Local boxer headed to Michigan to compete in National
tournament
Four years ago, 12-year-old Antonio Corrales was out in front of
his house selling some extra bikes that his family had. Zeke Lopez
pulled up and offered to buy a few bikes and from there, the rest
is history.
Local boxer headed to Michigan to compete in National tournament
Four years ago, 12-year-old Antonio Corrales was out in front of his house selling some extra bikes that his family had. Zeke Lopez pulled up and offered to buy a few bikes and from there, the rest is history.
Now 16, Corrales, a slim, brown-haired boy, is a powerful boxer for the Bulldog Boxing Team, managed and run by Lopez.
Lopez has been running the Bulldog Boxing gym for 14 years and enjoys Corrales’ presence at the ring.
Corrales has a record of 28-7 in his amateur career and is 7-0 in matches this year. His latest victory, and his most memorable one, came Saturday, May 12 in Avenal when he knocked out his opponent in the second round with a body blow. With that victory he claimed the regional championship.
“Tony is a good little boxer,” Lopez said. “He learned quick.”
With the regional championship under his belt, Corrales is headed to Marquette, Mich. with the regional team to compete in the Junior Olympic National Championships. Corrales is representing the 132-pound weight class in the Central Pacific Region in the 16-region tournament.
If Corrales were to claim the National Championship Title, he would receive an invitation to join the U.S. Olympic team and travel world-wide to place such as Germany, Italy, and Mexico. He is the first boxer from Hollister to make it to the nationals since Vincent Munoz attended seven years ago.
Corrales’ coaches, Lopez and Sergio Jacquez, said Antonio has the potential to go all the way.
“Tony has a lot of power and is really fast,” Lopez said. “He is a very aggressive boxer.”
“When Antonio is in the ring boxing, he gets a look in his eyes like he is out there to kill those kids,” Jacquez said.
Corrales describes it in a different light, however.
“When I am out there in the ring, I am just trying to score more punches than the other guy,” Corrales said.
When at practice, Jacquez throws on pads and works with Corrales on his punches and footwork because, at 16, Corrales is still at a learning stage in his career.
“Some of the punches he throws even knock the wind out of me. And I am much bigger than he is,” Jacquez said. “His specialty punch is a left-hook to the body. You can not take many of those and with his power, it just knocks kids out.”
Corrales goes through a rigorous practice schedule Monday through Friday with Zeke and others at the Bulldog Boxing Gym.
In Rocky, Rocky Balboa trained in a freezer punching slabs of meat. Corrales has it a little better as he practices in a small building that used to be a packing shed. There is enough room for a small boxing ring. There is just enough room for other boxing equipment, such as bags and exercise bikes, but it is a tight squeeze.
With the sounds of gloves hitting pads and punching bags and other boxers riding on bikes and jumping rope, Corrales spends roughly two to three hours daily in the small gym working on his skills.
“We start him off with a 30-minute run, then a session of six to seven rounds of mitt work and punches,” Jacquez said. “Following that is a jump-rope session with sit-ups and push-ups to finish off the workout.”
“Corrales still has a lot of work to do and this tournament will be a good learning experience for the young boxer, even if he does not win,” Lopez said.
Corrales, even at a young age, realizes the opportunity available to him and wants to continue his boxing career.
“I have always liked boxing and I want to go pro someday,” Corrales said.
Corrales, being a kid, wants to have fun with what he is doing and enjoys different parts of boxing more than others.
“I like the sparring part of boxing practice,” Corrales said. “I like working on my punches.”
Corrales gives a lot of credit to his successes in his early career to Zeke and his other coaches, as well as his parents.
“Zeke is a great coach,” Corrales said. “He pushes me a lot and gives me a lot of inspiration.”
Corrales said that no matter win or lose, Zeke is always proud of him and that pushes him to try his best.
“I want to keep Zeke as my coach for as long as I can,” Corrales said. “His inspiration means a lot to me.”
Although Zeke helps him from the boxing point of view, Corrales’ parents are on the other side of the box pushing him just as hard.
“My mom inspires me so much and my dad is always pushing me,”
Corrales said. “There are times when I don’t want to do anything and he gets me to keep doing it and keep pushing.”
In the end, Corrales is just grateful to be able to be doing something that he loves, and that something is boxing.
“I just want to thank my parents and Zeke for training me and pushing me to always do my best,” Corrales said.
