Hope Springs Eternal By Steve Kim (March 26, 2008) Send this page to friend Give us your feedback Around this time of year, every baseball team, as they come out of spring training, believes that this is their year - save perhaps the Kansas City Royals - to win the pennant, to break decade long droughts and any perceived jinxes or curses that haunt their franchises. The teams and their followers believe old veterans can give them one more good season. And more than that, touted young prospects can thrive when they arrive to 'the big show'. But alas, by the middle of May, many teams are already out of contention, broken down veterans are on the DL and young rookies sent back to Triple A. But what do you really have without hope? It's a lot like boxing, where managers and trainers work with a multitude of ham-n-eggers and mine through layers of manure until one day they uncover a diamond - the one they have been waiting their whole lives for, the one that makes all the years of unpaid labor and wasted money worthwhile. And guess what? Boxing has their versions of Brien Taylor, Todd Van Poppel, Ruben Rivera and Shawn Abner in abundance, kids that looked great as amateurs, but who were exposed -literally and figuratively – without headgear. These were guys who lacked discipline or couldn't handle success, or they just fell in love and never had the same dedication to the sport. Others developed drug habits better than their left hooks. It's a story told time and time again in boxing. The good ones are hard to come by. And they don't come around often. Joe Hernandez thinks he has one in his grasp in welterweight prospect Demetrio Soto. "When you watch a kid from the age of five, his family, two others coming in, working out at the 'Cache Gym' for the last 16 years, you don't have to be an Einstein to know and see that, 'Wait a minute, here is a good prospect.' Maybe not a prospect that went to the Olympics, he's not a young man that went to international competition, but you can see the talent, the dedication," said Hernandez on Tuesday morning outside his small gym, which is located inside a garment factory near the city of Vernon, California. "And here you have a smart young college kid, speaks both languages, tall, Mexican, handsome. You better watch it, I told Top Rank, keep your eye on him. I offered him to Golden Boy first, and there was a lack of communication between Golden Boy and myself. But this guy is going to go places." He believes he has himself another Antonio Margarito. "No, not really- I think he'll be better than Margarito," he clarifies. "Maybe not as powerful. Listen, Margarito's in a class by himself and that's attributed to all the experience. If this kid can take a shot like Margarito, if this kid will stay in boxing as long as Margarito and gain all the experience Margarito got, yeah, he should be as good as Margarito." Well, let’s slow things down a bit. Currently, Soto is 1-0 and he is scheduled to perform this Friday night on Top Rank's show at the Industry Hills Expo Center. He is in fact built like a young Margarito. Just 21 years of age, he stands around six feet tall and watching him spar four rounds, you can see he is an active fighter who likes to mix it up. Boxing is a family affair for Soto. "Ever since I was around five or six my dad brought me into boxing," he explains. "First of all, it was because my brothers, they started off first at some gym in Commerce, I think, because they were a little fat. So my dad was like, 'Ehh, they're getting fat because I'm not taking them out to play or anything.' So he started taking them to the gym. The coach told him they were pretty good at it. Then they closed that gym. So we started going to Joe's gym, the original 'Cache'. And that's where I started off." There's no question that boxing is in his blood. He seems to have a nice natural feel in there and he looks very relaxed. He throws his punches in a compact manner and has a multitude of combinations that he employs. "They've told me I have like a brawling style, basically," he explains. "But sometimes I have doubted them about that, and I've changed my style once in awhile. All of a sudden, I'll get in the ring and I'm thinking, 'OK, maybe I'll try something else different.'" Growing up in South Central LA, the graduate of Jefferson High is currently attending East LA College and hopes to transfer eventually to either UCLA or Cal State Los Angeles. But boxing is his main focus for now. "I'm dedicated to this," he states. And you believe him when