Undefeated

If you take time to compare the sweet science with other recently glorified art forms of ass-kicking, you will soon realize that boxing is a version of chess.  The fighter has his punch combinations and strategy laid out in his mind before the first bell rings.  He trains for this every day of his life, and is usually guided by his coach and his own heart.

When I first encountered Lil Pete, it was through photos and footage shot by Estevan Oriol of some recent training sessions. I was amazed by his quickness, but I was blown away by his determination and focus.

We met recently at the Eddie Heredia Boxing Club in East L.A., and sat down to talk face to face. Arriving early, we watched him go through some of his workout and get a feel for what keeps him in the gym. Again, as he went from exercise to exercise he was completely focused; the rest of the gym just seemed to fade into the background. You could tell this was Lil Pete’s place, safe from the outside world that has tempted even the very best to stray from their path to greatness.

James Bond: How would you describe your style?
Pete: I can be a puncher sometimes, when I’m really really hyped up I can be a puncher, like let’s just go full force on them. Sometimes when they’re smaller than me and they’re coming in, I’ll be a boxer. So I’ll switch it up. If they run, I’ll go after them. If they try to come at me I’ll box them. It might be a bit difficult, but I’ll just do what I got to do.


JB: What’s your philosophy? What wakes you up in the morning, and keeps you going to the gym everyday?
P: I just wake up in the morning. I just like boxing, so I just come to the gym every day. I like the competitive side of the sport.

JB: What weight class do you fight in, and how is your record?
P: I am in the 85s, the 12-13 year old division.  I have like 80-something wins and six or seven loses. I’ve been to the Silver Glove Nationals three times. I lost in the semi-finals the first time, and I’ve won the last two years in a row.

JB: Have you ever fought with any kids outside of the gym?
P: Naw, I’m not that type of person, I don’t like fighting. If I have a problem with somebody I’ll just say back off. I don’t want to start no trouble.

JB: The boxing has allowed you to travel; do you look forward to seeing more of the world with boxing?
P: Well I do see it sometimes, like when I go to Kansas City or Minnesota. But I do want to see more like New York, New Jersey, all the east side of the states.

JB: What’s your day like?
P: I get up, I run, I come back, I go to school, then after I come back from school, I get ready, and I go run to the gym. I do what I have to do in the gym – I try hard. And I come home, do my homework, eat, and go to sleep.

JB: What path do you take from the school to the gym?
P: There are two paths I take.

There’s one where I go straight up Florence, I come all the way down till I hit Eastern, I make a right on Eastern, I keep on going all the way through Commerce, and then I keep on going all the way down, and then that’s when I hit Telegraph, I go down Telegraph and all that, after that I hit Olympic I make a left, and the gym’s right here.

The other path I take, I go down Florence, I hit Garfield, I make a right on Garfield, I keep on going until I hit Randal, and I make a left of Randal, and then I keep on going until I hit Eastern, I make a right on Eastern I keep on going till Olympic, and that’s all.
JB: How far is that?
P: I’d say five miles.

JB: How long do you run for in the morning before you go to school?
P: About an hour.

JB: How long do you stay at the gym?
P: Three or four hours.
JB: How many days a week do you do that?
P: Six.

JB: What do you eat before a fight?
P: Steak and eggs, before I fight, steak and eggs.

JB: Where do you want it to lead, where do you want it to all go, outside of the obvious?
P: Well from family, I like the fact that they’re in the fireman business, so I’d like to be a fireman if boxing doesn’t work out.

JB: How 'bout pops, how important is he in your boxing?
P: He keeps me on task, if I’m slacking off, if I’m not doing what I’m supposed to do, he tells me “hey you better get to work,” and I get to work.

JB: What do you like to do when you’re not boxing?
P: I like to play tag outside, murder in the dark, video games, Grand Theft Auto, football, basketball. I used to play football, middle linebacker and tight end. 

JB: What else does boxing give to you?
P: It gives me more discipline. It gives me time to not be on the streets, doing whatever, acting like a little hoodlum, getting into trouble. Just keeps me off the streets from bad things happening, if someone comes and tries to rob somebody, if they see somebody else, it won’t be me. I won’t be there, because I’ll be at the gym.  

When our interview in the back office of the gym was over, Lil Pete’s dad, looked on proudly as his son went back to training. He had been with us the whole time during Pete’s workout, and had filled us in on how the boxing game worked at this stage, and talked about his coach, travel and life. Even though he plays a huge role in Pete’s life, never did he talk about himself or take any credit for his son’s success, he let Pete shine on his own merit.

It reminded me of being a kid, and spending time with my dad at football camps and father-and-son events. Now I have my own infant son, and I wonder what will bring us together. I hope we find the same common bond and love for one another that Lil Pete and his dad have found together in boxing.