The Contenders

Last weekend, three Yuma County Youth Boxing Association fighters won their class at the International Hispanic Boxing Tournament.

This weekend, YCYBA boxers will put on an exhibition against fighters from San Luis and Somerton from 4-6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Quechan ceremonial grounds.

Call it part of the YCYBA warm-up tour before the main event.

The Yuma boxers will compete en masses July 16-19 at the Seventh Annual Desert Showdown Invitational Amateur Boxing Championship at Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, Calif.

Georgie Ruiz, Javier Meraz and Ilario Juarez took first at the competition in Phoenix. Each had a different path to YCYBA, but each are in the same place - forces to be reckoned with in the ring.

Juarez doesn't have much ring experience, but the 15-year-old did win gold in Phoenix despite not fighting a match. His two competitors did not wish to fight him, giving him a pair of forfeit victories.

What was winning in that fashion like?

"Well, it sucked because I was ready and could have whupped them all hard," Juarez said. "Since I didn't get to fight, they just gave me a medal, a shirt and a plaque."

But coach Gary Diaz said if Juarez goes to Coachella for what is "widely considered one of the premiere amateur boxing events in the country, the event draws the best amateur boxers from across North America for intense competition" according to a press release, he should fare very well.

"He's probably the most dedicated kid here," Diaz said. "What he lacks in experience, he gets by practicing. He comes every day. He takes it seriously. He's always ready to fight. He has very good conditioning."

Diaz said Meraz, 15, has a similar work ethic.

"He's got very good energy and brings it every time," Diaz said. "He's just a very competitive person. He's in the gym every other day."

Meraz said he always had an interest in boxing.

"Kids around the neighborhood would just be boxing around," Meraz said. "Then my cousin told me that they had the boxing here in Yuma, so he took me over here and signed me up."

When he started, Meraz said he didn't think he'd be very good.

"I thought I was going to do alright, but probably lose more than I win," Meraz said. "But after a couple of fights, it was the other way around."

Meraz has numerous tournament wins under his belt, as does Ruiz. Ruiz said he is looking forward to Saturday's exhibition.

Ruiz, 16 said he "likes to fight," which is what drew him to boxing. Diaz said Ruiz is channeling his aggression into becoming a top-flight boxer.

"He was having trouble back in the day," Diaz said. "He was in juvenile hall, and they brought him here as a different way to focus his energy in a positive way. He's been doing very well, staying out of trouble and focusing more in school.

"Coming from the street, he shows the aggressiveness people like to see," he said. "He puts a lot of pressure, he's explosive, and he's in very good condition."