The Boxing Grind

A kid who once fought on a blanket is now 15–0 with 11 knockouts, and he’s aiming his sights at the top of 115–118. We sit down with a New Mexico fan favorite Matt Griego AKA Diamond Boy who blends power and patience, talks candidly about a derailed fight week that sent him spiraling, and explains how the gym became his medicine. From first-round fireworks on his pro debut to a steady refusal to a...

A phone call with a rising contender turns into a masterclass on how to build a career the right way. Robert Merriweather III opens up about the Zuffa signing, the full camp behind his latest win, and the viral moment that had a mouthpiece flying while he stayed locked in. From early days roaming the Mayweather gym to a 100-fight amateur slate, he explains how timing, patience, and ring IQ became...

A train ride out of East St. Louis becomes the first step in a fighter’s rebirth. Trevion Boyd arrives in Albuquerque with little more than a blessing from his grandmother and the grit to start over. What he finds is a gym that takes pain off his shoulders and replaces it with focus, a team that raises his ceiling, and a path that turns a rough past into measurable wins—two New Mexico Golden Glove...

Jayden Utarro, a teenager with pink hair won Golden Gloves in his very first boxing match and hasn’t lifted his foot off the gas since. We sit down for a candid look at how bullying sparked a turn to self-defense, how early kickboxing wins and losses shaped his composure, and why a shock debut victory became the fuel for an unforgiving training routine that starts before dawn. This is a story abou...

A little side note to the audience The Boxing Grind

Some prospects talk about becoming champion; others live like it before the belt arrives. We sit down with a featherweight phenom called “The Bank,” whose nickname was minted in a bet-fueled tournament moment and whose mindset shows why people keep wagering on him. Fifteen national titles and a countrywide buzz are the backdrop, but the mission is singular: world champion or bust. The story winds...

A fighter can chase an image or chase the truth. Arnold Barboza Jr. chooses the truth—about risk, loss, faith, and the weight class that fits who he is now. From stepping into a gym at five and a half to sharing cards with his pro kickboxer father, his foundation was built in real reps: smoker bouts, 75 amateur fights, and a career defined by taking chances instead of protecting a spotless record....

The gloves came on long before the spotlight. Growing up in Las Vegas, New Mexico, Kaleb Medina learned to turn raw emotion into focused work, guided by a father, grandfather, and uncle who lived the sport. That lineage runs through every story he tells, from childhood shadowboxing to collecting 70-plus amateur bouts and navigating a pandemic pause before landing in Albuquerque’s tight-knit boxing...

What does it take to chase the Olympics when you started late and the odds say slow down? We bring you a candid, high-energy conversation with a 20-year-old Albuquerque fighter named Santiago Saavedra in his first official year of boxing, sitting at 2–2 and aiming boldly at the open division, national tournaments, and the Olympic trials. Guided by faith, family, and a father who doubles as coach,...

Jorge Villarruel, A nineteen-year-old with the ring miles of a veteran sits down with us to unpack the leap from a decorated amateur run to the disciplined chaos of the pros. He’s honest about why the amateur point system never fit his style, how that frustration became fuel, and what it took to push past family hesitation and trust a coach who believed he was ready. From the first pro win to a sh...

A knockout debut might look like instant success, but the real story starts years earlier in a quiet gym in Santa Fe. We sit down with a young 115-pound prospect who found boxing at twelve, stuck with it after friends quit, and turned a thin amateur résumé into a professional launch built on repetition, patience, and relentless discipline. From five amateur fights to an explosive first pro finish,...

The path to a champion’s mindset doesn’t start with a belt. It starts with a choice—and Yoruba’s first big choice was to switch from orthodox to Southpaw as a kid, mastering the stance until it felt like home. From losing his first five amateur fights to stacking 200 bouts and stepping confidently into the pros, he shares how fundamentals, honesty, and patience turned frustration into fuel. We dig...

Quentin The Lion Deleon from Albuquerque NM is a professional boxer and recently fought on December 12th at Kiva Auditorium. Background and boxing history discussed. Coach Paco and House of Aces and training discussed. World title aspirations, reflections and closing.  The Boxing Grind