Enrique Lopez [Amateur record: 14-5]

As an amateur who has already competed at a couple of national tournaments and three Golden Gloves tournaments within just 19 fights, the learning curve of Enrique Lopez has clearly been a steady one. Enrique took the time to talk to BoxingQnA.com about his background, experience, ambitions, and influences.

What's your amateur record, how long have you been fighting, what gym do you box out of and at what level have you boxed at so far? My amateur record is currently 14-5. I've been boxing for 5 years and actively fighting for 4 years now. I'm currently on active duty in the U.S.A. Marine Corps and am in San Diego, California, so I train at a gym called High Performance Training Center. I originally trained at Mohave Valley Boxing Club in Arizona. As an amateur, I have competed at national level so far. I've fought at the regional Golden Gloves three times and won it once. I've also competed in two national tournaments, so I've got some very good experience within just 20 fights. A lot of young athletes get their heads turned by MMA or other sports nowadays. Why did you get into boxing? I watched boxing with my dad as a kid, so that was a big influence. I've always seen boxing as more graceful and more of a chess game than mma. I did attempt college football at one point, but that didn't work out. At that time, I just wanted to pursue something in order to stay in-shape, so I ended up taking boxing classes an I ended up falling in love with the sport from there - the rest is history. Do you have ambitions of turning professional? If so, what sort of timeline do you have in mind? Well, I'm 23 years right now and I would like to probably turn professional by the age of 25. I want to see how many more amateur fights I can get within two more years and I definitely want to win at least one national tournament before turning pro. Of course, over the last few years, we have seen amateur boxing get reformed to an extent with international tournaments doing away with the headguard. How do you feel about such changes? I guess these changes are because they want to get you ready for the pro game because if you're fighting without the headguard, you are competing at an elite level anyway. At the end of the day, headgear does not take away the impact of a shot. Pretty much all it does is prevent you from getting cut or bruised, but I'll tell you what, some people know how to use those velcro gloves pretty well to that end regardless. They know how to scratch up your face. Last year, U.S.A. amateur boxing started favoring the 10 point must system. Do you prefer this system to the computerized scoring and do you feel that scoring fights in such a way bridges the gap between amateur and professional boxing? I do like the 10-point must system. I believe it forces you to be more crisp and technical. I like how they now score more now according to effective punching, aggression and ring generalship. I think it definitely prepares you better for the professional game than the system of old. It's often said that amateurs turning professional go though a transition period where they have to make an assortment of adjustments to their style over time, especially those who have been an amateur for a while. Do you foresee that you will have to make many adjustments? I believe everyone is always still learning, even long after someone turns professional. Everyone makes changes, but I think at the end of the day your style is your style and you will always have tendencies to fight a certain way. I am hoping that my transition into professional boxing will be a smooth one, but time will tell. As an amateur currently and as a professional later, how far do you believe you can potentially go in the sport? Well, I just recently competed at a national level tournament where I fought Dorian Anthony. He had a long lay-off from boxing, but before that point he had won some national titles and was boxing for L.A. Matadors, a WSB semi-pro team. He has well over 100 fights, while for me it was only my 18th. It was a good experience and I felt that I held my own pretty well, so an amateur, I definitely believe I am capable of winning a national title. As for a pro, it's everyone's dream to become a world champion. Who in the sport past or present would you consider to be your biggest boxing inspiration and why? I really admire Sugar Ray Robinson and have watched a lot of his old fights. He was relentless, aggressive and so fast. I think Sugar Ray revolutionized the sport and I definitely believe that Muhammad Ali adapted some of his techniques. What drives you to achieve your goals in the sport and to be the best you can be? I put all my faith in God. After that it would be the support I get from my family and loved ones. My parents want to see me succeed. My grandma, who is really sick with Dementia and Alzheimer's disease, she definitely wants to see me succeed and be a champion. I want her to see that. What do you believe sets you aside from other young fighters out there with lofty ambitions? I wake up every morning and do 4-5 miles of road work - I think staying hungry is the number one thing. I'm always hungry and I always want better from myself. I chase my dream to the fullest with the mindset that I won't be stuck with a job that I hate. My parents provided me for me and in turn I want to be able to provide for them. Any final words? I'd like to thank God for keeping me healthy, my family who has supported me since day 1, my coach who got me started Tom Ramirez and my friend Guillermo Reyna who really prepared me before I first walked in a boxing gym. Shout out to High Performance Training Center, my gym here in California, Hector Gil and Felix Garcia, the people who are working with me right now. Last but not least, a big thank you to my sponsors Primal Combat and Soldier Wear.