Louis “Unknown” Rose may find his nickname fitting right now, but hopefully that will change for him very soon. Rose, who has a record of 8-1 with 2 knockouts, fights in the middleweight division and is scheduled to face Paul Mendez (14-2-1, 6 KOs) Monday night, October 28, in Redwood City, CA.
The friendly and quick to laugh Rose admits to being cool, laid back, and a bit goofy, but he takes the time he spends in the gym seriously.
“I work out and train hard,” he said. “I fought as an amateur 25 times. I lost five and won 20, but the five I lost were in tournaments. I’m a fast learner and pick things up quickly. I basically lived in the gym, so I caught on really, really fast.”
Louis trains in Rancho Cucamonga at Millennia MMA. Part of that facility has been turned into a boxing gym. He likes to stay busy and fight as often as he can. He had five fights last year and three to date this year.
“I have to stay active. I feel like I’m old, I’m 24. (Wait, what?) I think that’s old for the sport of boxing, so I’m trying to get as many fights as possible and take on the best guys that they have out there, so I can move on quickly.
“I’ve seen videos of my next opponent, Mendez. I know that he’s a tall, rangy fighter. But even though he’s tall he likes to work on the inside a little, and he uses his jab pretty well. He moves a lot and he doesn’t like pressure. He’s a little slow. I’m just gonna box him, work on the inside, get out, and just use my counter.
“I’m a counter-puncher,” he continued. “I rely on my reflexes and my speed. I don’t just bear down and try to knock people out, it’s all about speed. I am 100% boxer, no brawler in me at all. I box. No need to stay in the pocket and take unnecessary shots.”
When asked what he liked to do in any free time he might have, he prefaced his response by saying, “Don’t laugh!” He proceeded to laugh when he said, “I love to eat and sleep! That’s like the best thing ever. While I do get my rest, I’d like to be able to sleep for long periods of time.
“And I can’t eat a lot, or I’ll blow up like a balloon. I plan on staying at middleweight for the next two to three years, but I know I’m gonna have to move up. I’m getting bigger. I’ve gonna eventually move up to another weight class.”
But for now Rose is anxious for his upcoming fight and is really looking forward to it.
He feels that he is ready for this new challenge. But if he could step into the ring right now with one person, it did not take him any time at all to mention a name; J’Leon Love would be his opponent of choice.
Louis feels that he is just a humble, no-frills kind of person.
“I’m a very friendly guy; always happy. I am NEVER upset, I don’t know why it’s like that, but I’m always joking around. But I’m also an excellent fighter and someone to watch.”
Hopefully for this engaging young man he can continue on his rise to the top, and “Unknown” will be nothing more than a nickname for him in the future.
