In some athletes, talent is evident right off the bat. For longtime boxing trainer Willie Flores, he saw it in Brandon Gutierrez the moment the 12-year-old stepped foot into the Santa Maria Boxing Club.
“I saw him hitting the bag and the way he was moving and the way he handled himself,” Flores said. “I right away recognized that he’s a natural.”
Gutierrez, a southpaw, showed so much skill right away, he jumped into his first fight after just two weeks of training—for most young boxers, it takes months. Also unusual is the fact Gutierrez already has nine amateur fights under his belt in just a year and a half in the sport, boasting a 7-2 record. Three of his wins have ended in referee stoppages.
“He’s very quick, and he grasps the tricks of the trade very quickly,” Flores said of his fighter. “He’s able to throw some good combinations. He’s able to avoid getting hit. He’s just very smooth in the ring.”
Flores called Gutierrez an “outlaw” who likes to dance during bouts.
“He’s just a ball of fire,” Flores said.
“This guy is hyper. I don’t know what it’s going to take to slow him down, but that’s just his nature.”
While Gutierrez has yet to win a belt, he’s already battling some of the best fighters the state has to offer. Starting out at 65 pounds, the growing fighter has moved up to the 84-pound class, making the transition through different divisions seem effortless.
At this rate, according to Jesus Zamora of Central Coast Boxing, Gutierrez could potentially have 100 amateur fights under his belt by the time he’s 18, uncommon for a Central Coast fighter.
Flores, who likes his fighters to have as much experience as possible before turning them pro, said he’d like Gutierrez to fight once a month as an amateur. He plans to enter him in the Junior Golden Gloves and is currently preparing Gutierrez for his next fight: Sept. 25 at Santa Maria’s Minami Center.
This article appears in Sep 16-23, 2010.