Amateur Faces Going Places

Weekend Competitions Heat Up!

Every so often I like to give a shout out to amateur boxing, a sport that most mainstream boxing fans tend to ignore or shy away from. With clunky protective headgear, larger gloves and tank tops worn, it’s not as viewer-friendly compared to the bare bones pros. Factor in the point-system scoring of the amateurs and it’s much harder to develop a loyal fan base that professional prizefighters enjoy.

That said, the sport of amateur boxing continues to thrive in the U.S.–and beyond–with legions of followers coming out to local amateur shows and tournaments that dot the country. The Southern California region has always been a hotbed of boxing; it’s easy to find a sanctioned USA Boxing show almost every weekend if you wanted to make the rounds.

Expect the sport to continue to grow as attention will only increase as next summer’s Olympic Games near. London 2012 will feature many top U.S. pugilists and it will be the inaugural year that female boxers will be allowed to compete in the Olympics.

I recently checked out a popular show held twice a year at Villa Parke hosted by trainer Fausto De La Torre and the City of Pasadena. With almost 20 bouts scheduled to take place, fans were in for a full day of boxing while fans stayed warm in the hot summer climate. “The show’s going great,” De La Torre told me as the busy coach and I surveyed the crowd. “After this show, we’re planning to have one in December to honor Canto Robledo.” Robledo was a Pasadena trainer, who though sightless after botched eye surgeries, continued to train fighters. A bronze plaque by artist and boxing trainer Steve Harpst is showcased on the walls of the Villa Parke Community Center where they boxing show took place. The artwork depicts “TNT” Robledo guiding two small youngsters.

From the tender age of eight all the way to age 28 at this Pasadena show, the amateur combatants gave it their all in hopes of adding another win to their growing list of victories. Speaking with the kids and their parents, the reason they choose to box varies. Some parents want their children to learn the skill, discipline and self defense that the sweet science provides. Others have Olympic dreams in their sights; some are convinced their youngsters have what it takes to go all the way to the pros. Honing raw talent, you never know which of the youth will make it to the top but their journey along the way will certainly shape these young lives for years to come.

Speaking with the dedicated little warriors themselves, most say they just love to fight. Inside the building, the gym was teeming with activity in every corner as mitt work and warm-ups took place. As I chatted with several amateur boxers, they told me they enjoy competing and said they have fun in the ring. Under the rules of amateur boxing, the officials keep a stern eye at the first instant of any physical harm with many warnings, point deductions and standing-eight counts issued quite liberally–and quite often.

At this particular show, there were even a couple of stunning KOs not often seen in the amateur ranks. Future star Jacy Harris from L.A. Sands was a knockout king in his bout. Trained by Anthony Sands, the 16-year-old told he was very happy with his KO performance, which impressed the crowd.

I also visited with a fourth-generation fighter, Ronnie Rivota Jr. The eight-year-old is trained by his father, Ronnie Rivota, who guided and coached pro star Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez when he was a young amateur. With Ronnie Sr. was his newest champ, baby Jocelyn Frankie Rivota (named after the “Pitbull” fighter, of course).

Rivota Jr. fought under the LAPD PAL stable. Also at the show were many surrounding cities and boxing clubs participating including the Pasadena Boxing Club, Wild Card, The Rock, Burbank Boxing Club, L.A. Sands, IFC, Gio’s, Tru Boxing, House of Venom, 818 Boxing, Fist of Gold, Jab City, Outlaws Boxing Club, Baldwin Park, Santa Fe Springs, Pacoima, Norwalk and more.

Also catching the action were former pro fighters and champions currently active in the amateur scene including ex-heavyweight champ James “Lights Out” Toney, Joey “The Pasadena Kid” Olivera, USA, AIBA official Krysti Rosario (former Everlast Women’s National Champ), Jerry “Whiteboy” Rosenberg, Ronnie “The Dragon” Essett, among others. Essett, a former Golden Gloves champ, remains an advocate of amateur boxing. The former NABF titleholder who resides in Indianapolis was visiting the West Coast to work alongside trainer Jerry Rosenberg, who just opened his gym, Tru Boxing. During the show, Essett had a great time visiting and reconnecting with faces from the past as well as meeting new amateur fighters.

And the entire crowd got their fill as many competitive–and very close bouts–took place throughout the day. There was one spirited female fight featuring Tamara Espinet vs. Melissa Quevedo. With fireworks in the ring, the audience cheered loudly in appreciations. The girls fought their hearts out with many calling this “Fight of the Night.” Pasadena’s Espinet won this battle so perhaps there will be a rematch in the future.

Another young victor at the show was Adam Lopez, 15. The Valley teen had a large group of supporters in the audience including proud mom Norma and older brother Hector Lopez, who also fights. Adam certainly made the most of his time in the spotlight as he flashed some fancy footwork and quick hand speed. Facing the tough and talented Josh Zuriga, a sizzling Lopez won his bout while wearing his lucky leopard-print trunks. And once the final bell rang, the two boxers touched gloves–and went back to being friends. Yes, amigos. Friends in opposite corners. The two boys are school mates who on this day had to go toe to toe against each other.

While half of the boxers rejoiced in moments of triumph, others suffered disappointing losses and heartbreaking defeats. They bravely performed under the bright lights, amidst shouts from the crowd, with the sound of their own hearts beating through their shirts, echoing inside their headgear. These boys and girls have still won the war just by stepping up to compete.

As I saw a few of the littlest boxers burst into tears after losing their bouts, I also noticed they recovered just as quickly. Just a couple minutes after the tears flowed, crying ceased as they calmly unwrapped their hands, enjoyed a hot dog or stuck around to cheer on their fellow boxers. In the amateur world, defeats are simply part of the learning curve and there’s always a future show just around the corner.

With courage that belies their age, these young boxers go mano y mano as they put in work. Aiming for the top, these kids and teens will continue to work toward achieving their goals and dreams in the sweet science for many years to come.

Some are born champions. Others are built through old-fashioned blood, sweat and yes, tears.

Here’s a look at some of the amateur faces going places in the Southland.

Congrats to all the boxers and see you at the fights!

Photos by Michele Chong