When someone mentions the word “boxing” to you, what comes to your mind first? If you ask any one who has ever climbed into the ring, they may tell you: Boxing gloves, a squared ring,black eyes or maybe even the mental highlights of the movie series “Rocky”. Some remember the past greats such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield.
For
Houston, Texas native Pablo Cruz who is training to make his pro debut April 28th,
when you mention boxing to him his first thought is his wife.
“I was interested in boxing at first for only the cardio and conditioning. When I was younger I liked boxing, but I didn’t love it.” Cruz excludes while he takes a break from hitting the target mitts at the Savannah Boxing Gym on a unusually hot March Saturday. “I had always wanted to box since I saw Oscar versus Chavez, but didn’t have the dedication it took to be good. One day my brother told me a gym was nearby where we played soccer and I enrolled just to get extra conditioning.” He cracks a somewhat malevolent smile as he finishes the statement.
“I was interested in boxing at first for only the cardio and conditioning. When I was younger I liked boxing, but I didn’t love it.” Cruz excludes while he takes a break from hitting the target mitts at the Savannah Boxing Gym on a unusually hot March Saturday. “I had always wanted to box since I saw Oscar versus Chavez, but didn’t have the dedication it took to be good. One day my brother told me a gym was nearby where we played soccer and I enrolled just to get extra conditioning.” He cracks a somewhat malevolent smile as he finishes the statement.
“It
(Boxing) was easy for me. It seemed as if I could just do it without the effort
that I saw others force out. I would eat some papusa then literally five
minutes later be tagging guys in the ring when we sparred. I shouldn’t have
been eating before training but I just wasn’t dedicated like I should have
been.”
Cruz
a 2011 Salvador National amateur Champion and a participant for Olympic trials
says that it took the encouragement and support from two women. “my Mother and
my wife actually are the reason I’m going professional and dedicated myself to
boxing the last few years.
“They
just believed I was good enough to compete and make it. A lot of people believe
in you when they see dollar signs or just to say something positive, but they
truly believed in me. I almost quit when
my son was born, but Vanessa (His wife) didn’t let me. I was a amateur and she
didn’t want me to quit. My mother felt the same way. There had been so many ups
and so many downs but they have been there.
He
cracks the malevolent smile again when the gym speakers begin to play “Triumph”
by the Wu-Tang Clan. He is a fan and begins to move his head to the beat.
“Whenever I slacked off my wife would say “without focus you won’t go far, stay
on what your eyes is aiming at.”
You can follow Pablo Cruz on Twitter: @realpablocruz
You can follow Pablo Cruz on Twitter: @realpablocruz