Nineteen-year-old boxer Daniel Ramirez of Mesquite Nevada is hoping to display his skills during an intermission in the Art Of War 7 No-Gi Grappling and Submissions Challenge this Saturday.
Ramirez has been training at the Trench Tech Gym on the seventh floor of the Marianas Business Plaza since early July and is looking for a worthy opponent in the weekend event. He will complete the last month of his training before returning home on Sept. 5. When he gets home, Ramirez plans to get his professional boxing career rolling.
Ramirez is a former two-time Golden Gloves champion in the 152lb division, which is his walking weight, and wants to drop down to the 141lb division upon his transition to the pro-level.
Ramirez has also won multiple junior Golden Gloves events and even represented the USA in the Junior Olympics, where at 14 he made it to the finals in the U16 division.
He has been boxing under the watchful eye of veteran coach Don Rawson since he was nine years old.
Notably, Rawson has offered his expertise in the sport on Saipan for many years.
Rawson brought another one of his fighters, heavyweight Elmer Rivera, over for a training camp a couple years ago and thought Ramirez would also benefit by working with the Trench Tech family.
“This is an awesome experience for me because being here somewhat out of my comfort zone has made me focus solely on my training and I have been getting a lot of work done since my arrival. I really appreciate all of the hospitality that I have received from everyone and have made a lot of friendships. The Trench Tech family welcomed me with open arms and I am very thankful for all the support,” said Ramirez in an interview last Monday
Being from a desert, naturally Ramirez enjoyed spending time at the beach for some swimming. He also tried an array of different Asian-style cuisine, which is different from all of the fast food and Mexican food that he is accustomed to back home.
Though training is still his main focus, he plans on getting in some hard earned R&R before his departure such as a trip to Managaha.
In addition to boxing, Ramirez is also a talented long distance runner. As part of his training, he has also been taking part in some local running events. Since essentially showing up out of nowhere, Ramirez won the Silver Streak Fun Run and then took the torch in Hyatt Run For A Cause and won another fundraiser fun run for a local fire station.
Back home in Mesquite, Ramirez is a professional marathoner and participates in about three events every year. He also won the 3A-Cross Country Regional event during his senior year of high school.
“I love running, which is good because it's an important part of my conditioning routine, but ever since I was a little kid I have always wanted to be a boxer. Ten years ago, I told myself that I want to be a world champ and to this day, I still have my eye on the prize,” he said.
Ramirez credits his father for always supporting his athletic aspirations.
Meanwhile, AOW7 is being organized by Trench Tech Purebred Promotions and will be held this Saturday from 10am to 4pm in Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
Admission costs $5 and only $10 per competitor, per division.
So far, a total of about 40 participants have already signed up in seven weight classes and slots are still available.
Guam fighters are also expected to appear in the show and challenge defending heavyweight gold medalist Mylo Lassiter, lightweight gold winner Shane “Pika-Boo” Alvarez, Mark “The Dark” Nuique, and “The Flying Cockroach” himself, Cuki Alvarez.
Marianas Elite's Kelvin Fital, Vince Pua and Maitai Charley, and Team Haga's Jordan “The Jungle Boy” Ogo of Tinian are also expected to suit up, while veteran Giovanni “Palaksi” Sablan is expected to return to the mat.
The weight classes include flyweight (100-125lbs), bantamweight (126-135lbs), featherweight (136-145lbs), lightweight (146-155lbs), welterweight (156-175lbs), middleweight (176-204lbs) and heavyweight (205lbs and up).
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