
It was last November that local boxer Gilbert Venegas (12-7-3) won the main event of the Downtown Throwdown at the Danceland Ballroom in Davenport, IA.
Since then, the Quad Cities has had a surge of new energy for boxing and Venegas looks to keep that fire lit as he is the co-main event of the upcoming Armer Boxing and Calkins Sports Productions Present: The Civil War on Saturday, February 23rd.
Venegas will face Lance Williams out of Muscatine, IA and welcomes the pressure. “It’s great to have boxing back on the map here in the Quad Cities,” said Venegas. “I’ve added a lot of strength and conditioning and we are working with a lot of lighter weights because this kid is obviously going to be fast.” Venegas also acknowledges the fact that Williams is younger, but doesn’t seem to be bothered by that at all.
“I’m excited to show the crowd that I still got it and I want to show people that at the age of thirty-five you can still do something,” said Venegas. “I feel that he is trying to use me as a stepping stone, but we will prove him wrong.”
Along with training for this fight, Venegas is also a teacher/trainer at Fitness First Plus for the Aggression class, a circuit training cardio class which incorporates elements of boxing while also keeping it fun for all ages and walks of life.
“It’s awesome to come here and work with people that want to get back in shape,” explained Venegas. “Come and check out the class and the staff and myself will help you get in shape so we can all live a long and healthy life.”
With retirement still a few years away, Venegas knows that he needs to win this fight and keep winning in order to get the “big fight” he wants before he hangs up his gloves, but he also sees the bigger picture in all of this. “I want to show the younger generation that there is another road you can take and that’s here in the gym,” said Venegas. “No matter what people say about you, you can turn your life around and hopefully everything turns out the way it should be.”
Armer Boxing and Calkins Sports Productions Present: The Civil War, Saturday February 23rd at the Danceland Ballroom in Davenport, IA. Doors open at 6pm. Fights will begin at 7:30pm. For tickets and more information contact Downtown Pawn at 563-322-1993.