TalkingBoxing with David Pareja and Miguel Hernandez
by
Julius Stecker
4/11 - Light-heavyweight prospect
David Pareja of Chicago, IL, earned national exposure fighting last year on Oscar De La Hoya’s "The Next Great Champ" airing on the Fox network. Pareja, 4-1, earned runner up in the competition losing a close decision to winner Otis Griffin in the finale. Since the show concluded, "Danger" has been on a mission to make his name known throughout the boxing world.
Having recently made his hometown debut this past Friday night at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois, a dominating second round knockout of Ryan Franklin, TalkingBoxing.com caught up with the young prospect Pareja prior to the fight to find out how he is doing.
David Pareja Wins Hometown Debut
Many fight fans know Pareja from his experience on the reality show, but according to him the experience was not all it was cracked up to be.
“It was a very difficult experience," he explained. "They were always surrounding us trying to get the proper angles and get camera shots that were good for TV. Before my first fight we had no gym work at all. I had no sparring work, nothing. I mean from an experience stand point the show was great, getting me national exposure but for other aspects it wasn’t so great.”
Pareja wanted to generate interest and excitement from his hometown fans for his first fight in Chicago and did just that.
“Training is going great for this fight. This is actually the first fight that I have actually really properly prepared for. I plan on bringing out 200 people to the fight card and of those people, 180 of them will be new fight fans,” Pareja stated.
Pareja, who feels comfortable at light heavyweight, is willing take on all comers this side of cruiserweight and make the most of any fight.
“My fight fans can expect rapid rate fighting and by the end of the year you can expect me to win a regional title, or a state title. Expect me to be consistent and sharper then ever.”
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Last Friday, pounding out a uniamous decision over tough journeyman J.J. Corn, 44-12, at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, as part of a 8 Count Productions card, Miguel “Macho” Hernandez, 14-2, put on a show for his fans once again.
TalkingBoxing.com caught up with “Macho” for a brief interview prior to his dominating win.
Miguel Hernandez Makes Excellent Return
“I don’t know too much about Corn, but I know he is a tough veteran with a lot of fights. Anytime you fight a guy who has more knockouts then you have fights, you know it is going to be a tough fight,” explained Hernandez.
Previous to his win over Corn, he lost a tough fight to another respected local fighter, 'Marvelous' Shay Mobley and according to him it was a tough loss to take.
“What I learned from that fight was not to fight unless you are 100%,
not to make any excuses because that night Shay Mobley was the better man then I was. He beat me fair and square that night. He is good fighter.
But before that fight I hurt my ribs and I was fighting with a flu virus.
My trainer Sam Colona was trying to get me to pull out of the fight, but that is not me. I came to fight that night.”
Miguel is proud to be a part of a growing base of excellent young fighters, a stable that includes the likes of David Diaz, Al Gonzales, Jermaine White, Michael Walker, and the aforementioned Shay Mobley. exclaimed, “There are a lot of great fighters from Chicago, we just don’t get the respect we deserve.”
Hernandez did recover from his last fight and scored a big win in his first 10 round fight, taking the Illinois State middleweight title in the process.
“Fight fans can expect me to do what I do best.”
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