Boxing is a sport that requires tremendous personal motivation and discipline. Local boxer Manny Flores counts on these traits to bring him success in the ring. Only boxing for three and a half years, the lightweight fighter is determined to move up through the ranks.
Flores said he knew he could find success in the sport after he beat a champion fighter. Most of young fighter’s competitors have been fighting for a lot longer than him.
Flores, currently a freshman at Allan Hancock College, said he got involved in boxing after he was removed from the track team for grades.
“I think it all happened for a reason. It ended up being a blessing in disguise,” he said.
The fighter is preparing for the annual boxing show being held at the Minami Center on Dec. 14. According to Flores, there will be food, drinks, and amateur fights in the ring. Flores’ goals for 2014 revolve around moving up a weight class, placing at the Golden Gloves tournament in March, and moving up the amateur fight ranks, of course.
Because boxing is a year-round sport, Flores trains six days a week and exercises twice a day.
“It is a lot of sacrifice,” he said. “But every day I am trying to improve—there is no plateau.”
Part of what draws Flores to the sport is the vibe he gets from the crowd; the adrenaline rush comes from being in the ring and testing your will against that of another person. Sometimes, before a fight, Flores said he gets little butterflies in his stomach, but after the first punch is thrown the nerves disappear.
“I try to stay relaxed and listen to my gramps,” Flores said. “He always says we’re in the hurt business—you have to win by any means.”
Flores’ grandpa, Willie, is also his trainer and the owner of Central Coast Boxing gym. The former boxer and longtime instructor has been training his grandson since he started boxing. The young Flores said his grandpa is a man of many quotes. One in particular that the junior boxer abides by is “do unto others before they do unto you.”
“He tells me that before almost every fight,” he said.
The fighter said his grandpa has greatly inspired him and taught him how to respect others and to stay disciplined.
“To be a boxer, someone has to be strong minded,” Flores said. “If you have the will power to get up and do it, you can achieve success.”
The fighter knows that he can accomplish great things in boxing. What sets Flores apart from other boxers are his hard work ethic, quick learning skills, and determination.
This article appears in Dec 12-19, 2013.