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Albuquerque fighter Marcos Acosta will make his pro debut in the new year next Friday on the Top Rank card in Las Cruces.
"It's the right time for Marcos," said Luis Chavez, who has helped train the 18-year-old Acosta since he starting fighting at the age of 8.
"He's very serious now. As an amateur, he didn't always want to get in shape."
Despite the reluctance to train like a pro, Acosta still managed to rack up a record of 74-11 and win two national titles in the junior division.
"But I didn't like the amateurs," Acosta said. "I didn't like the politics and I didn't like the style. I've been waiting for the pros for a while now."
It has been nearly 3 years since Acosta last fought. Although he maintained his fitness and skills in the gym, Acosta was not motivated enough to enter another amateur contest in part because of a distrust that his pro style of boxing would be a disadvantage at top tournaments. The death in 2002 of his grandfather, Chris Benavidez, also contributed to his prolonged layoff, he said.
"Grampa first brought me to the gym," Acosta recalled. "He'd pick me up right after school and drive me straight to the gym. He was always there to push me."
Benavidez was a devout boxing fan and Acosta's biggest supporter.
"See that youngster over there?" he once said while watching Acosta train at the Jack Candelaria Center. "That's my grandson. The next world champion of New Mexico."
Acosta said he would someday like to make his grandfather's prediction come true. But he said it's premature to start sounding the trumpets before his first pro fight, especially after such a long layoff.
"We took care of the rust," Chavez said.
Acosta and Chavez have spent part of the past few weeks training in El Paso, where Acosta has sparred with pros Evaristo Primero (14-9-1, 7 KOs) and Cesar Lopez (20-3, 4 KOs).
"I've learned so much," Acosta said. "Especially from Primero. I can say I held my own, but they definitely got me ready for next week."
Acosta and his team, Chavez's M&A Boxing Club, also left the Candelaria Center to open their own gym, at 5509 West Central, about a year ago.
"There's no distractions here," Acosta said. "It's crowded (at the Candelaria Center) and the sparring isn't good - everyone wants to fight you, not help each other out."
Acosta's opponent for next Friday's debut has yet to be announced, although matchmakers are closing in on someone suitable to fight the bantamweight at 120 to 122 pounds.
"He's going to do good," Chavez said. "I keep telling him, he can't just win. He has to look good in front of promoter Top Rank. I'm sure he will. He's ready."
ET CETERA: Next Friday's card, televised on Telefutura, features a lightweight bout between Mexican fighters Jose Armando Santa-Cruz (23-2, 13 KOs) and Luis Arceo (19-4-2, 13 KOs). Las Cruces junior middleweight Austin Trout (7-0, 7 KOs) will fight an eight-round co-main against Raul Mu¤oz (19-9-4, 15 KOs). Albuquerque light heavyweight Mike Alderete (4-0, 3 KOs) is scheduled for a four-round bout vs. Larry Pryor (2-1, 1 KO). Albuquerque's Ray Sanchez III (18-1, 14 KOs) withdrew from the original co-main event, citing a lingering hand injury. . . . Albuquerque's Angelo Leo, 12, who is competing out of M&A Boxing Club, will be boxing in the 70-pound division of the 2007 Regional Silver Gloves on Jan. 4-7 in Norfolk, Calif. He has a record of 27-6. . . . Albuquerque's Keith Jardine (11-2-1) is in Las Vegas, Nev., where he will fight the co-main event of Ultimate Fighting Championship 66 in a pay-per-view event on Saturday night. Jardine will face Forrest Griffin (13-3), with the winner possibly getting a title shot against the winner of the main event between 205-pound champion Chuck Liddell (19-3) and Tito Ortiz (16-4).
