Encinas looks to honor grandfather, shine light on Yuma athletic club

David Encinas remembers quite clearly watching boxing fights with his grandfather.

He remembers having to crane his neck around his grandfather, who was sitting in front of the television fighting with the boxers.

"The funny thing was, he'd move as if he were in the fight," Encinas said. "That's what I remember. I used to sit there and watch him, but I'd sit back and laugh. ... He'd sit right in front of the TV where no one else could see it; you'd have to kind of look around him."

After Eusibio Augirre's death, Encinas remembers why he took up boxing.

That was nearly 10 years ago. After practicing on and off since, Encinas started back up again full time in December when hired by Arizona Athletic Club to be a boxing and kickboxing instructor.

And now Encinas will have a chance to showcase his moves on May 17 at Paradise Casinos during the Bad Boy Boxing Tournament. The tournament is for people who have competed in less than three amateur fights in the past three years. It will be the first tournament for Encinas.

Encinas said he could think of no better way to honor his grandfather than entering the tournament.

"I got into boxing in his memory," Encinas said, "like he was inside of me throwing those punches again."

Encinas is also hoping to show that Arizona Athletic Club is not just about mixed martial arts. One of the co-owners is MMA fighter Chance Farrar, but the club also has other programs it's trying to kick off.

And Encinas, who will be fighting at heavyweight, hopes to give the fledging program a face and a reputation.

"As a boxing instructor, there's a little more pressure," Encinas said. "People will respect my game way more if I win this whole thing than if I lose it. People are going to be like, 'OK, David knows what he's talking about,' and they're going to respect what I say."

It didn't take much thought either, after some encouraging words from Farrar.

"It was something I jumped at," Encinas said. "I sparred with Chance a couple of times, and he was the one who said 'You should think about boxing more, or boxing shows.' I kind of listened to Chance as a role model and someone who knows the game.

"I think it's time people know that Arizona Athletic Club has a boxing program, and it's not run by just average people," Encinas added. "It's run by people who have trained and been trained by the best."

Said co-owner Anthony Haile: "It's exciting for us show people we're not just MMA. If you want to do boxing you can do that. ... You can pick and choose from anything we offer."

Encinas said he's looking to win - not just because of the $1,000 awarded per weight class champion - there are four weight classes with eight fighters each. There will be three 1-minute rounds.

And Encinas is hoping to face some stiff competition.

"I'm hoping that there tough," Encinas said. "I hope I'm not fighting average Joe's. I hope they also train as hard as I do. I hope they're skilled."

He's aiming to win, but in the end, he knows what he wants the end result to be.

"I'm going to put a show on," Encinas said. "But I'm really going to fight. If I get knocked out, fine. At least I can walk out of there with my head high knowing I gave 100 percent."