smiled and chuckled.
A fan favorite, the junior middleweight often keeps a serious demeanor, rarely baring his teeth for a smile, and always means business once the bell rings. But he is also known for his likable, easygoing and warm demeanor outside the ropes. A pro for over five years now, Angulo, the current interim WBO champion, and his promoter Gary Shaw have primed the boxer for many world titles to come. This Saturday he will be fighting for the vacant WBC Continental Americas belts in this light middleweight elimination bout.
One fellow fighter who attended the L.A. workout has known the fighter for years, from all the way back to their amateur days in their native country, is Francisco Vargas, a 2008 Mexican Olympian. He got to know Alfredo even before Angulo was dubbed “Perro” by his Olympic teammates. Competing in the 2004 finals, Vargas said he and Angulo lived with the other boxers at a housing facility (like the Olympic Villages) through Comité Olímpico Mexicano. They trained and lived at these apartments for over three years, traveled around the world together through amateur boxing and still remain close friends, with Vargas even bunking at Angulo’s place the day before the workout.
So did he see any inkling of the massive success that Angulo, who will turn 28 on August 11, has already achieved in his young career?
“You can’t predict the future,” said his amigo Vargas, an unbeaten lightweight who made his pro debut in March of this year. “But when I was living with him back then, we didn’t know then he’d get such good fights–some really big fights already!”
His prediction for the upcoming Angulo-Alcine brawl, scheduled for 12 rounds?
“Alfredo’s stronger, has a harder punch and is well-prepared,” his compadre quickly answered with confidence. “It will be over before eight rounds!”
The matchup has everyone salivating, as fans can’t wait to see the scruffy “Perro” not just paw at his opponent, but win in his canine-like fierceness and in his typical growling fashion. This smart dog says he can handle the desert heat outside and the heated pressure in the ring too, even if the weather forecasts say it could reach 115 degrees in the shade. Expect fireworks on the canvas. His opponent, Alcine, isn’t exactly a walkover for Angulo. The Haitian-born boxer is multiple alphabet titlist with WBO, WBA, WBC, NABF, IBA, NABA belts won, and as the more experienced fighter at 34, should be a good test for Angulo and an action-packed battle for those in the arena.
In previous fights, Angulo (18-1, 15 KOs), a tough product of Mexicali, floored the crowd with victories over Joel Julio, Harry Joe Yorgey, Gabriel Rosado, Andrey Tsurkan, among others, with a lone loss credited to Kermit Cintron (in which the Angulo camp steadfastly maintains that their fighter was ill). Canadian challenger Joachim Alcine, with his 32-1, 19 KOs record, has more ring experience than Alfredo but the Angulo camp says they are ready for him.
“I am ready,” Angulo himself told me last week as he entered the Fortune Gym, where he often spars.
Catching up with his trainer just this morning, Clemente Medina says they’ve had a great week with Tuesday’s media workout at the Indio Boys & Girls Club and they’re looking forward to the press conference that was held today at the fight headquarters of Agua Caliente.
“Perro’s doing very good; he’s on his way right now,” the friendly coach told me. “Everything is fine here, we’ve been hanging out in Coachella and Indio. Now we’re waiting for the press conference.”
Even with the Mercury rising, Angulo’s trainer says all is going well in the desert. He then teases, “It was 110 degrees yesterday, so today’s a little better! It’s only 90 degrees today–but it’s only 9:30 a.m.”
And how is his “prized pooch” (yes, we’re back to more mutt references) doing today? With the super hot temps, does he look like, well…a dog in heat?
“He’s muy fuerte, muy rapido…y muy feo!” quips Clemente, saying the popular boxer is looking very strong, very fast and is “very ugly.”
“What? Muy feo?” I laugh.
Medina then cracks up as he says yes, meaning his guy will be fierce, mean and “ugly” in the ring.
Meaner than a junkyard dog.
Oh yeah…AND flexible as a pretzel!
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Photos by Michele Chong
Nice pic michelle! :p
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