In the years following a Summer Olympics, the top amateur boxers must make the decision to either stay in the unpaid ranks for another four years and attempt making the next Olympic team, or turn professional and begin their hopeful journey to fame and fortune. Over the past couple of months, some highly touted former U.S. amateur stars have made the leap of faith and turned professional. Tonight at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California, one of the top 112-pound fighters in the nation over the last two years Michael Ruiz Jr. takes that first step on the road to prominence.
Ruiz, who hails from nearby Fresno, California, will take on Jose Luis Mares (0-2) of Lompoc, California in a four-round bantamweight bout. Despite being just shy of his 21st birthday, Ruiz handles himself like a veteran and appears to be completely satisfied with his decision to put his amateur days in the rearview mirror. “This is just the perfect time,” said Ruiz yesterday. “The Olympics are 2, 3 years away, and they wanted me to get away from my pro style and go more towards the amateur style. I have more of a pro style, and I wanted to keep it, so I decided to go pro.”
Despite what he describes as a pro style, Ruiz’ did just fine in that style as an amateur. Ruiz came close to winning a national title on several occasions, claiming the silver at both the 2008 National PAL Championships and 2009 National Golden Gloves. Currently Ruiz is ranked #3 at 112-pounds by USA Boxing.
“I believe I went about as far as I could go in the amateurs,” says Ruiz, before qualifying that statement. “I could go further, and I appreciate everything they did for me in amateur boxing. The last couple of years I was one of the top amateurs in my weight class, and there were some nationals I could have won, and some I felt I did win, but that is the amateurs. It is time to turn pro. I did as much as I could.”
The United States boxing team had its worst showing in history in claiming just one bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. That showing may serve as reason for many of the best American amateurs to turn pro and start earning a paycheck, rather than waiting it out for 2012. While Ruiz says 2008 had no bearing on his decision, he pulls no punches when talking about the American showing.
“The people that made the Olympics, they just didn’t have the heart to fight more for their country,” surmises Ruiz. “They already knew that they were going to go places, so they didn’t have their heart fully into it as amateurs. So they should have decided to go pro a long time ago, and let people with heart look forward to it. Right now I have my heart more into being a pro and not as much as being an amateur, so shouldn’t keep myself as an amateur when this is where my heart is at.”
Competing at the highest level in the same 112-pound weight class for two years, Ruiz undoubtedly has some amateur rivals he will likely see in the pro ranks. But has history has taught us, what happens in the amateurs does not always necessarily translate to the pros. “There’s a lot of guys that I fought already, that they know if it was pros, it would be a different story,” says the ultra-confident Ruiz. “And we will just leave it at that because I have love for everybody in the amateurs. It’s all competition, it’s all good. But now it’s the pros, it’s more serious.”
Adding incentive, if there wasn’t enough already, Ruiz will be fighting close to home as he fights without headgear for the first time. “It is amazing that I get to fight my first pro fight, and all my friends and family get to see me. It helps me feel really confident.” Ruiz promises not to disappoint the local supporters, who unquestionably have high hopes, as he launches his pro campaign. “It is going to be a good show, a really good show,” claims Ruiz. “[My supporters] can expect to see me do what I have trained to do, and what I do in the gym. I am not going to let them down.”
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.
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