There doesn?t seem to be a boxing gym in the world that has gotten as much attention in recent years than the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles, California. The Freddie Roach operated facility plays hosts to such fighters as WBO Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, WBA Jr. Welterweight king Amir Khan, Jr. Middleweight prospect Vanes Martirosyan, emerging talent Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Top Rank prospect Jose Benavidez Jr. and a slew of others.
With Roach having taken on the responsibility of several fighters he is often out of town working the corner of his prized pupils and in the month of June alone he found himself at Yankee Stadium in New York for Martirosyan?s fight with Joe Greene, the Aladmodome in San Antonio, Texas for Chavez? thrilling win over John Duddy, and most recently in Ontario, Canada as he assisted Ana Julaton in her title winning effort over Maria Elena Villalobos this past Wednesday night.
The gym has become synonymous for the training camps of Manny Pacquiao during which time the building is shut down and closed for public viewing and even when the Filipino star isn?t in L.A. the Wild Card is still full of people from all walks of life. On this particular day there may not have been any superstars in the building but the atmosphere inside of the gym was definitely palpable.
Welterweight hopeful Rashad Holloway, who recently relocated back to California from Las Vegas, was in the building and could be found socializing before putting in some serious sparring work. Holloway is a unique personality in the sport and after living in such states as Ohio, North Carolina, and Texas he will be the first to tell you that Los Angeles is home away from home.
Undefeated Super Middleweight Peter ?Kid Chocolate? Quillin recently moved to Los Angeles himself from New York and is still adjusting to life in California. The 27-year old seems like he will fit in well with the constant hustle and bustle of L.A. but inside of the gym he was all about his business as a fighter. Quillin sports a 21-0 record with 15 knockouts and should be finding himself in some meaningful bouts before the end of the year.
Of all the fighters in the gym, nobody has as much riding on their next fight as much as Bernabe Concepcion, who will be challenging Juan Manuel Lopez on July 10th in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The 22-year old could be found going through a rigorous training regimen that included sparring, hitting the heavy bag, speed bag, and timing bag as well as cardio work. While he may be a heavy underdog heading into the Lopez clash you can?t count Concepcion out.
While Roach is away such gym regulars and Paul Mayorquin, Shane Langford, and others make sure the facility is ran smoothly and there are a set of logistics that the team must follow. The gym plays host to people of varying cultures and backgrounds but as is often the case in boxing there is a family element that comes into play behind closed doors. It is expected that Pacquiao will be returning to L.A. this coming August to begin preparations for his upcoming fight in November, which many are hoping will be against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr.
