Not even Sylvester Stallone could have imagined this story: A 19-year-old boxer can’t find fights as an amateur because of his physique, so he signs on to the pros after only 12 amateur bouts. Consider that most professionals have fought 50 or 60 fights in the amateur circuit.
Who would play this star boxer? None other than the real thing: Rufino “El Animal” Serrano of Santa Maria.
Rufino is a bantamweight who started in the pros earlier this year, weighing in at 122 pounds and standing at a tall 5-foot-8 for his class.
Before he turned pro, he had started to rack up the accomplishments. He won the 2008 Golden Gloves and the 2008 Desert Showdown at Coachella, and was the 2007-2008 Police Athletic League champ.
“He had a good exposure,” said his manager, Willy Flores.
Rufino has won two fights at Chumash Casino, and has boxed at the Nokia Center in Los Angeles. His last fight against Lompoc’s Jose Luis Mares also snagged a lot of public interest.
“His last fight was the last bout of the night,” Flores said. “It was the best fight of the night, judging by the reaction of the public. The fight brought out a lot of people also because Rufino and Jose were locals.”
During the fight, Rufino controlled it, won all four rounds, and came out on top after a unanimous ruling.
On Dec. 4, Rufino will climb into the ring once again, this time with Gilbert Amaro.
“I feel confident about it,” Rufino said. “I’ve fought him before, and he doesn’t hit hard. In the last fight, I dropped him twice before. He also has no power, and no chin, so I’m gonna see if I can knock him out.”
Behind every great boxer, there is a solid foundation of supporters: “He would like to thank all of the fans in the 805 and Willy Flores,” Rufino’s trainer, Carlos Ruiz, said.
This article appears in Oct 1-8, 2009.
