The Lopez clan boxes together–including Mom!
We’ve all heard variations of that saying, “The family that plays together stays together,” right? To take it one step further, “The family that boxes together is a family…of real knockouts!”
Meet the Lopez team: father David, mom Angela and their teenage sons, David and Damien. This fearsome foursome all train together, working out in the boxing gym. Nineteen-year-old David, having competed in the amateurs, has taken a hiatus from competing for work and school. But his 
younger sibling, Damien, had his first amateur fight last year and has been boxing steadily since then. The 14-year-old has just added another victory in his passbook at an April 17th show in Thousand Oaks, California.
It’s not uncommon to hear of two brothers both being fighters, or even seeing father-son boxing duos lacing up side by side. But in this case, the whole family loves boxing and trains in tandem several times a week. If the kids say they’re “hangin’ out with the fam” it usually means hitting the heavy bags or rocking the speed bag while learning the discipline inside the squared ring.
While David and Damien compete in the amateurs, their parents train strictly for health and fitness. Angela did do some sparring in the past, but these days the svelte athlete uses boxing solely to keep her bikini-model figure.
Her husband of almost 20 years explains how they got so involved in the sport. “Me and Angela started working out together years ago,” the muscular Lopez says. “We had a little boxing gym in our garage back in 1993. All the neighborhood kids would train in our garage; it was great.”
The couple kept their passion for boxing going strong, instilling it into their two teen boys. Team Lopez is an integral part of the Burbank Boxing Club where they’ve been members for over four 
years now. They travel to many local amateur shows and tournaments including two international Team L.A. vs. Team Canada shows. Their boxing club’s founder Steve Harpst says they are all natural leaders in the group. While David trains his own son, they are all often chosen for focus mitt demos while they hone their skills in the gym too.
“Angie really inspires the girls in the class. She’s great with all the skills,” observes Coach Steve. “She’s a real inspiration to the females.”
“And David’s work ethic while training his kids is incredible; he really knows how to motivate them,” adds the trainer. “And the boys, David and Damien, are both hard-working, tough-minded good athletes. The Lopez family have been loyal team members for over four years.”
Harpst also comments that David Sr. has been a great “recruiter” in bringing new talent to the club. “He’s so passionate about boxing and really believes in its benefits,” Harpst says.
Spreading the gospel of the sweet science, the Lopez clan also participated in two recent events around the Valley neighborhood where they reside. This month, they showcased their fancy footwork and lightning-fast jabs at the Health & Wellness Fair at the prestigious Woodbury University and also at the Healthy Kids Day event at their local gym. Practicing what they preach, the Lopez gang are all adept in all things pugilistic.
And David raves about the virtues of boxing. “It’s a great fitness workout,” he says. “I like it because it’s an individual sport that they can master.” Son David has been boxing for over 10 years while Damien has been training for four years now.
“Personally, it’s a good basis for all their other sports too; it keeps them sharp! Damien plays football and soccer too, in between boxing.”
They all enjoy the camaraderie built through the club and say they have each made a lot of close friends through the sport. Damien has been competing more frequently this year and hopes to fight this weekend at trainer Fausto De La Torre’s Villa Parke show in Pasadena.
At his last competition, he had a chance to meet “The Bronx Bomber” Alex Ramos, a popular middleweight titlist who had a great amateur career as a youth. Damien was inspired by Ramos, a four-time Golden Gloves champion who can boast of a 143-9 and 92 KOs record.
The teenager loves to box and plans to continue competing as much as he can. At their last amateur show, his dad was happy with his progress inside the ropes. “Damien fought a kid who was out of Oxnard PAL, who was a good tough kid,” says his father. “It went to decision and we won by points.”
When not in the gym, the Lopezes also enjoy camping and cycling. But most of the time, they have boxing on the brain.
After all, the family that boxes together stays together!
Photos by David Lopez and Michele Chong
