Last weekend's bout in Pasadena didn't go as planned for Turlock boxers Christian Palacio and Oscar Cruz. They will compete in the 2024 California Golden Gloves Tournament, but each lost in a close decision in their opening round. Although they returned home this week without their championship belts, both young men have nothing to lose and are proud of what they accomplished in and out of the ring, no matter what the judges say that day. Should.
Cruz, 22, of Rise Above Boxing Club, was the first of the two to enter the ring on Saturday. For 139-pounder Carlos Aroche (Mission, Calif.), Aroche simply had too much volume. For most of the fight, it seemed like every time Cruz landed a punch, Aroche returned two or three punches. Cruz started the fight by putting pressure on Arosh from the beginning, and the two ended up exchanging blows in the middle. Aside from Alosh's bulk, his landing also seemed to be a little cleaner.
Minutes later, Palacio, 24, competing at 156 pounds from Truth Boxing Gym, also saw his opponent raise his hand, but there was more debate over the decision. Facing Daniel Mercado (Pomona, Calif.), Palacio defended well against Mercado's punches before being knocked down for much of the bout and did enough to secure the win and advance into the bracket. It looked like. In each of the three rounds, Mercado was stuck either in the corner or against the ropes when Palacio chose to take a shot. However, at the start of each round, Mercado fired a flurry of big shots, all of which were blocked or didn't land cleanly. Perhaps the judges were misled by the amount of punches Mercado threw, rather than the shots that actually flew.
It is natural that the two young men are disappointed with this result. They return to the gym in Turlock on Saturday with a coach determined to correct the mistakes they believe were made inside the ring. If you talk to either of these men, their trainers, or their families, you'll know that they will do everything they can to get back on the biggest stage in amateur boxing in California.
Their mindset is a result of everything they've been through up until this past weekend. Palacio suffered a crushing defeat in the Olympic qualifiers six months ago, and then fell seriously ill around New Year's Day, forcing him to stop playing for several months. Meanwhile, Cruz is just six months removed from major surgery after dislocating his knee during a sparring session. Yet here they were, each engaged in an entertaining battle under the bright lights.
In the sport of boxing, today's professionals and their greatness seem to be defined solely by their records. Many of today's boxers refuse to take on the opportunity to face major challenges out of fear that losing to their records will thwart their chances at world championship. In sports, the best should always face the best, even if the odds are against them. In the case of boxing, that's the beauty of local tournaments like the State Golden Gloves. But no matter what level you compete in sports, especially martial arts, the outcome can be decided by someone other than the competitor: the referee, or in the case of boxing, the referee.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “to judge” as “to form an opinion by carefully weighing and testing assumptions.” Opinions are subjective and are a person's own interpretation of what they are analyzing. Because Palacio and Cruz have been through everything, they shouldn't be discouraged by Saturday's judge's ruling. For fans and readers, these two young men and their accomplishments should not be judged by what is on Saturday's scorecard. They're not overhyped or underperforming boxers. Rather, they are the best players in their respective divisions in the city, county and Central Valley region and should be celebrated as such.