Senior Enrique Blasco was 7 years old when he began his boxing journey, without realizing how far it would take him. Now, Blasco spends his spare time in the ring or training kids on how to improve their technique.
“I used to get bullied all the time as a kid and didn’t know how to deal with it,” Blasco said. “So my mom signed me up for MMA classes.”
Soon after these lessons, Blasco said that he was able to stick up for himself and the bullies stopped messing with him. Blasco no longer uses his skills to defend himself, but mainly to prosper in the ring and inspire children to stick up for themselves.
Besides boxing training, Blasco likes to implement weight lifting and calisthenics into his workout routine. His dedication and hard days of work have paid off, as he has become a boxer with a record of 5-1 in his high school career.
To make weight for his fights, Blasco sticks to a strict diet, which solely includes certain things such as protein, fruits and vegetables. On fight days, Blasco’s routine is strictly planned out.
“When I have a match, I have to weigh in, and then the next day is when I fight,” Blasco said. “The fight card that I’m on will determine what time of day I fight at.”
Blasco’s journey into boxing was inspired by Conor McGregor, the popular Irish mixed martial artist and professional boxer.
“Conor McGregor was a great inspiration for me, and I couldn’t stop following everything he did,” Blasco said. “I started boxing because I loved watching him.”
With his training camps from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the weekdays and 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the weekends, it wasn’t always easy balancing schoolwork with his boxing career. He explains that he has adjusted to his difficult routine over the years and it has now become a second nature to balance both his schoolwork and boxing.
But for Blasco, the sacrifices are worth it in order for him to step into the ring and experience the exhilarating feeling he gets when he’s eye to eye with his opponent.
“The thing I love the most about boxing is being in the ring and getting that feeling of the lion coming out of you,” Blasco said.
Blasco has excelled in the ring by maintaining a calm and collected attitude and never falling under pressure. Through all this, he has discovered his passion for teaching the sport to younger generations.
“I’ve been teaching kids for 8 years, starting when I was 12, and I teach 3-year-olds until they are adults,” Blasco said. “It brings a lot of joy to me because I help make a child into a better person.”
Blasco’s impact goes beyond his personal accomplishments, as he has created a lifestyle in mentoring younger boxers and teaching kids at the same gym where he once started himself. Through his dedication to boxing, Enrique Blasco has turned his passion into an opportunity to benefit youth and spread the values he has gained from his experience.