Photos & story by Herman Delgado
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit hard around the world over the past year, and the world of sports is no exception to this virus that has caused so much pain and grief. With the various vaccines becoming available to many worldwide, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Over the past few months, several sports venues have opened up across the country, or at least loosened up the restrictions that were place when this pandemic first started. I have been to several sporting events around El Paso in the last several months, and restrictions don’t seem to be as strict. One of the local sporting events that remains in the dark is boxing. This has become a concern amongst the boxing community, and fans and fighters want to know when amateur boxing going to open up here in El Paso and surrounding areas? High school football, baseball, softball, soccer, and several college sports have opened up their events to a limited number of fans, but the same cannot be said for amateur boxing here on the Borderland.
I discussed this issue with several boxing trainers from various boxing gyms around El Paso and they are frustrated with the lack of support, marketing and promotion from the Border Association Local Boxing Committee (LBC). The LBC supervises and oversees all amateur boxing events that take place in El Paso, they are also the governing body that sets the rules and ensures the well-being and safety of all amateur boxers participating in any events here in El Paso, but still no amateur boxing in El Paso since March 2020. What’s the hold up, the Pandemic or the LBC?
Ruben Garcia, trainer at Pavo Real Recreation and the trainer of U.S.A. Boxing Team Olympian Victor Aranda Jr., is very disappointed in how the LBC is handling the situation. “The ones that are in charge within the LBC are not doing their job!” said Garcia. “We had to go out of El Paso and fight in other cities around the country, because if we would have stayed here, we would not be in the great position that we are in now…representing Team U.S.A. and a shot at a gold medal in Japan.”
I walk into a gym full of young fighters working the speed bag, jumping rope outside, and moving around the ring. You would think they were putting in the final preparations for a bout next week, but that’s not the case. Luis “Tree” Treviño, owner of Warriors Edge Boxing, is very impressed with the continuous turnout of his fighters. “In March when the pandemic hit, the city closed the gym down for three months, and even when the sanctions were lifted, parents and children were scared,” said Treviño. “It’s just so hard to get any boxing events going on…it was already bad, but it just got worse. I don’t think we’ll see any boxing tournaments this year. I just feel that the top-notch people that need to move it, just don’t move it!”
This opinion of the LBC seemed to be an opinion that other trainers concurred with. Louis Anello, trainer and owner of Pound4Pound boxing gym was also in agreement with the lack of support from the LBC. “The local LBC is responsible for supporting all the teams…they favor certain teams and certain people, and they stick to that,” said Anello. “They think they’re hurting the team or person they don’t like, but in reality, they’re hurting all the children that are training. What hurts us, is that fighters here in El Paso don’t have enough fights…you go up to the State Tournament and those kids from other cities around Texas have over 100 fights, and our fighters barely have 20-30 fights, if that. You have Jorge Tovar, Victor Aranda Jr., and Kayla Gomez competing at a national level and there’s no support from the LBC…that’s ridiculous!”
I contacted Hector Espinoza, President of the Border Association LBC, to get an insight as to what is ging on with local amateur boxing. ” We’re trying to get a ‘test event’ without a doctor, but we’re pending approval from the City,” said Espinoza. “But now since the Governor uplifted the mask mandate, hopefully we can get approval and in two weeks we should be able to hold that test event without a doctor, and after that whoever wants to put on a show can do so.” As to other sports happening around town, Espinoza said, “All these other sports taking place around the city are leagues, they don’t fall under any committees or Olympic organizations where there’s certain protocols they have to follow.” Espinoza was not in agreement as to the trainers’ opinions about the LBC. “It’s very easy to point fingers! Everybody can point fingers…what I suggest is get onboard and try to do it,” said Espinoza. “Other coaches and teams, they are the ones putting on the shows…Go to San Antonio, go to Dallas, go to Ft. Worth, the LBCs don’t put on any shows; as a matter of fact, it’s all the Clubs. Even when we put on shows nobody shows up, we actually have to get fighters from out of town to come to our events. The local clubs can say whatever they want to say, they need to put their money where their mouth is! Whoever wants to put on a show, I’ll back them up. This is the only LBC that I know of in the nation that puts up four to five shows a year. All these coaches talk, talk, talk, talk, and talk, but they don’t put their money where their mouth is.”
At this point, it looks like fighters and trainers will continue taking a standing eight-count.
