WATCH old, grainy family footage of a newborn baby Giovanni MarquezPlaced on the baby’s high chair, you can immediately recognize the restless hands that have been passed from father to son. They are incessantly moving, active and chaotic. Like father Like son. Former US professional track and field champion Raul Marquez, Giovanni’s father, spoke about introducing himself to the world some 50 years ago, explaining that he threw the table. his legs almost immediately after taking his first breath, was born at home in the arms of his parents- bedroom apartment.
Before going pro on Friday 11order March, the youngest Marquez boxer spoke to Social boxing on his expectation of following in his father’s footsteps and preparing to rise to the top on his own: “I would say it adds pressure, but it’s not any kind of pressure that I can’t cope with . It’s part of the game, and that pressure drives me to prove to everyone that, yes, I’m my father’s son – and I have my own skill set. I can live up to it, and I can uphold our legacy. ”
“When this journey began, he [my father] talked a lot about setting bump, no upload with footage, stable and smart. It’s a smaller glove and doesn’t have a headgear, so defense has been emphasized. I just want to relax and do my thing, show off my skills and abilities. I think the boxing scene is great right now, and I just want to work hard and set myself apart from the crowd with my skills and abilities, to make a name for myself. ”
“For myself”. Despite working closely with his father, Showtime broadcaster and Awards veteran, Split T Management debutant Raul Marquez was aware he had to fight – and talk – on his own. But he was ready for that. After delaying his transition from amateur to professional in hopes of winning the American Golden Glove, Marquez believes his style is befitting of the paid ranks. This weekend, fighting in a smaller show put together by Split T’s Brendan Segalas, this is the beginning of a journey, and the first steps taken on a long and arduous road. In many ways, it is an accurate introduction to the business.
“Now I feel confident. In my last tournament I gave everyone a count of eight, I had a few stops and I thought I was ready for the pros. My style is more consistent, so I feel like now I’ll be able to show all my talents more than I could in the amateurs. I’d say 2022 has been great so far. We’ve done a lot of great work, my dad and I. Create a lot of different styles, work on different things like work suddenly, mix our combinations together, sit down strong shots. As I progress, I want to fight with the best, I want to participate in exciting battles and leave my mark. I think I will do it; That’s what I want to be known for – fighting for the best. ”
The Marquez dynasty has experienced many successes, including Giovanni’s older brother, Arturo (named after the couple’s grandfather, and was the family’s head coach for many years). Arturo has set a record of 10 wins with 6 stoppages but Arturo hasn’t been seen taking over the professional ring in nearly 4 years. The family is from Houston, Texas, and as Giovanni tells it Social boxingthey make the fighters different down there.
“There’s just something about us Texans; we come to fight; We practice hard. Jermell Charlo is really a friend of mine and he watched me win the Houston Golden Glove, he cheered me on it was great. Having someone like that, at that high level, acknowledges my skill and hard work… We go back to when my dad was active and they [the Charlo brothers] is approaching, they are following him. Now, Jermell obviously knows my dad and he has his own boxing gym in Houston, he has amateurs there, and we’re over the line. He saw me fight and he became a fan.”
“Here in Houston, we have a lot of great games,” continued Marquez, “The two main gyms that have a lot of great activities are Main [Street] The Boxing Gym where Regis Prograis trains and the J Prince Boxing Gym, that’s where I went today for a couple of matches. Those two are the hubs to sparring in Houston if you want to get some great pieces. You probably have a lot of other people from small towns and if they don’t, they might struggle to get attention. That’s not the case in Houston, Texas, there are plenty of elite-level jobs available to everyone. ”
Elite-level involvement combined with natural ability and hard work all succeeded the magic, and Split T Management, headed by David McWater, jumped onto the board, signing Giovanni Marquez after his Golden Glove win in 2021. They believe – as a team brimming with trust due to McWater’s friendship with Raul Marquez – they can make it to the top. And even though it’s still early, Giovanni knows what he wants and trusts it with his team.
“David was actually a friend of my dad before he wanted to sign me as one of his fighters. He had been following me from amateurs, and before having any relationship with them, he advised us to stay amateurs a little longer. I made a bad decision, I was disappointed with the amateurs, you know. I’m looking to go pro, my dad talks to David, and I’m trying to get the Golden Glove. I ended up winning the national Golden Glove and for sure, that opened a lot of doors for us. We have known David for a while, and he was friends before we did business together.”
Marquez is excited, ready: “You know, in the current situation, a lot of guys don’t want to fight. The best don’t fight the best, and that’s what I’m aiming for. I think the hardest thing against the best is the business side, which is beyond my control. I feel confident in the team we have, I’ll let them handle the business side of things, and I’ll just focus on training and fighting. Then we will make these big battles happen…”
