Dathan Trevino Texas – Last month, UTRGV’s Club Boxing went to the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association’s national competition in Houston, where five members of the club competed.
Founded in 2012, the competition is the nation’s premier boxing government body.
The national tournament spanned three days starting on March 21 — with numerous divisions of competitions based on weight and gender.
Participants in the competition included President Omar Cortez, Vice-President Alejandro Huerta, and members Jesus Cadena, Michael Madrigal and Martin Guzman.
Noe Mendoza, founder of Club Boxing, who has been boxing since he was young, said being on top as a champion feels like a “mountain of a moment.”
“Boxing in itself, when you get to that top, the pinnacle of, like a national title and being at the tournament and making it to the end or fighting like the best fighter in the bracket,” Mendoza said. “I think that’s what those little moments every single day your building, brick by brick.”
UTRGV’s Club Boxing was founded in 2021 after Mendoza transferred to UTRGV for his masters; when he decided to bring his love of boxing to the campus.
Huerta spoke on how the club pushes him.
“At one point we wanted to take a little break and then after the round was over, Noe asked, ‘okay, you guys done?’ and me and Omar immediately said, ‘[no] let’s do one more,’” Huerta said. “I still wanted to do more because there’s teammates around you and there’s people around you want to make you want to do more.”
Club Boxing offers self-defense seminars and trainings every Monday and Wednesday; for more information go to the club’s Instagram – @clubboxingutrgv.
