Caballero Promotes Boxing – 10/15/22
Congrats to Leo and Cozme, who participating at the Caballero Promotes Boxing event on 10/15/22. The event was well-organized, started on time (unlike most boxing shows), and highlighted some evenly matched bouts.
Leo Sanchez vs Daniel Curiar:
“Some of the hardest losses come from the fighters who are good but suffer setbacks in a fight world that demands a perfect record. Boxing doesn’t accommodate imperfection and that means the sport comes with a lot of frustration. People love a winner and love to part ways when an adjustment needs to be made. It is human nature for some people, and it is part of understanding the boxing world. Be aware of who is around you. Actively work to develop skills to help you with anger and frustration. Have a circle of friends who can support you when a loss comes along and who can help you think through whether you want to keep boxing or move on to new adventures in your life.”
- Lucas Ketelle, “Inside the Ropes of Boxing: A Boxer’s Guide to Boxing”
Leo Sanchez rematched Daniel Curiar and lost a decision. I’ll refrain from discussing the actual fight here, but write about the conversations that we had and lessons learned from the fight.
Similar to their first fight, this match was evenly contested. But I also didn’t sugar coat anything, I had him losing all three rounds. I told him after the bout that the degree of separation between the two fighters is very slim, but ultimately his opponent is winning close rounds because of the details.
Another lesson for Leo is that, despite taking big steps in his development over the past two months, his opponent is out there working just as hard. So while it may be demoralizing to put in so much work to only have the same end result, know that it really is just that tough to compete in this sport. Boxing self-selects only the most dedicated and driven of athletes. On the flip side, it’s a reminder to stay hungry after victory.
I also tried to keep him grounded after his first win. Yes, he looked great and his win was a culmination of a ton of hard work beforehand – which included losing 40+ lbs he gained during the pandemic. But the styles of that fight allowed him to shine, and I reminded him that not every fight will go that way. Now he’s run into an opponent that exposes the things we need to get better on.
Cozme Figueroa vs Juan Lopez
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
What a bounceback fight for Cozme. Cozme had a rough start into boxing back in August, fighting a talented fighter who stopped him in the third round. He was demoralized, but came right back to the gym for his next bout.
This past weekend was a whole different story. I had him winning all three rounds and he gave his opponent a standing-eight count in the final round. But the decision went the other way and gets recorded in his books as a loss.
I don’t really care about the decision. We know what we saw. There’s a mental hurdle to overcome after being stopped. Cozme knows what he did in there, and exorcized the demons from his last fight. This time, he was the one on the other end of the eight-count. From here, he can keep on building.
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About the Author:
Coach Ian is an ultra-marathon runner and a volunteer coach at the non-profit boxing organization, Dreamland Boxing, in San Jose, CA. He competed in boxing for both Dreamland and collegiately at UCLA. His goal is to empower all to be the best that they can be, in boxing and in life. You can find Coach Ian on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.