Rocky's Right Hook

By Sheerly Avni, YO! Youth Outlook. Posted July 25, 2000.

Raquel -- aka "Rocky" -- 18, had her first fight on March 4, 2000 at a boxing club in Napa, California. She had only been practicing for two months. Even though she lost the fight, she had the entire gym chanting "Rocky! Rocky!" by the end of the first round. The fight was voted best of the night.

What's your best boxing memory?

My first real fight. When you're sparring they can't hit you hard, and you can't get hit hard. But in a real fight, you can show your best. You don't have to hold back.

Before the fight, people were telling me "You're gonna be nervous. You're gonna be scared. You're gonna be hella tired." But I just wanted to get in there -- I wanted to get in the ring and see if I could do it. I would work the bags until I was so tired I almost fell down, and you know, I was just excited for the fight.

What about right before the fight?

I was anxious to get in there and start swinging. The other woman was bigger than me-and older-but I was ready. I jumped in and just forgot all my moves. I was just into it, and not thinking... When I watched the video later, I saw how much I messed up.

But you guys won fight of the night, right?

Yeah, people were cheering. I think they saw that we had more heart. I didn't mind losing, I just really wanted to fight.

What first got you interested in boxing?

When I was a kid, my friends and my uncles would rent [boxing matches] on pay per view...I started watching them [when I was]10 or 11. I liked how they'd fight. I liked how they were in shape and everything and how they would last so long without getting tired and how they moved around. I saw the blood, but it didn't scare me. I just thought, "I want to learn how to do that."

Did you get into fights growing up?

When I got into fights I always won, especially when people would try to jump my brother. I remember once at the fair, there was these boys dogging us, and they were gonna rush my little brother. I happened to turn around and see it. I went out and dropped him with one hit. I knew I was swinging hard. I meant to do it but I didn't know I could.

And how did you start?

I was up here, at the group home, and I was asking the counselors to get me boxing, but they were lagging. So I ran. I went home on a homepass and I never came back. I got in an argument with my mom, and then I did some bad things. Got shot at a lot during the last month that I was gone, got into a fight... and then I got picked up and they brought me back here. This time, they let me start boxing.

Right away, people started saying, "Hey, you're good. You should keep going." So I did, and that's what I've been doing for the last four months.

Are you going to stay?

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