(APR 4) This week I had an
opportunity to go one on one with Sulem Urbina, an amateur
boxer, who currently resides and trains in Phoenix, Arizona.
Since childhood, Urbina has always been a very active female
athlete, having competed for teams in basketball, cross country,
and softball. At the age of ten, Urbina discovered boxing
when her two older brothers started boxing at a local gym.
Mark Jones, Q: What attracted
you to boxing?
Sulem Urbina, A: At first, I wanted to try boxing because my
older brothers were going to the gym. Then, once I was training
at the gym, I really enjoyed exercising. It was fast paced, it
was challenging, and I enjoyed getting tired.
Q: What year did you begin boxing?
A: I started boxing in 2001, at the age of ten.
Q: What was it like the first time you entered a boxing ring?
A: When I first started going to the gym, the only time that
boxers would get into the ring was to spar. The first time I
ever set foot in the ring was also my first sparring session. It
was against a little, nine-year-old boy named Benny Peterson. I
was nervous because he had been boxing for a while. I remember
telling myself to keep punching non-stop just to try to compete
with him. He took it easy on me for the first part of our
sparring round, until he saw that I wasn’t getting tired. Then,
he decided to become more aggressive. He threw more punches and
came forward a lot more than in the beginning of the sparring
session. We sparred 3 rounds, with a minute and a half for each
round.
Q: How long was it until you sparred another boxer and what
was your mindset before sparring for the first time?
A: I went to the gym for the first time in the summer that year.
About three months later is when I had my first sparring
session. I was never scared, just nervous. I was pumped and
wanted to prove to my brothers that I could do this. They were
there watching me fight. I was thinking about how many fights
the other kid had and how much experience he had. I kept telling
myself that I was going to do well. I was anxious to get in
there and get the sparring session over with.
Q: What is your current amateur record?
A: 45-10
Q: Discuss your Visa issues, and how they interfered with you
competing for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Also, what
country have you previously represented?
A: In the past, I have represented Mexico at boxing tournaments.
In 2012, I was receiving my residency in the U.S., so at the
time I couldn’t travel to Mexico City for the Olympic Trials. I
couldn’t compete in the U.S., because I wasn’t a citizen yet.
Due to that issue, my window to compete in 2012 Olympics in
London had closed. I will become a citizen in about three years.
In Mexico, the National Olympic qualifying ages were cut to
include boxers that were twenty years old or younger, so I
missed the required age cut by two years. There’s one more
national tournament at the end of this year, so that’s a
possibility for me. If I can make it there, I can do well. If I
win that, I can start competing internationally for Mexico
again. If I get my U.S. citizenship in time, I can try to win my
spot in the trials, and make the U.S. Olympic Team, if the team
hasn’t been picked already.
Q: What are your thoughts on turning professional?
A: I definitely want to turn pro someday, just not sure exactly
when. When I do, I want to make a huge impact in the pro game. I
want to be a world champion. I would like to be a
multi-divisional champion. There are concerns about staying busy
and getting fights. I don’t want to sit on the shelf and I’d
like to stay busy. Hopefully the pro game will continue to
improve, so that by the time I turn pro, it will be better.
Q: As a pro, what weight class would you likely compete in?
A: I would like to compete in weight classes anywhere from the
Flyweight to Bantamweight classes.
Q: What is your daily training schedule like?
A: I wake up early in the morning and do my roadwork. I run
around my neighborhood for 45 minutes and then I come home. I go
to the gym in the afternoon and I work out 3 to 4 hours, which
is generally longer than most boxers. Some days, we do a 4-mile
run. Some days, we start by jumping rope, and then we move to
agility drills, and then our boxing drills. Some days, we have
weights. We always mix it up. We never do the same routine.
Every day is different. As we get closer to fight dates, our
workouts get shorter.
Q: How many days a week do you train?
A: We train Monday to Friday, and some Saturday’s we work out
too.
Q: What is your major in college?
A: I am majoring in Business and Marketing. Are you close to
graduating? No, I’m a freshman.
Q: What college do you currently attend?
A: I currently attend Phoenix College. I plan to transfer to ASU
next year.
Mark A. Jones: Thank you for taking the time to conduct this
interview.
WBAN
ON TWITTER -
