While Super Bantamweights Israel Vazquez, Rafael Marquez, and Celestino Caballero received most of the attention last week, fellow 122 pound champion Daniel Ponce De Leon went about his everyday business.
He went about his usual routine far away from a popular gym amongst fighters or a secluded resort in the mountains.
Instead, the current WBO Super Bantamweight champion of the world was training in a converted gym inside a fabric company on the second floor of a grimy building in an industrial area of Los Angeles.
It is there where Ponce De Leon is in the midst of his final preparations for another world title defense. At the same time, he wants people to know that he should be mentioned amongst the best in the division.
Ponce De Leon will face hard-hitting unbeaten puncher Rey Bautista in a 12 round bout tonight at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. Ponce De Leon will defend his title for the fifth time.
The card will headline a “Boxing World Cup: Mexico vs. Philippines” card, presented by Golden Boy Promotions. HBO Boxing After Dark will televise the bout, along with Bantamweight Jhonny Gonzalez defending against former world champion Gerry Penalosa.
It is a popular card that will feature fighters from Mexico against Filipino fighters in an attempt to win the boxing world cup trophy, which will be presented by Oscar De La Hoya to the country that has the most victories.
For Ponce De Leon, who is promoted by the growing Los Angeles-based promotion company, the bout hopes to catapult him towards a unifying bout or a big money bout. Nonetheless, he is very motivated for tonight’s bout.
“There is lots of motivation for this fight,” said Ponce De Leon, who began his professional career with 21 knockout victories. “This is a big opportunity for me. I have worked really hard and I am confident in my abilities. I have trained to win.”
Ponce De Leon jumped onto the boxing scene with knockout victories and devastating punching power. Known for his aggressive style, Ponce De Leon began to attract a following after he was signed by Golden Boy Promotions in 2003.
However, as soon as Ponce De Leon was hoping to secure a title shot, he was exposed by WBA champ Celestino Caballero in February of 2005. The bout, in which Ponce De Leon was at a height and reach disadvantage, saw Ponce De Leon as a one-dimensional fighter with punching power.
Since that bout, and with the assistance of trainer Joe Hernandez, Ponce De Leon began his slow climb back up towards a title. After two tune-up victories, Ponce De Leon fought for a world title later in 2005 and won with a convincing victory over Thai contender Sod Looknongyangtoy.
Since then, Ponce De Leon has successfully defended the title four times. In his last bout in March, he cruised to a 12 round unanimous decision victory over Penalosa.
Now he faces a young, hard-hitting puncher in Bautista. With speed and punching power, Bautista (23-0, 17 KO’s) hopes to emulate his idol, Manny Pacquiao, in winning a world title. However, Bautista has fought soft opposition and has been knocked down in certain fights, which could play into the hands of Ponce De Leon.
“In this fight, the pressure will be on him,” said Ponce De Leon, who now resides in Huntington Park, in suburban Los Angeles. “I know what it is like to fight in a world title fight. I have felt that pressure before. I will take advantage of that and take the fight to him.”
Ponce De Leon has trained for almost four months for this fight. After the Penalosa fight, he took three weeks off before beginning his training routine. A week before tonight’s fight, he was already down to 126 pounds.
After having fought different styles and fighters from different countries, Ponce De Leon has grown into becoming more of a boxer. Coupled with his punching power, Hernandez has been able to get Ponce De Leon to box more and use footwork, something that was a far cry years ago.
“I have noticed that I have improved drastically,” said Ponce De Leon, who hopes to one day own a Hawaiian restaurant. “I have become more of a technical fighter and I have begun to change my style. I have corrected the mistakes I used to make. At the same time, I have become a stronger fighter because of all the hard work I have done. I know I have improved a lot.”
A native of the state of Chihuahua, Ponce De Leon was become a poster child for the indigenous tribes of Mexico. A member of the Tarahumara tribe in northern Mexico, he is proud of his roots and is quick to explain the background of his tribe.
Ponce De Leon has appeared on television before his bouts dressed in traditional attire that represents the Tarahumara nation.
He admits seeing himself when he takes notice of Bautista. With the punching power and youth, it may seem that one is invincible and could never be beaten. However, Ponce De Leon knows it takes a lot more than that to become and remain champion.
“What I notice in him (Bautista) is that his defense is not strong. He is not mature in that regard. I remember when I was 21-23 years old that I was going to knockout everybody. I have grown away from that mentality and now I rely on my experience and wisdom. That will be an advantage for me.”
Ponce De Leon knows that he is far away from being the perfect fighter. However, with each fight that he has fought in, there is noticeable improvement in his style and the way he throws his punches. Rather than throw long and lunging punches, Ponce De Leon throws much shorter and more accurate punches.
With so much being said about Vazquez, Marquez, and Caballero, the boxing world will now focus on California’s capital and see how the Tarahumara Destroyer will do against a younger fighter.
Just like the gym he trains out of, Ponce De Leon has that blue-collar work ethic and style that makes people watch him. A nice guy outside the ring with a shy persona, Ponce De Leon has slowly developed into a solid fighter.
There is no telling what will happen specifically to Ponce De Leon after this fight. One thing is for sure: he is a better fighter today than he was years ago. And that is bad news for anyone who steps into the ring with him.
