Alhambra Youth Boxing Club Hit By Burglary
“Ring Rope Thieves” may sound like the next blockbuster opening at your local movie theatre, but unfortunately this is the harsh reality for one nonprofit boxing club in the Los Angeles area. The theft happened last week in Alhambra, California and the trainers and fighters are all distressed about this recent crime. I received a call yesterday from the gym’s owner, Rudy Tellez, who was still reeling about this incident.
“I trusted people. It’s horrible; I’m heartbroken,” says Tellez, founder of the Alhambra Youth Boxing Club. “Last Thursday, I went to the gym early. When I arrived, the door was unlocked. When I entered, I looked up and saw the ring ropes gone. It looked like a stage with four poles.”
We never pay much attention to the ropes that stretch across each side of a boxing ring, but if they were suddenly gone you would definitely
notice the void.
For Tellez, the theft of his ring ropes leaves a much larger void felt by his stable of young fighters. Tellez remains incredulous that someone would outright steal from the children, “It’s for the youth, it actually says YOUTH boxing on our sign.” I hear the disgust in his voice as he continues, “Why would anyone steal our ropes? The neighbors are all shocked, they can’t believe it.”
After filing a police report and changing the locks, Tellez hopes to get ring ropes back up soon. He worries that the break-in (and the break in sparring) will affect the youngsters in the club who were right in the midst of training for amateur shows. “We’ve got a new trainer, Joe Casillas, who worked with Antonio Margarito and Javier Capetillo. The kids love him. He had just told me the boxers are ready for competition–and now this.”
Also known as “The Mouthpiece Doctor,” Tellez is well-known in the boxing circles. He is also a World Boxing Council (WBC) Supervisor and is a fixture at various pro fights. As a trainer and manager of fighters for over three decades, his nonprofit gym helps keeps youth off the streets through the discipline of boxing. His gym is located in the San Gabriel Valley area of L.A. and is home to almost 40 young boxers.
“We try and set an example here. The kids have a clean-cut reputation,” he explains. The theft has left Tellez numb, his normally cheerful manner replaced by anger from this senseless crime. “No one has ever done anything like that before. We’ve never had any problems–not even graffiti!”
He repeats several times through our conversation: Why would anyone steal something that is there for the kids? “Even if just a spit bucket was stolen, it matters. It’s for the kids. It’s crazy. The kids always tell me, ‘We’re having so much fun.’ This is all for the kids.”
Since 1990, the amateur boxing club has provided an alternative for children looking for a chance to better themselves and their lives. Tellez has seen many success stories come out of his gym, while not necessarily becoming pro fighters. “Some of the kids have gone on to have great careers,” he recounts. “We’ve had kids go on to become attorneys, nurses, doctors and city managers.”
One boxer that started his early amateur career at the Alhambra gym is new pro fighter Walter “School Boy” Sarnoi (3-0, 2 KOs). The 22-year-old is currently in South Africa with Yonnhy Perez’s training camp. Tellez is proud of the super bantamweight’s success in and out of the ring. Sarnoi will be going back to school to earn his MBA. “Walter is a wonderful example! He worked very hard and I’m happy for his success,” Tellez comments.
The Alhambra Youth Boxing Club is a nonprofit organization and Tellez is trying to raise funds to replace the ring ropes that were plucked from his ring just a few days ago. “Ring ropes are so expensive! It could cost us $2,500 or more. Right now, we don’t have that money.
“I’ve called Johnny Flores Jr. to see how we can replace the ropes and get the ring repaired. He’s great to work with. I also want to get the word out, maybe someone knows something about this. If you have any information, please help the kids!”
Tellez is cautious about recovering the ropes. But if his ring ropes were to turn up somehow, he’d be grateful–no questions asked. For now, he’s asking the local boxing community to for any support with either leads of who might have done this to financial donations for the purchase of new ring ropes.
If you have any information, please call Rudy Tellez at 323-722-2473. Donations can be sent to: Rudy Tellez/Dental Lab, 5267 E. Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90022
Dear Sir,
I’ve been taking my son to the Alhambra gym for the past year and I’ve never encountered any problems with Mr. Tellez. Every time I’ve taken my son to the gym Mr. Tellez was there to greet us and helped us in any way he can. These are serious accusations and my question is why did you wait til now to speak out, if this was happening before, this should of been brought out a long time ago to help protect our children. You mentioned leaving your e-mail but there was no e-mail or name to contact. So who am I talking to?
After reading an article on http://myboxingfans.com/2009/05/ring-rope-thieves/ I felt it necessary to expose Rudy Tellez for the fraud he is. I am a concerned citizen and father of a former youth at his boxing club in Alhambra. Rudy is nothing more than a selfish egomaniac with only HIS interests in mind. After reading this article I found myself lost in what Rudy had to say. I have witnessed Rudy Tellez accept bribes in exchange for community service time served and charge youth BASED on the neighborhood they come from. Additionally, Rudy Tellez is RARELY at the club! When Rudy decides to show his face he is usually drunk on a cheap wine, gawking inappropriately at the teenage girls that train there. I find it funny that Rudy takes pride in having a trainer there that has been associated with Antonio Margarito. For those of you that don’t know, Margarito is suspended in California for CHEATING by putting plaster of paris on his handwraps. This further proves Rudy’s corruption. For those of you who would like more information please email me and I will put you in contact with youth and adults that have paid Rudy in exchange for community service time. It sounds like Rudy is up to no good and staged this so called “burglary”. I find it convenient that the door was magically unlocked. I recall days when I would drop my son off and he would wait outside, sometimes for hours, waiting for someone to open the gym. The gym would be chained with a padlock and the door locked with a dead bolt. I wish Rudy Tellez would have given this gym over to those who were running it properly.
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