Doubt erased with blood and pain
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Mike Zavala does not want fighters he trains talking trash.
But there's an exception to every rule and Zavala gives Adrian Jimenez extra latitude.
"It does bother me because I teach him humility," Zavala said. "I teach him to prefer others before himself. But if it helps him, I tell him just be careful."
Jimenez may see himself as another Julio Cesar Chavez or Hector "Macho" Camacho, but admits the verbal bravado masks the doubts within him.
Jimenez has been boxing for just over a year and the junior to be at Bay City High School won't turn 17 until December.
"I pop off from the mouth a lot for a fight," Jimenez said. "I try to hide my emotions with speaking out of the side of my head. I try to hide my fear. It's just my intimidation, it's just my front, my show, my shoeshine as I will call it."
Jimenez's self-motivation has paid off as he recently won the 145-pound division at the Junior Olympics state tournament in El Paso to qualify for the USA Boxing Junior National Championships in Camp Lejeune, N.C., that begin on Tuesday.
"This is it," Jimenez said. "This is what you train for." Jimenez fought a left-hander for the first time in his opening bout at the state tournament, but won a unanimous decision after forcing two standing eight counts.
Jimenez's opponent in the championship bout had trained for three years and fought 16 times.
But Jimenez was so dominant in the final round that his headgear was splotched with blood when he left the ring.
"I did not stop throwing the whole round," Jimenez said. "There was blood everywhere. I had so much blood on me, but this time I knew it wasn't mine."
Jimenez tasted his own blood many times when he got into trouble. He weighed close to 190 pounds when he decided to try boxing and made his way to Zavala's house.
He wound up on his knees after getting in the ring and talking smack to a 125-pounder, who hit him in the windpipe.
"I was a hard-headed kid," Jimenez said. "There was anger, fear, temptation, being lost in the world. Having no career ahead of you, you get into boxing. I was amazed at how you could control your fighting."
Zavala doesn't turn away anyone who shows a desire to become a boxer.
He currently trains Terrance Woods, who was an All-American high jumper in college, and has a 7-1 record as a professional fighter.
Zavala sees the same kind of potential in Jimenez.
"I believe his self-esteem was very low because of his weight all his life," Zavala said. "He didn't get any attention compared to what he gets now. That's something we're working on to this day.
"I saw a great hunger in him. I believe he wants to be the best and I'm going to help him get there."
Jimenez did not immediately experience success, winning five of his first nine fights.
But he never stopped training and has begun to refine his skills.
"I could not accept defeat," Jimenez said. "I could not accept somebody beating me. Not at this. This is different. I fell in love with the sport. If it wasn't in my life, I don't know what I would be doing right now."
Jimenez and Zavala will be leaving Sunday to make the 20-plus hour drive to North Carolina. Jimenez trained right up to his departure.
"There's always room for improvement," Jimenez said. "I need to take another step forward. I've multiplied from where I started.
"To be better in this sport takes a lot of discipline. You can't go stuff yourself every day. You can't go party and expect to come to the gym. It's just you and him. To get better is to train better. This is the hardest sport there is."
Jimenez will move to the open division when he turns 17 and would like to fight in the Olympics before turning professional.
A win at the at the junior nationals would give him the opportunity to fight overseas.
"You have to respect this game," Jimenez said. "That guy is in the gym just like you are. And you don't know him and how hard he trains. That's why I make sure and train six days a week. I want him to get tired before I get tired. When he gets tired, I'm going to dismantle him."
Jimenez is sure to let his opponents know exactly what he intends to do to them.
Zavala would prefer a more modest approach, but he can't argue with the results.
"He's a kid who will make a lot of money in this sport," Zavala said. "He's a kid who talks a lot of trash. But he gets in the ring and backs it up."