Chatting with the champ: Hector De La Cruz

With boxing appearing on so many platforms, and the social networks that drive the media running 24/7, the competition for eyes is tough. You need to have a lot of sizzle for the steak in today’s sports world. 

He’s one of boxing’s top media men for all those great shots that fight fans get to enjoy all over social sites leading up to some of the sport’s biggest events.

Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City - he is everywhere. If there is a big event in boxing there is a good chance he is the guy providing much of the media, promotional and fan-targeted swag, up to the minute pictures, eye-catching posters, - you name it - before, on, and after, fight night.

Fantastic graphics adorning posters and on-site merchandise? Great action shots, sent out in real time? He’s your man.  

The night before he was boarding a plane to New York City to work a recent Top Rank show featuring unbeaten power puncher Edgar Berlanga, in Madison Square Garden, MaxBoxing had a chance to chat with one of boxing’s best graphic artists and photo editors, from his home in Coachella, California.

On this episode of Chatting with the Champ - Hector De La Cruz.

Bill Tibbs: Hector, thank you for taking a minute to chat; I know you are busy.

Hector De La Cruz: Hey Bill. No problem.

BT: People have probably seen a lot of your work. But, as a more ‘behind the scenes’ guy, talk a little bit about what you do? And for whom?

HDLC: Well, I mostly work as a graphic designer, all things with the graphics - posters, T-shirts, merchandise at the fight site. I work for Top Rank Boxing, 360 Promotions with Tom Loeffler, World Boxing Council, Roy Jones Jr., lots of other smaller promotions. When I work with Top Rank, I am mostly doing photo editing as they have their own, in-house, person for design work.

BT: There is so much media content out there now, on a million different platforms, which is great for fans. But, the fans’ attention span is tested for print and visual media. Does the volume out there make it harder to get eyes on your work in a way?

HDLC: There is a lot of stuff out there but there are a lot of young fight fans who have their devices going all the time and they are commenting seconds after something goes up. They see it immediately and they are commenting right away. You get feedback very fast and they let you know they like it. Young people watching boxing see everything as soon as its posted and you do get immediate feedback, the people are seeing it because you hear about it right away. Yes, there is a lot of content out there but there are a lot of people watching it all the time.  

BT: How did you get into boxing?

HDLC: I did some work years back, I wanna say about 2012 for Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios. I did some stuff for him and people saw my work and it started from there. I started doing some work for Top Rank after and it kind of went from there also.

BT: The fan experience for Top Rank is fantastic in my opinion. The interviews, video shorts, profiles, interviews; the fight week coverage is amazing. I know you work some of boxing’s biggest events. What does a typical fight week look like for you?

HDLC: Usually get into town the day before the press conference, start editing photos, photo shoots with all the fighters. The weigh-in day is always busy, have to shoot all the fighters for fight night. Then the night of the show, it is always busy. Get to the show, maybe an hour and a half before first bell, get set up, ready to go. We have to upload photos for Top Rank, Getty, out to Instagram, Twitter, all over the place. We like to get new shots out every couple of rounds. It’s a busy night.

BT: What are some of the big events you have worked?

HDLC: I did some big HBO events, Super Fly 2 and 3, GGG against Steve Rolls and Vanes Martirosyan and I worked on the last HBO boxing broadcast. I have done some great events, those are just a few.

BT: I’ve got to ask while I have you. As a true camp insider, is “Chocolatito” (Roman Gonzalez) amazing or what? He looked great in last fight; he is right back on top. Since coming back after the Sor Rungvisai losses he is undefeated in my opinion, and he is just so easy to root for. How did you connect with him?

HDLC: I met him in 2015. A former fighter named Randy Caballero, who I went to high school with, told me, ‘You’ll never guess who is going to be training in Coachella?’. So, I went down to the gym, and it was Gonzalez. We met up and hit it off and I became good friends with him and his manager. The last fight he invited me to be in the locker room, in his corner, we hung out a lot after the fight. But, I originally met him at the Lee Espinioza Coachella Valley Boxing Club and it went from there.

BT: He seems like such a genuinely nice guy, too nice to be a fighter (laughs).

HDLC: (Laughs). Yes, he is a real good guy. Quiet, but he was a little more outgoing this last camp. If he knows you, he will be more talkative, but he is shy normally. We went around to the gym and spoke to the kids, went lots of places. But, yes, he is a really great guy.

BT: And, what a fighter. He looked fantastic in his last fight. I’ve been a huge fan for a long time.

HDLC: Yes, he really did look great in his last fight. He’s still got it for sure.

BT: Where is the best place for people to view some of your work?

HDLC: Right now, my designs are on my Instagram page - @heczar

BT: Hector, thanks for taking a minute to chat. It’s always great to get to know some of the people that play such a big part in the live events. Have a good trip to New York.

HDLC: Thanks Bill, no problem, anytime.