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, Marcos “Bad Boy” Hernandez.
Hernandez said he started the gym about two and half years ago because he saw a need in the South Valley. With the help of his pastor, who gave him the space he needed to start the program, Hernandez built a gym in what used to be an old church. Now, instead of pews and altars, there’s just a homemade ring and a row of punching bags.
Hernandez runs a painting business during the day – but in the evening, he opens up the gym for the kids.
“A lot of kids come into the gym real poor or abused,” says Hernandez, who says opening up the gym as a refuge for troubled kids in the South Valley was his primary goal. “I have kids turning themselves into the cops with me.”
According to Hernandez he sees about 25-30 kids come in and out of the gym per day and all that he asks from them is to have respect and be disciplined. Eventually, Hernandez would like to create a non-profit organization in order to provide funding for his gym and not have to ask for any money.
“I didn’t start the gym to make a world champion, but I know I will have one soon,” says Hernandez.
One of his best amateurs is Luis David Gonzalez who is currently a high school student and is looking to turn professional in about a year. He has one professional currently under his wing, that being Leonardo Sanchez who made his successful pro debut in the Santa Ana card in April. Bad Boys’s core group of consistent boxers also include Miguel Anchondo, Jaime Hernandez, Amalio Aguirre and Carlos Rodriguez. Some of the kids that walk through the doors of Bad Boy Boxing are undocumented and Hernandez believes that if they have the heart and skills they should be given the opportunity to fight.
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