he says this. It looks like he genuinely enjoys mixing it up in there. Every manager or adviser wants to believe they have the next De La Hoya or Hagler. So why should we believe Hernandez? Well, for one, he has a pretty good batting average, having trumpeted the likes of Edwin Valero, Mike Anchondo and Daniel Ponce de Leon in recent years, long before they won world titles. But it's the one fighter he believed in the most, Francisco Bojado, that was his greatest letdown. "Without a doubt," he says. "Again, I can see any other fighter in my lifetime, I've never seen a fighter with his ability, his capabilities. But the thing is, he didn't have the dedication, he didn't have that desire to train. The biggest disappointment in my life is Bojado. He was a multi-million dollar fighter. I think he would've been the greatest fighter, moneywise, besides Oscar De La Hoya or any other heavyweight out there. "What a disappointment." Hernandez, who suffered an acrimonious split with Bojado after a blistering start to his career, believes that while he had all the physical tools, he lacked the intangibles. "It's a combination of all ingredients, natural talent, you gotta have skills, you gotta be dedicated," Hernandez says. "I mean, conditioning is 75-percent, in my opinion, and through our 20, 30 years in boxing it's always been fighters with good conditioning that have been surviving. But the thing is, it's also a mental game, it's also about dedication and honesty and loyalty. It's a combination of everything. If you don't have that in a fighter, it's very hard for them to make it, to become a great champion." A boxing lifer, Hernandez says he derives the greatest thrill in discovering unknown talent, much more than navigating his way through the business of boxing, which can be awfully treacherous. "I'm thinking of scouting at a level where I can bring them to good honest people and let them work these youngsters, maybe like Gary Gittelsohn, and so forth and so on," he says. “It's an enjoyment; of course you want to make money with these fighters, but it's so aggravating sometimes when you work with kids and you can't move them along and at my age I'd rather scout from here on in, pick up talent - which I'm capable of doing especially Mexican kids, and then leading them to better resources." He thinks he has a real fighter in Soto. We shall soon find out. TELEFUTURA The Telefutura show this Friday is taking place at the Industry Hills Expo Center (16200 Temple Ave., City of Industry 91744) with the first bell going off at 4:15 pm. "It's going to be an outdoor event, we're setting everything up for 1,200 people. Ticket sales have been doing well," says Sergio 'Seven Seas' Diaz, who is co-promoting this event with Top Rank. He had hoped to put this show at the 'Field of Dreams' in West Covina before running into some logistical snafus. The show’s main event will feature jr. lightweight prospect Juanito Garcia facing veteran Cornelius Lock, along with other prospects such as Johnny Molina, Alejandro Perez, Charles Huerta and Soto. 'The Tijuana Tornado' is expected to drop by and make a special guest appearance. Tickets are priced at $100, $50 and $35. (For tickets call: 626-252-8237 or 626-966-0113). Most importantly, there will be beer. "Yes, definitely," says Diaz, "I made sure there was going to be beer." You gotta know your audience. NO GO IBF flyweight champion Nonito Donaire was scheduled to defend his crown against Hussein Hussein on April 18th in Dubai. Not anymore. "The show’s completely off," his manager, Cameron Dunkin, would tell Maxboxing. "The promoter didn't come up with the money, cancelled the event." At first a few fights were scratched to make the budget work, but when sponsors were lost, the show was doomed. "So we're stuck without a fight," says Dunkin. FINAL FLURRIES The worst kept secret in boxing was revealed today as Golden Boy announced the signing of Juan Diaz to their promotional stable. Don't be surprised if he gets a crack at Joel Casamayor or Michael Katsidis sooner rather than later....Well, that was a Texas-sized middle finger given to the New York commission I'd say in licensing Edwin Valero. Doug Fischer is a proud father right now....Lamar Odom is playing the best ball of his career right now for the Lakers. That's another great move by Mitch Kupchak - keeping him.... Is it just me or do you not trust that 'Ben' guy on 'Lost'? For Questions or Comments E-Mail Steve Kim at k9kim@maxboxing.com Today's Boxing Press Discuss this Topic - Go to the forums