NM Boxer Willie Villanueva makes Showtime Boxing (ShoBox)/DiBella Entertainment’s Debut this Friday, October 21, 2011

Posted by admin on Oct 20, 2011

One of New Mexico’s premier featherweight boxers, Willie Villanueva (10-3, 2-KO’s of Los Vatos), will be making his first appearance on Showtime Boxing (ShoBox), for DiBella Entertainment’s “OctoberFist”, this Friday, October 21, 2011, taking place at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT, against the undefeated Ryan Kielczewski (11-0, 2-KO’s). The two will go 8 rounds as the first televised match of the night.
Villanueva started training in karate with Chavez from the time he was 6, and he earned 3 state championships as well as 2003 New Mexico Golden Gloves. He transferred to Danny Romero for a time, but after his fight with Gary Russell Jr., he realized that he needed something different. So, a little over a year ago, he came to Ronnie Huizar of Team Los Vatos(@lvsportwear), premier sponsor of boxers and fighters for the last 15 years, and a gym to train a select few for the last 10 years. Huizar agreed to train him, with considerable changes to his diet and training regimen. In June of this year, he fought on Fresquez Productions’ “Duke City Showdown” which featured renowned Holly Holm, and defeated his opponent David Proa. Since then, he has been training harder than ever; he and Coach Huizar (as well as Coach Ronnie Duran) feel that, right now, he is in the best shape of his life. He trains several times daily, working on each aspect of his fight game: technique, speed, cardio, strength, conditioning, and sparring, with teammates from Los Vatos and friends like Donald Sanchez, professional boxer and cagefighter with FITNHB.
Villanueva was contacted by Dibella’s matchmaker, Joe Quiambao, by Facebook, about 6 weeks ago, asking him to be on the card. This was not the first ShoBox card Dibella had asked him to be on; he’d been offered several other lucrative fights, but with very short notice, and his management advised against it. This time, however, the notice was more than sufficient, and Huizar agreed to the fight.
Team Villanueva immediately went to work, but two weeks into camp, Villanueva and his family suffered a great loss; his fiancé’s sister, Adelina Jaramillo, was brutally murdered in front of her 9-month-old baby, while her 11-year old was at school. He and his fiancé took the two children in as their own daughters, so he now is father of 5 children. Rather than taking away from his dedication to the sport, the tragedy has motivated him even more to be successful, for the sake of all his loved ones. A memorial fund has been set up for the benefit of this family, at New Mexico Educators’ Federal Credit Union, The Adelina Jaramillo Memorial Fund, for any wishing to help this family.