Gym Rat: MVP Boxing

Story by Gerardo Martinez Photos by Jose Leon Castillo For coach Ruben Velasco, boxing is more than just showing up to the gym; boxing is about helping kids learn about life. Velasco is the head coach of Most Valuable Pugilist Boxing team, better known as MVP Boxing. You can find the team practicing on a daily basis at the... Read More »

Gym Rat on Power and Glory Boxing

Story by Gerardo Martinez Photos by Jose Leon Castillo According to Steve Garcia, head trainer of Power and Glory Boxing team, boxing is about having heart . . . and conditioning. Garcia has been involved in the fight game for about 15 years. He began with kickboxing and trained under both Tony Sigala and Melcor Chavez, both well known... Read More »

Gym Rat: DMB Boxing

Story by Gerardo Martinez Photos by Jose Leon Castillo Located within the confines of a gated community on Albuquerque’s Westside is David Michael Baca’s boxing gym, otherwise known as DMB Boxing. “I have a small group, I don’t like to have more fighters that I can concentrate on,” Baca said during an afternoon workout session with his team of... Read More »

Warrior Boxing: 8 years and going

Story by Gerardo Martinez Photos by Jose Leon Castillo One room, one punching bag, two pairs of gloves and a dedicated coach. That’s what it took to build one of the Duke City’s long-standing boxing programs. Warrior Boxing, formerly known as Van Buren Warrior Boxing, has been in existence since 2004 when Coach Ray Zamora began the program at... Read More »

Mirabal Boxing, bottom to top

Story by Gerardo Martinez Photos by Jose Leon Castillo It takes years to get from the back stage of boxing to the big stage. Team Mirabal knows exactly about starting at the bottom when they started to train at the Westside Community Center in the South Valley of Albuquerque. “We came to Westside Community Center in 2009, thanks to Bernalillo... Read More »

Only good intentions for Bad Boy

Story by Gerardo Martinez Photos by Jose Leon Castillo  Located in one of Albuquerque’s busiest intersections, Bridge and Five Points, is one of Albuquerque’s busiest boxing gyms. It might not look like one – but just walk inside and you’ll know it is. At the helm of the Bad Boy Boxing Club is one of Albuquerque’s most decorated amateurs,... Read More »

Inside Team Tapia

Story by Gerardo Martinez Photos by Jose Leon Castillo Boxing has a revolving door policy. Tapia Boxing Academy’s founder knows that as well as anyone. “They come and go, but the ones that are serious? They’ll be here” says head trainer Chris Chavez. Chavez met former five-time world champion Johnny Tapia about 20 years ago. Two years ago, he... Read More »

Inside the TUFF Gym

Story by Gerardo Martinez Photos by Jose Leon Castillo  Boxing and academics don’t usually go hand in hand, but at The Ultimate Fighting Force (TUFF) gym in Albuquerque’s South Valley, they do. “I started this gym back in 2005 to keep the kids off the streets, drugs, peer pressure and all the other stuff that could corrupt kids in... Read More »