On a beautiful 75 degree day on Saturday June 21st, things couldn’t be more perfect for an amazing boxing night. The crowd had started to arrive at Blitz Bar and Grill in SE Portland for an exciting night of boxing in Portland.
From the minute you walked in, one could not only see, but I swear to you, could smell and breath boxing all around! I looked in all directions and spotted USA Oregon Boxing Officials, PAL Beaverton Boxing and Knott Boxing Club members of all ages and from all places in Washington and Oregon.
Everything was happening right there and then. On one side, there was a room full of boxers warming up. At another, some were weighing in or talking to their trainers as they prepared to get on the ring and fight.
With a full room of energy, it was hard not to feel right at home. Being the daughter of a former amateur boxer, I was very much into the scene and the more I waited, the more excited I was for the first fight to get on.
As I walked to my children who had joined me for the night (yes, boxing events are amazing family events as all boxing activities are), my attention was caught by a young pugilist sitting at a chair while who I presumed and later confirmed was his trainer was bandaging his hands. This young man was excited and you could see it in his eyes. I stopped and said hello and found out he was Osvaldo Tomas from Springfield, Oregon.
I made my way through the line and finally entered the boxing area of the night. The ring was impressive and the music gave you a feeling of an adrenaline rush that for sure matched everything that those boxers were about Saturday night.
There were four tables parallel to each side of the ring. USA Oregon Boxing officials seating at each. Standing by their side was the announcer, who I have to say with his energy and voice brought the crowd into a roar when asking if we were all ready to box.
The event started with a beautiful rendition of the U.S. National Anthem and soon after, the first of 24 matches started the night. The opening fight was that of two eight year olds who were clearly ready to box and box all night. There were amazing jabs, punches and counterpunches thrown. One of them even forced the other into a rope-a-dope. For sure an exciting fight to start the night with. Officials found the fight on a split decision in favor of the blue trunks.
The afternoon continued with another match worthy of mention between Alex from Washington versus Perez from PAL. The fight started well balanced until a frontal punch on Perez landed on Alex and he started to bleed. The referee assessed the situation and gave a green light to the fight. As they continued I could hear trainers and fans in the crowd yelling things such as “jab jab!” Clearly officials saw Alex’s technique and gave him a unanimous win for a great fight.
At this point the hype was high and the boxers continued to shine. In the middle of it all the first female fight is announced. Daniela Martinez’s name is called and she steps into the ring with trainer James in her corner ready to guide.
From the minute that it started, Daniela and her corner were all about technique. Between jabs and punches, she dominated and the judges gave her a win. With sweat still coming down her face, I had the opportunity to catch up with her as soon as she got off the ring.
Daniela is a 14-year-old Portland native who has been fighting for about a year. A basketball and soccer player, Daniela has excelled in ballet and songwriting as well.
When I asked Daniela how she felt about the win, she immediately said, “It’s awesome, I am happy!” Daniela fought her opponent back in February and had lost to her so this was an important win, her first one in fact.
Daniela’s strategy was to watch, study, and learn about her contender as part of training for the fight. And while there were some moments when both fighters clinched, Daniela’s technique paid off and she took the win for Knott Street Boxing Club Saturday night.
Daniela is an only child and no one in her family has ever boxed before, certainly not another female in her family or friends on anyone close that she knows of. She is the only female boxer at Knott Street Boxing Club. She trains and spars with all her club’s male boxers every day for two hours, six days a week. That much of commitment deserves a win for sure.
She is very enthusiastic about boxing and was for sure very proud of her win. When I asked if she had any advised for any girls out there wanting to try boxing, her words were very clear and concise. “Boxing is something good. Is something you can do if you really want. A woman can do anything that a man can. If a boy tells you that you can’t, prove them wrong because in boxing, anything and everything is possible. Dreams do come true.”
Another highlight of the event was Osvaldo Tomas of Mendez Boxing in Springfield. I was privileged enough to catch him as he walked away from the ring and walked alongside his trainer towards the back.
Osvaldo was very pleasant and friendly and didn’t seem to even be bothered with the fact that his nose was dripping in blood. He was obviously enjoying his well earned win and I wanted to find out more about him and his history with boxing.
OSN: Osvaldo, how long have you been fighting for?
Osvaldo: Nine months.
OSN: How many fights have you done?
Osvaldo: Four fights total.
OSN: How many wins?
Osvaldo: Three wins.
OSN: What brings you to boxing? Why boxing?
Osvaldo: I got introduced to boxing by a friend of mine that recently passed away. His name was Carlos Perez. Carlos was fourteen and he boxed pretty much all of his life.
OSN: Congratulations on the win and I am sorry about your loss. What is your goal overall?
Osvaldo: I’d like to continue boxing and someday become a pro.
Osvaldo was obviously emotional as he shared about his friend, but it was a positive kind of emotion. One would say the kind that is a type of legacy. The kind that only a good friend leaves behind as you do the one thing that he enjoyed the most such as a boxing fight.
Osvaldo is 14 years old, a young man who will be a sophomore next year. He enjoys science and plans to further his education as well. It’s obvious to see that all of these young athletes have a strong drive and while my opinion is humble, I say Osvaldo has a great future in boxing and in everything he sets his mind on.
Overall, the host Knott Street Boxing, USA Oregon Boxing officials and their location Blitz did an amazing job. This was for sure one of those events full of energy and worth attending to witness the future of boxing right here at home. I encourage you to join them next time if you can.
For future events, please consult the USA Oregon Boxing site and if I was lucky enough to peak your interest, please mark your calendars and join Beaverton PAL Saturday, June 27 for a night of Olympic style Boxing. Doors open at 4:00 PM. For more information, visit their Facebook page.
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