By Adrian Hernandez: Good things come to those who wait. Most prize fighters dream of an opportunity to showcase their talents on a big stage, but very few actually get that chance.
Still at a young age in the boxing world, undefeated bantamweight prospect Jerry “El Chicanito” Guevara has waited his turn for a moment to display his talents. Since turning pro back in 2008, the 21 year old fighter has only fought six professional bouts in his young career. That’s not an accurate indication of the young man’s willingness to step foot in the ring.
“El Chicanito” is considered one of the most disciplined and hard working fighters to come out of the Rio Grande Valley. However, due to opponents avoiding the young prospect and a sinus problem that required surgery, Guevara has not had as many fights as originally anticipated, given that he spends his life in the gym training.
At times, very few trainers can give a good honest report of their fighters’ work ethic. This is not the case for the Brownsville, TX, native’s trainer Robert Campos. The veteran coach has always felt that Jerry would be something special in the boxing game due to the dedication he displays everyday in the gym.
“Jerry is one of those fighters that a trainer loves to be involved with. He always gives 100% in training and really focuses on the task at hand. He’s always in shape ready for whatever big opportunity may arise. At times it does get frustrating for him to not be able to show the world the skills that we work so hard on in camp, but I can only continue to spread words of encouragement that his time will indeed come. “
That time is now. After scheduling problems that prevented Guevara from stepping in the ring this past Saturday November 5th, a bigger and more difficult fight is now on the table. “El Chicanito” (6-0,5KO’s) now finds himself in a battle of the undefeated prospects as he takes on Juan Miguel Elorde (10-0,4KO’s) of the Philippines.
“First of all I really want to thank God for giving me this opportunity,” said Guevara. “This is something I wasn’t expecting at this moment. My fight for last Saturday was cancelled, but my mentality was to keep on training and training. Monday comes along and my coach asked me if I wanted to fight in Las Vegas this Friday. I said wow, let’s do it! This is a great opportunity that has come up and I feel that I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in my career.”
The bout with the Elorde is indeed going to be a tough one. Most up and coming fighters will not put their undefeated records on the line against another undefeated fighter with more fights under his belt. Jerry and trainer Robert Campos insist they are not afraid to step up the competition.
“After sitting down with Jerry and talking about this fight he told me, ‘I’m ready. I want to step up on the competition.’ This is a perfect opportunity to go fight in Las Vegas and get some exposure because who knows; you never know who might see us and something good can come out of this,” said Campos.
“We don’t know much of our opponent, but what makes me feel confident is Jerry’s amateur background. He’s been in there with some of the best and he continues to do well in sparring and over all training.”
Guevara is a fighter who is fortunate to have speed, power, as well as boxing skills and knowledge. Coming up in boxing, he has had the tutelage of his older brother, who also is a fighter, as well as highly touted prospect Sergio “Time to Shine” Perales; who serves also as a sparring partner.
Another great asset to Guevara’s team over the years has been the help of world renowned journeyman Emmanuel Augustus.
“I’ve learned a lot from my brother and watching Sergio fight. I’ve gained a lot of experience as well with the help of Emmanuel and following his career. I feel like they’ve all helped me prepare for what is to come in the future.”
Exposure is crucial in the fight business if you hope to have a bright future. However, getting that exposure is not always easy and only comes with time. Friday November 11th, Jerry “El Chicanito” Guevara will get his chance to showcase his talents on the undercard of the Magdaleno-Lucero event at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is to be televised on Fox Deportes.
This fight is sure to be a crowd pleaser, adding much more to the stakes; at the end of the night, one fighter’s “0” must go!