POVERTY is nothing new to decorated amateur boxer Kevin Jake ?KJ? Cataraja. In fact, he has lived all his life not knowing when his next meal would be, or if he still has a place to live in the following day.
But that hasn?t stopped him from believing and pursuing the dream, that someday he?ll be able to give himself and his family a better life.
Boxing is often seen by impoverished Filipinos as their ticket away from poverty. The perfect example of a rags-to-riches story is Manny Pacquiao, who turned to boxing to give his family a better life.
But unlike most boxers that made boxing an avenue for monetary gain, Cataraja has used it differently. Instead of transitioning to the pro ranks, where the big money is, he extended his amateur career to help him earn a degree in college.
?I was just thinking of my future because I know a lot of people that were not given a chance to go to school,? said Cataraja in Cebuano. ?This is for my future.
Jobs won?t be permanent, once I get older I won?t be able to do what I do. Boxing is not permanent.?
If they didn?t put to good use their winnings, most boxers have nothing to turn to after their careers are over but for Cataraja, a college degree is always a good back-up plan.
Cataraja would recall the time that his mentor, ALA Gym founder Antonio L. Aldeguer, asked him and his batch of amateur fighters if they wanted to turn pro.
Batch mates like Mark Bernaldez and Albert Pagara jumped on the opportunity to turn pro, but as tempting as it was, he decided to remain in the amateur ranks because of the offer of a college scholarship.
The 20-year-old Cataraja is now in his fourth year as a BS Criminology student. On the verge of earning his college degree, he felt that it was time to move up to the next level.
Cataraja will be making his pro debut in one of the featured bouts in Pinoy Pride 31 – ?Clash of the World Champions? against Indonesian Ardi Tefa in a six-rounder on July 4 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino.
?If I graduate from college, the limit of becoming a policeman is 30 years old. I may graduate at 21 or 22, so I still have a lot of years ahead of me to test my skills in boxing up until I?m 29,? he said.
Prospects
Cataraja is one of the most decorated amateur fighters of ALA Gym. He has a combined 14 gold medals in national and regional competitions. He also has the distinction of beating Mark Magsayo, now one of ALA?s top pro prospects, twice in the regionals.
But Cataraja?s amateur career didn?t always go the way he wanted. He once pondered quitting boxing.
?That time when our house was demolished. My father had no steady income, we had to borrow money from my aunt. They always demolished our house and we didn?t have anything to eat. My training routine was affected because of our house being demolished and also because of my studies. That?s when I decided to stop,? he said.
Cataraja?s father Marciano earned a living as a tricycle driver, while his mother Jovelyn is a housewife.
There was no way that his father was able to send him to college because of the meager earning of a tricycle driver.
?But my mama always pushed me and told me that if i really wanted boxing then I should make it a priority,? said Cataraja, who is now an assistant trainer for the UV boxing team. ?Every Sunday I would fight on the small cards and it helped out a lot. I would earn P150 or P250 and give it to my mama. Some of it I will save up and use it as my fare going to school. I realized, why would I leave boxing if it has helped me a lot. If you are happy with what you are doing, you won?t get tired of it even though how many times you leave, you will always find a way to come back to it.?
Boxing was always in the heart of Cataraja every since he was a small boy. He started to love boxing at the age of nine, watching cartoons about a Japanese boxer on TV. That?s the time, he went to the ALA Gym with a few of his friends to learn the craft.
?(Z) Gorres was always my idol at the start. His face was the first picture I saw at the gym. He was a very good boxer,? said Cataraja, who like Gorres is also a counter puncher.
If given a chance, Cataraja, who has around 300 amateur bouts, would fight anyone, anytime, anywhere, if it is for a world title.
?I want to be a world champion and honor it to sir (ALA),? said Cataraja, who believes that International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng would be a good fit for him.
His goal of becoming a world champion is a long shot for now, but he is optimistic that he can do it as long as he puts his mind into it.
?You have to aim high. Nothing is impossible if you work hard for it. If you want to reach for something, you just have to work hard for it and you will soon get it,? he said.
Cataraja has already shown that he is a champion in his academics and in the amateur boxing ranks, and he?ll soon prove it in his pro career.
