David Hopper of 8CN got a chance to speak with super flyweight prospect Bruno Escalante (8-1, 4 KOs). The 24-year-old southpaw will fight Manuel Galavis on July 26 at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City, California.
DH: You will fight Manuel Galaviz on July 26 at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City, Calif. What do you know about Galaviz?
BE: I?m fighting this guy, he?s a little bit taller than my usual opponent. Me and my team will be getting ready. My coaches Brian Schwartz and Michael Bazzel make me a better boxer each day. We?re ready for the fight July 26.
DH: This will be your third consecutive fight at the Fox Theatre in front of some of the biggest crowds of your professional career. What?s it like fighting there?
BE: It?s great. This will be the third one. The last two times were both sold out. It?s exciting to fight in my backyard. A lot of people from Undisputed Boxing Gym who take classes there will be supporting me. It?s awesome to fight in front of them.
DH: Talk about your performance in your last fight when you knocked out Christian Salgado with a body shot in the second round.
BE: I was listening to my corner, my coaches Brian and Michael. They told me to establish the jab and go to the body. At first I dropped him with a 1-2, a straight left to the head. Later on he was boxing a lot so I went downstairs and KO?d him with the body shot. It was awesome.
DH: Do you feel like you?re improving on going downstairs? Do you feel like you?re getting stronger in that regard?
BE: The last few months we?ve been working on it, working on power shots. I was more of a just going to the head and straight punches. My team told me to go more to the body as I go longer rounds. My trainer would always tell me ?Go to the body and the head will fall,? and I?ve always been practicing body shots. The last one I scored a knockout with the body. It felt great that I?m getting better. I feel like I?m getting better each time.
DH: How would you describe your fighting style?
BE: People who see me fight say I?m fast and explosive. For me I can fight any style. It depends on what my opponent brings. I?m just going to study him in the first round and attack him with quickness. I can box. I can brawl. I use a lot of speed in my game and usually I can win at that.
DH: You were born in the Philippines. When did you move to the United States?
BE: I was born in the Philippines. I was very fortunate to move to the U.S. in Hawaii. Growing up there it was poverty. If you had rice in our area it was like you were considered upper class. We used vegetables, dry fish as our daily food. My parents worked just for food. I?m the youngest of 10 kids. I didn?t really feel the hardship because I was the youngest. When I was 8 years old my grandmother found out that she was a U.S. citizen. She was born in Hawaii. That made her a U.S. citizen. She found out in her late 60s or 70s. My dad brought us to Hawaii. From there it felt like we won the lottery. We were very fortunate.
DH: Is that how you got the nickname ?The Aloha Kid?? Because you grew up in Hawaii?
BE: My coach, Brian. From the beginning when I?d go to the gym instead of saying ?Hello? to friends and strangers I?d say ?Aloha.? Brian always told me we should call you the Aloha Kid because you say Aloha to everyone. That?s how I got my name.
DH: How long have you lived in California?
BE: Almost four years now.
DH: Do you live in Redwood City?
BE: I live in Belmont. In 2009 I wanted to pursue my boxing. I was parking cars and delivering pizza in Hawaii and wanted to pursue my boxing. In order to do that I needed to move to California. I had a friend, his name is Walter Sarnoi, in L.A. He told me I could stay at his house and train and pursue my boxing career. One day me and Walter went to Las Vegas to see Manny Pacquaio and Miguel Cotto fight. I went there and I happened to have Nonito Donaire?s number. I called him in Vegas to meet up with him and get to know him. He was interested in helping me with my career. Three days later he flew me from L.A. to San Francisco. He was going to manage me and train me but he got too busy with his own career. I was going to go back to Hawaii but he asked my trainer Brian Schwartz and Michael Bazzel to take over the training. He got me a job and now it?s a privilege to be the coach for the amateur team at Undisputed Boxing Gym.
DH: Your trainer, Brian Schwartz, said in an interview with Philippine News that your overall boxing ability has improved. You mentioned earlier that your body shots have improved. How else do you feel like you have gotten better?
BE: Yeah, I feel I?m getting better. What?s cool with my team is that they?re open to suggestions. For instance, if I watch a boxing fight over the weekend and I see a move that I want to try to put in my arsenal, Brian and Michael always tell me to make it work in sparring. We?ll work on that. We keep practicing. If it works in the ring, in sparring, then we?ll go outside and work on it over and over until it becomes natural. I can?t teach my style to my amateurs. It?s different. It?s hard to teach. Every person has a different ability. I?m just very fortunate to have a team that?s open-minded. Also, my manager has been working on getting me fights. I?m very motivated to train harder each time.
DH: So you have a manager that gets you fights? Are you not under a promotion company?
BE: No, my manager is Herb Stone. He?s good friends with Don Chargin and Paco Presents. They?re the promoter for the fights. I signed with him in the middle of November. It?s just great to have him as part of the team. Everything comes in to place.
DH: You train at the Undisputed Boxing Gym in San Carlos, California, which is where Nonito Donaire trains. What have you learned from training with a fighter of Donaire?s caliber?
BE: This is where Nonito trains, this gym, Undisputed Boxing. I?ve been sparring with him a lot before. It?s really good experience. He?s a great fighter. He?s fast and has strong power. It?s just awesome to be around a world class fighter like Nonito.
DH: Are you a fan of the sport as far as watching much boxing on TV or in person?
BE: Yeah, I?m a big fan of the sport. Before I started boxing I wasn?t in to it. Now I?m in to it. I like watching fights on TV. My trainer always makes me watch Marvin Hagler and Pernell Whitaker fights. I?d never heard of them before I started boxing. I didn?t know who Hagler was. They have all the fights. You see the exciting fights and I learn moves from them, making them into my style.
DH: As a boxer and a fan, how would you break down the Mayweather-Alvarez and Pacquiao-Rios fights? How do you see those fights going?
BE: Mayweather is a great fighter. I mean he?s fast, he?s smart. It?s hard to get Mayweather he?s just too fast and too smart. I think he?s going to win a unanimous decision against Alvarez. Pacquiao and Rios, I?m a big fan of Pacquiao. Here?s the thing: both have power. I feel like Manny is too fast and his awkwardness will be the key to the fight as far as punching at different angles that Brandon might not see. I see it as going no later than 10 rounds. He (Pacquiao) will get a TKO. Brandon is tough. I got a lot of respect for him. Pacquiao?s fast and his awkwardness, speed and power will be the key. It will be great to watch it.
DH: Anything you want to say in closing?
BE: I want to invite everyone in the area. On July 26 I will be fighting an 8-round fight, another exciting fight. We got a lot of local fighters. It will be an exciting, fun fight to watch. Don?t miss it. It?s not going to be on TV. Alright!
