The Nashua, NH based fighter is set to make his debut under the CES Boxing banner against Argentine veteran Bruno “The Czar” Romay on “Halloween Knock Out,” an electric 8 bout card taking place at Ocean Side in Revere, MA on Friday, October 25. Tickets are available at CESFights.com.

“I am delighted to sign Mike Fontanez to CES Boxing,” said CES founder Jimmy Burchfield, Sr. “Mike has the personality, the skills and the determination to become a star in the middleweight division. Strap on your seatbelt, because his journey to the top starts on October 25.” 

Fontanez admits that early on, he was wary of signing with a promoter.  “A lot of these guys sign you and throw you in with the wolves,” explained the 28-year-old.  “The next thing you know, you get clipped and become the B-side.  I needed to sign with someone who is actually going to care about me as a person and not look at me as just a paycheck.”   

Indeed, boxing is littered with examples of fighters whose careers were derailed by poor matchmaking, inactivity, or greed.  It wasn’t until Fontanez joined the Team Combat League’s (TCL) Boston Butchers in May that he was exposed to how a real promoter operates, as Jimmy Burchfield also serves as the General Manager of the Butchers. 

“Working with Pat Sullivan (CES Director of Operations) in the TCL opened up my eyes,” said Fontanez.  “The way Pat handled business on the Boston Butchers was on point. He made sure we got paid and got us weighed in on time.  He would text us, ‘what do you need?’ and had a sense of urgency. Whenever there was an issue, he went to the commission. I’ve never had someone treat us like that. It was different.  That’s what did it for me. It was the way they took care of the fighters.  We weren’t signed to CES, so he had no benefit from being that kind to us. That’s what made it happen.”

With his promotional situation squared away, the “Blessed Southpaw” can focus on building a legacy in the ring.

“Activity is key because ring rust is what kills a fighter,” says Fontanez of his priorities.  “Activity keeps you sharp, honest, and focused. When you always have a fight lined up, you always have a goal, and I think goals are very important in life.”

Speaking of goals, Fontanez has a very clear roadmap of what he wants to accomplish on the way to a world title.  “Pat came up with a great game plan,” says Fontanez of his short-term goals. “Let’s get me to double digit wins, then take the right step ups, and then fight for a WBC Silver belt to get me into the WBC rankings. If I’m 15-0 by the end of next year, I’ll be pretty happy because I’ll be 29 and in my prime. I train with great fighters like Jamaine Ortiz and Rashidi Ellis. It’s not like I need 40 fights before I get a title shot.”

Mike is also determined to put New England, particularly New Hampshire, on the boxing map.  “I want to be a superstar from New Hampshire, because we need something positive here.  I want to inspire the youth and show them that there’s a way out of the streets.”

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez famously said that for him, ‘Boxing is Life,’ and the same is true for Mike Fontanez. The southpaw was introduced to the Sweet Science after a memorable encounter when he was just 13 years old and living in Middletown, New York.

“Honestly, it started from getting robbed for $2,” says Fontanez.  “I couldn’t believe it.  It was my first day in middle school and I got robbed by 3 eighth graders.”

After the incident, Fontanez sought refuge at a local boxing gym, where he learned the basics of boxing. “I did it for a month and fell in love with it,” confesses Fontanez. 

Unfortunately, Mike’s foray into boxing ended abruptly when his parents pulled him out of the gym.  “My parents are very strict, Puerto Rican parents,” explains Fontanez.  “They didn’t want me to box, so they took me out.”

This was Fontanez’s first test as to whether boxing was a fleeting interest or something he was really passionate about, and he answered the call decisively.      

“I knew right away,” says Fontanez. “I love the art of learning how to fight. I couldn’t go to the gym, but I was always boxing in the street with the kids in the neighborhood.  We were always outside throwing hands in the driveway.”

Eventually, his parents came around and allowed Fontanez to return to the Newburgh Boxing Gym at 15.    

A few years later, Fontanez tried to sign up for the New York Golden Gloves, but when that didn’t work out, his commitment to the sport was tested for a second time.

“My parents wanted me to go to college and get a degree,” says Fontanez. “I knew it wasn’t for me, but I tried it for them.  When the New York Golden Gloves didn’t work out, I said ‘you know what, I’ll enroll and try out for the baseball team’.  And so I walked on as a pitcher. I was good, but I just didn’t have the heart for it. I wasn’t a hard thrower, but I was crafty in the same way that I box.” 

Again, Fontanez’s true calling won the day.  “I ended up going to Dutchess Community College for half a semester,” laughs Mike. “I got kicked out after punching my catcher in the face and got arrested.”

The persistence that Fontanez showed to pursue boxing has carried over into his professional career. A self-described ‘gym rat,’ Fontanez struggles to take a day off from training.

“I actually have to force myself to rest,” admits Fontanez.  “Sometimes I know I need a day off, but I get stir crazy.  It’s a gift and a curse because my coaches don’t have to worry about me training, they have to worry about me overtraining.”

As Fontanez prepares to face the 36-fight veteran Romay, who has shared the ring with the likes of IBF Jr. Middleweight Champion Bakhram Murtazaliev, super middleweight contender Sena Agbeko, and middleweight prospect Anthony Hines, he’ll need to summon all the experience gained from sparring the likes of Jamaine Ortiz and Rashidi Ellis. Fontanez is counting on his ability to adapt on the fly: “I’m a very crafty, smart fighter,” he says. “I can weather the storm and take a round or two to make adjustments, and then I’ll break him down.”

Training for this fight has been rigorous, with Fontanez splitting his time between gyms in Nashua and Revere. The ‘Blessed Southpaw’ works with Mohammed Brooks at Nashua PAL and Alex Rivera in Revere, traveling up to 4 times a week to ensure top-quality sparring.

“Being a boxer is not for the weak,” explains Fontanez.  “I’ve seen so many people with talent come and go in the boxing gym, but if they don’t have it in their heart, there’s nothing.” 

For Fontanez, one thing is for certain: he carries boxing in his heart and soul.  He also doesn’t forget when someone crosses him.

“If I ever see the guy who robbed me when I was 13 again, it’s on sight,” says the boxer, only half joking.  “I just want him to know – I still remember his name. I hold a grudge.”

Witness the CES Boxing debut of Mike “Blessed Southpaw” Fontanez as he squares up against power puncher Jeremiah Robinson on October 25 at Ocean Side in Revere. 

For more information on these cards and all other CES Boxing events, visit cesfights.com.

INFORMATION

ABOUT CES BOXING

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast.  Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.