California’s Central Valley is becoming one of the hotbeds of young boxing talent in the country, and the latest promising fighter to emerge from the amateurs turn professional does so tonight. Clovis’ Paul Cano, who recently signed on with noted manager and boxing hype man Repo Ric, makes his debut in a four-round welterweight bout on the Telefutura Solo Boxeo undercard at the Woodland Community & Senior Center in Woodland, California.
Cano has been one of the top amateurs in the nation over the last two years. In addition to numerous state titles, Cano advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2010 USA Boxing National Championships and took part in the National Golden Gloves that same year. Despite his amateur credentials, Cano’s style is tailored made for the pros.
“The pitty pat amateur style was never really Paul’s fortay,” says Pete Lopes, Cano’s trainer. “He could do it, but he was definitely more suited for the pros. He’s a banger. He has a high punch ratio. Very tough. Granite chin. Rock hard body. Just a really hard worker. A strong Mexican fighter that I think the fans are going to love.”
Repo first got to know Cano while working with Saul Lomas, who was a promising fighter out of the Fresno area before an injury cut short his career in 2007. In fact, Lomas was a great inspiration for Cano wanting to become a pro boxer. “I used to see Repo Ric bring in one of his pro fighters, Saul Lomas, who was coming up,” recalls Cano. “Saul had a good aura and the way he was having fun with the sport of boxing and he was able to make a living out of boxing. I knew right then that is what I wanted to do. My coach, Pete Lopes, was actually Saul Lomas’ manager, so I saw him quite a bit. Seeing him be a professional boxer made me realize I could do the same thing he was doing. I still talk to him at this time and he gives me little pointers on becoming pro and he’s still someone the Central Valley looks up to as far as boxing goes.”
When the decision was made to turn professional, it was Lopes that reached out and sought Repo’s assistance in moving Cano’s career. “I think Repo helps us in so many facets,” explains Lopes. “He is a great hype man and he takes a lot of the pressure off of the fighters, especially young fighters when they first start. He takes a lot of the anxiety and that energy off of the fighter. I’ve been in the dressing room when he has done that. He kind of puts the focus on him when the energy might beat up on one your fighters, he absorbs that. Also, I know he is respected by matchmakers and promoters because he is a really hard worker. He is the type of guy that will get in a car and drive across the state. He will do the little things and he will do the big things. He studies the game, he studies boxing. He lives it. He is very competitive and I like that about him. He wants to be the best and he strives to be the best. He has a unique character that he’s created and a unique way about him and sometimes you need that. I don’t really want my fighters to be characters so much. I want them to develop their style and perception in the ring. But when you have a guy like Repo, he can kind of ease the anxiety and make a fighter more relaxed and focused on what’s at hand.”
For Cano’s debut, he takes on a solid opponent in Jonathan Chicas (3-0, 2 KOs) of San Francisco, California. It is a fight handlers of a fighter with as much potential as Cano rarely take right out of the gate, but Lopes and Repo have a different philosophy and believe in their fighter.
“We are not going to look for 30 bums to fight and have a soft career and then get challenged,” says Lopes. “We are going to fight quality fights, quality individuals, and we are going to try to move up the ranks and make something happen. The goal is to become prizefighters and challenge for a world championship one day.”
The path to a world championship begins tonight in Woodland.
Tickets for tonight’s event, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Don Chargin Productions, Paco Presents and Jorge Marron Productions, are available by calling Paco’s Mexican Restaurant in Woodland at 530-669-7946, Taqueria Guadalajara #1 in Woodland at 530-668-0628 or Travis Credit Union in Woodland at 530-668-0573.
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