Tomorrow night at the Belize Civic Center, Belizean boxer, Eduardo Esquivel, otherwise known as El Mechanico, will be going head to head with Roberto Rodriguez, a boxer from Mexico. It's the first ever regional championship held in Belize that is sanctioned by the World Boxing Council.
And today, the fighters had their official weigh in. For the featherweight champion match, both athletes had a limit of 126 pounds. At first, Esquivel went slightly over that limit, but after a few laps around Di Bruwry's parking lot, he managed to make the weight.
We asked him what that was like, and spoke to both boxers about the upcoming match.
Eduardo Esquivel, Belizean Boxer
"Maybe because I made it yesterday and when you relax and in the air condition, the body cools down and gets a little weight again, this is why I have to sweat a little bit because the air condition made me a little more heavy. I made the weight yesterday, I ran yesterday but today have a little up."
"I just start like 8 years ago but I started a little old because the opportunity didn't come and some boxers retire at 35, or 30 something, because they start really young like 7 or 8 to get punches but I start a little old because I wanted to get something."
"You have to be in the way like winning and winning and winning to qualify to get this, this is why I get a little time, even though the pandemic come and everything stop for more than two years, that make people a little down, everybody."
Reporter:
"What's your record?"
Eduardo Esquivel, Belizean Boxer
"Like 21 to 2. Boxing is so beautiful, it's a lot of sacrifice, but when you make something, you feel like, oh yeah, that's mine. That's why people say be in the way, try to get something."
"If he is good, we have to fight really hard, because if he is good, we see something good tomorrow too because I train for it and if he comes with a pressure, I pressure him back."
Roberto Rodriguez, Mexican Boxer
"I'm coming well prepared, I had about a six week training camp, it was very hard training."
"It was a lot of cardio, a lot of swimming, it was a difficult process, but it mostly entailed cardio and swimming. I've also fought against Italians and Guatemalans."
Reporter:
"And his record?"
Roberto Rodriguez, Mexican Boxer
"His record is 15 wins, 10 by knock out and three losses. I feel very happy and content and thank God."
Javier Romero, President/Commissioner, Belize Boxing Development Council
"This has been years in the making, this is our seminal moment in which we have had several boxing events throughout the years but this is the culmination of all of that work in which what we're now presenting to Belize is a championship bout. It is the first championship bout in Belize in the last 45 years, it is the first championship bout that is being sanctioned by a world governing body."
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