By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Training in the hot Texas sun and body-draining heat may seem odd to some people, but it’s a way of life for teen boxer Carlos Muniz Jr.
The 15-year-old soon-to-be sophomore recently finished second at the 2023 USA Boxing National Junior Olympics and Summer Boxing Festival in Lubbock. His showing now has him ranked as the number three boxer in his division in the nation, but he knows it’ll take some time and a lot more work to reach that number one spot.
On a particularly brutal June afternoon Muniz is dressed more for school than to box. Foregoing any training gear, the 6’, 222-pound pugilist is sweating as much from answering questions as he is to the heat steaming inside the No Quit Boxing gymnasium off Dr. Fermin Calderon Boulevard. A soft-spoken young man, his eyes light up when recalling his fights and how far he’s come since he first started training as a four-year-old.
“I had to stop for a little bit when I was eight because of a concussion,” Muniz said. “I got back here like three years ago.”
“I just love the sport. I pretty much grew up around it,” Muniz continued. “I plan on playing a little soccer this summer and when I was younger I played baseball and a little bit of basketball.”
Muniz had his first fight in 2021 in San Antonio. Not lacking in confidence, Muniz described his performance that night simply as, “I think I did great,” though he would go on to lose by decision. His performance left him realizing what he had to do if he wanted to have success as a boxer. A few months later he had his second fight, again in San Antonio and this time he won by decision.
Sporting a 1-1 record, Muniz was entered into the Junior Olympics tournament. Many a fighter from the No Quit Gym have tasted success at this tournament and Muniz’s hope was that he could add his name to that list of success stories. “It’s pretty much where you go to, like, move up later and compete in the Olympics. It was hard to put into words what it meant to be there, fighting and representing my gym and my home,” Muniz said.
Muniz’s first opponent would not compete, so the Del Rio fighter advanced to the semi-finals via walkover. His opponent in the next round was the number one ranked fighter in their weight class. Muniz admitted he was nervous before the fight began but he knew he had to fight through the doubt and bring it to his opponent.
“I was a little nervous that I might have lost,” Muniz said. “I was really thinking I lost because the guy was good. There was no walkover there.”
“When they announced my name as the winner … I couldn’t believe it. I was excited, man. I just started jumping and stuff. I was just so happy,” he added.
In the finals, Muniz knew he would be facing his toughest test to date, but he knew he had the ability to bring a gold medal back to Del Rio. “I was feeling a little more confident after the last fight but I was still nervous,” Muniz said. “After the fight, I was like I did a good job … like I really felt like I had a good chance to win, but I ended up losing. I still think I did a good job. He was just a better fighter. They gave it to him unanimously.”
With no timetable set for his next fight, Muniz said he would spend his time in the gym working on whatever he needed to so he could reach the next level. His main focus is on cardio and pretty much everything else, but just a little bit harder than he has before.
“Without hard work you’re not really going to get anywhere. Coach (Salvador Pascacio) tells me if I wanna make it then the stuff I have to do is I gotta put in that work every day in and out at the gym,” Muniz said.
The oldest of three, Muniz credits his mom, Mayra Muniz, with providing the support he’s needed to reach where he’s at now even if she’s not a fan of her son’s current sport of choice. “She doesn’t really like boxing, you know. She supports me and she supports me when I have to go to all these places. She’s always been there for me,” Muniz said.
Knowing another day of work in the gym is coming, Muniz said training the 100-degree-plus heat is just something you have to do if you want to compete in Del Rio. “I just try and stay hydrated. I drink a lot of water and when I’m at home I try to eat well. I’m not gonna lie … there are various time that I feel like I gotta step out of here, but mostly I just kind of push through it,” Muniz said.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
