Young Olympic hopeful trains under Roach
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 06 Mar 2010
MANILA, Philippines - Fil-Am amateur boxing prospect Julian Santos Chua said the other day he can’t wait to report for training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles this June after graduating from Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Indiana, and begin a journey that may lead to representing the country at the 2012 London Olympics.
Chua, 18, was introduced to Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach and Buboy Fernandez by his “discoverer” Hermie Rivera at the Hollywood sweatshop last week. The Indiana Golden Gloves middleweight champion went through a mitt session with Roach, shadow-boxed and did calisthenics. Then, Pacquiao treated Chua, his mother Dr. Ronette and brother Patrick to dinner at a Thai restaurant beside the gym.
Rivera, who guided Luisito Espinosa and Morris East to world titles as their manager, said with the backing of Pacquiao’s team, the 5-9 teenager could go all the way to London if he puts his mind and heart into it.
“I asked Buboy to give it to me straight, if the kid has potential or not,” said Rivera, now based in Newark, near San Francisco. “Buboy told me he’s got potential but he needs polishing, that he’s strong and tough. But more than anything, Buboy put importance on fighting smart, using your brains in boxing.”
Fernandez, who works Pacquiao’s corner with Roach, advised Chua to work on the double-end bag in the gym. He said when Chua checks in this June, Pacquiao’s team will be ready to take him on.
“Finish your schooling,” said Fernandez. “The opportunity to box will always be there. It’s good to finish your education so you’ve got a career to rely on after boxing. Look at Manny, he still wants to earn his degree, that’s why he’s back in school.”
Roach was impressed with Chua and encouraged him to work hard, even harder than Pacquiao. “Hard work brings great things,” said Roach. “From day one when Manny first entered my gym to this day, he’s been relentless. It’s not easy but you can make history for your country if you give it your all.”
Roach told Chua he will also train heartland rock singer John Mellencamp’s 15-year-old son Hud, an Indiana Golden Gloves champion as a lightweight. Hud’s mother is supermodel Elaine Irwin.
“I haven’t met or sparred with Hud,” said Chua. “But of course, I’ve heard of him since he’s from Indiana. I was really honored to meet Freddie and I hope he can help me achieve my dream of fighting in the Olympics.”
Chua got a treat when he watched Pacquiao spar with former world champion Stevie Forbes, Mike Dallas and Abdullah Amidou that day at the Wild Card Gym. The bonus was taking dinner with the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.
“I watched Manny spar,” said Chua. “Nobody in the world is as good as he is. He’s everything any fighter would want to be. I also watched him work with the double-end bag and jump rope. Nobody works as hard as Manny in the gym. I’m just excited to be able to meet him. He really inspires you.”
As for Roach, Chua said he was star-struck.
“It was amazing working with Freddie,” said Chua. “He’s a great coach. He taught me what I need to do, told me to work hard and pointed out my strengths and weaknesses. I really appreciate the tips he gave me.”
Chua said Roach told him to work on his footwork and balance.
“I’ll be back at the Wild Card in the first week of June,” said Chua. “While I’m finishing high school, I’ll work extra hard in the gym. I’ll get a double-end bag so I can work with it in our garage. I know the secret to achieving my goal is to work hard. I want to be a champion. Even if I end up in the Olympics, I’ll want to earn a degree. After my amateur career, I’ll become a pro and if that doesn’t work out, I’ll do mixed martial arts. I’ll always have my degree to fall back on and I could also join the military when I’m done with boxing and ultimate fighting.”
Rivera said Chua has what it takes to make an impact in the ring.
“It was quite a sight seeing Freddie show Julian how to do it, the master’s way,” said Rivera. “What I found out in their brisk punch-mitt drill, his first workout with Freddie, was the kid can accomplish and execute what he set out to do as a 13-year-old growing up in the harsh climes of Indiana’s tundras.”
Rivera said Chua left quite an impression on Roach.
“I wonder if Freddie saw in Julian what he saw in Manny when Pacman first walked into the gym with Bebot Elorde’s son in 2001,” said Rivera. “We’re all excited for Julian who’ll start his hard grind to the Olympics in June while his brother Patrick reports for duty at Fort Benning, Georgia, as a recruit for the US Army Special Forces.”
ABAP executive director Ed Picson said Chua will be given a chance to prove his worth in tryouts. “Unfortunately, we lack local competition at his weight level,” said Picson. “If he’s good enough, we’ll test him in a competition before deciding whether or not to bring him to the Asian Games in November. We’ll talk about the Olympics after that.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
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