By Mario Ortega Jr.
While often overlooked and underappreciated, the lower weight divisions in boxing produce some of the best fights each year. Rarely able to rely on punching power to win fights, the elite fighters furthest down the scale more often than not are superb technicians that have honed their craft in the gym. Historically, the American boxing public has been most drawn to the knockout punchers of the heaviest divisions, or the flashy athleticism of welterweights and lightweights. Former amateur sensation David Cardenas Jr. has begun to chart his rise and could one day become a fighter that draws eyeballs to the lowest weight divisions. Cardenas continues his ascension up the ranks Saturday, July 6th in Floresville, Texas.
Cardenas (6-0, 4 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas capped a distinguished amateur career by winning the USA Boxing National Championship at 106-pounds in December 2022 and becoming the #1-ranked fighter in his weight division before turning professional last August in Mexico. For most amateur fighters at the top of their respective weight class, the ultimate goal is the Olympic Games. With the 2024 Summer Olympics on the horizon, but the lightest weight division in competition set at 112-pounds, Cardenas and his team had a decision to make.
“We thought about [qualifying for the U.S. team,] because not everyone gets to go to the Olympics, but 112 isn’t really my weight class, so we decided to just go pro,” recounts Cardenas.
The 105-pound weight class in professional boxing, a division that first became recognized by the professional governing bodies of the sport in the late 1980’s, is often overlooked by even the most ardent followers of the sweet science in the United States. The division’s failure to break through into the public consciousness could be partially contributed to the fact that the division has never had a U.S.-born standout star and had never had a world champion born stateside until Oscar Collazo claimed the WBO title just last year.
Cardenas plans to make his campaign at 105-pounds, or the 108-pound light flyweight division, eventually. Six fights into his professional career, Cardenas has fought opponents as heavy as 121-pound Rodric Cherry, whom he stopped in two-rounds in his second pro bout late last August in San Antonio, and no lighter than 14-fight veteran Richard Hernandez, who made 112-pounds before lasting the four-round distance this past December.
“The difficult part is his weight class,” explains Rick Morones Jr. of TMB Promotions, promoter for Saturday’s event in Floresville. “It is hard to find those little guys. You run out of them pretty fast, so I think that will be the most difficult task for promoters [attempting to match David.] Promoters will tell you that weight class is a problem.”
Helping guide Cardenas’ career and charged with pointing him towards the right opponents as he progresses is his trainer Rick Nunez. “I have been guiding him throughout his fights,” says Nunez, a twenty-year veteran of the sport. “I have a lot of experience in that. I have been trying to build him up and get him to contender status.”
During his stellar amateur run, Cardenas was trained by well-respected U.S. National Team coach Jeffery Mays, among others. Across town, Nunez trained fighters out of his South Park Boxing Academy, including one consistent opponent from Cardenas’ weight class. Unbeknownst to the two, Nunez and Cardenas would eventually stumble into realizing they were in fact of family relation.
“David and his dad showed up to a local boxing event, with his uncle, who I knew was my cousin and I asked how they knew each other, and his uncle said [David Sr.] was his little brother,” recalls Nunez. “I was like, ‘What do you mean this is your brother?’ I still didn’t believe him, so I called my aunt and asked her about it.”
A year or so after getting the verification from his aunt of their family relation, Nunez took on the assignments of training Cardenas and steering his career in the right direction as the young amateur star was set to begin his run as a professional.
“Once he turned pro, I guess he realized he needed to make the transition and I already had a really good resume with building pro fighters and helping guys get to the next level as pros,” says Nunez, who was a part of the team that guided Mario Barrios to a world title. “He just told me, ‘Hey Cus, once I get ready to turn pro I want to come over to work with you.’ We have been working together ever since. We started off last August, so this August will be one year and hopefully he will be 8-0 in one year [of fighting professionally].”
For Cardenas’ first bout, Nunez opted to take his young charge on the road to Tamaulipas, a border state in Mexico, just south of Texas. It was a positive experience for Cardenas, one that he will be able to draw from down the line, as his weight class may require that he pack his passport to seek out the biggest possible bouts.
