A local stay-at-home dad recently became a state boxing champion.
Juan Rodriguez, 22, of the Union City Boxing Club, won the 152-pound Open Class title after defeating Charlie Williams of Vernon, N.J. at the Feb. 27 tournament at the Renaissance Hotel in Elizabeth, N.J.
“I trained really hard for this fight,” said Rodriguez last week. “This tournament I knew I had to win. This tournament was my tournament.”
Rodriguez is now eligible to compete in the three-day regional tournament at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. this May. Boxers from the tri-state area, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts will fight for a chance at the national competition.
“I am very excited,” said Rodriguez. He added that he has been waiting a long time for this opportunity, and that all the sacrifices along the way have been well worth it.
“If you don’t have dedication in boxing, you are not going to make it anywhere.” – Juan Rodriguez
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“That’s the hard part about boxing, the dedication,” said Rodriguez. “You have to have that dedication. If you don’t have dedication in boxing, you are not going to make it anywhere. When you leave this gym, that’s when your dedication begins.”
Rodriguez lives in Union City with his wife, two sons, and one daughter.
Change of diet
Not only is he relentless in practicing his moves with his coaches Joe Botti and Henry Munker, Rodriguez said he has also given up eating some of his favorite foods in order to stay slim.
“We used to eat a lot of take-out, so that was the hardest part for me,” said Rodriguez. “I love food. I like to eat.”
Now, his breakfasts are usually a banana or bowl of oatmeal, his lunches consist of a chicken Caesar salad, and for dinner, he eats grilled chicken, plainly cooked vegetables, and a baked potato.
Southpaw with inspiration
The advantage to being a light boxer, he said, is speed. He said he also benefits from being left-handed.
“Everything is the opposite for the other guy,” said Rodriguez. “I do everything opposite that they do. I am slick. I am trying to bring back Whitaker style.” He explained that Pernell Whitaker, a retired world champion and southpaw fighter, has been an example for him.
Rodriguez said he has been boxing since age 11 but has gotten more serious about it in the past four years.
“Fighting is my hobby,” he said. “The aggression, the adrenaline. It’s like a roller-coaster ride.”
His dad, who used to box but never turned pro, wanted Rodriguez to pick up the sport as a way to stay busy and out of trouble.
“He wanted to get me to stay out of the streets,” said Rodriguez. “This kept me out of a lot of trouble. I love to fight. In the streets, all I did was fight.” He added that boxing is not for everyone, but it could certainly help a troubled kid get focused on something positive.
“It changed my life a lot,” said Rodriguez. “I think more now about what I do. I always think about my family first. It just helped me out a lot. It made me more focused on what I want to do in life, and now I have a career because of boxing.”
Rodriguez said he plans to turn pro this spring, but first, he said, he has to lose a bit more weight.
“I got to be 147 lbs when I turn pro, and just train hard and get ready, work my way up the ladder,” he said.
He added that he dreams of becoming a world champion some day and that when he is done with being a fighter, he may consider coaching.
“You got to always give back to the kids,” said Rodriguez.
He said he is grateful for his coaches. “They help me out and I just go in there and do what they taught me.”
Amanda Staab can be reached at astaab@hudsonreporter.com.