Rookie boxer punches way to silver medal for Manitoba

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This article was published 09/03/2011 (5658 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Julio Escorcia Jr. is doing his best to prove that experience is overrated in the boxing ring.

The 17-year-old from West Kildonan put on a pair of gloves for the first time just a year ago
Now he’s a Canada Winter Games silver medallist.

The fighter from the West End’s Orioles Boxing Club recently returned from Halifax as runner-up in the 52-kilogram weight class.

Was this kind of success on Escorcia’s mind when he first took up the sweet science?

“I don’t think I would have believed you,” he said. “I definitely did not expect this.”

Last year, on a whim after joking around with Roberto Romero Jr., a close family friend who had previously won three Canadian championships, Escorcia decided to drop in at Orioles.

“I always liked boxing, but I had never tried it out. I never had the will,” Escorcia said, adding that his parents weren’t too keen on the idea, either. “I fell in love the first day (I tried it).”

Reg Bruno, who has been training fighters at Orioles since 1993, immediately saw a natural talent in Escorcia. Facing more experienced fighters, Escorcia showed a ring sense that often takes years to develop.

“Based on the way he handled his opponents, you could tell this kid was going places,” Bruno said.

The trainer’s instincts were confirmed when Escorcia went to the highly regarded Ringside tournament in Kansas City and earned a bronze medal, losing to the eventual champion in the semifinal.

After another strong showing against a talented Alberta fighter in the summer, Escorcia was told that — only months into his boxing career — he had been chosen to represent Manitoba in Halifax.

“It kind of came out of nowhere,” he said. “It gave me motivation; it lifted me up. I couldn’t believe that I was selected to fight against the best in Canada.”

Training both with the provincial team and in his home gym with Bruno, Escorcia prepared for the wide variety of fighters he was likely to face in Halifax. As Bruno put it, one plan wasn’t going to be enough for this tournament.

“You need to be ready for different boxers,” said the coach. “Taller, shorter, guys who like to get inside, guys who like to fight on the outside.”

Facing the toughest competition of his young career, Escorcia beat a fighter from Newfoundland and Labrador in the quarter-final, then forced a Quebec fighter to retire in the semi, guaranteeing at least a silver medal for Manitoba.

“It was the best I’ve ever fought,” he said. “I started to cry after the semis. I was very emotional.”
Despite the fact he fell to a hometown fighter in the gold-medal bout, Escorcia and his coach were thrilled.

“He was going up against some guys who had been competing for the last six years,” Bruno said.

So how good can Escorcia be once he’s had six years of training and competing under his belt? Bruno believes the only thing that can hold his fighter back is his himself.

“If he sticks with it and keeps his mind focused, everything will work out for him,” Bruno said.

avi.saper@canstarnews.com