Hollister boxer Matthew Bribiescas hasn’t fought in almost a
year, but not even a little downtime has made the 14-year-old
fighter any less confident.
”
I feel good. I feel well prepared,
”
said Bribiescas, who noted his previous fight came sometime late
last year.
”
It’s been a long time.
”
HOLLISTER
Hollister boxer Matthew Bribiescas hasn’t fought in almost a year, but not even a little downtime has made the 14-year-old fighter any less confident.
“I feel good. I feel well prepared,” said Bribiescas, who noted his previous fight came sometime late last year. “It’s been a long time.”
But Bribiescas’ long layoff should very well end this weekend. The junior fighter is expected to travel to Bakersfield PAL Center for the Central California Silver Gloves Championships, where Bribiescas could see his first fight of 2009.
“I’ll just stay calm and see how they do, see how the other boxer does in the first round,” he said. “In the second round, I’ll know what to do.”
Although he’s been staying sharp with frequent sparring sessions, staying in shape with three-mile runs from his Riverside Road home to the Bull Dog Boxing Gym on Gibbs Road, Bribiescas’ lack of amateur fights in recent months could be a result of the poor economy.
With a shortage of funds preventing local fighters from making the trip to distant tournaments in the first place, it’s often the case, for when Bribiescas is in attendance, he’s the only boxer of his weight and experience to be there.
“It’s been hard for us to go anywhere,” said Zeke Lopez, owner and trainer of Bull Dog Boxing Gym in Hollister, where Bribiescas trains. As of Tuesday, Lopez said they were $200 short of the funds needed to travel to Bakersfield.
But a trip south should guarantee Bribiescas ends his long layoff. An “open-ended” tournament, Lopez said, the Silver Gloves championships pair fighters of similar weight, similar age, but not necessarily similar experience, which should allow the freshman at San Benito High School to finally see some action.
“And he’s looking very good,” Lopez said. “He throws his punches real good and is putting his power behind them.”
Often Bribiescas, who weighed approximately 105 pounds on Tuesday, has difficulty finding opponents of a similar weight, but who also boast four years worth of experience.
“I’ve weighed in, but there’s been no fights for me,” Bribiescas said.
The Hollister fighter is expected to take advantage of the tournament’s open-ended status, though. With experience not being a factor, Bribiescas will see fighters of similar age and weight this weekend, but perhaps few will have his knowledge or know-how in the ring.
“But I’m expecting to see some good fighters over there,” he said. “There will be people (to fight), and I’m not nervous at all.”
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For more information or to donate funds, call Zeke Lopez at (831) 207-3828.
