LATHROP — Earning his first Junior Golden Gloves Nationals championship belt was the crowning achievement of Matthew Guerrero’s young boxing career last summer.
Capturing his second title at the same tournament this past weekend is a stepping stone for what he hopes to be a major climb up the amateur ranks.
Guerrero, 14, won the Junior Golden Gloves title in the 119-pound class at CasaBlanca Event Center in Mesquite, Nev. Saturday. Last year’s championship was earned at 106 pounds in the 13-14-year-old intermediate division.
Guerrero admitted last year that he battled nerves going into his first bout, but as a reigning champion this time around he entered the tournament feeling like one.
“This time I was a little more confident,” he said. “This year, coming in as a champion I had extra motivation to defend it.”
Guerrero was granted a first-round bye before meeting Omar Galeana of Oregon.
Guerrero’s stick-and-move tactics proved to be too much for his two opponents, as he defeated both by decision. He locked up with Idaho native David Franco in the finals.
“I did it with my straight punches and jabs,” he said. “And I was making them miss with head movement.
“From the beginning of the championship match I could tell that the other kid was nervous. I knew I could take him.”
Earlier this summer, Guerrero claimed another title in the Central California Boxing Association Junior Olympics in Fresno.
Guerrero, now 26-12, is trying to get in as many rounds as he can before starting his freshman year at Manteca High. He graduated from Joshua Cowell School as an honor-roll student in May.
He will next box Saturday in a local show at Maddux youth Center in Modesto, and after that he will have his sights set on the Concord Cup Invitational Aug. 14-15.
Next year, Guerrero will run into stiffer competition with hopes of qualifying for the 2011 USA Boxing Junior National Championships, which is for 15- and 16-year-olds only.
The transition from three 1-minute, 30-second rounds to 2-minute rounds shouldn’t be too challenging. Guerrero has been training at Felipe Martinez’s popular backyard gym in Lathrop four to five nights a week.
After hitting mitts, bags and sparring sessions, he puts in extra-credit work by building core strength and endurance at California Total Fitness. In high school he may add a new wrinkle to his training regimen by joining the wrestling team.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Guerrero said. “It feels great to be champion again, you know. I just want to keep it going.”
Capturing his second title at the same tournament this past weekend is a stepping stone for what he hopes to be a major climb up the amateur ranks.
Guerrero, 14, won the Junior Golden Gloves title in the 119-pound class at CasaBlanca Event Center in Mesquite, Nev. Saturday. Last year’s championship was earned at 106 pounds in the 13-14-year-old intermediate division.
Guerrero admitted last year that he battled nerves going into his first bout, but as a reigning champion this time around he entered the tournament feeling like one.
“This time I was a little more confident,” he said. “This year, coming in as a champion I had extra motivation to defend it.”
Guerrero was granted a first-round bye before meeting Omar Galeana of Oregon.
Guerrero’s stick-and-move tactics proved to be too much for his two opponents, as he defeated both by decision. He locked up with Idaho native David Franco in the finals.
“I did it with my straight punches and jabs,” he said. “And I was making them miss with head movement.
“From the beginning of the championship match I could tell that the other kid was nervous. I knew I could take him.”
Earlier this summer, Guerrero claimed another title in the Central California Boxing Association Junior Olympics in Fresno.
Guerrero, now 26-12, is trying to get in as many rounds as he can before starting his freshman year at Manteca High. He graduated from Joshua Cowell School as an honor-roll student in May.
He will next box Saturday in a local show at Maddux youth Center in Modesto, and after that he will have his sights set on the Concord Cup Invitational Aug. 14-15.
Next year, Guerrero will run into stiffer competition with hopes of qualifying for the 2011 USA Boxing Junior National Championships, which is for 15- and 16-year-olds only.
The transition from three 1-minute, 30-second rounds to 2-minute rounds shouldn’t be too challenging. Guerrero has been training at Felipe Martinez’s popular backyard gym in Lathrop four to five nights a week.
After hitting mitts, bags and sparring sessions, he puts in extra-credit work by building core strength and endurance at California Total Fitness. In high school he may add a new wrinkle to his training regimen by joining the wrestling team.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Guerrero said. “It feels great to be champion again, you know. I just want to keep it going.”
