Mexican fighters are likely to develop their careers on the aspect of the border wherein they had been born, and solely a handful try the tough job of turning into prophets in each their very own lands and overseas.
Such is the case of rising junior middleweight Mexican contender Damian “Samurai” Sosa (20-1, 11 KOs), who is ready to sq. off towards Ronald “Diablo” Cruz (18-1-1, 12 KOs) in a 10-round primary occasion on Friday, Aug. 26 at San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in Stockton, California.
“I used to be born in Mexico DF however I lived my life in Tijuana,” mentioned Sosa in a current cellphone interview. “I began out as a boxer there and I’m able to take off in my profession, to search for these fights that would put a title combat nearer to me. And right here is the place we’re, I’m at 20-1 and we’re going full pace to maintain it like that approach.”
Though he can be dealing with Cruz in his third bout within the US, Sosa stays trustworthy to his adoptive city on the opposite aspect of the border, however that doesn’t imply he’ll cease there in his seek for a brighter future.
“I dwell in Tijuana. However two fights in the past I met Joe Vargas. He’s a coach primarily based in San Diego. He’s serving to us with the technical stuff. I’ve my very own coach since I began. However after I was on the lookout for sparring companions and different issues I bumped into Joe Vargas, and he’s serving to me develop as a fighter.”
His seek for difficult sparring companions was extra fruitful than he may have hoped when he bought employed to work with one of many perfect within the bizz.
“About two years in the past, in 2019, I used to be sparring with Jaime Munguia, and Joe Vargas acted as a hyperlink with Canelo (Alvarez), to satisfy him. I had already helped him with sparring in one among his camps, and we began doing it once more. We had the chance to be in his fitness center, and have him assist me as a substitute of the opposite approach round, and I absorbed every thing that the champion has to provide,” mentioned Sosa about his days with the fighter that was thought of again then the very best pound-for-pound boxer on the earth. “Motivationally it’s nice for me, and it’s a dream come true. I by no means imagined being there with him, and it’s an enormous motivation for me. I’m like a child in first grade, desperate to study all of it and taking in every thing that the champ can provide me.”
Damian Sosa (left) lands a hook – Photograph courtesy of Rosita Gutierrez/Toscano Boxing
All of the education on the earth, nevertheless, couldn’t presumably maintain Sosa from ultimately getting a foul grade, and that second got here halfway by means of his profession when he dropped a call to Artem Oganesyan in Canada again in 2019.
“I used to be not on the proper stage to combat that form of opponent at that second, however I imagine that life typically places a check in entrance of you, and I really feel I realized lots in that combat and needed to assume whether or not I wished to field or not,” mentioned Sosa about that combat, which occurred in his 12th skilled bout. “It was a superb choice to take that combat as a result of I realized lots from that defeat, however I imagine that it’s one thing I all the time bear in mind, to take boxing critically and provides it 100%. When you lose you recognize immediately what you probably did fallacious, and also you begin processing every thing once more.”
With that previously, Sosa moved on to a 9-0 unbeaten streak since then, and plans to take that quantity to double digits in his combat towards fellow once-beaten Cruz, in a crossroads bout that can have severe penalties for the loser and higher prospects forward for the winner.
Sosa feels he’s been there and he has the prospect to take advantage of out of this case as effectively.
“Proper now I don’t really feel that stress. I’m targeted on the combat. My thoughts is ready on victory. I work actually onerous for all my fights. And this crossroads factor shouldn’t be one thing I’ve in my thoughts. If it occurs, I must settle for it, however proper now it’s not in my thoughts.”
Cruz’s higher stoppage share appears to be a priority for Sosa, however solely up to a degree.
“I feel he’s an enormous puncher, he’s a man with 12 knockouts, and he’s a troublesome fighter. I really feel that at my stage and on the place I’m at proper now each fighter is hard. It isn’t one thing I’m too fearful about,” mentioned Sosa, who claims he hardly research his opponents an excessive amount of.
“It could sound loopy however I don’t watch my opponent’s fights an excessive amount of. I all the time go away that to my trainers, I prepare in response to their directions. One or two days earlier than the fights I put the puzzle collectively and attempt to put all of it in perspective watching the movies.”
With this being his second combat in a boxing hotbed like Stockton, Sosa expects the few followers he made within the first one to show up and make him really feel the love this time round too.
“That is the second combat I’ll have there. I had my US debut in December there. It’s nice to have a following already, and have lots of people screaming “Samurai, Samurai!” It’s nice. Having my second combat in Stockton is gratifying and it makes me actually completely happy to assume that there can be lots of people ready there for me, anxious to see me combat. As soon as once more I’ve to provide my greatest and get them hooked on me once more.
“If I win right here, I can be ready to leap not only one extra step forward, however two in a single leap. I’m actually targeted. I feel I can have one other combat earlier than the yr is over, and for subsequent yr I might be taking fights at this stage once more. I’m a fighter on the rise, and I proceed difficult myself. The corporate brings fighters who’re harder and harder with each combat, simply accurately. And I can be able to tackle these guys in order that in a single or two years, God keen, I might be prepared for a title shot of some variety.”
How ‘bout making it simpler by attempting to money in an outdated favor from one among his paesanos by asking Alvarez to position him in one among his undercards?
Sosa claims he prefers to earn his cash the onerous approach.
“I’ve a superb factor going with Canelo, and we’re doing nice with out asking for something,” mentioned the 25-year-old. “I simply let God and destiny do their half and let me get to the place I should be with out asking something of anybody, and I imagine that if it ever occurs will probably be as a result of they provide it to me. I’m not even good to speak to sponsors! It must occur provided that God places it in my path.”
The combat will headline a full card of motion that can be streamed dwell in English on FightHype and in Spanish through TV Boxeo.
Damian Sosa (proper) – Photograph by Toscano Boxing Promotions
Diego M. Morilla writes for The Ring since 2013. He additionally wrote for HBO.com, ESPN.com and lots of different magazines, web sites, newspapers and different shops since 1993. He’s a full member of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America and an elector for the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame. He has received two first-place awards within the BWAA’s annual writing contest, and he’s the moderator of The Ring’s Girls’s Rankings Panel. He served as copy editor for the second period of The Ring en Español (2018-2020) and is at present a author and editor for RingTV.com. Observe him on Twitter @MorillaBoxing
