Fort Bliss Soldiers participate in downtown boxing event
Arturo Ortega of San Juan Boxing, left, takes a swing at Marcus Carrera during the Rockin’ Rolla Downtown Music and Sports Fest Saturday. Photo by Victoria Molinar, Special to The Monitor.
Victoria Molinar,
Special to The Monitor:
Live music, food and green beer weren’t the only things offered at the Rockin’ Rolla Downtown Music and Sports Fest this past weekend: the Golden Gloves boxing battle also highlighted Saturday’s event. Many Fort Bliss Soldiers attended the festival to support boxers from Team Bliss.
After becoming a finalist in the El Paso Regional Golden Gloves championship boxing tournament as a sub-novice fighter in February, Pfc. Marcus Carrera, 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, had his first open fight Saturday. While finding the time to train was a challenge for Carrera, his persistence shined through.
“We’re preparing to go to Afghanistan so I’ve been in the field constantly,” said Carrera. “But when I go to the gym, I work as hard as I can because there’s no greater feeling than when you go in the ring with somebody and represent not only Fort Bliss [but] the family at home.”
Marcus fought Arturo Ortega of San Juan Boxing. Although Ortega won the match, the points were not unanimous and the support from Carrera’s fellow Soldiers was unwavering.
Pfc. Maximino Ramos, combat engineer for C Company, Sustainment Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, shows off his awards to 1st Sgt. Duane Edwards of G Co., 501st Brigade Support Battalion. Photo by Victoria Molinar, Special to The Monitor.
“He’s been training hard in the gym showing that he can step up,” said 1st Sgt. Duane Edwards of G Company, 501st Brigade Support Battalion. “I feel really good about representing Fort Bliss.”
Pfc. Maximino Ramos, combat engineer for C Company, Sustainment Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, was also supposed to fight at the Rockin’ Rolla event, but he automatically won the match when his opponent did not show up. Ramos had just returned two weeks ago from the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships at Fort Carson, Colo., where he represented the U.S. Army.
“My first sergeant called me and said, ‘You’re representing the whole post. Everybody is now talking about you,’” said Ramos. “It just makes me feel great to be representing Fort Bliss because we’re a team.”
Sgt. Duane Edwards, who trained both Ramos and Carrera, will be competing in the World Ringside Championship in Kansas City, Mo. Edwards won the last five fights and aims to win his sixth match this summer. Ramos said he also plans to fight in the competition.
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