“It was a good experience,” recalls Cardenas, who never fought internationally as an amateur. “Rick was like, ‘Let’s go to Mexico and get all the nerves out in Mexico.’ I know a lot of fighters do that at the beginning of their career. I trusted in my team and I did that.”
Since his debut in Mexico, Cardenas has enjoyed the luxury of fighting in or within driving distance of his native San Antonio each time out, a streak that continues with his next scheduled bouts, July 6th in Floresville and August 24th back in his hometown.
“I enjoy [fighting at home,”] says Cardenas. “I have a lot of supporters in San Antonio and throughout Texas. They are the reason why I am here in this spot. Later on, it is going to be hard to fight as much here in San Antonio, Texas.”
The fight on Saturday in Floresville will be a rematch, as well as Cardenas’ first bout scheduled for six rounds. Getting ready for the longer distance only requires minor adjustments for a fighter that will have competed eight times in just over his first twelve months as a professional.
“We just do twice as much work,” says Cardenas. “If I am fighting six rounds, I do eight rounds or ten rounds in sparring. I am just doing everything harder.”
“We spar a few extra rounds here and there,” explains Nunez. “I have a lot of amateurs in my gym, but I am not big on amateur boxing, so everyone in my gym is training as if they are a pro or going to turn pro sometime down the line. It is nothing different. It is just about being more patient in the ring and being comfortable with the longer distance.”
For his first bout scheduled for six, Cardenas will meet a familiar foe in 16-fight veteran Steveen Angeles Cruz. The two met in March, with Cardenas winning every round on the judges’ scorecards en route to a four-round decision. Despite the lopsided scoring, it was a tougher-than-expected fight the first time out. With the rematch set for six-rounds Saturday, Cardenas has a second chance to silence any doubters, and two extra rounds to accomplish that feat.
“That was probably one of David’s only not-so-good, not-so-exciting performances,” admits Nunez. “Within the first two rounds, it looked like David was going to knock the kid out, but David just got tired. He just couldn’t put him away and it’s just extra motivation for David. So that is the only reason [for a rematch.] There were some people that said he didn’t look too good against this guy. So we said he had a bad night, we will take it and show everybody that he just had a bad night. He is human like anybody else and it happens.”
Promoter Rick Morones Jr. expects to see an interesting fight on Saturday, with both the young prospect David Cardenas Jr. and the game veteran Steveen Angeles Cruz having something to prove.
“With these types of fights, especially with the first one being tough, you are going to get the best version of Steveen Cruz, so this one will be even better,” says Morones. “But you are also probably going to get a better version of David Cardenas, which makes the fight all that more interesting.”
Should things go according to plan on July 6th, Cardenas will keep the busy schedule rolling into an August 24th bout back in San Antonio. “The first year or two, it is always good to move them at a good pace, because they are only four-round fights and obviously he is not going to go the distance in every one of them,” says Nunez. “He’s not getting into ring wars. His skillset is very good and his IQ is also. He’s not taking punishment, so it’s good to keep him busy. When we get him to that next level, then we will look to back him down to three or four fights a year.”
While it is early to look too far down the road, Cardenas’ team have designs on building him up over roughly the next two years, before setting their sights on challenging for a title. With the aforementioned New Jersey-born, but Puerto Rico-raised and based Oscar Collazo representing the only previous American champion in his division, Cardenas could one day be the first 105-pound champion with a strong hometown fanbase to fight out of the continental United States.
“My career is moving pretty fast and it is going pretty good,” says Cardenas. “I have just been staying in the gym throughout the year and trusting my team and my dad. I stay in the gym and trust that they will get me the fights and wins I need to keep moving forward. Keep expecting exciting fights. Expect to see me keep on improving in these fights and looking better. The tougher the competition is, the better I look.”
Tickets for Saturday’s event at the Floresville Event Center, promoted by TMB Promotions, are available by calling 210-449-5599 or 210-322-9974.
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected]
